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Foreword
My Journey to Life provides the keys for living every day with peace of mind, harmony of body and wonderful relationships. As you read through each lesson guide, your daily outlook will be transformed and renewed by the Spirit. We pray you will experience a growing adoration for the greatest Teacher this world has ever known. Let’s begin walking, step-by-step, on the pathway toward a new life together with Jesus. JTL6 1.1
Preface
When Jesus returned to heaven following His resurrection, He promised that He would return again. He didn’t set a time or date, but He did leave His followers important information to prepare for His Second Coming. JTL6 1.2
Step Six—The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
What is the second coming of Jesus? “The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The Savior’s coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected and, together with the righteous living, will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ’s second coming is near. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times.”—Seventh-day Adventists Believe, p. 373. JTL6 1.3
Bible Discovery:
Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7; 14:14-20; 19:11-21 JTL6 1.4
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, Acts of the Apostles, p. 33.2 JTL6 1.5
1. What will Jesus’ coming be like?
It’s important to know how the Bible describes Jesus’ Second Coming. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24 to beware of false christs who will try to impersonate Him. We need not be deceived by counterfeit appearances here and there. Jesus’ return or Second Coming will be literal, personal, visible, audible, and glorious! In Revelation, the Bible clearly states that every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7). The Redeemer’s coming in power and glory, accompanied by tens of thousands of angels, brings the history of God’s people to an astounding climax as those who have chosen Jesus are delivered. JTL6 2.1
Bible Discovery:
Matthew 24:27, 30, 44; 25:1-13; Acts 1:11; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 6:15-17; 19:12, 16 JTL6 2.2
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 624.2 JTL6 2.3
2. When is Jesus coming again?
It is not possible to pinpoint the exact day, hour, or year of Jesus’ coming. Although Jesus never announced a specific time for His coming, He told His followers in Matthew 24:32, 33 that when they saw specific signs occurring, they would know His return was near. The great religious awakening of the 19th century drew attention to the following biblical signs of Christ’s Second Coming: JTL6 2.4
• The biblically predicted time of 1260 years of religious persecution ended in 1798, marking the beginning of the “time of the end.” (Matthew 24:21, 22; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; Revelation 12:14-16; Revelation 13:1-10) JTL6 2.5
• A great earthquake–The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 covered an area of about four million square miles and inspired a surge in the study of end-time prophecy. (Revelation 6:12) JTL6 2.6
• Signs in the sun, moon, and stars–A supernatural darkening of the sun and a blood-like moon occurred on May 19, 1780. Again, the remarkable regional event drew many to the study of the Second Coming of Christ. (Mark 13:24-26) JTL6 2.7
• Falling stars–On November 13, 1833, the most extensive display of a meteoric shower on record fulfilled this prophecy. (Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:13) JTL6 2.8
• Preaching the gospel–In 1900, the Bible was available in 537 languages. In 2020 the Bible, in full or part, was available in more than 1,800 languages, representing 96 percent of the world population. Radio stations, television networks, and the internet beam the gospel to virtually every country around the globe. (Acts 17:31; Matthew 24:14; 2 Peter 3:12) JTL6 2.9
• A decline of genuine Christianity–Sexual immorality, neglect of God’s law, increase in crime, neglect and oppression of the poor and marginalized, materialism, exploitation of the earth’s resources and perhaps unprecedented global anger and divisiveness all point to the soon coming of Jesus. (Malachi 3:5; Matthew 24:12; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Revelation 11:18) JTL6 3.1
• War and calamities–Although there have been wars throughout history, World Wars I and II caused more casualties than all previous wars combined. Yet war, strife, terrorism, and conflict continue around the globe. (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:10, 11) JTL6 3.2
• Natural disasters–Earthquakes, famines, floods, uncontrolled wild fires and other disasters seem to have accelerated and intensified in recent years. Many scientists predict more changes in climate and structure ahead, driven by human carelessness and greed. (Isaiah 51:6; Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:26; Revelation 11:18) JTL6 3.3
• A resurgence of papal power–Many historicist interpreters have recognized the papacy as the political and religious power described as a horn emerging from the Roman Empire in Daniel 7. During the 1,260 years prophesied in Daniel 7:25, this power persecuted those who disagreed with it. Though the papacy experienced a “deadly wound” in 1798 that greatly reduced its power, today its global influence is almost unprecedented. Many consider the pope to be the moral leader of the world. (Daniel 7-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:3; 16:13, 14) JTL6 3.4
• Apocalyptic prophecy unsealed–After 1798, many Bible students world-wide began a focused study on the return of Jesus and the judgment message of Revelation 14:6, 7. The Second Coming of Jesus is a cardinal tenet of the Seventh-day Adventist movement. The worldwide nature of this movement that proclaims the end-time message of Revelation 14:6-12 is a clear sign that Christ’s return is drawing closer. (Daniel 12:4) JTL6 3.5
All these signs should provide renewed hope and anticipation to believers. Christ will come! Pray for the Spirit to give you strength and remain steadfast until the great day of His appearing. JTL6 3.6
Bible Discovery:
Daniel 7-9; Matthew 16:2, 3; 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; John 13:19; 14:29; Romans 13:11, 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6; Revelation 12:13-17; 13:1-10; 16:15 JTL6 3.7
