~~~ The Second Coming of the Messiah ~~~
Signs of the Times:
  1. The disciples are dismayed after Jesus foretells the coming destruction of the temple.
  2. They inquire of him when this will happen and what signs precede his return and the end of the age.
  3. He begins with a warning that tells much of the great concern he has for his disciples.
  4. "Watch out that no one deceives you... Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah...'"
  5. Jesus then describes world events that are not necessarily signs of which the disciples seek:
    • "When you hear of wars... do not be alarmed. Such things must happen. "
    • "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."
    • "There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines."
  6. Then Jesus reveals to the disciples the trials they will face for believing in him:
    • "You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues."
    • "On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them."
    • "Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial... Say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit."
    • "Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."
  7. Jesus then relates the sign that signals a time of trouble for the people of Jerusalem and Judea:
    • "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong... then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Luke's gospel describes it this way: "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near."
    • This event is best understood as the time when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by Roman armies in 70 AD.
    • The temple service came to an end and the temple has never been rebuilt. The Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, now occupies the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
  8. After this time of trouble, Jesus adds, "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."
  9. "People will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect."
  10. "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
  11. Final warning: "Therefore keep watch... Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come."
    Matthew Ch. 24, Mark Ch. 13, Luke Ch. 21
The Day of the Lord:

A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his [Jesus'] voice and come out - those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. Johm 5:28-29

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. Johm 14:1-3

They gathered around him [Jesus] and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority." Acts 1:6-7
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? 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." Acts 1:9-11

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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 together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare... But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:10-13

Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Revelation 21:1-2, 5
Conclusion:
  1. It is more important that believers not be led astray by false teachers and false prophets then signs in world events that are the normal status quo.
  2. The Pharisees, apparently seeking a way to denounce Jesus, demanded he perform a sign from heaven. Jesus replied, "I tell all of you with certainty, no sign will be given to this generation."
  3. Being a follower of Jesus will give us hope and much more but will also be the source of division, ridicule and persecution.
  4. Jesus' followers will receive the Holy Spirit and with this gift they will be armed with the ability to 'keep watch' until his return.
    John 14:26
  5. But of that 'day or hour' no one knows except the Father. Anyone who claims to know the date of Jesus' coming are engaging in futility.
  6. From the scripture texts above we can see a consensus of the events that occur at Jesus' Second Coming:
    • After Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples were told that he would "come back in the same way you have seen him go."
    • At his return, with the sound of the last trumpet, the dead in Christ will rise and both they and those who are alive will be changed.
    • For the perishable will become imperishable and all will be caught up to Jesus in the clouds and "so we will be with the Lord forever."
    • The finality will see the end of everything we have come to know as reality. The earth and the heavens will pass away in fire.
    • But in keeping with Jesus' promise we look "forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."
  7. It is crucial to note that the events described above run counter to those promoted by Christian Nationalists who would rather see a physical Kingdom of God on earth. Their agenda is to make the USA a Christian nation giving it preference above other religions. They even talk of using acts of government to make people fall in line with their religious beliefs, a thing that the First Amendment to the Constitution protects us from.