KCU/03/Jesa

Topic 22: Second Coming conscious? Question: Based on what you know from the Bible & other sources (including the Theology Matters reading), how do you think we should live in light of the Second Coming? (Be sure to do more research into the issue. If the group cannot come to a consensus, feel free to have different group members each express their own opinions.)

Asheem Dahal contribution

Jesus Christ is coming one, but we regard his coming as progressive and not to be confined to any single event. In one sense, the coming of Christ refers to "his presence in the Church and in the hearts of believers". He has come again and again at great crises and turning points in the history of the world. These coming have been not only to judgement but also for the justice and righteousnes. The coming will be nothing less than the personal, visible, and glorious return of the same Jesus who ascended into heaven. Some scholars hold that Christ will come in two stages: first secretly, later, openly to be seen by all. Having returned to earth, Jesus Christ will be the judge of the nations and of every person who has ever lived. At his coming, the old universe will be marveously regenerated in order to be born as "new heaven and earth". Those who are alive at second coming of Jesus experience the transformation of their earthly, perishable bodies.

Comparison between first coming and second coming

In His first coming, Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby in a manager in Bethlehem, just as prophesied. Jesus fulfilled many of the prophecies of the Messiah during His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. However, there are some prophecies regarding the Messiah that Jesus has not, as of yet, fulfilled. The Second Coming of Christ will be the return of Christ to fulfill these remaining prophecies. In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering servant. In His Second Coming, Jesus will be the conquering King. In His first coming, Jesus arrived in the most humble of circumstances. In His Second Coming, Jesus will arrive with the armies of Heaven at His side.

Some written scriptures which shows that Jesus will come back.

Jesus promised His disciples He would come again. It's in the Bible, John 14:1-3, TLB. "Let not your heart be troubled. You are trusting God, now trust in Me. There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with Me where I am. If this weren't so, I would tell you plainly. And you know where I am going and how to get there."

What will we see and hear when He comes? It's in the Bible, I Thessalonians 4:16-17, NIV. "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. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

Does anyone know the exact time of Christ's coming? It's in the Bible, Matthew 24:36, NIV. "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Will Christ's coming be a time of reward? It's in the Bible, Matthew 16:27 and Revelation 22:12, NIV. "For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done." "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."

At Jesus' second coming, we will fully experience the reality of our salvation. It's in the Bible, I Corinthians 1:7-8, TLB. "Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing His will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. And He guarantees right up to the end that you will be counted free from all sin and guilt on that day when He returns."

Matthew 24:3 Now while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and the end of the world?”

Matthew 24:27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Matthew 24:37 For just as the days of Noah were, so in this manner will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his throne of glory.

Acts 1:11, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of glorying? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming?

Hebrews 9:28 . . . so also Christ, who was offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear for a second time apart from sin to those who eagerly await him for salv

Works cited from Coming Day by Oscar L. Joseph, New int'l dict of Bible.

Jake Lewis's contribution

The second coming. What is it exactly?

To understand what is meant by the second coming, you first have to know what the first coming is. The first coming refers to Jesus Christ's life here on Earth for the first time. This includes his teachings, miracles, dying on the cross, and his resurrection, all of which were for the greater good and to allow salvation for us. The second coming, although never mentioned as that in the Bible, refers to when Jesus is supposed to come back down to Earth, and take all his "children" back up to Heaven with him. Some phrases that the second coming term has originated from is: "First and the Last," "The Beginning and End," "The Alpha to Omega."

Before anyone can have an idea of how they should live in the second coming, first they must fully believe that the second coming is fact, not fiction. There are several points you have to consider when trying to prove the second coming: Whether Jesus Will Come Again and Judge Men, When Jesus Will Come, the Destiny of the Earth, the Resurrection, the Time between Jesus' Coming and Judgment, and the Eternal Destinies of Men.