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 15.2 JTL6 3.8
3. What does the vision of Daniel 2 say about the time of Jesus’ Second Coming?
Nebuchadnezzar’s encompassing dream of the metallic image traces earth history from the time of Babylon through to our time and beyond. After the statue's head representing Babylon, the statue’s chest and arms represented Medo-Persia; the brass belly and thighs symbolized Greece; the legs of iron signified Rome in both its pagan and papal phase; and the feet of unmixed clay and iron symbolized Europe following the breakup of the Roman Empire. It is after the passing of those world empires that the stone cut out without hands—representing Christ’s coming and eternal kingdom—crushes the statue and fills the entire earth. Christ’s return will be a cataclysmic, earth-shattering event that every eye shall see! JTL6 3.9
Bible Discovery:
Daniel 2; 7; 8; Matthew 13:30; 25:32, 33; Luke 20:17, 18 JTL6 3.10
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 501.1, 3 JTL6 3.11
4. What will Jesus’ Second Coming be like?
Paul says the day of the Lord will come as “a thief in the night” in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 3. Does this mean that His coming is a secret rapture? No, as noted above, Jesus’ Second Coming will be seen by everyone in the world. It will be a spectacular, trumpet-filled, glorious event! The point of the phrase “thief in the night,” as well as similar metaphors Jesus used, was to underline the suddenness of the Second Coming. For this reason, the disciples were called upon to be watchful and prepared. This admonition applies even more to us, “upon whom the ends of the earth are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). JTL6 4.1
Bible Discovery:
Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:6-13, 42-44; 25:1-13; Luke 21:25, 26; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Revelation 1:7 JTL6 4.2
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, September 5, 1899, Article A, par. 6 JTL6 4.3
5. Why is Jesus coming back to earth?
Jesus comes again in order to finish the work guaranteed by His resurrection; to gather His elect; to resurrect those faithful who have died; to receive His faithful people from all time; to destroy suffering and evil; to vindicate His character of love and justice; to restore a new heaven and Earth free from sin; and to reestablish a connection and intimate communication with God. JTL6 4.4
Bible Discovery:
Deuteronomy 30:3; Isaiah 59:2; 65:17; 66:22; Matthew 24:31; Romans 6:5; 8:19-21; 1 Corinthians 15:14-19, 15:51, 52; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Ephesians 3:10, 11; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 1:19, 20; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 6:10; 20:4-6, 10-15; 21:1, 3 JTL6 4.5
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 678.3 JTL6 4.6
6. Who will be taken to heaven when Jesus comes?
All believers who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, accepted His righteousness as their own, repented and turned away from their sins, will be saved. Jesus offers to all the “wedding garment” of His own holiness that provides access to His kingdom of grace. Those who have died with their faith in Jesus will be resurrected with transformed physical bodies to meet Jesus in the air. The living faithful will also be “caught up to meet Him in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). JTL6 4.7
Bible Discovery:
Matthew 24:31; 25:32-34; 1 Corinthians 15:52, 53; 1 Thessalonians 4:16 JTL6 4.8
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 312.1-313.1 JTL6 4.9
7. Why would I want to go to heaven?
Imagine a man and woman who meet on the Internet. As time progresses and their online communication increases, their friendship deepens. Soon they are in love. Although they talk every day; the greatest desire of their hearts is to meet each other and never be separated again. JTL6 5.1
So, it is with the believer and Jesus. All who love Him can hardly wait for the day they will meet Him face to face. No one could ever cherish us more than Jesus. Believers live in expectation of that joyous, glorious second advent of Jesus from heaven. The Bible calls Jesus’ Second Coming “the blessed hope.” This biblical hope of Hebrews 6:19 has a sure anchor in Jesus. JTL6 5.2
Imagine a place free of pain, suffering, forced separation, injustice, rejection, aging, disease, dying, death, and abandonment. Heaven will be all light, all love, all peace, all joy, all fulfillment. Wouldn’t you want to go and live there forever with Jesus? JTL6 5.3
Bible Discovery:
Isaiah 2:1-4; 35; Hosea 3:5; John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 15:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:8 JTL6 5.4
