Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig.

For more information and resources from Dr. Craig, go to reasonable faith.org.

The last several lessons, we've been asking the question, will there be one return of Christ,

or will there be multiple returns of Christ? We've looked at two

views that imply that there will actually be multiple returns of Christ, the rapture

view and the preterist view. I've offered criticisms of both of those views. Rejection of the rapture

view and the preterist view leaves us, I think, with the classical Christian view, that the

return of Christ will be a singular, visible, decisive event that will bring about the end of human history,

the resurrection of the dead, and the judgment of mankind. That, I think, is the view that best

represents biblical teaching.

Today, we want to move ahead to our next point,

which is the nature of the second coming.

And here I'd like to make four points.

First, the second coming of Christ will be a personal coming. The classical view entails that the second coming will be Christ's personal return to earth. Turn to 1st Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 13 to 15. Paul writes,

But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may

not grieve as others do, who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again,

even so through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this,

we declare to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive, who are left until the

coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Those who have died in Christ are now in an intermediate state of disembodied existence, away from the body,

but at home with the Lord. When Christ comes again, he will bring with him the souls of the departed

righteous dead, and then their bodies will be raised from the dead

...