Quite Suddenly

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye ... we shall be changed (1 Cor. 15:52).

Quite suddenly--it may be at the turning of a lane,
Where I stand to watch a skylark soar from out the swelling grain,
That the trump of God shall thrill me, with its call so loud and clear.
And I'm called away to meet Him, whom of all I hold most dear.

Quite suddenly--it may be as I tread the busy street,
Strong to endure life's stress and strain, its every call to meet,
That through the roar of traffic, a trumpet, silvery clear,
Shall stir my startled senses, and proclaim His coming near.

Quite suddenly--it may be as I lie in dreamless sleep--
God's gift to many a sorrowing heart, with no more tears to weep--
That a call shall break my slumber, and a Voice sound in my ear,
"Rise up, My love, and come away, behold the Bridegroom's here."

The Second Coming of the Lord

When we speak of the second coming of the Lord, we mean that the blessed Son of God who came into the world to save sinners, who died for us and was raised from the dead, and who ascended to sit on the right hand of the throne of God in heaven is personally coming again.

Is this fact or fiction? For the answer we turn to the authority of the Word of God--the Holy Scriptures. It is quite striking (as one who searched it out tells us) that the second coming of Christ is mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testament.

It is important to notice that the Scriptures clearly teach that the second coming of Christ is in TWO ASPECTS. The FIRST ASPECT will be His coming FOR His saints. He will come to the air to remove the church from the earth, raise the bodies of all believers who have died, and change all believers to be conformed to His resurrected body of glory (1 Thess. 4:16,17). This is "that blessed hope" the apostle Paul refers to in Titus 2:13. The SECOND ASPECT of His coming, this time WITH His saints, is revealed in the last part of the verse: "And the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ."

There will be seven years of tribulation between these two aspects of the coming of the Lord. Scripture teaches that the church will not go through the tribulation. This and other truths concerning His coming will be found in the following pages.

What I wish to briefly bring before us is the practical bearing the Lord's coming should, and will, have on the believer if we not only hold the truth as to it, but if the truth of His imminent return grips our hearts and directs our lives. It is not so much the event we look for momentarily as it is the looking for HIMSELF, our loving Saviour and Lord!

1. It will purify our lives. "Every man that hath this hope in Him [Christ] purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).

2. It will sanctify us (set us apart to Him from the world and its evils). "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23).

3. It will make us patient and able to endure. "The Husbandman ... hath long patience ... be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:7,8).

4. It will inspire our zeal. At the end of the chapter about the coming of the Lord in a twinkling of an eye, the exhortation is: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).

5. It will comfort the sorrowing. After the revelation of the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, it says "Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (v. 18).

As to the unsaved, the second coming of Christ should cause an immediate turning to God in repentance, putting faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Christ may come at any moment. The day of grace will abruptly end. The door to heaven will be closed, and judgment will fall on all who are left on earth, "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thess. 2:10).

Seven Witnesses...
from the Scriptures concerning the Lord's return.

1. Lord Himself (John 14:3; Rev. 22:7, 12,20).

2. Angels (Acts 1:10,11).

3. Paul (1 Thess. 4:16,17).

4. James (James 5:7,8).

5. Peter (1 Peter 1:7; 5:4).

6. John (1 John 2:28; 3:2).

7. Jude (Jude 14,15).

Seven Signs...
that the coming of the Lord is very near at hand.

1. Israel, God's "fig tree," is budding profusely (Matt. 24:30-34; Jeremiah 23; Psalm 102:16).

2. The other nations of the world, such as the Middle East, and elsewhere are fast being prepared for events of the "last days." These answer to "all the trees" of Luke 21:29-32. Current developments in Europe are setting the stage for the revival of the Roman Empire as prophesied in Daniel 2:40-43; 7:7,24.

3. Christendom today is strikingly similar to the last stage of church history portrayed by Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22--lukewarm and apostasizing from the truth.

4. The "perilous times" and characteristics of the last days described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 are prevalent everywhere, especially "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."

5. The tremendous growth of cults and the occult correspond to the description of the latter times of 1 Timothy 4:1. 

6. The uncontrollable increase of wickedness, violence and corruption is evidence that we are living in days similar to what prevailed in Noah's day (Gen. 6:5, 11-13) and that describe the days when the Lord will return (Luke 17:26).

7. The fact that we "see" (Matt. 24:33) all of the above signs (and a multitude more) taking place simultaneously with increasing clarity right before our eyes. "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Matt. 24:34).

