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THERE IS ONLY ONE SECOND COMING OF JESUS
At Matthew 24:3, the disciples ask the
question, "what will be the sign of your coming.
The Greek word for coming is parousia. It means arrival and subsequent
PRESENCE.
Obviously, Jesus had previously taught the disciples about His parousia.
All previous references to His "coming" use the word, erchomai (Mat. 10:23;
16:27-28; Mark 8:38).
Later He used this verb at John 14:3 and 21:22.
But the disciples understand all these previous teachings about His coming
as being about His parousia.
And in the mind of the disciples, there is only ONE parousia, which they
designate as YOUR parousia.
When Jesus answers their question, He in fact calls it THE parousia of the
Son of Man (Mat. 24:27, 37, 39). And at Matthew 24:30 with vs. 27, 37, 39,
He EQUATES erchomai and parousia.
Peter EQUATES the "coming" (erchomai) of the
Lord at Mat. 16:27-28 (17:1-8) with the word parousia.
Mat. 16:27-28
"For the Son of Man is going to come (erchomai) in the glory of His Father
with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds.
“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will
not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming (erchomai) in His
kingdom.”
2 Peter 1:16-18
For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the
power and coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were
eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God
the Father, such a declaration as this was made to Him by the Majestic
Glory: “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”— and we
ourselves heard this declaration made from heaven when we were with Him on
the holy mountain.
Peter knows of only ONE second coming. He
mentioned it again at 2Pet. 3:4, in the complaint from the mockers, "where
is the promise of His coming?"
And then he directly relates that ONE second coming to the term, "day of the
Lord" at verse 3:10-14.
He clearly indicates that it is that ONE and ONLY second coming that we
believers should be looking for and be READY for.
When Paul writes about this coming of Jesus, he uses the word, erchomai four
times (1Cor. 4:5; 11:26; 1Thes. 5:2; 2Thes. 1:10), BUT he uses parousia (7
times). He calls it THE parousia (1 Thes. 4:15; 3:13; 5:23) and HIS parousia
(1 Thes. 2:19).
At 1 Cor. 15:23, Paul calls it HIS parousia.
At 2 Thes. 2:1, Paul calls it THE parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And at 2 Thes. 2:8, "the brightness of HIS parousia.
James calls it THE parousia of the Lord at James 5:7-8.
Peter references the time when Jesus showed them His glory and the FACT of a
future "power and parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:16.
John at 1 John 2:28 calls it HIS parousia.
All these describe the one and the same and ONLY second coming of Jesus, at
which time He will rapture all the elect.
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All the
passages are looking at one second coming which must begin with His initial
arrival in the clouds of the sky.
Then, additional information is added to show "some event" that will occur
in connection with that arrival.
At Mat. 25,
When the Son of man comes and all the angels with Him: This HAS TO BE His
initial arrival.
Additional information: The event just prior to the establisment of the
kingdom. Then He will sit on His throne and remove the unbelievers from the
believers.
The same one at Mat. 16:27-28
"For the Son of Man is going to come (erchomai) in the glory of His Father
with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds.
The initial arrival in the clouds of the sky.
Additional information: the evaluation of deeds. But this is not a one time
thing. It has several stages.
1. Evaluation of believers' works.
2. Judgment on unbelievers.
A. Those on the earth through the trumpet judgments.
B. Those at Armageddon.
C. Those at the end of the 1000 years.
D. Those at the last judgment.
The same one at Mat. 24:30
The initial arrival in the clouds.
Then the gathering of the elect out from the earth.
The same thing at 2 Peter 3:10 and 12.
The day of the Lord will come like a thief/coming of the day of God.
This is the initial arrival of Jesus in the clouds.
Additional information: "by means of which" - the renovation of the
universe/"because of which" - the heavens will be destroyed.
TEN SECOND COMING FACTORS
INTRODUCTION: How many second comings are there? THERE IS ONLY ONE.
Mat. 10:23; 16:27; 24:3; 29-31; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1Cor. 15:23; 2Peter
3:11-12; Rev. 1:7
What system of interpretation allows anyone to view these passages as
referring to two different arrivals of Jesus? There is nothing in the
context that allows such an interpretation.
Jesus was referring to the SAME second coming each time He mentioned it.
The angels in Acts 1 had the very same second coming in mind.
The false assumption that the church cannot be on the earth during any part
of the 70th week of Daniel is based on an erroneous understanding of the
70th week and of dispensations.
