Returning Again

“…this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.”  Acts 1:11b

The disciples had just watched Jesus ascend back to His home in heaven.  That must have been some homecoming when Jesus returned to His Father.  He had been gone for a little over 33 years.  Imagine a loved one going away and not returning for that length of time.  We don’t even like for our loved ones to leave for a few days, at least most of us do not.  Besides His Father, you know the angels had missed Him tremendously.  There must have been a huge void in heaven when Jesus was on earth.  I am sure that God and the angels were so thankful that His suffering was over, His mission completed perfectly, and now they could fellowship with Him.  Imagine the stories that He could tell the angels and all those Old Testament saints of God who were now enjoying the glories of eternity.

The book of Revelation gives us many details about the end times, the seven-year period of tribulation, and Jesus’ return to earth.  Much of it is written in symbols which makes much of it difficult to understand.  Believers and unbelievers alike tend to analyze the types and symbols in order to pinpoint events, dates, and identities that will manifest during the end times.  They sometimes attempt to fit Bible prophecy into current events.  This leads to just about as many different interpretations as there are different personalities and beliefs.  Jesus was very clear when He said that no one knows the date or the time of His return, not even Himself (Matthew 24:36).  Current events make folks curious about the timing of the final days, but, according to Daniel 12:9, the details of the end times will not be revealed until the end times, thus those believers who are alive on earth at that time will understand what is happening.  Rather than trying to figure out the identity of the antichrist or God’s timetable of these events, believers should focus more on Jesus’ love, power, and justice as He is revealed in the pages of these 22 chapters of Revelation, and on witnessing to those who are still in bondage to their sin.

What we can know from scripture about Jesus’ return is that He will not return to be sacrificed again.  His one sacrifice was sufficient to cover the sins of man.  When He comes again, it will be to judge the world (Acts 17:31).  Jesus will first secretly return to claim His bride, the church.  There are different ideas about when this will occur, either before the tribulation, mid-way through, or at the end of the tribulation.  Most Christians, but not all, look for Christ to gather them along with those who have died in Christ (I Thessalonians 4:13-18) at some point prior to the tribulation.  We can also determine from scripture that the world will be in such turmoil that a world-wide leader will come on the scene who will be the antichrist, the perfect specimen of a real “wolf in sheep’s clothing”.  We think the world situation is bad now, but it will become even more hostile and corrupt.  For three and one half years, the antichrist will make a covenant with Israel and allow the Jewish people to once again sacrifice and worship in the rebuilt temple.  However, midway through the seven years, he will show his true colors by demanding that everyone worship him (Revelation 13:14-17).  He will set up his own image in the temple, the “abomination of desolation” as Jesus referred to it in Matthew 24:15.

A confederation of nations, speculated to be among them, Russia, Iran, nations of North Africa, and others will gather to attack Israel, but God will bring extreme havoc down upon them (Ezekiel 38, 39).  At the end of the seven years, Jesus will return to earth, coming down from heaven in a cloud and setting His feet upon Mt. Olivet, just as the two men at His ascension foretold and Zechariah prophesied (Zechariah 14:4).  He will bind Satan and cast him into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3) during which time Christ will rule the earth along with those who have been born again including those who were resurrected in the first resurrection.  We don’t know exactly what life will be like during the 1,000-year reign, but it has been speculated that life will go on as it is now except that Christ will rule in righteousness.  Those who are born during the 1,000 years will need to repent and receive Christ just like we do now.  However, there will be those who will rebel and refuse Christ.  At the end of the 1,000 years, there will be both believers and unbelievers living upon the earth.  Some people do not believe that it will be an actual 1,000 years due to what scripture says about 1,000 years being a day and vice versa to God (II Peter 3:8).  Since scripture states “a thousand years”, I take it to mean “a thousand years”.

At that time, too, Satan will be freed from the bottomless pit and will gather those who rebelled against Christ during His earthly reign to wage war against Jerusalem and God’s people.  However, they will not be able to make any move against Jerusalem because God will send fire from heaven and consume every one of them.  Satan will be banished to hell and join the antichrist and the false prophet in eternal punishment.  The great white throne judgment will take place wherein all who died without Christ will be judged and banished to the devil’s hell.  The judgment seat of Christ will take place wherein believers will receive the rewards that Jesus deems appropriate for each one based on how they lived for Him on the earth.  After evil and Satan are gone, the world will be as God intended in the beginning: His creation loving, worshipping, and fellowshipping with the King of kings and Lord of lords.  There is much we don’t know, but what we do know is certainly enough to make folks desire to get right with God.