Lesson Twelve

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Title Page
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Lesson Twelve
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I Thessalonians 413-15
I Thessalonians 413-15 13 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.
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I Thessalonians 416-18
I Thessalonians 416-18 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.
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II Thessalonians 17-9
II Thessalonians 17-9 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
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II Thessalonians 110
II Thessalonians 110 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.
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Focus Verse
Acts 111 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why
stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven.
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Focus Thought
The second coming of our Lord is near. We should
make sure we are ready.
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Introduction
Introduction
The second coming of Jesus Christ is the blessed
hope of every born-again believer. Although Jesus
ascended into heaven after His resurrection, the
angel of the Lord assured His disciples that He
would come again in like manner as they had seen
Him go away. The nature of His second coming will
be two-fold (1) to gather the elect from the
earth at the first resurrection and (2) to bring
wrath and judgment upon the earth for its great
wickedness. The second coming of Jesus Christ
also introduces the Day of the Lord judgments
that follow the rapture of the church.
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Introduction
The Second Coming will come upon the world like a
thief in the night, and all who have not made
themselves ready will suffer the terrible
judgments unleashed upon the earth when God
reveals the terror of His power. Moreover, the
Day of the Lord will establish the throne of
Jesus Christ in the earth so that He may rule all
nations following the Battle of Armageddon. Thus,
all of the events from the Rapture until the
Battle of Armageddon make up the Second Coming.
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Introduction
While it is certain that Jesus is coming again,
no one knows the day or the hour of His return.
However, Jesus gave us certain conditions that
would appear in the earth and signs that would
warn us that His return is near. The apostle Paul
provided much insight into Jesus second coming.
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I Thessalonians 51-4
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye
have no need that I write unto you. For
yourselves know perfectly that the day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when
they shall say, Peace and safety then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a
woman with child and they shall not escape. But
ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day
should overtake you as a thief (I Thessalonians
51-4).
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I Thessalonians 55-9
Ye are all the children of light, and the
children of the day we are not of the night, nor
of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do
others but let us watch and be sober. For they
that sleep sleep in the night and they that be
drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who
are of the day, be sober, putting on the
breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet,
the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed
us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ (I Thessalonians 55-9).
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I. Coming for His Bride (A)
Coming for His Bride

1. The Catching Away

The event commonly called the Rapture refers to
the catching away of Gods elect at the first
resurrection. The Old Testament referred to the
resurrection of the dead, and the Spirit of God
also moved upon the apostle Paul to write,
Behold, I shew you a mystery We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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
(I Corinthians 1551-52). The phrase at the last
trump is a clear allusion to the Day of the Lord
and the second coming of Christ.
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I. Coming for His Bride (A)
The twin enemies of death and the grave will be
defeated when Jesus returns for His church. (See
I Corinthians 1553-57.) By revealing this
mystery, Paul unveiled a truth that there will
arise a generation who will receive glorified,
immortal bodies without passing through the
valley of death. All who have their part in the
first resurrection shall receive eternal life,
but the rest of the dead will receive their
judgmentthe lake of fireat the white throne
judgment with those whose names are not in the
Book of Life.
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John 524-25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation but is passed from death unto life.
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 524-25).
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John 526-29
For as the Father hath life in himself so hath
he given to the Son to have life in himself and
hath given him authority to execute judgment
also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at
this for the hour is coming, in the which all
that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 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 (John
526-29).
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I. Coming for His Bride (A)
Since the Book of Revelation was not in existence
when Paul wrote his Corinthian letters, the
Corinthian church must have understood the
significance of the phrase at the last trump in
light of the Old Testament. Isaiah, Joel, and
Zephaniah repeatedly referred to the final
judgment as the Day of the Lord.
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I. Coming for His Bride (A)
In addition, they each affirmed that the Day of
the Lord would commence with the blowing of a
trumpet. (See Isaiah 2712-13 Joel 21-3, 9-11,
15 Zephaniah 114-16.) Although it will be a day
of destruction and judgment, God promised to
redeem His elect out of the earth before His
judgment falls. Furthermore, Isaiah prophesied of
the resurrection of the dead at the Day of the
LORD when the great trumpet shall be blown
(Isaiah 2713).
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Isaiah 2619-21
?Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead
body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that
dwell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers,
and shut thy doors about thee hide thyself as it
were for a little moment, until the indignation
be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of
his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth
for their iniquity the earth also shall disclose
her blood, and shall no more cover her slain
(Isaiah 2619-21).
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I. Coming for His Bride (A)
God delivered Noah and his family by gathering
them into the ark on the very day that the flood
came, and He delivered Lot and his family out of
Sodom on the same day that fire and brimstone
fell from heaven. So also will God deliver His
church at the sounding of the trumpet (Luke
1724-37).
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I. Coming for His Bride (A)
As Christians, we should always be ready lest He
should come and find us unprepared. By continuing
to live for Jesus Christ with fasting, prayer,
holy living, church attendance, and the study of
Gods Word, we can keep our lamps filled and
burning brightly as we await the return of our
blessed Savior.
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I. Coming for His Bride (B)

