If the Church is to go on believing that Jesus can return at any time for an unperfected Church, then the Church will continue in its spirit of apathy instead of getting a vision for the glorious church without spot or wrinkle spoken of in the fifth chapter of Ephesians.  Will some people be left behind, while others escape? What does the Bible really say? Bible Teacher, Ken Birks answers these questions and more in the studies listed below.

The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is the hope of the church. This is the event that we as Christians all look forward to. The Second Coming of Jesus gives us a vivid expectation of grand and glorious things taking place at His appearing.

There are many questions that come into peoples’ minds when the subject of the Second Coming of Christ comes up. Questions such as, How will we know He has come? Will His coming be evident to all? What can we expect when He comes? Will there be signs before His coming and is it possible that He will come and some will not be aware of it. These are just a few of the questions that arise in the hearts and minds of both believers and unbelievers alike.

The Great Mystery Revealed

The Bible refers to the Second Coming of Christ and the truth concerning Jesus' relationship with His Bride, the Bride of Christ, as a great mystery.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I Tell you a mystery: (hidden truth) We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trujmpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptibe, and we shall be changed.

Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

There are many key scriptures, thoughts and words that will enable us to rightly divide the word of truth concerning the timing of the Second Coming of Christ. As we take a look, we will see that the Bible consistently interprets the timing of The Second Coming of Jesus to be after the "Great Tribulation" spoken of in the book of Revelation.

One of the major keys to unlocking the puzzle of this great mystery concerning Christ and His Church, is understanding the timing and the events that take place at the last trumpet. If one is to solve this great mystery then one must approach it in the same way a detective would approach a mystery, which is by looking for clues.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air...

In the Book of  Revelation, at the sounding of this seventh trumpet by the seventh angel the mystery of God will be finished that He has declared to His servants the prophets. According to Acts 3:20‑21 Jesus is being retained in heaven until all that has been spoken by the prophets since the world began comes to pass. It's at this point that the Bible says, everything that has been declared by the prophets is now finished and Jesus is free to return.

The goal in this study is to approach the subject by looking at all of the various clues that are found in the scriptures. By putting them together you will begin to see a clear picture emerging of the Second coming of Christ and the Church during the Great tribulation.