Great Doctrines of the Bible
Special English Version

Lesson 36
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
The Signs, The Glory, The Power and The Marvel of His Millennial Reign

INTRODUCTION
If you have taken the whole correspondence course, this will be your last lesson. I congratulate you for an outstanding achievement. You have studied thirty-five great Bible truths and should have a wide knowledge of the teachings of the Bible.
The study of the return of Christ in glory and power is a proper subject for the last lesson. In Lesson 9 we studied the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming. In that lesson we said that there were twelve distinct differences. You may want to review them.

In Lesson 35 we studied the events that will take place before the Return of Christ. In lesson 36 we will show you that Christ will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christ will reign as King on this earth. We will learn the important signs that will happen before Christ returns. We will share some truths that talk about the mystery and wonder of His reign for 1000 years.

IMPORTANCE OF THIS LESSON

• The Bible teaches that God works according to His eternal plan. He has a plan for the CHURCH. He also has a plan for Israel and for this world.
• The Second Coming of Christ is an important part of God’s plan. Christ will return to fulfill the promises God made in the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New Covenants, which we have studied.
• It is important to our knowledge of the Bible and to our faith that we understand these things.
• It is important to believe and understand that every word in the Bible is true. Christ will truly come back in His glorified body. Christ will sit on David’s real throne and reign over a real earth for 1,000 real years.
• Many signs will show us that Christ is about to return in power and glory. It is important that we know what these signs are. We know that if we can see some of these signs already, the Rapture must be close.
• It is important to know where the CHURCH fits into these exciting events.

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THE LESSON

I. SIGNS POINTING TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST IN POWER AND GLORY
The Rapture may happen at any time (it is imminent). There are no signs that come before the rapture. The Bible gives us many signs of things that will happen just before Christ comes back to this earth in glory. Jesus talked about these signs in Luke 21:25,28. Jesus said, “When you see these things begin to happen, then look, and lift up your heads; for God is about to redeem you.” God meant these words especially for Israel. It is true that we are seeing the fulfillment of the beginning of these signs today. We will begin our study with some of these signs that will happen before Christ returns to this world.

1. God will put Israel in the Land of Palestine again and He will build the nation of Israel there again. Israel will capture the old city of Jerusalem again (Read Ezekiel 36:8-10,24,28; 37:21-22; Luke 21:24).
   1. The Balfour Declaration, in England, in 1917, was a ruling that gave Palestine back to the Jews. Palestine became a homeland for the Jews. (Of course, the Lord did this long ago!)
   2. On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again.
   3. On June 8, 1967, Israel captured the old city of Jerusalem again. Jerusalem is in the hands of the Jews now. Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel again.
      • The Time of the Gentiles began in 604 B.C.(Before Christ). This was the year when Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem. God said it would stay in the hands of the Gentiles until this “time of the Gentiles” was complete. Today, for the first time in 2,500 years, Jerusalem is in the hands of the Jews! It seems that “The Times of the Gentiles” is complete.
2. World-Wide War and the Current Arms Build-up
   1. There have been wars in the world since the beginning, but in the last days there will be wars that will include the whole world (Matthew 24:6-7).
   2. We have seen two great world wars in this century. It looks like the world is preparing for a third World War, which could be Armageddon.
   3. Joel 3:9-12 predicts that in the last days nations will try to make more and better weapons. Today nations are spending more than 600 billion dollars each year on weapons. They are spending 1.3 million dollars per minute to buy weapons. Nations are preparing for war. For the first time nations have nuclear weapons to destroy the whole world in the way the book of Revelation tells us.
3. Earthquakes (Matthew 24:7)
   There have been more earthquakes in this century than in all the time people have kept records. Scientists agree that there will be more and more earthquakes. Scientists tell us that some day there will be an enormous earthquake. The greatest earthquake the world will ever see will come at the time of the return of Christ (Revelation 16:17-18; Zechariah 14:4-5).
4. World-wide hunger (Famine) (Matthew 24:7)
   In Revelation 6:5-6, the black horse of famine follows the white horse of dictatorship and the red horse of war. According to World Church Service Reports, one billion people in the world are not receiving enough food. Some of them are dying of hunger. Thirty thousand people die of hunger every day. One billion will die of hunger in the next ten years. The time of famine is here!
5. People have stopped living right and brutal crimes have increased greatly (Genesis 6:5,11-12; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Luke 17:26-30).
   In America crime is growing 11 times faster than the number of people who are born. According to an Associated Press report, more than 70 murders, 240 forcible rapes and 450 robberies with weapons are committed every day. People lie, cheat and steal as if it were nothing. Pornography is now a major industry earning over $5 billion a year. Over 25 million homosexuals practice their sin openly and disregard the laws of God and man.
   
