You and I are in a series of heart -to -heart
talks regarding the second coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ. I could not bring you a series
of messages that I felt was more timely, more
important, more vital to all people everywhere
than this series of messages we... the second
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, an event that
will take place and could take place in our generation
and not violate one portion of the Word of God.
There is no fact in history, more clearly established
than the fact of the first coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It is not an established fact because
God's Word says so, but it is a matter of recorded
history. Jesus did come in bodily form. There
was proof. that his coming was supernatural.
It had the seal of heaven upon it. These are
all established facts and a matter of history.
But as his first coming did not fulfill all the
prophecies associated with his coming, it is
evident that there must be a coming to completely
fulfill them. There must be a second coming.
And it was because the religious leaders of Christ's
day failed to distinguish between the prophecies
that related to his first coming and those that
related to his second coming that they rejected
him. All the prophecies regarding his coming
were not fulfilled at his first coming. And as
surely as he came the first time, he will return
to earth again. And we call it the second coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke of it himself.
And oh, there's something about his own words
that means so much to the child of God. It's
there in the word. And remember, it's one thing
for me to read it to you, but it makes it so
much personal. If you'll just take your own Bible
and read from your own Bible the words of Jesus.
We caught it there in the 16th chapter of Matthew,
the 27th verse. For the Son of Man shall come
in the glory of his Father. with his angels,
and then he shall reward every man according
to his works. This did not happen at his first
coming. That's the reason they didn't accept
him as the true Messiah. That is the reason they
didn't understand the difference between his
first coming and his second coming. And he was
rejected. But Jesus himself said of his second
coming, For the Son of Man shall come in the
glory of his Father with his angels. He's talking
about his second coming. And then he shall reward
every man according to his works. Oh, that familiar
portion. That's found in the 14th chapter of
John. In my father's house are many mansions.
If it were not so, I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare
a place for you, watch it, I will come again
and receive you unto myself, that where I am,
there ye may be also. And he cannot lie. It is
impossible for him to lie. These words came directly
from the lips of Jesus himself. He said, if it
were not so, I would have told you. I don't have
to lie to you. I tell you the truth. I go to
prepare a place for you. And if... I go, and
he did go. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again. I will. I'll give you
another scripture. And these are words from his
own lips. The 21st chapter of John. If I will
that he tarry, How long? Till I come. What is
that to thee, follow thou me? Mm -hmm. Jesus
said himself that he would return to earth again.
But oh, beloved, that testimony. of that great
event. As recorded in the first chapter of Acts,
I have lived it and relived it a thousand times.
You have heard me in heart -to -heart talks,
talking about last seconds. When he looked round
about, them and spoke of that mighty third person
of Trinity, the Holy Spirit. He had spoken of
the Holy Spirit prior to this moment. And he
said, it is necessary, is expedient for you that
I go away. I must serve in the capacity of great
high priest. I'm leaving you. But if I go away,
the Holy Spirit, the third person, the Trinity,
will come unto you. And then, those last moments,
those all -important words, ye shall receive
power. The same power that has been demonstrated
in my life. The same keeping power. The same
power that is manifested and has been manifested
in my life and through my body here on this earth
shall be given to you through the person of the
Holy Spirit. Ye shall receive power. After that,
the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem. and in
all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth. It was not that he had confidence
in men. He knew the fickleness of human nature,
but he had confidence in the person of the Holy
Spirit, the one to whom he had entrusted his
earthly life. And when he had spoken these things,
while they beheld, he was taken up. And a cloud,
watch this thing of a cloud. This is most important.
He was taken up. In other words, his feet literally
left. The Mount of Olives. He was taken up visibly.
He was taken up in bodily form. And a cloud received
him out of their sight. This was not a spirit
that was leaving them. This was not the figment
of somebody's imagination. Just a second before,
He was speaking to them, talking to them of the
coming of the Holy Spirit. Just days before,
he had eaten with them the fish that had been
prepared. He had broken bread with them. They
had seen him. They had conversed with him. He
had... eaten with them. He was in bodily form.
And watch something. Do you remember what Thomas
said after the resurrection of Jesus? Thomas
was so dumbfounded. Thomas was so amazed. He
could not believe that it could possibly be his
master. He thought he was seeing things when
Jesus came and stood in their midst. And this
was after the resurrection of Jesus. And Thomas
said, I can't believe that it can possibly be
the Christ. And I won't believe until I actually,
literally, see the marks in his hands. I was
there when they nailed him to the cross. I saw
the soldier with my own eyes. drive the spikes
through his hands. I will not believe that this
is Jesus until I have proof and the proof will
be if I can see the scars from the spikes that
were driven through his hands. And Jesus opened
his hands before Thomas. And Thomas fell at his
feet and cried aloud. He knew he had his proof.
