by R. L. Morrison

That the Bible teaches Christ will come again cannot be successfully denied. As the apostles witnessed his being caught up forty days after his resurrection, two angels stood by them and said: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). Later, Paul wrote, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout; with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God ..." (1 Thess. 4:16). "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour, knoweth no man; no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:35-36, 44). These scriptures should be sufficient evidence of his return. Jesus himself said he would return; angels declared it, and finally the inspired apostle Paul stated that he would return.

Although most people who claim to be Christians believe that he will return, there is much disagreement among them on the subject. Many have in the past, and some yet do set a date for the return of Christ. There are churches that came into existence as the result of such "so-called" prophecy. And even when He did NOT return at the time set, it did not prevent people from continuing to follow the so called "prophet" or "prophetess." These organizations continue to exist and seem to satisfy their membership by the weak explanations given for the failure of the those who so "prophesied".

There are others who do not set a certain date, but predict his return is near at hand. The "signs of the times", they say, reveal this information. But you will remember that Jesus said "no signs shall be given", and "in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh". He had also said, "But of that day and hour, knoweth no man, but my Father only." The person, then, who sets a date for the return of Christ, or insists that it is at hand, either does not know what Jesus said, or chooses to ignore it. But, whatever the case, every person, man or woman, who has set a date for the return of Christ has failed. The prophecy was in error.

There is also much difference of opinion as to why he will return and what will happen when he does return. Some think he will set up a literal material kingdom on earth. At least one group teaches he will sit on the throne of England and from it rule the whole world. Others teach that the temple will be "rebuilt" in Jerusalem and that he will rule from that place "with a rod of iron". All these people make the same mistake the Jews made while Jesus was on earth. They tried to make him an earthly king, but he would not permit it. They, as do the majority today, looked for an earthly kingdom such as Israel had under the rule of David and Solomon. But Jesus stated plainly that his is not such a kingdom. When on trial before Pilate, he said "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36). These two things in the passage should be noticed. First: "My kingdom is not of this world". Second: "My kingdom is not from hence (it is near at hand). Yet men say it WILL BE an earthly kingdom and is yet to be established.

In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus used the words "church" and "kingdom" interchangeably. This simply means that "church" and "kingdom" are one and exactly the same thing. Paul told the Colossians (1:3), that they had "been delivered from the power of darkness, and had been translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son ..." When Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, (2:12), he told them: "They should walk worthy of God, who hath called you into his kingdom and glory." John, in Revelation 1:9, wrote: "I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ." Many other scriptures refer to the kingdom as being in existence when the New Testament was written, but these should be sufficient. But perhaps one should ask: "How can the kingdom be not of this world, yet exist on the earth?" The answer is simple, and not difficult to understand. The kingdom of Christ is NOT a material kingdom, but is SPIRITUAL in nature. In Luke 17:21, Jesus said: "Neither shall they say, lo here, or, lo there, for behold the kingdom of God is within you". Jesus reigns in the lives of those who obey him. His kingdom consists of those who do his will. This is NOT after the fashion of an earthly kingdom with an earthly ruler and a material throne. Christ lives and rules in the hearts of those who submit to him. These are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. These are they who obey his law revealed by the apostles. This law is called the New Testament. This kingdom, the church, has been in existence for more than 1900 years, as it came into being on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ from the dead. These things of course, do not refer to what will occur when he comes again. They show the error of those who are "waiting for the kingdom", and expecting it when he does return.

But, what will happen when he returns? What great events will. come to pass at that day? There are many things recorded which will then come to pass. We shall now examine some of them.

"Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29). Jesus spoke of a resurrection and inferred a judgment. Notice He said "ALL" will be raised. This includes BOTH the righteous and the wicked. Many today teach there will be two resurrections. One, they say, will occur at the return of Christ, the other at some future time upon which they do not agree. But Jesus spoke of an "hour" in which ALL will be raised. This includes both the righteous and those who lived in sin. But Paul also spoke of this time. Hear him. "Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, (die) 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" (1 Cor 15:51-52). Paul spoke of the day, Jesus spoke of the hour, and then Paul speaks of the moment. THE DAY: "God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because He hath appointed "A DAY", in which he will judge the world in righteousness" (Acts 17:30-31). In John 5:28, Jesus spoke of the hour. Paul narrows it to the very second(?), the twinkling of an eye. Without doubt, these scriptures refer to events which will occur at the return of Christ.

In Matthew 25:31-33, Jesus describes the judgment. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." The remaining portion of this chapter reveals the basis of judgment, but the last verse tells the final result. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." Paul also speaks of this event. "For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:11-12). Again: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). God, the Father, is the law giver, but He has revealed it to us through Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2). God has also committed all judgment unto the Son (John 5:22). This explains the scriptures referred to, where Jesus is spoken of as the judge to whom all men shall give account.

Jude, in his short letter, speaks of conditions that existed at the time of his writing. He spoke of men, ungodly men, who denied the grace of God. He said they were filthy dreamers who defiled the flesh, despise dominion or authority, and speak evil of these things, and of other things which they know not, and in these things corrupt or destroy themselves. Then he said: "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Here are other scriptures which speak of a coming judgment which will occur at the last day.

In Peter's second letter, he describes another event that will occur when Christ returns on the last day of time. "For this they willing are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (2 Peter 3 :5-7). Again: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" (2 Peter 3: 10-12). This is the record of an inspired apostle speaking of the last day of time, when Christ returns, and he tells of some of the events of that day.

You must be aware that many religious people do not so believe or teach. Some speak of this time as "The wonderful world of tomorrow" or the "renewed earth." But Peter does not so speak. He says the material things that God created will be destroyed. They will cease to exist. These things were made for man in a fleshly body, a body subject to death and decay. But the body men will receive at the resurrection will not be a natural or physical body, It will not be subject to change or decay. with passing time, for time shall be no more. Now, hear Paul: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption; It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:42-44).

Now one passage more: "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" (2 Thess. 4:16-17). Paul does NOT speak here of two resurrections. He simply says that at the return of Christ, the righteous living will not precede the righteous dead, but rather the dead will be raised and the living will be changed. Then together, they shall be caught up and ever be with the Lord.

The scriptures we have referred to speak of the return of the Lord, not to the earth, for there is no scripture that says Christ will ever come to earth again. But he will judge all and will receive the righteous unto himself. His return will occur instantly, as in the twinkling of an eye. And as his return or our own physical death finds us, so shall we ever be. This refers to the body that we shall receive at his coming and the resurrection.

Our concern should be making preparation for that moment now, for when he comes it will be too late. Jesus said "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44). Should we realize that death may overtake us before that time, we should remember that while we live is the only time we have to make preparation. Man's work is done at the time of death. This is the reason we say, "As death finds us, so will the judgment."

Now, a question: Are YOU prepared for that day? You WILL appear in the judgment scene! You will be judged by the words of Christ: the gospel. There is no way to escape the judgment. But there is a way to avoid condemnation in that day. Realize that Jesus Christ died to save YOU. Believe that he is the Son of God. Repent of your sins, confess your faith and be baptized for the remission of sins. May you realize that only in so doing can you please God and escape condemnation in the day of judgment!

Are you prepared for that day?