Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Must Anything Happen Before The Return of Christ?


Is the Return of Christ imminent? The imminent Return of Christ would mean that there is nothing that must happen before Christ's return. No events. No signs. No fulfillment of prophesy. Jesus' return could happen at any moment.

The immediate application of this uncertainty is in a desire to be ready. Since they can't know when the Lord is returning, His people must always be ready for His return. That certainly doesn't seem like a bad idea.

The question, like all questions concerning Jesus' return should be addressed Biblically. Does the Bible say that anything must happen before Jesus returns?

He Is Coming Quickly!


Revelation 3:11 (NKJV)
11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

Revelation 22:6–7 (NKJV)
6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Twice in the book of Revelation, Jesus Himself says the he is coming "quickly." The Greek Word used in both cases is ταχύ. Strongs defines the word this way:
5035.  ταχύ tachu, takh-oo´; neut. sing. of 5036 (as adv.); shortly, i.e. without delay, soon, or (by surprise) suddenly, or (by impl. of ease) readily:—lightly, quickly. 
 One of the meanings is "without delay" which would basically mean "imminently".  Another meaning is "soon". Which one better fits with the text? In chapter 3, Jesus is speaking to the church at Philadelphia regarding their perseverance. Whether Jesus' is coming "soon" or "without delay" would offer similar comfort. In chapter 22, the previous sentence speaks of things "which must shortly take place." The context here seems to be more about the nearness of the event.

Because soon and without delay are so similar in meaning it is difficult to arrive at a conclusion. Not only that, but it could also refer to the "suddenness" of His coming. Jesus described His coming like lightening.

Matthew 24:27 (NKJV)
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

If His Coming IS Imminent, When Did Imminence Begin?

At Jesus' ascension, the disciples are clearly told that the times and season's of Jesus' return was none of their concern.
Acts 1:7 (NKJV)
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
But, were they expecting Jesus to return at any moment? Probably not. Remember what Jesus told Peter after the resurrection.

John 21:18–19 (NKJV)
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Jesus prophesied Peter's death. If Jesus were to return before Peter died, these words could not have come to pass. Clearly Peter knew that the Lord wasn't going to return in his lifetime. He would die. John offers the explanatory comment and records it in the gospel that bears his name, meaning that he and everyone who read it knew that Jesus' return would be delayed at least until Peter's death.

What Are They Watching For?


1 Thessalonians 5:1–10 (NKJV)
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Paul writes to the Thessalonians saying they have a complete understanding regarding the "times and seasons" of the Day of the Lord. In particular, they know that it comes as a thief in the night. That is it can't be predicted or scheduled. No one knows the day. That day will come and bring destruction on "them". He differentiates "you" and "them". Its "them", someone other than the church at Thessalonica who will be destroyed. In fact, though the day comes as a thief it in the night, Paul didn't expect the church to be surprised by it. Because they were sons of light. They were awake and not sleeping. They were sober and not drunk.

What happens in the night? Often times people don't know, because its just too dark out. What happens when someone is sleeping? They don't know. They were asleep! What happens when someone is drunk? Oftentimes they can't tell you. Night, sleep, and drunkenness all hide what is happening to the the observer. So things can sneak up on them and catch them off guard. But not the saints at Thessalonica. They were children of the day! They were children of light. They were awake and sober! These things that would catch others unawares, they would see coming.

How Can You Know It Hasn’t Already Happened?


2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 (NKJV)
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Times get bad. Things were really bad for the church at Thessalonica. So bad, that when someone apparently wrote them and told them that the Day of the Lord had already come, some of them apparently believed it!

Of course this troubled them. But they could be sure that Day had not come, because certain things must happen first. Paul names two things: The falling away. And the revelation of the Man of Sin.

Interestingly, Jesus described both of these things as well.


Matthew 24:10–12 (NKJV)
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Matthew 24:15 (NKJV)
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
Is Christ's return imminent or must certain things happen before Jesus will return? Peter should not have expected His return in his lifetime. Paul seems to tell the Thessalonians they wouldn't be caught off guard because of what they would see coming, then specifically says they could know the Day hasn't come because the apostasy had not yet happened and they Man of Sin had not been revealed. So, what about believers today? Should they be watching for these things to happen before Jesus' return?

