The Nature of Christ's Second Coming

by Marvin J. Rosenthal

"And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'" Rev 19:11-16

In the centuries immediately preceding Christ's first coming, Jewish scholars largely ignored the biblical texts which spoke of a Messiah who would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, to be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Although the Lord's credentials were impeccable when measured against the Scriptures of Israel (He came the right way -- virgin born; at the right time -- in harmony with Daniel's seventieth-week prophecy; to the right place -- Bethlehem; from the right tribe -- Judah; and belonging to the right family -- Davidic), in the eyes of Israel's leaders, Jesus was a round peg in a square hole. Their perception of what the Messiah should be did not conform to the biblical reality. The Jewish leadership thought only of Messiah's exaltation and glory. As a result, the nation was not prepared for a Messiah who would come in humility to suffer and die.

Has not the Church, to a considerable degree, been guilty of a similar kind of error? Whereas the Jews thought almost exclusively of Messiah's reigning, have not Christians thought largely of Messiah's suffering? As the Jews dwelt too much on the characteristics of Christ's second advent, has not the Church been unbalanced in its dominant emphasis on the first advent? As the Jews ignored the Cross, has not the Church often ignored the Crown? As Israel saw only the Lion, has Christendom not largely beheld only the Lamb? And as Israel was totally unprepared for Christ's first coming, will not the Church, if it continues its present course, be unprepared for Christ's second coming?

Some will balk and say the parallel is not valid. But if such is the case, why do so many Christians volunteer that they have not been taught the prophetic Scriptures? As I have traveled throughout North America and abroad in Bible-teaching assignments during the last twenty-five years, I have frequently heard Christians make statements like: "I'm not a premillennialist, amillennialist, or postmillennialist. I'm a 'pan-millennialist' -- it will all 'pan' out in the end." Sometimes the lament goes like this: "The prophetic Scriptures are so confusing that I don't bother studying them." Not infrequently I hear this observation: "Bible teachers are so divided in their views, it is hopeless to try to understand prophecy." And the most frequent statement of all is this: "It really doesn't matter what view one holds of end-time events as long as we are prepared for Christ's coming." These are all, whether intended or not, admissions of a major neglect of the prophetic Scriptures. It is impossible to be prepared for Christ's second coming without understanding what the Word of God teaches concerning the events which will immediately precede His return.

It has been conservatively estimated that at least one-fourth of the entire Bible is prophetic in nature, and most of that prophecy relates to Christ's second coming. Our perception of Christ's return and the end of the age (1) dare not be left to chance; (2) cannot be built on unfounded sensationalism; and (3) must not rely on church tradition, however tenaciously held, if that tradition (like a broken cistern that will hold no water) is fatally flawed.

It is imperative that the believer's perception of Christ's coming and the end of the age rest solely upon a proper and unstrained understanding of what the Word of God has to say about this vital subject. Anything less courts disaster. Christ's return is the believer's blessed hope. At His coming, the dead in Christ will be resurrected and the living, raptured -- both to be forever with the Lord. It is a hope without speculation. It is a hope that is alive. It is a hope only in the sense that its actualization is still future. Christ's return is a fact of such stellar importance that it should cause the heart to beat faster at its very anticipation, and it should impact every facet of a believer's life.

That which follows is a chronological, nonexhaustive, skeletal listing of what this author views as some of the major concepts of end-time events. It is shared out of deep love for the true Church; it is shared with deep conviction; and it is shared without antagonism to those within the Church who do not concur. Finally, it is shared with the prayerful hope that it will give a little light to some of God's "pilgrims in progress" to the new Jerusalem.

First, every believer should be living with the dynamic and thrilling expectation that Christ can return in his or her lifetime. Clearly, the first-century Church had that expectation. Paul, in communication to the Thessalonians wrote, "And to wait for his Son from heaven . . . even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Th. 1:10) and, to the Corinthians he wrote, "Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:7). Clearly this was also the expectation of Peter as indicated in his instruction to fellow-believers: "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" (2 Pet. 3:12).

The New Testament writers had no concept whatever that nineteen hundred years and more would intervene between their day and ours, without the return of the Lord. Hindsight easily sees it -- foresight could not.

