The Second Coming: Part 1 - Part A

In the New Testament, Jesus Himself predicted His second coming. Matthew 24. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, the powers of the heavens will be shaken, then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Today on Connect with Skip Heitig, Pastor Skip begins his message, The Second Coming Part 1, and shows you how Jesus will come back in glory after the tribulation. Now, here's more about this month's resource to help you gain a clear view of the current situation and the future faced by Israel. How have conflicts and wars in the Middle East set the stage for a future apocalypse? That's the question Ron Rhodes takes head-on in his new book.

Listen to this. What do you see coming in the next five or six years that might do injury to the church? And without hesitation, I said, I really feel like we're going to see an explosion of subjectivism, experientialism, and mysticism, along with occultism and some paganism. How conflicts and wars in the Middle East have set the stage for the end times? This new book by Ron Rhodes addresses issues such as understanding Islam, rebuilding the temple, and the annihilation campaign from the Antichrist.

Here's Ron Rhodes commenting on Middle East events. Did you know that in Revelation 2 and 3, we read about the church 19 times? And then in the discussion on the tribulation in chapters 4 through 18, you don't see the church a single time.

It is gone. In 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 10, we are told that the church is to be delivered from the wrath to come. That word delivered literally means snatched, snatched away from.

We are to be snatched away from the wrath to come, which is a reference to the tribulation period. With your gift of $50 or more to connect with Skip Heitzig, you'll receive a copy of this new book from Ron Rhodes. Your gift will support the production and expansion of the Connect with Skip broadcast. Call 1-800-922-1888 or go online to connectwithskip.com with your donation, and we'll thank you with a copy of Ron Rhodes' new book, How Conflicts and Wars in the Middle East Have Set the Stage for the End Times.

That's 1-800-922-1888 or connectwithskip.com. Now, let's join Skip for today's teaching. We're in Revelation 19 as we begin. Today we turn to the back of the book, the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, almost the very end of the book of Revelation, chapter 19 of Revelation for a message on the second coming.

In 1984, in a very famous movie called The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger walked into a police station. You know what's coming. He asked for somebody, and they said, well, he's not here.

I know you have to wait. Schwarzenegger said, I'll be back. I'll be back. That became a very famous line. Everybody knows it.

It was so long ago, but it's part of our culture. I'll be back. Well, long before Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesus said, I am going to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again. I will come again. When Schwarzenegger said, I'll be back, he was just acting. When Jesus said, I'll be back, he wasn't.

He'll be back. That becomes the glorious subject that we are undertaking here. It's been a long time coming. I've been looking forward to getting to this throughout this entire series. We've been in it for a while. This is week 18 on our The End is Near series. The overarching question we've been dealing with is, are we living in the last days?

Is the end indeed near? We've been trying to answer that through a variety of studies, at least to peek ahead to what is coming. If you remember, at the beginning of this series, I cited a poll that was taken. It was a very revealing research study done by Pew Research. Pew Research is not a Christian organization.

It's not like pews in a church. It's a secular organization, but they asked Americans, do you believe we're living in the last days, the end of times? What is astonishing is four in ten Americans believe we're living in the last days.

That's a huge percentage. Fifty-five percent believe that Jesus Christ will come back to the earth one day. The most say they don't know when that will be.

Some say it could be in their lifetime. What's unique about that poll, they didn't just ask the question to evangelical Christians. This is a cross-section of people from different religious backgrounds, different political views, different age groups, etc.

Four out of ten Americans believe we're living in the last days. Well, we have gone pretty deep in this study of eschatology. In the beginning, we told you the different theological constructs between all-millennialism, premillennialism, post-millennialism. I mean, just the fact that we discussed that in church, you have a leg up on so many others.

Now that you have that under your belt, we proceed. We talked about Daniel's 70 weeks, how God keeps time. We looked at the role of Israel in Bible prophecy. We looked at that very unique battle that Ezekiel predicts, the war of Gog and Magog. We talked about the rapture and when that will be, not the exact date that will be, but when in the prophetic timetable that is going to happen.

We also looked at the layout of the book of Revelation. We considered the tribulation period. We looked at the antichrist and the number 666.

We also considered the false prophet who will help him. Last week, we talked about the battle of Armageddon. It wasn't the lightest message that I could preach, but the battle of Armageddon that is coming. Today, we show you the single event that will end the battle of Armageddon and that is the second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the seven-year tribulation period. What we're talking about here is the event that all of history has been moving toward. It is the grand finale.