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

What Is The Day of the Lord?




The Day of the Lord is a phrase used throughout the Bible to describe the moment when God exercises His Divine justice to a people. One of the great interpretive challenges is understanding whether the Old Testament references to the Day of the Lord were fulfilled in the same time period, or if they reference a still future event, or if some elements of the prophesy were fulfilled in close proximity to the writers' times, but other elements still remain future.

This problem arises often when dealing with prophesy and will not be solved in this blog post. And while some "Day of the Lord" passages may have been fulfilled temporally, others remain without any indication that the things prophesied have ever taken place. Consider the passages below:

Isaiah 2:10-20, 13:1-22
Jeremiah 46:1-12
Joel 2:1-27
Zephaniah 1

Several key ideas can be arrived at. The Day of the Lord is about God's:

  • anger
  • vengeance
  • wrath
  • glory
  • exaltation


There are elements in these passages that don't seem to have happened yet. Such as:

Isaiah 13:11 (NKJV)
11 “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Has the world been punished yet?


Isaiah 13:10 (NKJV)
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.
Did these cosmic signs occur, or is this a reference to still future cosmic signs talked about elsewhere in Scripture?

But Joel makes a reference to "the great and awesome Day of the Lord". Probably the best understanding is to consider that while the Day of the Lord passages may have had an immediate and local fulfillment in some sense, they all foreshadowed a coming final Great and Awesome Day of the Lord.


Joel 2:28–32 (NKJV)
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
What is significant about this passage is that Peter quoted it in his Sermon on Pentecost.

Acts 2:14–21 (NKJV)
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
Clearly Peter describes fulfillment of the Spirit being poured out and sons and daughter's prophesying, but what about the rest. It was still future. And it is still future.

This passage also references signs in the heavens. The sun is dark. The moon is blood. These things precede the "Great and Awesome Day of the Lord." Jesus names very similar signs that precede the great and awesome day of His return.


Matthew 24:29–30 (NKJV)
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
If these are the same signs, then we can consider the Day of the Lord and the Return of Christ as coinciding events. What happens on the Day of the Lord? Christ returns!

Peter describes the Day of the Lord as coming like a "thief" in the night, and goes on to describe the destruction of the heavens, the earth, and all the works in it.

2 Peter 3:10–13 (NKJV)
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Paul describes the Day of the Lord the same way.


1 Thessalonians 5:1–10 (NKJV)
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Jesus was the first to use the thief coming in the night to illustrate His coming.


Matthew 24:42–44 (NKJV)
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
And most likely the "Son of Man...coming" in this verse is the same as the "Son of Man coming" that Jesus was talking about twelve verses earlier:


Matthew 24:30b (NKJV)
30 ...and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
The Day of the Lord is terror for God's enemies. But for those who belong to Him, it is deliverance. It is glory. It is rest.


2 Thessalonians 1:4–10 (NKJV)
4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
The Thessalonians were to be looking forward to that Day. The day their troubles would come to an end, and God would take vengeance for them. In this passage, both events seem to occur at the same time. "...when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His might angels." Jesus is accompanied by an army, taking vengeance, punishing with eternal destruction. In That Day. Is this day, the Great and Awesome Day of the Lord?




What is the Sign of His Coming and of the End of the Age?



There are many things about the end times that the Bible does not speak of, or maybe only alludes to. But how to know when the Return of Christ is near is not one of them. Jesus describes the events leading up to His return in some detail. It would seem reasonable to use Jesus' description as the basis for everything we believe about the Second Coming. Further detail should fit within the structure He lays out. Consider these passages from chapter 24 of Matthew.


The Question

Matthew 24:3 (NKJV)3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
The disciples where marveling the magnificence of the Temple when Jesus declared that every stone of it would be thrown down. They take his statement both literally and seriously and ask very naturally, when? But they don't ask for dates or times. They ask for the signs, that will reveal that Jesus is coming back, and the end of the age is here.


Labor Pains

Matthew 24:4–8 (NKJV)4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

He begins by warning the disciples against deception. Of course, every few years someone comes along and convinces a bunch of people he is a messiah, and convinces them to drink poison or some other awful thing. Knowing the Word of God is a fool proof protection from these things.

