The Return of Jesus Christ

The Final Doctrine

My professor of church history at Trinity Divinity School wrote a book entitled, “Where Is History Going?” The answer to that title is: To a meeting with God. The Bible not only points out that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all of history, but it also reveals that God is working out a plan for history. Everything is on schedule, and as His children, we have nothing to fear about the future. How and when history will end is called in theology, “eschatology.”

This area of theology is characterized by two elements. First, it is always most popular when times or circumstances are bad. Shortly after the depression, Christian literature was filled with books on eschatology. The idea that the world was getting better was all but gone, and the general population was ripe for literature that revealed a final solution. The second element is the degree of debate and confusion that is higher in this area of theology than anywhere else. That is caused by the fact that curiosity is more active here than the revealed truth allows. Men want to know the unknowable.

After the resurrection, before the ascension of Jesus, He told His disciples, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” (Acts 1:7). Despite that simple and clear statement, men continue to pursue with great enthusiasm that information which is not available. Under the leadership of Ellen White, and because of their unwillingness to admit an error in predicting the return of Christ, Seventh-day Adventism developed a whole denomination, in part, on the idea that Christ has already returned.

The fact of Christ’s return is an inescapable fact repeated again and again in the Scriptures. The Bible points to a time of great tribulation in the future, and one of the major issues of debate is when that will happen. Again, this debate is driven largely by curiosity, which is often the enemy of sound Bible study and interpretation. A second point of debate is the promised millennium. At issue here is the debate about this being figurative or literal in nature.

Today, we will not be going into either of these areas. Instead, we will look at what we believe to be the most important nature of the Lord’s return. We are called to look for it with acute anticipation, and we believe that this means it could happen at any time.

Secondly, we shall be looking at the statement that is made by our holding this belief. In the book of Titus, believers are described as those who hold to this “blessed hope.” In many ways, looking for the second coming of Christ identifies who we are and why, and it also should change the way we live.

The Return of Jesus Christ

The Final Doctrine

The Nature of His Return - Matthew 24:44

1. Who needs to be ready and why?

2. What is the therefore there for?

3. What is the meaning of the parable of the fig tree?

The Statement of His Return - Titus 2:13

1. To whom is salvation available?

2. What happens when a person repents?

3. What two factors are mandatory?

The Consequences of His Return - I John 3:3

1. How do we know the love of God?

2. How do we know we will enjoy heaven?

3. How shall we prepare?