It's time now to study the word "appear" - "appearing"
FIRST "APPEAR"
1. "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory" (Mat.24:30).
We have seen this before, but once more the appearing of
Christ is with signs and power and glory, and with clouds. No
secret coming here, or anything about His return that disregards
the signs given to come with His appearing. Pretty simple verse
to understand, it says what it means and means what it says.
2. "And as they heard these things, He added and spake a parable,
because He was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that
the Kingdom of God should immediately appear" (Luke 19:11).
This must have been in the minds of the first century
apostles and so would have given thought to the very possibility
the Kingdom and Christ's coming would not happen in their life
time. As the years went on, as Paul was given two events that HAD
TO HAPPEN before Christ came (2 Thes.2) by about 51 A.D. then
they KNEW they had to look for the signs. The Kingdom would NOT
arrive without the signs given taking place. Again just that
simple to understand.
3. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you
also appear with Him in glory" (Col.3:4).
A statement of fact only. Nothing here about HOW or WHEN
Jesus will return.
4. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without
sin unto salvation" (Heb.9:28).
Another statement of fact only. Christ shall appear the
second time. Nothing here about HOW or WHEN. You would have to do
some huge reading into this verse to come up with a secret
invisible return of Jesus. It's only a statement of fact at the
appearing of Christ the second time. Do not add and do not take
away from the word of the Lord.
5. "And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a
crown of glory that fadeth not away" (1 Peter 5:4).
One more statement of fact to happen at the appearing of
Christ. Nothing here about HOW or WHEN this appearing will be.
6. "And now, little children, abide in Him, that, when He shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at
His coming" (1 John 2:28).
Again it is for us to hold on to the faith once delivered to
the saints, so we can stand before Him, when He appears. Once
more nothing here on HOW or WHEN He shall appear.
7. "Behold, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear,
we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John
3:2).
A statement of fact for us to be inspired about. This will
happen when He appears, but nothing here is about WHEN, the time
He appears, a little truth about appearing as He is. We shall be
able to see Him as He is for we shall be like Him and so be able
to see Him as He is. And He is today glorified. The NT makes it
very clear we shall also be glorified when He comes again.
That's it for the word "appear" in connection with the
return of Christ. There is nothing in those verses to support an
invisible or visible coming of Christ that can ignore the many
signs Jesus and Paul had written about, and expounded upon. You
would have to do some mighty fancy footwork and reading into and
twisting the Scriptures to make any of these verses say Christ
can come at any second with a disregarding, abolishing, casting
away, ignoring, all the many signs given to know Christ is near
to come, even at the door.
WE ARE LEFT WITH 6 VERSES THAT USE THE WORD "APPEARING" -
LET'S LOOK AT THEM!
1. "That you keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable,
until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Tim.6:14).
The next verses goes on to say, "Which in His time He will
show..." Yes, in the time that is His, according to the Father,
He will show His appearing. Paul was getting close to his end in
this life. The second letter to Timothy he knew he had but a
short time (2 Tim.4:6-8). Did Paul think Christ could come in the
lifetime of Timothy? It is possible he did. So Timothy was to
keep this commandment until the appearing of the Lord. I'm pretty
sure Paul and other apostles had no idea Christ would not come
for at least another 2,000 years. For sure we find nothing in
this verse on HOW and WHEN of Jesus' return just a fact that in
His time He would be appearing. Nothing here to suggest He could
come ignoring the many signs He had given to tell us He is at the
door.
2. "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus
Christ..." (2 Tim.1:10).
The context is about the plan of God to call to life and
immortality, which Jesus brought to light through the Gospel. It
has no bearing on the direct subject of the second coming of
Christ, which we have been looking at.
3. "I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall judge the quick (living ) and the dead at His appearing
and His Kingdom" (2 Tim.4:1).
A statement of fact as to one of the jobs Jesus is yet to do
at His appearing and when He brings His Kingdom to earth. This
verse has nothing to say on HOW and WHEN His appearing and
Kingdom will be. This verse cannot be used to say Jesus can
return any second by a disregarding of the signs He gave to show
He was even at the door.
4. "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them that also that love His
appearing" (2 Tim.4:8).
Paul was near to depart this life. He had remained faithful,
he had finished the course, and he knew the crown of
righteousness and immortality was his at the appearing of the
Lord. There is once more nothing in this verse to state HOW or
WHEN Jesus would appear, only that He would. Nothing here
nullifies any of the other verses Jesus and Paul gave as to signs
that must come to pass before Christ will return.
5. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).
The appearing of Christ will be glorious, not invisible, or
secret, but it will be a glorious appearing. We have seen in many
previous verses some of the glory Christ's return will have, and
certainly the book of Revelation amplifies that glorious event.
There is no secret or invisible return. There is not one verse
saying Christ can come by ignoring and abolishing the signs He
and Paul were inspired to give us. This verse gives us a little
of the HOW, but nothing of the WHEN of Jesus' return. And did you
notice this verses gives the name of "God" to Christ Jesus. I guess
it should for He is part of the Godhead (1 Cor.11).
6."That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of
gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found
unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ"
(1 Peter 1:7).
A verse like as Paul said to Timothy, he had fought a good
fight, he had finished the course. Whatever we must endure and go
through, sometimes trials found tried in the fire. Paul sure had
such trials, way more than most of us have ever gotten. But
whatever be the course we have to run, finishing it, we will be
found unto praise and honor and glory (and what glory that will
be - 1 John 3:1-3) at the appearing of Jesus Christ. A statement
of fact in both cases - our glory and Christ's appearing. Nothing
in this final verse to teach an any second coming that can
disregard, throw away, trash the signs Jesus and Paul gave to us
to let us know Jesus was near to come, even at the door.
THERE IT ALL IS FRIENDS. A SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES ON ALL
VERSES IN THE NT THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RETURN OF
CHRIST JESUS TO THIS EARTH AND THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
THANKS TO STRONG'S CONCORDANCE IT IS SIMPLE TO LOOK UP ANY
WORD IN THE BIBLE AND SEE WHERE IT IS USED. AND HENCE LOOK UP
EVERY PASSAGE.
THERE IS NOT ONE VERSE THAT TEACHES A "SECRET" OR
"INVISIBLE" COMING OF CHRIST THAT CAN BE AT ANY SECOND, WITH A
BLATANT DISREGARD TO ALL THE SIGNS GIVEN TO TELL US THAT HIS
COMING IS NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOOR.
SO WE KEEP WATCHING THE SIGNS. WE REMEMBER THE FATHER IS IN
CHARGE AND HE CAN SHORTEN OR LENGTHEN THE SIGNS. WE REMEMBER THAT
"TIME" TO GOD IS NOT AS WE HUMAN BEINGS THINK OF TIME. 70 OR 80
YEARS TO US IS A LIFETIME, TO GOD IT IS AS NOTHING, FOR HE LIVES
IN ETERNITY.
WE KNOW, WE ARE TOLD TWO THINGS. CHRIST JESUS WILL COME
AGAIN, LITERALLY, BODILY. HE WILL COME WITH MANY SIGNS, SO WE CAN
KNOW FINALLY HE IS AT THE DOOR.
SO IT IS WRITTEN AND SO IT SHALL COME TO PASS! PRAISE BE TO
HIM THAT SITS ON THE THRONE OF HEAVEN!
......................
Keith Hunt
May, 2009
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