Is the Second Coming of Jesus Really His Second Coming?
Since my article’s title has the potential to come across as somewhat sensational, let me go ahead and give the short answer to this question: yes, Jesus’ Second Coming really will be the second and final time that He will come in bodily form to this earth. The “same Jesus,” that is, the living Word who first “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) will return in His resurrected body only one more time, “in like manner as” His disciples “saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). This will indeed happen, for the Bible declares, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). There should be no doubt in our minds about it.
When He returns, Jesus will not live amongst us as He did the first time; instead, we will go to be with Him: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). As Jesus promised, “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” (John 14:3). Jesus will only return once, for, “at His coming,” “Then comes the end” (1 Corinthians 15:23-24). Time will cease, the material universe “will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:12), and the safe and the saved will be able to experience timeless eternity in Heaven alongside of God. “And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Though we might like to know when He will return, Jesus Himself said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). He added that “as in the days before the flood,” everyday activities of life like “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” will be happening right up until the time when “the coming of the Son of Man” occurs (Matthew 24:38-39). Paul and Peter both echoed this truth when they said that Jesus would come “as a thief in the night,” i.e., totally unexpectedly (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10).
As clear as some passages surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus appear to be, there is a significant amount of confusion in the religious world surrounding this topic. Some people believe that the Second Coming of Jesus has already transpired. Others believe that the Lord will return secretly a second time and, after a period of tribulation on earth, return a third time. Some of these people as well as others believe that the Lord’s return will in fact be preceded by signs. Some of this thinking even invades hymnals in the Lord’s church; for example the hymn “Jesus Is Coming Soon” lists a series of “signs,” and then declares, “When these signs come to pass, nearing the end at last, It will come very fast, trumpets will sound.”
It is beyond the scope of an article like this to attempt to sort out all of this confusion in any kind of detail. However, I believe at least some of the confusion would be resolved if the religious world were to understand the long answer to the question in the title. Using Biblical language, the Lord came many times before He first came “in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7), and the Lord has come and will continue to come many times before He returns in His resurrected body to usher in “the end” (1 Corinthians 15:24).
Now, because that almost certainly sounds sensational, let me explain. Though 1) the coming of Jesus as an infant born of a virgin and 2) the Second Coming of Jesus to declare His Lordship and usher in the Day of Judgment are both specific, one-time events, there are several times in Scripture where the Lord is said to have come or to be coming that have no direct reference to these specific events. Take for example Isaiah 19:1: “Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt” (Isaiah 19:1). Though Jesus would in fact come to Egypt as a young child after this Scripture was written (Matthew 2:13-15) and though He will one day come “in the clouds” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), neither one of these events is at all what Isaiah was referencing. In context, Isaiah is describing a judgment that is coming to the Egyptian nation via “a cruel master […] a fierce king” (Isaiah 19:1, 4).
So if another nation was going to bring judgment to Egypt, why is the Lord described as coming? Throughout the Bible, a way of speaking is employed that, though we don’t use it as frequently, is certainly something we understand to a degree. For example, sometimes we say something like, “Winston Churchill protected Great Britain from German invasion during World War II.” When we do so, we don’t mean that Churchill was standing on the shores of Britain with a rifle and a pair of binoculars for the duration of the war. Instead, we mean that he exerted his leadership in such a way so as to mobilize his nation in defense. He was working through others, but sometimes we simply say that he did it.
This method of describing events happens all of the time in the Bible and in various ways. Take for example when David ordered his soldier Uriah to be placed “in the forefront of the hottest battle,” and then ordered his other soldiers to “retreat from him,” leaving Uriah to bear the full brunt of an enemy attack alone (2 Samuel 11:15). David was not even on the battlefield that day, yet the prophet Nathan said, “You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword” (2 Samuel 12:9). The principle at play here is one that I summarize through the following statement: what one does through another, one does. To say it another way, if I use my authority to bring something into being that otherwise would not have been, I am in some way responsible for the outcome even if I was not directly involved.
One of the ways the Bible utilizes this principle of communication is through the language of coming. So, when Isaiah says the Lord “rides on a swift cloud… into Egypt” (Isaiah 19:1), He doesn’t mean that the Lord is literally doing so but, as the context suggests, He is figuratively and representatively doing so through another nation’s king and his army. There are many examples of this type of figurative language being used (cf. 2 Samuel 22:8-13; Isaiah 31:4; et al). Jesus told the disciples on the eve of His crucifixion, “I will come to you,” but if you keep reading, He seems to be referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit as their Helper (John 14:18, 26).
