Smart students make the most of their time, attending extra classes and utilizing every available resource, not wasting a single second. They give their best to appear for the final day of the examination. Since the day of the exam is known, they can plan and prepare accordingly.

However, when it comes to the return of Christ Jesus, nobody knows the hour or the day, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son of Man. Hence, Jesus Christ warns us: Be ready at all times!

The last words of Jesus Christ in the Bible are as follows:

‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ (Rev 22:20)

Jesus will come again, with archangels sounding trumpets, the dead in Christ will rise again, and those who are alive will be caught up in the air with him.

‘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 forever. Therefore, encourage one another with these words.’ (I Thess 4:16-18)

The Bible unveils this mystery, stating that Christ will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night (Matt 24:43, I Thess 5:2, Luke 12:39), like labor pains for a pregnant woman (I Thess 5:2-6), like the flood in the days of Noah (Matt 24:37), like a Master who returns from a long journey (Matt 24:45,46, Mark 13:34), like the ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Those who were prepared went in. (Matt 25)

It will happen at a date and time when no one expects.

Therefore, devoted preparation for this moment is crucial, as only the prepared will be taken away with Him in the clouds. In this blog post, we will delve into the powerful words of Jesus Himself, exploring four key Bible passages and extracting seven powerful commands that guide us in preparing for His Second Coming.

Bible Passages:

Let’s explore key Bible passages where Jesus Himself discusses His return and imparts essential teachings on preparation

Here are the specified Bible passages where Jesus Himself speaks about His coming and how His disciples need to prepare. Let’s prayerfully read them before we dive into those 7 commands.

• Matthew 24:36-51
• Mark 13:32-37
• Luke 21:34-36
• Luke 12:35-40

No one knows that hour or day or time

No one knows the exact hour, day, or time of Jesus Christ’s return (not even the Son or the angels, but only the Father), as emphasized in these passages.

In Acts 1, Jesus explicitly tells His disciples,

‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority.

The focus isn’t on pinpointing the exact time, day, or hour but on maintaining consistent preparedness.

The concept of being alert every moment is emphasized in Mark 13:33, where Jesus advises, ‘Be on your guard [constantly alert], and watch and pray; for you do not know when the TIME will come.’ Similarly, in Matthew 24:42, the emphasis shifts to being alert every DAY, as Jesus instructs, ‘So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which DAY [whether near or far] your Lord is coming.’ Luke 12:40 further emphasizes the importance of being ready every HOUR, stating, ‘You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an HOUR and a moment when you do not anticipate it.’ Matt 25: 13 ‘Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.’

Being a prepared Christian means staying ready at all times, not for a specific moment, but by remaining faithful and vigilant every day, every hour, and every time.

Is this possible? Yes, the Holy Spirit of God helps us to get ready for Christ’s return.

Let’s have a closer look at the 4 powerful commands of Jesus Christ concerning his coming.

The 7 Commands of Jesus Christ

1. Keep WATCH (Matthew 24:42, Mark 13:35, 37)

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42, KJV)

Watch: To be awake, vigilant, and alert; to stay watchful with an understanding of the imminent. Just as a night watchman diligently observes the surroundings to protect against potential dangers, we are called to gregoreo in anticipation of the Lord’s return, staying spiritually vigilant.

The Lord wants us to safeguard our hearts from evil thoughts or sin, watch our tongues from uttering hurtful words, and watch over our homes and families by fervently praying for them and teaching them the Word of God. We are also called to guard our churches by lifting them up in prayer and maintaining vigilance at all times. The devil, described as roaring like a lion, seeks to tempt and ensnare us. As vigilant watchmen, it is our duty to protect and oversee all that God has entrusted to us

2. Be READY (Matthew 24:44)

“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44, KJV)

Be Ready: Prepared, ready, and willing; being in a state of constant readiness for the anticipated event.

Get ready to meet Jesus. Ensure that you fulfill your ministry, owe nothing to anyone except love, seek reconciliation with everyone as much as possible, confess and forsake any unconfessed sin. Obey all that the Lord has commanded, share His good news with others, and help prepare them for His coming.

3. Take heed, watch and PRAY (Mark 13:33)

“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” (Mark 13:33, KJV)

Prayerful: To be cautious, watchful, and prayerful; to pay attention to and seek God in prayer.

Prayer is the best way to prepare. When we pray, the Lord reminds us what to do, Holy Spirit helps us to confess our sins, and we get more close to God. Prayer makes us humble, and refreshes our spiritual life, so we be ready at any time to meet Him.

4. Be CAREFUL (Luke 21:34)

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” (Luke 21:34, KJV)

Be careful: To be pressed, distressed, or weighed down; urging caution against the burdens of life.

World is deceptive. People are busy making their living. In the midst of the busy life, we might loose focus on getting ready for Christ. So Jesus reminds us, “Be careful”. Do not follow others or the sinful ways of people who claim to be godly but lead a hypocritical life.

Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy. (Rev 22: 11)

Drawing from the example of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21), believers are cautioned to avoid being overly concerned with material concerns, ensuring a heart focused on eternal priorities.

5. Keep awake, PRAY ALWAYS TO ESCAPE (Luke 21:36)

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:36, KJV)

Pray always: To stay awake, vigilant, and consistently pray for deliverance and worthiness.

When we pray always getting ready, pray for the days to come. When the actual day of evil comes, we need to be powerful to face it. Jesus asked Peter to watch and pray, but he slept off and he couldn’t prepare for that evil day, when satan would tempt him to deny Jesus and there he fell. This is a powerful reminder, for us to pray and get ready to escape all things.

6. Stay DRESSED for action (Luke 12:35)

“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning.” (Luke 12:35, KJV)

Dressed for action: To prepare for action by tightening the belt; being ready for service.

We should wear our spiritual armor and be ready to fight any spiritual battle. Just like a soldier ready for a battle any time, we should also be on spiritual duty guarding our souls. Being dressed for action also means leading a holy life. The holiness is our dress. Being holy is one of the ways to prepare for His coming.

7. Keep your LAMPS burning (Luke 12:35)

“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning.” (Luke 12:35, KJV)

Lamps burning: A lamp or torch; representing spiritual readiness and illumination.

The spiritual lamp should never die off. We should not let anything worldly cast off the light in us. We should constantly renew the strength with the help of the Holy Spirit. We should always desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit and spiritually awake all the time, ready to meet Jesus. Let the oils in our lamp be sufficient enough to keep our lamps burning till the end.