Week #3: The King Is Coming – The Visible Return of Christ
Blog Series Intention Recap
The Signs of the Times series explores Jesus’s teaching about the end of the age from a dispensational, pre-tribulational, premillennial perspective. Each week unpacks key events of the future Tribulation period, beginning with the initial birth pains and culminating in Christ’s Second Coming. While these events are not for the Church to endure, they reveal God’s sovereign plan for Israel and the nations. The Church will be raptured before the Tribulation, but believers are called to live in readiness, understanding the times and proclaiming the gospel urgently. This series equips Christians to interpret prophetic Scripture rightly, stand firm in truth, and keep watch for the blessed hope—Christ’s imminent return.
This page is a post in the series “Signs of the Times.” Click here to see the rest of the posts.
Let’s jump into Week #3:
The Sky Will Split, the King Will Come: Why His Return Isn’t Symbolic… Jesus will return visibly and gloriously at the end of the Tribulation to judge the nations and establish His Millennial Kingdom. The Church, already raptured, will return with Him. This Second Coming is distinct from the rapture and fulfills God’s covenant promises to Israel and the world. Live every day with the end in mind. The return of Jesus is not a vague hope—it’s a guaranteed future.
Why it Matters:
The Second Coming follows the seven-year Tribulation and is visible to the whole world.
It is distinct from the rapture, which is private and occurs before the Tribulation.
Jesus will defeat the Antichrist, judge the nations, and establish His kingdom on earth.
Believers today live with hopeful anticipation—not fear—because we return with the King, not await Him on the earth.
Go Deeper:
The Promise of His Return
From the earliest days of the Church, believers have lived in anticipation of Christ’s return. In Acts 1:11, angels told the disciples, “This Jesus… will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” That promise will be fulfilled—literally, bodily, and visibly—at the end of the Tribulation.
In Matthew 24:29–31, Jesus describes this moment in unmistakable terms:
“Immediately after the tribulation… the sun will be darkened… and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
This is not the rapture. This is the Second Coming—the visible return of the Messiah to earth to defeat His enemies and fulfill His kingdom promises. The Church is not looking for this event—we are returning with Him (Rev. 19:14).
1. The Rapture vs. the Second Coming
These two events are often confused, but Scripture makes clear distinctions:
| Event | Rapture | Second Coming |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Before the Tribulation | After the Tribulation |
| Audience | For the Church | For the world |
| Location | Jesus meets us in the air (1 Thess. 4:17) | Jesus returns to earth (Zech. 14:4) |
| Purpose | To rescue the Church | To judge the nations and reign |
| Tone | A blessed hope (Titus 2:13) | A day of mourning for unbelievers (Matt. 24:30) |
Jesus will not return to earth until after the seven-year Tribulation. The rapture is imminent—it could happen today. The Second Coming, however, happens on a timetable—specifically, after the fulfillment of Daniel’s 70th week.
2. The Return of the King
When Jesus returns in Revelation 19:11–16, He comes not as the suffering servant, but as the conquering King. The heavens open. He rides a white horse. His robe is dipped in blood. On His thigh is written, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
The armies of heaven—glorified saints—follow Him (Rev. 19:14). That means we return with Him, not to suffer, but to reign (2 Tim. 2:12).
He will defeat the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:8), cast the beast and false prophet into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20), and bind Satan for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1–3). This is not symbolic. It is the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom, where Jesus will rule from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2–4; Zech. 14:9).
3. Israel’s Restoration and the Kingdom Age
The Second Coming of Christ is inseparably tied to the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel:
Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1–3): Israel’s land and blessing will be fully realized.
Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:12–16): A literal king from David’s line will reign forever.
New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34): Israel will be spiritually restored and forgiven.
When Israel, under severe tribulation, finally cries out to Messiah (Zech. 12:10; Matt. 23:39), Jesus will return to rescue, restore, and reign.
This earthly kingdom is not metaphorical. Jesus will govern the nations with justice (Isa. 9:6–7), restore the earth, and reign from Jerusalem for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:4–6). This is the Millennium, a literal, physical reign in fulfillment of Scripture.
How does this help me understand, “Signs of the Times?”
The Sky Will Split—And History Will Bow
The world mocks the idea of a returning King. But Scripture is clear: Jesus is not done with this world. He will return in power. He will stand again on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4). He will establish peace. He will fulfill every promise.
We don’t fear that day—we look forward to it.
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…”
—Revelation 1:7
Until then, we wait with hope. We serve with joy. And we declare, “Maranatha!”—Come, Lord Jesus.
How Should We Live Today?
Be ready for the rapture, not the return.
Our blessed hope is to meet Christ in the air, before the Tribulation. Live like He could come today.Understand the difference.
Knowing the distinctions between the rapture and Second Coming guards against confusion and fuels gospel clarity.Rejoice in God’s justice.
The Second Coming reminds us that evil won’t win. Christ will judge righteously and reign gloriously.Pray for Israel.
The restoration of Israel is central to Christ’s return. Pray that Jewish hearts would turn to their Messiah.
Live every day with the end in mind. The return of Jesus is not a vague hope—it’s a guaranteed future.
