Coming Again

In the days before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples that He would return at a time when “all the tribes of the earth” would see Him “coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). Then, when He ascended into Heaven, the disciples watched as “a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9).

In the revelation Jesus gave John in keeping with those promises, Jesus said He would come again “with the clouds.” More than a prophecy, this was a declaration of the attitude that needed to shape their lives.

In John’s time, as in ours, we can be tempted to look down, to focus on concerns about earthly things and issues we face. Faced with these thoughts, we can find ourselves discouraged and without hope.

But the Bible tells us that we need to look up instead. This was the message Jesus proclaimed as He talked about His Second Coming. Yes, there will be troubles in the world. But as Jesus said, we need to remember, “When all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28 NLT).

No matter what is going on in your life, don’t be dominated by fear or worry. Remember, you serve a risen Savior. He is reigning even now. And He is coming again – of that, you can be certain. “So it is to be” (v. 7).