There are two kinds of prophecies about the Lord’s second coming in the Bible. One type is to come secretly, just like: "Behold, I come as a thief" (Rev 16:15); the other is to descend publicly on clouds. Some people may ask how exactly will these two kinds of completely different prophecies come true? We know all the prophecies of the Lord will be fulfilled. It’s only that they are fulfilled one after another. In other words, the Lord will first come secretly in the form of the Son of man and make a group of overcomers before the great disaster, and then appear openly in the clouds to all nations and all peoples, punishing evil and rewarding good.
Just as the Lord Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37–39). From this verse, we can see that the day of His return will be like the day of Noah, that He would first come in secret to do His work and then appear openly. As we all know, in the time of Noah, before God decided to destroy the world with a flood, God called Noah to make an ark and to preach the gospel to everyone, telling them that God would destroy the world with a flood. This stage before the flood occurred is the stage of God’s hidden work. Also, it is an opportunity of repentance God gives to man. But when the flood came, it was the time of God’s public appearance and work, and it was also the time to determine man’s outcome. Similarly, when the Lord returns in the last days, He will first come in secret to save mankind before the disaster and then openly appear to reward good and punish evil. This is also the wisdom of God’s work. When the Lord comes back in the last days, He will first put on an ordinary and normal flesh, and come to earth secretly to speak and save people. For those who love the truth and can recognize the voice of God, when they accept God’s work in the last days, they are attending the wedding feast of the Lamb. However, those who don’t pay attention to hearing God’s voice during God’s hidden work, but instead condemn and resist His work in the last days will lose the opportunity to be saved. They will be punished when God appears publicly. Just as when the Lord Jesus came to work, those Pharisees paid no attention to hearing God’s voice. No matter how powerful and authoritative the Lord Jesus’ words were, they did not investigate, but still resisted and condemned the Lord with their notions and imaginations. In the end, they suffered the Lord’s curse and punishment. This is how the good and evil are revealed. So, during God’s secret descent to save people, we can’t possibly see the scene of God appearing publicly on clouds. Not until God’s work of secret descent and incarnation ends will He appear on the clouds publicly to all nations and all peoples, and classify people according to their kind. Those who stabbed Him, that is, those who resisted and condemned Christ in the last days, will weep their teeth and feel extreme regret when they find the incarnate God whom they have resisted and condemned is the return of the Lord Jesus. This fulfills what the Bible says: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Mat 24:30). “Behold, He comes 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. Even so, Amen” (Rev 1:7).
» Extended Reading:
We all hope to welcome the Lord and attend the feast of the Lamb. However, how can we welcome the second coming of the Lord Jesus? Please click here to find the answer.
