What does the Scripture say about Christ's Coming Again? Part 1

Hi again.  Last Sunday (and this next Sunday) the Potpourri summer series turned towards the subject of Jesus' return, and this next week, what it will be like to die and go to heaven.  I find it interesting to "muse" over, and though you might think it a walk in the park when it comes to what to say, I diidn't.  So, here's the beginning of this teaching...part 1

Matthew 24:1-14 (ESV)
¹  Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.
²  But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
³  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?”

There is no question that Jesus spoke of his coming again, and the disciples were asking because they wanted to know.  And, down through Church History, Christians have always wondered IF MAYBE THIS GENERATION IS THE ONE. 

A lot of books & Movies have been done on this subject.  When I first came to Christ, Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth” was the book every Christian I knew read.  Later in the 90's the “Left Behind” series became very popular among Christians.  Whatever your opinion of the book series, I would caution:  It’s a fictional novel and I wouldn't look at it as theology.

Lately, I have done very little teaching on the return of Christ, but Iknow it's still a very popular subject and some have listened, read and studied this from various authors and speakers. 

Personally, I taught on this a lot in my early years of ministry.  My first Bible was the Schofield Study Bible and it was written as a guide to the Pre-Millennial Return of Jesus.  About 1985, I stopped speaking about Jesus return in terms of a Rapture and Pre-Milliannialism.  Why?  

My own understanding of Christ’s coming changed over time as I taught scripture and saw something else – the Kingdom of God.

Let’s start right here, with Jesus and as he began to preach at the age 30 he began to proclaim the Kingdom of God is now.

The Kingdom of God Should Guide Our Understanding of Christ’s Coming Again

Here’s the reason why:
3  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?”

⁴  And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.
⁵  For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
⁶  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
⁷  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
⁸  All these are but the beginning of the birth pains…
¹¹  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
¹²  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
¹³  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
¹⁴  And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The key phrase is in vs 14 - "the gospel (good news) of the Kingdom".  A lot of people have heard the two - gospel and Kingdom - but have little understanding of how they fit together.  What we proclaim is the gospel - Jesus died for our Sins.  But how does the Gospel of the Kingdom enter into Jesus' proclamation that it will be declared and "then" the end will come?

The Kingdom of God is the realm of God’s rule.  It is his domain.  I live in Wisconsin.  I am subject to the laws of Wisconsin...I live in the domain of Wisconsin.  

When Jesus came saying, "The Kingdom of God is at hand", he was declaring what was known from the beginning of time.  God created and owns the whole earth.  The Kingdom of God lays claim to the whole earth…but it’s not a political Kingdom.

Jesus didn’t come announcing a militaristic campaign to take over the world.  He came declaring God's purpose to restore all of the earth to be His creation, without sin, decay and death.  This is happening...this will happen.

The RIGHT NOW of the Kingdom

John 3:1-5 (ESV)
¹  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
²  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
³  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
⁴  Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
⁵  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

LATER

John 18:36 (ESV)
³⁶  Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

After Jesus’ death and Resurrection he appeared to his disciples over a 40 day period before he ascended into heaven.

Acts 1:3-8 (ESV)
³  He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
⁴  And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;
⁵  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
⁶  So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
⁷  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
⁸  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

So when Jesus said to his disciples – and therefore to us – that the Gospel of the Kingdom is to be preached before he returns, we need to understand what he’s saying. 

Gospel = Good News.  The Good news is of the Kingdom of God.  That we are not merely living until we die, or even until Jesus comes back. 

Instead, we are living RIGHT NOW as citizens of Christ’s Kingdom.

Colossians 1:13 (ESV)
¹³  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

Revelation 1:5-7 (ESV)
⁵  … Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
⁶  and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

That is the Right Now aspects…BUTthen John quickly adds…
⁷  Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 

THERE'S MORE....Tomorrow

Peace