It is the crowning moment, the high-water mark, the ne plus ultra, the apotheosis, whatever description you want to put on it. It's the ultimate event in modern present history, the history of the heavens and the earth before there will be a new one. In fact, ever since life began in the Garden of Eden when man walked with God in paradise, when that paradise was lost to Satan, there came a prediction that anticipated the second coming. The prediction is there's coming one day a person, the seed of the woman, who will bruise or crush the head of the serpent of Satan.

That's what we're dealing with. Yes, Jesus came once before. We call that the incarnation.

He stepped out of heaven, came to the earth, lived a perfect life we could never live, died an atoning death in our place, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven. That's the incarnation. Now we come to the coronation, and both are needed. The incarnation without the coronation would be like east without west. The incarnation without the coronation would be like an engagement without ever having the wedding.

This is the wedding. Speaking of that, look at verse 9 of chapter 19. Then he said to me, write, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said, see that you don't do that.

I'm your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. What I'd like to do is give you eight features of the second coming of Christ. And because there are eight, I have to announce to you this is only part one. Today I can only give you four of those eight for obvious reasons. If you know my preaching style, for me to give you eight would take two hours.

I will not make you do that. So I'm cutting this in two, and I'm going to give you the first four of eight features of the second coming. And the first feature is that the second coming of Jesus Christ is anticipated by prophecy. Did you notice that in verse 10, that last sentence, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The Knox translation renders it, it is the truth concerning Jesus, which inspires all prophecy. In other words, Jesus Christ is the star on the center stage of the drama of biblical prophecy. The Bible predicts Him, anticipates Him over 300 times, either talking about His first coming or His second coming, His redemption or His rule.

Years ago, a very famous preacher in Dallas, Texas by the name of W.A. Criswell came up with this thought of the scarlet thread of redemption. What he said is, if you read through Scripture, there's a scarlet thread, a red stained thought pattern from Genesis to Revelation that speaks of the sacrifice of Christ. I believe that.

I wrote a book on that called Bloodline based on that concept. But there's also a golden thread woven through the Scripture that anticipates not His sacrifice, but His rule, His sovereignty, His second coming. Now, next to the subject of faith, there is no subject more discussed than the second coming on the pages of Scripture. The second coming is dealt with in the Bible 1,845 times.

We're going to put those numbers up on the screen. The second coming is dealt with 1,845 times. 1,527 are in the Old Testament, 318 in the New Testament. It is estimated that one out of every 30 verses in the Scripture mention or allude to the second coming or the end of the age. For every one time the first coming is mentioned, the second coming is mentioned eight times. For every one time the atonement is mentioned, the second coming of Christ is mentioned twice. Jesus personally referred to His return 21 times and over 50 times we are called to be ready for it.

Let me give you a sampling. Go all the way back once again to Genesis chapter 3 after man fell, after the sin. The prediction, the seed of the woman will come and bruise the heel of the serpent.

Satan will finally one day be crushed. The second coming was anticipated in the prophecies of Samuel, 2 Samuel chapter 7. There was a prediction that David would have offspring, the son of David, and would have a forever rule. God said, I will establish his kingdom and the throne of his kingdom forever. Well that didn't happen with Solomon, did it?

And that didn't happen with Rehoboam or any of the other kings of Judah. We're still waiting for that prophecy to be fulfilled. It will be in the son of David, Jesus Christ. It is what Isaiah had in mind when he said, and we often only quote it unfortunately at Christmas time, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, listen to the rest, and the government will be on his shoulder.

Over the house of David, on the throne of David, to order it and establish it from this time forth or from that time forth even forever more, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. What Isaiah had in mind is the kingdom over which Jesus would rule that is initiated by his second coming. The prophet Zechariah was even more pointed and described it this way, the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle and in that day his feet, whose feet?

The Lord's feet, capital L, shall stand on the Mount of Olives. In the New Testament, Jesus himself predicted his second coming, Matthew 24. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, the powers of the heavens will be shaken, then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven and they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Then when Jesus was ascending up into heaven, you know the story in Acts chapter 1, I love it, the disciples are out there just watching this happen and there are two angels announced the second coming. They said, you men of Galilee, why do you stand around gazing up into heaven? For this same Jesus who was taken up into heaven will so come in like manner as you have seen him go.

Well, how did he go? Physically, visibly, and from the Mount of Olives. How will he come? Physically, visibly, to the Mount of Olives.

He's coming back like you've seen him go. All of that is anticipated by the prophecies in Scripture. It's anticipated by prophecy. The second feature I want you to notice is that the second coming is desired personally.

