The Second Coming of Christ

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

After That Tribulation

On the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem's temple, a few days before his crucifixion, Jesus explained the end times to his disciples.

First, he told them of the eventual destruction of their temple, an event that occurred with the Roman invasion of 70 AD.

Second, he told them troubling times were coming. Wars, rumors of warsgm, diseases, famines, and natural disasters will increase in frequency and intensity leading up to his return. Persecution will increase, but the church is not to be alarmed. The end is not yet.

Third, he told them of a final great tribulation that will come upon the earth before his return. The earth has never endured a time of trial as severe. Noah's flood, Egypt's plagues, and Jerusalem's invasions cannot compare to the great tribulation. In the middle of that time of trouble, a world leader will emerge, demand worship in the rebuilt temple (the abomination of desolation, 13:14), and the earth's citizens will give him that worship.

After all this calamity -- Jesus said, "after that tribulation" -- he will return (24). He presents it as an ominous moment from earth's perspective -- a darkened sun, the moon will not give its light, stars falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken (25). This is also how John presents Jesus' coming in the book of Revelation. Riding a white horse -- because he's the true white horse rider, not an imposter like the Antichrist -- Jesus returns and judges the earth (Revelation 19:11-21).

They Will See

But rather than recount the features of his coming in Revelation, let's consider the details Jesus points out here in Mark. First, he said, "they will see the Son of Man coming" (26). This means Jesus' return will be a visible event.

And this is the repeated testimony of Scripture. Jesus said he would return for his followers, to take us to himself that we may be where he is (John 14:3). He said he would return unexpectedly and suddenly (Matthew 24:26-28, 32-51, 25:1-13). He said he would return in the glory of his Father and with his angels (Matthew 16:27, 19:28, 25:31, Luke 19:11-27). And the angels at his ascension said Jesus would return in the same way he departed -- personally, bodily, visibly, and suddenly (Acts 1:10-11).

And the apostles went on to declare this truth. Peter preached about the sudden return of Christ (2 Peter 3:1-10), and that Jesus is now in heaven until the "time for restoring all things" comes (Acts 3:21). Paul spoke of Christ's personal return, talking of trumpet blasts and the church's removal in the blink of an eye (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). John wrote of Jesus' personal and sudden return and discipled the church to be ready to see him (1 John 2:28, 3:3). Hebrews and James and Jude all preached the same message with these guys -- Jesus is coming personally, suddenly, and publicly.

Revelation 1:7 (ESV) — 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...

Coming in the Clouds

And that's what Jesus said -- he won't just come for everyone to see, but he will come in the clouds. Everyone will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds (26).

This is where I plan on being. John describes him coming with the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen (Revelation 19:14). I take this to mean his people -- the armies of heaven are his people. We are with him when he comes.

How does this occur? How can his people be with him when he comes? Many will be with him because they've already died and are now with their Savior. But what about those alive at his coming? He will, at some point, call them up to himself in the clouds. As Paul said:

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (ESV) — 16 ...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. 17 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.

Some believe we will be caught up in the clouds immediately before Jesus' second coming. Some believe this will happen in the middle of the tribulation when the Antichrist is revealed. And others believe he will call his church out of the world before the time of Great Tribulation. I am in this third camp.

Before the time of trouble poured out on the earth -- before the seven seals are opened, the seven trumpets are blasted, or the seven bowls are poured out -- Christ will take us home to himself. "God has not destined us for wrath" (1 Thessalonians 5:9). The blood of Jesus has already satisfied the wrath of God toward our sin. We are now justified in his presence.

With Great Power and Glory

But Jesus also points out in Mark that he will come with great power and glory (26). He will send out his angels to gather his chosen people from all over the earth (27). I do not think he's describing the rapture, but the collection of those who came to believe in him during the period of tribulation during the last days.

But what is meant by his gathering? What happens when Jesus comes? Other passages give the answer. Jesus' return will lead to a time of judgment. Revelation 19:17-21 depicts Jesus warring against the beast and the kings of the earth who are with him. The beast and his false prophet are captured and thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). All the other kings and captains who fought against Jesus are killed in the battle. And this leads to Jesus' rule and reign right here on earth. On this planet, Jesus will literally and visibly reign supreme.

Because it will take place for 1,000 years, it is often called the millennial reign of Christ. Let's read about it.

Millennial Reign of Christ

Revelation 20:1–6 (ESV) — 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Character of the Millennium

This chapter has caused no small controversy throughout the life of the church. My view is that the received position of the early church was that all this would happen quite literally and visibly, that Jesus would one day return and reign on earth for a thousand years, and that it wasn't until a few centuries later theologians began to wonder if the thousand years were figurative and if the reign of Christ was invisible or spiritual. But, over and over again -- six times! -- Revelation says Jesus will reign for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2, 3, 5, 6, 7). I take this to mean -- wait for it -- that Jesus will reign for a thousand years after he returns.

