When the church world speaks concerning a second coming, they always relate that to an event which will take place at a future time

Response:

When the church world speaks concerning a second coming, they always relate that to an event which will take place at a future time. What I would like to do is define the second according to scripture and I think this will give us some clarity on this matter.

Heb 10:1-9

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

In the light of these verses, we must understand that what is seen as a separate coming of the Lord by the church world is actually the second aspect of the Cross of Christ. The First aspect is taking away the first, (Adamic Creation and the Old Covenant) this is one aspect of His death, but the establishing of the Second is the second aspect of His Cross. When is this done? It is done in His Resurrection.

If we look at the term establish in the Greek, we will see that it is speaking of the Resurrection.

Establish:

NT:2476

histemi (his'-tay-mee); a prolonged form of a primary stao (stah'-o) (of the same meaning, and used for it in certain tenses); to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively):KJV - abide, appoint, bring, continue, covenant, establish, hold up, lay, present, set (up), stanch, stand (by, forth, still, up). Compare NT:5087.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

So, when is the second established? It is done in His Resurrection.

We can also see that the Second that is established, brought forth, stood up is none but Christ Himself.

1 Cor 15:35-47

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

Scripturally, the Second is never defined as an event, time or date on a calendar, but the Person of Christ Himself defines it. He is the Substance and Life of the Second that is raised and established in and by Him.

And to those whose hearts will just turn to look for HIM, not a day or event, but HIM; He WILL APPEAR AS THE SECOND. This appearing of the Lord is not in the sky, but in our very souls where He now lives. If He lives in you, where else will He appear. However, He will only appear to those who set their affections to know Him and to those He shall appear as their very life.

Heb 9:28

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

It is clearly seen in the Interlinear Bible that the word time should not be in this verse, but was added by translators. When we understand this, we can begin to see scripturally that His appearing (coming, making Himself apparent) has no reference to time, but a condition of the heart that is looking for Him.

Notice this appearing is to those who look for Him. He will only appear to those whose hearts have turned to see and know Him and to those He appears as their Full Salvation.

2 Cor 3:13-18

And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This change is not from earth to heaven, but is the change or the transformation of the soul into the image (nature, character) of the Indwelling Son Whose Glory we are beholding. Where are we beholding this glory?

2 Cor 4:6-7

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Notice the present tense of these terms that Paul uses. The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ is not for a future time, but is the very treasure that we now have in these earthen vessels. If we will turn our hearts to see and know Him, the Father will take the vail from our hearts and reveal in our souls the Glory of His Son that is now in us.

This brings us to being caught up with the Lord:

Col 3:1-4

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Paul is not questioning that these believers have been risen with Christ, but the better wording is "Since you have been risen with Christ…" Please understand that Paul is not using this as a metaphor or speaking of a temporary state of the believer until the true raising of God’s people takes place, but He is dealing with these believers in the Truth of their being raised and made to sit in the Heavenly Christ.

Eph 2:5-6

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

In Christ, we are Now Raised and Seated in Heaven, but just as the Resurrection, Heaven cannot be defined as something outside or independent of Christ. He is Heaven.

We are now raised together and made citizens of Heaven, if we are in Christ. Heaven is not the last stop on the bus, but according to scripture, heaven (being in Christ) is the very beginning. It is now from that standpoint of being raised and seated in the Heavenly Man, Christ Jesus that we set our affection to know Him, turn our hearts to apprehend the depth and breadth and length and height of His Unsearchable Fulness (Phil. 3:20). To those of us who will do that and stop looking for something outside and independent of Him to satisfy us and substantiate our Salvation, HE WILL APPEAR IN OUR HEARTS AS THE LIFE THAT HE ALREADY IS IN US. In Him, we will see our Life, our Salvation, and as the Substance of all that we have He will appear.

For those who will ask the Father to reveal this Glorious One in them, only one thing can hinder such a revealing: our desire. If we hunger and thirst for Righteousness (Christ) we shall be filled (made full and satisfied) with Him.

May the Lord bless you in your searching for Him.