The Lord's Second Coming

Prophecy studies about the Christ's Second Coming is quite popular nowadays especially with those who believe in the seven year tribulation. Many professing Christians and even some sincere Christians have come up with various theories either in magazines, books, tv programs and movies.

Now there is many different Scriptures one can go through on this particular prophecy study, but I'm mainly going to deal with Mathew 24, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Other related topics on prophecy studies like the true Israel of God, the Millennium, and Daniel 9:20-27, have been thoroughly discussed in those particular articles and you are always welcomed to read them at your leisure. What hasn't been discussed much is Mathew 24, and the other text which is 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. So let's begin with these Scriptures that deal with the end times...

"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." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

A couple of things to consider in this prophecy of the end times, the Lord will descend from heaven "with a shout" with a voice of the "archangel" and with the "trump of God". This is not indicating a secret rapture but a highly audio, and visible second coming. In Mathew 24:27, "For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Again, we see a highly visible second coming of the Lord as there is nothing to indicate otherwise, continuing on..."And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels, with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another" Matthew 24:30,31.  In conclusion, the prophecy of the end times contained in Scripture is a literal, loud, visible, and glorious second coming of Christ.

Do remember the story of the flood? You know where Noah and his family with two animals of each kind were saved from the flood. Everything else was destroyed by the flood. Well the Bible compares Christ's Second coming to the days of Noah, and the flood...Let's read the text, "But 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, 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.”  Once Christ comes back, the Scriptures say the wicked will be destroyed, just like the flood. No seven year tribulation, no ruling on Earth a thousand years before this is about to occur. No second chance at all.

Now another thing to note here and I quote, "And knew not until the flood came" which is telling us that the Lord's Second coming will not be known as far as "when" it will occur, but just like when the flood did occur everyone knew about it, so shall Christ's Second Coming. The timing of the event is generally referred to as a "thief in the night".  It also says basically the same thing in Mathew 24:36.  It's been pretty straight forward so far, now addressing the confusion that associates itself with this event. In Matthew 24:40, "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left." Many have held on to the word "then" to attempt to make Christ's second coming as a multiple event within the end times. It's a popular belief nowadays, unlike the past, as many of you may already are familiar with the doctrine, where Jesus takes His people out of the world secretly then puts them back in again after the tribulation, and once again Jesus comes back with His people to reign on Earth for a thousand years, and finally takes His people out of the world for the final judgment. Hardly sounds like a Second Coming in a literal sense described in Mathew 24. But as we seen in the previous verses, this is not the case...So the question remains, when is "then" mentioned in Matthew 24:40?

Here is the answer, "One shall be taken” and "one shall be left" happens at the visible (vs. 27 ), audible (vs. 31), glorious (vs. 30) flood-like (vs. 37-39) Second Coming of Jesus Christ! And just like in Noah’s day, "when" the event finally does happen everyone will know the end of the world is occurring, and there will be no second chances. Sadly, those that are left will perish! However, God's people will rejoice in that day as they will be alive and forever with the Lord! Amen