What Christadelphians believe about ...

Christ's Return

If you are a believer in the Bible you will believe that Christ, who visibly left the earth nearly 2000 years ago, will come back again, and appear personally among men, to accomplish the great work that God has given him to do :-

1 Because it records that angels declared to the Apostles that he would come in the way he departed.

"While the apostles looked steadfastly towards heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, who said, 'Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1:10,11).

If Christ is to come "in like manner as the apostles saw him go", he will come personally, visibly, and literally, for it was in a literal, personal, visible manner that the disciples saw him ascend.

2 Because it testifies that Jesus himself repeatedly stated when upon earth that though he would have to depart he would come again.

"Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away and come again unto you" (John 14:28).
"It is expedient for you that I go away … I will see you again, and your hearts shall rejoice" (John 16:7,22).
"For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then shall he reward every man according to his works." (Matthew 16:27).

The actual nature of Christ's going away shows us the actual nature of his coming back. It cannot mean the spread of his teaching, for he asks, "When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth?" And it cannot mean the coming of death to his people, for Paul speaks of those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:15), and says of such that they will not sleep (1 Corinthians 15:51).

3 Because it reports to us that the Apostles in their speeches proclaimed the fact of his return.

Peter said: "He (God) shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you, whom the heavens must receive till the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets" (Acts 3:20-21).
"The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels … when he shall come to he glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe … Remember ye not that when I was with you, I told you these things?" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:5).

If the Apostles preached the coming of Christ, ought not that coming to be part of the preaching of the present day, which owes any truth it may have to the teaching of the Apostles in the first century?

4 Because in their letters, the Apostles refer to it as an event to be expected and practically calculated upon.

"To them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:28).
"A crown of righteousness to all them that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).
"He shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1).
"Hope to the end for the grace that is to he brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ "(1 Peter 1:13).

5 Because the prophets foretell his coming in power and great glory.

"All the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken have likewise foretold of these days" (Acts 3:24).
"I saw in the night visions, and one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven" (Daniel 7:13).
"The Lord will come with fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire " (Isaiah 66:15).

Do not explain away these statements

Some say these statements have a figurative meaning. Such an idea is discouraged by the literal nature of Christ's first appearing, which was also the subject of prophecy before it happened. Turn up the prophecies that foretell Christ's first appearing, and see how difficult it is to give anything other than a literal interpretation to the prophecies of his second appearing. And consider how very important it is that you should have Scriptural views on the subject, since the individual benefits of his coming are for "them that look for him," and for "them that love his appearing."