The Teachings of Jesus

The Second Coming of Jesus

Lesson #13 for September 27, 2014

Scriptures: [John 14:1-3; Matthew 16:27; 24:3-14; 24:4,44; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18][i].

1.    This lesson will focus on the promise of the second coming, some of the details of the second coming, and the reasons for the delay of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

2.    Following His ascent to heaven, (Acts 1:11ii) His return to this earth has been a major focus of the disciples and, in fact, of all Christians. The second coming is mentioned more than 300 times in the New Testament. It is the reason why we call ourselves Adventists.

3.    It has now been almost 170 years since the Great Disappointment on October 22, 1844. What does that say to us about the promise, the hope, and the delay of the second coming? Did God plan for this delay? Jesus Himself gave several parables suggesting that there would be a delay. (Matthew 25iii) All the virgins were asleep! Has this delay caused us to sleep? That is certainly what Jesus predicted. But, the bridegroom will come! Unfortunately, He will come at a time when many will not be ready.

4.    In the upper room, Jesus made it clear to His disciples that He was leaving them. However, He also made it clear that He was going to prepare a place for them and that He would return to get them. (John 14:1-3iv) The promises of Jesus that He will come again are very emphatic. In fact, there was no reason for His coming the first time if He does not plan to come again! Can His promises be trusted?

5.    There are a number of prophecies given in the Old Testament and some in the New Testament which we call conditional prophecies. Those prophecies suggest that God is waiting for us to do certain things before He will respond in certain ways. Does that mean that His promises are not reliable? Of course, there are many, many prophecies and statements made by Jesus and the apostles and prophets that have, in fact, come true.

6.    So, why is He coming back? In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God has stated clearly that the day is coming when He will judge His people and reward those who choose to follow Him and become like Him. [(Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 16:27; Revelation 22:12)][v] Do any of us deserve eternal life? What do we deserve?

7.    But, passages like Matthew 22:11-13vi make it clear that the judgment must take place before the second coming. The righteous are to be taken to heaven, (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18vii) and the wicked are to perish. (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10viii) The righteous will be saved because of their trust in God, their willingness to do His will, and the transformation that has taken place in their lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. [(Acts 16:31; Mark 16:16; John 1:12)]ix Our part in the preparation is to have faith and all that implies.

8.    There has been much discussion among God’s people about the second coming. It is very clear from places like Matthew 24[x] that there will be false christs and false prophets coming before the true second coming of Christ takes place. How are we supposed to know when it is the true Messiah who has come?

Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. . . . With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms— ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor.—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 640.3-641.0.

Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: “Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!” Throughout the length and breadth of the earth, the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55xi. And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory.—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 644.2. [Bold type and italics are added.]

9.    This is confirmed by Jesus’s own statement recorded in Matthew 24:27xii. Compare [Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 26:64]xiii.

10.    At His first coming, Jesus appeared as a helpless baby boy to live a life as an apparently ordinary human being. But, when He comes again, He will be surrounded by heavenly angels; and His coming will be announced with the great sound of a trumpet. [(Matthew 24:31; 25:31; Revelation 19:16)]xiv Satan will never be allowed to replicate such a coming!

11.    If someone tells you that Christ has appeared and you have not seen these signs, you can be sure it is a false coming.

12.    Jesus not only promised to come back again but also He gave us a number of signs to warn us how things will be at the end. It was not His purpose to give us a specific time or an exact date but rather to help us prepare for that great event. [(Matthew 24:3-14, 21-26, 29, 36-39; compare Mark 13; Luke 21; and 2 Timothy 3:1-5.)]xv Do any of these signs sound familiar to you?

13.    Seventh-day Adventists have been famous for their talk about 1) The great Lisbon earthquake which occurred on November 1, 1755; 2) The dark day and the moon turning to blood on May 19, 1780; and 3) The falling of the stars on November 13, 1833. And what about the prophecy of 2300 days/years which ended in 1844? It is true that these events were followed by great political upheavals during that time. These events led to a renewed search of the Scriptures and the founding of several religious movements including the Millerite movement which was the predecessor to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

14.    In any case, Jesus wanted to make it very clear to His disciples and to all of us who believe because of what they said that His coming is always imminent for His followers. It is never further away than our own death. (Matthew 24:32-33,42xvi) With all of these warnings-some of them hundreds of years old-are we ready?

