What nobody told you about the
RETURN OF CHRIST

The Second Coming,
or Return of Jesus Christ

The Second Coming of Jesus, also called the return of Christ is the doctrine that Jesus Christ will soon return physically to the earth. According to this doctrine He will then set up a political kingdom on the earth, with His headquarters in the military state of Israel. Christ will take up residence in a stone temple in Jerusalem from where He will reign over all of mankind.

This theology says that the political reign of Jesus Christ in Israel, will be the long awaited Kingdom of God. Because everyone who rejects Christ will be killed, this shall bring ultimate peace to humanity. All unbelievers will be wiped out. Many believe Jesus will also destroy the earth by fire, and create a brand new heaven and earth, where only the 'true Christians' will dwell with God forever. That means a total destruction of the billions of people who are not part of the "true Christian Church". 

Introduced in the 19th century

The doctrine of the Second Coming is especially popular among Evangelicals, but is not prominent in the belief system of most other Christian denominations, like the Reformed, Lutheran, Anglican or Roman Catholic Church. The teaching was never an important part of Christianity until halfway the 19th century, when it was introduced in Evangelical Churches by preachers like Darby, Scofield and Moody. It became really popular in the American Evangelical movement during the 20th century, mostly because of several books and movies like the 'The Left Behind Series' from Tim Lahaye and 'The Late Planet Earth' by Hall Lindsey. Movies like 'The Omega Code', 'Revelation' and 'A Thief In The Night' added to the spreading of this doctrine. From the USA it spread to other parts of the world.

Satan will rule mankind

A key element in the doctrine of the Second Coming is that the return of Christ will be preceded by a global reign of evil. All of humanity will become increasingly wicked, until the whole world will gladly follow a so called 'antichrist'. This will be a demonized world leader, who will steer humanity into full blown worship of Satan. Virtually all Christians will fall away from Christ, which is called 'The Great Falling Away'. There is nothing believers can do to stop this. Humanity is doomed to be ruled by the devil. The only solution is the physical return of Christ who shall kill the antichrist, and all of humanity who served him. Therefore the only hope for Christians is to wait for this physical return of Jesus. 

Most popular version of this scenario

There are countless variations on this end time scenario, which makes it the most confusing, and chaotic part of Evangelical theology. What I am summarizing here, is the most widespread version of this doctrine:

✔︎ Satan will rule the entire world
✔︎ All of humanity will worship Satan
✔︎ There is nothing Christians can do to prevent this
✔︎ Christians must wait for a rapture to escape this satanic rule
✔︎ Christ will return and take residence in a stone temple in Israel
✔︎ Christ will rule over mankind as a political world dictator
✔︎ That will be the kingdom of God

The past century thousands of prophecies have been uttered, announcing this imminent return of Christ.

Almost every well known Evangelical preacher from the previous two generations predicted, with great fervency and deep conviction, that the rapture and return of Jesus Christ would surely occur during their lifetime. They passionately preached it from their pulpits, boldly declared it on radio and TV, taught it in mass conferences and wrote numerous books to prepare mankind for the apocalypse. As time went by, one generation followed another, and all these powerful preachers peacefully passed away... a sobering reality dawned on the minds of the honest observers...

In the seventies millions of young believers joined the 'Jesus People', a wonderful movement of passionate Christians all over the world. Many of these zealous followers of Jesus devoured the book 'The Late Great Planet Earth', written by Hall Lindsey. In this sombre piece of apocalyptic literature, Lindsey warned mankind that planet earth would cease to exist within a few years. More than 15 million copies of this book were sold and it was named 'the bestseller of the decade'.

After reading this book, huge crowds among the 'Jesus People' were persuaded they didn't have to prepare for their future. Instead they sang beautiful songs about a rapture that would soon launch them into the sky, while behind them the earth would be consumed by fire. Their hearts were filled with radiant hope, to meet Jesus Christ face to face. As time went by however, their joyful expectation turned into bitter disappointment...

In our time we have similar movements like what we saw in the seventies. There is for example the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, where tens of thousands of avid believers are encouraged to pray and fast day and night for the imminent return of Christ. This non stop prayer has been going on now for twenty years! During these two decades the fervent expectation was continually fueled by prophetic utterances, that constantly promised how Christ could return any moment now. IHOP invites young people to become an 'intercessory missionary' which means they must spend their lives praying and fasting for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. After being in the prayer rooms for several years, these people eventually have no choice but to face the real world, just like everybody else... but sadly they are utterly unprepared for it.

The toxic tsunami of faulty forecasting continues unchecked, as the internet is buzzing with countless videos, articles and books that constantly announce the same apocalyptic events. If they don't happen as predicted... the date is simply moved a year ahead again. Year after year, decade after decade, again and again the Second Coming of Christ is prophesied to happen during every single year. 

False prophecies about the Second Coming destroyed the credibility of the Church

Today we find ourselves in the disturbing reality that nobody on the face of the earth releases so many false prophecies, as... the Church! Thousands upon thousands of predictions have been made, from countless pulpits, that all proved to be false, literally every single one of them! No matter how wonderful the pastors were who announced the return of Christ, they were all wrong. After more than a century of global deception, we now observe the absurd phenomenon that the Church has become the greatest false prophet in the history of mankind.

Naturally this widespread wave of deception has severely damaged the credibility of Christianity in our day. Wikipedia has published an extensive list of well known false predictions of the end of the world. Most of these were given by well known Christian ministers! That is extremely serious. In the Old Testament God ordered people who prophesied falsely, to be stoned to death! That's how grave it is in the eyes of God to predict events, in His name, that don't happen. 