I. Whether Jesus Will Come Again and Judge Men

a.	Fictions
 i.	Basic denial that God exists
 ii.	Scientific View that the Earth is 3.7 billion years old
 iii.	Denial of Jesus as the Son of God
 iv.	Belief in Pagan God
 v.	Belief Jesus will never come to Earth to judge men
b.	Facts
 i.	Acts 1:9-11 - Jesus will personally come again, just as He left.
 ii.	Romans 14:11, 12 - Just as surely as God lives, all men will be judged. If there is a living, immortal God in heaven, then you will be judged! 
 iii.	Acts 17:30, 31 - God appointed the day of judgment and gave assurance by raising Jesus from the dead. Just as surely as Jesus arose, just that surely we will be judged. 
 iv.	Hebrews 9:27 - It is appointed to man once to die and after this the judgment. Judgment is just as sure as death. 
 v.	2 Corinthians 5:10 - We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
 vi.	Romans 2:6 - God will render to every man according to his deeds. 
 vii.	Matthew 25:32 - All nations will be present. 
 viii.	Romans 14:10-12 - We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 

II. When Jesus Will Come

a.	Fictions
 i.	Set dates on the return
  1.	Several have tried, all have failed
   a.	Charles Taze Russell - 1874 
   b.	Sun Myung Moon - 1917-1930 
   c.	Harold Camping - 1994 
   d.	Nostradamus – 1999
   e.	Many others, mostly religious groups
  2.	Most recent and believed was the Y2K event
b.	Facts
 i.	Acts 1:6-12 refers to Jesus talking to his disciples and they concerned on when he will come back. The scripture states: "So when the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards the sky, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go to heaven."
 ii.	1 Thessalonians 5:1-6: V1-3 - Regarding the "times and seasons" (of Jesus' coming to raise the dead - 4:15), the day of the Lord comes as a thief in night (totally unexpected with no signs or warning). It is not just the specific day we do not know, but the times and seasons.V4-6 - Since the time is unknown, we should watch and be ready all the time. What is the value in knowing a specific time? If we knew He would return in 2010, people would wait till 2009 to start obeying! But meanwhile we can die any moment. If we can die or He can come at any moment, we are motivated to live right all the time.
 iii.	2 Peter. 3:10 The day of the Lord will come as a thief. No one can set a day or year. Those who set dates mark themselves as false teachers, for they claim to know what the Bible expressly says no one can know.

III. Destiny of the Earth

a.	Fictions
 i.	Belief that after Jesus’ return, the Earth will stand for another 1000 years with Jesus reigning over it
 ii.	Belief the Earth will be eternal
b.	Facts
 i.	2 Peter 3 - When Jesus comes again the earth will be completely destroyed. This appears to be literal since the context is doctrinal instruction, not symbolic or poetic. Since premillennialists insist on taking prophecy literally, let them do so here.
 ii.	V3, 4 - Mockers ask about the promise of Jesus' coming (parousia), which premillennialists say is the invisible coming before the rapture and millennium.
 iii.	V5-7 - God once caused the earth to perish in a flood. The present heavens and earth are likewise reserved for fire at the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
 iv.	V8,9 - As we wait for that time, God is long-suffering so men can repent and not perish.
 v.	V10-13 - When the "day of the Lord" comes, the heavens will pass away and be dissolved, elements will be dissolved and melt with fervent heat, earth will be burned up. This will happen at the Day of Judgment (v7), which is Jesus' coming or parousia (v4). Premillennialists say Jesus' parousia begins the rapture. So, taken literally, this passage would prove that the judgment and the destruction of the earth would be at Jesus' parousia, not 1000 years later.
 vi.	V14-17 - Paul taught the same, including some things hard to understand. But those who pervert it, do so to their own destruction. Watch out lest we are carried away by error and fall from steadfastness. False teaching about these matters can lead us to sin and be lost.

IV. The Resurrection

a.	Fictions
 i.	Denial of Resurrection
 ii.	Belief this is the only life we have, live it to the fullest
 iii.	Belief in Resurrection, two separated by 1000 years
b.	Facts
 i.	1 Corinthians 15:12, 13 - Some deny the resurrection of the dead. But if they are correct, then Jesus could not have been raised. However, Paul had just given numerous eyewitnesses who saw Him alive again after he died (v1-8). Hence, Christ did arise, proving that resurrection is possible.
 ii.	Vv20-22 - Further, He is the first fruits of the resurrection. In Adam all die. In Christ all shall be made alive. Just as many people are there is who die because of what Adam did, just that many will live because of what Christ did.
 iii.	Matthew 22:23-33 - Jesus was confronted by the materialists of His day, the Sadducees. They denied the resurrection because they denied men have spirits that can exist after death (Acts 23:8). 
 iv.	Vv31,32 - Jesus answered them by quoting a passage in which God referred to men in the present tense, even though they had died. God is not the God of the dead but of the living. 

