Hello and welcome to the second message in our series on the return of Christ. Stay tuned. we've said before in this program, if the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense, lest it all become nonsense. Now, there are many different views of what the Bible means when it talks about the second coming. We're going to look at some of those today. Some people believe that His coming is spiritual, and that it was fulfilled at Pentecost. Well, the New Testament was written after Pentecost and declares over 150 times that the second coming of Christ was still future. And none of the events predicted as happening at the second coming of Christ occurred at Pentecost. For instance, the Bible said that dead in Christ shall rise first, that we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. That did not happen at Pentecost. Another view that has been promoted is that His coming is when a person gets saved. Well, at conversion, the sinner comes to Christ. Christ does not come to the sinner. The sinner's conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit, not the work of the Lord. And His second coming, like His first coming, is to be an outward, visible, personal appearing. That doesn't happen when a person gets saved. Another view is that death is the coming of the Lord. Well, a soul passes into eternity every second, and this would necessitate Christ remaining continuously here on earth, but we know that his ministry at this time is that of one who is our mediator in heaven. Then someone has said the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 was the coming of the Lord. Well, the Lord was not present at the destruction of Jerusalem. It was destroyed by Roman soldiers. And the book of Revelation was written 26 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, and it speaks of the second coming of Christ as still being future. Then another view is that, well, the spreading of Christianity was the coming of the Lord. Well, the spreading of Christianity is gradual, whereas the scripture declares the return of the Lord will be sudden. It says in Matthew 24, 27, for as lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. The spreading of Christianity brings salvation to the wicked. The return of Christ brings judgment to the wicked, 1 Thessalonians 5, 3. Then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. Well, again, if the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense, lest it become nonsense. These views are simply nonsense. Well, what about the time of his return? Well, we need to be careful there. Every once in a while you get some quacks that are setting a date, saying Jesus is coming back on such and such a day. The Bible says in Mark chapter 13, verse number 32, Now when Jesus was here, he set aside everything that he knew about when he left heaven and came and whatever he learned, He learned as a person here in this world. That's an interesting thought just in itself. We'll develop that another day. But at that time when he was here, he said he couldn't, he didn't even know when the Father was coming back. He knows now. Acts 1 and 7, Jesus said, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in His own power. Now, we need to understand that we cannot set a date. It's foolish to do that. Well, when we talk about the second coming of Christ, actually there's two stages of his coming. We call the one the rapture, and we call the other the return. Now, the rapture is when he comes for his own, and the return is after the tribulation period, when he comes with his own. Concerning the rapture, we read in 1 Thessalonians 4 beginning in verse 15, For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or precede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. So at the rapture we have the resurrection of the dead in Christ, them which are asleep. And then we have the translation of the ones who are alive. We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Another verse that refers to the rapture is 1 Corinthians 15, beginning to read at verse 51. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. And so we have two verses here, two sections of Scripture, rather. 1 Thessalonians 4, 15 to 17, and 1 Corinthians 15, 51 to 53, that refer to what we call the rapture. Now, someone says, well, the word rapture is not even in the Bible. Well, the word trinity is not in the Bible either, but we believe in that. Rapture is just a word that came actually from the Latin that was translated into the Greek that is very close to that word. rapture, and that's why it's been used over the years. All right, so we have the rapture. Now this will be a surprise. It says in Matthew 24, verse 42 and on, it says, But know this, that if the good man of the house had known, and what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh. He will come, it will be a surprise to people. Matthew 24, 36 says, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But he said, as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark. and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." Everybody was busy. They were just going through their routine. They were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage, just going on with life, refusing to listen to Noah for 120 years, much like it's going today. But it says, they knew not until the flood came, took them all away so the rapture will be a surprise Matthew 24 42 to 44 and Matthew 24 36 to 38 tell us that well who will be raptured now there's different views there some say all Christians are going to pass through the tribulation Some say all Christians will be caught out before the tribulation, and they use Hebrews 9 28 for saying that some Christians will be caught out before the tribulation, and that is those who are waiting and watching. Hebrews 9 28 says, unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Now we'll look at that in a future broadcast. And I think we will prove beyond a doubt that there is no such thing as any Christians going through any part of the tribulation. We'll deal with that in a future program. Now, we have the rapture, and then the second aspect of what we call the second coming of Christ is what we'll call the revelation, that is, when he returns and he reveals himself to the whole world. Revelation 1 and 7 says, Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall will because of him, even so. Amen. Now it says that every eye shall see him. How's that going to happen? Well, every eye can see what's going on in any country in the world right now. with a TV, with all the broadcasting of the news and instant news all around the world. Every eye shall see him. The Bible says in Matthew 24 and 30, they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He's going to come and everybody's going to see it when he comes actually as what is the second coming. So we have the rapture, we have the tribulation period, which lasts for seven years, and then we have the return of Jesus Christ. What are the signs of his coming? Well, Matthew 24, 3 says, as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming unto the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto him, Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. for nations shall rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places all these are the beginning of sorrows now we're seeing a lot of this happening today there's a lot of deception when it comes to spiritual things and that's what it says here verse six they said they shall hear of rumors of wars and rumors of wars. We said on our previous broadcast wars have been going on way back in the Old Testament. We heard there's wars, but it says you will hear of the wars and rumors. That word has been translated reports twice. We're getting to hear about it instantly. We're getting a report on these wars instantly. But he says, be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass. The end is not yet. What happens then is nations shall rise up against nations. Again, we've said that's been happening for years, but it goes on to say, and kingdom against kingdom. They're killing themselves within their own kingdoms. And there shall be famines. We've got that today. Pestilences. Have you heard anything about mosquito problems these days? There's earthquakes. There's been more earthquakes in the last 25 years than there has been in the last 2,500 years. earthquakes and divers or many places and Jesus said this is just the beginning. These are the beginnings of sorrows. Well another great sign is the fact that the Jews had to be back in the homeland in Israel before the Lord could come back. Now they were dispersed throughout the whole world for 2,000 years and when I was born they were not in the homeland but they are now and In 1948, they went back to Israel, they became a nation, and that is one of the greatest signs that Jesus is coming and he's coming soon. Well, it's called the Blessed Hope. 1 Thessalonians 4, beginning at verse 13, Paul said, but I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words." Well, just one other thought. Jesus talked about those that would be ashamed at his coming. He said in Mark 8 and 38, "...whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his holy angels." You don't want to have Christ come and be ashamed of him when he comes. 1 John 2 and 28 says, And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. Are you ready to meet the Lord? The Bible says in Revelation chapter 22 verse number 17, And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come, and let him that is of thirst come, and whosoever will Let him take of the water of life freely. If you do not know Christ as your personal Savior, you need to trust Him as your Savior today. Repent of your sins and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. The last message of the Bible is, Come, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, Jesus said, and I will give you rest. The last prayer in the Bible is, Even so, come, Lord Jesus.