HERE WE SHALL LOOK AT THE WORDS SUCH AS "RETURN" IN
CONNECTION WITH CHRIST'S COMING.
1. "And you yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord,
when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and
knocketh, they may open unto him immediately" (Luke 12:36).
Here it is that Jesus shows He will return and knock. We
must be waiting for that knock. We are to be ready, we do not
know the day or the hour, we do not know the watch He may come
in, the second or third or whichever (verses 35-38). Nothing here
about any secret coming or coming with a disregard to the many
signs He gave to us leading up to His return, when we should know
He is near, even at the door to knock.
2. "He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country
to receive for himself a kingdom and to return" (Luke 19:12).
The parable was given because they thought the Kingdom of
God should immediately appear. We surely know today in human
terms it was not going to immediately appear, we still wait for
it 2,000 years alter.
3. "And it came to pass when He was returned, having received the
Kingdom ...." (Luke 12:15).
A statement of fact that is all. Nothing here on HOW or WHEN
He receives the Kingdom.
4. "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is
revealed" (Luke 17:30).
The context shows the world will go on its merry way, eating
and drinking, marrying wives, buying and selling, planting and
building. So on the day Christ is revealed from heaven, the world
will be living its life. We see from Revelation that the armies
of the world will be gathering at Armageddon to fight against
Jesus as He comes to earth from the clouds. And in that day of
Christ's revealing it shall be the day of the resurrection, for
one shall be taken (the saints still alive) and the other
(unconverted) left (verses 32-37). The angels will go forth and
bring the resurrected and living saints (who have been made
immortal - 1 Cor.15; 1 Thes.4:13-18) changed to immortality to
Christ in the clouds (Mat.24:29-31).
5. "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels" (2
Thes.1:7).
The coming of the Lord is with His mighty angels. No
invisible secret rapture here at all. The rest of the following
verses show what open power and majesty it will all be about.
There will be glory, power, fire, destruction. He will be
glorified in His saints. Jesus comes with mighty signs.
6. "....that, when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad
also with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:13).
The glory of Jesus will one day be revealed. We have seen
some of the HOW, the WHEN is not here mentioned in this verse.
7. "Wherefore gird up the lions of your mind, be sober, and hope
to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13).
Jesus is to be revealed once more. This verse states a fact
only and a promise of grace to the saints if they do what Peter
instructs. Nothing here about HOW or WHEN Jesus will be revealed.
THAT IS IT UNDER SUCH WORDS IN CONNECTION TO THE RETURN OF
CHRIST. WE SEE NO NEW REVELATIONS ABOUT THE COMING OF CHRIST,
THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN ALREADY IN OUR STUDY OF HIS COMING AGAIN.
We shall next look at words like "appearing" and Christ's return.
....................
Keith Hunt
May, 2009
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