15.    Could Christ find us unprepared when He comes? (Matthew 24:42-44xvii) Surely, we do not want to be found to be like the unfaithful servant who was entrusted with his master’s affairs. [(Matthew 24:45; Mark 13:34-37)]xviii What is the most convincing evidence that Jesus is coming back? Would it convince your skeptical friends? Your atheist friends?

16.    But, it is so easy to become so caught up in our work, our daily activities of various kinds, and our personal pursuits that preparation for the second coming gets put off. [(Matthew 24:48-51; Luke 21:34-35)]xix What makes a person ready to take such prophecies seriously?

17. It is very important to remember that the Devil does not care if we believe in the second coming so long as we are not preparing for it! So, how can we be sure that we are ready? What has been the reason for the delay? Are we waiting for God? Or, is He waiting for us?

The long night of gloom is trying, but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should come, so many would be found unready. God’s unwillingness to have His people perish, has been the reason of so long delay. 2 Testimonies 194 (1868); Evangelism 694

The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and the threatenings of God are alike conditional...

Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward.” MS 4, 1883 (Evangelism 695)

The wickedness of the inhabitants of the world has almost filled up the measure of their iniquity. This earth has almost reached the place where God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it. (7 Testimonies 141 (1902); LDE 41.3)

The light that was to lighten the whole earth with its glory [Revelation 18:1-The latter rain?] was resisted and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great degree kept away from the world...

The law of Ten Commandments is not to be looked upon as much from the prohibitory side as from the mercy side. Its prohibitions are the sure guarantee of happiness in obedience. As received in Christ, it works in us the purity of character that will bring joy to us through eternal ages. Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 234,235. [These are comments about the 1888 General Conference at Minneapolis.]

Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads-it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved-just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming. (MS 173, 1902). S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 4, p. 1161.6; LDE 219.4; Maranatha 200.2; The Faith I Live By 287.7; 1MR 249.2; 10MR 252.1.

Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.

It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain. (Christ Object Lessons 69.1,2) [Content in brackets and bold type are added.]

18.    When the disciples put aside their differences and prepared themselves for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in preparation for Pentecost, their lives were so transformed that their enemies later said they had turned the world upside down in one generation. (Acts 17:6xx)

19.    Of course, the world laughs at the idea of the second coming. They have tried to deny the fact that God has had anything to do with this world. In fact, they claim that God does not even exist. How should we approach such people?

Is it really true that we might be the reason for the delay? There should be no question in the mind of any Christian that the second coming of Christ will be a cataclysmic event and that things will never be the same again. But, Christians have been promised the opportunity to live with God for eternity; this should produce great excitement and joy on our part. And if the delay is because we are not ready, what are we waiting for?

20.    Jesus is patiently longing for us to get ready. Of course, we know that there will be trouble sometime before the second coming actually occurs.

21.    Why is it necessary for Christians to go through all the troubles on this earth to prepare them for living in a perfect place where there will be no troubles? (2 Corinthians 4:16-17xxi)

22.    We know that God is graciousness and forgiveness personified. He even forgave the men who were nailing Him to the cross. (Luke 23:34)

23.    In Christian history, there have been various understandings of the second coming and its relationship to the millennium prophesied in Revelation 20. Following is a brief summary of the different teachings.

There are three basic theological positions regarding the timing of Christ’s return.

The postmillennialists believe that 1,000 years of progress will transpire, leading to Christ’s return. During the nineteenth century, when technological advancement was widespread, many accepted this belief. Diminished expectations, caused largely by extensive warfare, have nearly scuttled this belief altogether.

The amillennialist does not believe that there is a literal 1,000 years but understands this as figurative language. Therefore, the timing of Christ’s coming with reference to the millennium is irrelevant to the amillennialist.

The final grouping, known as premillennialists, is divided into two subgroups-dispensationalists and historicists. The dispensationalists believe that God works differently with people during different time periods. From Calvary until the beginning of the great tribulation is one such period, labeled the church age. The secret rapture of the church happens at the conclusion of the church age, with Christ’s second coming happening seven years later at the conclusion of the seven-year tribulation (there are minor variations within this group regarding the exact sequence). Sinners have another chance to repent during this seven-year tribulation period.

The biblical inconsistencies of this position are too numerous to detail in this limited space, but doubtless some are already apparent. The biblical position is best expressed through historicist premillennial exegesis. This teaches that Christ comes at the beginning of the millennium (and after the tribulation or “time of trouble”) to redeem both living and deceased saints (through the first resurrection). The living sinners are destroyed by the brightness of that coming. They then sleep, together with all the unrighteous of history, until the end of the millennium when the resurrection of the condemned will take place. After that second resurrection, they are ultimately destroyed.

