Bible Verses About The Second Coming of Christ

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.”

On the night before the cross, Jesus tells his troubled friends that he is going to prepare a place and will come back for them. The promise of his return was first given as comfort.

“After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.””

As the disciples watch him rise into the clouds, two messengers say he will return in the same way. The ascension and the return belong together.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Paul describes the Lord descending with a shout and the dead in Christ rising first, and tells the church to encourage one another with this. Christians differ on the details, but the purpose is comfort for those who grieve.

“as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Believers are described as waiting for a blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Hope here is a person arriving, not an idea.

“so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.”

Christ was offered once to bear sins and will appear a second time, not to deal with sin again but to bring salvation to those waiting. The first coming settled the matter, and the second completes it.

“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.”

John announces that Jesus is coming with the clouds and that every eye will see him. His return is pictured as public and unmistakable.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Jesus says that the day and hour are known only to the Father, not even to the angels or the Son. That should end any confident calendar.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come. But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

The image is a householder who would have stayed alert had he known when the thief was coming. Watchfulness is the answer to not knowing.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.”

Mark records the same admission of the Son's limited knowledge and follows it with a command to keep watch. The unknown timing is meant to keep us awake, not anxious.

“Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to write to you. For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

Paul tells the church there is no need to write about times and dates, because the day arrives like a thief in the night. Even the apostles did not try to schedule it.

“Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”

Peter answers those who think the delay means nothing will happen: with the Lord a day and a thousand years are not measured alike, and the wait reflects his patience. He wants people to turn rather than perish.

““At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Ten bridesmaids wait for a late bridegroom, and only half have brought enough oil. The story points to ordinary preparedness over a long wait.

“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them. Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed. But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.””

Servants with lamps lit are called blessed when their master finds them awake. Readiness looks like faithful service, not nervous staring at the sky.

“Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.”

John says that when Christ appears we will be like him, and that this hope leads people to purify themselves. Looking forward shapes how we live now.

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

Peter asks what kind of people we ought to be as we wait for a new heaven and new earth where righteousness is at home. The answer he gives is holy and godly lives.

“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

The Bible's last promise is a word from Jesus that he is coming soon, answered by John with a short prayer. It is the church's oldest cry, spoken in hope.