Second Comings

Mal. 4:1-6

Second Comings

Well, we are already off to a good start tonight...  

If you followed along while we went through the text tonight, you have read at least one chapter of your Bible today...

But I hope that’s not the only chapter you will have read today before this day is through.

Tonight’s message may be more of a doctrinal message, but we will encounter practical exhortation along the way.

Malachi 4 is the last chapter in the OT.  It starts by pointing us to the 2nd advent of Jesus Christ➔

Mal. 4:1

Those events match up with➔ II Thess. 1:7-9  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 

{8} In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

{9} Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

This is the same event spoken of in Rev. 1:7➔

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

As Mal. 4:1 deals with the punishment of the wicked at the 2nd advent, v. 2 deals with the restoration of the children of God that also takes place at the 2nd advent➔

Mal. 4:2

v. 3 meshes vs. 1 & 2 together➔  

Mal. 4:3

Mal. 4:4 mentions Moses and tells them to remember his law that the Lord commanded him...

And then vs. 5 & 6 make reference to Elijah.  Note especially Mal. 4:5➔  

Mal. 4:5

According to this verse, Jesus isn’t the only one who’s coming back again!

Tonight I’m going to talk to you about Second Comings... 

That’s Second Comings  Plural

And the first one we’re examining tonight is the second coming of...

1. Elijah

Mal. 4:5

So the Lord says clearly that He is going to send Elijah before the 2nd advent...  that great & dreadful day of the LORD.

This reminds me of Peanuts comic strip I came across not too awful long ago.  I think I told you about it before.

 Well, ol’ Snoopy was right...  Elijah is to come first.

And one of the things Elijah is going to do when he comes is in v. 6➔

Mal. 4:6

Could we not use some of that today?!

Too many father’s hearts wrapped up in self & sin, and not wrapped up enough in the children they bring into this world.  And there are some mothers who aren’t any better!

And there are too many children whose hearts aren’t turned toward their parents either!

The breakdown of the proper family unit is one of the great failures of our society.

And Elijah is coming to help set that in order.

Now the time of Elijah’s coming will be during the tribulation and before the 2nd advent which is at the end of the great tribulation.

And even when Jesus showed up, the Jews were expecting this coming of Elijah.  One time Jesus➔ asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

They told him some say your Elias...  which is the NT name for Elijah.

Come to Matt. 17...  We’ll pick it up as Jesus is conversing with Peter, James & John after they saw the vision of Moses & Elijah with Jesus at the mount of transfiguration➔

Matt. 17:9-10

Well, having read Mal. 4:5, we know why the scribes said Elijah must first come...  Because the Scriptures say Elijah must first come!

Jesus answers them in v. 11➔ 

Matt. 17:11

And then He said this➔

Matt. 17:12-13

Now, what Jesus is telling them, is that everything is set for Him to bring in the kingdom right now, if the Jews are ready to receive it with Jesus as their Messiah...➔ 

Matt. 11:10-14, 15

Do you remember what the angel Gabriel told Zacharias about John the Baptist before his birth?  Gabriel said➔ 

{16} And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 

{17} And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

That’s why Jesus says➔ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

But the Jews did not receive Jesus and the kingdom at that time, and so that is why Jesus emphasized later in Matt. 17:11➔

Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

Because Elijah is coming again!  Interesting that Jesus said that in Matt. 17:11...  Because it is in Rev. chapter 11 where Elijah shows up again➔

Rev. 11:3-6a

1. Stand before God & hold back rain - I Ki. 17:1

2. Devour their enemies with fire -  II Ki. 1:9-12

And don’t forget that Elijah escaped death!➔ 

II Ki. 2:11

So Elijah is coming again!

Now there is another witness with Elijah, and that witness is another OT saint who is coming again!

2. Moses 

What do we know about those witnesses?

1. Stand before God - Ex. 33:21-22

2. Water to blood - Rev. 11:6a - Moses does this in Ex. 7

3. Plagues - Rev. 11:6b - Moses does this in Exodus until Pharaoh finally lets God’s people go.

Cf. Mal. 4:4-5

*Moses death➔  Deut. 34:4-6 w/ Jude 1:9

So the two witnesses are the second coming of Moses & Elijah, foreshadowed by the mount of transfiguration where both of them appear to Jesus and speak with Him.

Next➔ Jer. 30:7-9

3. David

Ezk. 34:23-24

Hos. 3:4-5

Ps. 57 Title & v. 8 (See “awake” in Ps. 17:15)

4. Daniel

Dan. 12:4, 13

Cf. Rev. 22:8-9 - “of thy brethren the prophets...”

Rev. 22:10

5. John the Apostle

Rev. 10:1-11 – And now you’ve read two chapters!

II John 1:12

III John 1:13-14

6. Jesus

Rapture  -  I Thess 4:13-18

1 John 2:28 

I John 3:1-3

2nd Advent  -  Rev. 19:11-13, 15-16

This leads to the millennium➔  Rev. 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

7. The Saints

This is you if you’re saved!

Rev. 19:14

Jude 1:14-15

Joel 2:1-11

Is. 13:3-5; 6-11

Ps. 149:4-9

So Brother or Sister Christian, if you are fed up and frustrated with this world & its exaltation of sin & immorality.... 

If you are sick of its ungodly, anti-Christian, anti-Bible, anti-Christ attitude...  Just bide your time! 

For one day you will get to be in that number, when the saints go marching out, and Jesus stamps out wickedness & sets up His righteous kingdom.➔ 

Is. 32:1  Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

But until then➔ the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;

Until then, we fight spiritual battles, with spiritual armour as outlined in Eph. ch. 6.

Eph. 6:12-13  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. {13} Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Right now the Lord is displaying His longsuffering➔ not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

So let us be busy about the Master’s business as burning & shining lights in a dark world...  Living righteously, being faithful, putting out the gospel & occupying till Jesus comes...

Second Comings

1. Elijah

2. Moses

3. David

4. Daniel

5. John the Apostle

6. Jesus

7. The Saints