The greatest event in God's program for this age will soon unfold; get the facts

The greatest event in God's program for this age will soon unfold. I am sure you want to be ready.

THE CERTAINTY OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
Revelation 1:7,8
This passage reveals the sublime and climactic announcement of the greatest event in the program of God for the Church, Israel and the world. “Behold, He cometh with clouds.” This is the theme of the Revelation - everything pointing to and moving towards Christ’s coming again! 

 “Behold, He cometh” (Revelation 1:7). “Hold fast till I come” (Revelation 2:25). “Behold, I come quickly” (Revelation 3:11). “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth” (Revelation 16:15). “Behold, I come quickly” (Revelation 22:7). “Behold, I come quickly” (Revelation 22:12). “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). Here is the first prophetic announcement in the book of Revelation, “Behold, He cometh” (Revelation 1:7) and it is the last prophetic declaration in the book, “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20). Prophecy (future prediction of coming events) takes up 1/5 of the Scripture and of that 1/5 of the Scripture, 1/3 refers to the Second Coming of Christ. There are over 660 general prophecies in the Bible. When classified, 333 reffered to Christ; with 109 fulfilled at His first Coming, 224 relating to His second coming had yet to be fulfiled. Of the 46 Old Testament prophets, less than 10 of them spoke about His first Coming, while 36 of them spoke about His Second Coming. There are over 1,500 Old Testament passages that refer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 1 out of every 25 New Testament verses directly refers to the Second Coming of Christ. For every time the Bible mentions the first Coming of Christ, it mentions His Second Coming 8 times. Jesus refers to His Second Coming 21 times, and over 50 times, we are told to be ready for His return. Christ’s Second Coming is a major theme in the Word of God.

1. THE GLORY OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING

Revelation 1:7a; Daniel 7:13,14; Matthew 24:30; 25:31,32; Mark 8:38; 13:26,27; Luke 21:25-28; Colossians 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 1 Peter 4:7,13.

Jesus Christ is coming again. There are many things in the Scripture that guarantee His Second Coming. They include the promise of God (Genesis 49:10; Psalm 2:8,9); the words of Jesus (John 14:1-3; Luke 19:11-13); the program for the Church (Acts 15:14-18; James 5:7,8); the program for the nations (Joel 3:2,9-12); the program for Israel (Isaiah 59:20,21; Jeremiah 23:5,6); the humiliation of Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:63-68) and the expectation of the saints (1 Corinthians 15:19,51,52; Titus 2:11-13). When Jesus came to this world the first time, the world saw His humiliation. When He comes the second time, we shall see His exaltation and glory. He will come in the clouds of glory, heavenly glory, indescribable glory. The glory of the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ has no parallel in history. When three of His disciples saw the transfiguration of Christ on the holy mountain, when His face became radiant like the sun and His raiment became shining, exceedingly white as snow (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2,3), they beheld His glory and majesty (2 Peter 1:16-18); yet, the glory at His Second Coming is incomparably greater and infinitely more magnificent and majestic. Imagine Christ coming with the blazing light of a million suns (after the sun had been darkened and the moon turned to blood) with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy angels in blazing glory together with all of the glorified saints of the Old Testament and the New Testament who are dressed in blazing white robes riding blazing white horses, then you have the picture of Christ coming in clouds of glory.

2. GLADNESS AND GLOOMINESS AT CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
Revelation 1:7b; John 19:37; Zechariah 12:10-14; 13:1,6,9; Isaiah 25:9; Romans 11:25-27; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 6:15-17.
“And every eye shall see Him” (Revelation 1:7). His coming will be visible to the entire human race. This time, the world will recognize Him. The first time He came His glory was veiled, but at His Second Coming, the glory, splendour and majesty will be visible. Those who will see Christ as He descends in clouds of glory are divided into two groups: (1) "they also which pierced Him" (Israel) and (2) "all kindreds of the earth”. Some will be glad while others will be sorrowful. The first group, those who pierced Him, refers to the Jews, the Israelites. As you study the book of Revelation, you notice that during the period of the Great Tribulation, many of those Jews would have been saved, looking for the return of Christ, their Messiah, before His Second Coming. “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced...” (Zechariah 12:10). That did not happen the first time; it will happen when Christ returns. Others from the Gentile nations who have been saved through the testimony of 144,000 Jews who are sealed in Revelation 7:4-8; and through the preaching of a special angel in Revelation 14:6,7 and who have not taken the mark of the beast, will see Christ when He returns and they will be glad, they will rejoice. On that day Isaiah 25:9 will be fulfilled: “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”. As Israel mourns and wails in repentance, multitudes of many Gentile nations will mourn and wail in terror and fear of judgment. The Second Coming of Christ will spell the doom and inescapable judgment of impenitent, hardened sinners. The sudden realization of the coming wrath of the Lamb as He appears in His glory will make them mourn and wail in fear and anguish. What a day of gladness for the redeemed and gloominess for the rebellious!

3. GOD’S GUARANTEE OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
Revelation 1:8; Isaiah 41:4; Revelation 21:6; 4:8; 11:17; Jeremiah 1:12; Isaiah 43:13.
John was excited about the announcement of Christ’s Second Coming and he responded, “Even so, Amen”. He employs two languages, Hebrew and Greek, to make an affirmation - Yes, yes! Or Even so, Amen or Do it, let it be! At the end of the Revelation, John had not lost his expectation and excitement concerning the Lord’s return. As the Lord said, “Surely, I come quickly”, he immediately responded again, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). As he was excited and thrilled, so should we be thrilled by the announcement of Christ’s Second Coming. Revelation 1:8 gives us the affirmation of the announcement. God Almighty assures us of the certainty of Christ’s return. He gives three of His attributes to confirm that nothing can hinder or derail the plan and program of the Second Coming of His Son. (1) His Omniscience - “I am Alpha and Omega”. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. An alphabet is a marvellous way to store and communicate all knowledge. The God who has all knowledge confirms that Jesus Christ is coming again. (2) His Omnipresence - He “which is, and which was and which is to come”. The eternally existent and eternally present God confirms that He is always there, never on vacation, to watch over and fulfil His program. Nothing can foil the plan of Christ’s return because the God who is always there will see to it that Christ returns at the appointed time. (3) His Omnipotence - “the Almighty”. The all-powerful God who is able to crush all opposing forces and powers confirms that Christ will come again because there is no power that can hinder or resist. The Almighty God affirms that Christ is coming again. Angels affirm that Christ is coming again. Redeemed souls affirm that Christ is coming again. All living, believing, expectant saints respond, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus”.