The Second Coming of Jesus is at the forefront of today’s podcast. Here is a story of how a Hindu found God because of this coming remarkable event. Jimmy Modha, who was raised in a devout Hindu home in Leicester, England, enraged his family by coming to Christ and converting to Christianity. He told them his sins had been forgiven because he had found God. “Which god?” shouted his father “It’s Jesus Christ,” replied Jimmy. “Actually He came and found me. He died on the cross for my sins; I am a Christian.” His mother fainted, his father threw him out of the house, and his brother Jay prayed for the gods to kill him. “We would mourn his death,” said Jay, “but at least our family would not be dishonored.” Jay, a brilliant student working on his Ph.D. in parasitology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine disowned his brother and refused to talk to him. In parting, Jimmy said, “Jay, if you are ever desperate and no one is there to help you, remember Jesus loves you, and His hand is on your life. Call to Him and He will save you.” Jay was furious, but Jimmy began praying earnestly for him. Shortly Jay began having disturbing dreams. “It was as if I was awake in my bed at three in the morning when suddenly a blinding light broke through the roof and ceiling of my bedroom. In that light I could see a cloud descending from heaven, bearing three awesome, fiery men-like creatures. The first blew a trumpet so loud that I was sure the whole world could hear its thunderous sound. I knew whatever was coming was universal in consequence. The second creature cried out, ‘Prepare ye, for the Lord is coming to reap the harvest!’ Then the third swung a scythe over the earth and cried, ‘Now is the earth ready for harvest!’ “I tried to wake up from the dream because I felt I was going to have a heart attack from sheer fright. But I could not. Then, in the middle of the cloud, I noticed a Person who looked completely different. The brilliant light was coming from Him. His face shone so radiantly that no features were clear except for eyes that looked like blazing flames of fire. A robe went from His neck to His feet, which were like white-hot metal. He was dreadful in His beauty and terrible in His splendor. “As He descended, He looked at me. I was completely undone, absolutely terrified. I could not bear to look at Him any longer, so I turned my head. To my amazement, there beside me was my brother Jimmy, who was not scared at all. In fact, his face was joyous, and he was reaching out as if to embrace the figure. “When I gained the courage to look at Him again, He addressed me saying, ‘Jay, what are you going to do when this happens?’ Then everything vanished, and I woke up.” It took Jay an hour to calm down, and he prayed for understanding. A few days later, Jimmy called and, hearing of Jay’s dream, said, “Jay, what you saw is the Second Coming of Christ. Shortly after this, Jay gave his heart to Jesus. Why the Second Coming of Jesus is the Expectation of All Believers, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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#S4-025: Secrets to Hearing God: Are You Waiting? [Encore Podcast]

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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This week’s call is:

Set your sights on the Second Coming of Jesus. Wake up each day expecting that today might be the day.

Join the Conversation

Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
This week’s question is:

Question: Is the Second Coming a part of your thinking and conversation? Share how you engage in this in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of First Thessalonians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

1. #S10-021: Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness [Podcast]
2. #S10-20: Why Turning from Idols Is A Super Exceptional Move of God [Podcast]
3. #S10-019: Why It’s Vital that Jesus Followers Pray for One Another [Podcast]
4. #S10-018:How to Start a Power-Packed Effective Church: Lessons from Thessaloniki [Podcast]
5. #S10-017: How the Breath of God Inspired the Writing of First Thessalonians [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 45 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 40 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

The Second Coming in the First Letter to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 (ESV) — 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

• So, in verse nine we have the first mention of the Second Coming in the book of 1 Thessalonians.
• Every chapter in this letter has a reference to the Second Coming of Jesus and most of those references are either the very last verse or right at the end of the chapter.
• Here is the reference in chapter two.

1 Thessalonians 2:17–20 (ESV) — 17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you 20 For you are our glory and joy.

• So Paul is saying…

“Look guys, we really want to get together with you — we really want to see you. You are a part of the fruit of our ministry that we want to present to Jesus when He comes.”