Much of the confusion surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus arises because some Bible students are not aware of this principle and ignore some context clues Jesus provided in a discourse He gave near His death (Matthew 24:1-51; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-36). Following Matthew’s account, Jesus’ disciples ask Him a question after He says the stones of the temple “shall be… thrown down,” saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:2-3). Though the disciples thought that they were really asking questions about one event, they were in fact asking about two: the temple’s destruction and the Second Coming of Jesus. Some readers today make the same mistake as they read Jesus’ words, assuming they refer to only one event rather than two.
The key to understanding this passage is the dividing line in Jesus’ answers provided by the context. Of everything stated in Matthew 24:4-33, Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). Please highlight in your mind if not in your Bibles these words: “all things,” and then the words, “this generation.” To put it another way, every thing Jesus discussed in Matthew 24:4-33 would happen within the lifetime of the present generation. Not everyone would live to see it, but the generation would not totally pass away until all of what Jesus described had occurred. Jesus then transitions to answering the question regarding His Second Coming, saying exactly what we said earlier about it: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). So, think of Matthew 24:35 like a mountain range forming a continental divide in the text. Everything before it refers to an event that some people in Jesus’ generation would see; everything after refers to “the end of the age,” i.e., the Second Coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:3).
Comparing Matthew 24:4-33 with the record of history, we can recognize direct comparisons between Jesus’ words and a major historical event: the destruction of Jerusalem. This event did indeed occur within the lifetime of Jesus’ generation, about forty years from Jesus’ prophetic words. Given what we see in Isaiah 19 regarding God’s judgment against Egypt, it shouldn’t surprise us that we see in this reading, “they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 24:30). Jesus did indeed come against Jerusalem and the Jewish nation just like God came against Egypt: figuratively and representatively. Jesus’ figurative, representative coming through the Roman army against Jerusalem was preceded by many signs pointed out by the text. However, as the text goes on to say quite clearly, there will be no signs to indicate Jesus’ Second Coming, as it will happen “at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
I hope this article will encourage you to take care when studying passages that talk about the coming of the Lord. Study the context carefully; are there clues that point to this coming being merely a figure of speech? Does it agree with the very clear language surrounding Jesus’ Second Coming found in passages like 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4, and 2 Peter 3? Again, these passages are very clear: Jesus will only return in His resurrected body once in an event preceded by no signs, and, “Then comes the end” (1 Corinthians 15:24).
When He returns, Jesus will not live amongst us as He did the first time; instead, we will go to be with Him: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). As Jesus promised, “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” (John 14:3). Jesus will only return once, for, “at His coming,” “Then comes the end” (1 Corinthians 15:23-24). Time will cease, the material universe “will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:12), and the safe and the saved will be able to experience timeless eternity in Heaven alongside of God. “And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Though we might like to know when He will return, Jesus Himself said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). He added that “as in the days before the flood,” everyday activities of life like “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” will be happening right up until the time when “the coming of the Son of Man” occurs (Matthew 24:38-39). Paul and Peter both echoed this truth when they said that Jesus would come “as a thief in the night,” i.e., totally unexpectedly (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10).
As clear as some passages surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus appear to be, there is a significant amount of confusion in the religious world surrounding this topic. Some people believe that the Second Coming of Jesus has already transpired. Others believe that the Lord will return secretly a second time and, after a period of tribulation on earth, return a third time. Some of these people as well as others believe that the Lord’s return will in fact be preceded by signs. Some of this thinking even invades hymnals in the Lord’s church; for example the hymn “Jesus Is Coming Soon” lists a series of “signs,” and then declares, “When these signs come to pass, nearing the end at last, It will come very fast, trumpets will sound.”
It is beyond the scope of an article like this to attempt to sort out all of this confusion in any kind of detail. However, I believe at least some of the confusion would be resolved if the religious world were to understand the long answer to the question in the title. Using Biblical language, the Lord came many times before He first came “in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7), and the Lord has come and will continue to come many times before He returns in His resurrected body to usher in “the end” (1 Corinthians 15:24).
Now, because that almost certainly sounds sensational, let me explain. Though 1) the coming of Jesus as an infant born of a virgin and 2) the Second Coming of Jesus to declare His Lordship and usher in the Day of Judgment are both specific, one-time events, there are several times in Scripture where the Lord is said to have come or to be coming that have no direct reference to these specific events. Take for example Isaiah 19:1: “Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt” (Isaiah 19:1). Though Jesus would in fact come to Egypt as a young child after this Scripture was written (Matthew 2:13-15) and though He will one day come “in the clouds” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), neither one of these events is at all what Isaiah was referencing. In context, Isaiah is describing a judgment that is coming to the Egyptian nation via “a cruel master […] a fierce king” (Isaiah 19:1, 4).
