Pastor Jack Hibbs is calling Christians to understand three distinct prophetic events revealed throughout Scripture: Christ’s First Coming, Christ’s Appearing and Christ’s Second Coming.
“We’ve got the first coming of the king. That’s 2,000 years ago roughly. We’ve got the appearing of the king. We’re going to talk about this tonight. And then thirdly, we’ve got the second coming,” Hibbs said during a recent message.
The distinction carries enormous implications for understanding Bible prophecy, the future of the church and God’s plans for Israel.
The King’s First Coming
The first event centers on Jesus presenting Himself as Israel’s King.
“The first coming is not Bethlehem. The first coming is the Mount of Olives when Jesus Christ is on the back of that little donkey that we know as Palm Sunday and he announces himself to the nation and to the national leadership as the coming king,” Hibbs said.
That moment fulfilled Zechariah 9:9 as Jesus entered Jerusalem while the crowds proclaimed Him the Son of David.
“The national leaders, the government of the theocracy of Israel, Judaism, those in power, they rejected him,” Hibbs said.
The rejection of Jesus by Israel’s leadership opened the door for the gospel to spread throughout the world.
“Thank God, glory be to God, right? The first church was Jewish and through their preaching of the gospel, that’s how the Gentiles heard the gospel,” Hibbs said.
Order Jonathan Cahn’s New Book, “The Altar of Pergamon” on Amazon.com!
The King’s Appearing
The second event is Christ’s appearing for His church.
“In the middle, He does not present Himself as king. His appearing presents Himself as the groom or Christ, the husband of the bride of Christ, the church,” Hibbs said.
Unlike the First Coming and Second Coming, Jesus does not come to Earth during this event.
“He appears in the atmosphere. He receives the church to Himself. He never comes to earth in the middle in the rapture. He doesn’t touch the earth. What He does is He comes through the atmosphere. He calls the church up to Himself. He takes us back to the place where He’s been preparing for us,” Hibbs said.
Quoting from John 14, Hibbs highlighted Jesus’ promise to His followers:
“Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
The appearing includes the resurrection of deceased believers and the transformation of living Christians.
“The dead in Christ will rise first and we will meet them in the air with the Lord. That’s what the Bible teaches,” Hibbs said.
The expectation of Jesus’ return should produce anticipation among believers.
“The return of Jesus Christ, if it’s tonight, should excite you to no end,” Hibbs said.
“If you’re not excited about Christ’s return, I want to ask you why. You should be excited.”
Hibbs also addressed those who feel they still have earthly ambitions to fulfill before Jesus returns.
“I promise you, whatever the world offers you, no matter how good it is, it’s nothing compared to five minutes in heaven.”
The King’s Second Coming
The third event is Jesus’ return to Earth at the end of the Tribulation.
“Christ is coming back to the nation of Israel as prophesied in the second coming, not the rapture,” Hibbs said.
The Second Coming fulfills God’s promises to Israel and establishes Christ’s reign from Jerusalem.
“He must return to Jerusalem. He must establish His throne on Zion or we’ve got the wrong Jesus tonight. That’s how critical that is. God either keeps His word or He doesn’t,” Hibbs said.
The restoration of Israel remains central to God’s prophetic plan.
“God is not done with the nation of Israel. That is for sure,” Hibbs said.
The culmination of these events is described in Revelation 19, where Jesus returns in glory with the armies of heaven.
“Christ comes out of heaven and we are with Him and He we with Him are returning to earth,” Hibbs said.
“Out of His mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword. He will strike the earth with the word of His mouth. And He will gather together the nations of the world and judge them there in Jerusalem.”
The return of Jesus concludes the Tribulation period and begins His earthly kingdom.
“Your king is coming back and He’s going to set up His kingdom and He’s going to judge the nations of the earth,” Hibbs said.
Living in Expectation
The reality of Jesus’ return calls believers to action.
“Let’s be busy about our Father’s business. Let’s get up with a sense of urgency and do the right thing because He’s worthy of that action,” Hibbs said.
Bible prophecy is a call to readiness, faithfulness and obedience. Jesus’ First Coming fulfilled prophecy exactly as God promised. His Appearing for the church will happen exactly as Scripture declares. His Second Coming will establish His kingdom exactly as the prophets foretold.
As we await the return of our King, we must keep our hearts right before God, walk in holiness, preach the gospel, make disciples and fulfill the Great Commission with urgency. The same Jesus who came once is coming again.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
