I like famous movie lines. In studying the return of Christ one key scenario comes to mind. In his 1984 movie, “Terminator,” Arnold Schwarzenegger boldly proclaims, “I’ll be back.” He immediately returned to quite the scene. He kept his word. I view Jesus, with more power than Arnold could ever imagine, saying with words of comfort, but warning, “I will be back!” Jesus is coming back. He will keep His word.

Maybe you are more of a fan of history and remember General Douglas MacArthur. During World War II, he promised the people of the Philippines, “I Shall Return.” He did keep his word.

Acts 1 records Jesus leaving for Heaven. Right after He ascends, an angel says, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (verse 11). As soon as He leaves, we are reminded that He will return.

1. How will the Lord return? 

“Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the Second Coming of Christ. There are 1,845 references to it in the Old Testament, and a total of seventeen Old Testament books give it prominence. Of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to the Second Coming, or one out of 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. The four missing books include three which are single-chapter letters written to individual persons on a particular subject, and the fourth is Galatians which does imply Christ’s coming again. For every prophecy on the First Coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ’s Second Coming.” Paul Lee Tan

2. What points stand out most in this quote? 

3. Does this quote surprise you? Why or why not? 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

4. What does “grieve as others do who have no hope” mean?

5. What is necessary for one to have hope? 

6. Describe what is pictured here. 

7. What is the goal of these words? 

The parables of Jesus Christ often refer to His return. Look up each parable, write down what the parable is, and mention how it relates to the topic.

In 2 Peter 3:10-12 it says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!”

8. Will the Lord’s return be well announced or a surprise? 

9. Knowing that the Lord could return at any time, how are we told to live? 

“When He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him when He does return.” A.W. Tozer 

10. What does this quote mean? 

The last two verses of the Bible (Revelation 22:20-21) say, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”

11. What is the very last message of the Bible? 

“Precisely because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all moments.” C.S. Lewis

Jesus will return. He will be back!