What will it be like when Jesus comes again?  What better information could we have than these words from Jesus Himself!  Of course, as the Second Coming is unique and in the future, we will not have any experience with which to compare it.  However, Jesus' description is sufficient to enable us to recognise it when it happens.  This event will be of cosmic proportion: the sky will change; the earth and sea will be in turmoil and human beings will fear the end of the world; but Jesus will be seen coming through the clouds and all His people will stand up and rejoice (Joel 2:30-32; Matthew 24:29-31).

The celestial and terrestrial disturbances will be so unusual that terror will grip humanity.  Everything which seemed firm, controlled and manageable will prove to be out of our control.  Even astronomical predictions will be proved wrong.  Whole nations will be in distress, terrified and apprehensive.  At the same time that everybody sees Jesus Christ descending in majestic power, the grief of lost opportunity will seize people (Revelation 1:7), but those who belong to Him will rejoice.

Indeed, God’s people will stand up and look up in eager anticipation that the final phase of their redemption will soon be completed.  What encouragement, as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."  

The Second Coming of Christ is the joyful hope of every believer (Titus 2:13-14; Revelation 22:17).  It will mark the end of evil's domination. The hostility of world, flesh and devil against Jesus and His people will be vanquished as we see Him, our Redeemer.  No wonder those who have loved darkness will be filled with anguish, while those who look for the light of Christ will stand up eagerly to greet Him (Revelation 22:12-15).  Meanwhile, Jesus' words are a healthy reminder that we should not put our trust in the world itself or worldly things, but in the Redeemer of the world - our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is also a reminder of our responsibility to tell that message to the world as well, calling people away from the darkness to Christ, while there is time.