1.Bible prophecies
When Bible writers predicted the coming of Christ they predicted things He would do that didn’t happen the first time He came. Here are two examples:
The prophet Daniel recorded around 550 BC:
“I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven . . . He was given authority, honour, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13,14 NLT).
The prophet Zechariah announced about 520 BC:
“Then the Lord will go out and fight . . . as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley” (Zechariah 14:3,4 ESV).
These things didn’t happen when Christ came the first time.
But can we trust the Bible? One of the many proofs that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is the fulfilment to the letter when Jesus came the first time of hundreds of prophecies made over hundreds of years – prophecies about His birth, His life and especially His death. The Bible has proved itself to be reliable, but for the outstanding prophecies to be fulfilled Jesus must come again.
2. Christ’s own words
Jesus Himself said He would come again. Listen to His words:
“if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3 ESV).
Can we be absolutely sure that Jesus’ words were true? He made a very high claim to be not only true but “the truth” (John 14:6). He also claimed that after death by crucifixion He would rise again the third day, “the Son of Man . . . will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead” (Mark 9:31 NLT) and that’s exactly what happened – it’s a well-attested fact and verified all His other claims.
So we have His word for it: Jesus promised He’s coming again.
3. The writers of the New Testament
All the Bible writers who wrote the New Testament letters – Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude – made reference to it. Listen to Paul, for example:
“Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back” (1 Corinthians 15:22,23 NLT).
And hear what John wrote to Christian friends:
“And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame” (1 John 2:28 NLT).
So, Jesus’ early followers believed that He’s coming again.
So what?
Two questions may arise. First, “This was all written at least around 2,000 years ago and nothing has happened; why?” And second, “What does it matter to us anyway? How does it affect us?”
I suggest that an extract from Peter’s second letter, written to encourage suffering Christians, will answer both of those questions:
“. . . in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.’
They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:3-9 NLT).
God is patient
God is being patient with us, giving us opportunity to repent. But why the need to repent?
Notice the references to “following their own desires”, “the day of judgment” and “ungodly people will be destroyed”. Following our own desires, ungodly – those words describe you and me in our natural state, and judgement from a holy Creator God (whose commands we have broken and whose perfect standard we have failed to reach) is what we deserve and face.
The God whom we’ve offended has made provision for us by sending His Son the first time. Jesus, the Son of God, came, and, having lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, died the death we should have died. The innocent One punished by God for the sins of the guilty on a cross outside Jerusalem. But on the third day He rose again triumphantly. Now God is able, without compromising either His holiness or His justice, to offer forgiveness to everyone who repents.
To repent means to do a U-turn: it involves an agreement with God about my sin, faith in Christ as my Saviour from judgement, and a surrender to Him as Lord of my life.
A final word. Jesus is coming again but before He comes to earth He’s coming to take the Christians away, according to His promise. That could happen today, so we need to be ready. It’s an urgent matter. Will you repent and receive Christ now?
