10 Key Bible Verses on the Second Coming of Christ
April 05, 2024by: Crossway
This article is part of the Key Bible Verses series.
All commentary notes adapted from the ESV Study Bible.
1. Matthew 24:36–44
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels
of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of
Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days
before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were
unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the
coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will
be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one
will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know
on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of
the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be
broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is
coming at an hour you do not expect.” Read More
In response to the disciples asking, “when will these things be?”
(Matt. 24:3), Jesus says no one knows, not even . . . the Son, but the
Father only. In his incarnate life, Jesus learned things as other human
beings learn them (cf. Luke 2:52; Heb. 5:8). On the other hand, Jesus
was also fully God, and, as God, he had infinite knowledge (cf. John
2:25; 16:30; 21:17). Here he is apparently speaking in terms of his
human nature. This is similar to other statements about Jesus which
could be true of his human nature only, and not of his divine nature
(he grew and became strong, Luke 2:40; increased in stature, Luke
2:52; was about 30 years old, Luke 3:23; was weary, John 4:6; was
thirsty, John 19:28; was hungry, Matt. 4:2; was crucified, 1 Cor. 2:8).
Taking account of these verses, together with many verses that affirm
Christ’s deity, the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451 affirmed that
Christ was “perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly
God and truly man.” Yet it also affirmed that Jesus was “one Person
and one Subsistence.”
With regard to the properties of his human nature and his divine
nature, the Chalcedonian Creed affirmed that Christ was to be
“acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably,
indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means
taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being
preserved.” That meant the properties of deity and the properties of
humanity were both preserved. How Jesus could have limited
knowledge and yet know all things is difficult, and much remains a
mystery, for nobody else has ever been both God and man. One
possibility is that Jesus regularly lived on the basis of his human
knowledge but could at any time call to mind anything from his
infinite knowledge.
taken . . . left. The description may indicate that one is taken away to
final judgment (cf. Matt. 24:39) while the other remains to experience
salvation at Christ’s return. Or possibly the one who is taken is among
the elect that the Son of Man will “gather . . . from the four winds”
(Mat. 24:31).
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2. Luke 21:25–28
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth
distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and
the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is
coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place,
straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is
drawing near.” Read More
Jesus Foretells the Coming of the Son of Man. Having warned of the
approaching destruction of the temple and Jerusalem (Luke 21:5–24),
Jesus turns now to the more distant future and foretells his second
coming.
The Coming of the Son of Man. Jesus turns next to teachings about
the consummation of all things and his return. signs in sun and moon
and stars. The powers of the heavens will be shaken describes great
changes in the skies. they will see. The second coming involves the
visible return of the Son of Man from heaven (Acts 1:11), bringing
history to its end. These things . . . take place refers to Luke 21:25–
27. straighten up and raise your heads. A posture of hope and
confidence. Redemption refers to the time of Christ’s return, when
mortality puts on immortality (1 Cor. 15:53) and the redemption of
the body takes place (Rom. 8:23).
3. John 5:28–29
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the
tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to
the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the
resurrection of judgment. Read More
Jesus reaffirms the resurrection on the last day. Cf. Dan. 12:2. Those
who have done good . . . those who have done evil does not imply that
people’s deeds in this life are the basis on which judgment is
pronounced (for that would contradict John’s strong emphasis on
belief in Jesus as the way to gain eternal life: see John 3:16; 5:24–25;
etc.). Instead, good works function as evidence of true faith, and if
good works are lacking they show an absence of true faith. All those
who truly believe will be brought “from death to life” (John 5:24) and
as a consequence will do good and will therefore enjoy the
resurrection of life.
4. 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of
command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the
trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who
are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the
Lord. Read More
cry of command . . . voice of an archangel . . . trumpet of God. The
three noises summon the dead to wake from their slumber. The only
“archangel” identified in the Bible is Michael (Jude 9). Trumpets in
the OT proclaimed the Lord’s presence (Ex. 19:16; 1 Chron. 16:6; Ps.
47:5; Joel 2:1; Zech. 9:14); in Jewish tradition, the “trumpet” was
associated with battle, the day of the Lord, and the resurrection (cf. 1
Cor. 15:52). first . . . Then. Dead Christians rise from their graves to
the realm of the living, and then the living and the dead together
are caught up from the earth into the air to meet Christ. The Greek for
“caught up” (harpazō, “to grab or seize suddenly, to snatch, take
away”) gives a sense of being forcibly and suddenly lifted upward
(see John 6:15; Acts 8:39). together with. The dead Christians would
suffer no disadvantage (cf. “we who are alive . . . will not precede,” 1
Thess. 4:15). clouds. Probably not earthly rain clouds but
the clouds of glory that surround the presence of God (cf. Ex. 13:21;
33:9–10; 40:38; Num. 12:5; 1 Kings 8:10–11; Ps. 97:2; Dan.
