The second coming of Christ was the central focus of the early followers of Christ. It was more than anything else their daily bread. The message of the visible, literal soon-coming Christ at the beginning of the 1800s was a restoration of primitive Christianity. It met strong opposition from those who looked for a thousand-year time of peace before the coming of Christ. A variant on that theme is the focus on an immanent Messianic kingdom to rule the earth. Others spiritualized the second coming, thinking that Christ would come invisibly in the human heart. Both of these theories were and still are destructive of true faith, but in recent decades another heresy destroys the faith of many: the heresy of a secret rapture to remove the church from a world heading for disaster.

One might ask why it should make any difference. If we are faithful to God, we can rest assured that the future is in His hands, what must be will be, and we need not worry about it. While that is most certainly true, the fact is that false theories about the future destroy faithfulness to God and put the soul in danger of eternal destruction. Those who believe in a coming Messianic kingdom on earth lay themselves open to human or satanic imposters claiming to be divinely appointed. The pop mentality today has created the atmosphere to make that possible. Those who believe in the secret rapture are accepting a Jesuit-inspired doctrine that was hatched for the specific purpose of deflecting criticism from the abuses of Rome. It is the doorway to accepting Papal rule again today. Those who believe in a spiritual return of Christ open themselves to spiritualism, communication with demons clothed in garments of light, but bringing with them the spirit of lawlessness, sensuality, degradation, and eventually loss of eternal life.

The Bible clearly shows the truth in regard to these issues. The simple, Bible doctrine can keep the believer safe from contamination of the beliefs of itching ears that lull to sleep with dreams of earthly peace, false hopes of security, and mind-destroying spiritualization.

The Time of the Second Coming

(Mat 24:36)  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Mat 24:37)  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

We can be certain that any prediction that says the time of Christ's second coming is false. Jesus' word is clear in the Gospel. Some have set the year, and been disappointed. The word ”hour” here refers to the time, not a specific moment, and thus excludes the setting of a year or even a century. The warning is to be ready, because we do not know the time. There are people who predict the second coming on one basis or another in the next few years, but all of these predictions will lead to disappointment. Either they will pass and nothing happen, or Jesus will return before the date predicted and those who believe the prediction will be caught unprepared.

The Character of the Second Coming

(Mat 24:27)  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The coming of Christ will not be a secret thing, nor will it be merely a spiritual thing. It will be visible and cataclysmic. It will mean the end of this world. It will be such an enormous event that everyone on earth will see it and be stopped in their tracks. They will finish all activities at that moment, and either be killed by the brightness of his coming, or changed and taken up to meet him in the air.

(1Co 15:51)  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (1Co 15:52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The time is situated at the last trump, that is, at the second coming of Christ. It will happen suddenly. The saved dead will be resurrected to immortality, and we who are alive will be changed.

(1Th 4:17)  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The change that takes place in the living saved enables them to be caught to to meet the Lord in the air. The change entails giving immortality to them also, since they will ”ever be with the Lord.” But the change wrought on the living wicked is that they will be killed by the brightness of his coming.

(2Th 2:8)  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

In sum, the character of the second coming is cataclysmic, visible and audible to all on earth, it ends life as we know it, there is a resurrection to immortality, a change in the living saved to give them immortality, and the wicked are killed by the brightness.