Much has been said and written regarding the return of the Lord Jesus. Many great and wonderful messages have been delivered by godly faithful men, for which we praise and thank God. At the same time there has been much speculation and guessing in regard to various phases of the Second Coming. On this account the glorious hope of the Lord's return has fallen into disfavor with many people. Notwithstanding this sad situation, we, who wish to be faithful to the Lord Jesus in all things, should proclaim the truth on all prophetic matters—speaking forth the Word of Life in love.

I wish to look at some Old Testament prophecies relating to the coming of the Lord, and then to turn to the New Testament for supplemental information.

OLD TESTAMENT PREDICTION REGARDING THE MESSIAH'S SECOND COMING

One of the basic passages dealing with the Lord's return is found in Israel's national anthem, recorded in Deuteronomy, chapter 32.

Latter Part of the Tribulation and the Second Coming of the Lord according to Moses

A glance at this chapter shows that Moses gave a general survey of the course of Jewish history through the centuries, from his day to the second coming of the Lord; but in this study we shall look only at that which pertains to the final tribulation and the return of the Lord. This message is found in verses 34-43.

In verses 34-48 we find a prediction relative to the time when God will arise and take vengeance upon all His enemies. This period is, verse 35, called the day of their (Israel's) calamity. At that time He will judge, in the sense of vindicate, His people and repent Himself for His servants "When He seeth that their power is gone and there is none remaining shut up or left at large." This part of the prediction will be fulfilled at the very end of the Tribulation when the power of the holy people is broken in pieces (Dan 12:7).

In verses 39-43 we have one of the most vivid and graphic pictures of the Second Coming of the Lord, which occurs at the end of the Tribulation. This passage is so very fundamental and basic to the proper understanding of the Second Coming of Christ that every one who reads this article should stop and study it most carefully. Upon this one description many Old testament passages are based.

The Second Coming According to Habakkuk

Habakkuk engaged in his ministry toward the close of the monarchy in Israel. As a glance at chapter one indicates, the Chaldean armies were then on the march in their aggressive action against the small nations of western Asia, which bought about the downfall of the kingdom of Judah and brought to an end the Jewish monarchy.

In chapter 3, verses 1-15, we have a vivid prophecy of the Tribulation followed by the glorious coming of our Lord. In verse 2 we have a brief statement summarizing the activity of God during the Tribulation, which is one of seven years duration. The prophet was given a vision of this time of unparalleled suffering, sorrow, and distress. He also saw the work of God being brought to a standstill in the midst of the years—the years of the Tribulation. He, therefore, prayed very earnestly that God would revive it at that time. The work which is stopped is evidently the preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the nations of the world. When this passage is studied in the light of such others as Revelation chapter 7, it is learned that there will be a mighty movement toward God in the first half of the Tribulation, which is brought to a close—to a dead standstill—in the very middle of the Tribulation. Habakkuk sees that awful tragedy and therefore prays that God will revive His work in the middle of the Tribulation. This prayer will be answered, as we see from a careful study of the book of Revelation.

In Habakkuk 3, verses 3-13, we have one of the most graphic and arresting pictures of the Second Coming of our Lord that is to be found anywhere in the Scriptures. From this passage it is clear that the coming of which the prophet spoke follows the Tribulation. Such is the position that is taken by all Biblical writers. Having glanced at these two passages of the Old Testament prophecy, we are now in a position to turn to the New Testament and examine parallel passages.

NEW TESTAMENT PROPHECY REGARDING THE MESSIAH'S SECOND COMING

In the New Testament we shall study briefly two passages dealing with our subject, which are Matthew 24:1-31 and II Thessalonians 1:3-10.

The Olivet Discourse

In Matthew, chapters 24 and 25, we have one of the most important prophetic utterances from our Lord's lips which He ever spoke. This discourse is recorded not only in Matthew, chapters 24 and 25, but also in Mark, chapter 13, and in Luke, chapter 21. But in our present study we can only glance briefly at Matthew 24:1-31.

In verses 1 and 2 we have the prediction made by our Lord that one stone of the temple should not remain upon another that should not be thrown down. This prophecy was literally fulfilled in the events of A.D.70, when the Romans overthrew the Jewish commonwealth and dispersed Israel throughout the world.

In verse 3 we have two questions put by the apostles to the Lord Jesus. They said, "Tell us when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world?" Though they asked two questions, Matthew records only one of them, namely the second one, which is a double one: "What is the sign of thy coming and the consummation of the age?" Luke in his account gives our Lord's answer to the first of these questions.

In verses 4,5, and 6 Jesus covers the entire Christian dispensation by telling that there will arise, from time to time, various imposters who will claim that they are the true Messiah. But Jesus warned His disciples against such false pretenders. Moreover, He declared that they would hear of wars and rumors of wars, which would burst forth here and there in the world. They were not to assign any prophetic significance to any of them because they have no such meaning.

But when they see a world war attended by famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places occurring simultaneously, they are to recognize that these four things "are the beginning of travail." The expression "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" is an Old Testament idiom indicating a war that breaks out and spreads over all the territory that was before the prophet's mind when he used the idiom. Since Jesus had a world view in mind on the occasion of the delivery of this message, this idiom used in this connection could mean only a war that arises and affects the entire world. Hence, a world war is predicted. The Lord said that whenever a world war, attended by famines, pestilences, and great earthquakes in divers places, those living at that time and observing these unusual things can know that this is a sign, the infallible sign, the unmistakable sign of the end of the age. This prediction is found in verses 7 and 8.

