Chapter Thirteen - Doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ [Part 1] I. His Second Coming Will Be a Factual Event II. The Events Which Are To Take Place Before His Coming III. The Time of His Second Coming IV. The Present Day and the Day of Jesus Christ, Viewed From the Synchronization Theory V. Several Theories As to the Manner of His Coming VI. The Place of the Second Coming 1. The Nation Should Establish the National Foundation According to the Principle of Indemnity and Restoration 2. The Nation Must Be God's Front Line and, At the Same Time, Satan's Front Line 3. The Nation Must Be the Objective Position of the Heart of God (Who Is the Subjective Position) 4. The Nation Should, As a Chosen Nation, Have Spiritual Proofs from God. 5. All Past Civilizations Must Culminate in the Chosen Nation VII. What Are the Purposes of His Second Coming? 1. To Consummate God's Ideal Creation of Man and the Universe 2. To End the Dominion of Satan Over the Earth and the Spirit-World 3. To Complete and Fulfill the Prophecies of the Old and New Testaments 4. To Restore All Conditions and Important Individuals That Have Been Lost to Satan Since the Beginning of God's Restoration Providence 5. To Bring One Faith to Mankind by Uniting the Scattered Christian Denominations and All Major Religions 6. To Bring One Language on Earth 7. To Receive All Things as the Lord of the Universe and to be Received by All Mankind as Their Father VIII. How Can We Be Ready For His Second Coming? 1. Our Hearts Must Not be Weighed Down with Dissipation and Drunkenness and the Cares of This Life 2. Our Daily Life Must be Godly, Sober and Righteous, and Ws Must Constantly Be Looking Forward to the Blessed Hope Described in the Bible 3. Our Hearts Must Be Ready for New Ideas and New Truths Which Will Change the Old Ideas 4. We Must Be Watchful 5. We Must Battle Satan by Constantly Praying and Searching for the Hidden Truth in the Bible 6. We Must Occupy 10 Pounds Till He Comes I. His Second Coming Will Be A Factual Event That His Second Coming will be a factual event is known through the testimonies of Jesus, the Apostles, and heavenly beings and by the Lord's Supper. The references are as follows: The testimony of Jesus: Matthew 16:27: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Matthew 25:31-32: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (32) And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:" John 14:2-3: "In my Father's house are many-mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also." John 21:22: "Jesus saith unto him 'If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." The testimony of the Apostles: By Paul: Philippians 3:20-21: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Titus 2:13: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" Hebrews 9:28: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." By James: James 5:7: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (8) Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. By Peter: II Peter 1:16: "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." By Jude: Jude 14-15: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." By John: Revelation 1:7: "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." The testimony of heavenly beings: Acts 1:10:11: "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." The testimony in the Lord's Supper I Corinthians 11:26: "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." II. The Events Which Are to Take Place Before His Coming Though there is no universal agreement among scholars and theologians as to what events will take place before His return, what is written about these events is to be interpreted. It is generally agreed that the following events will occur: The calling of the gentiles and their participation in the Coming Kingdom according to: Matthew 24:14 Matthew 13:31-32 Mark 13:10 Acts 15:14 Romans 11:25 Romans 9:24-26 Matthew 8:11 Ephesians 2:1.1,20 The conversion of Israel according to: Zechariah 12:10 Zechariah 13:1 Romans 11:25-29 II Corinthians 3:15-16 The great apostasy and the great tribulation according to: Matthew 24:9-12 Matthew 24:21-24 Mark 13:9-22 Luke 21:22-24 The appearance of the antichrist according to: Daniel 7:8 I John 4:3 Daniel 7:23-26 II John 7 I John 2:18,22 Revelation 13:18 Many signs and wonders such as wars, rumors of war, famines, and earthquakes a according to: Matthew 24:20-30 Mark 13:24-25 Luke 21:25-26 Let us discuss the above events in detail. It is very difficult to interpret these scriptures so as to determine to which of the events that actually take place the scriptures refer. Since the beginning of the 19th century, many Christian missions have been established in many countries to bring the gospel of Jesus to non-Jewish peoples. Almost every part of the earth has received Christianity. So, in this sense, the calling of the gentiles is fulfilled I and now is the time of His Coming. But if we believe that Christians are the gentiles which have been called, then a great deal of confusion will be produced and it will be very difficult to determine which of the events that occur are the ones referred to in the Bible. Concerning the conversion of Israel, it is true that many Jews have been converted to Christianity and that there was a restoration of a nation in the Holy Land during 1948, as the Pre-millennialists, who believe that this must take place immediately before or during the Millennial reign of Christ, insist. But other scholars doubt that Israel will be re-established as a nation and turn to the Lord. Further, they argue that while some Old Testament prophecies seem to predict that this will happen, they insist that these scriptures should be interpreted in the light of the New Testament. They maintain that the New Testament does not justify the expectation of a future restoration and conversion of the Jews. Jesus spoke plainly of the opposition of the Jews to His Coming Kingdom and of the certainty that the Jews would lose their place in the Coming Kingdom, even though in a sense they could be said to be "of the Kingdom" (see Matthew 9:11-12, 21:26-27, 22:1-14, and Luke 13:1-9). He, Himself, informed the Jews that the Kingdom would be taken from them and given to "a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof." But He did not even hint that there would be a restoration or conversion of Israel. The fact that He is silent on this subject is very significant. So He will not come to the Jews and another nation will be chosen. Paul's discussion in Romans 9:11 and Romans 10 shows clearly that the promises of God to Israel do not apply to Israel according to the flesh, but to spiritual Israel. Thus, according to the statements of Jesus and Paul, the conversion and restoration of Israel are doubtful and there is a possibility that some nation other than Israel will be chosen.