1. The Judgment Seat of Christ

All mankind will one day stand before the
judgment seat of Christ, but blessed are those
who are counted worthy of the kingdom of heaven.
God will judge these individuals first at the
rapture of the church, and then He will reward
them according to their works. (See Romans 1410
II Corinthians 510 I Peter 417-18.)
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I. Coming for His Bride (B)
All those who have been redeemed by the blood of
Jesus must give an account to God according to
their faithfulness. Those who have been faithful
over that which God entrusted to them will
receive rewards according to the integrity of
their works. To whom much is given, much is
required. (See Luke 1248 I Corinthians 312-15.)
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I. Coming for His Bride (B)
We should not grow weary in well doing because
great is the reward to the person who remains
faithful over that which God has placed within
his trust. The servant who gained the five
talents also gained the talent that the
unprofitable servant had hidden (Matthew
2514-30).
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I. Coming for His Bride (B)
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, gave of
himself, even to the point of death, and trusted
in God for a just recompense of reward. He wrote,
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day and not to me only, but unto all them
also that love his appearing (II Timothy 47-8).
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I. Coming for His Bride (B)
Since all mankind will one day stand before the
judgment seat of Christ, we must strive to keep
ourselves unspotted from the world. Through holy
living and continuing in the faith, we will one
day receive our eternal rewards.
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I. Coming for His Bride (C)

1. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

The church, the Lambs wife that God will redeem
from the earth at the first resurrection, is seen
in the Book of Revelation singing and offering
praise unto God following the destruction of the
great whore, Babylon, under the seventh
judgment. With Gods judgment upon the Antichrist
and the rebellious nations of the world nearing
completion, the redeemed body of believers will
rejoice together at the judgment of Babylon.
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I. Coming for His Bride (C)
John testified, saying, And after these things I
heard a great voice of much people in heaven,
saying, Alleluia Salvation, and glory, and
honour, and power, unto the Lord our God
(Revelation 191). The church will lift its voice
in praise to the Lord God omnipotent, for the
time of the marriage is come when the bride is
united with the groom, Jesus Christ. With the
heavenly host joining the servants of the Lord,
there will be rejoicing because the bride, the
Lambs wife, has made herself ready.
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I. Coming for His Bride (C)
At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the bride
will be clothed in fine linen, clean and white,
as a symbol of the righteousness of saints. All
the saints of both the Old and New Testaments
will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in
heavens banquet hall. (See Matthew 811.) Jesus
told His disciples as He dined with them at the
Last Supper that He would not drink again of the
fruit of the vine until He drank it new with them
in the Fathers kingdom (Matthew 2629).
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I. Coming for His Bride (C)
Again, Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to a
marriage feast that was prepared for those who
were invited (Matthew 221-13). Furthermore, all
who had accepted the invitation to the wedding
feast and were clothed with a wedding garment
were blessed. Clearly, He saw a future day when
there would be a great wedding feast with His
beloved people.
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I. Coming for His Bride (C)
The Bible states that many are called, but few
are chosen (Matthew 2214). We should consider
the call to the marriage supper to be a great
honor. Instead of making excuses and putting off
the decision to accept the Lords invitation, we
should gladly accept His offer of mercy and grace
by repenting of our sins, being baptized in
Jesus name for the remission of sins, and
receiving the Holy Ghost.
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
Coming in Judgment

1. Armageddon

Following the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the
armies of heaven will descend upon the earth with
Jesus Christ leading them in triumph. His
appearance with the hosts of heaven will
culminate His second coming when He is revealed
from heaven at the Battle of Armageddon. All the
armies of the Antichrist will gather against
Jerusalem to fight against the Jewish remnant and
the 144,000. Descending upon the Mount of Olives,
Christ will cause the mountain to split open from
east to west, which will form a great valley of
escape for the Jewish remnant (Zechariah 142-5).

