Lesson for October 23, 2024

The Rapture to the Eternal State

Lesson 4

The Second Coming of Christ

Revelation 19:14-16, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in Heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

The Second Coming is when Christ returns to earth in His resurrection body. At the Second Coming, Jesus Christ will return to Jerusalem and His feet will touch first on the Mount of Olives, according to Zechariah 14:1-4. The Second Coming will be characterized by: 1) lightning – Matthew 24:27 2) Christ being seen by all – Revelation 1:7 3) Christ travelling at great speeds – Revelation 22:7, 12 4) unbelievers being disturbed and frightened – Revelation 6:15-17 5) by the storms of coming judgment and annihilation of the invading armies – Revelation 19:17-18 6) the judgment of the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and unbelievers – Revelation 19:17-21 7) the judgment of Satan – Revelation 20:1-3 8) the baptism of fire removing all unbelievers from the earth – Revelation 19:20-21.

The description and prophesy by Christ of the Second Coming is found in Matthew 24:37-41, “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so, will the coming of the Son of Man be. At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.”

Jesus used a historical analogy to describe the environment when He returns the second time. In the days of Noah, when the flood came, all unbelievers were destroyed and only believers continued on the earth (Noah and his family). We have exactly the same situation when Christ returns. All believers remain on the earth as the Millennium begins. Unlike the Rapture in which believers are taken off the earth and unbelievers remain, at the Second Coming, unbelievers are taken off the earth by death and believers remain. For the coming of the Son of Man makes it clear that this is the Second Coming, not the Rapture.

Before the flood, people had rejected God and His message from Noah. Instead, they were “eating, drinking, and marrying” while ignoring the warning from God’s messenger. Just prior to the Second Coming the same will be true. Remember, there will be 144,000 Jews spreading the Gospel throughout the world during the Tribulation. In Noah’s day, God’s judgment finally arrived, and His enemies were destroyed, and His enemies will be destroyed at the Second Coming.

At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.

Jesus illustrated what will happen when He returns to earth the second time. The ones who are taken out of the world will be unbelievers. The ones who are left will be believers who go into the Millennium. This is just the opposite of the Rapture. At the Rapture the believer is taken, and the unbeliever is left.

Armageddon

Revelation 16:13-16, “And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the entire world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (‘Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked, and people will not see his shame). And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon (Armageddon).

At the Second Coming, a war between Jesus Christ and His armies against Satan and his armies begins. (Exodus 14:14; Joshua 5:13-6:2; Isaiah 37:36; Ezekiel 38:16; Revelation 16:13-16) This will be the final event of the Tribulation. Before this battle, demons go into the world to possess kings who will join Satan’s army. The result will be that Christ and His army will thoroughly defeat Satan and his armies. (Revelation 19:11-21)

Har-Magedon (Armageddon) is a Hebrew word meaning “mount of slaughter.” This is the final battle of the Tribulation. Demons come from everywhere – the mouth of the dragon (Satan), the mouth of the beast (Anti-Christ), and the mouth of the false prophet (religious leader). Revelation 16:14 tells us who these demons are – they are the ones who work miracles designed to deceive people and they go forth into the world to indwell those who will do battle against the Lord.

The Second Coming is the final victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and the fallen angels. Church Age believers return with Christ as a part of what is called “Operation Footstool” –

I Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 19:6-8. The Second Coming introduces the Battle of Armageddon where Christ and His army of believers do battle with Satan and his army and defeat them. Satan will then be locked up for 1000 years – Revelation 20:1-3.

I Corinthians 15:25-28, “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”