Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Matthew 25:31, Luke 21:28 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory ... Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.
THE LAST DAY WILL BY OUR HAPPIEST DAY
It's a custom in the Lutheran Church, as the church year winds down to its close, to direct our thoughts to the topic of the End Times, to the Second Coming of Christ, and to the life of glory that awaits us in heaven.
The Bible has much to say to us on this subject for our spiritual encouragement. One of things it teaches is that, when Jesus appears on earth on the Last Day He will put His unsurpassed glory as the eternal Son of God on full display for all to behold. His coming then will be altogether different from His coming to earth the first time. When He came to earth two thousand years ago He came in quietness and gentleness. He was born lowly in a stable. He lived the life of a poor servant and died the shameful death of the cross that He might save us.
When He returns to earth on the Last Day He will come with the fullness of His divine majesty and holiness shining forth brilliantly from one end of the earth to the other. He'll be flanked by an angel-army comprised of thousands. Nor will it be a quiet event. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
How this shall happen we cannot explain. We humbly accept what the Bible says and we look forward to it with joy. We say with John: "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).
The Last Day will be our happiest day for it will be the day of our heavenly home-coming to be with the Lord forever.
