One day in the middle of March, 1942, General Douglas MacArthur, having made a gallant stand on the Philippine Islands in the name of the Allied offensive, strode to a microphone and almost casually told a group of anxious reporters: “The President of the United States ordered me to break through the Japanese lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia for the purpose of organizing the American offensive against Japan. I came through, and I shall return.”
Those historic words, “I shall return,” became the watchword of the Filipino people for the duration of the Japanese occupancy of their homeland. As MacArthur, in his memoirs, said regarding his promised return: “It lit a flame that became a symbol which focused the nation’s indomitable will and at whose shrine it finally attained victory, and, once again, founded freedom. It was scraped in the sands of the beaches—it was daubed on the walls of the barrios, it was stamped on the mail, it was whispered in the cloisters of the church—it became the battle cry of the great underground swell that no Japanese bayonet could still!”
“I shall return!” Those same words, spoken by the Captain of the greatest army ever enlisted, spoken initially to a band of 11 saintly soldiers gathered around a table in an upper room, became the battle cry of the Soldiers of the Cross, the Army of the Redeemed in Christ. “I shall return.” The Captain said it: “Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me: 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, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again.” (John 14:1-3)
The promised return of Jesus Christ is the believer’s motive for faithful, victorious Christian living today—and has been since the Church was founded. Paul urged the Thessalonica church to “wait for God’s Son from heaven, Whom God raised from the dead.” (2 Thess. 1:10) He pleaded with the Corinthian church that they “come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Cor.1:7) Note with me the sequence of His coming again, the surety of it, the signs of it, and the significance to it, as outlined in the scriptures:
- The Sequence. First, in what is called the Rapture, He will come in the air to catch away His bride, the Church. The dead in Christ shall rise first, then those who are alive shall be caught up together with the rising “dead” to meet the Lord in the air, ever to be with Him. (I Thess. 4:13-18) Second, in the Return proper at the end of seven years of tribulation following the Rapture, Jesus will come back—this time to the earth, with His Church, to establish His millennial kingdom, reigning from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. (Rev. 19; Matt. 24)
- The Surety. It is as certain as are the promises of God. The proof of it is in the power demonstrated in the resurrection of God’s Son by His Father. To this proof He adds His pledge: “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.” (I Thess.4:14; cf. Matt.24) His return is sealed by His promise: “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.” (Acts. 1:11) Peter affirmed that “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise…But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” (2 Pet. 3:9,10)
- The Signs. John the Apostle said, “These are the last times.” (I John 2:18) Paul characterized the last days as “perilous times,” during which men would be “lovers of their own selves,” and 17 more degrading trademarks of the general population, worldwide, that would point toward an imminent second coming of Christ (2 Tim.3:1-5). One might note that these signs have been characteristic of mankind since John said, plainly, that “these are the last times,” and they will prevail until Jesus comes again to establish His rule and reign of righteousness.
More specific signs, though, were given to the Apostles by Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 24. The first eight verses of that “Olivet Discourse” outlined some general signs, including the prevalence of false Christs, wars and rumors of wars, nations rising up against nations, famines, pestilences, persecution, and earthquakes. These were the “beginning of sorrows,” and they preceded the trip-hammer series of seals, trumpets, and vial judgments of the Tribulation, through which God will pour out His wrath upon the earth. The Tribulation will last seven years, and during this time the “man of sin,” (the Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2) will make his ugly appearance, accompanied by the beast and false prophet, comprising an unholy trinity. (Rev. 13) The last half of this seven-year holocaust will be a time of “Great Tribulation,” the likes of which the world will have never witnessed. Multiply the horrendous devastation of whole neighborhoods in the wild-wind generated fires that destroyed homes and lives recently in Maui, HI, to a worldwide scope and you will get a mental image of the magnitude of this total purging of the earth, its surface, and its population.
- The Significance. First, to the unbeliever, the Tribulation of seven years preceding His return will be a time of cataclysmic physical judgments of God unleashed upon a rebellious mankind; there will, however, be millions saved during this time, as the gospel is preached by 144,000 Jewish evangelists (Rev.7), and by messengers via multimedia airwaves beaming the gospel message in tongues of all peoples of every nation and tribe; (Rev.14:6,7) The Second Coming of Christ to earth will conclude this period. Second, to the believer, the second coming will mean that we who have been declared “kings and priests” will “reign on earth” with Christ for 1,000 years, after which time shall be no more and we shall eternally inhabit heaven with God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the saints of all ages, and the holy angels. (Rev.5:10; 20:6)
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Pet. 3:l0-12)
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matt .24:36,42)
YOU and GOD 