Passover to Pentecost – The Second Coming         Week 6 Day 7

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:27 (NIV)

Acts 1:6, the disciples are asking when Israel will get the kingdom back.  They are talking earthly kingdom, but Jesus answers with two things that went way past their question.  His first answer is about the spiritual kingdom and His second coming.  The second answer goes outside of Israel and carries them to the whole world.  It seems that the disciples were not ready to preach to the Gentiles, maybe that is why He had to blind Paul and get his attention.

Jesus spoke about His second coming many times.  I will use Luke 21 because it is in the Passover time frame and because it covers the major topics.  The day here is Tuesday of Holy Week and the Jews should have been tending the lambs for the sacrifice/meal.  Jesus replies to the disciples’ amazement about the Temple.  As with most prophecies, there is a “soon” part and an “in the future” part.  Some of what He tells them will happen when Rome destroys Jerusalem in about forty years.  But infused into His teaching is information about His second coming.

If you join Jesus’ last words to His disciples with the warnings and signs in Luke 21 you can see what He thought was important.  Luke 21 starts with the widow and her two pennies, the giving heart is more important than money.  From verse 8 to 28 it is pretty easy to see that it will be a time of darkness.  The Old Testament prophets starting with Isaiah refer to “the day.” (See the post The Day)  Jesus paints a somber picture in these verses, but the parable from verse 29 to 36 again pulls us back to what is important for Jesus: that we know He is coming again and that the kingdom of God is near, that His words and promises will not pass away, and that we need to live a life that will allow us to stand before Him.

In the Old Testament, many of the prophets connect “the Day” with valleys.  I did a study on the valleys in the Book of Joel.  There are different types of them and they refer to our attitudes and the judgment that is coming, please go to that post.

One thing for sure that will happen at His coming – every knee will bow.  The references in the New Testament are Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2: 10.  These come from the thoughts and warnings in Isaiah 45: 23 and one that connects back to the Counting of the Omer time period in Exodus – Psalms 95: 6 -8.  Again, in this Psalm, the important thing is your life and how you live it before Him.  See Him for the great God He is, acknowledge His working in your life, and do not harden your heart.