   Read Paul’s list of the dangerous things that will describe this world “in the last days” and realize how many of these things you witness daily. Before Christ returns, the world will revert back to the days of Noah, which were days of violence, perversion, corruption and lawlessness.
   
6. Apostasy and false teachers who have turned away from the truth will come in the last days before Christ (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 2:1).
   1. There are now many false churches operating in America. All of these churches corrupt the Truth.
   2. A recent survey of students preparing for the ministry shows that:
      1. 56% no longer believe in the Virgin Birth of Christ.
      2. 71% do not believe in life after death.
      3. 98% do not believe in Christ’s literal return to earth. People everywhere are turning away from the truth.
7. Other Important Signs:
   1. The confusion and change among nations (Luke 21:25). Note today’s confusion and change everywhere in the world.
   2. The rise of Russia as a great military power and her defeat in Israel (Ezekiel 38 and 39).
   3. The re-establishment of the Roman Empire. (Read carefully Daniel 2:43-45; 7:23-24; with Revelation 13:1; 17:12.) The Beast will rule over a combination of ten nations.
   4. Knowledge will increase as never before and people will travel more than ever before (Daniel 12:4).

• There are other “signs” of course. Try to learn about them. The ones we have mentioned are enough to help you realize that we are quickly approaching the end of this age and the return of Christ in power and glory.

II. THE GLORY AND POWER OF CHRIST’S RETURN
In 1 Peter 1:11 we are told that the Old Testament prophets saw the sufferings of Christ and “the glory that should follow.” They did not see the Rapture. They saw the glorious return.

