The Second Coming

Like lightning. Jesus said, “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (24:27). When lightning flashes, it lights up the whole sky at once. Nobody has to explain it or point it out. Seen by everyone. Jesus' coming will be like that. It will not happen quietly in one small place where only a few people hear about it. It will be sudden, and the whole world will see it. The Son of Man. This was the name Jesus used most often for Himself. He used it here because He was talking about His own return. The same Jesus who taught His disciples on the Mount of Olives is the One who is coming back. Nothing to miss. Because His coming will be so plain, His followers never need to worry that they might miss it. When He comes, everyone will know. A real promise. Jesus was not telling a story about someone else. He was making a promise about Himself, and Jesus always keeps His promises. What this means for you. Jesus' return is not a secret for a few people to figure out. It is a promise for everyone who loves Him. You can look forward to it with joy.

Astrape. “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (24:27). The word for lightning is astrape (say: as-trah-PAY). Lightning is sudden, bright and seen across the sky in an instant. Jesus chose that picture for His return. East to west. Lightning does not stay in one corner; it runs across the whole sky at once. Luke records the same picture: “For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day” (Luke 17:24). The Son of Man. Jesus called Himself the Son of Man more than by any other name. The name comes from Daniel's vision of the Son of Man coming with the clouds (Daniel 7), and by taking it, Jesus told His disciples who He is. Quiet or plain? Will Jesus come back so quietly that only a few people know? No. Jesus said the opposite. The coming of the Son of Man will be as plain as a flash that fills the sky from one side to the other. Certain. The same Jesus who said He would rise on the third day, and did, said this too. His word about His return is as sure as His word about the empty tomb. For you. You do not need to fear missing Jesus' return or being tricked about it. Know Him from His Word, and look forward to the day the whole world sees Him.

Jesus is coming back to earth one day. His coming will not be a secret. Jesus said it will be like lightning. Lightning flashes across the whole sky at once. No one has to point it out to you. Everyone sees it for themselves. That is how it will be when Jesus comes. The whole world will see Him. So no one will miss it. Everyone will know at the same time. Jesus told us the truth about His coming. We can believe what He said. That is good news for everyone who loves Him.

Jesus is coming back one day. Everyone will see Him, like lightning in the sky. No one will have to tell you!

After those days. Jesus said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light” (24:29). Tribulation means a time of great trouble. Many Christians believe Jesus will take His church home first. The sky will change. Jesus also said that “the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” The sun, moon and stars that we see every day will not stay the same. The prophets said it too. Long before, Isaiah wrote that the sun and moon would not shine on that day (Isaiah 13:10). Joel wrote that the sun would be turned into darkness before the great day of the Lord (Joel 2:31). Jesus' words agree with what God had already said. The Maker is in charge. God made the sun, moon and stars. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). The One who made them can change them whenever He chooses. A sign. “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” (24:30). Jesus did not say what the sign will look like, and we do not need to guess. When it comes, it will point to Him. What this means for you. The God who holds the sky holds you too. Joel's very next words are a promise: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved” (Joel 2:32).

Immediately after (24:29). “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Jesus placed these changes in the sky right after the great tribulation. Many Christians believe Jesus will take His church home first. The prophets' words. Jesus spoke in the language of the prophets. Isaiah said that on the day of the Lord the stars would not give their light, the sun would be dark when it rose, and the moon would not shine (Isaiah 13:10). Joel said the sun would be turned into darkness before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord (Joel 2:31). Made by His word. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6). The lights in the sky are not gods to be feared. They are things God made, and their Maker decides when they shine. What cannot be shaken. The powers of the heavens will be shaken, but believers are “receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). The sky is not the most solid thing in the universe. God's kingdom is. The sign (24:30). “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven.” Jesus did not say what the sign will be, and His followers are not asked to guess. It will point to Him. For you. Joel's warning about the darkened sun is followed at once by an open door: “And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved” (Joel 2:32). The God who rules the sky is the God who saves everyone who calls on Him.

Jesus told about hard days before He comes back. Right after those days, the sky will change. Jesus said, “Everything in the sky will be changed.” That might sound strange. But think about who made the sky. God made it, and He put every star in its place. God is in charge of the whole sky. Nothing up there can surprise Him. The God who made the sky loves you. He keeps His people safe in His hands. Then a sign will appear in the sky. It will show that Jesus is coming.

Jesus said the sky will change. God made the sky, and He is in charge. His people do not need to be afraid.