The manner of Christ’s return is mentioned in several places, clearly revealing its distinguishing characteristics. It is (1) public (contrast “secret,” [Rev. 1:7, 1 Thess. 4:15-18)],xxii (2) simultaneously worldwide (contrast “localized,” Matt. 24:5, 23-30xxiii), (3) announced with earsplitting commotion (contrast “secret,” [1 Thess. 4:15-18, Matt. 24:31)]xxiv, (4) literal and personal (contrast “figurative,”[Acts 1:11, Luke 24:36-43)]xxv, (5) unexpected [(1 Thess. 5:2-6; Matt. 24:43, 44)]xxvi, and (6) cataclysmic (Dan. 2:32-35xxvii). Regarding the manner and timing of Christ’s return, God gives us ample information that we might believe but not such abundance that we take it for granted. Adult Teacher’s Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, pp. 158-159.

Will we continue to procrastinate? Or, has the time come for us to wake up from our slumber and prepare for His return?

© 2014, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged.

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Last Modified: July 10, 2014

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i-John 14:1 "Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and believe also in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. 3 And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds.

Matthew 24:3 As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. "Tell us when all this will be," they asked, "and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age." 4 Jesus answered, "Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. 5 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, "I am the Messiah!' and they will fool many people. 6 You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 7 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. 8 All these things are like the first pains of childbirth. 9 "Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. 10 Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. 12 Such will be the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold. 13 But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 14 And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all people; and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:4 Jesus answered, "Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. 44 So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 Our friends, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him. 15 W_ hat we are teaching you now is the Lord's teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died. 16 There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; 17 then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 So then, encourage one another with these words.

ii-Acts 1:11 and said, "Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven."

iii-Matthew 25:1 "At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there were ten young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, 4 while the wise ones took containers full of oil for their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was late in coming, so they began to nod and fall asleep. 6 "It was already midnight when the cry rang out, "Here is the bridegroom! Come and meet him!' 7 The ten young women woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 Then the foolish ones said to the wise ones, "Let us have some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 9 "No, indeed,' the wise ones answered, "there is not enough for you and for us. Go to the store and buy some for yourselves.' 10 So the foolish ones went off to buy some oil; and while they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed. 11 "Later the others arrived. "Sir, sir! Let us in!' they cried out. 12 "Certainly not! I don't know you,' the bridegroom answered." 13 And Jesus concluded, "Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour. 14 "At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip; he called his servants and put them in charge of his property. 15 He gave to each one according to his ability: to one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip. 16 The servant who had received five thousand coins went at once and invested his money and earned another five thousand. 17 In the same way the servant who had received two thousand coins earned another two thousand. 18 But the servant who had received one thousand coins went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money. 19 "After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. 20 The servant who had received five thousand coins came in and handed over the other five thousand. "You gave me five thousand coins, sir,' he said. "Look! Here are another five thousand that I have earned.' 21 "Well done, you good and faithful servant!' said his master. "You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!' 22 Then the servant who had been given two thousand coins came in and said, "You gave me two thousand coins, sir. Look! Here are another two thousand that I have earned.' 23 "Well done, you good and faithful servant!' said his master. "You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!' 24 Then the servant who had received one thousand coins came in and said, "Sir, I know you are a hard man; you reap harvests where you did not plant, and you gather crops where you did not scatter seed. 25 I was afraid, so I went off and hid your money in the ground. Look! Here is what belongs to you.' 26 "You bad and lazy servant!' his master said. "You knew, did you, that I reap harvests where I did not plant, and gather crops where I did not scatter seed? 27 Well, then, you should have deposited my money in the bank, and I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. 28 Now, take the money away from him and give it to the one who has ten thousand coins. 29 For to every person who has something, even more will be given, and he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing, even the little that he has will be taken away from him. 30 As for this useless servant - throw him outside in the darkness; there he will cry and gnash his teeth.' 31 "When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne, 32 and the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the righteous people at his right and the others at his left. 34 Then the King will say to the people on his right, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. 35 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, 36 naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.' 37 The righteous will then answer him, "When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' 40 The King will reply, "I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, "Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; 43 I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.' 44 Then they will answer him, "When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?' 45 The King will reply, "I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.' 46 These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life."

iv-John 14:1 "Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and believe also in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. 3 And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.

v-Ecclesiastes 12:14 God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds.

