What is the Second Coming?
Question 10048
The Second Coming of Jesus is the climactic event when He returns to earth in power and glory to defeat His enemies, judge the nations, and establish His millennial kingdom. Unlike the rapture, which is a secret, sudden catching away of believers, the Second Coming is public, visible to all, and marks the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of Jesus’ thousand-year reign from Jerusalem.
The Distinction from the Rapture
It’s essential to understand that the rapture and the Second Coming are two distinct events separated by seven years. At the rapture, Jesus comes for His saints, meeting them in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Believers are caught up to be with Him, and the Church returns to heaven before the Tribulation begins. At the Second Coming, Jesus comes with His saints, returning to earth to establish His kingdom (Zechariah 14:5; Jude 14-15). The rapture occurs before the Tribulation; the Second Coming occurs after it.
At the rapture, Jesus doesn’t set foot on earth; believers meet Him in the air. At the Second Coming, Jesus physically returns to the Mount of Olives. Zechariah prophesied, “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward” (Zechariah 14:4). This is as literal as it gets. Jesus will stand on the exact spot where He ascended into heaven, and the mountain will split under His feet.
The Manner of His Coming
The Second Coming won’t be secret or ambiguous. Every eye will see Him. John wrote, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” (Revelation 7:7). This is a global, visible, unmistakable event. No one will need to be told it’s happening; everyone on earth will witness it.
Jesus described His return using imagery of lightning: “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27). Just as lightning flashes across the entire sky, visible to everyone, so Jesus’ return will be seen by all. There will be no confusion, no doubt about who He is or what’s happening.
Revelation 19:11-16 provides the most detailed description of His coming: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
The Purpose of His Coming
Jesus returns at the Second Coming to accomplish several things. First, He comes to judge His enemies and destroy those who have rebelled against Him. The Battle of Armageddon reaches its climax when Jesus appears. The armies of the world, gathered in the Valley of Megiddo under the Antichrist’s leadership, will attempt to fight against Him. But the battle is over before it begins. “And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet… These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse” (Revelation 19:20-21).
Second, Jesus comes to deliver Israel. Throughout the Tribulation, Satan has tried to destroy the Jewish people, knowing that God’s prophetic programme depends on Israel’s survival. But Jesus intervenes at the last moment. Zechariah describes Jerusalem under siege, surrounded by enemies, when suddenly “the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle” (Zechariah 14:3). When Israel sees their Messiah whom they rejected two thousand years earlier, they will mourn: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child” (Zechariah 12:10).
Third, Jesus comes to establish His kingdom. This is the fulfilment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. Jesus will reign from David’s throne in Jerusalem, and His kingdom will extend over the entire earth. Daniel prophesied about this: “And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).
The Judgement of the Nations
Immediately following the Second Coming, Jesus will judge the nations in what’s often called the Sheep and Goats Judgement. Matthew 25:31-46 describes this event. Jesus, sitting on His glorious throne, will gather all nations before Him and separate people as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. The “sheep” are those who showed kindness to “the least of these my brothers” during the Tribulation, which likely refers to the Jewish people and Tribulation saints. These righteous individuals will enter the millennial kingdom in their natural bodies.
The “goats” are those who rejected God’s messengers and persecuted His people. Jesus will say to them, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). This isn’t the final White Throne Judgement described in Revelation 20; this is a judgement specifically of those alive at the end of the Tribulation to determine who enters the millennium.
Who Returns with Jesus?
At the Second Coming, Jesus doesn’t come alone. Jude wrote, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgement on all” (Jude 14-15). These “holy ones” include both angels and the raptured Church. The saints who were caught up seven years earlier at the rapture will return with Jesus, clothed in white robes (Revelation 19:14). This is one reason we know the rapture must occur before the Tribulation: how else could the Church return with Jesus if they haven’t already been taken to heaven?
The Response to His Coming
The world’s reaction to Jesus’ return will be mixed. Those who have rejected Him throughout the Tribulation will respond with terror. Revelation 6:15-17 describes their attitude: “Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'”
But for believers who have endured the Tribulation’s horrors, His coming will bring overwhelming relief and joy. They’ve been waiting, suffering, and dying for this moment. When they finally see Him descending from heaven in glory, their tears will turn to shouts of praise. The long night of suffering will be over, and the eternal day of His reign will begin.
Conclusion
The Second Coming is the event toward which all of history has been moving. It’s the moment when Jesus will publicly vindicate His claims, defeat His enemies, deliver His people, and establish His kingdom. For believers who have been raptured, it’s the triumphant return with our King. For Tribulation saints, it’s the deliverance they’ve been praying for. For Israel, it’s the recognition of their Messiah and the fulfilment of God’s promises. And for the world, it’s the undeniable proof that Jesus is Lord of all. The Second Coming isn’t just another prophetic event; it’s the culmination of God’s plan for human history, the vindication of righteousness, and the beginning of the age when the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war… On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:11, 16
Bibliography
- Walvoord, John F. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Chicago: Moody Press, 1966.
- Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1958.
- Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. The Footsteps of the Messiah. Rev. ed. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2003.
- Ryrie, Charles C. The Basis of the Premillennial Faith. Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1953.