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ARE you a believer in the Bible? If so, then you should believe that Christ, who visibly left the earth nearly 2,000 years ago, will come back again, and appear personally among men, to finish the great work that God, his Father, has given him to do.

1. Because the Bible records that angels declared to the Apostles that he would come again in the same way that he went away.

"And while they [the apostles] were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." " (Acts 1:10-11 ESV).

If the Lord Jesus is to come "in the same way" as the apostles saw him go into heaven, he will come down to the earth again physically, visibly, and literally, because it was in a physical, literal, and visible way that the disciples saw him go up.

2. Because Jesus himself, when on this earth, repeatedly stated that though he would have to depart, he would come again.

"For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done." (Matthew 16:27).

In a parable, in which Jesus pictured himself as "a nobleman", and heaven as "a far country", Jesus said:

"He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. ... When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.  " (Luke 19:12,15).

The actual nature of Christ's going away shows us the actual nature of his coming back. The words "when he returned" cannot mean the spread of his doctrine, for he also said, "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8)

Likewise the return of Christ cannot mean the coming of death to his people, for Paul speaks of those who are still "alive at the coming of the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:15), and says of them that they "will not sleep" (1 Corinthians 15:5 1).

3. Because the apostles also preached the literal return of Christ.

Peter said: "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus," (Acts 3 :19-20).

Paul wrote: "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ... when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe ... when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed." (2 Thessalonians 1:7,10).

If the apostles preached the second coming of Christ, then that second coming should also be part of Christian preaching today. There is no modern source of revelation which can contradict the teaching of the apostles in the First Century.

4. Because in their letters, the apostles refer to it as an event to be expected and waited for.

"waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of the great God, and our saviour Christ Jesus" (Titus 2:13 - ASV, Jerusalem Bible, NRSV footnote and Greek text)

 "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." (Hebrews 9:28). 

"Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom... Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:1,8)

"set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13).

5. Because the prophets also prophesy Christ's coming in power and great glory.

"that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus... And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. (Acts 3:21,24 -  "these days" refers to the "times of refreshing").

"I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven" (Daniel 7:13)

"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).

We cannot explain away these statements. Some people may claim that the verses about Christ's return only have a figurative meaning. But such a claim is ruled out by the literal nature of Christ's first appearing, which was also the subject of prophecy before it happened. If we read all the prophecies that foretell Christ's first appearing; and study the facts of his first appearing in the light of these predictions, then in the same way we will see it is impossible to give any other interpretation than a literal interpretation to the prophecies of his second appearing. 

Conclusion

Please note how very important it is that we should have Bible-based views on the subject, in view of the fact testified above, that the individual benefits of his coming are for "eagerly wait for him" (Hebrews 9:28), and for "those who love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).