Christ’s Return

Posted by on June 30, 2011

The secret coming

  1. No one knows the day and the hour of the Lord’s return, only the Father knows – Matt 24:36
  2. Christ will come as a thief; we should be watchful; He will be “clothed with a cloud”  – Rev 3:3; 16:15; 10:1
  3. During His secret coming, the overcoming saints (the first fruits – Rev 14:4 , the ones that kept themselves from the defilement of the world) will be raptured.  This event signals the start of the three and a half year great tribulation  (Matt 24:21-22) which will help to mature the saints who have not ripen

The judgment seat of Christ

  1. Before the end of the great tribulation, Christ will have descended to a place in the air to set up His judgment seat
  2. We all must stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive either reward or punishment for the things we have practiced during our life – 2 Cor 5:10
  3. We will be judged in two areas: maturity in life and faithfulness in service – Matt 25:1-30
  4. Those who are found mature and faithful will receive a great reward. With the overcomers, they will participate in the wedding and wedding feast of Christ, the Lamb. This will take place before Christ’s open coming – Rev 2:26, 19:9, 20:4, Matt 25:10
  5. Those who are neither mature nor faithful will receive a punishment. They will not be eternally lost, but they will be disciplined for a thousand years. During this time these believers will mature to be proper sons of God – Heb 12:5-10; 10:39; Matt 22:13; Luke 12:45-48; 1 Cor 3:15

The open coming

  1. After the wedding Christ will openly descend to the earth with power and glory and will be seen by all the tribes of the holy land – Rev 1:7; Matt 24:27, 30
  2. In His open coming to the earth He will be on the cloud. He will come with the overcoming saints to fight against Antichrist and his armies at Armageddon. There, the Lord will exterminate the evil worldly forces and will save Israel . Satan will be bound and the thousand-year kingdom will begin. – Rev 14:14

A warning

  1. Many Christians are taught that when the Lord returns, all the believers will be raptured to live “happily ever after”. This cause them to live loosely and carelessly.
  2. The principle is that we must be mature so that we may escape the great tribulation and receive a reward rather than a punishment at the judgment seat of Christ.
  3. The Lord Jesus gave us a warning saying “Yes, I come quickly”  (Rev 22:12) and our loving response should be “Amen, Come Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20)

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