As followers of Christ in the end of the Last Days, we will learn what it means to prepare for the second coming of Christ.
Matthew 24
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.6 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.7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.14 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.” 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
29 “Immediately after the distress 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.’ 30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 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.
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
Five Basic Questions:
1. Where will he come to?
2. How will His second coming be like?
3. When will he come?
4. Why will he come?
5. What does it mean to us?
WHERE
Jerusalem: the city of the Great King (Matt 5:35)
HOW
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 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.
“This same Jesus… will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11)
Three words (Greek) to describe His coming:
1. Parousia “To be beside” “To arrive to join others”
2. Epiphaneia “To appear on the scene”
3. Apokalypsis “Uncover”
WHEN
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father
4 Signs:
1. Disasters in the world (Matt 24:4-8)
2. Deserters in the Church (Matt 24:9-14)
3. Dictator in the Middle East (Matt 24:15-28)
4. Darkness in the Sky (Matt 24:29-31)
Jesus is coming back!