Second Coming of Christ Honor

Missionary Activities - Bible Studies

Requirements

1. Know the greatest promise that Jesus made to His followers. (John 14:1-3; Revelation 22:20)

   Answer: 1) John 14:1-3: Jesus promised that He would return to fetch His own. He said: 'Let not your heart be troubled... in my Father's house are many mansions... I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.' 2) Revelation 22:20: Jesus confirms this promise in the last words of the Bible: 'Surely I come quickly.' The greatest promise of Jesus to His followers is that He will return personally to fetch them and take them to be with Him forever. — A promise repeated 1,500+ times in the Bible. The greatest Christian hope. Adventists (Adventus = coming) have the Second Coming as the central theme of their faith. The hope is not a metaphor — it is a literal future event. 'I come quickly' is Christ's last statement in the Bible (Rev 22:20). The response: 'Come, Lord Jesus.'

2. Understand how Jesus' return will be, according to the Bible. (Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7; Matthew 16:27; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)

   Answer: According to the Bible, Jesus' return will be: 1) Personal and visible (Acts 1:11): He will return in the same way He ascended to heaven, that is, in person and in a visible manner. 2) Universal (Revelation 1:7): 'every eye will see Him,' even those who pierced Him; no one will fail to see it. 3) Glorious and accompanied by the angels (Matthew 16:27): He will come in the glory of His Father, with His angels, to reward each one according to their works. 4) Sudden and unexpected for the wicked (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3): He will come like a thief in the night; when they say 'peace and safety,' sudden destruction will come upon them. It will therefore be literal, visible, audible, glorious, and worldwide, neither secret nor spiritual. — It will not be secret (all will see). It will not be only spiritual (a glorified body). 'Like a thief' refers to the surprise, not invisibility. Adventists reject a secret Rapture (a dispensationalist doctrine). A single, glorious, and public return. A perfect mirror of the ascension (Acts 1).

3. Study what will happen to the saved and to those who rejected salvation at the moment of Christ's return. (Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 6:16-17; Revelation 20:5-6)

   Answer: 1) The saved: the dead in Christ rise first, and the righteous who are alive are transformed (glorified); together they are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord (1 Thess 4:16-17). The angels gather them from the four corners of the earth (Matt 24:30-31). This is the first resurrection; over them the second death has no power, and they will reign with Christ (Rev 20:5-6). 2) Those who rejected salvation: the living wicked are destroyed by the glory of Christ's coming; terrified, they cry out to the mountains and rocks to fall on them to hide them from the face of the One on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of wrath has come (Rev 6:16-17). The dead wicked remain in their graves, not rising, until the end of the thousand years (Rev 20:5). — The saved go to heaven, reigning for 1,000 years (the millennium). The lost die, rising only after the millennium for the final judgment (Rev 20:5-15). Adventists hold to a millennium with a desolate Earth — the saved in heaven, the lost dead. After the millennium: the descent of the New Jerusalem, the final judgment, the lake of fire.

4. Understand what the Bible teaches about the day of Jesus' return. (Matthew 24:36, 42)

   Answer: Matthew 24:36 declares that no one knows the day or the hour of Christ's return, not even the angels, only the Father. — Adventists avoid setting dates after William Miller's error (1844). Christ urged constant readiness, not calculations. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 says 'like a thief in the night.' Those fixated on a date forget to live the Christian life today. To watch = to live as if Christ were returning today.

5. List some of the signs that show that Jesus' return is near. (Revelation 6:12-13; Luke 21:10-11; Matthew 24:12, 14; 2 Timothy 3:1-5)

   Answer: Signs: earthquakes and celestial phenomena (Lk 21:10-11), wars and famine (Matt 24:7), an increase in wickedness and the cooling of love (Matt 24:12), the universal preaching of the gospel (Matt 24:14), difficult times with extreme selfishness (2 Tim 3:1-5). — Adventists identify 1755 (the Lisbon earthquake), 1780 (the Dark Day), and 1833 (the meteor shower) as partial fulfillments of Rev 6:12-13. Global preaching of the gospel via the internet/missions. 2 Tim 3 describes today's society with precision. The signs converge today.

6. Memorize and recite Isaiah 25:9.

   Answer: Isaiah 25:9: "And it will be said in that day: Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." — A prophetic OT text that confirms the messianic hope. Adventists use it to celebrate the expectation of meeting Christ. 'We have waited' implies active confidence, not passivity. The verse is sung in classic Christian hymns. Memorizing it strengthens hope in difficult moments.

7. Share with a friend the hope of Jesus' return and what we should do to be prepared for that great day. (Titus 2:11-14)

   Answer: Titus 2:11-14 teaches: the grace of God saves and instructs us to live with sobriety, justice, and godliness, awaiting the 'blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory' of Christ. — Titus is a pastoral letter of Paul. 'Blessed hope' = Christ's return. The Christian life naturally produces good fruit. Sharing is a mission (Matt 28:19-20). We should not wait passively — we actively live the Kingdom now. Hope transforms present behavior.