The word "travail" occurring in verse 8 is an echo of Old Testament prophecy. For instance, in Isaiah 66:7-9 we have this figure used to signify the awful judgment of the Tribulation. Other parallel passages are to be found which have the same signification. The Tribulation will last seven years. These years are the closing days of the present Christian Dispensation which terminates with the glorious Second Coming of out Lord.

The first half of the Tribulation is set forth in Matthew 24:9-14. This same division of the Tribulation period is given in Daniel 9:27. As suggested above, the gospel will be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations, and then shall the end of the Tribulation come.

As was noticed above in the discussion of Habakkuk's prophecy, the work of God comes to a standstill in the midst of those years of horror, that is, after three and a half years have lapsed. But it will be revived again, and the gospel will be preached for a testimony unto all the nations—even during the latter half of the Tribulation.

In the middle of the Tribulation, according to Daniel, chapter 9 the last world dictator, the antichrist, will set up his image, which is "the abomination of desolation," in the Jewish temple at Jerusalem. Our Lord also referred to that event in Matthew 24:15. Those of His people—The Tribulation saints—who will be in Jerusalem and in Judaea, are urged by Him to flee from the country, losing no time. If they do not heed his admonition, they will be caught in the throes of martial law or such conditions what will make their escape impossible. This second half of the Tribulation will be the severest of all times. Nothing past nor future will ever occur like it. Except those days should be shortened, no flesh could be saved. This latter half of the Tribulation runs its course and culminates with the second coming of Christ, as is set forth in verses 15-28. Especially during the latter half of the Tribulation, there will arise many false prophets and teachers claiming that they are the Messiah, the world redeemer, and will lead many astray.

This second glorious coming of our Lord is set forth in Matthew 24:29-31. Immediately after the Tribulation of those days, that is of the Tribulation period, there will be a complete blackout, as we see in verse 29. Then there will appear the sign of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send forth His angels who will gather the Tribulation saints, surviving to that time, out of the world; and they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; so shall they ever be with the Lord. It should be noticed, however, that these saints who are gathered according to verse 31, from the four corners of the globe, are not the church saints. The church saints, as we learn form other passages, are caught up out of the world before the Tribulation begins. As proof of this position see I Thessalonians 1:9,10; I Thessalonians 4:13—5:11. The saints are not appointed unto wrath—that is to go into the Tribulation—but to the obtaining of salvation, that is, deliverance from that time of awful trial.

Thus, in the Olivet discourse the Second Coming of Christ follows the Tribulation.

The Second Coming of Christ According to II Thessalonians, Chapter 1

II Thessalonians, chapter 1, is indeed a very important prophetic utterance and should be studied carefully, for it has been in many quarters, misunderstood and misinterpreted. When the Apostle Paul and his co-laborers went to Thessalonica, they remained there for something like three weeks and then had to leave the country. Soon after their departure persecution broke out against the believers. Upon hearing of the conditions that had arisen after his departure, he wrote two letters to them giving them further information regarding prophetic matters and assured them that they were pleasing to God and should not worry, but should accept whatever came into their lives as being permitted of the Lord. In verses 3, 4, and 5 of this first chapter of II Thessalonians, the Apostle exults over he fact that they were standing true to the faith once for all delivered to the saints, and that, though they were being persecuted and afflicted, they were faithful and loyal and true to God. Concerning their suffering, he assured them that it was designed for their good. It constitutes "a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer" (verse 5). The fact that they were suffering and that they were successfully enduring such afflictions was proof to the Apostle Paul that they were acceptable in the sight of God, that the Lord was using those unfortunate circumstances to purge them of anything displeasing in His sight and that they would result to their salvation and glory.

Moreover, in verses 6 and 7, the Apostle assured the believers that God would recompense those who were persecuting them and would likewise reward them with a period of rest at the proper time. Thus he assured the Christians, the believers, that God would deal with all upon the basis of righteousness and justice, but He would punish those who were afflicting them. At the same time he declared that God would reward with rest those who were afflicted.

When will God give rest to the afflicted, according to this passage? This question is answered in verse 7: "And to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power in flaming fire, 8 rendering vengeance to them that know not God and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus…." From this quotation it is clear that the afflicted saints mentioned in this letter will be given rest at the time the Lord Jesus returns in flaming fire taking vengeance on all who know not God. About this proposition there can be no question in the minds of those who accept the Word of God as authoritative. Thus we are bound to believe that God will grant rest to His troubled saints at the second coming of Christ, which occurs at the end of the Tribulation. This promise has, however, been misunderstood and has been interpreted as proof that the church is not raptured before the Tribulation begins, but goes into the Tribulation and is raptured at the very end of it. This is a misinterpretation of the passage. Notice what the Apostle states: "And to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven." He promises rest to the afflicted saints at the revelation of Jesus. When will God give rest, complete rest to His afflicted saints? At the Second Coming. Further light on this subject is thrown by an examination of Revelation 6:9-11. In the first part of the Tribulation there are certain ones who are martyred because of their faith in the Lord Jesus. Upon being executed, their spirits go into the presence of God; they look down upon earth and see that those who executed them are still unpunished; they cry out to the Lord, asking when He is going to deal with those who executed them. Then it is said to them that they should "rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course." From this passage it is clear that the saints do not have full and perfect rest—what is meant by the term—until the end of the Tribulation.

All the saints, both those of the Church and those of the Tribulation, will appear before the judgment seat of Christ at the end of the Tribulation and at that time will receive their rewards; at that time they will be given their rest. In view of all these facts and many more it is clear that the rapture of the church occurs before the Tribulation and that these saints together with the Tribulation saints are granted complete rest at the Second Coming of Christ.