• What I want you to see is that the Second Coming was woven into their conversation.
• Jesus was only gone a few decades and they were anticipating His return.
• Here is the Second Coming reference in chapter three.

1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 (ESV) — 11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

• It’s almost like Paul is praying and making a declaration of faith for these believers here in Thessalonians – what does he end his declaration with? — the Second Coming of Jesus.
• So, what we are hoping to establish in your thinking today, is the place that the Second Coming had in the early church.
• Now, it’s okay to allow yourself to be amazed by this because He hadn’t been gone that long.
• Jesus was approximately 33 and 1/2 years old when he died.
• Add three days to that where he served the sentence for you and me in the heart of the earth.
• Then He spent 40 days begin seen by His disciples before He was taken up into heaven in Acts 2.
• The angels who escorted Him up to heaven set the tone for what we are talking about here.

Acts 1:9–11 (ESV) — 9 And when he had said these things, [Speaking of Jesus – He spoke to His disciples about the Holy Spirit coming] as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

• Jesus will come in the same way as you saw Him go.
• He hadn’t been sixty seconds and the disciples were put on notice that He would be coming again.
• Now, was this message communicated at this point?
• I mean it’s been a couple of thousands years total that we have been waiting.
• Why did these angels communicate a Second Coming to this very first group?
• The answer is in this statement Jesus made to the disciples earlier in His earth walk when they asked Him about end-time events.

Matthew 24:34–36 (ESV) — 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

• The angels communicated the way they did in Acts Two because that’s all they knew.
• Jesus communicated the way He did in Matthew twenty-four because that’s all He knew.
• The only one who knows the day or the hour is the Father God.
• He has put all of creation into waiting mode.

Romans 8:19 (ESV) — 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

• This ‘revealing of the sons of God’ is a future event – hidden by time – that is, the time is not yet.
• All of creation waits for this event.
• Again this revelation, also tied to Jesus’ return, is in God’s hands so He is the determiner of when this revelation of the sons of God will manifest.
• So, that’s why the early church was in waiting mode and why their conversation was always centered around the Second Coming.
• The latter church, you and me, must also have the same expectation and mindset.
• That’s why we are taking this Second Coming scripture walk today.
• Let’s look at chapter four of Thessalonians.
• We said every chapter in this letter ends with something about the Second Coming.
• If you remember, we mentioned in a previous podcast that this was Paul’s first letter.
• Paul, even in his earliest writings, had Second Coming on the brain.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (ESV) — 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

• This is either a Second Coming passage at the end of the Tribulation or a reference to the Rapture.
• Now, I want you to understand that I’m not here to try and persuade you one way or the other.
• If you believe in the Rapture, fine, if you don’t fine.
• If you think it’s coming before the Tribulation, after the Tribulation, or in the middle of the Tribulation fine.
• None of that is the point of this podcast.
• The point is that we need to come to realize that just as it was certain that Jesus came the first time — it is that much more sure that He’s coming a second time.
• Jesus said it, the angels said it, and now Paul is saying it.
• You need to join the crowd and say it as well.
• Whether Rapture or Second Coming, or Rapture and Second Coming, He is coming.
• One way or another, the return of Jesus is imminent.
• It is just as upcoming a fact today as it ever was in the early church.
• Do you believe it?
• So, that’s chapter four, now what about chapter five?
• Now, there is a huge section of eleven verses in chapter five starting at verse one that speaks about end-time events.
• Read it, study it but I am not going to quote it here.
• We will take this up in a future podcast.
• We are just looking at the verses near the end of each chapter.
• Here is that verse.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV) – 23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Why all the anticipation for the Second Coming?
• And with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

Biblical prophecy provides some of the greatest encouragement and hope available to us today. Just as the Old Testament is saturated with prophecies concerning Christ’s first advent, so both testaments are filled with references to the second coming of Christ. One scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ’s second coming in the Old Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of Christ—an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ’s first advent, there are 8 which look forward to His second¹

• The Bible is loaded with Second Coming references, that’s the point here.
• They talked about it — they read about it in scripture.
• That’s why it was part of their conversation.
• Is it that way with you?
• And with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

The belief that Jesus Christ will return to earth someday is held by 62 percent of all Americans.²

• Sixty-two percent of Americans means four out of ten don’t think He is Coming again.
• Is it that way with you?
• Is the Second Coming of Jesus a part of your language?
• If it isn’t, why isn’t it?
• Could one reason be that we have been hearing about His return for not just a couple of decades but a couple of centuries?
• Does it all seem like a fairy tale to you?
• If it does, then we have some work to do.