Do you know something about it? The only imperfect
body that there will be in heaven will be the
body. of Jesus. Our resurrected bodies will be
absolutely perfect. There will be no imperfection.
I do not believe that there will be a scar. I
do not believe that there will be a wrinkle.
I believe that every body will be absolutely
perfect. when we stand in his presence. But beloved,
if those marks were in the hands of the master
after his resurrection, and Thomas with his own
eyes saw the marks and they were visible to Thomas,
Then when the body of Jesus left the Mount of
Olives, the imprint was still in his hands. I
am convinced that those marks will forever and
ever remain in his hands and will constantly
throughout all of eternity be a reminder to you
and to me the price that Jesus paid for our redemption.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven,
as he went up, oh, I like that little word, up.
You know why? Because Instinctively, when I talk
to him. Instinctively, when I pray. I find myself
looking up. Instinctively, when I praise him.
I find myself looking up. And there's something
about people who keep their heads down when they
pray. Sure. We bow our head in reverence unto
him. But, my friend, in talking to him, remember
he's up. Uh -huh. I do not think of him as being
someplace in the bowels of the earth. He isn't.
When he left, where did he go? Up. Uh -huh. Sure.
While they looked steadfastly toward heaven,
as he went up, when he comes again, he comes
down. What did John see when he saw the city
of the new Jerusalem? Where was it coming from?
It came down. And behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel. which also said, Ye men of
Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus. I find what he's going to do
with this. You can't spiritualize it. It's impossible
to spiritualize it. This same Jesus. They saw
him in bubbly form. He was visible to their eye.
It was not a spirit. This same Jesus, which is
taken up from you into heaven, shall so come
in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Can you know? John caught that same wonderful
vision. And he speaks of it in the very last
book of the Bible. the first chapter of the book
of Revelation, the seventh verse, Behold, he
cometh with clouds. What's that word cloud again?
He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see
him, and they also which pierced him, and all
kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.
Do you know that it would have been absolutely,
literally impossible for this prophecy to have
been fulfilled 25 years ago? Why? We didn't have
television 25 years ago. It would have been impossible
for this thing to have been fulfilled 15 years
ago. Television 15 years ago. It wasn't what
it is today. It is possible in our generation
for Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God,
to come back in bodily form to this earth and
for every eye to see him when he comes back because
we have the medium of television. Oh, men think
they're so smart. We think we've made such great
discoveries in our time. And yet, you know, God
just put it in our hands. God just gave us the
knowledge of the things that he put there so
that his own word might be fulfilled. Now come
back. to the very same thing that I've been talking
to you weeks ago. Go back again to Jerusalem
when Jesus comes back to earth again in bodily
form. Where do you think he will set foot? The
very same spot where he took off. Exactly. Why
do you think that through the centuries, Jerusalem
has been destroyed or partially destroyed 25,
26 times? And there were times when there were
those who might have said, this is the end. This
is the finish of Jerusalem. And yet we're coming
to the hour when every eye will again be focused
on Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be the principal
city of the world in our generation. The day
is coming when Jerusalem will again be declared
an open city. All of these things were in the
plan of God. All of these things were in the
mind of the Heavenly Father, a God who never
forgets, a God who silently said when they took
the body of his son off of the cross, I will
vindicate my son. I will see. that he returns,
and when he returns to earth, he will not return
in defeat. He will return in great glory, and
that's exactly what he's going to do. He's coming
back in bodily form. I promise you that. I give
you that truth with the word of God. As my authority.
And I saw the heaven opened. John had a preview
of all of this. And behold a white horse. And
he that sat upon him was called faithful and
true. And in righteousness he doth judge and
make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire. And
on his head were many crowns. And he had a name
written that no man knew but he himself. He was
clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. Remember,
it is the blood that maketh an atonement for
the soul. And his name is called the word of
God. And the armies which were in the heaven
followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean. Mm -hmm. Go back again
to Acts. This same Jesus, which is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come in like manners
ye have seen him go into heaven. And out of his
mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should
smite the nations, and he shall rule them with
a rod of iron. And he treadeth the winepress
of the... fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a
name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He is coming back to earth again to rule. and
rain, and for the first time in the history of
mankind, he will give peace to this earth.