Seven Contrasts...
between the two stages of the coming of the Lord.

1. At the first stage it will be the Lord Himself, the Son of God, who will appear; at the second stage He will come as the Son of Man (1 Thess. 4:16; Matt. 24:30,44).

2. At the first stage He will come to the air; at the second stage He will come to the earth (1 Thess. 4:17; Zech. 14:4).

3. At the first stage He will come for His saints; at the second stage He will come with His saints (1 Thess. 4:15-17; 1 Thess. 3:13).

4. At the first stage His own will be taken to be forever with the Lord; at the second stage the ungodly will be taken for judgment (1 Thess. 4:17; Matt. 24:32-41).

5. At the first stage He will come in the twinkling of an eye and secretly; at the second stage He will come publicly and every eye shall see Him (1 Cor. 15:52; Rev. 1:7).

6. At the first stage He will appear as the Morning Star; at the second stage He will appear as the Sun of Righteousness (Rev. 22:16; Mal. 4:2).

7. The first stage is called the Day of Christ; the second stage is the Day of the Lord (Phil. 1:6; Zech. 14:1-3).

Seven Blessings...
for the Christian at Christ's return.

1. Redemption completed. Our redemption awaits the return of the Lord Jesus for its perfect completion, for Romans 8:23 states that "Even we [saved ones] ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for ... the redemption of our body."

2. Reunion. One of sin's most awful by-products is the sadness of separation by physical death. But, the coming again of our blessed Lord will completely reverse this tragedy, replacing the awful void of loneliness with the ecstasy of reunion! Just one word (in 1 Thess. 4:17) suffices our hearts: "together"!

3. Reward. First Corinthians 3 deals with this two-edged theme in a way that should cause both great joy and deep soul-searching on the part of every believer.

4. Rest. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (Heb. 4:9)--real, lasting rest.

5. Riches. How rich is the believer in Christ? According to Romans 8:17, we are "joint-heirs with Christ"; we own what He owns, and Colossians 1:16 says that "all things were created by Him, and for Him"!

6. Royalty. Now we are "strangers and pilgrims," "ambassadors," "in the world but not of it." But it will not always be so, for we are destined to reign with Christ the King of Kings! (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 19:8-14; 22:5).

7. Rapture. 1 Peter 4:13 says that "When [Christ's] glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." "At Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11).

Seven Woes...
for the lost at Christ's return.

1. The age of grace will end. At the rapture, the door of grace will be shut (Luke 13:23-28; Matt. 25:1-13).

2. The awful rule of the Antichrist will begin. This is made clear in 2 Thess. 2:7,8 and Revelation 13 adds gruesome details to the picture of the most terrible time this world has ever known (Matt. 24:21).

3. Satan will be personally on the earth. In the middle of the tribulation, Satan is cast down to dwell in person on earth, and he will have "great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:7-12).

4. There will be suffering beyond description and death unprecedented. From the going forth of the rider on the red horse (Rev. 6:4) until the death throes of Armageddon, Revelation 6-19 is filled with God's catalog of the suffering and anguish that lie ahead for the Christ-rejector.

5. Resurrection of the body unto the Great White Throne Judgment. The lost are physically resurrected at the close of Christ's 1,000-year reign (Revelation 20:5,11-15) to stand before the Great White Throne. This is called the "resurrection of damnation" (John 5:29).

6. The Lake of Fire. This is the final destination of the lost, and is called the "second death" (Rev. 20:14).

7. Eternity: without God, without Christ, without hope. Probably the worst punishment for the unbeliever will be his eternal separation "from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thess. 1:7-9), with no hope of ever coming to Him (Luke 16:26).

Seven Proofs...
that Christ will come for His Church BEFORE the tribulation.

1. Because He has specifically promised to do so. Speaking to the Philadelphian church (which represents the true Church in the close of this church age) our Lord says in Revelation 3:10, "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [the tribulation], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

2. Because otherwise the full sufficiency of the atoning blood of Christ would, in effect, be brought into question. Romans 8:1 says that "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." The Lord God will, during the tribulation, deal with the world in painful judgment, but for the believer it is unthinkable that God would reopen this matter as if to say the blood of His beloved Son had not been a sufficient sacrifice!

3. Because otherwise Christ Himself would, in effect, be undergoing again the wrath of God. If the Church were to go through any part of the tribulation, it would mean that the Son of God was again suffering the wrath of God, because we are His body (Col. 1:18; Acts 9:4).

