Jesus Provides the Signs of His Return

My pulse quickens when I read the words of men who love and study Scripture, and write passionately about our blessed hope, which is the return of our Lord. These writers that I speak of may be hard to find in mainstream bookstores because they penned their tomes more than 150 years ago (in fact, I did a Google search on “bestselling Christian books” and could not find one book about His second coming).

Fortunately, many of these wonderful books are now available in the public domain, and a lot of them can be downloaded for free to your computer or ebook reader, thanks to Google Books. 

At the moment, I am reading G.H. Pember’s book, "The Great Prophecies Concerning the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Church of God,” and I was struck by his statement that the signs of Jesus’ first coming are not as fully depicted in Scripture as those of His second.

That inspired me to run to the gospels to see what Jesus says about His second coming. I found at least 25 passages where Jesus either refers to His return in the clouds during the rapture (when believers will be gathered up to meet Him in the air) or the second advent, when He will come in the clouds again, but this time will physically stand on the earth and rule and reign with His bride when He establishes His millennial kingdom. 

What are these signs that Jesus speaks of?  Here are few:

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:27)

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory . (Matthew 24:30)

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors . (Matthew 24:32-33) 

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37-39) 

Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64) 

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. (Mark 13:24-27) 

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.  (Luke 17:26-30) 

In Luke 12:56, Jesus says, “Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?”

Jesus was talking about His first advent in that passage, but if He were to return today, I believe He might have a similar rebuke for many professed believers. This should not be a surprise for Scripture hints that the remnant of believers who are eagerly watching for His return will be very small, based on what Jesus says in Luke 18:8:

“However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”