This level of deception is not without consequences. The false prophecies are causing crippling confusion in the lives of countless precious children of God. Millions never prepare for retirement and end their lives in deep poverty and disillusionment. Parents fail to dream big for their children, believing the end is upon them. Youngsters refuse to study for their future, thinking all God requires of them is to pray for a rapture to take them away. Christian leaders all over the world end up in burn out, because they believe the end is near and they need to run as fast as they can, to save a few last souls.

But not only has the massive misguidance mangled the lives of millions of beloved individuals, it has also dramatically decreased the effectiveness of God's people in the earth. For many centuries Christians used to be the forerunners in the world, who pushed back the powers of darkness and established the kingdom of God wherever they went. They built the very first schools and hospitals, established caring for the poor and the elderly, put an end to public slavery, cannibalism and human sacrifice. These practices still exist, but they have been forced into the shadows of our society, where they will now also be dealt with. 

Throughout the centuries the followers of Jesus Christ created a world that is safer, healthier and wealthier than it has ever been. Public slaughter and torture was cancelled and the global oppression by magic, sourcery and demon-worship was largely stopped. A significant portion of mankind encountered - for the first time in history - the true God of love and goodness.

Since the rise of false predictions about a so called end of the world and a rapture, the massive influence of God's people was severely sabotaged. Millions of believers stepped away from their place of authority and effect in the world. If Christ is about to wipe out the planet, why would we spend any effort trying to heal it? The focus of the Church completely shifted from impacting our world, to escaping it. The once brave warriors of Christ who powerfully expelled darkness from our societies, are now hoping to 'get outta here' as quickly as they can. As a result of this shift in theology, Christians in general have become the least relevant and least effective people in our world. We have indeed been 'left behind' but not in the way the popular books told us... 

The Church stepping away from her call to reign with Jesus Christ, also opened the gates of our cultures wide, for the ancient powers of darkness to return in our once Christian nations. Demonic forces that had been pushed back by our Christian ancestors, are once again poisoning our societies. The Church observes this influx of evil passively, thinking it is a 'sign of the end times' and therefore inevitable. Instead of rebuking the renaissance of darkness, many even applaud it, because they were led to believe it is evidence that Christ will return very soon now. 

Anyone who has the sincerity of heart to acknowledge the serious situation of the Church in our time, is forced to ask some important questions. Is this truly the will of God? Is Jesus Christ a false prophet who continually deceives His people with false promises? Is it indeed the plan of God to burn His entire creation, along with all of mankind, that He loves so dearly? Does God want Christians to be the most irrelevant people in the world? And... are we even allowed to ask these questions?

I invite you to come with me on a journey.... 

Not just a trip, but an adventurous quest deep into the heart of Scripture. We will courageously seek to uncover the lost treasure of the authentic truth about the Second Coming. The best way to regain a solid biblical understanding of the return of Christ, is by closely looking at what the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said about this. We can listen to our own favorite preacher and base our faith on what we see on Christian television, but that is never a gurantuee for complete truth. If we want to be 100% sure we know the truth, we have to go directly to Jesus Christ. So let's have a look at what He said about what we call 'the Second Coming'. 

Whenever Jesus Christ said 'assuredly' He wanted to make sure the people understood fully well that what He was saying, was absolute truth and they ought to pay special attention.

Note that Jesus Christ did no effort whatsoever to explain to them that He was actually talking about something that would happen in an extremely distant future, thousands of years later and that His advice was actually meant for an entirely different generation of people. No. Never did Jesus give even the slightest hint, that He would not come during their lifetime.

In intimate settings with His closest friends, Jesus also made it clear that His coming would be so soon, that some of them would still be alive. Concerning the apostle John, the Lord said to Peter:

Not only did Jesus Christ prepare His followers for His soon coming on the clouds, He also warned His enemies that they would surely see Him come to bring judgment. For example, when Christ was led before the Jewish High Council, who condemned Him to a cruel death on the cross, Jesus told them in their face:

Timeframe for the Second Coming

To help you understand the specific timeframe Jesus Christ gave for His Second Coming, you find an overview here of all the time indications He gave. Note that He often said 'Assuredly!' which means this is very important and we should especially take it to heart. 

John wanted to make sure that the people who had to be prepared for it, would know as a fact that indeed THEY needed to brace themselves and be ready for what was about to happen. That's why throughout the book of Revelation John kept repeating when these events would all take place. He even started Revelation by exclaiming in the very first verses when the described events would come to pass.

As we see, John did every effort to make it crystal clear to his readers that everything he was predicting would happen very soon! We have to be fully aware of the fact that the apostle John in no way gave even the slightest hint that any of these events might be for a distant future. On the contrary, he kept repeating that it would all happen during their lives.

Before the coming of the Lord there would be tremendous unrest: disasters, wars and so on. The Lord Jesus understood fully well how difficult this would be for His beloved people and therefore He encouraged them warmly with a sure promise: He would come very soon, meaning their suffering would not last long. The assurance of His soon coming was expressed to help the believers hang on, during the hard times they were about to face. Throughout the book of Revelation Jesus Christ constantly repeated this promise, to strengthen the hearts of the Christians: I am coming quickly! So hold on, don't lose what you have, stand firm, persevere!

When the apostles said the return of Christ was at hand, it would bring relief to the Thessalonians, the Lord would keep the Corinthians strong and innocent, they had to urgently expect it and prepare for it, the Judge was already at the door, they were living in the last hour, and so on, then they weren't giving false promises either. They spoke under the guidance of the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of truth.

According to C. S. Lewis
Christ was delusional

Some well known Christian leaders in history have concluded that Jesus Christ and His apostles must have been mistaken about the timing of His coming. For many critics of Christianity, this is a major argument against Jesus Christ. They exclaim: 'Your Jesus said he would surely come during the lives of the first believers and y'all say he never came, even not after two thousand years. That makes him a liar.' 