On the clouds. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (24:30). The first time Jesus came, He was a baby lying in a manger, and only a few people knew who He was. The next time, the whole world will see Him as the King. Daniel saw it first. Hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Daniel had a vision: “And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven!” (Daniel 7:13). God gave Him “dominion and glory and a kingdom” that will never end (Daniel 7:14). Dominion means the right to rule. Jesus was telling His disciples that He is that Son of Man. Power and great glory. Power means no one can stop Him. Glory is the bright greatness of God. When Jesus comes, no one will mistake Him for an ordinary man. Sorrow. Jesus said “all the tribes of the earth will mourn.” To mourn is to be very sad. People who refused Jesus will be sorry when they see Him. That is why today is the day to trust Him. Gladness. For people who belong to Jesus, His coming is not a day to fear. They will see the Savior they love. What this means for you. The King who is coming in glory is the same Jesus who loves you and died for you. You can be glad when you think about His coming.

Daniel 7 (24:30). “And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Jesus was using Daniel's words. In a night vision Daniel saw “One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven!” He came to the Ancient of Days, and “to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him” (Daniel 7:13-14). Before the high priest. Days later, on trial for His life, Jesus said it again: “hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). Clouds and glory. In the Old Testament a cloud often went with God's presence. When the tabernacle was finished, the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord filled it (Exodus 40:34). The Son of Man coming on the clouds is God's glory coming in Person. The tribes will mourn. “And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn.” People who rejected the Son of Man will grieve when they see who He is. The time to turn to Him is now, while His invitation is open. The same Jesus. When Jesus went back to heaven, two men in white clothing told His disciples that this same Jesus would come again in the same way they had seen Him go (Acts 1:11). For you. The One who will come in great glory first came in humility. He stood before the council, went to the cross and rose again. His glory does not cancel His love. It shows that the One who loves you is Lord of all.

The first time Jesus came, He was a little baby. He was born in a small town. Many people did not know who He was. The next time will be very different. Jesus will come on the clouds of the sky. He will come with great power and glory. Everyone will know that He is the King. Some people will be sad that they did not trust Him. But today anyone can come to Jesus. His friends will be so happy to see Him. He is the same Jesus who died for them. Jesus is the King who loves them.

Jesus will come on the clouds. He will come with power and great glory. Jesus is the King of everything!

A great trumpet. “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet” (24:31). In Bible times a trumpet was blown to call God's people together (Numbers 10:2-3). This trumpet will be the greatest call of all. His elect. The angels “will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” The elect are the people God has chosen. The four winds means north, south, east and west: everywhere. No one missing. No matter where His people are, the angels will find them. Not one person who belongs to Jesus will be forgotten. No one knows the day. Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (24:36). That is why no one should ever set a date for Jesus' return. If someone says they know the day, Jesus has already said they do not. Mark records that Jesus said even the Son did not know (Mark 13:32). While He lived on earth as a man, Jesus humbly left the day in His Father's hands. Trust the Father. The Father has chosen the day, and His timing is always right. We do not need a date to trust Him. What this means for you. You do not need to know the day. You need to know Jesus. If you belong to Jesus, He will never lose you or forget you.

Salpinx (24:31). “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet.” The word for trumpet is salpinx (say: SAL-pinks). In Israel, silver trumpets called the whole congregation to gather (Numbers 10:2-3), and the sound of a trumpet grew louder and louder when God met His people at Sinai (Exodus 19:19). One great trumpet will call God's people to their King. Eklektos. The angels “will gather together His elect.” Elect is eklektos (say: ek-lek-TOS), chosen. God's choosing and His open invitation stand side by side: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37). Every direction. “From the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” The four winds are the four directions. Mark's account says from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven (Mark 13:27). No believer is too far away to be found. No one knows (24:36). “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” The very angels who will gather the elect do not know the day. Anyone who names a date is claiming to know more than Jesus said. A promise, not a calendar. Jesus gave His followers a promise to live by, not a date to count down to. Knowing that He will come is enough. For you. You will never be lost in the crowd of the world. If you belong to Jesus, the King who sends His angels knows exactly where you are.

Jesus will send His angels with a loud trumpet. A trumpet was used to call people together. The angels will gather God's chosen people. They will bring them from every part of the world. Jesus will not forget even one of them. When will all this happen? Jesus said no one knows the day or the time. Even the angels in heaven do not know. Only God the Father knows. So we do not try to guess the day. We trust God and keep loving Jesus. He will come at just the right time.

Jesus will send His angels with a loud trumpet. They will gather all of God's people. No one knows the day, but God does!