1. Believers will see the glory of Christ in the amazing things that will happen at His coming (Matthew 24:27-31).
   1. Lightning will shine out of the east to the west.
   2. The sun and the moon will become dark.
   3. The angels will announce His coming with trumpets.
   4. He will come on this earth with power and great glory.
   5. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 we see Christ with His mighty angels.
   6. In Matthew 25:31 we see that Christ will come in flaming fire. God will punish sinners with everlasting destruction by the glory of His power.
   7. Revelation 19:11-15:
      1. God will open the heavens.
      2. Christ will come on a white horse. He will come to judge and to make war.
      3. Christ will have a name: Faithful and True.
      4. Christ’s eyes will be like a flame of fire.
      5. Christ’s head will have many crowns.
      6. Christ’s coat will be dipped in blood.
      7. Christ will be called “The Word of God.”
      8. The armies of heaven will be with Him. They will all ride on white horses.
      9. A sword will go out of His mouth with which He will defeat the nations. His name will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
   8. Christ will be called “The King of Glory” (Psalm 24:7-10).
   9. Christ will come “in the glory of his Father” (Mark 8:38).
   10. The world will see Christ come in power and great glory (Luke 21:27).
   11. Christ will come “to be glorified in his saints” (2 Thessalonians 1:10; Colossians 3:4; Jude 14).
   12. Christ is worthy to receive praise and honor (Revelation 4:11; 5:12).
       • The glory of Christ is the revelation and manifestation of all that He is and has. God the Father receives honor in Him (John 13:31; 14:13).
2. The Power of Christ’s Return
   1. At the Rapture, Christ comes to take us to heaven in our changed bodies. At that time we will see His power through the things He is able to do.
      1. Christ will win over death. Death will not be able to hurt us anymore (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-51; John 5:25).
      2. Christ will give us new bodies that can never rot again (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 John 3:2).
      3. Christ will set aside the law of gravity (the force that pulls things down when thrown up in the air). Because of that we will be able to go straight up into heaven. We will do this in our changed bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; John 14:3).
      4. Christ will win over the grave. Death will not be able to hold us any longer. He will raise up millions from the dead at one time. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 we read that the believers who have died will rise first.
   2. At the Second Coming to this earth Christ will come in glory and His power, which will cause people to fear. His power will be greater than the power of anyone else.
      1. He will have power to smash the armies of the nations that are gathered together to make war against Him (Revelation 19:15-19).
         • Christ is the rock of Daniel 2:34-35,45. Read also Zechariah 12:9 and 14:2. He destroys the power of the Gentiles in the world (Psalm 2:8-9).
      2. Christ will have power to defeat the Antichrist, also called the Beast, and his false prophet. Christ will throw both of them into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:19-20).
         •At this time, Christ will bind Satan for a thousand years. He will put Satan in “the bottomless pit” (Revelation 20:1-3).
      3. Christ will have power to gather Israel from all over the world. He will establish Israel as a nation. At this time God will save Israel as a nation (Matthew 24:31; Zechariah 13:1; Deuteronomy 30:5-6; Romans 11:25-27; Jeremiah 23:6).
      4. Christ will have power to establish himself as King on the throne of David (Luke 1:32-33; Acts 15:14-16; Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 19:15; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:14-17).
      5. Christ will have power to bring all of the faithful believers from all time with Him. These believers will reign with Him on the earth (Revelation 19:14; 5:10; 20:5-6; Jude 14). This includes the CHURCH Jesus took up out of the world before the Tribulation.
      6. Christ will have power over all the earth. He will establish a kingdom of peace and righteousness (Zechariah 14:9; Isaiah 9:6-7). Christ is going to “rule the nations” at this time (Revelation 19:15).

III. CHRIST’S MILLENNIAL REIGN
In the lesson about the covenants we studied about the Davidic Covenant. This covenant guarantees that David’s throne and family will continue forever. The Bible makes it clear that Christ fulfills this promise to David. He will sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem as David’s righteous branch. Christ will reign over Israel and over the whole earth for 1,000 years (read Acts 15:16; Luke 1:32-33; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15-17).
• If you believe the plain language of the Bible and take what it says exactly as it is stated, you must come to the conclusion that there will be a millennium and that Christ will reign throughout.