Revelation 22:12 "Listen!" says Jesus. "I am coming soon! I will bring my rewards with me, to give to each one according to what he has done.

vi-Matthew 22:11 "The king went in to look at the guests and saw a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' the king asked him. But the man said nothing. 13 Then the king told the servants, "Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.' "

vii-1 Thessalonians 4:13 Our friends, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him. 15 W_ hat we are teaching you now is the Lord's teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died. 16 There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; 17 then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 So then, encourage one another with these words.

viii-2 Thessalonians 1:5 All of this proves that God's judgment is just and as a result you will become worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. 6 God will do what is right: he will bring suffering on those who make you suffer, 7 and he will give relief to you who suffer and to us as well. He will do this when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 with a flaming fire, to punish those who reject God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious might, 10 when he comes on that Day to receive glory from all his people and honor from all who believe. You too will be among them, because you have believed the message that we told you.

ix-Acts 16:31 They answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your family."

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

John 1:12 Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children.

x-Matthew 24:1 Jesus left and was going away from the Temple when his disciples came to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Yes," he said, "you may well look at all these. I tell you this: not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down." 3 As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. "Tell us when all this will be," they asked, "and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age." 4 Jesus answered, "Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. 5 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, "I am the Messiah!' and they will fool many people. 6 You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 7 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. 8 All these things are like the first pains of childbirth. 9 "Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. 10 Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. 12 Such will be the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold. 13 But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 14 And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all people; and then the end will come. 15 "You will see "The Awful Horror' of which the prophet Daniel spoke. It will be standing in the holy place." (Note to the reader: understand what this means!) 16 "Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. 17 Someone who is on the roof of a house must not take the time to go down and get any belongings from the house. 18 Someone who is in the field must not go back to get a cloak. 19 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! 20 Pray to God that you will not have to run away during the winter or on a Sabbath! 21 For the trouble at that time will be far more terrible than any there has ever been, from the beginning of the world to this very day. Nor will there ever be anything like it again. 22 But God has already reduced the number of days; had he not done so, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, God will reduce the days. 23 "Then, if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Messiah!' or "There he is!' - do not believe it. 24 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 25 Listen! I have told you this ahead of time. 26 "Or, if people should tell you, "Look, he is out in the desert!' - don't go there; or if they say, "Look, he is hiding here!' - don't believe it. 27 For the Son of Man will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west. 28 "Wherever there is a dead body, the vultures will gather. 29 "Soon after the trouble of those days, the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other. 32 "Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin. 34 Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36 "No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come - neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows. 37 The coming of the Son of Man will be like what happened in the time of Noah. 38 In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat; 39 yet they did not realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40 At that time two men will be working in a field: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind. 41 Two women will be at a mill grinding meal: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind. 42 Watch out, then, because you do not know what day your Lord will come. 43 If the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, you can be sure that he would stay awake and not let the thief break into his house. 44 So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him. 45 "Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. 46 How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! 47 Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. 48 But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time, 49 and he will begin to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 Then that servant's master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. 51 The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.

xi-1 Corinthians 15:55 "Where, Death, is your victory? Where, Death, is your power to hurt?"

xii-Matthew 24:27 For the Son of Man will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west.

xiii-Revelation 1:7 Look, he is coming on the clouds! Everyone will see him, including those who pierced him. All peoples on earth will mourn over him. So shall it be!

Matthew 26:64 Jesus answered him, "So you say. But I tell all of you: from this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven!"

xiv-Matthew 24:31 The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other.

Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne,

Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh was written the name: "King of kings and Lord of lords."

