What happened to the Second Coming?

Text—John 14: 2-3

Intro. An appointment to keep

A. All make appointments; some we keep, some we break

B. One appointment all must keep, none can break or put off for another time.

I. What is the Second Coming?

A. The Promise

1. During Last Supper—John 14: 2-3

2. After his ascension—Acts 1: 9-11

B. How it will happen—Rev. 1: 7

1. With a shout, and trump of God—1 Thess. 4: 16

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

2. With 10,000 Saints—Jude 14

1 Thess. 4: 14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

3. With Mighty Angels—

Matt. 25: 31, “But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory.”

2 Thess. 1: 7, “and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire.”

4. In power and great glory—

Mt. 24: 30, “and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

5. In flaming fire—2 Thess. 1: 7

6. In clouds of heaven—

a. Matt. 26: 64, “Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

b. Acts 1: 9-11 (READ)

II. Why will it happen?

A. Bible show many reasons for Jesus’ return

1. To be glorified in saints—2 Thess. 1: 10

2. To raise dead and change living—1 Cor. 15: 51, 52 (READ)

3. To judge the world—Acts 17: 31 (REF)

b. 2 Tim. 4:1, “I charge `thee' in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

c. Jude 14-15 (READ)

4. To reward according to works—

a. Matt. 16: 27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds.”

 b. Same in Rev. 22: 12

c. Matt. 25: 31-46  (READ)

5. To receive His people—John 14: 2-3;

1 Thess. 4: 17, “then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

6. To take vengeance on wicked—2 Thess. 1: 8-9 (READ)

B. He’s not returning to establish the kingdom

1. Micah 4: 8, “And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”

2. 1 Cor. 15: 24, “Then `cometh' the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.”

III. When will it happen?

A. Jesus left monument with inscription,

“ye proclaim the Lord's death till he come.” 1 Cor. 11: 26

B. No actual date was ever set—

a. Matt. 24: 36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.”

b. Rev. 16: 15, “(Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked, and they see his shame.)”

C. People throughout history attempt to set date.

Christian’s website:  “An untold number of people have tried to predict the Lord's return by using elaborate time tables. Most date setters do not realize mankind has not kept an unwavering record of time. Anyone wanting to chart for example 100 BC to 2000 AD would have contend with the fact 46 BC was 445 days long, there was no year 0 BC, and in 1582 we switched from Julian Years (360 days) to Gregorian (365 days). Because most prognosticators are not aware of all these errors, from the get go their math is already off by several years.”

1. Examples of date setting.  See charts.

Conclusion

** Best way to counter a date setter, ask what time zone?  When predicted date arrives, it is already tomorrow on other side of planet. **

Not for us to decide when he returns, God’s decision.  In meantime, continue to do the right things; live faithfully unto death, bring others to Christ and be ready to go every day.