When Jesus Comes for You

When Jesus Comes for You

During the early months of World War II the invader swept the Pacific. Bataan! Corregidor! Philippine Islands! Step by step the defending military forces were pushed back until they were forced to make Australia their base for Pacific operations. In that dramatic hour when General MacArthur stepped into a PT boat and headed for the plane which took him to Australia, he spoke these historic words of reassurance to the embattled soldiers of Bataan: "I SHALL RETURN!"

At that moment, the future looked dark to those men. But the general's last words, "I shall return," gave them courage.

What cheer came to every heart as the news flashed, "MacArthur is back!" True to his military prophecy and promise, MacArthur did return. Victory was gained.

Before Jesus ascended from this earth, following His conflict with the forces of evil, He spoke these words of reassurance: "I WILL COME AGAIN!" Here is the complete prophecy and promise in Jesus' own words:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."—John 14:1-3.

Think for a moment: What if Jesus would not come? Misery, suffering and sorrow would continue to rack the human frame as tears continued to flow and hearts continued to break. Death would continue to take its toll. Millions would continue to lie in dusty graves. If Jesus would not come, the promise would never be fulfilled:

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."—Revelation 21:4.

Evangelist Dwight L. Moody once said that the second coming of Jesus Christ is referred to more than 2,500 times in the Bible. The Old Testament—strange as it may seem—contains the large majority of these. But the 260 chapters of the New Testament mention the second advent at least 318 times.

1. THEME OF THE AGES

More than four thousand years ago, before the universal Flood described in the Bible, Enoch prophesied:

"Behold, THE LORD COMETH with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all."—Jude 14, 15.

Job also prophesied of this hope:

"For I know that my redeemer liveth: and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."—Job 19:25, 26.

The psalmist adds his testimony:

"OUR GOD SHALL COME, and shall not keep silence: . . . that he may judge his people."—Psalm 50:3, 4.

The last seventeen books of the Old Testament repeatedly predict the second coming of Jesus Christ. Here is one example:

"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."—Isaiah 25:9.

Throughout Old Testament times men looked for the deliverance that will come at the second coming of the Lord Jesus. And after Jesus gave His promise, "I will come again," New Testament writers repeatedly echoed this theme. It is, in fact, the last promise in the New Testament, and therefore in the entire Bible:

"Surely I come quickly."—Revelation 22:20.

2. HOW WILL JESUS COME?

When Jesus left this world after His resurrection, angels announced to His disciples that He would return:

"Behold two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? THIS SAME JESUS, which is taken up from you into heaven, SHALL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER as ye have seen him go into heaven."—Acts 1:10, 11.

The angels promised that "this same Jesus" would come again "in like manner" as He had gone away.

In what manner did Jesus go away?

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and A CLOUD RECEIVED HIM OUT OF THEIR SIGHT."—Acts 1:9.

His departure was visible to human eyes. He rose bodily from the earth. He will return in the same way.

John, who wrote the last book of the Bible, also predicted that Jesus would come visibly with clouds:

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM."—Revelation 1:7.

The eyes of the righteous will see Him. The eyes of the wicked will see Him. The eyes of all who are alive when Jesus comes again will witness His return.

That is exactly the way Jesus describes His second coming:

"Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and THEY SHALL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN THE CLOUDS of heaven with power and great glory."—Matthew 24:30.

This is not merely a spiritual insight, or discernment. Job insists that the seeing will be with the literal natural eyes:

"Yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and MINE EYES SHALL BEHOLD, and not another."—Job 19:26, 27.

Jesus made it plain that false christs would counterfeit His return to earth. He warned us not to be deceived:

"Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, . . . behold, he is in the SECRET chambers; BELIEVE IT NOT. FOR AS THE LIGHTNING cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE."—Matthew 24:25-27.

There is nothing secret about a flash of lightning. Its brilliance lights up the night sky and is visible for great distances. So Jesus warns us not to be misled by those who say He is coming secretly, for His coming will be visible to every eye.

Far from keeping it a secret, our Saviour's own voice and a piercing trumpet blast will wake the dead.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with A SHOUT, with the voice of the archangel, and with THE TRUMP OF GOD: and THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST."—1 Thessalonians 4:16.

How will Jesus come?

We have discovered that He will return bodily, "in like manner" as He went away. He will return visibly: "every eye shall see Him." He will come in the clouds in power and great glory, like a flash of lightning, and with the mighty blast of the trumpet of God.

Both the Old and the New Testament deny any secret in this coming. Prophets, apostles, and Jesus Himself declare that the second coming will not be secret, but literal, visible, and observed by the whole world.

Imagine Christ's coming in all His splendor, in majestic glory, surrounded by all the holy angels! Here is hope for millions lying silent in dusty graves! Here is hope for a disillusioned, decadent world!

3. WHAT WILL JESUS DO WHEN HE COMES AGAIN? (Part 1 of 3)

When Jesus appears the second time, He will bring salvation to all who are looking for His return.

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."—Hebrews 9:28.

If you are among the living who are prepared in heart and life, Jesus will come again as your Saviour.

At His coming Christ will awaken the righteous dead who are asleep in their graves.

"All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life."—John 5:28, 29.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST."—1 Thessalonians 4:16.

The righteous dead in their graves will hear Christ's voice. At the sound of the trumpet God's sleeping saints will come forth.