When the Savior taught, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (Jn. 14:2-3), the disciples viewed that promise as an event which would happen in a relatively short period of time. Consequently, the expectation of Christ's return exerted the ultimate influence on every facet of their lives, coloring their thoughts, acts, values, and priorities.

I suggest that the supreme need of the Church today is a bona fide, consuming belief (as the first-century Church exemplified it) in the triumphant, soon-coming of the Bridegroom for His beloved Bride. That conviction cannot help but be (1) a catalyst for holy living, (2) a basis for unparalleled courage, and (3) a new dynamic for evangelistic fervor -- qualities desperately needed at the present hour of history.

Second, it is both impossible and inappropriate to set dates for the Lord's return. Nonetheless, a growing number of Bible teachers have been attempting to do precisely that. Some have devised intricate dating systems, based on bizarre interpretations of biblical numbers. Others, by inappropriately identifying the fig tree of Matthew 24:32 as Israel and then subjectively setting a date for when she began to blossom and bud, have attempted to calculate the time of Christ's return based on the length of a biblical generation. Still others have attempted to date Christ's precise return by analogy with the seven Jewish holidays referred to in Leviticus 23. All such attempts are fatally flawed and will not reveal the time of Christ's return.

Each succeeding generation of believers is to live with the legitimate expectation that the Lord could return in their lifetime. However, one generation of believers -- the generation that enters the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy -- will know the general time period because of specific, identifiable, prophesied events which will be fulfilled (Mt. 24:33). Even that generation, however, will not know the "day and hour" of Christ's return (Mt. 24:36).

If prophetic events cast shadows in advance of their fulfillment, as evidently they do (none more significant than the emergence of the modern State of Israel), the shadows are getting larger and more defined. They strongly suggest that the Lord's return is getting closer; that there is an urgency about this moment of history. But more than that we cannot say with biblical justification.

Third, the catalyst which will initiate the seventieth week of Daniel (commonly referred to as the "Tribulation Period") will be a covenant which will be confirmed or strengthened between Israel and the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27). It ought not be thought, however, that this will be a conspicuous event which will clearly reveal who the Antichrist is or when the seventieth week commences. In the Bible, a king and his kingdom are often used interchangeably. The head of gold on the great colossus of Daniel Chapter 2 represents the Babylonian Empire. But Nebuchadnezzar, the leader of that empire, is also presented as the head of gold (Dan. 2:32, 38). A confederation of nations (an empire) will, near the end of the age, confirm a covenant with Israel. Many leaders will be represented in that confederation of nations. The Antichrist need not, at that point in time, be either particularly powerful or conspicuous.

Within her short modern history, many nations have entered into agreements with Israel. Some have been public, while others are secret. As recent as the Gulf War of 1991, President Bush entered into negotiations aimed at keeping Israel out of that conflict and promising to protect her. The full details of that arrangement are still not known.

The point being made is twofold: (1) a covenant between Israel and the empire over which Antichrist is to rule will trigger the seventieth week of Daniel, and (2) the identification of the Antichrist will not be obvious at that time. It will not be until the middle of the seventieth week that he will be clearly revealed (2 Th. 2:3-4; Rev. 13:5).

Fourth, the first three and one-half years of that future seven-year period is called by the Lord "the beginning of sorrows" (Mt. 24:8). It will be characterized by (1) false Christs, (2) wars, (3) famine, and (4) pestilence. These events are depicted by the four horses and riders of the apocalypse (Rev. 6:1-8), and described by the Lord (Mt. 24:4-8). These kinds of tragedies (war, famine, pestilence) are not new. They have arisen as the fruit of wicked men, and sometimes as divine visitation. However, the particular events under discussion are related to the emergence of the Antichrist and commence only after God has once again begun to deal with Israel in fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27). The impact of the war, famine, and pestilence will be restricted to one-quarter of the world (Rev. 6:8). This does not mean that one-fourth of the world's population will be slain, as is normally suggested. It means the sphere or area of these events will be restricted. Three-fourths of the world will not be directly impacted by these events. Life for much of the planet and its inhabitants need not be viewed as totally chaotic at that point of time.

