As Christians, we all are waiting for the second coming of Christ. It will be the fulfillment of all of the many precious promises that our Lord has given to us (John 14:1-3). It will be the receipt of our long-awaited inheritance (Rom 8:17-18). It will be our homecoming (Heb 11:13-16). It will be our reunion with our Lord (Acts 1:10-11).
There are many verses in the Bible that speak of that day. Some of them are very familiar to those who are acquainted with God’s Word. There are others of which we may be unaccustomed or, perhaps, even unaware. Let’s take a look at one of the lesser known of the verses on His second coming to see what we can learn about that great day ...
THE SCRIPTURES:
Isa 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is] the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
THE STUDY:
“And it shall be said in that day,”
What is “that day” of which we are talking? It is the “day of the Lord” (1 Thess 5:1-5). It is when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will come back to take us to be with Him for an eternity.
“Lo, this [is] our God;”
When Christ comes back we will recognize Him as our God. The word translated “God” carries with it two basic ideas:
- He is the true magistrate – In other words, He is the one that possesses the Authority to judge and rule over all creation.
- He is deserving of all worship – We are to recognize His attributes, His position, His character, His works and His person. We are to then treat Him appropriately by honoring, praising and worshipping Him.
“we have waited for him,”
This will be the moment of which all of His people are waiting. The word translated waiting is a very interesting Hebrew word. It means “to be bound together due to a common expectation”. In other words…. as Christians, we are united in our expectation of Christ’s coming.
One of the great things that Christians share in common is a love for Christ. It is this love for Him that produces our feelings of longing for His return. That’s why Paul in 2 Tim 4:8 describes those who are saved as those who “love His appearing”. If we are not eagerly awaiting the Lord’s coming, we must place serious doubts on our salvation. How can someone saved by His grace, due to the sacrifice of Himself on our behalf, not love Him and anxiously await experiencing communion with Him in His presence?
“and he will save us:”
Keep in mind, those speaking are those who have already experienced God’s saving grace; they are the ones who “have waited for him”. If they have already been forgiven, why do they say “He WILL save us”?
The salvation that we receive is actually given to us in three different stages:
1. At our initial salvation experience, we receive deliverance (salvation) from the penalty of our sins. We are no longer headed for eternal, divine judgment in the Lake of Fire. We are freed from the PENALTY of sin.
2. During our life on earth, the Lord is continually giving us deliverance (salvation) from the power of sin in our lives. We are no longer under sin’s bondage; we no longer serve sin. We are freed from the POWER of sin.
3. But at His second coming, the Lord removes us from this fallen sinful world. We are no longer affected by sin nor a fallen nature. We are freed from the PRESENCE of sin.
This is the salvation of which Isaiah is speaking. One reason we are eagerly awaiting His return is that we will no longer be touched by sin and its effects. No more death, no more sorrow, no more failing our Lord, all of this is taken from us at His second coming.
“this [is] the LORD;”
At Christ’s coming we will acknowledge Him as LORD (Jehovah). When we see Christ as Jehovah God, we see that He is the only true God and the only God that actually exists. His coming back will be a public declaration that all His promises are now coming true because He is the faithful, sovereign God who is in control of all things (2 Peter 3:).
“we have waited for him”
The sharing of our desire to see Him has caused all Christians to share a bonding of desire and expectancy.
“we will be glad and rejoice”
Our response to seeing Christ’s return is two-fold:
- We will be glad – to outwardly display gladness or joy. Outwardly, we will be overflowing with gladness and joy, being liberated from sin’s presence and entering eternity with Christ
- We will rejoice – to be brightened. Our beings will be brightened with the receipt of new glorified bodies that will be similar to that of Christ’s (Phil 3:21). This brightening may involve displaying the glory of God in our new bodies. Or it may be speaking of the brightening of our countenance due to the extreme joy of entering into eternity with Him.
“in his salvation.”
The source of our gladness and joy, must ultimately be attributed, in part, to our deliverance from the presence of sin in our spirit, our body and our surroundings. What a day that will be when we will no longer be touched by the sin that had previously permeated our very beings; and when we will be delivered from the effects of sin that had brought sin, sickness, sorrow and death into our existence on earth. (Rev 21-22)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
For those who are saved:
No matter what may befall us as we continue in the fallen world around us, we can know assuredly that there is coming a day when our Lord will return and graciously bestow upon us the ultimate eternal salvation that we so long for.
Just knowing that, someday, the struggles of this world will end, and we will enter eternity in His presence, is enough to allow joy to continue to reign in our hearts…
1Pet 1:6-9 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls.”
For those who have never experienced the grace of God in our lives:
Do you see the horrible results of sin in the world around us? Do you see the wonderful future that the Lord is offering to those who will come to Him an place their faith in Him? Do you feel the pain of guilt, realizing that you have rejected the very One who offers salvation from the personal sin that is dominating your life? Do you understand the offer of forgiveness of sin and a wonderful, sin-free eternity in the very presence of God is what you are spitting upon and trampling under foot?
By God’s grace, may you see the sinfulness of your actions, hate the very acts of rebellion you once enjoyed, and turn from your disobedience and come in faith and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is then, that you will receive His gracious mercy. It is then, you will experience a change of heart. It is then, that you will be able to call these precious promises of a sinless eternity yours. It is then, that you will be anxiously waiting for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
If you have any questions concerning the way of salvation please feel free to visit or call a Bible teaching church in your area. They will be happy to speak to you about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He graciously gives.
Or, if you would rather, feel welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to answer any question you may have.
Also, if you look at my blog page “How To Have A Relationship With God”. On this page, you will find several blog entries explaining the way of salvation.
Please visit the “Settled In Heaven Ministries” homepage –
My Main Blog “Settled In Heaven” – http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com
The following are other places you can find “Settled In Heaven” blog www.settledinheavenblog.blogspot.com
To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com
Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
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