Hebrew's 9:28 says "so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him."
When I read this verse it fills me with so much hope in the midst of a world seemingly devoid of hope. With the roller coaster that is COVID which never seems to stabilize, increased acts of racism, war and rising unemployment and ambiguity, we have something grand to look forward to - being saved from a world filled with tears to a Kingdom where He will wipe away every tear from their (our) eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:4). Hallelujah!
This one verse from the book of Hebrews gives us, in a nutshell, God's second and third phase of His plan created specifically for us, despite Him knowing how sinful we are, from the beginning of time.
Phase 1 - Israel and the Law. God brought Israel out of slavery and made them a powerful nation based on His Law. The reason God chose Israel? They were a small, weak and enslaved people and God in His usual marvelous fashion makes the weak into strong, the enslaved to be free and the meek to be bold. The Israelites had to maintain God's holy Law and holy nation to usher in His son who can only come to the earth in holy perfection. The Law taught us sin so we could understand what Jesus was coming to the earth to save us from! The Law helped us understand God's wrath and His need for a perfect sacrifice to fulfill His justly might.
Phrase 2 - The manifestation of Christ in the flesh on the earth. The perfect Lamb needed to be sacrificed for our multitude of sins - something no ordinary lamb can ever compensate for. The cross of Jesus was our point of salvation (one sacrifice to make us clean and justified) and Jesus sending the Holy Spirit was and is our point of sanctification (ongoing, daily process). This is known as the grace period.
Phase 3 - Just like the Father did for the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to their promised land, Israel, Jesus will come (soon) to finally pick up those who have confessed and accepted Jesus into their lives and take us from our slavery to sin into our Promised Land, our mansions He has made ready for us, (In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? - John 14:2).
Friends, we do not know when exactly His second coming is (Matthew 24:36) which is why Jesus told us to be ready at any time! Today is the day of salvation! Open your hearts to Jesus and accept His free gift of salvation!