Fifth, the Great Tribulation will begin exactly three and one-half years into the seventieth week. The Antichrist, having come into the land of Israel with a military force -- on the pretext of protecting the Jews from threatening neighbors in compliance with the covenant -- will suddenly break the covenant, show his true colors, and demand that the Jews capitulate to his authority. An image of the Antichrist will be carved into the rebuilt Tribulation Temple, and the Jews will be required to receive his mark to demonstrate loyalty and acknowledge him as the world's deliverer. Those who refuse will be put to death. It is for that reason that the Lord gave warning to flee Jerusalem when the "abomination of desolation" occurs (Mt. 24:15-16). It will be a matter of life and death.

After wreaking havoc among the Jews in Israel who will not capitulate, he will commence a world-wide persecution of true Christians who will now recognize him for who he is (2 Th. 2:3; Rev. 12:17; 13:7). Concerning this period of time the Lord taught, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved" (Mt. 24:22). Three facts need to be emphasized: (1) Nowhere in the Bible is the Great Tribulation ever said to be three and one-half years in duration, as is generally perceived. The Lord taught that the Great Tribulation will be "cut short" (coming from the root word in Greek meaning to amputate). It begins in the middle of the seven-year period, but it does not continue until its end. It is shortened by the Lord. (2) In the expression "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved," the words "no flesh" are not intended to be universal -- as if referring to every man, woman, and child on the earth. In context, "no flesh" refers to believing flesh; that is, those who will not capitulate to the Antichrist and receive his mark. If God did not cut short the Great Tribulation, all believers would be martyred, "but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (3) The Great Tribulation corresponds precisely to the fifth seal which describes those who have been martyred because of faithfulness to Christ, evidenced by a refusal to submit to the Antichrist (Rev. 6:9-11).

The widely held view that the period immediately preceding the Great Tribulation, and the Great Tribulation itself is a time of universal anarchy, lawlessness, and war -- a time when the world is disintegrating -- is an inaccurate perception. To be sure, for Jews and Christians it will be the ultimate period of persecution; and for the world in general, as now, there will be conflicts and problems. But preeminently the Great Tribulation will be the time when Satan, through his servant the Antichrist, seeks to gain the allegiance of mankind and establish a counterfeit "new world order" in opposition to the true Christ and His millenial Kingdom.

Sixth, the counterfeit enthronement of the Antichrist at Jerusalem will not go unchallenged. Two witnesses will be raised up by God at the beginning of the Great Tribulation to encourage the Church and then to warn the world. They are, for a number of significant biblical reasons, to be identified as Moses and Elijah. In their personages they represent the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah). Supernaturally empowered, their ministry will last for forty-two months, or the last three and one-half years of the seventieth week.

Seventh, part way through the ministry of the two witnesses, the Great Tribulation will be terminated. In the heavens there will occur cosmic disturbance. The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven. This is the sixth seal of the Book of Revelation (Rev. 6:12-14; see also Mt. 24:29). The cosmic disturbance will be the indicator that the Day of the Lord is about to begin (Isa. 13:9-11; Joel 2:30-31; 3:14-17; Mt. 24:29-31; Rev. 6:12-17) -- that the cup of man's iniquity is full. When the seventh seal is opened (Rev. 8:1), the awesome time commences when "sinners will be in the hands of an angry God."

Eighth, with the announcement of the impending outpouring of God's wrath, four angels (messengers of God) take positions at the four corners of the earth (North, East, South, and West). But before they can begin harming the earth, a fifth angel commands that they hold back, saying, "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads" (Rev. 7:3). At that point, 144,000 Jews (twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) are sealed in their foreheads. The seal indicates divine ownership and protection. The seal will protect them during the Day of the Lord (Rev. 4). These 144,000 are called "virgins." This probably suggests that they have not committed spiritual adultery by submitting to the solicitations of the Antichrist; they will embrace the true Lamb of God. They are called "the first fruits unto God." And like them, a great harvest of fellow-Jews will sprout forth unto life, through faith in the Lamb, at His return at the end of the sevenieth week (Zech. 13:8-9; Rev. 7:1-4; 14:1-5).

Ninth, Revelation 7 not only records the sealing of the 144,000 for protection before the Day of the Lord commences, but on its heels it describes a second group.