Dispensations is NOT who God is “dealing” with, but who God is USING. And
the fact of transitions between the dispensations clearly allows the
presence of the church during the 70th week.
Proper definitions also need to be established: tribulation, day of the
Lord, wrath.
This includes the proper understanding of Rev. 19:11-17.
There is only ONE second coming of Jesus as already established.
It seems very probable that Revelation 19:11-16 is a restatement of the
arrival of Jesus that is implied as occurring at the 6th seal. The prewrath
view equates Joel 2, Matthew 24 and Rev. 6 as all referring to the arrival
of the Lord at the inception of the day of the Lord, and preceded by the
cosmic and earthly signs.
The chronology of the book of Revelation is not entirely chronological in
the presentation of the visions shown to John. Several times the running
chronology is interrupted and a new vision backs up to a previous point in
the chronology and starts over. It is not inconsistent to see a new vision
at Revelation 19:11 that interrupts the chronology that ended at verse 9
with the marriage of the Lamb and the start of the millennial kingdom. The
new vision then restates the arrival of Jesus, skips over everything that
happened after that, and continues in verse 17 with the final confrontation
at Armageddon.
This presentation of prophetic material is the pattern all throughout the
Old Testament.
The confrontation at
Armageddon will be preceded by Jesus first going to Edom, then to Jerusalem
to stand on the Mt of Olives, and then to Megiddo to fully destroy all the
invading armies.
He will go
first to Edom (Is. 63:1), then to Jerusalem (Zech. 14:3-4) and finally to
Megiddo to destroy the armies gathered there (Joel 3:16).
The physical descent of Jesus at
Armageddon is NOT a universal second coming. It is local and limited to
Palestine. This is NOT the time that EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM. The only ones
who will see Him are the people gathered in the 3 geographical areas
involved with the Armageddon campaign.
However, several months earlier (at least SIX) Jesus will arrive in the
clouds of the sky with power and great glory, and it is at that time that
EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM.
All the second coming passages in the New Testament have THIS coming in view
and NOT Armageddon. There is no “Armageddon” in the context of Matthew 24 or
even 25. It is totally ignored because it is a secondary factor that will
occur several months AFTER the second coming.
The IDEA of a dispensational hermeneutic disallowing the presence of the
church during any part of the 70th week and after the midpoint of the week,
which begins the tribulation, is a very popular view. And although a RIGID
dispensational belief system requires the absence of the church during that
time, the FACT remains that ALL the second coming passages MUST be equated
as referring to the very same – the one and only – second coming , which is
“the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Titus 2:13), which is the happy hope of the church. It is at that time that
the living believers will be rescued from the severe persecution that they
will be enduring from the oppressive reign of the beast. This is clearly
taught to the Thessalonians at 2Thes. 1:6-10.
When all these second coming passages are compared, they are seen to be
uniform and consistent. Although not all the passages mention EVERY factor
involved with the second coming, when compared, it will be seen that all the
factors are indeed REPRESENTED in all the second coming passages.
TEN SECOND COMING FACTORS
1. Universally VISIBLE. Revelation 1:7 says that “every eye will see Him.”
Matthew 24:30 implies EVERY, and with Revelation 1:7, it is confirmed that
this will be a VISIBLE arrival.
The word group, “revelation” indicates that it will be a visible arrival.
(apokalupto, apokalupsis) 1 Pet. 4:13; 2 Thes. 1:7; Lk. 17:30; 1 Cor. 1:7;
Col. 3:4; 1 Pet. 1:7, 13.
The factors “power” and “glory” also indicate that the arrival will be
visible.
The “lightening” factor indicates that the arrival will be visible. Matthew
24:27
2. Christ’s arrival will be “on the clouds,” (Mat. 24:31) or as at Luke
21:27, “in a cloud,” and at Acts 1:9-11, “a cloud.”
Thus, He will arrive in the clouds but be seen as though “riding” on ONE
cloud.
3. With POWER. This indicates that He will intend to use great power to
judge those who have rejected Him. This JUDGMENT aspect of His arrival is
stated at 2Thes. 1:8; Jude 14; Matthew 16:27; and implied at Rev. 6:15-17.
4. The FOURTH factor associated with the second coming of Jesus is that it
will be WITH GLORY. Not only will it be visible, but it will be SPECTACULAR
so that there can be absolutely no mistake that this is indeed the return of
Jesus.
A. The glory of the Father: Mat. 16:27, “come in the glory of His Father.”
B. His own glory: Mat. 25:31, “comes in His glory.”
Both “glory” factors are mentioned in the second-coming promise given at
Titus 2:13. “the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ.”
