End Time Study - Section 3
Bible Study 3
The Coming of the Lord
To clarify any confusion regarding the “Second Coming of the Lord”
and what it entails, let’s read some verses that sum up this important event.
NOTE: Fill in the blanks verbally to help cement the facts in your heart and mind.
1. There will be SIGNS that precede His coming
Jesus speaking to his disciples/Christ followers: MATT 24:7 and following “…when will these *things happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come...There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me (today, Christians, not Jews, are hated for Jesus’ name) …. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. “So when you (Christ followers) see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel (Antichrist 2 Thes 2:4; Daniel 7:19-27)—let the reader understand—... then there will be great distress (Great Tribulation), unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again...for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened (literally: decapitated). Immediately after the distress (Great Tribulation) of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the nations of the earth will mourn and they see the Son of Man *coming [(ἔρχομαι) “arriving” used also in John 14:2,3 “My Father’s house has many rooms (Isa 26:19-21)...And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will *come back and take you to be with me…” Biblehub] on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other (rapture)… when you (Christ followers) see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” 1 THES 5:4.8 “But brothers, you are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. “ (Rev 3:3)
A. We are to k_______ when his coming is near and not be caught unaware.
B. From the verses above, name at least 6 things that will take place before Jesus returns to take us home: _____, _____, _____, _____, _____, _____
*Matt 24:2 Around 70 AD many Jews were massacred, the temple was torn down and Jerusalem left in ruins. However, Jesus’ words speak of yet another event, a worldwide distress, unlike anything we have ever seen. The 7 Seals in Revelation (written in 90 AD after Jerusalem’s fall) prophecy of these same events, but on a worldwide scale. Jesus was speaking of a time after 70 AD, a time when the Antichrist will attack Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. This will involve the whole earth at the end of the age. LUKE 21: 23ff ” There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
2. His Coming is Visible to All, Accompanied by Trumpet Blast & Shout
REV 1:7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.” MATT 24:27,30,31 “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man... all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” 1 THESS 4:14.16,17 “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (the living spirits of deceased believers: Heb 12:22-23). For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first (dead bodies raised up immortal and new and reunited with their living spirits). After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” 1 COR 15:51-52 “... we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…” ACTS 1:9-11 “... he was taken up before their very eyes...“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” 1 PETER 1:13-14 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is *revealed.” 1 Peter 1:7, 2 Thess 1:7 *(apokalypsei) appearing, coming Biblehub
A. Who will see Jesus coming to gather believers to himself (rapture)? ALL the p_______ of the earth.
B. What will be heard? T_______ blast and a l______ command!
C. Will the rapture be silent and secret? _____
3. There is One Rapture/Gathering of Believers,
which happens when Jesus appears and is seen by all the world
at His second Coming
HEB 9: 27-28 “...so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, (visibly, in the same way he left: Acts 1:9-11) not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” MATT 25:6, 10-12 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Those “who were ready went in with him...And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’” JOHN 11:24-26 “Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection, at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives (still alive at his return) and believes in me will never die.” 1 COR 15:49, 51-54 “And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man (Jesus). Listen, I tell you (Christ followers) a mystery: We will not all sleep (die), but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet (not to be confused with the 7 trumpets of judgment in Revelation 8:6 and following). For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed…” TITUS 2: 12-14 “...we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious *appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” 2 TIM 4:8 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness...to all who have longed for his *appearing.” *(epipháneia) physical presence/ coming (also used for his 1st physical coming—2 Tim 1:10). Biblehub
Highlight/write out a verse above that most encourages you and one that challenges you.
Have you learned anything new so far?
When Jesus comes, the sky is rolled back and the throne of God is seen. Believers are brought up before the throne in worship. From this throne the 7 trumpets of God’s wrath are blown. Just as Jesus’ first coming encompassed many events, so shall his visible second coming: rapture of the saints, immediate wrath on all wickedness, rescue of Israel, and the setting up of his earthly reign over a renewed earth. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon shows us that the Greek word translated The Coming means a presence that stays: “In the N. T. especially of the advent, i. e. the future, visible, return from heaven of Jesus, the Messiah, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God: Matthew 24:3; ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (27), 37, 39; τοῦ κυρίου, 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; James 5:7; 2 Peter 3:4; Χριστοῦ, 2 Peter 1:16; αὐτοῦ, 1 Corinthians 15:23; (1 Thessalonians 2:19); 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 2 Peter 3:4; (1 John 2:28); τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμέρας, 2 Peter 3:12.”
These truths are written to those awaiting the visible appearing of Jesus, that all nations will see. Could a secret, whisking away of Believers before the difficult things in Revelation occur, be the Enemy’s lie to keep us from being ready to endure? 2 Timothy 4:3,4 warns us about this! “For the time will come when they will not endure sound teaching, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will gather for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires (easy out), and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
Jesus is our example:
Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
(Rev 13:10; 2 Cor 6:4-10)
4. It will be a Time of Reward for those who have believed and
immediate Day of the Lord Judgment/Wrath for those who have rejected Jesus
2 THESS 1:6,7,10 “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels... on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” 1 PETER 4:4ff (NLT) “Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other…” To unbelievers: ROM 2:5 “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. (see Rev 14:14-20) JUDE 1:10,14-15 “Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand… Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 2 PETER 3: 3-4,7 “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise...He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come.” ISA 66:14-16 “blessing on his servants—and his anger against his enemies...See, the LORD is coming with fire... He will judge the earth…” LUKE 17:29-30 “But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.” (1 Cor 3: 10-15, Matt 16:27)
Some say that the Seals are God's wrath and judgment. But none of the Seals match the verses above.
The Day of the Lord begins with The 7 Trumpet Judgments,
of which the first 3 judgments are fire falling! (Rev 8)
1. Now go back and read all the plain underlined text to see that the Coming of the Lord is clearly linked to the Day of the Lord.
2. Next read the bold print to see what people are doing at his coming.
3. Finally read the bold underlined words to see what God is doing. The wrath of God clearly brings down fire. The Breaking of the 7 Seals does not reveal even ONE pronouncement of fire. The SEALS are not God’s wrath or the Day of the Lord!
Millions in the world today are suffering for their faith; This suffering is not the wrath of God.
In His mercy, God leaves the church on the earth to be a witness and light in very dark times. His wrath comes after the 7th seal is broken and the scroll (Day of the Lord Trumpet Judgments) unfolds.
The church is taken up right before His wrath falls (6th seal).
“...in a warped and crooked generation... you shine as lights in the world
as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ…”
Phil 2: 15-16 (also: 1 Peter 4:12-14, Daniel 11:35)
So we see that Jesus will visibly come from heaven and take up those who have trusted him for salvation. The wrath of God is then immediately poured out in the Trumpet Judgments (Rev.8, 9 and 11:15-19; Luke 17:29-35) and Bowl Judgments (Rev. 15,16). Finally, the “age to come” begins (Isa.11:1-11) for 1000 years on a renewed earth, followed by the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21).
5. Christ’s Coming Brings in the Day of the Lord’s Wrath
The 6th Seal cosmic signs and the signs announcing the Day of the Lord are the same!
Keep reading to find out more…
“...you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, is faithful.” 1 COR 1:7-9
The ‘Coming of the Lord’ & ‘the Day of the Lord’
are clearly linked.
What is the Day of Lord and what does the bible say about it and the Church?
Section 3 End Times Study
(Scripture verses from NIV)
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