The Return of Jesus
Over the last two months we have been exploring key or essential doctrines that we believe as a local church and the historic church has believed for the last 2000 years. In that way, we are deeply rooted to saints who have gone before us and as the Apostle John encouraged, we are holding fast to the truth that was handed down to us (1 Jn. 1:1-4). One of those essential doctrines is that Jesus will return. But, where do we see that in the Bible? Below is a helpful overview of this doctrine. It comes from the EFCA’s “Evangelical Convictions” an exposition on our statement of faith.
Acts 1, Luke tells us that after his resurrection Jesus showed himself to his disciples “and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Then at the end of that period, the disciples were together on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, and Jesus “was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (v. 9).
In this reserved and unadorned account, free from the wild extravagance of legend or tradition, we cannot be sure exactly what the disciples saw. Though Jesus was lifted up before their eyes, a cloud hid him from their sight. The cloud throughout Scripture not only symbolizes the powerful presence of God404 but also the movement of God, for “the Lord rides on a swift cloud” (Isa. 19:1), and the clouds are “his chariot” (Ps. 104:3). In Daniel 7, the Son of Man rode the clouds as he approached the throne of God (Daniel 7:13). Here the disciples receive a visible representation of a spiritual reality—this Jesus whom they had known and loved was taken up into the very presence of God to be seated at his right hand. The immediate effect of this event on the disciples was confusion, as they were left wondering if they would ever see Jesus again. This response elicited a mild rebuke from the angelic figures beside them: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go” (Acts 1:11). Jesus would come back to them gloriously riding on the clouds.
The disciples ought to have known this, for Jesus himself had spoken of it. In his Olivet Discourse Jesus taught that in the last days there would be a time of great distress. “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matt. 24:30-31). Again, in Matthew (Matt. 25:31) Jesus had said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne,” judging the nations. Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and ascended to his Father to sit at his right hand would come again in great power and glory.
This conviction became a critical element of apostolic instruction. Paul is most explicit. He assures the Thessalonians who were suffering for their faith that God is just and that justice would be done. “This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels” (2 Thess. 1:7). And he assures them also that they need not worry about those believers who have already died, for they will not miss out on this glorious event.
According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After 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 (1 Thess. 4:15-17). “[O]ur citizenship is in heaven,” Paul writes. “And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). “We wait for the blessed hope— the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Peter also speaks of that day when “Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet. 1:7,13; 1 Pet. 4:13) and when “the Chief Shepherd appears” (1 Pet. 5:4), and on that day God’s people will receive a crown of glory. James urges patience “until the Lord’s coming” (James 5:7-8). In his first epistle John instructs, “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28), with the encouragement that “when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (3:2). The Revelation of John is centered on this glorious reality, as Jesus declares, “Look, I am coming soon!” (Rev. 22:7,12). And in Hebrews we read, “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” (Heb. 9:28). The return of Jesus Christ was a central conviction of the apostles. Jesus Christ is coming again![1]
[1] EFCA. Evangelical Convictions, 2nd Edition (pp. 267-270). Free Church Publications. Kindle Edition.