Revelation 22 “¹² “Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work. “

Jesus said He was coming quickly almost 2000 years ago. The word “quickly” in Greek means suddenly, without warning, as a surprise, etc. Jesus was telling John that He can come suddenly and quickly. It can happen anytime – nobody knows the day or the hour.

The Jews thought that they could live in Jerusalem forever in the 1st Century, but Jesus promised God’s judgment within one generation – on the same generation that crucified Him and killed the Apostles. The believers heeded the words of Christ and fled the city before the destruction in AD70.

Luke 21 “²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the middle of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein. ²² For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”… ³² Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.”

It happened just as Jesus predicted in the year AD70 (one generation from the cross – 40 years) when Jerusalem was destroyed and the multitudes of Israelites were scattered into the nations for 2000 years.

The Gospel has been preached to the nations for the last 2000 years.

But there will be a day when Christ will appear suddenly without warning to judge all the nations. It is called the Day of the Lord that will come like a thief in the night:

2nd Peter 3 “

³ knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts ⁴ and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” ⁵ For this they willfully forget that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of God, ⁶ by which means the world that existed then, being overflowed with water, perished. ⁷ But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. ⁸ But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹ Therefore since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, ¹² looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³ But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

As believers, we look forward to His coming to be with Him forever. We will live in a new world free of sin and death – where righteousness dwells.

One day, Jesus will suddenly appear in the heavens with the blazing fire to bring salvation to us believers but judgment on unbelievers.

2nd Thessalonians 1 ” ⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, ⁸ punishing those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, ⁹ who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ¹⁰ when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”

There will be judgment/condemnation for the unbeliever. But for those who believe, Jesus will not bring judgment but salvation and immortality! It’s because He already carried our sins on the cross!

Hebrews 9 “²⁷ Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, ²⁸ so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.”

The Lord can come suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye to destroy death and give immortality to all of us believers. The dead believers will be raised and those who are alive will be instantly transformed into immortality. What good news and glory!

1 Corinthians 15 “⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.””

1 Thessalonians 4 “¹³ But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. ¹⁵ For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, ¹⁷ then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Nobody knows when it will happen, but it will surely happen one day. When the world thinks that there is great peace, the LORD will come like a thief in the night to surprise them. But it will not be a surprise for us because we look forward to His coming.

1 Thessalonians 5 “But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. 3 For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape. 4 But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. 5 You are all children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, 6 so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him“

The believer has no fear of judgment because we trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

We are saved by grace through faith in Christ, and not our works.

Our hope is in Christ alone and His Righteousness.

When He returns He will transform our bodies into His glory!

1st John 2 “² Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.”

1st Corinthians 16 “ ²² If any man doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed. Come, Lord! ²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

Christ’s coming will be a curse/judgment for those who don’t believe/love Him.

But for all of us who love the LORD, it will be a day of greatest blessing and GRACE!

Ephesians 6 “²⁴ Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.”

We love Jesus because He loves us first. There is no fear of judgment for the believer!

1st John 4 “¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. ¹⁷ In this, love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. ¹⁹ We love him, because he first loved us.”

Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.