There are many references in Scriptures regarding the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are not all speaking to the same people, nor do they all refer to the same time. How can this be? you might be wondering.
Before we look at the Second Coming of the Lord let us look at his First Coming.
What was the sign given to the people of Israel that would identify the coming King? You might be tempted to say that it was the virgin birth, but this sign was not truly visible to the nation. This was a sign, but like I said it was not really the sign of the coming King of Israel.
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (NIV)
Luke 19:28-38
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?' tell him, "The Lord needs it.'"
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34 They replied, "The Lord needs it."
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (NIV)
This sign that the people would see that would foretell the coming of the King of Israel is that he would be riding on a young donkey. The sign given to the nation of Israel occurred only a week or so before he was crucified. Another way of looking at this is that the sign of his Coming happened at the end of his ministry, not at the beginning.
What sign, do you think, marked the beginning of his earthly ministry?
John 1:29-37
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, "A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. (NIV)
John was given a sign, and he then testified to us, informing us that Jesus was the one to come. We have his testimony and can know that it was at his baptism that the Lord was revealed to the believing in Israel. Now I said that this was a revealing of the Lord to the believing, because only those that accepted John's testimony would see and accept it; the rebellious would see nothing.
Daniel 9:24-27
"Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven "sevens,' and sixty-two "sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two "sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one "seven.' In the middle of the "seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (NIV)
This prophecy is perhaps the most important in Scripture for understanding the timing of the events. I am not going to explain all of the detail here concerning this prophecy because it explanation is covered in detail elsewhere. For now I would like you to see that from the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes would be exactly 483 years. Also note that the year that marks his coming is also the year that marks his being cutoff and having nothing.
So, from this prophecy too, we can see that the "Coming" of the Lord, at his first advent, was really at the end of ministry.
Although it is not stated in the Scriptures it is thought that Jesus ministered publicly for three and a half years at his first advent. This is determined through reading the Gospels. It is also not specifically mentioned in Scripture, but it is evident through a careful reading of Scripture, that Jesus will operate for three and a half years before the sign of his "official" Second Coming.
The sign that marks his Second Coming is the sun, moon, and stars going dark. This sign is referred to many times in Scripture.
Isaiah 13:10-13
The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The risingsun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. 11 I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. 12 I will make man scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger. (NIV)
Isaiah 24:21-23
In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. 22 They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days. 23 The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed ; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. (NIV)
Ezekiel 32:3-8
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "With a great throng of people I will cast my net over you, and they will haul you up in my net. 4 I will throw you on the land and hurl you on the open field. I will let all the birds of the air settle on you and all the beasts of the earth gorge themselves on you. 5 I will spread your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains. 6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains, and the ravines will be filled with your flesh. 7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. 8 All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign LORD. (NIV)
Joel 2:1, 10-11, 31-32
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand -- ...
10 Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. 11 The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls. (NIV)
Joel 3:12-16
"Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. 13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow -- so great is their wickedness!" 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. 16 The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. (NIV)
Matthew 24:29-30
"Immediately after the distress of those days "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (NIV)
Mark 13:24-26
"But in those days, following that distress, "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
26 "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (NIV)
Acts 2:19-21
I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' (NIV)
Revelation 6:12-14
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. (NIV)
I have not included all of the relevant Scripture that surrounds the above passages. You can look up each and see the incredible amount of detail given in Scripture concerning that Day.
The purpose of this study was to show that most of the signs concerning the Second Coming of the Lord are the "official" Coming of the Lord as Israel's King, but that his actual coming from heaven was three and a half years before. This sign that marks is actual coming is the sign of the abomination that causes desolation which is also spoken of many times in Scripture.
Many things take place at the abomination that causes desolation sign. The beast is revealed, Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven, Jesus returns from heaven, and the Church is caught-up to be with the Lord forever, and more.