The well known Christian philosopher C.S. Lewis, author of the world renown Narnia series, publicly declared that Christ was ignorant and the apostles were delusional. In his book 'The World's Last Night' he wrote:

“Say what you like,” we shall be told, “the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, ‘this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.’ And he was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else. It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible.’ - C.S. Lewis, "The World's Last Night"

Was Lewis right? Was Jesus Christ ignorant and were His disciples delusional? That is the inevitable conclusion if we agree with the current widespread theologies concerning the Second Coming, that continue to deceive Christians with countless false prophecies. There is however another option: Jesus Christ was right and He did indeed come, like He said, during the lifetime of the first believers. I know this sounds absurd, because we all heard that it didn't happen. But... what if Christ was right, after all? What if He did speak the truth? What if His apostles were indeed accurate in their predictions? Is that possible? The only way to find out, is to check the historic record. If Jesus Christ came on the clouds with His angels, then that must have been recorded in history. Nobody can appear in the sky with fire and armies of angels, and go unnoticed! 

Before we check the history books, we need to assess what history needs to reveal, in order for us to know whether Jesus Christ prophesied in truth or not. What did He announce? It would take me too long to list all the details, but here is a basic outline of what Christ announced would happen during that generation:  

Jerusalem would be destroyed 
(Matt. 23:38)

The temple would be destroyed
(Matt. 24:2)

Christ would be seen in the sky
(Matt. 26:64)

His angels would be seen in the clouds
(2 Thess. 1:7,8)

There would be a great light
(Matt. 24:27)

A supernatural sign would appear in the sky
(Matt. 24:30)

The sun would darken and the moon turn red
(Matt. 24:30)

There would be earthquakes, famines, disease, wars and false prophets
(Matt. 24:6,7)

All this would happen in the first generation of believers
(Matt. 24:34)

So... can we find these events in the history books? 

For example, the leading expert on the history of the Jews is Flavius Josephus, who documented the Jewish history of the first century in tremendous detail. He describes in his book 'Wars of the Jews' how indeed during the years 68-70 AD Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Romans and the temple was ruined till the very last stone. That happened indeed within that generation, less than 40 years after Jesus predicted it. More than 1.3 million Jews died in the most horrendous ways. The sun darkened because of the smoke that rose up from Jerusalem and the moon turned to blood, due to the flames that went so high up. The sea turned red because of the river of blood flowing into it, and tens of thousand of dead bodies were covering the streets. Famines were so horrendous that mothers ate their children, there were false prophets all over the place, earthquakes shook the world and wars erupted in every direction. That was indeed the 'Great Tribulation' announced by Jesus Christ. 

But not only did Josephus describe the great tribulation, he also describes how armies of angels appeared on the clouds, with great fire, how supernatural signs were seen in the heavens and on the earth, how a bright light shone from heaven, how the presence of the Lord left the temple and moved to the Mount of Olives, and so much more. 

If these historic documents are true, then Jesus Christ was also true! But... I am fully aware that this is all too shocking for most of you who read this, so I will let you read the historiography with your own eyes. Then you can come to your own conclusion: was Jesus Christ a liar who fooled Christians for the past two thousand years with false promises? Or was He speaking the truth when He said He would come on the clouds with His angels, during the first generation of believers? Let's see what the authoritative history books of the Jews and Romans reveal to us... 

The world famous historiography of the Pseudo-Hegesippus

The Pseudo-Hegesippus is a well-known historical writing of the Jewish people. This classical Jewish historiography mentions that, prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in 66-70 AD, impressive angelic armies appeared in the clouds, clearly visible for all to see. Moreover, the Pseudo-Hegesippus states that a figure of enormous size was observed in the sky, along with the angel armies.

This is literally what Jesus and the apostles had predicted! Jesus would appear in the sky with the angels. Some may try to deny that this was the coming of the Lord on the clouds, with His angels. But If this wasn't Jesus Christ, then who was it? Who has the power to be revealed in the clouds, with armies of angels? Certainly not the devil! He cannot command the angels of heaven. This basically cannot be anything else than what the Lord Jesus Christ had announced: He would come on the clouds with His angels and this would surely happen during the lives of the first Christians. According to Jewish history this indeed happened. But The Pseudo-Hegesippus is not the only historical writing that describes this supernatural event.

The historiography of Eusebius of Caesarea

When the apostles saw Jesus Christ walking on the Sea of Galilee, they also shouted that He was a demonic phantom or a 'ghost'. Apparently people do not always recognize Jesus, so Eusebius wrote that the huge figure, who appeared on the clouds with armies of angels, was a 'phantom.' But again: who else could this impressive appearance in the sky, along with the armies of angels, have been but Jesus Christ? After all, this happened precisely at the place, the time, and in the way He had predicted. And it wasn't only mentioned by the Jews, this is the father of church history who also records it! Whether Eusebius himself understood this was the coming of the Lord or not, is of no importance to me. He does confirm the appearance of a figure of tremendous size in the clouds with the armies of angels, and that is exactly what the Lord Jesus had predicted. There is however far more historiography about this event, so keep reading... 

The historiography of Flavius Josephus

The historiography of Gaius Tacitus

It is remarkable that the Roman historiography mentions these biblical events. Tacitus even describes an important sign that would be characteristic of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus had said that His coming would be like a lightning or a flash of light, as it is written in the Greek text. Later on we will talk more about this blazing light that appeared from heaven, during the appearance of Jesus and the angels on the clouds.

The historiography in the Sepher Josippon

The apostle Paul had written that the coming of Jesus Christ would be with angels and fire:

That is exactly what happened, according to the Jossipon: 'a great force flying across the sky... all of them horses of fire and riders of fire.'

As we continue to read the historiography, we see many more things that were fulfilled in the manner that Jesus Christ had predicted. Jesus had also prophesied the following:

The Greek word translated as 'lightning' here is 'ASTRAPE', which means 'a flash of light' or 'a bright light'. So Jesus said that His coming would be accompanied by a bright light. Moreover, the 'sign of the Son of Man' would appear in heaven. Now read what the various historical sources say. This happened at the same time as the appearance of Jesus Christ and his angel armies on the clouds.

