We love the future appearance of Jesus because is it the doorway to all the delights of the New Creation of God. One of these blessings is the defeat of evil. When Jesus appears it will mean the end of a destructive and painful world, “in bondage to corruption” (Rom. 8:21, ESV), where all believers and all creation groan, waiting for the redemption, the Christformation, of the people of God (Rom. 8:22-23, 29).
Remember that in Genesis 3:10 after Satan had succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve away from communion with God, God made a vow to Satan that Eve’s offspring would stomp on Satan’s head. When Jesus came, as one of Eve’s offspring, he began his kingdom’s assault on the Enemy. When he rose from the dead he declared that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18, NIV). He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Eph. 1:21, ESV). (See also 1 Cor. 15:27; Phil. 2:9; Col. 2:10; 1 Pet. 3:22; Rev. 1:5.) Satan has no authority above Jesus.
Since his ascension he has been crushing the Enemy through his people. Jesus told his disciples to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16, ESV) and millions of his followers have done just that throughout the centuries. The Head of the church has been fulfilling God’s plan for us “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9, ESV). Jesus has not failed in his goal of growing his church so that “the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10, ESV). Countless people have chosen the way of Jesus and embraced humility and love and disdained the temptations of the world. Countless believers have spread the good news of Jesus throughout the earth. Thus, Jesus’ followers have conquered the Enemy in and around themselves.
Yet his people have eagerly awaited the final defeat of the Enemy so that humanity would no longer have to endure the destruction of God’s creation. Finally, after Jesus returns to earth he will fulfill John’s prophecy: “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10, ESV). “Every vestige of Satan’s influence will be destroyed.”[1]
Thus, when we see Jesus return, whether we are waiting in heaven or on earth, we will rejoice over our freedom from the Enemy. This is part of our joy in fixing our hope on Jesus’ return.
[1] T. Desmond Alexander, From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, 2009), 118.
