TOPIC 43 OF 47
The Second Coming of Christ
The risen King will return openly in glory and raise his people.
THE MAIN TRUTH
Christ Jesus, who came to earth the first time to redeem us, will visibly come again on the Last Day in his glorious body to complete his saving reign.
The teaching
From the book · pages 131–133
Christ Jesus, who came to earth the first time to redeem us, will visibly come again on the Last Day in his glorious body to complete his saving reign. We are saved by faith in the hope of Christ’s return to restore all things. As the fulfillment of Israel, the Church— comprised of both Jews and Gentiles—reaches out to all nations with the Gospel of Jesus as we live in confident expectation of his reappearing.
No one knows or can predict the day or hour of his return. On the day Christ comes back, it will not be a secret coming to rapture the Church. We reject this unbiblical teaching. Jesus will visibly reappear and come in the clouds at the voice of the archangel and the sound of the last trumpet. Every eye will see Christ at his second coming as he reveals the glory of his presence.
The dead in Christ will be bodily raised and caught up with Jesus in the clouds. We who are still alive will be transformed with glorified bodies and caught up together with them in Jesus’ victory procession as the King of glory comes down to earth to judge the living and the dead.
Scripture foundations
All Scripture excerpts from this topic are presented below in the book’s order. Ellipses and bracketed explanations follow the manuscript. Select a reference to read the surrounding passage in the EHV.
Reading these passages together
The passages emphasize the public return of Christ, the resurrection, and the gathering of his people. Their promise gives hope and readiness without revealing a date we may calculate.
12 Scripture excerpt groups
SCRIPTURE 01
Hebrews 9:28 ↗
“. . . Christ was offered only once to take away the sins of many, and he will appear a second time—without sin—to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Book page 132
SCRIPTURE 03
Acts 3:20-21 ↗
“. . . that [God] may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you . . . when everything will be restored. . .”
Book page 132
SCRIPTURE 04
Galatians 3:28-29; 6:16 ↗
“There is not Jew or Greek . . . for you are all one and the same in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants and heirs according to the promise.” “. . . the Israel of God.”
Book page 132
SCRIPTURE 05
Acts 1:8,11 ↗
[Jesus:] “. . . you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [After Jesus ascended, two angels:] “This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Book page 132
SCRIPTURE 06
Matthew 24:36,42 ↗
“No one knows when that day and hour will be, not the angels of heaven, not even the Son, but only the Father . . . So be alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
Book page 132
SCRIPTURE 07
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ↗
“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve in the same way as the others, who have no hope. Indeed, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then in the same way we also believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. “In fact, we tell you this by the word of the Lord: We who are alive and left until the coming of the Lord will certainly not go on ahead of those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words.”
Book page 133
SCRIPTURE 08
Revelation 1:7 ↗
“Look, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see him. . .”
Book page 133
SCRIPTURE 09
Philippians 3:20-21 ↗
“But our citizenship is in heaven. We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ . . . he will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body.”
Book page 133
SCRIPTURE 10
Titus 2:13 ↗
“…we wait for the blessed hope, that is, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Book page 133
SCRIPTURE 11
2 Timothy 4:1 ↗
“. . . Christ Jesus . . . is going to judge the living and the dead. . .”
Book page 133
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages are from the Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV), copyright 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission, as noted in the manuscript.
PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION
Reflect and pray
What features distinguish Christ’s return from a hidden or secret event?
How does the resurrection promise shape your hope for those who have died in Christ?
What does faithful readiness look like in ordinary daily life?
A prayer
Come, Lord Jesus. Keep us faithful in our callings and confident in your promise to raise the dead and bring your saving reign to completion. Amen.