Jesus Christ had said that His coming would be like a sudden gleam of light (Greek word ASTRAPE) and that is exactly what happened, at the same time as the visible appearance of the armies of angels on the clouds, the face of an unprecedentedly beautiful man above the temple and a huge impressive figure in the clouds. Moreover, the supernatural sign of a sword-shaped star appeared above the city of Jerusalem. Could it be that this sword over Jerusalem was the 'sign of the Son of Man' announced by Jesus? The answer is given to us by the authors of the Jewish historiography Pseudo-Hegesippus:

Jesus Christ announced in Matthew 24 that five specific things would happen prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and His coming. There would be false Christs and false prophets, wars and rumours of wars, famines, diseases, and earthquakes. These are called 'the signs of the end times' by Christians. Does the historiography mention these five signs? Let's have a look.

Sign 1: 
False Christs and prophets

Flavius Josephus repeatedly mentions large numbers of false prophets who deceived the Jews during the years before and during the Jewish-Roman war. These are some examples:

'Now there was then a great number of false prophets,
suborned by the tyrants, to impose on the people:
who denounced this to them, that they should wait for deliverance from God.'
(Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Chapter V, Section 2)

'And now these impostors and deceivers persuaded the multitude
to follow them into the wilderness: and pretended that they would exhibit manifest wonders and signs, that should be performed by the providence of God.'
(Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book XX, Chapter VIII, Section 6)

George Peter Holford was a respected lawyer in the English government and an active benefactor in the 18th-19th centuries. In 1805 he wrote a book entitled 'The Destruction of Jerusalem, An Absolute and Undeniable Evidence of the Divine Origin of Christianity' Holford describes many of the events mentioned by Josephus and other historians of that time. Concerning Jesus' warning of false messiahs, he wrote

'The need for this warning soon became apparent, for within a year of ascension, Dositheus the Samaritan rose up, who had the nerve to claim that he was the Messiah whom Moses predicted; while his disciple Simon Magus misled large crowds into believing that he was the 'great power of God'.

The above relief sculpture depicts Simon Magus, a very influential sorcerer, who deceived great numbers of people. He is shown here with demons at his side. Holford names a large number of similar cheaters in that generation, some who literally called themselves 'the Christ' or 'Messiah'. Others promised that they would fulfill the task of the Messiah, releasing Jews from the ties of the Romans, and establishing a physical, earthly kingdom in Jerusalem.

Sign 2: 
Wars and rumours of wars

The 'wars and rumors of wars' are also specifically described in the historiography of both Josephus and Tacitus as well as various others. This is what Tacitus wrote about the years right before the siege of Jerusalem:

'I am entering on the history of a period rich in disasters, frightful in its wars, torn by civil strife, and even in peace full of horrors. 

Four emperors perished by the sword. There were three civil wars; there were more with foreign enemies; there were often wars that had both characters at once. ...

Besides the manifold vicissitudes of human affairs, there were prodigies in heaven and earth, the warning voices of the thunder, and other intimations of the future, auspicious or gloomy, doubtful or not to be mistaken. 

Never surely did more terrible calamities of the Roman People, or evidence more conclusive, prove that the Gods take no thought for our happiness, but only for our punishment.
(Gaius Tacitus, The Histories, Book I, January-March AD69)

About the many wars that broke out everywhere, Josephus wrote:

'... a great multitude of the Germans were in commotion, and tended to rebellion. And as the Gauls in their neighbourhood joined with them, they conspired together...' 

'... every part of the habitable earth under them was in an unsettled and tottering condition, ...'

'At the very same time did the bold attempt of the Scythians against the Romans occur. .... they slew a great many of the Romans that guarded the frontiers: and as the consular legate Fonteius Agrippa came to meet them, and fought courageously against them, he was slain by them. They then over-ran all the region that had been subject to him; tearing and rending everything that fell in their way.'
(Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book VII, section 2 and 3)

In the fall / winter of 67 AD a cruel civil war broke out in Jerusalem and Judea, between the revolutionaries and those who wanted to keep peace with Rome. Many thousands were killed, until finally all of Jerusalem perished. In February-March of the year 68 AD, Idumeans looted Jerusalem, killing thousands. Simon Bar Giora, a leader of the Zealots, destroyed Idumea in 69 NC. There were indeed many wars and rumors of wars.

Sign 3:
Famines

Holford writes that the great famine predicted by Agabus in Acts 11: 27-30 began in the fourth year of the reign of Claudius (ie, 45 AD) and was "very long-lived." The famine spread to Greece, and even Italy, but it was felt most heavily in Judea and especially in Jerusalem, where many died for lack of bread. This famine is described by Eusebius, Orosius and Josephus. In Wars of the Jews, Josephus mentions various famines, which were so severe that mothers ate their own children!

'Now of those that perished by famine in the city, the number was prodigious; and the miseries they underwent were unspeakable. 

For if so much as the shadow of any kind of food did any where appear, a war was commenced presently; and the dearest friends fell a fighting one with another about it: snatching from each other the most miserable supports of life. Nor would men believe that those who were dying had no food; but the robbers would search them when they were expiring; lest anyone should have concealed food in their bosoms, and counterfeited dying. Nay these robbers gaped for want, and ran about stumbling and staggering along, like mad dogs; and reeling against the doors of the houses, like drunken men. They would also, in the great distress they were in, rush into the very same houses, two or three times in one and the same day. 

Moreover their hunger was so intolerable, that it obliged them to chew everything; while they gathered such things as the most sordid animals would not touch; and endured to eat them.

