Will Jesus come again?

The return of Jesus to earth is sometimes almost treated as a joke, and “till kingdom come” has passed into common parlance as something that will never happen or is so remote as to be insignificant.

But if, as we have seen earlier, Jesus is to reign on David’s throne; if Isaiah’s prediction that of… his government and peace there will be no end¹ will actually happen; and if Abraham is to take eternal possession of the land in which he was once a nomad – then Jesus must come back to earth.

At Christ’s ascension to heaven two angels said to the perplexed disciples: Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven.² A multitude of passages in the New Testament show that the return of Jesus was the mainspring of the Christian belief and hope.³

Do you, as a Christian, share this hope? Do you eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ⁴ to return from heaven?

Or are you (perish the thought) among those of whom the Apostle Peter wrote: Scoffers will come in the last days… saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation?⁵ If you are, then what do you make of these words of your Master: Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching… Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.⁶

Why is Christ coming back?

• To be a king that rules over the whole world

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.⁷

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him.⁸

• To bless all nations with peace and security

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice… The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.⁹

They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.¹⁰

• To reward his friends

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.¹¹

So an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.¹²

Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.¹³

• To be the world’s judge.

Most Christians today concentrate on the benign, loveable aspects of the character of Jesus – the Gentle Jesus meek and mild of the children’s hymn. And indeed that is an aspect of his personality that is most important and most comforting to his followers. But there is another aspect that is equally prominent in the divine record, which is rarely mentioned by Christians today. Jesus, as well as being the embodiment of love, is a just judge, and is portrayed as punishing offenders at his return to earth.

If you continue reading from the passage we have just quoted from Luke you will find this other side of Christ’s character. Speaking of some who are unprepared for his return Jesus continues: The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.¹⁴

Not only unfaithful individuals, but also all organised opposition to him will be violently destroyed. Just consider the following references and see if they fit in with your concept of Jesus.

• His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.¹⁵
• You who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁶
• And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.¹⁷
• Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war… Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.¹⁸

With all this absolutely plain teaching about Christ’s future role, and its vast implication for us, and the world at large, are you happy that among the majority of Christians today there is little expectation of his return?