The Glorious Second Coming of Christ

There is a whole lot said about the second coming of Christ. We can and do say it with confidence, as He told us Himself that He would return. What He didn't tell us is when.


Christmas preparation for the coming of the Christ Child also includes the reminder that He is coming for the second and final time. I found a web page whose focus is on Christmas Carols that have been dedicated, to this end. For an example: "And He shall reign forever and ever." Maybe you can guess where those lyrics come from?

This morning, I left the prayer service with this thought, as every generation did before us, right up to this one, the belief was that Jesus was coming in glory in our very own time. The reason given was that it is what God wanted us to believe, and he did this on purpose. In this way, we always would be preparing and looking for Him.


Since we do not know exactly when we will see Him, there is always a longing and hope for all restoration, a hope that has been with us, since the day He left the earth.

Christmas preparation is very serious business indeed. More important than shopping and frivolous occupation, which causes us to miss the reality and deep meaning of His coming. It is a time for reflection, and anticipation. A joy for all the world to comprehend and experience.

Revelation, Life

This is how revelation begins. (Rev. 1:1) "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place.
(Our pastor is correct when he said that we do not have a Sunday reading from the pages of "Revelation.") There is a warning against tampering with the text, in Rev.22:18, 19.
This is the result of my research, what I learned. Jesus is the same today, yesterday and forever. There is no such thing as time with God, time is man made. There is nothing that is going to happen that hasn't already been thought about. He is fully aware of the end of the book. And, He is in control of all things. He knows your going out and your coming in. The battle has been fought, and won. And with the words "it is finished," the conclusion for us has been won with a victory, "life, eternally."
That is the message. Every day is a new day, and with each new day, love and life and creation because He is. He is present in all things and in all places. There are no end times, life is everlasting.
Apocalypse means literally to unconceal, unveil or reveal. Reveal who? Jesus the Christ, the Risen Savior, Lord of all. Looking at (Rev.1:8:) "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev.1:17-18:) And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last." I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Death is the "last enemy to be destroyed".
(1Cor. 15:26). Creation will be totally renewed, freed from corruption, purified, transfigured, glorified. Joy will displace the sorrows and sufferings.
There is only restoration left and that is when God completes the reunion of heaven and earth when He comes in Judgment of all. (Rev.20:11-15) "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books."
(Rev.21-6) And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts." (The water of life "living water" is the grace of the Holy Spirit, bestowed along with Baptism in chrismation).
Sharing one throne, God the Father, and the Lamb, the Son incarnate, and proceeding from the throne, the entire Trinity is here.
In (Genesis 1:1) we learned that "In the beginning God made heaven and earth. The earth was invisible and unfinished; and darkness was over the deep. The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water." (Genesis 1:26) "then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness."
We read in Exodus that Moses desires to know the name of God. (Exodus 3:13) So Moses said to God, "indeed, when I go to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' what shall I tell them?" (14)Then God said to Moses, "I AM the Existing One." He also said. "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The Existing One sent me to you' " Moreover God said to Moses again, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob--sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and My memorial to all generations."
(Psalm 9:7) "But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You.
That brings us back to what the church has given us, the Nicene Creed. "And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end." And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the Resurrection of the dead and the Life of the world to come. Amen."
We have received all that we need through our church. It has been there for us right along. The search is over. The work has been done for us. All we need to do is accept or deny. The choice is ours.
(Phil.2:9-11)Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.