7:13; Matt. 17:5; Mark 13:26; Acts 1:9; Rev. 14:14). to meet. The
Greek term apantēsis is often used of an important dignitary’s
reception by the inhabitants of a city, who come out to greet and
welcome their honored guest with fanfare and celebration, then
accompany him into the city (cf. Matt. 25:6; Acts 28:15; a related
term hypantēsis is used in Matt. 25:1; John 12:13). It may indicate
that the subsequent movement of the saints after meeting Christ “in
the air” conforms to Christ’s direction, thus in a downward motion
toward the earth. However, some interpreters caution that the vivid
symbolism of apocalyptic language must be kept in mind to avoid
over-interpretation of the apocalyptic details. in the air. The sky.
5. Revelation 1:7
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even
those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on
account of him. Even so. Amen. Read More
Announcement of the Coming King. coming with the clouds. Jesus
will come as the Son of Man with universal dominion (cf. Dan. 7:13–
14), though his subjects pierced him (Zech. 12:10). wail. Most
scholars think the wailing is a reaction to judgment instead of the kind
of grief that leads to salvation. The coming one is the Lord God,
Alpha and Omega (first and last letters of the Gk. alphabet) (see Rev.
1:17; 22:13). Jesus is the beginning of all history (the Creator) and
also the goal for whom all things are made (all history is moving
toward glorifying him).
6. Hebrews 9:27–28
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes
judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of
many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save
those who are eagerly waiting for him. Read More
appointed . . . to die once. Every person has but a single life before
eternal judgment. This repudiates reincarnation and any idea that
there will be a second chance to believe after death, since
immediately after the reference to the fact of death comes the phrase
“and after that comes judgment,” with no hint of any intervening
opportunity for change of status. The final judgment will take place
when Christ comes again—he died once as an offering for the sins of
many, and he will appear a second time in judgment, when he will
save his followers. those who are eagerly waiting for him. This clear
anticipation of Christ’s return (see Heb. 10:25; cf. Rom. 8:19, Rom.
8:23, Rom. 8:25; 1 Cor. 1:7; Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:20) calls all who hope
for salvation to expectant perseverance.
7. Matthew 24:26–31
“So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out.
If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as
the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so
will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there
the vultures will gather.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall
from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will
appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of
the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his
angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from
the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Read More
Look, he is in the wilderness . . . Look, he is in the inner rooms. The
Messiah will not come secretly to a select group and stay hidden from
public view. Rather, he will appear like a flash of lightning—sudden
and visible to all.
Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. It seems best
not to “over-interpret” this striking proverbial expression. It probably
means simply that, just as people from far away can see vultures
circling high in the air, Christ’s return in judgment will be visible and
predictable. A similar view is that the vultures suggest the widespread
death that will accompany the return of Christ to judge those who
have rejected his kingdom. In either case, it will be impossible for
people not to see and recognize the return of Christ.
sun . . . moon . . . stars . . . powers. It is possible that this is entirely
literal language (with “stars” perhaps referring to a large meteor
shower). Others take it as a mixture of literal and figurative language,
and still others take it as entirely figurative, pointing to political
judgment on nations and governments. The argument in favor of a
figurative interpretation is that this verse echoes possibly figurative
language about heavenly disturbances in the OT prophets, such as Isa.
13:10; 34:4; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10; and Amos 8:9. Those arguing for a
literal interpretation point to biblical accounts of actual darkness:
cf. Ex. 10:21–23 and Matt. 27:45. The idea of the stars falling and the
heavens being rolled up is mentioned elsewhere in the NT as well
(see Heb. 1:12; 2 Pet. 3:7, 10, 12; Rev. 6:13–14). Whether these
events are to be understood as being primarily literal or primarily
figurative, it is clear that these will be “earth-shattering” events,
through which all creation will be radically transformed at the return
of Christ. (Regarding the “new heavens and the new earth,” see Isa.
65:17; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1.)
sign of the Son of Man. Some suggest that this is a type of heavenly
standard or banner that unfurls in the heavens as Christ returns in
“power and great glory,” while others understand it to be the arrival
of the Son of Man himself as the sign of the end-time consummation
of the age (cf. Matt. 16:27; Matt. 26:64). mourn. Either a sorrow that
produces repentance, or a great sadness of regret in light of coming
judgment. they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of
heaven. This most clearly is end-time language that recalls Daniel’s
prophecy (Dan. 7:13–14) and points to Jesus’ return at the end of the
age (cf. 2 Thess. 1:7–10; Rev. 19:11–16). with power and great glory.
