Distinguishing Jesus’ Past Comings from the Future Coming in Scripture

Author: Michele at ScriptureStudy.Guide
Posted: December 26, 2022. Updated March 30, 2023.

These are my detailed notes on the differences between Jesus’ past comings in 31 and 66 AD, and the future coming that will end all of mankind and the world.

We will cover the following passages:

  • 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (past)
  • 1 Corinthians 15:22-26, 29
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
  • Revelation 20:7-10

I have already completed a study which covers the obvious scriptures that reference the comings of Jesus in 31 AD and late-66 AD (that study is here). Those passages are as follows:

31 AD First Coming

  • Matthew 27:52-54
  • Matthew 28
  • Mark 16
  • Luke 24
  • Ezekiel 37
  • Ephesians 4
  • Hebrews 12:22-24

66 AD Second Coming

  • Matthew 24
  • Mark 13
  • Luke 17 & 21
  • John 6:39, 40, 44, 54
  • 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
  • Revelation 1:7

This study will cover the future passages of 1 Corinthians 15:22-29, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, and Revelation 20:7-10.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (Past)

This passage is the second coming of Jesus Christ in 66-70 AD, but I am including it here for comparison so we can see the difference between the 66 AD past-coming and the future-coming. You can view the passage on BibleGateway here.

Here are the findings:

  • Flesh will not inherit the spiritual kingdom of God (we will be spirit).
  • This happens at the LAST trumpet (66 AD).
  • The LAST trumpet sounds and the dead in Christ are raised.
  • Not all will die (spend time in the grave), but all will be changed (will be in the Lord’s presence upon physical death).
  • The living in Christ are only changed here, not raised.
  • The living are encouraged to keep doing God’s work on earth in verse 58.
  • God keeps, not removes; so the living did not ascend here with the dead (John 17:15).

The 2 witnesses rose to their feet in the streets of Jerusalem at Jesus’ second coming in late-66 AD (that study is here). I believe all of the 1st century martyrs from 31-66 AD rose with them at this time.

The living were “changed” but not raised — they were given spirits that will never die, and so go on to be in the direct presence of the Lord upon their physical death. I also believe their spirit was empowered by God in an incredible way to continue establishing the spiritual kingdom on earth after all of the apostles but John had died by 66 AD. My guess is that this group was the last people who were given true apostolic powers because they were directly indwelt with the presence of Jesus when they were hiding in Mount Sion during Jesus wrath at His second coming (Revelation 14:1 – the study is here).

All seals, trumpets and vials/bowls were fulfilled by 70 AD. God always leaves a remnant on the earth so the living were not raised here.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (Future)

This is future and we’ll compare it to the passage above. You can view this passage on BibleGateway here.

Here are the findings:

  • The Lord descends with a shout.
  • There is the voice/sound of an archangel.
  • There’s a trumpet of God (not the “last” trumpet in the Great Tribulation).
  • Those alive and surviving until the coming will rise after the dead in Christ (the dead in Christ rise upon their earthly death; not all at once).
  • The living and remaining will be snatched away with the dead in Christ into the Lord in the clouds in the air.
  • The living aren’t “changed” here; they are completely removed. This signals the end of the adam-flesh existence and the earth.

The trumpet here is not the LAST trumpet. The last trumpet signaled the end of the Old Covenant and the apostate House of Jacob/Israel (details here).

The dead in Christ are already with Him upon their earthly death (Philippians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:8)… this is why they “rise first” and will be in the clouds with Christ when the living are caught up to them.

1 Corinthians 15:22-26, 29 (Future)

You can view this passage on BibleGateway here.

Here are the findings:

  • All adam-flesh dies. In Christ, all are made alive.
  • After all adam-flesh in Christ has been saved (the fullness of the Gentiles is complete), the end of the entire world comes.
  • Christ’s reign will end once death has been destroyed.
  • Christ will destroy both physical adam-flesh death and spiritual death.
  • The wicked lifeless will be raised again for judgment.
  • There is no “coming” here; just “the end.”

Risen adam-flesh came in this order:

  1. Jesus Christ
  2. Christ’s Firstfruits – the Old Covenant saints who were dead in Christ prior to 31 AD
  3. All those who are in Christ after the cross

Note that Scripture does not consider flesh to be risen unless it is a spiritual renewal of the heart through Jesus Christ. Jesus had to come first.

We see that the first coming was when the Old Testament saints and those who died in Christ were taken from Paradise below the earth up into heaven.

The second coming was when the two witnesses ascended along with the 1st century martyrs (study is here).

