1. Title Page

2. Lesson Twelve

3. I Thessalonians 4:13-15 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.

4. I Thessalonians 4:16-18 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.

5. II Thessalonians 1:7-9 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;

6. II Thessalonians 1:10 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.

7. Focus Verse Acts 1:11 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.

8. Focus Thought The second coming of our Lord is near. We should make sure we are ready.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. I Thessalonians 5:1-4 “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 5:1-4).

13. I Thessalonians 5:5-9 “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 5:5-9).

14. I. Coming for His Bride (A) Coming for His Bride A.The Catching Away The event commonly called the Rapture refers to the catching away of God’s 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 15:51-52). The phrase “at the last trump” is a clear allusion to the Day of the Lord and the second coming of Christ.

15. 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 15:53-57.) 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 judgment—the lake of fire—at the white throne judgment with those whose names are not in the Book of Life.

16. John 5:24-25 “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 5:24-25).

17. John 5:26-29 “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 5:26-29).

18. 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.

19. 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 27:12-13; Joel 2:1-3, 9-11, 15; Zephaniah 1:14-16.) 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 27:13).

20. Isaiah 26:19-21 “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 L ORD 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 26:19-21).

21. 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 17:24-37).

22. 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 God’s Word, we can keep our lamps filled and burning brightly as we await the return of our blessed Savior.

23. I. Coming for His Bride (B) B.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 14:10; II Corinthians 5:10; I Peter 4:17-18.)

24. 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 12:48; I Corinthians 3:12-15.)

25. 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 25:14-30).

26. 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 4:7-8).

27. 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.

28. I. Coming for His Bride (C) C.The Marriage Supper of the Lamb The church, the Lamb’s 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 God’s 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.

29. 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 19:1). 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 Lamb’s wife, has made herself ready.

30. 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 heaven’s banquet hall. (See Matthew 8:11.) 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 Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29).

31. 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 22:1-13). 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.

32. I. Coming for His Bride (C) The Bible states that “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). 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 Lord’s 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.

33. II. Coming In Judgment (A- B) Coming in Judgment A.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 14:2-5).

34. 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 14:12).

35. II. Coming In Judgment (A- B) This utter destruction from the Lord will be God’s 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.

36. II. Coming In Judgment (A- B) In John’s 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.

37. 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.

38. II. Coming In Judgment (A- B) B.Millennial Reign The first resurrection will be completed by the gathering of all God’s 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.

39. Ezekiel 34:23-24 “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 L ORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the L ORD have spoken it” (Ezekiel 34:23-24).

40. II. Coming In Judgment (A- B) Commentators agree that the “servant David” mentioned in Ezekiel 34:23-24 refers prophetically to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (See also Jeremiah 30:9.) 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.

41. 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 2:1-29; 3:1-22).

42. 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 3:19-21).

43. 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 4:2; 22:3). However, in a metaphorical sense, all believers will share in His power and dominion through the unity of the Spirit.

44. 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 Christ’s kingdom in His saints, who received judgment from the Ancient of Days. (See Daniel 7:18, 22.)

45. 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 32:1.)

46. III. Waiting for His Coming (A) Waiting for His Coming A.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.

47. 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 Christ’s 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.

48. 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.

49. 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 24:6).

50. 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.

51. Matthew 24:13-14 “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 24:13- 14).

52. III. Waiting for His Coming (B) B.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.

53. 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.

54. 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.

55. 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 2:25).

56. 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.

57. 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.

58. II Peter 3:10-11 “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 3:10-11).