SUBJECT:   Christ and His Return

QUESTION:  What will the return of Christ be like?

ANSWER:

To explain what the return of Christ is like, let me ask this.  Have you ever planned a dinner for some friends or relatives and got everything ready for their arrival?  Then when they finally arrive, you open the front door and go out to their car to meet them and embrace them and welcome them to your home.

After the hugs, you then walk back to your front door and enter the house.  The return of Christ is likened to your friends coming over.  Your going out to meet them is likened to our rising up to meet Him in the clouds above the earth.  All of you returning to and entering your home is likened to Christ and the firstfruits (now spirit beings) returning to the earth.

Let us put the clues together:

CLUE 1:

Matthew 24:27

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

CLUE 2:

Revelation 1:7

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him,

 

Note:  These verses show us at least 3 things:

1) He is coming from the 3rd heaven (where the throne is) through the 2nd heaven (outer space) and into the atmosphere of the earth (where the clouds are).

2) He will proceed down but the earth will continue to spin on its axis and it will appear to us that He is proceeding from east to west like the sun does (Clue 1).  Clearly the sun does not move, we do, but it looks like the sun does.  The same will be true of Christ because it will take Him 24 hours to proceed down, JUST LIKE THE SUN.

3) Every eye shall see Him coming down.  Now, how could that be possible unless Jesus purposely takes 24 hours to come down?

CLUE 3:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

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.

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.

Note:  Several things in this clue:

1) Verse 13: Some firstfruits are dead and in the grave.

2) Verse 14: Jesus rose from the grave.  Therefore, the dead firstfruits also will rise from the dead and Jesus will bring them with Him AS HE RETURNS as we see in the rest of the verse.  They are NOT coming with Him from the 3rd heaven where the throne is and they were NOT there since their deaths.  If that were true then these verses would not be talking about the dead in there graves and rising up like Jesus did.  Add to this 1 Corinthians 15, the Resurrection Chapter and the verse in John 3:13 which says:

John 3:13

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

3) Verse 15:  This verse is a great clue and proves the resurrection as opposed to people coming down from the 3rd heaven.  The dead in Christ (the firstfruits) get to rise first up out of the grave.  Some firstfruits will still be alive having been protected during the Great Tribulation.  They will witness these resurrections and as the verse says, they will not be able to hinder them from rising up.  Those alive will be turned a moment later and rise up to meet Christ too.  The reason for the dead rising first is because most of them are martyrs such as the disciples and all those who will be killed for the name of Christ in the Tribulation have earned the right before God to do so.

4) Verse 16:  More proof of the resurrection.  The dead rise FIRST.  This verse also shows Christ returning in the clouds.

5) Verse 17:  This verse shows the alive going up next after the dead being resurrected.  That phrase, "so shall we ever be with the Lord" is talking about eternity.  Once we are turned to spirit beings we will be with Christ forever.  Read Revelation 21 and 22 and read about New Jerusalem which will be 1500 miles by 1500 miles by 1500 miles.  Read about a whole new heaven and a whole new earth.

CLUE 4:

Zechariah 14:1-4

1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of

Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Note:  This passage of scripture is clearly talking of the return of Jesus Christ and put together with the clues above show that His descending will culminate when He touches down on the Mount of Olives.  However, He will first fight the greatest battle ever fought.  As Christ descends, mankind will seek to kill Him.  The firstfruits, now spirit beings, will witness Him and see Him put down all those nations who would seek to kill Him.  After the battle, He finally sets foot down on the Mount of Olives and it cleaves in two.  He then sets up His Millennial government.

CLUE 5:

Revelation 19:11-21

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Note:  These verses give more description about the return of Jesus Christ.  They show the Beast and the False prophet and their fate.

Now remember this important fact:  Jesus is coming to rule PHYSICAL HUMAN BEINGS for 1,000 years.  Helping Him do this are all the spirit beings that rise up to meet Him at His return.  Verse 15, above, states that He will rule with a rod of iron.  He would not have to do that if everyone were going to be spirit beings at His return.

During His 1,000 year reign, the earth will be getting ready for the Second Resurrection in which the billions who never knew Christ nor had the Holy Spirit will be resurrected into new physical bodies.  They will live for 100 years and learn about the truth of God.  They will have access to the Spirit of God, which one must have to understand truth (1 Corinthians 2:14 and 1John 2:20).

This explains all the verses we read about the lion dwelling with the lamb and bumper crops and the like (Isaiah 11, Isaiah 65, Amos 9, etc.).

At the end of this 100 year period, Satan will be loosed to test them and some will give in to his temptation.

Revelation 20:3

And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Note:  This verse shows clearly when Satan is loosed.  Then notice what happens:

Revelation 20:7-10

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Note:  The 1,000 years expire and there is a second resurrection.  Notice:

Revelation 20:4-5

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Note:  Verse 4 shows the firstfruits resurrected and reigning with Christ for the 1,000 years.  Verse 5 states that the rest of the dead (all the billions who never had the Holy Spirit) lived not again till the 1,000 years was finished.  The phrase in Verse 5, "This is the first resurrection." is explaining what is being described in Verse 4.  Remember CLUE 3 above which also describes this first resurrection.

These "rest of the dead" who lived not again until the 1,000 years were finished are the ones who will live for 100 years and who will be tested by Satan when he is loosed for a season.

After this comes the final White Throne Judgement along with the third and final resurrection for the few (by comparison) who will have rejected God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit (the power of God).  They will go into the Lake of Fire and die a quick death.  At that time there will be no more human beings and we go from there to the New Heavens and New Earth and all eternity and whatever God has planned for us then.  Notice:

Revelation 20:11-15

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Note:  This passage is talking about the 3rd and final resurrection.  Verse 15 makes it clear that all those not written in

the book of life (a very few compared to the billions who have lived) will be cast into the lake of fire for a quick and final death.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVER LIVED WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.  They will choose God and His ways after they know the full and absolute truth of God.

For more on this, listen to Garner Ted Armstrong speak on the three resurrections.  These sermons are posted at the web site at this location:  http://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/sermons.shtml

Scroll down till you see Resurrections 1 and Resurrections 2 (this was a two part sermon).

All of these verses give us clues which put together show us what the return of Christ and the Millennium and beyond will be like.

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