xv-Matthew 24:3 As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. "Tell us when all this will be," they asked, "and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age." 4 Jesus answered, "Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. 5 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, "I am the Messiah!' and they will fool many people. 6 You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 7 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. 8 All these things are like the first pains of childbirth. 9 "Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. 10 Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. 12 Such will be the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold. 13 But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 14 And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all people; and then the end will come. 21 For the trouble at that time will be far more terrible than any there has ever been, from the beginning of the world to this very day. Nor will there ever be anything like it again. 22 But God has already reduced the number of days; had he not done so, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, God will reduce the days. 23 "Then, if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Messiah!' or "There he is!' - do not believe it. 24 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 25 Listen! I have told you this ahead of time. 26 "Or, if people should tell you, "Look, he is out in the desert!' - don't go there; or if they say, "Look, he is hiding here!' - don't believe it. 1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said, "Look, Teacher! What wonderful stones and buildings!" 2 Jesus answered, "You see these great buildings? Not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down." 3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4 "Tell us when this will be," they said, "and tell us what will happen to show that the time has come for all these things to take place." 5 Jesus said to them, "Watch out, and don't let anyone fool you. 6 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, "I am he!' and they will fool many people. 7 And don't be troubled when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 8 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines. These things are like the first pains of childbirth. 9 "You yourselves must watch out. You will be arrested and taken to court. You will be beaten in the synagogues; you will stand before rulers and kings for my sake to tell them the Good News. 10 But before the end comes, the gospel must be preached to all peoples. 11 And when you are arrested and taken to court, do not worry ahead of time about what you are going to say; when the time comes, say whatever is then given to you. For the words you speak will not be yours; they will come from the Holy Spirit. 12 Men will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children. Children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 14 "You will see "The Awful Horror' standing in the place where he should not be." (Note to the reader: understand what this means!) "Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. 15 Someone who is on the roof of a house must not lose time by going down into the house to get anything to take along. 16 Someone who is in the field must not go back to the house for a cloak. 17 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! 18 Pray to God that these things will not happen in the winter! 19 For the trouble of those days will be far worse than any the world has ever known from the very beginning when God created the world until the present time. Nor will there ever be anything like it again. 20 But the Lord has reduced the number of those days; if he had not, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, he has reduced those days. 21 "Then, if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Messiah!' or, "Look, there he is!' - do not believe it. 22 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will perform miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 23 Be on your guard! I have told you everything ahead of time. 24 "In the days after that time of trouble the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, 25 the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 26 Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 He will send the angels out to the four corners of the earth to gather God's chosen people from one end of the world to the other. 28 "Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin. 30 Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 32 "No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come - neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father knows. 33 Be on watch, be alert, for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Watch, then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming - it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise. 36 If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. 37 What I say to you, then, I say to all: Watch!"

Mark 13:1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said, "Look, Teacher! What wonderful stones and buildings!" 2 Jesus answered, "You see these great buildings? Not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down." 3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4 "Tell us when this will be," they said, "and tell us what will happen to show that the time has come for all these things to take place." 5 Jesus said to them, "Watch out, and don't let anyone fool you. 6 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, "I am he!' and they will fool many people. 7 And don't be troubled when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 8 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines. These things are like the first pains of childbirth. 9 "You yourselves must watch out. You will be arrested and taken to court. You will be beaten in the synagogues; you will stand before rulers and kings for my sake to tell them the Good News. 10 But before the end comes, the gospel must be preached to all peoples. 11 And when you are arrested and taken to court, do not worry ahead of time about what you are going to say; when the time comes, say whatever is then given to you. For the words you speak will not be yours; they will come from the Holy Spirit. 12 Men will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children. Children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 14 "You will see "The Awful Horror' standing in the place where he should not be." (Note to the reader: understand what this means!) "Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. 15 Someone who is on the roof of a house must not lose time by going down into the house to get anything to take along. 16 Someone who is in the field must not go back to the house for a cloak. 17 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! 18 Pray to God that these things will not happen in the winter! 19 For the trouble of those days will be far worse than any the world has ever known from the very beginning when God created the world until the present time. Nor will there ever be anything like it again. 20 But the Lord has reduced the number of those days; if he had not, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, he has reduced those days. 21 "Then, if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Messiah!' or, "Look, there he is!' - do not believe it. 22 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will perform miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 23 Be on your guard! I have told you everything ahead of time. 24 "In the days after that time of trouble the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, 25 the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 26 Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 He will send the angels out to the four corners of the earth to gather God's chosen people from one end of the world to the other. 28 "Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin. 30 Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 32 "No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come - neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father knows. 33 Be on watch, be alert, for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Watch, then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming - it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise. 36 If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. 37 What I say to you, then, I say to all: Watch!"