So if another nation was going to bring judgment to Egypt, why is the Lord described as coming? Throughout the Bible, a way of speaking is employed that, though we don’t use it as frequently, is certainly something we understand to a degree. For example, sometimes we say something like, “Winston Churchill protected Great Britain from German invasion during World War II.” When we do so, we don’t mean that Churchill was standing on the shores of Britain with a rifle and a pair of binoculars for the duration of the war. Instead, we mean that he exerted his leadership in such a way so as to mobilize his nation in defense. He was working through others, but sometimes we simply say that he did it.
This method of describing events happens all of the time in the Bible and in various ways. Take for example when David ordered his soldier Uriah to be placed “in the forefront of the hottest battle,” and then ordered his other soldiers to “retreat from him,” leaving Uriah to bear the full brunt of an enemy attack alone (2 Samuel 11:15). David was not even on the battlefield that day, yet the prophet Nathan said, “You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword” (2 Samuel 12:9). The principle at play here is one that I summarize through the following statement: what one does through another, one does. To say it another way, if I use my authority to bring something into being that otherwise would not have been, I am in some way responsible for the outcome even if I was not directly involved.
One of the ways the Bible utilizes this principle of communication is through the language of coming. So, when Isaiah says the Lord “rides on a swift cloud… into Egypt” (Isaiah 19:1), He doesn’t mean that the Lord is literally doing so but, as the context suggests, He is figuratively and representatively doing so through another nation’s king and his army. There are many examples of this type of figurative language being used (cf. 2 Samuel 22:8-13; Isaiah 31:4; et al). Jesus told the disciples on the eve of His crucifixion, “I will come to you,” but if you keep reading, He seems to be referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit as their Helper (John 14:18, 26).
Much of the confusion surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus arises because some Bible students are not aware of this principle and ignore some context clues Jesus provided in a discourse He gave near His death (Matthew 24:1-51; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-36). Following Matthew’s account, Jesus’ disciples ask Him a question after He says the stones of the temple “shall be… thrown down,” saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:2-3). Though the disciples thought that they were really asking questions about one event, they were in fact asking about two: the temple’s destruction and the Second Coming of Jesus. Some readers today make the same mistake as they read Jesus’ words, assuming they refer to only one event rather than two.
The key to understanding this passage is the dividing line in Jesus’ answers provided by the context. Of everything stated in Matthew 24:4-33, Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). Please highlight in your mind if not in your Bibles these words: “all things,” and then the words, “this generation.” To put it another way, every thing Jesus discussed in Matthew 24:4-33 would happen within the lifetime of the present generation. Not everyone would live to see it, but the generation would not totally pass away until all of what Jesus described had occurred. Jesus then transitions to answering the question regarding His Second Coming, saying exactly what we said earlier about it: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). So, think of Matthew 24:35 like a mountain range forming a continental divide in the text. Everything before it refers to an event that some people in Jesus’ generation would see; everything after refers to “the end of the age,” i.e., the Second Coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:3).
Comparing Matthew 24:4-33 with the record of history, we can recognize direct comparisons between Jesus’ words and a major historical event: the destruction of Jerusalem. This event did indeed occur within the lifetime of Jesus’ generation, about forty years from Jesus’ prophetic words. Given what we see in Isaiah 19 regarding God’s judgment against Egypt, it shouldn’t surprise us that we see in this reading, “they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 24:30). Jesus did indeed come against Jerusalem and the Jewish nation just like God came against Egypt: figuratively and representatively. Jesus’ figurative, representative coming through the Roman army against Jerusalem was preceded by many signs pointed out by the text. However, as the text goes on to say quite clearly, there will be no signs to indicate Jesus’ Second Coming, as it will happen “at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
I hope this article will encourage you to take care when studying passages that talk about the coming of the Lord. Study the context carefully; are there clues that point to this coming being merely a figure of speech? Does it agree with the very clear language surrounding Jesus’ Second Coming found in passages like 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4, and 2 Peter 3? Again, these passages are very clear: Jesus will only return in His resurrected body once in an event preceded by no signs, and, “Then comes the end” (1 Corinthians 15:24).
-Patrick Swayne
patrick@tftw.org
patrick@tftw.org
Posted in Bible Study
Posted in Second Coming, Jesus, Parousia, Judgment Day, Judgement Day, Matthew 24, 1 Corinthians 15, 2 Peter 3, 1 Thessalonians 4, Second Coming of Jesus, Jesus\' Return, Mark 13, Luke 21
Posted in Second Coming, Jesus, Parousia, Judgment Day, Judgement Day, Matthew 24, 1 Corinthians 15, 2 Peter 3, 1 Thessalonians 4, Second Coming of Jesus, Jesus\' Return, Mark 13, Luke 21
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