Nor did they at length abstain from girdles, and shoes; and the very leather which belonged to their shields they pulled off and gnawed. The very wisps of old hay became food to some; and some gathered up fibres, and sold a very small weight of them for four Attick.'
(Flavius Josephus, War of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 3, Paragraph 4)

Sign 4:
Infectious diseases

The fourth sign Jesus predicted were infectious diseases. Read what is known about this:

"History distinguishes two major cases of infectious diseases that occurred before the Jewish-Roman war. The first epidemic occurred in Babylon around 40 AD and raged so alarmingly that many crowds of Jews fled from that city to Seleucia for safety. The other happened in Rome 65 AD and cost the lives of amazing numbers of people.

Tacitus and Suetonius also described that similar disasters prevailed during this period, in different parts of the Roman Empire. After Jerusalem was surrounded by the army of Titus, pernicious diseases soon made their appearance, to aggravate the misery and to reinforce the horrors of the siege. They were caused in part by the huge crowds gathered together in the city, in part by the rotten exhalations caused by the unearthed dead, and in part by the spread of famine.
(George Peter Holford, The Destruction of Jerusalem, 1805)

Sign 5:
Earthquakes

The last element announced by Jesus were earthquakes. In the early 68 AD a storm broke out, accompanied by great earthquakes:

'For there broke out a prodigious storm in the night, with the utmost violence, and very strong winds; with the largest showers of rain; with continual lightnings, terrible thundrings,

and amazing concussions and bellowings of the earth that was in an earthquake.

These things were a manifest indication that some destruction was coming upon men, when the system of the world was put into this disorder; and any one would guess that these wonders foreshowed some grand calamities that were coming.'
 (Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book 4, chapter 3)

Seneca the Younger, a Roman philosopher, wrote the following in 58 AD:

'How often have cities in Asia and Achaea been hit by a fatal shock! So many cities were swallowed up in Syria, so many in Macedonia! How many times has Cyprus been destroyed by this disaster! How often has Paphos become a ruin! We often received the news of entire cities that were destroyed in one fell swoop.'
(Henry Alford, The New Testament for English Readers, p. 163.)

In addition, major earthquakes occurred in Crete, Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Kolosse, Campania, Rome, Judea and Pompeii (February 5, 63 AD). Other earthquakes are recorded in the Scriptures in Matthew 27: 51-54, Matthew 28: 2, and Acts 16:26.

For most of us it will be an amazing awakening to read this historic record of the coming of Christ on the clouds with His angels. The great news is that it is compelling evidence for the accuracy of the Bible and the divinity of Jesus Christ. If He indeed predicted the future accurately, then that is undeniable proof of His divine nature. Then Christianity suddenly becomes trustworthy. 

On the other hand this discovery of course raises many questions. What about the resurrection of the dead? Weren't we supposed to get a glorified body that is free of any sickness and pain? Doesn't the Bible say all Christians all over the world would fly through the sky, among the birds and airplanes, when Christ returns, called the 'rapture'? And wouldn't Jesus destroy the planet with fire, and create a brand new heaven and earth? What about the gospel being preached to all of mankind first? And the thousand year reign? Wouldn't Jesus take residence in a stone temple in Israel? And so on... 

We have all been taught so many things that would happen before, during or after the return of Jesus Christ, that it is almost impossible to accept that Jesus Christ was telling the truth and His coming indeed happened, during the first generation of Christians. It is however critical to discern between popular myths and biblical truth. In the next part of this study, we will therefore have an in depth look at what the Bible really says about the Second Coming. Would it indeed be a global event, as we have learned? Would every eye all over the planet see Him, all at the same time? Would it mean the total annihilation of all of mankind and God's universal creation? Would all Christians fly through the sky? Would all the dead physically crawl out of the their graves? 

When Jesus Christ mentioned His coming, He said the following:

'For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, 
and then He will repay each according to his works.' 
(Matthew 16:27)

Jesus said He would come to repay each one according to his works. That means He would come to judge. The apostles Paul, James, Peter and John all said the same thing:

When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God,
and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 
(2 Thessalonians 1:6-8)

'For we know Him who said, 
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 

And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” (...) 

For yet a little while,
and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.'
(Hebrews 10:30,31, 37)

'Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ... 
Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!'
(James 5:8,9)

'Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. 
And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, 
and in righteousness He judges and makes war.'
(Revelation 19:11)

Throughout the Old Testament the coming of the Lord in judgment, had also been announced abundantly. The prophet Isaiah for example, said: 

'For behold, the Lord will come with fire and with His chariots, 
like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, 
and His rebuke with flames of fire.' 
(Isaiah 66:15)

The next question is: who would be judged by Jesus Christ, at His coming on the clouds with His angels? To whom was Jesus speaking, when He predicted the judgment and His coming? Americans? Africans? Europeans? Asians? No. This is where a crucial principle for correct reading of the Bible comes into play: we have to respect the original audience to whom Jesus Christ was speaking. To whom was He sent? Who were the people He ministered to? To whom did He predict His coming? Who did He prepare for this event?

The apostle John wrote that Jesus came to 'his own', which is Israel:

'He came to that which was His own.' 
(John 1:11)

Jesus Christ Himself also made a clear statement that He was primarily sent to Israel:

'I was not sent except to the lost sheep 
of the house of Israel.' 
(Matthew 15:24)

Of course His salvation eventually spreads to all the nations of the world. But at first Jesus Christ was sent to Israel, to fulfill what God had promised to Israel. When we read the Old Testament, we see that God constantly announced two major events: on the one hand God predicted severe judgment over Israel, because they kept ignoring God's will and followed demons instead. Secondly God promised the restoration of the remnant of Israel. They would receive forgiveness, healing and a new future of hope. You can read this in books like Isaiah, Zachariah, Zephaniah, and so on.