The apostle John wrote, "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands" (Rev. 7:9). In contrast to the 144,000 who are numbered, this multitude is so large that it cannot be numbered. They are victors, and they are standing before the throne. This great multitude which is suddenly seen in Heaven is the raptured Church. They are from every kindred, tongue, and tribe and "have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev. 7:14). God will not be without a testimony in the earth. The 144,000 are sealed to be protected during the Day of the Lord, and the believing Church will be raptured because she is not appointed unto wrath (1 Th. 1:10). The analogy is not unlike the passing of a baton from the Church to the 144,000 who must then carry on during the Day of the Lord.

Tenth, immediately following the sealing of the 144,000 and the appearance of the raptured Church in Heaven, the Day of the Lord will commence. It will be relatively brief, perhaps a year or two in duration. It will encompass the events depicted by the seven trumpets and the seven bowls of Revelation. Technically, it will embody what is popularly referred to as the Second Coming (parousia ) of Christ. That event should not be construed as instantaneous - it is a process. The imagery is of a king who has gone to war. The sign of His coming will have been manifested in Heaven. The sign itself will be the revealing of the shekinah glory of God. It will be the glory that Moses saw at the burning bush (Ex. 3:2), and which was reflected in his face as he descended with the Law from Mount Sinai (Ex. 34:29-35). It will be the glory that guided Israel and protected her from the Egyptians as a pillar of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:20-22). It will be the glory that filled the Solominic Temple at its dedication (1 Ki. 8:10-11; 2 Chr. 7:1-3). It will be the glory that Ezekiel attempts to describe (Ezek. 1), and which when Isaiah beheld he cried out, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:5). It will be the glory which shepherds saw in the fields of Bethlehem one solemn night (Lk. 2:9). It will be the glory (star) that led the wise men to the Child in Bethlehem (Mt. 2:1-12). It will be the glory that appeared at Pentecost as "cloven tongues like as of fire" (Acts 2:3). It will be the glory which Paul saw on the Damascus road and which forced him to cry out, "Who are thou, Lord? . . . what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:3-6). It will be the glory that Peter, James, and John saw on the Mount of Transfiguration as Christ's glory shone out of His humanity (Mt. 17:1-8). That same precise glory will be, itself, the sign of the Lord's coming. As the King commences His return, angelic servants who do His bidding will blow the trumpets, in sequence, and pour out the bowls on the earth. The true, believing Church will not be here. Having encountered the Antichrist and remained faithful, she will have been raptured before the Day of the Lord commences. At the end of the seventieth week (at the seventh seal), the Lord will literally and physically reach the earth.

Eleventh, Jesus ascended to Heaven from the Mount of Olives, and it has generally been assumed that He will return directly to the Mount of Olives. More probably, He will return to the desert area southeast of Jerusalem (Isa. 63:1-3) to those who had earlier fled, rather than give allegiance to the Antichrist. Then in a growing processional, the Lord will move from the desert, through the Judean wilderness, and up the Jericho road as more and more people come out of concealment and with one voice proclaim, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Mt. 23:39). The Messiah will ascend Mount Moriah to at last be received as David's greater Son, the King of the Jews. He will then become King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Twelfth, in connection with His return, the Antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown into the pit of Hell (Rev. 19:20), Satan will be bound (Rev. 20:2), the goat and sheep judgment will occur (Mt. 25:31-46), and the incomparable marriage of the Lamb to the faithful Church will take place (Rev. 19:7).

Thirteenth, the "new Jerusalem" will descend "from God out of heaven," prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev. 21:2). The entire topography of Israel will have been changed (Zech. 14:10), and new Jerusalem will settle upon the city of Jerusalem, the earth having been cleansed during the Day of the Lord (2 Pet. 3:10-13). In size and beauty, the new Jerusalem (the ultimate holy city) will be beyond spectacular (Rev. 21:16-27). From His new capital city, the Lord Jesus Christ -- and with Him the resurrected saints of all ages and the raptured Church (21:3) -- will rule and reign for a literal thousand years.

When that occurs, the words of the apocalypse will be fulfilled: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful" (Rev. 21:3-5).

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