How many of you would love for Jesus to return? Show of hands, on a show of hands. Yeah, I think it'd be pretty unanimous, don't you think? If we could vote that in today, we would all say, yay, no nays here.

Yep. It is desired personally. It was desired by John.

This is interesting. In verse 10, I fell at his feet, this is the angel, to worship him. The angel said, don't do that. I'm your fellow servant and of your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Now you would think that John would learn his lesson, but turn to chapter 22, Revelation 22.

Just turn to the right a page or two. In verse 7, Jesus is speaking, Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Really, John?

Didn't you just get rebuked for that? And then he said to me, See that you do not do that, for I am your fellow servant and of your brethren, the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God. And then look down at verse 20 of Revelation 22. He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly. So John writes, I like this, Amen. He started the Amen Corner. I like it when people say Amen, by the way. Amen. So he writes, Amen.

Here it is. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. All I can ascertain from all this is that John is so amped up by this time. He has gotten the visions of the book of Revelation, and by the time he gets to the second coming, man, he is ready to go face down. So he does it to an angel. Don't do it. And then to another.

Don't do it. There's a longing in his heart. The vision produced a longing. The second coming of Jesus Christ has always produced a longing in the hearts of God's people.

Back in the 12th, 13th century, a Jewish scholar by the name of Maimonides, a very esteemed rabbi, wrote 13 principles of faith. And one of them was a prayer that to this day every orthodox pious Jew prays. The prayer is this, I believe with complete faith in the coming of Messiah. And even though he tarry, yet I will wait for him every coming day. Every coming day. That's the longing in the heart of the Jew for the Messiah to come.

Well, he's already come, and he's coming back. And so it is our longing as well. By the way, did you know that Jesus told you to pray a very similar prayer? He said, when you pray, say, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Here it is. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth like it is in heaven. That's a prayer for his coming. Some of the greatest songs of the church have been songs longing for the second coming. One of them is called How Great Thou Art.

You've heard of that, right? Part of the lyrics are, when Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation, to take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Another song about the second coming, though most people don't know that it's about that, is called The Battle Hymn of the Republic. We think, well, that's a patriotic song.

Let me tell you about that song. It was originally called Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, because of the chorus, and it was written during the Civil War by Julia Ward Howe. She was so upset at what the Civil War had done to her country. She knew her nation was divided. She looked around, and she realized the only hope for America is the second coming of Christ.

And so she wrote these lyrics. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed the faithful lightning of his terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on.

You know where she got that language? This chapter. Revelation 19.

She lifted right out of Revelation 19. It's all about the coming of Christ in glory. Another famous song that longs for the coming of Christ was written by Isaac Watts. Isaac Watts wrote a lot of songs that some of us know. His most famous tune is called Joy to the World, and we think, well, that's about Bethlehem.

No, it's not. It's about the second coming. Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive receive her King. Let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing.

That did not happen at the first coming of Christ, and it has not happened any Christmas since the first coming of Christ. It will happen at the second coming. Listen to the final verse of Joy to the World. He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love.

It's all about the second coming. Another hymn writer, you've heard of this guy too, Charles Wesley. You know about John Wesley the preacher. His brother Charles Wesley wrote songs, and I love when our worship team, I love when you guys write songs. You guys write so many good songs. Charles Wesley, however, wrote 6,000 worship songs, 6,000, and the theme of many of them was the second coming of Christ.

It was like one of his big thought themes. One of those songs, again, we unfortunately tie it to Christmas, but it means so much more. Come thou long expected Jesus born to reign in us forever, now your gracious kingdom bring. That's this event.

This is when all that happens. That's why we share these messages to help you connect to God through his word and grow in your relationship with Jesus. And when you give to support this ministry, you keep these teachings you love available to you and to so many others around the world, helping others grow and connect with God. Just call 800-922-1888 to give a gift today. That's 800-922-1888, or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. That's connectwithskip.com slash donate.

Thank you. Join us again tomorrow as Skip shows you how Satan will get what's coming to him in the end. I want to see Satan get what he deserves.

I'm tired of what the devil has done to our world. Satan was in heaven, and that wasn't enough for him. So he got booted out of heaven. He came here. He ruined this place. So much so that John, the author of Revelation, writes in 1 John 5, we know that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

So when I read in Revelation that Satan is thrown into the lake of fire that burns forever and ever, I get really happy. Sing, cast all burdens on his word. Make a connection, a connection. Connect with Skip Hyten is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.