I received a question from the episode Jesus is Coming in The Clouds. The question referenced Matthew 24:30. The question was: “What does the coming of the Son of Man mean in this verse? Is this a second or third coming of Jesus? This is a great question. It’s a question more believers should be asking. What you believe this verse is saying will determine your view of the future of the world. If you interpret this passage as the 2nd coming of Christ, and you see this 2nd coming in the future, then you’re looking for a regathering of Israel, a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, a rapture, a tribulation (because you think all the things Jesus describes in Matthew 24 prior to verse 30 is in the future) and then the 3rd coming of Jesus, a resurrection of believers, the establishment the millennial kingdom, and after the millennium and an earthly rebellion against God when he will destroy the earth, judge all the dead in a second resurrection, and create a new heaven and new earth where evil has been destroyed.
Getting the timing right is the key to understanding whether this is Christ’s 2nd, 3rd, or 4th coming. What is the timing of Matthew 24:30? Let’s look at verse 29, where he tells the disciples when this will happen, “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” In verse 30, he says, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear.”
I’ve said one of the keys to understanding scripture is reading from the original audience’s perspective. The Bible was written to Jews, by Jews, for Jews. By a majority, Christians, before the destruction of Jerusalem, were Jews who believed in Jesus as their Messiah – Jeshua Hamashiah.
What did the first-century audience at the time of the writings of the Apostles believe about the coming of Jesus? Jesus told the disciples in verse 29 that the sign of the Son of Man would appear immediately after those days. Everyone goes to Revelation when they want to know what God’s plan is for the world. What does Revelation say about the timing of the coming of Christ? (Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:3, Revelation 1:19, Revelation 2:25, Revelation 22:6-7, Revelation 22:10, Revelation 22:20).
Some of the audience Jesus spoke to would still be alive when he appeared (Matthew 16:27-28).
Paul tells the young minister Titus to be waiting for the coming blessed hope in Titus 2:12-13.
The writer of Hebrews says Jesus is coming very soon in Hebrews 10:37. Hebrews was written in 68 AD.
As seen in this sampling of verses, the first-century followers, the disciples, Jesus, and God himself believed and proclaimed the imminent coming of Christ and his kingdom. Were they all wrong? Was Jesus wrong? Was God misleading believers?
No, the first-century believers, the disciples, especially Jesus and his Father, weren’t wrong about his coming. Now, it’s important that you catch in all these passages the term “2nd Coming” is never mentioned. Why is that? Because the phrase “2nd Coming” isn’t in scripture. Just like the term “Millennial Kingdom” isn’t in scripture.
So, can we question the coming of Christ? No, Jesus is coming but maybe he is, or he isn’t coming when or how we think or have been taught. Could it be that Jesus has already come? As we’ve just seen, we can question the “WHEN” of his coming. We can question the pre-millennial dispensational futuristic interpretation of his coming. We can question the amillennial post-tribulation interpretation of his coming. We should question all these interpretations of his coming because, as believers, Christ wants us to know what he’s doing.
Why is this important? Does the timing of the coming of Jesus Christ affect your salvation? No. Your salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ as your savior. As a believer, the timing of the coming of Christ won’t affect receiving your next life, but it does affect how you live this life. If you believe this world is progressively getting worse until God destroys it, then you’re holding on until you’re rescued. If you believe there is no kingdom of God and the world will just go on, then you are without hope. If you believe that Jesus is spreading the kingdom of God in the world through his saints, then you’re busy doing the work of his kingdom. How and when you see the coming of Christ shapes your outlook on life. That’s why it’s important.
