“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” Matthew 24:29-31

His return will be unmistakable. As stated in Revelation 1:7, "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”

We need not be concerned that we will miss the event of the ages; it will be universally seen and experienced. Much has been discussed and debated as to how “every eye will see Him.” How is it possible for those in Asia as well as those in North America to simultaneously see His return? Such questions arise when we think in terms of natural geography. Perhaps we should consider that His return is rather from an all-encompassing dimension of existence, as is implied by His statement that “just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be” Matthew 24:17.

He will return gloriously with “the clouds of heaven.” Jesus mentions clouds in Matthew 24, and Revelation 1:7 speaks of His return with clouds. His departure was with clouds: “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight” Acts 1:9. An angel testified that He would “come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” Acts 1:11, so that will certainly involve clouds. And all if this is in harmony with a significant prophecy in Daniel 7:13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.”

Lest we get hung up on details and speculation, the thing of overriding important is the FACT of His return. Yes, He IS coming back. If the fact is undeniable, then the implications are monumental. We have a date with destiny, and it is imperative that we carefully prepare. “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless” 2 Peter 3:14.

Resolute faith and hope in the Second Coming of Jesus is not an excuse for laziness and idleness, but rather for dedication, sacrifice, and service. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” 1 Corinthians 15:58.

May a renewed appreciation of the hope of the Second Coming of Jesus re-energize our lifestyle and efforts.

Be sure to also see Amazon ebook & print devotional and podcast: New Day Dawning.