But what is the purpose of Jesus reigning on this earth for a thousand years? Why not graduate us to the new heavens and new earth right away? Why wait? What will happen during those thousand years? Why will they be so special?

The answers lie in the pages of the Old Testament. From the beginning, God had made promise after promise about a coming age of glory, peace, prosperity, righteousness, and justice. He had promised he would reign over a golden age of human existence, one where mankind is devoted to God. And many of those Old Testament promises must still come to pass. They will, during the millennial reign of Jesus after his return.

Let me show you six amazing things that will happen during this future time.

1. Christ Will Visibly Reign

The first element of the millennium is that Jesus Christ will visibly reign. Many people will survive the tribulation -- it is the armies of the nations and the beast that are killed or judged -- and Jesus will rule over remaining humanity. From Jerusalem, often called Zion in the Bible, Jesus will lead. And people will love his leadership! Consider:

Isaiah 2:3–4 (ESV) — 3 Many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Isaiah's description is of an age of total peace, one where Christ is judging the nations. On that day, Zechariah says, "the LORD will be king over all the earth" (Zechariah 14:9). David was promised a descendant to sit on the throne forever, and Jesus is that descendant (Jeremiah 23:5). So the first element of the millennium is that Christ will visibly reign.

2. The Church Will Reign With Him

The second element of the millennium is that the church will reign with Jesus. Believers today will be with Christ tomorrow, leading and living in the golden millennial age.

Consider these statements from Paul:

1 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV) — 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?

2 Timothy 2:12 (ESV) — 12 If we endure, we will also reign with him...

This idea is pictured in Revelation 20, which we read earlier. Not only does Christ reign, but John also "saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed" (Revelation 20:4). They will reign with him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:6).

Every summer, my family goes to Tahoe City on the northwest side of the lake. Word is, the actress Helen Mirren has a house on the coastline there. I've never seen her. But the running joke in our home is that I am trying to do a good job as a pastor so Jesus will make me mayor of Tahoe City in the millennium. And maybe he'll give me Helen Mirren's house.

Ridiculous, I know, but there are plenty of passages about the thrones and crowns and rewards Jesus will dole out to his people -- people saved only by his precious blood and not by their works -- and I believe many of these might be positions of responsibility in his kingdom. I don't know about you, but I'm hoping for a promotion. So the second element is that we will rule with Jesus.

3. Spiritual Life Will Come to Israel

The third element of the millennium is that spiritual life will arise in Israel. Jeremiah spoke of a day when the law would be written on Israelite hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). Ezekiel saw a day when the dry bones of Israel are raised to life and given the breath of God's Spirit (Ezekiel 37:1-4). Zechariah described a future day when Israel would have a spirit of grace and prayer for mercy, mourning over Jesus (Zechariah 12:10).

He went on to say:

Zechariah 13:1 (ESV) — 1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness."

With this renewal and vigor for God, Israel will rise to prominence, partly because Jesus will reign from Jerusalem. As Paul said, a partial hardening has come upon Israel during our current church age (Romans 11:25). One day, however, God will revive Israel. This revival seems to start in the tribulation and come to full completion during Christ's millennial reign.

4. Spiritual Life Will Come to the Nations

But Israel won't be alone in its renewed spiritual life. The fourth element of the millennium is that spiritual life will come to the nations. The prophets made it clear the earth will experience a population explosion during the millennium. With the curse suspended or at least greatly decreased, Isaiah and Jeremiah said infants would no longer die, everyone will "fill out their days," so that death at age one hundred will be considered young (Isaiah 65:20, Jeremiah 30:20).

And the new human population will grow to love and adore Christ. Listen to the prophet Micah:

Micah 4:1–4 (ESV) — 1 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, 2 and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; 4 but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

All this will lead to joy, happiness, and biblical justice throughout the world. It will be a time when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

5. Satan Will Be Bound

The fifth element I want to mention about the millennium happens before many of the others -- Satan is bound! We already read this in Revelation 20 -- he is bound for the thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3). At the end of these thousand years, the books will be opened, and those who belong to Death and Hades, along with Satan, are thrown out of God's presence into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10, 13-15).

On earth today, much of humanity has been conditioned to use Jesus' name as a swear word. Hit your thumb with a hammer? Some people accusingly say his name. I think the devil loves it. But I wonder if, during the millennium, when he's bound, it all backfires on him. When we are living in peace and harmony and love and justice and goodness, I wonder if we will start saying Jesus' name whenever something good happens. Maybe we will all have learned that Satan's presence did nothing good for us but that so many of the pains of life were his doing.