Then he talks about war, famine, disease, natural disasters, which are again, all too common. But these things do not indicate the end is here. In fact, such things are indicators that it is not yet the end. 

Jesus describes them as "the beginning of sorrows", the start of labor pains. The beginning of labor pains does not mean that the baby will be born immediately, but its a sure sign that the baby is coming! Even so, when people today see wars and disease and disaster, it doesn't mean that its the end of the world, but it should serve as a reminder that the end of the world is coming.


Tribulation

Matthew 24:9–14 (NKJV)
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Then Jesus describes a time of tribulation. There are some things to take note of here. The first, lends itself to a discussion of who Jesus is addressing in this passage, the disciples as the church, or the disciples as Jews? That question will become weightier later on. But here He is telling them they will be troubled and killed and hated by all people for His name's sake. Because of Jesus' name they will be hated. The book of Mark even says they will be beaten in the synagogue indicating that the Jews are responsible for at least some of the persecution.

This will give way to a lot of people stumbling in their faith, betraying each other, hating each other, falling under the teachings of false prophets, and stopping loving others. It is here that Jesus promises deliverance to those who endure "to the end". Of course, "the end" is exactly what the disciples were asking about, so Jesus' reference to "the end" is directed exactly to the point. He then says that this gospel will be preached to all peoples, and then "the end" will come.

The Sign

Matthew 24:15 (NKJV)
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
All of the signs Jesus has named so far are only signs in their degree. Persecution, false prophets, lawlessness, and lack of love have existed in all ages, but it is the increase of these things that make them signs.

The first concrete "sign" is the revelation of the man called the Antichrist. Jesus refers to Daniel's prophesy of one who would "confirm a covenant with many for one week" and in the middle of the week "bring an end to sacrifice and offering". This can be identified with the "man of sin" from 2 Thessalonians 2:4 - "who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

Jesus is saying to them, keep your eyes open for this! This is what Jesus told his disciples when they asked when they asked when and what the signs are of the destruction of Jerusalem, His coming, and the end of the world. 

Great Tribulation


Matthew 24:16–26 (NKJV)
16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
And it is the revelation of the abomination of desolation that brings on the Great Tribulation. This period is worse time that has ever existed on earth. It is so bad that if it were to continue, it would kill everyone. But it won't go on. The days are cut short for the elect. There are a few Old Testament passages in which Israel is described as "the elect." In the New Testament, the title is used almost exclusively of believers.

What group is in reference here? Perhaps a clue can be found in the later statement that the works of false christs and false prophets will be so great that they might "deceive, if possible, even the elect." To be deceived, means to be made to believe a lie. Israel, as a nation, has been deceived since Jesus spoke these words. Its not only possible, its an observable reality. But Jesus is referring to a group that are not deceived, and ought not be deceived. Given the New Testament's consistent use of the elect, and Jesus' statement indication an undeceived status, the elect here fits as being believers.

His Coming


Matthew 24:27–31 (NKJV)
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
It is after this Great Tribulation that signs occur with regard to the Sun, Moon, and stars, and Jesus appears, returning in the clouds. He gathers his elect, which given the close context should mean the same thing it meant when he spoke of the days being shortened and the persuasiveness of the false prophets.


Understanding The Signs

Matthew 24:32–35 (NKJV)
32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Jesus has answered their question in rather plain terms. "when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

There will be deceptive teachings, false messiahs, war, disease, famine, natural disaster. These do not indicate the end is present, but that it is coming.

Then the days of trouble will come in which believers are persecuted. Many will stumble in the faith. Believers will betray each other. They will hate each other. They will abandon lawful behavior and love will become a rare thing. Of course, the very mark of Jesus' disciples is that they love each other.

Then the Anti-Christ is revealed, giving a hard and fast fixed event that is not a matter of degree, but a single happening. This marks the beginning of the worse period of time ever on earth.

Then the Lord comes. He comes in power and glory, and rescues those who are His.

How were the disciples supposed to interpret these signs. That is what Jesus tells them next. They were to use them as indicators, but not as calendars. Just as a budding fig tree indicates that summer is near, without specifying exactly when it will arrive, so these signs tell when these things are near, without telling exactly when.