Return of Jesus

Return of Jesus
Sermon #433; by Joe McClure; 2/05/2006

As has been requested by Sister Drema, today we are gong to look at the Scriptures that deal with the next appearance of Jesus Christ.
Will everyone arise from the dead at the same time?
Will there be a certain amount of time between the coming of Jesus for the dead and the saints who are alive?
First, I want to begin with some of the apostles’ teaching regarding the final judgment day.
The Scripture in question is found in I Thessalonians 4. Please turn there for the reading, beginning with V. 13.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Notice that the address is to the saints, but as we begin to read, Paul refers to those who are asleep.
I strongly suggest that all of you that are interested in the subject of the resurrection read the entire 15th chapter of I Corinthians, but for today, we will look briefly at VS. 51-53.
1 Corinthians 15:51 ¶ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

· All people shall be changed at the last trump
· Change will be as fast as an eye blink.
· The change will be for those that sleep, and those who are alive.
· All of the dead will be resurrected as immortals.
· Those alive will be changed from mortals to immortals.

2 Corinthians 4:14-5:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you.
The ‘raising’ will be accomplished by Jesus.
The human body will be dissolved.
Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all [is] vanity. 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
We know that this happens whether it rots in the ground, or is burned up in a fire, or is dissolved when Jesus returns at the last day.

II Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
We each will receive a new house for the spirit.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in [this] tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Christians should not worry about death, and there should always be a part of us that wants to change habitations, to go to be with the Lord, absent from our physical body.
6 Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
We must not ever forget the reality of death here, and always be ready to appear before our Lord Jesus Christ as our judge.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.
Knowing that those who are not prepared to meet God will be cast into eternal darkness, we should try to be more persuasive of those we have any influence with.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Finally, I want to consider the evidences that prove beyond any doubt that everyone will resurrect on one last day.
There will be no period of time between the resurrection of the good and the evil, or the dead and the alive, but will all arise on the same day.
I want to notice one of Paul’s comments to the judge Felix, who he appeared before.

Acts 24:14-15 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: 15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
This agrees with some of the facts that we have already noted earlier, in that all will arise at the coming of the Lord in a moment, as fast as you can blink your eye.
I Thessalonians 4 described the dead as ‘asleep’; and that God will bring with him the ones who sleep in Jesus, who will resurrect first, and then the saints who are alive will be changed.
Mostly, the verses we have considered to this point dealt with the saints; but now we see that Paul states that the unjust will also be resurrected.
Finally, I want to consider the teachings of the personal ministry of Jesus on the subject of the final resurrection.
Turn your bibles to John 5 please.
John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
John 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
John 5:28-29-- Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Notice that Jesus is addressing the issue of the coming judgment, and the resurrection.
Jesus says that the HOUR is coming. The hour of the last day is coming during which ALL that are in the grave will come forth, both the good and the bad.
Some might question further than what the scriptures reveal, but it does us little good to reason beyond what it revealed to us by God.
What kind of new house or tabernacle will we have at the resurrection? Will it be a human body?
Notice what the Christian is told about the resurrection of the body.
Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Why would anyone want to be resurrected to eternal damnation, and eternal destruction?
We that love the Lord and keep ourselves pure have the great hope of being changed and sharing the GLORY of Christ.
I John 3.1 ¶ Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
John makes it plain that even he did not know what we shall be like as eternal beings, but it is good enough to know that we shall be like God in appearance.
These scriptures agree with what Jesus told the Sadducees about the resurrection.
Matthew 22. 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
Now, the final question that might come to our minds is that of asking where the spirits of the dead are until the coming of Jesus at the last day.
One thing that we know for sure is that the saints who are asleep or deceased in body will be coming with God on that last day.
I Thessalonians 4. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
In one place, the Scriptures speak of the coming of Christ with thousands of saints.
Jude 1. 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 ¶ To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
I do not know how many that ‘ten thousands’ will be, except that it is first 10,000 saints and then multiplied from that.
While this may seem to imply to some that not all of the saints will be with Jesus at His coming, there is another passage that seems to teach that all the dead saints will be with Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Not only will the saints be with Jesus at His coming, but the angels will be with him as well.
II Thessalonians 1. 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
The saints will have a great rejoicing day when Jesus comes for us, but those who do not know God, and those who have rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ will be removed from God’s presence, and punished with everlasting destruction.
I don’t know if you have ever thought about what it might mean to be destroyed for an eternity. Our feeble minds cannot grasp eternity, but think about your body being burned up, and then restored, then to be burned up again and again, forever and ever, with never any peace.
So, does the Scriptures reveal anything to us about where the saints are right now who have already left their physical bodily existence?
Where are they? Are they in Heaven?
One thought that comes to mind is that of paradise, which Jesus spake of while on the cross.
Luke 23:42-43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Was this the same place that Lazarus went to?
Luke 16. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Not only do we find comfort in this passage, but we again see that which awaits those who die, not having obeyed the will of God.
In the instance of the rich man and Lazarus, the resting place for the soul consisted of 2 places, one of torment and one of comfort.

Another place that ‘paradise’ is spoken of is found in the vision of the Apostle Paul in II Cor. 12.
II Corinthians 12. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
All that we can tell about in this passage of Scriptures is the magnitude of its glory was so great that Paul had to be given a physical infirmity to remind him of his humanity, lest he should be ‘exalted above measure’.
Then in the letter of Jesus to the church at Ephesus, Jesus promised the faithful unto death a place in paradise.
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
I am not sure that the Paradise that Jesus promised to the thief on the cross is the same as is promised to these Christians, or whether this refers to the final judgment of Heaven.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This vision seems to agree with the idea that there is a place where all the dead go to such as is described in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Then, at the final hour, Jesus brings back the souls of the saints, along with the angels, and all are risen with incorruptible or eternal bodies, to be then given the rewards of heaven, or the punishment of hell.
Finally, I want to read what Jesus spake concerning the final judgment in Matthew 25, and this will be the final reading for today.
Matthew 25:31-46 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
These Scriptures should encourage those who are serving Christ as Lord of their lives.
Those who are not in fellowship with God should consider themselves to be forewarned of the Judgment, which is to come upon all those who know not God, and who have not obeyed the gospel of Christ, our Lord.
We should also think on these things and have a burden laid upon us to evangelize, to preach the gospel to all that we can in this life, warning them of judgment to come.
God gives us the facts, and the free choice of where we wish to go.
Where will you go?
We invite you to come, and obey Jesus Christ, while you are still blessed with life to obey.