The next event on God’s calendar is the Second Coming of Christ for believers. His first coming is the theme of the Old Testament. Specific revelations about the Savior inform us of His nationality, birth, life and death. After Christ’s resurrection, He ascends back to heaven and the angels announce that He will come again.

There are three words in the Greek language that describe His Second Coming. I Thessalonians 2:19 uses the word parousia which translates as “coming.” This word is used to describe the presence or arrival of a king to a province in his kingdom. The first time Jesus comes in humility as a servant. His crown is made of thorns and He dies as our Savior. At His next coming, however, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Him as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. His Sovereignty, Lordship and authority will be recognized by ALL. Jesus will claim His throne and establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

The second word is apokalupsis which is found in 1 Peter 4:13. It translates as “revealed”, meaning the unveiling. The same word also translates as “revelation”, the title of the last book of God’s Word. When Jesus Christ comes the first time, He is veiled in humanity and appears only as a mortal man. Very few recognize, by faith, who He really is. With His Second Coming, there will be no denial or mistake that this man of Galilee is the Creator, the Great Judge, King, Savior and God of this universe.

A third word in 2 Timothy 1:10 is epiphaneia, which translates as “manifest.” This word is used in reference to Caesar when he appears to his people as a god to be worshipped. Jesus comes the first time as the Son of Man to redeem humanity from their sins, whereas His Second Coming will be as God the Son to be recognized as deity. Jesus’ birth, the incarnation, is God in the flesh. His name, Emmanuel, means God with us. He comes the first time, dwells among us and is crucified. His return will be in Great Glory as the Sovereign of this universe to be worshipped.

Christ’s Second Coming mirrors His first with very few looking for Him. Some will dismiss His return, a few will mock it, but most will ignore it. I believe there are many unusual signs in the Bible pointing to His coming again. They are so well-known they have become a common topic of conversation with some of them being the weather, our society being out of control and the condition of the world. His coming again is called the “blessed hope” because our hope is not in this world. Mankind cannot solve its own problems, only the Lord can do that. His return fulfills His promise to bring us to His perfect world for eternity.

STEVE CONWELL, pastor of Marantha Baptist Church is heard mornings on WFLO and WVHL in “A Thought For Today.” His email address is SteveConwell@outlook.com.