It is basically what every prophet prophesied about. The end of ancient Israel would come, which was called the day of the Lord, His day of vengeance, the outpouring of His wrath, the day of Jacob's trouble, the end of all things, and so on. The era of ancient Israel would come to an end, in a catastrophic way. 

'Though your people Israel were as many 
as the sand on the seashore, 

only a remnant will return. 
Destruction has been decreed, 

and it will be overflowing with righteousness. 
For the Lord Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies, will complete 

the destruction he has decreed 
upon the whole land.' 
(Isaiah 10:22-23)

The destruction would however be followed by the glorious restoration of a brand new Jerusalem. This new Jerusalem would be very different from the old. While the old Jerusalem was characterized by wickedness, deception and rebellion, the new Jerusalem would truly be a place of righteousness.

'I will leave in your midst
A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness
And speak no lies,

Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;
For they shall feed their flocks and lie down,
And no one shall make them afraid.' 
(Zephaniah 3:12-13)

When would the remnant be restored?

Whenever God promised the restoration of the remnant of Israel, He said this would happen when the so called 'Messiah' would come. He would become the king of God's people and bring the reign of God on the earth. Therefore Israel was looking forward to this Messiah, this Anointed Servant of God who would save them. The prophet Jeremiah called this coming Messiah the 'branch of righteousness'. 

'Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, 
‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to
the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:
In those days and at that time
I will cause to grow up to David

A Branch of righteousness;
He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.' 
(Jeremiah 33:14-15)

That's why Jesus Christ quoted this passage from Isaiah, when He began His ministry:

'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God.'
(Isaiah 61:1-2)

It is critical to understand that Jesus Christ was first of all the promised Messiah who was sent to Israel. Only later would His light spread all over the world. That's why Christ only ministered within Israel. He was the Messiah of Israel! He had been announced by the prophets of Israel and came to fulfill everything they had prophesied concerning Israel. Jesus Christ constantly preached directly at the Israelites, and He predicted judgment over them, because they had murdered God's prophets. That's why Jesus said to His apostles that at His coming, they would judge Israel!

'When the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory,
you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, 
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
(Matthew 19:28)

The message of Jesus: a new kingdom!

During His years of ministry Jesus Christ indeed announced a new kingdom of God, which was His good news, or the gospel. Jesus would make all things new! The proclamation of the brand new kingdom, was His primary message:

'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.'
(Mark 1:15)

But He indeed also predicted the end of the old era. He went into great detail about this time of judgment over rebellious israel, in chapters 23, 24 and 25 of the gospel of Matthew.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Fools and blind!

You are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! 

How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 

Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,

that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, 

from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 
the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her... 

See! Your house is left to you desolate.”

(Matthew 23)

All of Jerusalem would become a wasteland, or in other words it would become entirely 'desolate'. But not only that, the holy temple - the most important element of Israel - would be thrown down to the last stone:

'His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things?

Assuredly, I say to you,
not one stone shall be left here upon another,
that shall not be thrown down."
(Matthew 24:1, 2)

Jesus said the Jews would receive the judgment of God. Why? Because they had murdered God's prophets. Now God's wrath would come upon them. Jerusalem would become desolate and the temple would be utterly destroyed. That would be the end of rebellious Israel. 

The judgment would happen at His coming 

How do we know for sure the judgment of Jerusalem would indeed be the 'coming of the Lord'? We know this because of the significant question the disciples asked Jesus, right after He announced God's wrath over Israel in Matthew 23. The disciples heard about all the horrible things that would happen to Jerusalem, and they asked Jesus:   

'Tell us, when will these things be? 
And what will be the sign of Your coming, 
and of the end of the age?'
(Matthew 24:3) 

They wanted to know when it would happen and therefore asked Jesus: 'When will these things be and what will be the sign of Your coming?' Being religious Jews, the disciples of course knew the Scriptures where the coming of the Lord to judge Jerusalem had been predicted. For example the prophets Isaiah and Micah had said:

'Zion shall be plowed like a field, 
Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, 
and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.' 
(Micah 3:10,12)

The coming of the Lord on the clouds of heaven was repeatedly announced all throughout the Old Testament. It was a basic message of the prophets, who warned Israel to stop sinning. Prophet Zechariah went into great detail about this coming of the Lord with His holy ones. He is the prophet who said the Lord would stand on the mount of Olives. Popular end time preachers often refer to this verse, to claim that we - Christians in the 21st century - will all see how Jesus Christ will stand on the mount of Olives, when He comes. But what does this verse truly say, when we read it in context? Let's see:

'I will gather all the nations AGAINST JERUSALEM to battle, 
and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, 
the women ravished and half of the city exiled... 
(...)
IN THAT DAY His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, 
which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; 
(...)
THEN the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!' 
(Zechariah 14:1-5)

First of all the Lord announces that He will gather the nations against Jerusalem to battle. In that day His feet would stand on the Mount of Olives. Then He would come with all His holy ones. When did that happen? Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, indeed during the generation of the first believers, as Jesus Christ had said.

How did the Lord stand on the Mount of Olives? The Bible teacher Ernest L. Martin mentions in his book 'Secrets of Golgotha' that a Jewish rabbi named Jonathan - an eyewitness of the destruction of Jerusalem - said the presence of God left the temple and stayed for 3.5 years on the Mount of Olives, hoping that Israel would repent, but they did not. In the meantime, a supernatural voice spoke from heaven: 'Return, apostate children. Return to Me and I will return to you.' When they did not repent, the voice said, 'I will return to My place.' (Secrets of Golgotha, by Ernest L. Martin. 84)

As we know the presence of God was in the temple of Jerusalem. During the siege of Jerusalem, it is known that His presence left the temple and moved to the Mount of Olives. Eusebius confirms this in his writings: 

'Which it is possible for us to see literally fulfilled in another way even to-day, since believers in Christ all congregate from all parts of the world, not as of old time because of the glory of Jerusalem, nor that they may worship in the ancient Temple at Jerusalem, but they rest there that they may learn both about the city being taken and devastated as the prophets foretold, and that they may worship at the Mount of Olives opposite to the city, whither the glory of the Lord migrated when it left the former city.'