The apostle Paul assures us that Jesus comes not only for the righteous dead, but also for the righteous living. He adds:

"Then WE WHICH ARE ALIVE and remain shall be CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."—Verse 17.

Why are the righteous living and the resurrected dead caught up to meet Jesus? Let Christ Himself tell us the reason:

"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me."—John 17:24.

"IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF; that where I am, there ye may be also."—John 14:2, 3.

3. WHAT WILL JESUS DO WHEN HE COMES AGAIN? (Part 2 of 3)

Jesus is coming to take us to heaven. That Jesus will take the saved to heaven at His second coming is made abundantly clear in the New Testament. Peter speaks of the inheritance of the redeemed, "reserved in heaven." 1 Peter 1:4. Paul speaks of "the hope which is laid up for you in heaven." Colossians 1:5. The writer of Hebrews promises, "Ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." Hebrews 10:34. In our next lesson we will discover that after dwelling in heaven with Jesus for one thousand years, both Christ and the redeemed will come back to dwell for eternity in a completely recreated, perfect world.

How wonderful it will be to live for a time in heaven with Jesus! Each day to see the face of our heavenly Father! To talk with angels who have guarded us! And think! Not only for a thousand years in heaven, but for a million years, yes for ten million years, for eternity, we will dwell with Jesus in the earth made new.

To prepare us for a happy life for eternity, at His coming a miraculous change will come to our bodies which are now sometimes sinful, sick, and weary.

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE."—1 Corinthians 15:51, 52.

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall CHANGE OUR VILE BODY, that it may be FASHIONED LIKE UNTO HIS GLORIOUS BODY, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."—Philippians 3:20, 21.

Like Jesus, we will have perfect bodies—not subject to sickness, suffering, decay, old age, death.

What will happen to the wicked people who are alive when Jesus comes? Jesus gives us the answer:

3. WHAT WILL JESUS DO WHEN HE COMES AGAIN? (Part 3 of 3)

"And AS IT WAS in the days of Noe [Noah], SO SHALL IT BE also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and DESTROYED THEM ALL. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and DESTROYED THEM ALL. Even THUS SHALL IT BE IN THE DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED."—Luke 17:26-30.

The wicked are destroyed when Jesus comes. No wonder Jesus said, "Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn." Matthew 24:30. Several times the Gospels record that at that time "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." How awful it would be to be lost!

Why must anyone be lost? God Himself finds "no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Ezekiel 33:11. He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9. He pleads, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. But some refuse His gracious invitation.

4. WHEN WILL JESUS COME AGAIN?

Jesus' disciples asked the time of His second coming. He answered them:

"But OF THAT DAY AND HOUR KNOWETH NO MAN, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only . . . .

"Watch therefore: for YE KNOW NOT WHAT HOUR your Lord doth come . . . .

"Therefore be ye also ready: for IN SUCH AN HOUR AS YE THINK NOT the Son of man cometh."—Matthew 24:36, 42, 44.

Jesus repeated three times that no man can know the exact day or hour of His return. But He warns, "watch ye therefore," and "be ye also ready." For according to signs He Himself gave, Jesus' coming is near.

We are living in the end time now, when the end of prophecy itself will come and all will be fulfilled. Great deliverance is just ahead. It will come not by scientific advance but by minds brought into harmony with God through faith and submission to His will. It will come by the worldwide preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 14:6.) It will come with the fulfillment of God's promise:

"Unto them that LOOK FOR HIM shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."—Hebrews 9:28.

Prepare now—don't delay!

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."—2 Corinthians 6:2.

5. HOW SHALL I PREPARE?

Jesus tells us to "watch," and be "ready." (Matthew 24:42, 44.)

His apostles tell us how to prepare:

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."—Acts 16:31.

"But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And EVERY MAN THAT HATH THIS HOPE IN HIM PURIFIETH HIMSELF, even as he is pure."—1 John 3:2, 3.

"What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God? . . . Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."—2 Peter 3:11, 12, 14.

How can this experience be ours? By accepting God's invitation: "Look unto me, and be ye saved."—Isaiah 45:22.

Jesus is coming—yes, coming soon—to bring blessing and immortality and everlasting peace to all God's children. Prepare now to meet the King in His glory!

How fast the picture is moving! Soon we will see the heavens opened, the whole sky from horizon to horizon filled with radiant glory—brighter and brighter, until we can scarcely endure the glory, yet we cannot cease to look.

It is the King in His beauty. He is here! We see Him! The earth trembles. Great towers fall at the presence of the Lord. (Isaiah 30:25.) Radio and television go off the air. The nations of the saved come forth singing—and what a song! It is a song of triumph over sin, death, and the grave.

Hear the happy cry ringing through the hospital wards: "No more operations, no more pain!" Patients leap from their beds, healed.

There is a mighty sigh as tears are wiped away—no more sorrow, sickness, pain, or death—only happy activity forever and ever.

The salvation of individuals and of the world rests on the shoulders of Jesus Christ. He is coming—yes, coming soon—to bring blessing and immortality and everlasting peace to all God's children. This is the Christian hope. Is it yours? Are you ready to meet your King? Do you wish to see the lovely face of your Saviour? Do you really love Him? Do you long for and pray for the King's return? Are you allowing Him to develop His righteous character in you? If not, will you just now invite Jesus to prepare you for His return?