Shortly before He left this earth, Jesus said to His disciples, “In my Father’s house are many rooms,” and “I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). This is the language the ancient Hebrews used to describe a wedding. In Bible times, it was customary for the man to build a honeymoon chamber at his father’s house before he claimed his bride. So, in essence, Jesus said to His disciples, “In my Father’s house are many honeymoon chambers.”
Do you think that after all this work, Jesus will forget His bride, His people? Of course not! That’s why He said, “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (verse 3).
A bridegroom comes to get his bride because he wants to be with her. Jesus is coming back because He wants to be with you and me, and He wants us to be with Him. There’s no better reason for His second coming than that!
No. Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory” (Matthew 25:31). Do you know how many angels there are? The apostle John said that there are “thousands upon thousands of angels” and “ten thousand times ten thousand” (Revelation 5:11; Daniel 7:10). That isn’t a mathematical formula, but it suggests that there are billions of angels in heaven. And they will all accompany Jesus when He returns!
Absolutely! Jesus said, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.” And John the revelator said, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7).
When Jesus rose from the dead, an angel rolled away the stone. The Bible says that the glory of this one angel made 100 of Rome’s bravest soldiers fall down in shock like dead men (Matthew 28:2–4). Now think of the billions of angels who’ll return with Jesus! The apostle Paul said that the wicked will be destroyed “by the splendour of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Jesus said that “a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:28, 29). So there will be two resurrections. Revelation says, “Blessed and holy are those who have part in thefirst resurrection.” That’s obviously the resurrection of those “who have done good.” And “the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.” So those who have done evil won’t be resurrected until the end of the 1000 years (Revelation 20:6, 5).
Speaking of that day, the apostle Paul said that “we will all be changed.” And he explained how: “For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51, 53). In this life every human being who ever lived is doomed to die. But when Jesus comes, He will give His people immortality so they will never die!
In another place Paul said that at Christ’s coming, He will “transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). Jesus had a real physical body after His resurrection (Luke 24:39–42; John 20:27), and so will we.
The apostle Paul said that they will be “caught up together . . . in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so [they] will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Jesus told His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them, and then He promised that He would “come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). Where is Jesus today? In heaven, as our High Priest (Hebrews 8:1–5). And He’ll take us to be with Him in those heavenly dwelling places He has gone to prepare.
Yes and No. Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour” (Matthew 24:36). I’ve heard about people who’ve tried to pinpoint the time of Christ’s return, but so far every one of them has failed.
Nevertheless, Jesus did say we can know when His return is near : “When you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door” (verse 33).
When Jesus comes again, He’ll say to one group of people, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23). So the key to being ready when Jesus comes is to know Him as a Friend. And in order to know Him then, we must become acquainted with Him now. We must read about Him in His Word and talk to Him each day in prayer. We need to repent of our sins and ask Him to forgive them. I also suggest spending time with other Christians in church each week. These are some of the ways we can prepare now to meet Jesus when He comes!
Every Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The affirmation “He is risen!” is responded to with “He is risen indeed!” But what happens next? If Jesus really rose from the dead, is he coming back? If so, how? when? If his disciples and early followers like Paul thought he might return in their lifetimes, why isn’t he back yet? As II Peter 3:4 says, “Where is the promise of his coming?”
A few verses later Peter explains that God has his own timetable, and this divine delay is based on God’s love and mercy: “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:8-9)
Who said Jesus was coming back? First of all, Jesus himself. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
How will Jesus return? Two men, whom most believe were angels, tell us in Acts 1:9-11: “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
The apostle Paul, writing to the church in Thessalonica, adds more detail: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (I Thessalonians 4:15-18)
When will this happen? Christians have different ideas about when Jesus will return, but no one knows for sure, except God himself: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” (Mark 13:32-33)
How should we then live? In joyful anticipation of his return: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14).
Jesus’ resurrection and promised return gives us great hope. Let’s do our best to love our neighbors and be salt and light.
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart”. (Galatians 6:9)
Maranatha! Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!
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