The believer’s participation in this glory is mentioned at Col. 3:4.
5. The FIFTH factor associated with the second coming is the presence of
angels.
Matthew 16:27 states, “The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His
Father with His angels.”
Matthew 25:31 says, “and all the angels with Him.”
2Thes. tells us that He will be revealed “with His mighty angels in flaming
fire.”
Luke 9:26, “His glory and of the Father and of the angels.”
6. The time that Jesus will gather together His saints as He promised at
John 14:1-3.
Mat. 24:31; Mark 13:27; 2Thes. 2:1; Col. 3:4
Supernatural gathering: Mat. 24:40-42; 1Thes. 4:17
7. There will be a great trumpet blast. Mat. 24:31; 1Thes. 4:16; 1Cor. 15:52
8. After the tribulation. Mat. 24:29; 2Thes. 1:6-10; Rev. 6
9. The day of the Lord. Joel 2:31; Mat. 24:29; Rev. 6:12-17; 1Thes. 5:1-2;
2Peter 3:10-12
10. Not know the day or hour; like a thief: Mat. 24:36, 42-44; 1Thes. 5:2;
2Peter 3:10
But will know the season: Mat. 24:32-33
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THERE IS ONLY ONE SECOND COMING
It begins with the arrival of Jesus in the clouds of the SKY with power and
great glory (Mat. 24:30).
It is at this time that the rapture of the church will occur (Mat. 24:32; 1
Thes. 4:14-17).
After meting out judgment upon the unbelievers who are left on the earth,
which will take several months, Jesus will physically descend to the earth and
defeat Satan and the antichrist at the Armageddon campaign.
The purpose of this outline is to show that
the second coming of Jesus taught at Matthew 24:29-51 is the SAME second
coming that was taught by the apostles as the blessed hope of the church, at
which time the rapture will occur.
More details can be found in the detailed analysis of the teachings of
Jesus and the apostles.
The Second Advent According to Jesus
The Second Advent According to the Apostles
The following is an outline of the points of affinity between the second
coming and the rapture.
SON OF MAN: Mat. 16:27; 10:23; 24:31
The title, Son of Man, is just as valid for a New Testament orientation as any Old Testament orientation.
The use of the title in and of itself does not mean that the church is
not involved.
John 3:13-14; 5:27; 6:27; 6:53; 8:28; 9:35; 12:23; 12:34;
13:31; Acts 7:56
ERCHOMAI:
Second Advent: Mat. 16:27, 10:23; 24:31;
Rapture: John 14:3; 21:22; Acts 1:11; 1Cor. 4:5; 11:26;
1Thes. 5:2; 2Thes. 1:10; Rev. 1:7; 3:11;
GLORY:
Second Advent: Mat. 16:27; Mat. 24:31;
Rapture: Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 4:13
ANGELS:
Second Advent: Mat. 16:27; 24:31;
Rapture: 2 Thes. 1:7, 10; 1 Thes. 4:16 (angel); 1 Thes. 3:13 (ALL His holy ones)
EVALUATION OF WORKS (reward):
Second Advent: Mat. 16:27;
Rapture: 1 Cor. 4:5; 1 Pet. 1:7; 1 Peter 5:4
LIKE A THIEF:
Second Advent: Mat 24:42-44;
Rapture: 1 Thes. 5:2-11; 2 Pet. 3:10-18; Rev. 3:3; Rev. 16:15
TRUMPET:
Second Advent: Mat. 24:31;
Rapture: 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16
CLOUDS:
Second Advent: Mat. 24:31;
Rapture: Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thes. 4:17; Rev. 1:7
GATHERING:
Second Advent: Mat. 24:31;
Rapture: 2 Thes. 2:1; 1 Thes. 4:17 (different word, same idea)
TAKEN: (paralambano)
Second Advent: Mat. 24:40-41;
Rapture: John 14:1-3; 1 Thes. 4:17 (different word, same idea).
REVEALED: (word group, apokalupto, apokalupsis)
Second Advent: Luke 17:30;
Rapture: 1Cor. 1:7; 1Pet. 1:7; 1:13; 4:13; Col. 3:4;
PRESENCE: (parouosia)
Second Advent: Mat. 24:3, 27, 37, 39;
Rapture: 1 Thes. 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2Thes. 2:1, 8;
James 5:7-8; 2 Pet. 1:16; 3:4, 12; 1 John 2:28
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