BLUE VIEWPOINT
While discussing the concept of The Rapture the other day, my grandson asked me, "Why must there only be two "comings"? "After all", he continued, "He never said there would be only two." Well, if you know anything about me, that got me to thinking. This page is the result.
What my grandson said made sense. There has to be a reason or I would be ignoring my own advice to others to "Be like the Bereans." and check it out. After snooping around for some lists of verses, there was iPOST staring at me with a list of 44 verses about the Second Coming. Well, a few of them stood out as applying to this topic:
#2. Acts 3:19-21 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus. 21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. (NIV 1995)
Above is from the 1995 NIV. The 2011 NIV version revises it slightly:
19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus. 21Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. (NIV 2011)
Right off the bat, this passage in Acts indicates that there is a specific reason for Jesus to remain in Heaven where He now is, and a time when that stay will end. That time will end when God restores everything. To me, that means that there is only one more coming for Jesus, then He will take over and we will be with Him forever as it says in 1 Thessalonians 4:17
17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
. Ok, but are there any more? How about:
23But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. (1 Cor 15:23-24 NIV)
This passage speaks of the next coming, the resurrection, then the end. Unless we are in for some surprises, nothing seems to point to another leaving and another coming back. And, there are several other passages which essentially say the same thing:
4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:4 NIV)
19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy.(1 Thes 2:19-20 NIV)
8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. (2 Thes 2:8 NIV)
And one of my favorites, and probably the most convincing:
28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28 NIV)
And, there are many, many more. So, my reply to my grandson, Levi, is, "We believe that there is to be only one 'Second Coming' because God has told us so in more than one place in His word that when He comes again, it will be at the end and to keep us with Him." You can quote me on that.
Disagree? Find an error? Contact us at glenjjr@gmail.com and give us your view.
