👑 The King Is Coming Soon – Hope Beyond the End
⚖️ September 20 – Joy for the Redeemed, Terror for the World
Monthly Theme: The Second Coming of Jesus – The Day of Glory
2026 Annual Theme: “Soon the King Will Come – Hope Beyond the End”
📖 Central Bible Text for the Day
“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
— Isaiah 25:9
🌅 Devotional for the Day
The Second Coming of Jesus will be visible to all people, but it will not be experienced in the same way by everyone. For the redeemed, it will be the day of joy, deliverance, and fulfilled hope. For a world that has rejected Christ, despised His grace, and ignored His voice, that same day will bring terror. The event is the same, but one’s relationship with Christ makes the difference.
Isaiah describes the attitude of the redeemed with words full of rejoicing: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him.” These people do not recognize the coming Lord as a stranger, but as the God in whom they have trusted. They have hoped, prayed, waited, and held fast, even when the world often seemed to tell a different story. Now they see the One in whom they believed. Their hope is not disappointed. Their faith becomes sight. Their longing becomes joy.
For the redeemed, therefore, the Second Coming of Jesus is not a day of panic, but of fulfillment. They see the King who has redeemed them. They recognize the Savior who died for them. They meet the Lord who carried them throughout their lives. Everything that here was fragmentary, contested, and hidden will be revealed in the light of His glory. The long journey of faith does not end in uncertainty, but in joy over God’s salvation.
Yet the Bible also shows the other side. The Second Coming of Jesus reveals not only comfort, but also judgment. People who wanted to live without Christ will not meet His glory with joy. They will realize that what they considered unimportant was in fact the decisive reality. The coming Lord will be revealed not only as Redeemer, but also as Judge. His glory will be joy for those who belong to Him and terror for those who rejected Him.
This solemn truth should not lead to harsh self-righteousness. God’s people do not look down on the world with contempt. They know that salvation is by grace alone. Those who rejoice in the coming of Jesus do not do so because they are better than others, but because they trust in Christ. The joy of the redeemed is not joy over the terror of others, but joy over the faithfulness of God, the salvation accomplished through Christ, and the end of sin, suffering, and death.
✨ The Difference Lies in One’s Relationship with Christ
The day of the Second Coming will reveal what is often hidden today: To whom does the heart belong? Those who love Christ will recognize in His appearing the answer to all their hope. Those who wanted to live without Him will experience His glory as judgment. It is not the light that is different, but the attitude of the heart toward the light.
Ellen G. White wrote:
“Soon the heavens will open and our Savior will appear. No human eye will miss this sight.”
— Maranatha, p. 287
When the heavens open and the Savior appears, there will be no neutral moment. The whole earth will see that Jesus truly is Lord. That is why today is the time to entrust ourselves to His grace and to receive Him not only as the coming King, but already now as our personal Savior.
🌿 Joy Born from Hope
The redeemed say: “This is our God; we have waited for him.” This joy does not suddenly arise without a history behind it. It grows out of a life of trust. It is born where people take God’s Word seriously, love Christ, accept forgiveness, and hold fast to His promise despite trials.
This hope gives stability to life today. Those who wait for the Lord learn to see pain and uncertainty in the light of His promise. They know: I do not understand everything, but my God will come. I do not yet see the fulfillment, but my Redeemer remains faithful. I am still struggling, but my Lord will help me. On that day, waiting hope will become jubilant joy.
🕊️ Solemnity That Calls Us to Grace
The solemn side of the Second Coming of Jesus should not paralyze our hearts, but awaken them. If the same day brings joy to the redeemed and terror to the wicked, then today is not a day for indifference. Today Christ calls us to repentance. Today He offers forgiveness. Today He invites people to accept His grace and prepare for His coming.
This truth concerns not only “the world out there,” but also our own hearts. It is possible to know religious words and yet live inwardly far from Christ. Therefore we may honestly ask: Is Jesus truly my hope? Am I waiting for Him with trust? Am I living by His grace? Do I want to belong to Him when He appears?
The coming King will bring joy to all who trust Him. He will bring terror to all who reject Him. Therefore the message of the Second Coming is both comforting and solemn. It shows us the glory of Christ, the faithfulness of God, and the urgency of grace. Today we may say: Lord, prepare my heart so that on that day I will not flee, but rejoice and say: Behold, this is my God.
🙏 Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven,
thank You that the Second Coming of Jesus will be a day of joy, salvation, and fulfilled hope for Your children.
Help me to trust Christ today in such a way that I can look forward to His appearing with peace and joy.
Protect me from indifference, self-deception, and a heart that knows religious words but lives far from You.
Give me genuine repentance, living faith, and the assurance that my hope is founded in Jesus alone.
Prepare me for the day when I will be able to say: This is my God, for whom I waited.
Amen.
💭 Thought for the Day
The same day will be joy for the redeemed and terror for the world; what matters is whether our hearts belong to Christ today.
💡 Personal Application
- Read Isaiah 25:8–9 and Revelation 6:15–17.
What does the contrast between joy and terror show you about the importance of a genuine relationship with Christ? - Pray: “Lord Jesus, prepare my heart to meet You with joy.”
- Practical: Honestly examine today whether there is an area of your life in which you are still avoiding Christ, and consciously bring it before God in prayer.
🌺 Closing Verse
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
— Hebrews 9:28
