What Does The Bible Say About The Coming of Christ Really

A few hours before His death, Jesus told his disciples that He was going to have to leave them. Then, He said, "I will come again." (John 14:3). When Jesus was taken up into the heavens by the Father, two men in white apparel told the disciples who were witnessing the ascension, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall come again in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).The expectancy of the coming of Christ is found in every letter and book of the New Testament. Peter wrote, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:7). James inscribed, "Be ye also patient; stablish your for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:8). Paul recorded, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23). John penned, "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28). Jude communicated, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints" (Jude 14). Finally, the Bible closes it record with, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22.20).There are three keys words that were used by the early followers of Jesus when they talked of the coming of Christ. The most dominant of the three words is usually translated "coming." Surprisingly, it is not translated from the word meaning, "to come" or "to go," as if you are in one place and need to go or to come to another place. The key word that is most often used to translate the "coming of Christ" means, "a being near." The King James Version translates the original word as "coming" and "presence." The coming of Christ is to experience the nearness or presence of Christ.The second most often used word in the "coming of Christ" is translated from the word meaning, "disclosure." The root of this word means, "to take off the cover, i.e. disclose." It is translated by the King James Version as "appearing," "coming," "lighten," "manifestation," "be revealed," and "revelation." The coming of Christ is the disclosure of Christ.The third word used in the "coming of Christ" is translated from a word meaning, "a manifestation." It is translated by the King James Version as "appearing" and "brightness." Paul wrote, "then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (2 Thess. 2:8). Wickedness is always "rendered entirely useless" (the meaning of the word destroy) with the manifestation (the meaning of the word brightness) of his presence (the meaning of the word coming).The early followers knew that Jesus had promised that He would return to them. He had said, "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." They believed that Jesus had not only returned to them by the Holy Spirit on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, but they also believed that the revelation of His presence would be manifested every time the present condition of life needed to be brought to an end and a new beginning experienced. They Knew Christ would come.Paul said, “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).