Apostolic perspective on the second coming of Christ
Oct 13, 2019 2:49:45 GMT
Post by Colossians on Oct 13, 2019 2:49:45 GMT
This material is for the teaching of the Body of Christ, however the author reserves copyright over it.
Forward
Some contend that Hebrews 9:26 supports the notion that the disciples thought Christ's second coming was imminent:
“but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself”.
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APOSTOLIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
The writer of Hebrews used the term “the end of the world” simply because Christ had fulfilled the prophets and there would therefore be no more prophets to come: all with regard to the spiritual state of things would be ‘the same’1 from then on to the actual end of the world, thus rendering all effectively ‘the end of the world’.
1 The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, which came at Pentecost, is not juxtaposed with the fulfilment of all things at the Cross, but subsumes it. See then our works: “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit”, “Anyone who has faith in God is born again”.
And so we read from the same writer:
“God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by His Son” Heb 11:1,2,
where what is being related is that Christ sums up the prophets and that there is therefore nothing more to say.
So Zechariah:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends” Zech 13:4-6.
In short, if, as Jesus declared at Golgotha, “it is finished”, then what is to come is necessarily also finished.
Summarily ...
We must always remember that the writers of the bible were spiritually minded.
Epilogue
Isaiah declares:
“But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end” Is 45:17
: if you have come to Christ, then the reason you have come to the end of the world, is that you have come to the world without end.
Paul:
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” 2 Cor 5:17.
Christ:
“I am ... the beginning and the ending” Rev 1:8.
Amen.
(See also our works: “Armageddon: code word for Calvary”, “The New Heavens and the New Earth in the light of the Cross”.)
Forward
Some contend that Hebrews 9:26 supports the notion that the disciples thought Christ's second coming was imminent:
“but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself”.
________________________________________________________
APOSTOLIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
The writer of Hebrews used the term “the end of the world” simply because Christ had fulfilled the prophets and there would therefore be no more prophets to come: all with regard to the spiritual state of things would be ‘the same’1 from then on to the actual end of the world, thus rendering all effectively ‘the end of the world’.
1 The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, which came at Pentecost, is not juxtaposed with the fulfilment of all things at the Cross, but subsumes it. See then our works: “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit”, “Anyone who has faith in God is born again”.
And so we read from the same writer:
“God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by His Son” Heb 11:1,2,
where what is being related is that Christ sums up the prophets and that there is therefore nothing more to say.
So Zechariah:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends” Zech 13:4-6.
In short, if, as Jesus declared at Golgotha, “it is finished”, then what is to come is necessarily also finished.
Summarily ...
We must always remember that the writers of the bible were spiritually minded.
Epilogue
Isaiah declares:
“But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end” Is 45:17
: if you have come to Christ, then the reason you have come to the end of the world, is that you have come to the world without end.
Paul:
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” 2 Cor 5:17.
Christ:
“I am ... the beginning and the ending” Rev 1:8.
Amen.
(See also our works: “Armageddon: code word for Calvary”, “The New Heavens and the New Earth in the light of the Cross”.)