Chapter 14: The Blessed Hope: The Coming of the Lord

We believe Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return. This is the fourth cornerstone of the Foursquare faith (“Jesus Is Coming Again”), and the “blessed hope” of every believer.

The angels said at his ascension, “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Paul describes the gathering of the church: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). See also 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. This is “that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

No one knows the day: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). So we are told to watch and be ready (Matthew 24:42-44; 25:13) and to occupy until he comes (Luke 19:13). The expectation purifies: “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Where the traditions stand. The Assemblies of God teaches the rapture of the church, followed by the appearing of Christ with his saints. Foursquare also stresses the imminent return of Christ. Evangelical Baptists commonly teach the premillennial return of Christ, though some are amillennial; the exact timing of the rapture is debated among them. All agree that Christ’s return is certain, personal, and bodily.

Carry this verse: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).