6. Nature Will Be Reborn

The sixth element of the millennium is that nature will be reborn. The earth's topography will also be rearranged as the wilderness and dry land become lush and fertile (Isaiah 35:1). Thorns and briers will be replaced by huge trees, providing clean air and shelter (Isaiah 55:13). Crops will grow with ease. Food will be plentiful (Joel 2:24-26). Everyone will be able to afford organic!

The animal kingdom will no longer have a predatorial nature -- the wolves and lambs, leopard and baby goats, lions and calves, bears and cows will intermix (Isaiah 11:6, 65:25). Children will be able to lead even the strongest predators because they will all become herbivores (Isaiah 11:7). And we will no longer have an adversarial relationship with the animal kingdom as even wild beasts and poisonous snakes become docile and safe under King Jesus' leadership (Ezekiel 34:25, Isaiah 11:8-9).

I've already pointed out human life will flourish -- people won't die young and will be healthy for much longer (Isaiah 65:20, Jeremiah 30:20). Isaiah says there will be much less disability (Isaiah 35:6). Christ's presence will curtail cancers and make us new. The dominion we lost at the fall of Adam will be restored.

The Uncorrected Jewish Expectation

Perhaps you can't tell, but I rejoice that this day is coming. There is so much beauty and goodness and joy in this earth, but there is also so much dysfunction and disease and poisonous thinking. So I celebrate the idea that Christ would come to unite all things to himself (Ephesians 2:10). I can't wait to worship, create music, and eat pizza in renewed earth he oversees. What a world it will be. I know new heaven and earth will come out of it after the thousand years are over, but a thousand years is a long time to watch Jesus get the job done right. I think about this coming day nearly every time I witness the ineptitude of a political regime. Where kingdoms, dictatorships, communism, or democracy fail, Jesus won't.

All these elements were spoken of in the Old Testament, so they were the expectation of Israel when Jesus came. And they weren't wrong -- they just didn't know the Christ had to first suffer and die. They hadn't understood the prophecies about the suffering savior, but those prophecies had to be literally fulfilled. And, one day, so will all the prophecies about Christ's reign on earth.

Jesus never corrected this line of thinking. He talked of thrones and let his disciples look forward to the restoration of Israel (Luke 22:29-30, Acts 1:6). If his literal reign on earth was not the plan, since everyone thought it was, you'd think he would've combatted that teaching all the time.

Instead, the whole story of Jesus' life kicked off by affirming that plan. The angel Gabriel said to Mary, "Jesus will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:31-33).

Count me in.

How to Live Today

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

The Fig Tree Example

Jesus concluded his teaching about the end times with an analogy. When fig trees become tender and put out leaves, summer is near (28). So the generation that sees all these things take place will know the time is near, at the very gates (30, 29). A generation will arise one day that is the last generation. When they see the abomination of desolation and the great tribulation, they will know Christ is coming soon. They will not completely pass away until Christ returns. This promise from Jesus is fixed. Though heaven and earth will one day pass away, his words will not (31). His promise is firm.

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

No One Knows

It is fascinating to consider how the Son does not know the day of his return. Only the Father knows, Jesus said (32). Perhaps Jesus was speaking from his earthly vantage point as a man. Or perhaps he so successfully identified with us by becoming one of us that he permanently divested himself of that privilege of his divinity (32). But, at least when he said those words, Jesus did not know the day or hour of his eventual return (32).

This makes it humorous, at least, and grievous, at worst, that so many speculate about the timing of his return. There is nothing in his closing exhortation that gives off a hint that we should try to discern the date of the second coming of Christ. I think entirely too much time is spent reading the events of the day, asking, "Is today is the day? Is now the time?" Not even the Son knows. How could we?

The Balance of Keeping Awake

But Jesus is clear to exhort us to get to work. This is why he used the illustration of a master who went away on a long journey (34). He is our master. He has gone away for a while, but one day he will return. And, just as the servants in his story should've stayed awake, so should we (34-35).

But what does it mean to stay awake? It means to work until the master returns -- to do our job as his people until Jesus comes. We aren't to be apathetic to his coming, nor are we to prognosticate about the timing of his coming. Instead, we are to work hard until he arrives.

Working Is Watching; Watching Is Working

Watching is working. Too many have thought Jesus wanted us lazily but longingly looking to the sky -- watching! -- until he comes. But consider Jesus' illustration. Would a master of an estate want his staff to sit gazing out the window, waiting for his return? No! To be watching means to be working. He would want his staff to work as if he were present, to do the job they were asked to do.

So, as his church, we have work to do until Christ returns. We have our jobs, we have our ministries, and we have our walks with him. We are to stay diligent, grow in Christ, and tell and live out the gospel for the communities we live in. Because, one day, our master will return. And when he does, we don't want to be asleep, but at work, doing his will.