of Christ What will happen when Christ Returns? There seems to be a lot of false doctrine being taught concerning the things that will take place when Jesus comes again. Our goal today is to determine what the Bible says will take place at that time. Men over the years, have twisted and misapplied scriptures to come up with these various false doctrines. The most popular of these false doctrines is known as premillennialism 1
Premilennialism I will attempt to give just a brief description of what this doctrine teaches in general. Premillennialism teaches: Christ is not reigning now, but will reign during the one thousand year period or millennium. Jesus will literally reign as king on the earth. His reign will last for a literal thousand years. His reign will take place in physical Jerusalem on David s throne Premilennialism During the thousand year reign, the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and the Levitical priesthood reestablished along with the offering of animal sacrifices. The Jewish nation will be converted to following Christ and restored to the land of Canaan. This includes the 10 lost tribes. Jesus intended to establish His kingdom during the 1 st century but was unable to because the Jews rejected him. 2
Premilennialism Since the Jews rejected Him, Jesus set up the Church instead and He will establish His kingdom when He returns the second time. There will be two resurrections from the dead. The righteous will be resurrected 7 years before the establishment of the kingdom. This is the Rapture. The wicked will be resurrected at the end of the 1000 year kingdom. The final judgment will come at the end of the 1000 years This false doctrine, or some variation of it, seems to be believed by most of the denominational world. As we mentioned earlier, our intention is to see what the Bible has to say about the second coming of Christ. Once we know the Truth on this subject then we will be able to recognize the error of these false doctrines. There are several difficult and highly symbolic scriptures that men apply to the second coming of Christ. We must interpret them in light of plain scripture. 3
What do the scriptures say? They tell us that Jesus will return. Joh 14:2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. Ac 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." 4
Do the scriptures give us any signs of or tell us when He will return? No, they do not. Mt 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 1Th 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. Many people have claimed to know and have predicted when Jesus will return but the scriptures say only God the Father knows. There were many signs in Matthew 24 that accompanied the days of the destruction of Jerusalem which allowed the Christians to escape. But of that day (second coming) no one knows. There will be no earthquakes, wars or disasters indicating the return of Christ. 5
His return will be as unexpected as a thief who comes in the middle of the night. So far we have seen that Jesus will return but we don t know when. Now let s look at some of the things that will happen when He does The dead will be resurrected. Both the righteous and the wicked. Joh 5:28 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 "and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. Notice that Jesus says the hour is coming. Not the year, month, week or even day but the hour. This is a very specific time in which the resurrection will take place. 6
Also notice who will hear His voice at that hour. All who are in the grave. That means everyone. What will the dead do when they hear his voice? Come forth. They will be resurrected. At that hour both those who have done good and those who have done evil will be resurrected to receive their reward. There simply will not be a 1000 years separating the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked. The idea of the righteous being raised before the wicked is sometimes based on a misunderstanding of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 7
This verse is not discussing the time when the righteous will be raised verses when the wicked will be raised. The wicked are not being discussed at all in this context. What is being discussed is the resurrection of the righteous who are dead and the changing of the righteous who are still alive at His return. Some of these early Christians were afraid that some of their brothers and sisters in Christ who had died wouldn t be able to go to Heaven. Let s look at the whole context 1Th 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 8
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. The dead in Christ will be raised before the Christians who are still alive will be changed to their eternal form. It is not teaching that the wicked will be raised later. We also see in verse 17 where the saints will meet Jesus upon His return. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. There is no indication in the scriptures that Jesus will ever set foot on the earth again but instead upon His return we will meet Him in the sky. 9
Contrary to popular belief, when Jesus returns all will see Him. The false doctrine of the rapture teaches Jesus will come in secret and take away the righteous. The wicked will be left wondering why they disappeared. Re 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. When Jesus returns, all of mankind will stand before God in judgment. Judgment day will have arrived! 2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. It is at this time the righteous will be divided from the wicked. 10
Mt 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. The sheep will be ushered into Heaven and the goats into eternal fire. John describes this great day of Judgment for us in the book of Revelation Re 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 11
Re 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. This will take place when Christ returns. There will be no second chances. When Christ returns it won t be to establish a Kingdom. Instead He will deliver His already established Kingdom (the Church) to God the Father. 1Co 15:23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 12
Contrary to what premillennialism teaches, Christ s Kingdom has already been established! It would be impossible for Christ to return a kingdom to the Father that did not yet exist. The Kingdom that will be returned to the Father is a spiritual Kingdom not a physical one. Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." This Kingdom is the Church which has always been a part of God s eternal plan. Eph 3:10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, Christ did not fail to establish His Kingdom. It was established as the Church on the day of Pentecost 13
The final thing we will notice when Christ comes again is that the earth will be destroyed. When Christ returns there will be no earth left for Him to establish a physical kingdom on. 2Pe 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 14
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15
Conclusion Christ is going to come again. We don t know when He will return. But when he does, both the righteous and wicked will be resurrected from the dead. We will all have to stand before God in judgment. Christ will return the Kingdom (Church) to the Father The Heavens and Earth will be destroyed. Am I ready for that to happen? 16
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