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Chapter Five
THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING
What did Jesus promise His disciples? (John 14:2,3)
When Jesus ascended into heaven, the two angels said He would come again in what way? (Acts 1:9-11)
What is recorded by five New Testament writers about His return?
Paul (Phil. 3:20)
James (Jas. 5:7,8)
Peter (I Pet. 1:13)
Jude (Jude 14)
John (Rev. 1:7)
How will Jesus Christ return?
Luke 12:40
I Thess. 5:2
Matt. 24:27
Matt. 16:27
Who knows the exact time of Christ's return? (Matt. 24:36,42)
What will the world be like when He comes? (Matt. 24:37)
What was it like then? (Matt. 24:38,39; Gen. 6:5,11-13)
What will be the conditions and the attitudes of people as Christ's coming draws near?
I Thess. 5:3
Matt. 24:24
Matt. 24:6,7
II Pet. 3:3,4
Which of these conditions do you see in the world now?
Why does God wait to usher in the Day of the Lord? (II Pet. 3:3-9)
When Christ comes again He should find us (Mark 13:35-37)
Where is Jesus Christ now, and what is He doing for us?
Heb. 10:12; Rom. 8:34
John 14:2
With Jesus Christ as our Saviour, of what can we be confident? (I Thess. 5:9,10)
The return of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned by every New Testament writer. They refer to it in over 300 verses (one out of 25) and in 20 of its 27 books.
EVENTS AT HIS COMING
At Christ's coming, what will happen to believers?
I Cor. 15:22,23
I John 3:2
Phil. 3:20,21
I Thess. 1:10
Col. 3:4
Consider I Thessalonians 4:13-18
List the events that will take place when He comes (verses 16,17)
How long will we be with Him?
How should our confidence of His return affect our thinking about believers who have died? (verse 13)
What should we do with these truths? (verse 18)
Our present bodies will compare to the bodies we receive then as a grain of wheat sown compares to the full-grown plant. (I Cor. 15:35-38)
From I Corinthians 15:42-44, compare our present and our future bodies.
Perishable
Lacking honor
Weak
Natural (physical)
What will the time of Christ's coming bring? (Rev. 22:12)
What can believers expect to take place when we are in His presence?
II Cor. 5:10
I Cor. 4:5
This judgment of believers' works has nothing to do with eternal salvation. It is the time of reward for service, or loss of reward. For the judgment of unbelievers see Revelation 20:12-15.
WHAT DOES HIS COMING MEAN TO US?
What will it be like to be in the presence of God? (Rev. 21:4)
Who will be there? (Rev. 5:9)
"When we are drawn to Him at His appearing, we will experience the wonder of resurrection nearness and resurrection fellowship … All distance will be annihilated, all shadows dissipated, all fellowship completed, all joy consummated … we shall share the life of His eternity."
—William Fitch*
What attitude should we have toward His coming? (II Tim. 4:8)
What effect should His soon coming have on our lives?
I John 3:2,3
Tit. 2:11-14
What will present tests of our faith mean at Christ's appearing? (I Pet. 1:7)
If we live in obedience and fellowship with Him now, what will be true of us when He comes? (I John 2:28)
How should the nearness of His coming affect our speaking for Him? (II Tim. 4:1,2)
*Enter Into Life, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
What two or three verses in this chapter gave you the most helpful insight into Christ's coming?
What can you apply to your life?
It may be at morn, when the day is awaking,
When sunlight through darkness and shadow is breaking,
That Jesus will come in the fullness of glory,
To receive from the world "His own."
It may be at midday, it may be at twilight,
It may be, perchance that the blackness of midnight
Will burst into light in the blaze of His glory.
When Jesus receives "His own."
Oh, joy! oh, delight! should we go without dying;
No sickness, no sadness, no dread, and no crying;
Caught up through the clouds with our Lord into glory,
When Jesus receives "His own."