Topical Bible: The Second Coming of Christ: Saints: should Watch For

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The Second Coming of Christ is a pivotal event in Christian eschatology, anticipated with great expectation and vigilance by believers. The New Testament provides numerous exhortations for the saints to remain watchful and prepared for this momentous occasion. This entry explores the biblical basis for the call to watchfulness and the characteristics of such vigilance.

Biblical Exhortations to Watchfulness

The call for believers to watch for the Second Coming is rooted in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus emphasizes the importance of readiness: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:42). This admonition underscores the unpredictability of the timing of Christ's return, urging believers to maintain a state of spiritual alertness.

Similarly, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus instructs His followers: "Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come" (Mark 13:33). This passage highlights the necessity of constant vigilance, as the exact moment of the Second Coming is known only to the Father.

The Apostle Paul reiterates this theme in his epistles. In 1 Thessalonians, he writes, "So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Paul contrasts spiritual wakefulness with complacency, encouraging believers to live in a manner that reflects their anticipation of Christ's return.

Characteristics of Watchfulness

Watchfulness for the Second Coming involves several key characteristics, as outlined in Scripture. First, it requires a life of holiness and godliness. In 2 Peter, believers are urged to "live holy and godly lives as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:11-12). This call to holiness is a response to the transformative hope of Christ's return.

Second, watchfulness involves prayer and spiritual discipline. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, exhorts His disciples: "Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation" (Matthew 26:41). Prayer is a vital component of staying spiritually alert and resisting the distractions and temptations of the world.

Third, watchfulness is characterized by a sense of urgency and expectation. In the parable of the ten virgins, Jesus illustrates the importance of being prepared: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" (Matthew 25:13). The wise virgins, who were ready with their lamps, serve as a model for believers to remain expectant and prepared.

The Role of the Church

The collective watchfulness of the church is also emphasized in the New Testament. The early Christian community was marked by a shared anticipation of Christ's return, as seen in the exhortation to "encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25). The church is called to foster an environment of mutual encouragement and accountability, spurring one another on in faithfulness and readiness.

In Revelation, the risen Christ addresses the churches, urging them to remain vigilant: "Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you" (Revelation 3:3). This warning serves as a reminder of the need for continual spiritual vigilance within the body of Christ.

Conclusion

The Second Coming of Christ is a central tenet of Christian hope, and the call to watchfulness is a recurring theme throughout the New Testament. Believers are encouraged to live in a state of readiness, marked by holiness, prayer, and a sense of urgency. The church, as a community of faith, plays a vital role in fostering this watchfulness, encouraging one another as the anticipated day draws near.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 24:42
Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Mark 13:35-37
Watch you therefore: for you know not when the master of the house comes, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 21:36
Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

"Be Ye Therefore Sober, and Watch unto Prayer. "
... this duty is to them who look for Christ's second coming.1. In ... And therefore, saints,
be sober. ... Ye ought then to be ready for Christ's coming, and not be found ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxii be ye therefore.htm

The Apostles Referred to the Redeemer's Return in the Language of ...
... had not appeared up to the time when he wrote this epistle, yet, the saints must
not conclude from this that the Second Coming of Christ was necessarily ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/2 the apostles referred to.htm

The Signs of the Redeemer's Return
... also record certain "Signs" in connection with our Lord's second coming to the ... nothing
whatever between the present hour and the coming of Christ for His ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/chapter six the signs of.htm

Introduction
... our Lord in many respects, His Second Coming will be ... weakness and humiliation, but
at His second He shall ... their converts to look for the appearing of Christ. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/introduction.htm

The Thessalonian Letters
... was raised from the dead, so God will call the sleeping saints from their ... to be
indifferent to the signs which are to precede the second coming of Christ. ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 25 the thessalonian letters.htm

On the Mount of Olives
... Next, the stars should fall from heaven ... raise the dead, and to change the living
saints from glory ... So now we are given warning of Christ's second coming and of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 69 on the mount.htm

That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope
... might be called the gospel of Christ's coming again. ... in the word of God: First, that
Christ should come; that ... Second, that the Holy Ghost should come; that was ...
/.../moody/that gospel sermon on the blessed hope/that gospel sermon on the.htm

The Admonition.
... the Christian as an indication of the near coming of Christ ... look for him shall he
appear the second time without ... sin, (3:4); they will walk with Christ in white ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the admonition.htm

The Doctrine of the Last Things.
... the presence and the appearing of Christ: the former referring to His coming for,
and the ... We should remember, further, that the second coming covers a ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of the last.htm

Heralds of the Morning.
... had given place to pride and formalism, love for Christ and faith in His coming
had grown cold. ... The doctrine of the second advent had been neglected; the ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /17 heralds of the morning.htm