(Proof of the Gospel, Book VI, Chapter 18)

Isaiah announced judgment
over Judah and Jerusalem

That the judgment would be upon ancient Israel, is also obvious when we read who the original audience was of the prophets.  When Isaiah started prophesying, he clearly wrote to whom he was speaking:

'The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz,
which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.'
(Isaiah 1:1)

'The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw 
concerning Judah and Jerusalem.'
(Isaiah 2:1)

Isaiah was sent to prophecy against Judah and Jerusalem. The judgments he predicted have nothing to do with all of mankind. The gentiles were ignorant concerning the Lord and His will. To Judah and Jerusalem however the Lord had revealed Himself, He had saved them from slavery in Egypt, He had performed countless mighty miracles in their midst and had rescued them many times from their enemies. They had seen the light, they had experienced God's goodness, they were in possession of His law. Yet they kept rebelling against God and followed the evil one instead. God kept sending His prophets to them, to call them to repentance. But they not only rejected but even murdered God's prophets. Throughout the centuries, they filled up the measure of God's wrath. The Lord announced through Isaiah that He would cut Israel down like a tree. On the stump a new branch would come up: Jesus Christ.

'Israel will be like a tree cut down, 
whose stump still lives to grow again.'
(Isaiah 6:13 TLB)

'The royal line of David will be cut off, 
chopped down like a tree; 
but from the stump will grow a Shoot
—yes, a new Branch from the old root. 

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, 
the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might;
 the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.' 
(Isaiah 11:1,2 TLB)

So what did Isaiah say, concerning the judgment over Judah and Jerusalem? He uttered words, that were repeated by apostle John in the book of Revelation. John wrote that during the outpouring of God's wrath, people would hide in the rocks, for the anger of the Lord.

'And the kings of the earth, the great men, 
the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, 

hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 

and said to the mountains and rocks, 
“Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him 
who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 
For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
(Revelation 6:15-17)

Many end time preachers have used this verse, just like they used the verse about the Lord standing on the Mount of Olives, to tell us God will pour out such wrath on all of mankind, that everybody will try to hide in the ground. But John was simply repeating what Isaiah had prophesied, and he said who these people would be: 'The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.' (Isaiah 2:1) Isaiah explained that God would judge them because of their sins:

'For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob,
Their land is also full of idols.'
(Isaiah 2:6)

Then, in the next verses, Isaiah speaks about people hiding in the rocks, for the terror of the Lord:

'Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty.'
(Isaiah 2:10)

Just like the prophet Zechariah, Isaiah said the coming of the Lord in His terribly majesty, causing people to hide in the rocks, is when He would judge Judah and Jerusalem or 'the house of Jacob'. The disciples of Jesus Christ knew this very well. The theme of the terror of the Lord, the day of the Lord, the outpouring of His wrath on Israel, the day of His vengeance, the destruction of Jerusalem, His coming with His holy ones, was engrafted into their minds. It was a very common theme throughout the Old Testament. That's why the disciples asked Jesus, after He had announced the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple:

'Tell us, when will these things be?
And what will be the sign of Your coming, 
and of the end of the age?' 
(Matthew 24:3)

Who was causing trouble?

That is also what the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, when he gave them the promise of finding relief at the coming of the Lord. Who were the ones persecuting the Christians and the apostles? Paul explained it in his letter:

'...the Judeans, 
who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, 
and have persecuted us; 
...wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.” 
(1 Thessalonians 2:14-16)

It were the unbelieving Jews who persecuted Jesus Christ, the apostles and all Christians. Their forefathers had murdered God's prophets and now the generation to which Jesus was sent, even murdered their very own Messiah. By killing Christ and persecuting the apostles and Christians, they had filled up the measure of their sins and the time of wrath had come. 

The Lord will judge His people

The author of the letter to the Hebrews also declared that the coming of the Lord would mean God's judgment over His people, which is Israel:

'For we know Him who said, 
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 

And again, 
“The Lord will judge His people.” 

For yet a little while, and 
He who is coming will come and will not tarry.' 
(Hebrews 10:30,31 37)

What did Jesus say to the Jews,
about His coming?

As we saw already in this study, Jesus Christ prepared the believing Jews in Jerusalem for the coming destruction. He gave them specific instructions:

'Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

Therefore you also be ready, 

for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.'

(Matthew 24)

Wouldn't every eye see Jesus coming?

Now wait a second here.... doesn't Scripture say 'every eye will see Him'? Yes indeed! But we have to apply the key principles for a correct understanding of Scripture. Let's read the verse that says every eye would see Jesus and then check the context and source text.

'Behold, He is coming with clouds, 
and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. 
And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.'
(Revelation 1:7)

First of all it says 'those who pierced Him'. Did Americans, Africans, Asians or Europeans pierce Him? No, it were the Jews who sent Jesus to the cross! Secondly we read 'all the tribes of the earth'. Is that really what it says in the Greek? Here's a screenshot of the original meaning of the word 'earth':

As you can see, the Greek word here is 'GE' which also means 'LAND, COUNTRY, REGION'. Therefore this verse could just as well have been translated as: 'All the tribes of the land'. Would that have been a more accurate translation than 'earth'? Well... is the whole earth divided in 'tribes'? Of course not! What is divided in tribes? The LAND of Israel! There were twelve tribes in Israel. It is absurd to translate this word as earth, while it speaks about tribes! Israel is a land (Greek = GE) that was divided in tribes. So a very simple check with the original Greek text, and looking at the verse with a little more attention, reveals this has been dramatically mistranslated. First it speaks about those who pierced Him, and then it says all the tribes of the land. That is Israel!