Luke 21:1 Jesus looked around and saw rich people dropping their gifts in the Temple treasury, 2 and he also saw a very poor widow dropping in two little copper coins. 3 He said, "I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others. 4 For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on." 5 Some of the disciples were talking about the Temple, how beautiful it looked with its fine stones and the gifts offered to God. Jesus said, 6 "All this you see - the time will come when not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one will be thrown down." 7 "Teacher," they asked, "when will this be? And what will happen in order to show that the time has come for it to take place?" 8 Jesus said, "Watch out; don't be fooled. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, "I am he!' and, "The time has come!' But don't follow them. 9 Don't be afraid when you hear of wars and revolutions; such things must happen first, but they do not mean that the end is near." 10 He went on to say, "Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. 11 There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky. 12 Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be handed over to be tried in synagogues and be put in prison; you will be brought before kings and rulers for my sake. 13 This will be your chance to tell the Good News. 14 Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves, 15 because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say. 16 You will be handed over by your parents, your brothers, your relatives, and your friends; and some of you will be put to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a single hair from your heads will be lost. 19 Stand firm, and you will save yourselves. 20 "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that it will soon be destroyed. 21 Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills; those who are in the city must leave, and those who are out in the country must not go into the city. 22 For those will be "The Days of Punishment,' to make come true all that the Scriptures say. 23 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! Terrible distress will come upon this land, and God's punishment will fall on this people. 24 Some will be killed by the sword, and others will be taken as prisoners to all countries; and the heathen will trample over Jerusalem until their time is up. 25 "There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. 26 People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 27 Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near." 29 Then Jesus told them this parable: "Think of the fig tree and all the other trees. 30 When you see their leaves beginning to appear, you know that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the Kingdom of God is about to come. 32 "Remember that all these things will take place before the people now living have all died. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 34 "Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth. 36 Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man." 37 Jesus spent those days teaching in the Temple, and when evening came, he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives. 38 Early each morning all the people went to the Temple to listen to him.

2 Timothy 3:1 Remember that there will be difficult times in the last days. 2 People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and irreligious; 3 they will be unkind, merciless, slanderers, violent, and fierce; they will hate the good; 4 they will be treacherous, reckless, and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God; 5 they will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people.

xvi-Matthew 24:32 "Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin. 42 Watch out, then, because you do not know what day your Lord will come.

xvii-Matthew 24:42 Watch out, then, because you do not know what day your Lord will come. 43 If the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, you can be sure that he would stay awake and not let the thief break into his house. 44 So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.

xviii-Matthew 24:45 "Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time.

Mark 13:34 It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Watch, then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming - it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise. 36 If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. 37 What I say to you, then, I say to all: Watch!"

xix-Matthew 24:48 But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time, 49 and he will begin to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 Then that servant's master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. 51 The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.

Luke 21:34 "Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth.

xx-Acts 17:6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city authorities and shouted, "These men have caused trouble everywhere! Now they have come to our city,

xxi-2 Corinthians 4:16 For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. 17 And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.

xxii-Rev. 1:7 Look, he is coming on the clouds! Everyone will see him, including those who pierced him. All peoples on earth will mourn over him. So shall it be!

1 Thess. 4:15 W_ hat we are teaching you now is the Lord's teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died. 16 There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; 17 then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 So then, encourage one another with these words.

xxiii-Matt. 24:5 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, "I am the Messiah!' and they will fool many people. 23 "Then, if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Messiah!' or "There he is!' - do not believe it. 24 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 25 Listen! I have told you this ahead of time. 26 "Or, if people should tell you, "Look, he is out in the desert!' - don't go there; or if they say, "Look, he is hiding here!' - don't believe it. 27 For the Son of Man will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west. 28 "Wherever there is a dead body, the vultures will gather. 29 "Soon after the trouble of those days, the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

xxiv-1 Thess. 4:15 W_ hat we are teaching you now is the Lord's teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died. 16 There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; 17 then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 So then, encourage one another with these words.

Matt. 24:31 The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other.

xxv-Acts 1:11 and said, "Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven."

Luke 24:36 While the two were telling them this, suddenly the Lord himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 37 They were terrified, thinking that they were seeing a ghost. 38 But he said to them, "Why are you alarmed? Why are these doubts coming up in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, and see that it is I myself. Feel me, and you will know, for a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, as you can see I have." 40 He said this and showed them his hands and his feet. 41 They still could not believe, they were so full of joy and wonder; so he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of cooked fish, 43 which he took and ate in their presence.

xxvi-1 Thess. 5:2 For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief comes at night. 3 When people say, "Everything is quiet and safe," then suddenly destruction will hit them! It will come as suddenly as the pains that come upon a woman in labor, and people will not escape. 4 But you, friends, are not in the darkness, and the Day should not take you by surprise like a thief. 5 All of you are people who belong to the light, who belong to the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, we should not be sleeping like the others; we should be awake and sober.

Matt. 24:43 If the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, you can be sure that he would stay awake and not let the thief break into his house. 44 So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.

xxvii-Dan. 2:32 Its head was made of the finest gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its waist and hips of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 While you were looking at it, a great stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it, struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, and shattered them. 35 At once the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold crumbled and became like the dust on a threshing place in summer. The wind carried it all away, leaving not a trace. But the stone grew to be a mountain that covered the whole earth.

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