4. Because we are to be WITH Christ when He returns to the earth. His saints ("saved ones") are with Him at His appearing--all of them (1 Thess. 3:13; Rev. 19:14). Is it not then evident that, if He is to return with us, He must first come for us? He does that before the tribulation, as Paul writes in 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

5. Because Revelation 4:1 symbolizes the rapture of the Church BEFORE the ensuing chapters unfold the horrors of the tribulation. Is it not most significant that, after our Lord details the Church's prewritten history in Revelation 2 and 3, the true Church, His Bride, is no more seen on the earth until she returns with Christ in Revelation 19? The intervening chapters find her safely in heaven with Christ, as they depict the tribulation on the earth below.

6. Because otherwise where would be the "comfort" of 1 Thessalonians 4:18? Were we not looking for the Lord Jesus to catch us up to meet Him in the air before the tribulation, how could we "comfort one another with these words"? If we are not looking for Him to come for us before this old world begins to rock and reel under the impact of the wrath of Almighty God, then what, indeed, is our "blessed hope"?

7. Because the tribulation is spoken of as "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7)--not the "church's trouble." The tribulation in Scripture always refers to Israel and the world, never the true church composed of believers in Christ.

These lists of sevens are by no means complete, but we trust they will serve as guides in the study of the precious truth of the Lord's coming. Be sure to look up in your Bible the references given and also see how many items you can add to each list.

The Four Gospels ...
and the Second Coming of Christ

The Lord's coming has a large place in the pages of the New Testament. The four evangelists present it in four different ways in the gospels they wrote.

Matthew speaks of it as it effects our feet--"Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him" (Matt. 25:6).

Mark, our eyes--"Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh" (Mark 13:35-37).

Luke, our hands--"Occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13).

John, our hearts--"Let not your heart be troubled ... I will come again" (John 14:1-3).

Matthew
The Lord is coming! And with eager feet
We must "go forth," the Lord Himself to meet.
Forth from the world, from sloth and evil ways,
Walking while here for His eternal praise.

Mark
The Lord is coming! And with eager eyes
We "watch" to see the Morning Star arise.
Beyond the world's dark night of woe and sin,
We look for Him who brings the glory in.

Luke
The Lord is coming! And with eager hands
Instant we'd be in doing His commands.
Lord, give us grace to "occupy" for Thee,
Till we Thy face in yonder glory see.

John
The Lord is coming! Let our hearts rejoice,
We soon shall hear the accents of His voice.
In His eternal Home He'll bid us rest,
Gazing upon His face, supremely blest.

An Important Question ...

QUESTION: What happens to those people who do NOT accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour before the rapture occurs?

ANSWER: The Bible tells us that those WHO HAVE HEARD THE GOSPEL and have "received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" will be sent a "strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). A detailed examination of these verses reveals the following facts:

a. The Antichrist is here called (1) the man of sin, (2) the son of perdition, (3) that wicked (one).

b. He will sit in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.

c. He will claim the worship that belongs only to God.

d. His coming will be after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.

e. He will be destroyed by the Lord when He judges the world.

f. There is today a Person who restrains (holds back) the full development of evil. This Person is referred to in the King James Version as "He who now letteth [hindereth] will let [hinder]" (2 Thess. 2:7). This Person can be none other than the Holy Spirit who today dwells in God's people, the church (Ephesians 2:22). When He is taken out of the way, then the Antichrist will be revealed.

g. The Antichrist will not be revealed until the church is taken (raptured) to heaven and the Holy Spirit in the church is taken out of the world (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

h. Those who have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved will be sent a strong delusion that they should believe the lie. The lie is that this Antichrist is the answer to all the world's problems.

If one today does not receive the love of the truth, they will be deceived by the Antichrist during the tribulation period. Instead of having Christ as their Saviour they will have Antichrist as a deceiver. Instead of the truth they will have a lie. Instead of salvation they will suffer damnation. The door of mercy, now open so wide, will then be irrevocably closed (Matthew 25:10-13).

On the other hand those living WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD THE GOSPEL of God's grace when the rapture occurs will then have the opportunity to hear and to believe the "gospel of the kingdom" that will be preached by Jewish witnesses during the tribulation (Matt. 24:14) and receive blessing for earth during the millennial reign of Christ and eternal life in the new earth (Matt. 25:32-40,46).