The House of David would see Jesus coming!

That it was indeed Israel who would see Christ on the clouds, is confirmed when we read a prophecy by Zechariah, concerning the judgment of Jerusalem and the coming of the Lord:

'And I will pour on the house of David 
and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; 
then they will look on Me whom they pierced. ...
 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem.'
(Zechariah 12:10,11)

The House of David would look on Him whom they pierced and there would be a great mourning in Jerusalem. That is exactly what Revelation 1:7 says about the Second Coming! Also Jesus Christ referred to these words by Zechariah when He spoke about His coming on the clouds:

'Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 
and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, 
and they will see the Son of Man coming 
on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.'
(Matthew 24:30)

Did Jesus announce the end of the world?

When we read the gospels, chances are we have a Bible translation that tells us Jesus Christ constantly predicted the end of the 'world'. This actually was a main theme of His message: He prepared His followers for the end of all things. Or did He? Let's have a look at some of Jesus' words, and check their original meaning in the Greek.

'What shall be the sign of thy coming, 
and of the end of the world?'
(Matthew 24:3)

We have already seen that the disciples asked Jesus this question concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. So.... why would they suddenly talk about the end of the whole planet? That doesn't make any sense! Jesus didn't announce God's wrath over the entire world, He talked about God's judgment over Israel, because they had murdered God's prophets. So why do our Bibles talk about the end of the 'world'? Because they have been dramatically mistranslated. The original Greek word that was translated here as 'world' means something totally different. It is the Greek word AION which means 'a space of time, an age'. Here's a screenshot with the meaning of the word Aion:

That makes total sense, because Jesus Christ indeed came to end the Old Testament and start a new chapter in God's book: the New Testament! Christ ended the old age of a stone temple in a stone Jerusalem with a law written on stone. He created a brand new world where we are now the temple of God, He dwells in us, and together we are the new Jerusalem, His Bride. The law is no longer written on stone, but is now written in our heart. God now dwells in our midst and from within us, He expands His reign over the earth.

Will the earth be destroyed?

But didn't Jesus also speak about the passing away of the heavens and the earth? He sure did, but He meant something different than we think. Because while saying the heaven and earth would pass away, He also told the people to flee to the mountains. That is absurd if the literal earth is passing away! So He wasn't speaking about a literal passing away of all of God's creation. After all, he had promised the earth to the meek:

'Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.'
(Matthew 5:5)

More about the true biblical meaning of the 'passing away of heaven and earth' is explained later in this study. What we have to understand at this point, is that Jesus Christ never announced the end of the world. He always used the word AION which means TIME PERIOD.

False Bible translations are the main reason why millions of Christians incorrectly believe the entire planet earth is about to be destroyed. They read in their Bibles how Jesus predicted the end of the 'world' and since that hasn't happened yet, they conclude it must be in our near future. The opposite is however true. Jesus didn't announce the destruction of our beautiful planet, He announced the end of the age of the old covenant of the law. He ended that time period and created something brand new: a new covenant sealed with His own blood. A new wineskin to hold the new wine of the Spirit of God. A new command to love one another. A new kingdom which we experience in the Spirit of God. A new Jerusalem which is our free mother, says the apostle Paul.

What were the last days?

When Jesus Christ preached both the coming judgment over Israel and the new kingdom of God, He said this would all happen very soon. He never suggested it would take place in a dazzlingly remote future, thousands of years later. On the contrary He imprinted it on the hearts of His audience how quick He would come.

The disciples of Jesus knew that the end of the rebellious Jewish age was drawing near. That's why the Jews went about as roaring lions, devouring all the Christians. Satan, who was their father, the prince of the air of that age, knew that his end was coming. He would be judged by Christ. These years would therefore be extremely violent and difficult for the first Christians. Jesus even wondered: "Will I still find faith when I come?" That question is often used to say that in our time there will be hardly any true believers left, when Christ comes. But that is absurd, since there are now more Christians worldwide than there have ever been throughout all of history combined! There are hundreds of millions of Christians and this number is daily increasing.

Conclusion: what is the Second Coming?

The coming of Christ on the clouds of heaven would be His judgment over Israel and also the start of His new kingdom. He would end the old age and a brand new kingdom of God would break forth. This new kingdom of God is however not earthly and political, like the old Israel. Jesus Christ said this new kingdom of God can only be seen by those who are born again from the Spirit. It is a spiritual or a heavenly kingdom. It's in our hearts! Jesus called this 'true worship'. God is Spirit and true worshippers worship Him in Spirit. There is no more need to travel to an earthly Jerusalem. God can now be worshipped and experienced all over the world, wherever we are! He is in our midst, we are His temple, He dwells with us! That is the heart of the new covenant and the kingdom of God.

To be continued...

Of course discovering the truth about the Second Coming raises a thousand questions. Our minds have been so strongly molded by the ideas from dispensationalism - even if we aren't aware of it - that we have to transform the way we look at the Bible. We are not living in a waiting room for thousands of years, we are living in the living and present reality of the Kingdom of God. It is not a political kingdom, but a spiritual reality that we enter through the Spirit of God. But... what about the glorified body, the resurrection of the dead, there being no more sickness or grief, the millennium, and so on? All these questions will be answered in the future, in a book I am preparing.

But why stay in the darkness of a very obvious, anti-biblical doctrine because you don't understand the fullness of the truth yet? Let's recognize what Jesus Christ and the apostles said about the kingdom and the coming of Christ, and acknowledge history that proves how right they were. Once we have a firm foundation of the basic truths, we can then grow into a deeper understanding of the questions we have. But sticking to a destructive deception, because you don't see the whole picture of the truth yet, is not helpful. My book will answer your questions thoroughly, but you need to be a little patient. In the meanwhile I encourage you to read this study again, so you begin to grasp the truth more and more.

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