LIGHT FOR MY PATH

YOUTH BIBLE STUDY COURSE

Download and Print Lesson with Questions

Lesson 20: The Second Coming of Jesus

Nearly everyone at some time or another has wished for a better world. They dream of a different kind of world where there will be no more sickness, and no pain; a world where there will be no more wars and people will all get along together. Will such a dream ever come true?

Just such a place has been promised when Jesus returns. The Bible is filled with promises of Jesus’ return. It also tells us of a new world He is going to create for those who wait for Him; a very different world from the one we have now.

1. What did Jesus promise His disciples just before He left? John 14:3.

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

2. What did Jesus tell His disciples to do while He was gone? Matthew 28:19, 20.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

"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."

Note: Jesus’ followers are to tell everyone about His second coming. Jesus came the first time to die for our sins. He is coming the second time to take us away from this world of sin. Yet so few people even know about His second coming.

4. For what did Jesus reprove the leaders of Israel in His day? Matthew 16:2, 3.

"He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"

Note: For more than one thousand years the Jews awaited the coming of the promised Savior. There were many prophecies written about when He would come, where He would be born, and the work that He would do, and yet, when Jesus came, they did not recognize Him. Wouldn’t it be terrible if after waiting all these years, we would fail to be ready for Jesus when He comes the second time?

5. To what did Jesus compare His second coming? Matthew 24:42-44.

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

Note: Someone will say, "But doesn’t it say somewhere that He will come like a thief in the night"? Yes, it is true that Jesus did say that. He also compared it to the time of Noah. The Flood was not a secret matter, but just as a thief comes by surprise, the Flood found almost everyone unprepared. Just so, Jesus second coming will come as a great surprise to most of the people in the world.

Signs That Jesus’ Coming Is Near

6. What did Jesus say that we needed to be careful of just before He would return? Matthew 24:4.

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."

Note: In saying this, Jesus was telling us that there would be a lot of false teachings about His return and many wrong ideas and false christs and false miracles even.

7. What was the first sign that He said would show His coming was near? Matthew 24:6.

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."

Note: It is true that there have always been wars. Within the last 100 years, however, our world has seen two wars that were greater than anything men dreamed of in the past. Now with the nuclear weapons, men have, for the first time in the history of the world, the ability to destroy all life on the earth.

8. What natural disasters did Jesus refer to as signs of His coming? Matthew 24:7.

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, [terrible diseases] and earthquakes, in divers places."

Note: There have always been earthquakes and volcanoes, and other natural disasters BUT there have been a lot more since 1900!

9. What was the next sign that Jesus gave? Matthew 24:11.

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."

10. How will these false Christ’s and false prophets appear? 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15.

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

11. What will they be able to do? Revelation 13:13.

"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men."

12. How will we be able to know the false prophets? Isaiah 8:20.

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Note: In this end time of the world’s history, we will not be able to depend on our senses (the things we see, hear, and can feel), because Satan’s agents, using his power, will be able to counterfeit many of the miracles that were done by the power of Jesus in the past. Though these false leaders may speak of love and peace, their words will contradict the plain testimony of God’s Word. Even as they speak of love and brotherhood, they will disregard God’s law, the great standard of love. Not only will they not obey God’s law, but they will teach others to disobey it as well.

13. What did Jesus say would abound (be very common) just before He returned? Matthew 24:12.

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

Note: Iniquity means lawlessness. In our world today there are many laws that tell people what they are supposed to do and what they should not do. In spite of all these laws, we have more and more crimes every year.

14. Why do we continue to have so many problems in the world? Jeremiah 8:9.

"The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?"

Note: 2 Timothy 3:5 tells us that one of the signs of the last days will be that men will have a form of godliness, [they’ll even go to church] but that they will deny its power. This means that it isn’t so much that men will not know about religion, but that while they call themselves Christians, they will not choose to live as Jesus did and obey God.

15. Will things get any better in the world? 2 Timothy 3:13.

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."

16. As the time for Jesus’ return gets very close, what will most men be saying? 2 Peter 3:3, 4.

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts."

Note: Scoffers are those that make fun and laugh at God’s word and those who believe in it. Despite all the signs that Jesus’ coming is getting very close, an important sign will be that so many people doubt that it is really very near.

17. At that time, what will most people be saying they are expecting? 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

"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."

18. Why does Jesus wait so long to come? 2 Peter 3:9, 10.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 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."

19. Will most people in the world be ready for Jesus to come? Matthew 7:13, 14.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

20. What will the wicked say when Jesus comes? Revelation 6:16, 17.

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

Note: How terrible to think that many people are not getting ready for Jesus to come! Some think it isn’t important. Others are so busy with everyday affairs that they are not taking time to get ready. How sad to realize that those who reject or neglect Jesus will be afraid to meet Him and will want to hide when He comes.

21. What were the disciples told about the way Jesus would return? Acts 1:9-11.

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 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."

22. How plainly will His coming be seen? 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."

Note: The second coming of Jesus is not going to be secret, but the most public event of all times.

23. How many will see it? Revelation 1:7.

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

24. What will the wicked do when Jesus appears? Matthew 24:30.

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Note: The appearance of only one angel at Jesus’ tomb at the resurrection was so bright with glory that all the guards fell as dead men. What glory will there be when Jesus returns with all the thousands of thousands of holy angels?

The reason that most people will mourn at Jesus’ coming is that they are not ready for His return. Their sins condemn them; they are crushed by guilty consciences; their eyes cannot look on Jesus; they die as they see His glory. But those who have been faithful will be given eternal life, and they will delight in the brilliant glory of Jesus’ return.

25. What happens to the wicked when Jesus appears in His glory? 2 Thessalonians 2:8.

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."

26. How does Paul refer to Jesus’ appearing? Titus 2:13.

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."

27. What important event will take place at Jesus’ return? 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

"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: 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: In addition to being with our God, we will enjoy the experience of being reunited with those that have been taken from us by death. Not only will those who have died in Jesus receive life, but all who are ready to meet Jesus when He returns, will be given new bodies that will never die.

28. Has the exact time of Jesus’ return been revealed? Matthew 24:36.

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

29. In view of this fact, how are we to prepare for that glorious event? Matthew 24:42.

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."

30. What will those who are ready for Jesus to come say when He appears? Isaiah 25:9.

"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

Note: Jesus is pleading with you to come to Him just now. He can still save you. But the day is coming when it will be too late to get ready. We have seen in our lesson that the return of Jesus will be like the days of Noah. When Noah warned the people that it was time to come into the ark, there was nothing around them that was different than any other day of their lives; nothing to tell them that a flood was about to come. At the time Noah called them, had there been dark angry clouds in the sky, and had there been lightening and thunder, a great many of the people might have chosen to enter when Noah did, but it wasn't that way.

Just before Jesus returns, He completes His work in heaven, and speaks the words: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:11, 12. Those who wait to give up sin until they see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven will be lost. We must be ready now!

Return to TOC

Next Lesson: