On the Second Coming of the Lord

On the Second Coming of the Lord

Introduction:
Regarding the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the first stage is His secret coming before the tribulation, arriving like a thief in the night to take away His bride. The second stage is His public appearance after the tribulation, descending on the clouds to judge those who do not believe the truth and to save those who call upon His name during the great tribulation.

I. The First Stage: Coming Like a Thief to Take His Bride, the Rapture of the Church Before the Tribulation

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, NIV)

"I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left." (Luke 17:34-36, NIV)

The second coming of the Lord can be divided into two stages. The first stage is His secret coming before the tribulation, arriving like a thief in the night to take His bride. This is like discovering that a precious item in your home is missing, and you realize a thief has come. Similarly, when you notice that the brothers and sisters in the church who love the Lord (the gold, silver, and precious stones) have suddenly disappeared, this is proof that the Lord Jesus has come!

1. Not All Believers Will Be Ready When the Lord Returns
   When the last trumpet sounds in the air, not everyone who claims to believe in the Lord Jesus will be taken up. At that time, a large number of people will be left behind, as illustrated in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The Lord Christ will come to receive those who are prepared and eagerly await His return.

2. The Bride (the Overcomers in the Church) Will Be Taken Before the Tribulation
   The following scriptures support this:
   ⑴ Those who turn from idols to serve the living God will be saved from His wrath (the great tribulation):
   "For they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, NIV)

⑵ God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ:
"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him." (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, NIV)

⑶ Those who keep the word of the Lord will be kept from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world:
"Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth." (Revelation 3:10, NIV)

II. The Second Stage: Public Appearance on the Clouds After the Tribulation to Execute Judgment

1. After the Great Tribulation, the Lord Will Descend on the Clouds to Judge Those Who Do Not Believe the Truth
   "Immediately after the distress of those days, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:29-30, NIV)

When the three-and-a-half-year tribulation ends, signs will appear in the sun, moon, and stars, and the cosmic order will collapse. This will signal the coming of Christ to execute judgment, as Satan's rule over the earth comes to an end, and the day of God's vengeance arrives. He will destroy the lawless one with the breath of His mouth and bring him to nothing by the splendor of His coming.

At that time, the Lord Jesus will descend on the clouds and publicly appear, standing on the Mount of Olives before Jerusalem to fight for His people (Zechariah 14:4). As the Scripture says, "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11, NIV). The Lord will come to save His elect and all who call upon His name, while punishing those who practice unrighteousness and do not obey the truth.

"Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen." (Revelation 1:7, NIV)

2. The forces of Satan are completely defeated, and the birds gorge themselves on their flesh.
The Lord Jesus Christ rides a white horse, dressed in a robe dipped in blood, followed by the armies of heaven on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter (Revelation 19:11-16).

After the Great Tribulation, there will be a final battle. The dragon, the beast, the false prophet, and the kings of the earth with their armies gather to wage war against the Rider on the white horse and His army. The beast (the Antichrist) and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest are killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the Rider on the white horse, and all the birds gorge themselves on their flesh (Revelation 19:19-21).

“Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather” (Matthew 24:28). This verse speaks of the Great Tribulation, where those who oppose the truth and act wickedly will face severe punishment. They will be struck down by the sword from the Lord’s mouth, and their corpses will litter the land, with blood flowing like a river. The birds will gather to feast on their flesh, attending God’s great banquet (Revelation 19:17).

III. The Millennial Kingdom

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time” (Revelation 20:1-3).

1. The Lord sends His angels to gather the elect with the sound of a trumpet, bringing them back to the land of Israel.
   “He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31).
   After the Great Tribulation, during the Millennial Kingdom, the Lord will send His angels with the sound of a trumpet to gather His elect (the Israelites) from the ends of the earth and bring them back to the land of Israel. This fulfills the words of Moses: “The Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where He scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back” (Deuteronomy 30:3-4).

2. The Law-keepers among God’s elect
   “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence” (Revelation 7:14-15).
   After the Great Tribulation, the Israelites who return and keep the Law will wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb and receive the Lord’s salvation. They will follow the statutes and decrees of Moses, worshiping in the Temple (the Third Temple) and praising the Lord and the Lamb (Jesus). They will serve Him day and night in His temple, and He who sits on the throne will shelter them. The Lord will be a refuge for the house of Jacob.
   The Scripture says, “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). Therefore, the elect who keep the Law will ultimately believe in Jesus, receiving the full gospel of blood (repentance), water (baptism), and the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) (1 John 5:8, Acts 2:38).

3. The Christians among God’s elect
   “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16-17).
   Among those who return to the land of Israel, the Christians who believe in the Lord will worship and serve in churches throughout the land, following the truth. The Lamb (Jesus Christ) will shepherd those who receive the truth and grace, leading them to the springs of living water.
   The Word of the Lord is the water of life; brothers and sisters must come to God’s house to listen to the true Word, drinking deeply of the living water in the church. From then on, these children of God will never hunger or thirst again, and the Lord Jesus Christ will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

4. The survivors of the nations after the Great Tribulation will believe in Jesus and go up to Jerusalem yearly to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
   “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).
   During the Millennium, at every Feast of Tabernacles, people from every nation, tribe, people, and language will go up to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, holding palm branches, to worship the Lord God and the slain Lamb, Jesus Christ. They will sing praises to God, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10).
   Among the Lord’s appointed feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles is not only a feast for Israel but also for all nations. The Scripture says, “So the Israelites who were present celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, living in temporary shelters. This was done from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that time. And their joy was very great. Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly” (Nehemiah 8:14-15).
   

IV. Overcomers in the Great Tribulation Must Be Martyrs for the Lord

"I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4, NIV)

1. One-Third Will Be Saved During the Great Tribulation, Marking the Greatest Revival in History
   The Lord Jesus will not leave the earth without powerful witnesses! He will allow some to choose to stay (those who believe in mid- or post-tribulation rapture) to preach the gospel and save souls, resulting in the greatest revival in history. During the great tribulation, one-third of the world will be saved and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ (Zechariah 13:8-9).

2. If You Do Not Believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the Lord Is Not Obligated to Take You
   For Christians to remain in the tribulation to preach the gospel is not the best gift Jesus has prepared for His children! He desires for them to be taken before the tribulation, as the bride, to attend the wedding feast of the Lamb. If you do not believe the Lord will come to take you before the tribulation, He is not obligated to bring you to the feast early.

Christians on earth must tirelessly preach the gospel and work diligently for the Lord, striving to be taken up before the tribulation! However, those who remain in the tribulation will pay a thousandfold price. The antichrist will send its agents to hunt them down to the ends of the earth. When believers are captured, the agents of Satan will show no mercy, leading to horrific tragedies.

3. Many Will Fall Away During the Great Tribulation
   "A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: 'If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.'" (Revelation 14:9-10, NIV)

During the three-and-a-half-year tribulation, many will fall away, unable to stand firm in the faith. They will compromise, worship the beast, and receive its mark. These individuals, under persecution, will bow to the devil, abandon their faith in Jesus Christ, and lose their souls, ending in the lake of fire and eternal destruction. This is because they never truly belonged to the Lord.

Believers must resolve to die rather than compromise, overcoming the devil. As Scripture says, "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11, NIV)

4. Overcomers in the Great Tribulation
   "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28, NIV)

The overcomers in the great tribulation are martyrs who fight for the Lord and preach the gospel. They refuse to compromise with the devil, firmly holding to the truth, and will not worship the beast or receive its mark, even unto death. These martyrs will be part of the first resurrection in the millennium.

"Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6, NIV)

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