Christ will be revealed as the eternal ruler of the kingdom of God,
designated by the Ancient of Days to receive worship and to exercise
dominion over the earth and all of its inhabitants (cf. Dan. 7:13–14).
The return of Christ is a literal event, in which Christ “will come in
the same way” that the disciples “saw him go into heaven” (Acts
1:11).
A trumpet call is associated in Jewish end-time thought (Isa. 18:3; Isa.
27:13) and also in Christian writings (1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thess. 4:16)
with the appearance of the Messiah. his angels . . . will gather his
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. The
involvement of angels probably indicates that, when Jesus returns, he
will not only gather to himself all believers alive on the earth but will
also bring with him all the redeemed who are in heaven (cf. 1 Thess.
4:14; Rev. 19:11–16).
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–3
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no
need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully
aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden
destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a
pregnant woman, and they will not escape. Read More
These verses are closely linked to 1 Thess. 4:13–18: both offer
reassurance concerning the fate of Christians at the second coming,
and 1 Thess. 5:9–10 alludes back to 1 Thess. 4:13–18. It seems that
the Thessalonians either were worried that they might not be prepared
for the day of the Lord or were insecure about their status on that day
in view of the recent unexpected deaths.
Now concerning. Paul may be responding to a question from the
Thessalonians communicated by Timothy. the times and the seasons.
That is, when the day of the Lord will occur (cf. Acts 1:7). The
Thessalonians’ question likely arose more from anxiety than idle
curiosity, since Paul’s answer reassures rather than rebukes them and
seems concerned with both the “how” and the “when” of the day of
the Lord. you have no need to have anything written to you. In spite
of what the Thessalonians apparently think, there is no real need for
Paul to write them on this matter.
The phrase day of the Lord is common in the OT Prophets (see note
on Amos 5:18–20). It refers to the great and terrible day when
Yahweh will intervene to punish the disobedient (e.g., Isa. 13:6–
16; Joel 1:13–15; 2:1–11 ; Obad. 15–20; Mal. 4:5) and to save the
faithful (e.g., Isa. 27:2–13; Jer. 30:8–9; Joel 2:31–32; Obad. 21). In
Paul’s letters it is equated with the second coming. like a thief in the
night. Throughout the NT, the thief simile suggests unexpectedness
and unwelcomeness (Matt. 24:43–44; Luke 12:39–40; 2 Pet.
3:10; Rev. 3:3; Rev. 16:15). The negative aspect is clearly present
in 1 Thess. 5:4, and there is no reason to think that it is absent here.
However, although some have wondered whether Paul is threatening
the Thessalonians with the prospect of final judgment, it seems more
likely, in view of 1 Thess. 5:4 and 1 Thess 5:9, that he is actually
reassuring believers who are insecure, perhaps as a result of the recent
deaths in their midst. people. That is, unbelievers. peace and security.
Possibly an allusion to imperial Roman propaganda or (perhaps more
likely) to Jer. 6:14 (or Jer. 8:11), where similar language is used of a
delusional sense of immunity from divine wrath. labor pains. An
analogy referring to the judgment and destruction on the day of the
Lord. Cf. Isa. 13:8; Jer. 6:24.
9. 1 Corinthians 15:51–52
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we shall be changed. Read More
mystery. Christians who are alive at the time of the resurrection will
be transformed so that their bodies become spiritual and immortal like
the bodies of those who are resurrected from the dead. (See 1 Thess.
4:13–18.)
10. John 14:1–3
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have
told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that
where I am you may be also.” Read More
Believe in God is translated as an imperative (or command), but the
Greek could also be rendered as a statement, “You believe in God.”
The imperative is probably better in light of the previous sentence.
What troubles the disciples is Jesus’ imminent departure (see 13:36).
“Believe,” in keeping with OT usage (e.g., Isa. 28:16), denotes
personal, relational trust.
In light of the context (Jesus going to the Father; John 13:1, 3; John
14:28), it is best to understand my Father’s house as referring to
heaven. In keeping with this image, the many rooms (or “dwelling
places,” Gk. monē) are places to live within that large house. The
translation “rooms” is not meant to convey the idea of small spaces,
but only to keep consistency in the metaphor of heaven as God’s
“house.” In a similar passage, Jesus speaks of his followers being
received into the “eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9; cf. 1 Cor. 2:9).
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