The Second Coming of Christ (Episode 111)

There seems to be increasingly more concern about the end of the world these days. Perhaps these concerns are being driven by current events, such as killer hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorism, tension between world leaders, etc.

On the other hand, these concerns about the end of the world are not being taken seriously by most. They are not causing people to come running to the church and accept Christ. By and large, just the opposite appears to be happening.

Christians have been talking about the return of the Lord for hundreds of years. Meanwhile, this old world just keeps on turning. And then you have the false prophets of the world. They keep making false predictions about the rapture and the end of the world. These tend to gender indifference to the subject of the Lord’s return and of the end of the world.

Mockers in the Last Days

In his second letter, Apostle Peter writes to the believers about the day of the Lord. Based upon his language, this will be a horrific day marked by the second coming of Christ.

About that day Peter writes, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10, KJV).

Peter wrote the believers to stir up their remembrance of the words of the prophets and the apostles about this day. He warned them that mockers would come in the last days. They will mock the message of the day of the Lord’s return. God inspired Peter to address this subject to refute the naysayers and to affirm the certainty of the day of the Lord.

Only God Knows When

Of course, we have no idea when the second coming of Christ will occur. Neither do we know when the preceding event called the rapture of the church will occur. Jesus says only God knows the day or the hour. That’s why we should live each day as if the Lord will return today.

Also, that has some serious implications for the church. We must be diligent in the business of reaching the Lord. Because we don’t know the day or the hour the Lord is coming, we must regard soul-winning as a matter of urgency. But that’s not the attitude we see in most local churches today.

In John’s first epistle, he talks about the purifying effect upon those who look forward to the Lord’s return (1 John 3:2-3). The truth is that not everyone will be looking forward to that day. Only those who are prepared to meet Him will look forward to His return.