5:1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you 5:2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 5:3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 5:4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5:5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong the night or the darkness. 5:6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, butting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (New International Version)

Last month, March 26, at Rancho Santa Fe, 39 men and women were found dead. At first, all people were thought to be men, because all were bald, wearing black clothing, and black Nike shoes. Afterwards, it was discovered that among the dead are 18 men and 21 women, ranging from 18 to 72 years old. First, 15 people, the next day, another 15 people, and then on the next day, 9 people committed suicide using sleeping pills. Those people believed that the Hale-Bop Comet approaching the earth is the sign of the space craft behind it from which the extraterrestrials are coming to receive them and bring them to heaven on the space craft. Each man and woman had a five dollar bill and some coins in their hands, and a suitcase beside each one of them for the trip to heaven.

But, did these people really go to heaven? No! There is no one but Jesus Christ who can lead us to the Kingdom. Only Jesus Christ who came from heaven can lead us to heaven. Only Jesus Christ who died for us and triumphed over the power of death, being resurrected, can give us eternal life. The person who will come to receive us, is not extraterrestrials coming with the comet, but Jesus Christ who created the Universe. As the Apostles' Creed states, "From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."

How Christ Will Come

The Bible calls the coming of Christ as the second coming, meaning that He will come again. Why the Bible calls it that? Because He came once before. The first time, He was born as a baby in Bethlehem, and lived as a man just like us. He lived in poverty and hardship, but in holiness and righteousness. As we learned last week, He went back to Heaven after the cross and resurrection. Jesus Christ will come again from Heaven, and visit the world we live in.

Some people believe that the second coming means Christ comes to our hearts when we believe Him. Others say that the second coming means meeting Christ when we finish living on this earth. Are they right? No! The second coming is not like that. When Christ went up to Heaven, and when the disciples were looking up to the sky, the angels told them, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand there looking into the sky? The same Jesus who has been taken from you to Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven." (Acts 1:11) Jesus Christ will come down as in the same way as He went up to Heaven. That means Christ will come down from the sky visible to the human eye. When He went up to Heaven only a handful of disciples saw the sight, but when He comes again, many people in the whole wide world will see the sight.

In Revelation 1:7 it is written, "Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen."

Just like the first coming of Christ, being born in Bethlehem, is the historical fast, the second coming of Christ will be an actual event at the end of history. It will not be just an experience in faith for Christians only. In fact, there are prophecies on the second coming of Christ found in the Bible several times more than the prophecies on the first coming. We are looking forward to the second coming of Christ based on the Bible.

Why Christ Will Come Again

Let us think why Christ will come again. There are three purposes for this. First, it is to complete our salvation. We are already relieved from condemnation of our sins through the sacrificial death of Christ, and are protected from the power of sin by the Holy Spirit. But, as long as we live in this world, we are not free from the existence of sin. Christ will lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven where sin does not exist.

The second purpose is to judge this world as the Apostles' Creed states, "He shall come to judge the quick and the dead." Why is the judgment emphasized? Because when Christ came into this world the first time, His focus was on the salvation of mankind. Since Christ is the Son of God and the glorious King, He could have wiped out whosoever opposed Him. However, if He did that, nobody would have been saved. Christ gave Himself up for our sins as if He was a sacrificial lamb. Therefore, it is written in the Gospel of John, "For God did not send His into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:17) And Christ Himself said in John 12:47, "I do not judge Him. For I did not come to judge the world but to save it." But, at the second time, He will come to judge the world as it is written in 2 Thessalonians, "God is just; He will pay back troubles to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you." (1:6-10)

The third purpose is to establish a new order in this world. God made this world wonderfully and mankind was to rule this world righteously for God. But, what happened? As mankind rebelled against God, the world became corrupted. Certainly, human wisdom and knowledge grew rapidly and many great civilizations were built up, and it even came to the point that worldwide communication and development have been realized. But did mankind become happy? No! On the contrary, people are losing the meaning and purpose of life, families are being destroyed, and societies are facing confusion. Even the natural world has been destroyed by the sins of mankind. The earth, which is the only star we can live on, is in a critical condition facing death. Even two thousand years ago, the Bible stated as follows, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (Romans 8:22) In order to recover the right order of this world it is needed to wipe out the sins of mankind and to establish God's righteousness through God's judgment. And when the salvation of the people who believe in God is completed, this world will be restored.

Let us read the few verses preceding the above mentioned verse (Romans 8:22). It says, "The creation waits in eager expectation for the Son of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." (Romans 8:19-20)

"The glorious freedom of the children of God" means the completion of our salvation, not only with our souls, but also with our bodies, being changed into the glorious ones when Christ will come again.

In 2 Peter 3:13 it is written, "But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." It will be realized when Christ will come again.

When Will Christ Come Again

Then when will Christ come again? It is certain that the day is near, but nobody knows exactly when. Christ Himself said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:36-37) Do you understand what it means by "the days of Noah?" It means that people did not believe in the words of Noah when he said that the judgment of God is near. Then the flood came. Noah and his family and the animals went into the Ark. God closes the door of the Ark, so that water does not get into it. Afterwards, those who did not believe what Noah said must have wanted to get into the Ark, but the door was already closed. The people must have regretted, but Noah could only say, "Sorry, we are closed."

Also in 1 Thessalonians, it says that nobody knows the time of the second coming of Christ. "For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (5:2-3) However, on the otherhand it says, "But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief." (5:4) It may sound contradictory, but since Christians wait expectantly for the second coming and are prepared for it, whenever the Lord comes they will not be surprised, and will feel that Christ came at the appropriate time. Noah who was building the Ark did not know when the flood will come, nor the exact date, but when the flood came, he must have felt that "that was to happen, has happened."

The attitude that we are to have in awaiting the second coming of Christ is taught in 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8. "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong the night or the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, butting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." (5:5-8) We do not fear or panic that the end of the world is nearing. For us, it is not the end of the world, but the beginning of the Kingdom of God, which is not something we should fear, but is what we have been hoping for a long time. No matter how the times change, as stated in verse 8, we walk under the banners of "Faith," "Hope," and "Love." Come to think of it, there are three words mentioned in chapter 1. In verse 3 of chapter 1 it says, "work produced by faith," "labor prompted by love," and "endurance inspired by hope." Christ will come again. We who live with this hope, will keep our faith with endurance, proclaim the Gospel, and diligently pursue good works in this generation.

Prayer Dear Heavenly Father, the time of the second coming of Christ, which you promised, is approaching. Prior to Christ's return, immorality will become rampant, people will go away from the faith, and the anti-Christ will spread idol worship all over the world. Satan will torment those who believe in Christ, in visible or non-visible ways. But we are not afraid. Christ will come and give us victory, and will realize the Kingdom as He promised. People are afraid that mankind will eventually perish. But, we have the hope of an eternal world. The gospel must be proclaimed to the whole world before Christ will come again. Please guide us and help us to share the hope that you have given us with others. At this time, please prepare us as the Church that is the Bride, who wholeheartedly awaits Christ. We pray in the name of Christ, our Lord who is to eventually come. Amen.

(Preached at SDJCC, April 13, 1997)