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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
With the earth reeling from the great earthquake
that divides Jerusalem, the armies of the
Antichrist will march toward the holy city only
to be destroyed by the brightness of the
appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ and the armies
of heaven. Those men who will fight against the
Lord will be smitten by a plague that will cause
their skin to melt away as they stand on their
feet, and their eyes will consume away in their
sockets, and their tongues will consume away in
their mouths (Zechariah 1412).
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
This utter destruction from the Lord will be
Gods judgment upon those who chose not to know
God and refused to obey the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Further, they will suffer the eternal
damnation of hell.
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
In Johns vision of the Battle of Armageddon, he
saw heaven opened and Jesus Christ riding upon a
white horse, and His name was called Faithful and
True. He also had a new name that no one knew but
He Himself. With the armies of heaven following
Him upon white horses, He will smite the nations
with a sharp sword that will proceed out of His
mouth as He treads the winepress of the wrath of
God until the blood reaches the horses bridles.
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
Amidst the carnage and the smell of death, an
angel standing in the sun will summon the
vultures to come and feed upon the carcasses of
the individuals and the horses that will be
slain. Then the Beast and the False Prophet will
be cast alive into the lake of fire.
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)

1. Millennial Reign

The first resurrection will be completed by the
gathering of all Gods elect from the beginning
of creation until the time of the great
tribulation. Then the redeemed of the ages will
rule and reign with Christ for one thousand years
alongside the martyrs that held the testimony of
Jesus Christ and refused the mark of the Beast.
With Jesus Christ established upon the throne in
Jerusalem, His chosen ones will serve as kings
and priests among the nations. As heirs and
joint-heirs with Christ, we will share in the
glory and majesty of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus
Christ will rule over all the nations as King of
kings and Lord of lords.
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Ezekiel 3423-24
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he
shall feed them, even my servant David he shall
feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I
the LORD will be their God, and my servant David
a prince among them I the LORD have spoken it
(Ezekiel 3423-24).
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
Commentators agree that the servant David
mentioned in Ezekiel 3423-24 refers
prophetically to our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. (See also Jeremiah 309.) In both Old and
New Testaments, Jesus Christ is known as the Son
of David and the Prince of Peace. The terms
distinguish the quality of his rule over the
people of God and, indeed, over all the earth.
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
We must strive to overcome the world and the
bondage of sin so that we might be partakers of
the tree of life in the paradise of God. He who
overcomes will not be hurt by the second death
but will receive a new name upon a victory stone
and eat of the hidden manna. If we will hold fast
to the doctrine of Christ and do the works of
God, He has promised that we will rule and reign
with Him over all nations and crush all who
resist the power and authority of the Son of God.
All whose names are in the Book of Life will
receive a crown and will be pillars in the Temple
of God, receiving their inheritance in the New
Jerusalem (Revelation 21-29 31-22).
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
Finally, Jesus admonished, As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore, and
repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and
he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant
to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne (Revelation 319-21).
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
In the same sense that Jesus Christ is sitting
with the heavenly Father in His throne, we will
sit with Christ on His throne. In other words, we
will rule together with Him. Obviously, it would
be impossible for all of the redeemed to sit
literally with Christ upon His throne in a
physical sense, even as there could be only one
who sits upon the throne of God and of the Lamb,
Jesus Christ alone (Revelation 42 223).
However, in a metaphorical sense, all believers
will share in His power and dominion through the
unity of the Spirit.
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
In this same sense, Daniel saw one like the Son
of Man coming in the clouds of heaven unto the
Ancient of Days to receive from Him that sat upon
the throne dominion, glory, a kingdom, all
peoples, nations, and languages. The one like the
Son of Man represented Christs kingdom in His
saints, who received judgment from the Ancient of
Days. (See Daniel 718, 22.)
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II. Coming In Judgment (A-B)
When Jesus returns in His glory with His saints,
He will put down all rebellion and wickedness.
Under His rule, the fatherless and widows will
receive equality and justice, for injustice and
partiality will cease. His judges will not take
bribes or judge by the sight of their eyes, but
everything will be open before the Lord. (See
Isaiah 321.)
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III. Waiting for His Coming (A)
Waiting for His Coming