Since Jesus’ second coming, those who die in Christ immediately go to be with the Lord (Philippians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:8). This is because the Old Covenant old heaven and old earth were done away with and now we are in the New Covenant new heaven and new earth where all things have been made new (details here).

The spirits of the wicked dead will be raised for judgment at the end of the world after Satan is thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15). No dead, decayed elemental earthly bodies or skeletons will be raised — the carnality of the flesh is meant to go back to dust and left on this cursed earth which will be destroyed at the Holy Elohim’s/Theos’ final coming.

Revelation 20:7-10 (Future)

You can read this passage on BibleGateway here.

Here are the findings:

  • Satan is set free to deceive all nations.
  • All 4 quarters of the world are deceived — this is the entire globe.
  • The wicked surround the saints and their spiritually-renewed hearts which are new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-3).
  • Fire comes down from the entire expanse of the heavens and devours the wicked.
  • Satan is cast into the lake of fire where the Old Testament/Old Covenant beast and the false prophet have been since 70 AD.
  • There is no “coming” here; just fire from heaven to devour the world.

When the adam-flesh ceases to exist, and Satan is thrown into the lake of fire, both physical and spiritual death will have been conquered, and Jesus will turn His reign back over to Theos/the Father.

In Summary

The spirits of the living will never ascend until the last day that the immovable globe earth exists (info here). God always leaves a remnant.

In 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, the living are only “changed.” They are not snatched away. This was the second coming in 66 AD.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, the living are snatched away here with no mention of them being “changed.” God keeps, not removes (John 17:15) so this is just before the end of the entire world and everything in it.

Jesus will not stop reigning until the adam-flesh physical death comes to an end and spiritual death and hell have been thrown into the lake of fire (1 Corinthians 15:22-26, 29). This happens with the ending of the entire world/kosmos.

The devil which is Satan will not cease to exist in our realm until after this thousand year Church Age is over (Revelation 20:7-10). His only use, which is for the refining God’s people (source), will then be over because the elemental earth and all that is in it will have been destroyed (info here).

Revelation 20:7-10 simply says that when the wicked in all 4 quarters of the world surround the saints and new Jerusalem (our spiritually-renewed hearts), God will rain down fire out of heaven and devour them all.

So from this point on, the only signs we will be seeing along the way are fake deceptive fabrications planned and carried out by the many antichrists in the world. They desire to bring the entire world under their total control and are twisting God’s word to do it (info here).

On the world’s last day, we will hear the shout of the Lord as He descends, the voice/sound of an archangel, and a trumpet of Theos/God. This trumpet is different from the 7th trumpet that was a part of the ending of the old and the bringing in of the new — the seals, trumpets and bowls (full study is here).

We can get a full picture of the future coming of the Lord when we combine 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, 1 Corinthians 15:22-29, and Revelation 20:7-10. All “comings” mentioned in the gospels and elsewhere in the bible are speaking of either Jesus’ first coming in 31 AD, or the Great Tribulation of early-63 to early-70 AD which included Jesus’ second coming in late-66 AD.

In Closing

I believe that all who are in Christ Jesus, both the Old Covenant saints and those of us under grace, are being called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The wedding will take place when Jesus returns in the future as the Bridegroom and the elemental earth has been completely destroyed by God.

Matthew 22:11-12 explains that someone made it into the marriage supper but did not have a wedding garment… he was cast out and there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. This tells us that those who are invited to the marriage supper are those who are also going to be wed (they believe in Jesus Christ). But like the parable of the 10 virgins explains, Jesus will not have a relationship with everyone in attendance and He will cast them out saying, “I never knew you.” Those who professed Christ but were not truly in covenant with God will get to see the wedding, only to be cast out into the lake of fire.

All of us in Christ post-70 AD are truly under grace. When we die, we go immediately to the marriage supper of the Lamb and are forever in the presence of the Lord.

Christ had already established His kingdom on earth before we ever came to be. We have never seen, and will never see, the trouble that those who were establishing the kingdom saw in their day.

My understanding is the Judgment Seat of Christ is for the righteous (2 Corinthians 5:6-10), and the Great White Throne Judgment of the wicked comes after all physical adam-flesh has ceased to exist and Satan has been thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15).

The Great White Throne Judgment will happen after the marriage supper. But the Judgment Seat of Christ for us could happen upon our death before we are allowed in to the marriage supper, or it could happen alongside the Great White Throne Judgment of the unbelievers.

As with all my study notes, I will update this one if I find additional Scripture that supports or contradicts the findings here. There’s never a boring moment when in God’s living Word!

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