V. The time between Jesus’ Coming and Judgment

a.	Fictions
 i.	There is the belief that Jesus will come once to rapture the righteous. But the judgment of mankind (specifically the wicked) will not come for another 1000 years.
b.	Facts
 i.	1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  
  1.	13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For 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. 17After 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. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
 ii.	2 Thessalonians 1:4-10
  1.	4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.  5All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and 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. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on 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.
 iii.	Matthew 25:31-33, 46
  1.	"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
  2.	 46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

VI. The Eternal Destinies of Men

a.	Fictions
 i.	Belief that the righteous don’t receive rewards (Eternal Life)
 ii.	Belief the wicked don’t get punished
 iii.	Belief the righteous don’t live forever
b.	Facts
 i.	The righteous will be rewarded and the wicked will be punished
  1.	Romans 2:5-11 - Those who disobey truth, but do evil, will receive indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish. Those who continue doing good will receive glory, honor, immortality, peace, eternal life. 
  2.	Matthew 25:41, 46 - The wicked go to everlasting destruction, the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. Righteous people will receive eternal life. 
  3.	1 Thessalonians 4:17; 5:9, 10 - Saved ones will live forever with Jesus. 
  4.	Revelation 20:11-15 - Anyone not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire, the second death.  
 ii.	God's love and mercy motivate Jesus to offer us eternal life. But His righteousness and justice requires Jesus to punish disobedience. 
  1.	Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:6-9 - None of us deserves eternal life. Nevertheless, God is loving and merciful, so He determined to offer man forgiveness through the death of Jesus. 
  2.	2 Thessalonians 1:5-9 - It is righteous for God to judge and punish the disobedient. Be not deceived! God is righteous and just, and this part of His nature demands that evil people be punished. 
  3.	Romans 1:32; 2:4, 5 - God's righteous judgment demands that people who practice evil are worthy of death. If we reject God's mercy and goodness - if we refuse to repent - then we store up wrath for ourselves at God's righteous judgment. 
  4.	To save us from the consequences of sin God gave the life of His only-begotten Son. When God has done all this for us, if we reject salvation and refuse to repent, then surely we deserve to be punished eternally. God's justice demands it. 
  5.	Furthermore, on earth wicked people often prosper more than righteous people, and righteous people often suffer more than wicked people. God would not be just and righteous if He simply allowed people to die, but He did not correct these injustices. God's righteousness demands that justice be done after death. 

After all this evidence, doesn’t the Second Coming really start to come into perspective? Jesus will come again and judge all men, no second chances for those who believe there will be some le-way. He’s given us over 2000 years to get it right; it’s about time, because we aren’t going to know when Jesus is going to come. Many have tried before, and none have succeeded. Also, the Earth is not going to just sit around and get old after Jesus comes, on the contrary it will be gone. Also, Jesus has resurrected once, and he will do it again. When he does be ready, but the catch is, you aren’t going to know when he’s coming, so each and every single day, it is suggested that you live your life as righteous as possible, and bring others to the Lord so that they will not fall to the wrath. But, why should you live your life like I have told you, the reason is in the final point made. The righteous will be rewarded with eternal life in Heaven, and the wicked, well, you get the idea. So you ask, “How should I live in the light of the Second Coming?” The answer is obvious: Follow the word of the Lord, repent, be baptized, confess, bring others to the Lord, the list goes on and on. The bottom line is to be the best Christian you can be 24/7, because everything you do is seen by Him, even if others can’t see you, because if your heart is pure in the end, life will be good.

Eric's contribution.

The second coming will consume of when all will be set right and the shalom of god is established for all eternity. peter reponds to the people who ask god "where is the coming god promised" peter speaks of which he calls cosmic renewal which means the distruction of present heaven and earth by fire so that a new heaven and new earth, and the home of righteousness may appear. this is also supposed to take place on the day of judgement day and the destruction of ungodly men.

The new testament has no set date with regaurding to the second coming. the lord informs us that his resurrection will be on the last day not 1,007 years pyror to the last.

"JOHN 5:28-29 says" "Listen to what our lord says. do not be amazed at this for a time is coming, when all who are in their graves we will hear his voice and come-out".

Does It Matter?

know one knows when the second coming is coming or whether its coming before or after the millennium. it is also clear that if the second coming of christ is true then it wont take place until a thousand years after the world's conversion.