1. The Events of the Millennium (The word means 1,000 years.) Read Revelation 20:1-10.
   1. The angel will tie Satan with a great chain and put him in “the bottomless pit.” God will keep Satan there for one thousand years. God will keep him there in order that he can no longer deceive the nations (Revelation 20:1-3).
   2. Believers will reign with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-6; also Revelation 5:10).
      • Christ took the CHURCH out of this world before the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). When Christ comes in power and glory the CHURCH returns to earth with Him in their changed bodies. The believers assist the Lord in ruling this earth (Jude 14; Revelation 19:14; 20:4).
   3. All the believers who rose from the dead at time of the Rapture will reign with Christ for a thousand years.
      This includes:
      1. The CHURCH Christ took out of the world before the tribulation.
      2. All the believers who died during the tribulation.
      3. All the believers who had not worshipped the Beast or had not received his mark during the tribulation.
      4. All of these believers will reign with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-6).
      5. At this time the believers of the Old Testament who lived in the time of terrible trouble will
         rise from the dead (Daniel 12:1-3).
   4. After a thousand years, God will release Satan. God will let Satan out of the bottomless pit. Satan will deceive all the nations again (Revelation 20:7). Many people will follow him again. This proves that not all people during the millennium are willing servants of Christ. For this reason Christ must “rule with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15).
   5. Fire will come down from heaven and destroy the people who followed Satan. God will throw Satan into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:9-10).
2. How far-reaching will the Millennium be?
   1. Israel will be a blessing to the nations of the earth during the millennium (Zechariah 8:13,21-23).
   2. Christ’s kingdom will be over the whole earth (Zechariah 14:9; Daniel 2:35) (the stone that was bruised will fill the whole earth) (also, Isaiah 11:9).
3. Who will take part in the Millennium?
   1. The nation of Israel that God will re-establish in Palestine (Deuteronomy 30:3-6; Romans 11:26).
   2. The CHURCH that Christ redeemed (Revelation 5:9-10).
   3. The believers of the Old Testament (Daniel 12:1-3).
   4. The millions who have died during the Great Tribulation. (These believers died because someone cut off their heads Revelation 7:9,13-14; 20:4).
   5. The believers who refused to receive the mark of the beast during the Tribulation (Revelation 20:4).
   6. The believers who treat the Jews righteously (Matthew 25:33-40).
      • The Bible tells us that Christ must rule with a “rod of iron” during the Millennium. At the end of His reign millions of people will not obey Him. This shows us that there are some people who will live on earth during the 1000 years and who did not die in the battle of Armageddon or during the terrible time of the tribulation.
4. What the Millennium will be like:
   1. Christ will force His reign on the people of the earth during the Millennium (Revelation 19:15).
   2. Christ will set up an actual government (Isaiah 9:6).
      1. Christ will reign (Isaiah 9:7).
      2. Christ will reign from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3; Malachi 3:1-4).
      3. The Jews will help in ruling the earth (Isaiah 32:1; 40:10).
      4. The twelve apostles will serve as judges over Israel (Matthew 19:28).
      5. The believers who were part of the CHURCH will reign with Him (Revelation 5:9-10).
   3. Note the following verses and what they teach about the Millennium:
      1. Isaiah 2:1-4
         1. God will teach everyone His way.
         2. Christ will be the judge.
         3. There will be no more war.
         4. Jerusalem will be the seat of government. Christ will make laws in Jerusalem.
      2. Isaiah 9:6-7
         1. The government will be on Christ’s shoulders.
         2. His government will prosper.
         3. There will be peace in the world all the time.
         4. He will control the government with righteousness and justice.
      3. Isaiah 11:1-10
         1. The poor will be treated fairly (verse 4).
         2. People will not fear animals. Animals will not fear each other (verse 6).
         3. Serpents will not bite (verse 8).
         4. There will be nothing that will hurt people (verse 9).
         5. Everybody on the earth will know about the Lord (verse 9).
      4. Isaiah 65:18-25
         1. No more weeping and crying in Jerusalem (verses 18-19).
         2. Every person will live for a long time (verse 20).
         3. Christ will not allow any cheating. There will be no deceit or dishonesty (verses 22-23).
         4. The wolf and the lamb will eat together (verse 25).
      5. Isaiah 66:12-14 – Israel will be at peace and God will comfort her.
      6. Romans 8:19-22 – God will remove the curse on the earth.
      7. Revelation 20:3 – When God removes Satan there will be no more temptation and dishonesty.
      8. Zephaniah 3:9 – God will bless the world with a pure language

CONCLUSION
The Great White Throne Judgment will take place at the close of the 1000 years. This judgment is for all unbelievers who have lived in the world since creation (Revelation 20:11-15).

After the Great White Throne Judgment God will destroy this world, as we know it today. Then God will make a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:10-14; Revelation 21:1).

Remember that the 1000 years begins with a judgment and ends with a judgment.

1. The judgment of the nations comes at the beginning of the 1000 years (Matthew 25:31-46).
2. The Great White Throne judgment comes at the end of the 1000 years (Revelation 20:11-15).

Years ago we learned that we must not preach more than what God wrote in the Bible. There are many mysteries. My advice is that you rejoice in what God wrote and in what you know. Do not guess about the things the Bible does not show us.

We are delighted that you have stayed with the lessons and will receive a diploma.
We trust that you found this last lesson a help to your spiritual life too.
Keep looking to Christ. God is about to redeem you.

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