John 6:28–29 (ESV) — 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

• One lady wrote a letter — at the time she penned these words she was ninety-four years old.
• This is what she shared.

“I am ninety-four! Twenty-four years beyond our appointed seventy years, and I trust I have not wasted any of my years and look forward to that glorious second coming of Him in all His majesty, when every eye shall see Him. Oh, what a precious thought for us all.”³

• This is the flow we should be in — this woman at ninety-four was looking to die to go to heaven see Jesus.
• She was looking for Him to return for her.
• I had to ask myself this question: ‘Are you looking for Jesus to return or are you looking to retire?’
• The question is one of focus and one of faith.

After church, where she had been taught about the Second Coming, a little girl was quizzing her mother. “Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back?” “Yes.” “Today?” “Yes.” “In a few minutes?” “Yes, dear.” “Mommy, would you comb my hair?”

• Your reaction to this story might be warm and fuzzy — what a cute little girl, might be your reaction.
• But, the little girl had a response pleasing to God.
• She believed Jesus would come in a few minutes and so she wanted to make sure she looked her best.
• If you respond and make changes because of a belief – that’s faith in that belief.
• the little girl had faith — what about you?
• I mentioned that the Bible is full of Second Coming references.
• One thing to note is that the term ‘Second Coming’ is not used in scripture.
• Neither is the word Rapture.
• Other words are used in reference to Jesus: words like coming, revelation, and appearing, but not Second Coming.
• In keeping with the point of this podcast, that is, Why the Second Coming of Jesus Is the Expectation of All Believers, I want to share some additional verses that reference the Second Coming.
• The point is that if you see the abundance of references you would be convinced to talk about the Second Coming, to write about it, to include it in your daily thought patterns and decisions like the Apostle Paul and the early church did.
• I’m just going to give you some shorter passages so it will be easier to follow as you are listening.

More Scriptures That Reference the Second Coming

Matthew 24:3 (ESV) — 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Matthew 24:27 (ESV) — 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:37 (ESV) — 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

1 Corinthians 15:23 (ESV) — 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

James 5:7–8 (ESV) — Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

2 Peter 3:4, 10–13 (ESV) — They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation…” 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

• There are some scriptures that use the word ‘revelation’ or revealing to point to the Second Coming.
• Look or listen for the term, ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ.’

1 Peter 1:6–7 (ESV) — 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:6–8 (ESV) — 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:5–8 (ESV) — This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

• The words ‘appear’ or ‘appearance’ is used in connection with the Second Coming.
• Listen for it.

Colossians 3:4 (ESV) — 3 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

1 John 2:28 (ESV) — 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV) — 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

1 Timothy 6:13–14 (ESV) — 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

• Here are a few scriptures that use the word ‘coming’ to point to the Second Coming.

Matthew 24:30 (ESV) — 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (ESV) — 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

1 Corinthians 11:26 (ESV) — 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

• You see the Second Coming is part of taking communion.

Revelation 22:20 (ESV) — 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

• So there you have it.
• Jesus is coming again.
• I am not asking you if are ready today as so many do — that is a tight question to ask.
• I’m taking this a step backward and saying is the Second Coming even in your mental processes.
• Hopefully, this podcast is a convincer.
• Read these verses – mark them in your Bible – listen to this podcast if you think it will help you.
• Jesus is Coming Again.

Now, Father God us all to fully realize that Jesus is Coming again. Ever ingrain this in our thinking for only you know the day or the hour of His returns. We trust you with the information and we look top you in this area in Jesus Name, Amen.

• You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

Love [Scripture List]

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References: