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How Jesus Comes a Second Time

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Regarding the second coming of Jesus, the Bible prophesies that the Son of Man will come in the clouds with power and great glory. That is why most Christians are looking forward to Jesus Christ coming in glory in the clouds of the sky, believing that He will judge the world right away when He comes again.
The Old Testament prophesied about the coming of the Messiah before Jesus was born: "One like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven, was given authority, glory and sovereign power." However, Jesus did not come with the clouds of heaven but was born into this world as a child. The prophecy of Jesus’ second coming in the clouds does not mean that He will come in the clouds of the sky, but in the form of a man.

Today’s Christian views of the second coming of Jesus

Appearing of Jesus Christ

Before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Old Testament described God who would appear in this world, in various ways; the mighty One who destroys the earth with fire,[1][2] the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven,[3] a child,[4] and the shepherd.[5] God came into the world 2,000 years ago, in the form of a man named Jesus.

Prophecies of the Bible

The prophet Isaiah foretold that the voice of one calling would appear and prepare the way for the LORD, and that the LORD would come into the world with power.

 
Elijah ascending to heaven on a chariot of fire

A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. . . . And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.” . . . See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him.

Isaiah 40:3–11


The one who prepares the way for the LORD indicates Elijah.[6][7] Elijah was a prophet who stood against Baal worshipers in the days of King Ahab of the Kingdom of Israel. He went up to heaven on a chariot of fire in a whirlwind.[8]
When Daniel prophesied about God who would be born as a man, he said a son of man would come with the clouds of heaven.

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power [a kingdom, KJV].”

Daniel 7:13–14


Two thousand years ago, the Jews knew that Elijah would come first before the Messiah came.[9] They believed that Elijah would come down from heaven on a chariot of fire and prepare the way for the Messiah who would come in the clouds of heaven to judge the wicked. However, the prophecy was fulfilled completely contrary to their expectations.

Fulfillment of the Prophecy

 
Child Jesus

Elijah, who was prophesied in the book of Isaiah, was born in the name of John (the Baptist) and prepared the way for the LORD by crying out for repentance in the Jordan River.[10][11] People did not recognize John the Baptist, who was carrying out the mission of Elijah, and treated him indiscreetly.[12] Because they did not know that John was Elijah, they could never recognize Jesus, the Messiah who came after him.

God Jehovah, who was prophesied to come with power, was born as a child named Jesus and was baptized by John the Baptist.[13][14] The book of Daniel says that the son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven, was given authority, glory, and sovereign power (a kingdom, KJV). It is Jesus who received authority, glory, and sovereign power from God in the New Testament times.

  • Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18)
  • “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.” (John 17:10)
  • “And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me.” (Luke 22:29)

Jesus, who was to come with the clouds of heaven, did not come with the clouds of the sky. Christ was born through the body of the Virgin Mary before the Jews knew it, and He taught the word of God in the temple as an ordinary man who had nothing desirable.[15][16][17] Eventually, the Jews rejected Jesus and crucified Him. They are still waiting for the coming of Elijah and the Messiah.[18][19]

How Does Jesus Appear a Second Time?

Today, too, the expectation people have about the second coming of Christ is not different from that the Jews had 2,000 years ago. Most Christians believe that at His second coming, Jesus will come in the clouds with power and great glory and with thousands of angels, thinking of the scene where Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives. They also believe that as soon as He comes as the Last Judge, He will judge the world and lead the saints who will be saved to heaven.[20]

Prophecies of the Bible: Coming in the Clouds

The disciples asked Jesus about the signs of His second coming. Jesus said that He would come in the clouds when He comes again.


“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky . . . . They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 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.”

Matthew 24:30–31


As for the second coming, it was prophesied that He would come on the clouds just as it was at His first coming. After coming a second time on the clouds, Christ will gather His elect from all directions. Apart from this, there are more prophecies that Jesus will come in blazing fire. When He comes with fire, it is the time for the Last Judgment.

See, the LORD is coming with fire . . . . For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD.

Isaiah 66:15–16

This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction . . . on the day he comes . . . .

2 Thessalonians 1:7–10


Christ who comes a second time on the clouds is different from the Last Judge who comes in blazing fire, in the light of the way, timing, and purpose of appearing. The second coming of Christ is not the time of the Last Judgment. Before the Last Judgment, Jesus Christ comes in the clouds as He did 2,000 years ago and fulfills the gospel work of gathering His people who are to be saved.[21]

Class
Second Coming
Last Judgment
When
Before Judgment Day
Judgment Day
How
Cloud
Fire
Why
Saving the Elect
Judgment

For details, refer to: Last Judgment

Fulfillment of the Prophecy: Clouds Refer to the Body

As it is evident through the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus’ first coming, the clouds that Christ comes in is not physical clouds, but human body. There are also verses in the Bible that compare a person in the flesh to the clouds.

  • These men are . . . shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind. (Jude 1:12)
  • Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give. (Proverbs 25:14)
  • These men [false Christians] are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. (2 Peter 2:17)

The Bible likens false prophets and false Christians to the clouds without rain and mists. The rain in the clouds represents the water of life.[22] The water of life is the word of God. [23] Therefore, clouds with rain indicates the true prophet in the flesh.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus came with the clouds of heaven, that is, He was born as a man and granted mankind the water of life.[24][25] As for His second coming too, it was prophesied that He would come in the clouds. This means that He comes in the flesh again to save mankind through the truth of the water of life.[26]

The Reason for His Second Coming in the Flesh

The truths of the new covenant such as the Sabbath and the Passover that Jesus had established 2,000 years ago, disappeared during the Dark Ages.[27] Although many reformers such as Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli appeared in the 16th century, they could not restore the perfect truth of the early Church. Until today, 500 years after the Reformation, most churches keep men’s commands such as Sunday worship and Christmas.[28]

“I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:8


As Jesus said, there are many people who believe in God, but they do not have faith that deserves salvation[29] If Jesus comes as the Last Judge in this faithless world, no one will be saved.

That is why Jesus comes again to save His chosen people before the judgment. It was prophesied in Daniel 7 that God would come and pronounce judgment in favor of the saints after God’s times and laws were changed.[30][31] The prophet Micah too prophesied that in the last days God’s people would gather in Zion to receive God’s teachings.


In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Micah 4:1–2


“The mountain of the LORD’s temple” refers to Zion where the temple of God was built. It was written that God Himself would teach His ways in Zion. This is a prophecy that Jesus appears a second time in the last days and teach His people the truth and build their faith.

Jesus comes a second time in the clouds, that is, in the flesh, before the judgment, and He teaches the truth in Zion and leads the chosen people to salvation.

Related videos

  • Sermon: He Will Come in a Cloud

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Isaiah 66:15-16".
  2. ↑ "Micah 1:3–4".
  3. ↑ "Daniel 7:13–14".
  4. ↑ "Isaiah 9:6".
  5. ↑ "Ezekiel 34:15".
  6. ↑ "Malachi 3:1".
  7. ↑ "Malachi 4:5".
  8. ↑ "2 Kings 2:11".
  9. ↑ "Matthew 17:10".
  10. ↑ "Luke 1:57–77".
  11. ↑ "Luke 3:3–6".
  12. ↑ "Matthew 17:11–13".
  13. ↑ "Matthew 1:23–25".
  14. ↑ "Mark 1:6–11".
  15. ↑ "Isaiah 53:2".
  16. ↑ "1 Timothy 2:5".
  17. ↑ "Luke 19:47".
  18. ↑ Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation (Jewish Lives) Hardcover, Daniel C. Matt, Yale University Press; Annotated edition, March 15, 2022
  19. ↑ "Joseph Dorman, Who was Elijah and Why Do Jews Open the Door for Him on the Passover?". Brandeis University. March 30, 2022.
  20. ↑ "2 Peter 3:10".
  21. ↑ "Hebrews 9:28".
  22. ↑ "Zechariah 14:8".
  23. ↑ "Amos 8:11–13".
  24. ↑ "John 7:37–38".
  25. ↑ "John 4:10–14".
  26. ↑ "Revelation 22:17".
  27. ↑ "Daniel 7:25".
  28. ↑ "[Special Feature ● Luther's 500 Years of Religious Reformation – Church of God and Truth in the Bible]". Monthly JoongAng. November 17, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Matthew 7:21–23".
  30. ↑ "Daniel 7:24–25".
  31. ↑ "Daniel 7:20–22".
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