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 676.4 – 677.2 JTL6 5.5
8. When Jesus comes, what happens to those who are not followers of Jesus?
For the saved, Jesus’ Second Coming is a time of ecstatic joy and triumph, but for the lost it will be a time of devastation and terror in which they cry for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them (Revelation 6:16, 17). After the Milennium, the wicked, including those responsible for enforcing the Mark of the Beast, will be cast “into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” In Revelation 20:10, those who at one time accepted Jesus, but lost their faith; those who reject His righteousness; or who try to enter heaven on their own merits, will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming, cast out to darkness. Too late will the world realize that not everyone will be saved, but only those who have accepted the righteousness of Christ as their only means of salvation. JTL6 5.6
Bible Discovery:
Isaiah 13:6; Joel 2:2; Matthew 7:22, 23; Romans 2:5; Hebrews 9:28; 2 Peter 3:3-13 JTL6 5.7
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 639.2 JTL6 5.8
9. How can we know for sure that Jesus is coming again?
As in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream the successive kingdoms passed in exact prophetic fulfillment given years before, so the last element of the prophecy will come to pass. We can be confident that the great stone cut without hands, representing God’s kingdom that succeeds all others and lasts forever, is about to shatter all earthly empires. God’s promises will not fail! The same God who delivered His people from Egypt will again deliver His people and demonstrate His power. JTL6 6.1
The first advent guarantees the second advent! Because Jesus came the first time and won a decisive victory over sin and Satan at the cross, we can know that He will come again to end Satan’s dominion and restore the Earth to its original perfection. Most biblical thanksgivings end with a reference to the second advent. Thus, the hope of Jesus’ Second Coming lies at the very heart of faith and worship in the apostolic church—and so can it also be for us! JTL6 6.2
Bible Discovery:
Isaiah 51:3; 52:7; Ezekiel 36:35; John 14:3, 28; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Ephesians 1:10, 20, 21; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:25 JTL6 6.3
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 659.1; 660.1 JTL6 6.4
10. Is Jesus’ coming delayed? Did the apostles in the Bible think Jesus would come in their lifetime?
In Jesus’ story of the Ten Virgins, they all slept because the bridegroom delayed his coming. Paul did not expect the Lord’s return in his lifetime, because he knew that the man of sin must still be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). With scoffers aplenty and iniquity out of control, the love of God for many grows cold, causing a delay in Christ’s coming (Matthew 24:12). Peter reminds his readers that though the Lord is patient and is giving more time for everyone to repent, the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly (2 Peter 3:8-10). He encourages us to “not only look for but hasten the coming of the Lord” (2 Peter 3:12). JTL6 6.5
Bible Discovery:
Isaiah 46:13; Ezekiel 12:28; Habakkuk 2:3; Matthew 25:1-13; Hebrews 10:37 JTL6 6.6
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69.1-2 JTL6 6.7
11. What relation is there between Christ’s work in heaven’s sanctuary today and His Second Coming?
The book of Revelation shows clearly that the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary is central to the plan of salvation. Today Christ is engaged in His final ministry* on behalf of sinners. When this work is complete, Jesus will bring to finalization the redemption of humanity that was already accomplished at the cross by returning to take His people home. In Christ, God has overcame the separation, restored peace, and won the believer's trust. Christ’s appearance is coupled with the last or executive phase of the judgment. With the return of Jesus in all His glory, humankind will forever be reconciled with God. His kingdom and reign is finally and forever established. JTL6 7.1
*See My Journey to Life, Step #4 – The Sanctuary JTL6 7.2
Bible Discovery:
Daniel 7:13, 14; Revelation 3:12; 4:1-5; 5:8; 7:15; 8:3; 11:1, 19; 14:15, 17; 15:5, 6, 8; 16:1, 17 JTL6 7.3
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 485.2; 490.2; Review and Herald, November 11, 1890; Review and Herald, November 9, 1905, par. 14 JTL6 7.4
12. How will organized religion impact religious freedom just before Jesus’ return?
The Scriptures predict a decline in genuine spirituality before Jesus comes. People in this counterfeit revival will attempt to quench their thirst for truth from broken cisterns, or false teachers (Amos 8:13, 14; Jeremiah 2:13). This pseudo religious awakening culminates in the “lawless one” bringing about an alliance of evil, symbolized by the unholy trio of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, that will deceive the world and legislate against the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Only those who are grounded in Scripture and trust completely in Jesus will be able to resist the overwhelming deception this confederation brings. JTL6 7.5
The antichrist (1 John 2:18; 4:3; 2 John 1:7) will initiate falsehood that brings on religious oppression and loss of religious freedom by the powerful beast with two horns that looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon (Revelation 13:11, 13). God’s remnant will be those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12), standing firm through the last days of conflict and personation of Christ by Satan. JTL6 7.6
Bible Discovery:
2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Revelation 16:13 compare with Revelation 13:13, 14 JTL6 7.7
Further Reading:
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 578.3 JTL6 7.8