1. Watching

The hope and joy of the church is the soon return
of the Lord Jesus Christ for His bride. As
born-again Christians, we should earnestly watch
for His appearing lest we be found negligent and
unprepared to meet the Lord.
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III. Waiting for His Coming (A)
In the parable of the ten virgins, five were wise
and five were foolish. Not only did the wise
virgins have oil in their lamps, but they had
made adequate preparations to renew the oil
supply in case the bridegroom should delay his
coming. Since we do not know the day or the hour
of Christs appearing, we must remain ever
vigilant against the wiles of Satan so that the
temptations of the world and the flesh do not
overtake us.
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III. Waiting for His Coming (A)
The foolish virgins had oil in their lamps, but
they failed to renew it and when the bridegroom
came, they were out of oil. By eagerly
anticipating and desiring the return of our Lord,
we strive to keep our garments unspotted from the
uncleanness of this sinful world. We should
continue to allow the power of the Holy Ghost to
renew us so that we live a holy, overcoming life
before God and mankind.
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III. Waiting for His Coming (A)
When the people asked Jesus about the sign of His
coming and the end of the world, He foretold many
things that would come upon the earth false
christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines,
pestilences, death by the sword, hunger, disease,
wild beasts, and earthquakes. He declared, For
all these things must come to pass, but the end
is not yet (Matthew 246).
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III. Waiting for His Coming (A)
He spoke of a time of affliction happening after
all of these things, when those who held to the
testimony of Jesus Christ would be delivered up
to be afflicted, killed, hated, despised for His
name, and betrayed by false brethren. Then there
would arise many false prophets who would say
that Christ had already come and would lead away
many by great signs and wonders. Because of the
great wickedness of the earth, many unrighteous
people would believe the lie and be condemned.
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Matthew 2413-14
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same
shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations and then shall the end come
(Matthew 2413-14).
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III. Waiting for His Coming (B)

1. Preparing

As we await our redemption at the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ from glory, we should make
ourselves ready to receive Him. Israel failed to
recognize Him at His first coming because of
their preconceived misconceptions of how and when
He would come. However, we should not allow the
philosophies of mankind that contradict the Word
of God to deceive us.
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III. Waiting for His Coming (B)
We will be tried and tested in the crucible of
suffering so that we might come forth as pure
gold. In the face of suffering, we must not give
in to those who would compromise the integrity of
the gospel in exchange for the acceptance of the
world. We live in perilous times when many have
departed from the faith and given heed to the
seduction of popularity and worldly pleasure.
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III. Waiting for His Coming (B)
We should not grow weary in well doing, but we
should remain steadfast in love, hope, and faith.
The Scriptures admonish us to assemble to
fellowship, break bread, and pray so that
temptation does not overcome us. As we faithfully
attend the house of God, our faith and knowledge
in the Word of God become stronger, and we
receive strength to quench the fiery darts of the
enemy.
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III. Waiting for His Coming (B)
By walking in the commandments of Jesus Christ,
we have the assurance that He will find us
faithful when He appears to receive His bride in
the clouds of glory. He has commanded us to take
the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation,
kindred, and tongue. Christ has charged us with
the responsibility to make sure that all people
have the opportunity to obey the gospel and be
saved through repentance of sins, baptism in
Jesus name for the remission of sins, and
receiving the Holy Ghost. And this is the
promise that he hath promised us, even eternal
life (I John 225).
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Reflections
The second coming of Jesus Christ is nearer than
when we first believed. We should endeavor to
keep the faith by remaining vigilant in prayer
and fasting as we look for His appearing. As
children of light and children of the day, we
should not be unprepared for His coming. Rather,
we should live every day as if Jesus could come,
knowing that He will come in a day and an hour
that we think not.
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Reflections
Although the signs of the times point to the soon
return of our Lord, it is easy to fall asleep
spiritually because of the great wickedness of
this present age. We should remember Lot whose
soul was continually vexed by the wickedness of
Sodom, yet he was scarcely saved by the grace and
mercy of God in the day of judgment. Judgment is
coming upon the earth as it did in the day that
God judged Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and
brimstone. The good news is that we have
opportunity to prepare for His coming through the
new-birth experience and to allow His Spirit to
lead us into all truth.
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II Peter 310-11
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. Seeing
then that all these things shall be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy
conversation and godliness (II Peter 310-11).