As we have explained on The Messiah page, Jesus has already come to earth once. The first time God sent His Son with tears in his eyes to provide mercy and forgiveness for our sins. He was born just as we are, but lived a sinless life. He was rejected by His own people of Israel, wrongly accused and willingly died for the sins of the world. The first time He came as our savior...to provide a means for our salvation.
As also explained, there are about 300 prophecies in the Old Testament scriptures that predicted the Messiah's first coming. Many of these prophecies are repetitious. There are about 109 separate and distinct prophecies about the first coming of Jesus that foretold His lineage, where He would be born, describing His ministry, the miracles He would perform, His entry into Jerusalem, His rejection by the Jewish people, His betrayal, His crucifixion, His resurrection and ascension to heaven.
But, there are probably twice as many prophecies in the Old Testament describing The Messiah's second coming. There are way too many to list them all here! There are probably more than 500 prophecies describing Jesus' coming to earth again in two different ways. The second time He comes, He will not really appear ON earth. As the Rapture page explains, Jesus will appear in the clouds and His Church will be "caught up" with Him in the clouds. During the Rapture or Translation, all believers who have a personal relationship with Christ (living or dead) will be gathered to Him in the clouds and then taken away to heaven in the twinkling of an eye.
Some people do not even count the rapture as part of the "second coming". When Jesus actually returns to earth for the second time in human history, He is coming in wrath! When He comes in wrath every eye will see Him. He will ascend to earth with armies from heaven to defeat the Antichrist and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered at Armageddon. His second coming will be much different than His first. The first time He came offering himself as a sacrifice for the world's sin. He has given us almost 2,000 years to repent of our sins, accept His gift of forgiveness and salvation and turn to Him! The second time He comes, He comes to judge the world and wage war! This is why we believe God wants us to know the SEASON of His Son's return, because He does not wish that any should perish. God always warns before He pours out His wrath.
Let's make this clear...we can NOT know the date or time of Christ's second coming -
Matthew 24:36 - "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." However, we CAN know the season of His return. God actually wants us to, because He does not want to pour out His wrath without warning. He wants as many as possible to repent of their sin and turn to Him through salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.
"Looking for His appearing" has actually been an instruction to The Church on many occasions throughout scripture: Titus 2:13 - "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."
The Apostle Paul instructed the early Church in Hebrews 10:25 - "Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Later in this chapter, Paul makes it clear that "the day approaching" he speaks of is the Lord's second coming, because he warns in verse 30 that "The Lord shall judge his people." and in verse 31 "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God"!
God is NOT coming "like a thief in the night" for Christians that obey His Word and have been forgiven their sins through the salvation offered through Christ Jesus. He is coming "like a thief in the night" for those who love this world, the things of this world and enjoy sinning. These people will be so caught up in the pleasures of this world that they won't head the warning signs God provides that tell us His Son is coming soon.
