What the Bible says
Jesus Himself promised His return: “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). The same Jesus who died and rose will come back in person. Paul calls this “that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Hebrews says that “unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).
Scripture describes that day in plain words. “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Believers will be changed “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” (1 Corinthians 15:52), “and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Paul ends, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Jesus did not give us a date. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Instead He gave a command: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). If the Lord seems slow, Peter explains that He “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Today is still the day to turn to Christ.
This hope changes how we live now. John writes, “we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2), and “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Paul says, “our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour” (Philippians 3:20). The Bible closes with His promise and the church’s answer: “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
13 verses, King James Version
John 14:3
I will come again, and receive you
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Hebrews 9:28
He shall appear the second time
28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds
7Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Acts 1:10–11
He will come the same way
10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–18
The dead in Christ rise; we meet the Lord
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Titus 2:13
The hope we look for
13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Philippians 3:20–21
Our bodies changed like His
20For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
1 John 3:2–3
We will be like Him
2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Matthew 24:36
No one knows the day
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:42–44
Be ready
42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
2 Peter 3:9–10
Why He waits, and how He will come
9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52
Changed in a moment
51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Revelation 22:20
The church’s longing prayer
20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (public domain). Read aloud by Anthony.