Christ's Return: Spiritual or Physical?

Hi Tom. I haven't figured out how to add selected quotes instead of attaching an entire previous message, so I do apologize for that. You do present an interesting case - not only with me, but also with the Biblicist and others. I don't believe the Hebrews passage necessarily means that we will not have a physical body. Romans 8:23 speaks of the redemption of our bodies, not from our bodies. Philippians 3:21 is about the transformation of our humble bodies. Having said that, I will confess that I'm not entirely sure one way or the other. I see strong arguments for both positions.

 

Ok, then the only reason I can see for insisting that he is not coming back just as they saw him leave must be found in your eschatology and not this text, because there is absolutely nothing in this text to suggest even remotely that he did not leave this earth in a physical human body and that is precisely how he is returning in a visible return.

 

Your welcome. May I suggest that the days of our flesh will be gone when we received a glorified body as our resurrected body will not be as it was. Prior to the glorification of Christ's body it was subject to death, hunger, pain, etc. - but no more.

 

Both full and partial preterism are false. The prophesied events simply haven't yet happened & there's simply NO avoiding that FACT.

As I said, Jesus will PHYSICALLY return to earth, seen by all, as He said. And again, He comes SPIRITUALLY whenever/wherever two or three are gathered in His name, as He said in Matt. 18:20.

Now, what type of body He will have at His return, I don't know, except that He will be in His full power & glory. Remember, at His first coming, He lived as a "lamb", but He shall return as a "LION".

 

I didn't know about the different views you mentioned. I also think that the view Ed Stevens promotes is the correct one.

 

Hello, Brother. I agree with you the physical Second Advent is in our future, and the Scripture doesn't make it clear about the type of body He will have, except in power and glory. I also believe Christ "came" in judgment upon Jerusalem in AD 70. We could go on all day about the merits of preterism and neither of us would convince the other. You do not believe what we Preterists present to be factual, and I do not believe the "futurist" view to be valid (except that we agree in the Lord's return).

 

That makes sense. Thank you.

 

We MUST though hold to the physical bodily resurrection, not just a "spiritual" one!

 

Help me understand this. When people die now, their souls go to Heaven. Does everyone get a new physical body when Jesus comes again?

 

Since I am a partial preterist (the events described in the Olivet discourse occured at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD), I don't know why you have spasmodically leaped to the false conclusion that I am not because I disagree with you on a fundamental issue of Christ's incarnation.

Can't deal with it?

 

Luke 24:39-43
See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them.

John 20:27-28
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!

Beyond those plain verses, each gospel testifies to an empty tomb and the enemies of Christ cannot produce the body of Jesus.

But you already claim to believe in the physical resurrection. Has your faith suddenly left you? If not, what's the point of demanding "a verse"?

 

We don't actually see that terminology in scripture. It is certainly possible, but Jesus describes the intermediate state as a "dwelling place" (John 14:2) that is in the presence of Jesus. To the repentant thief on the cross, He describes it as Paradise (Luke 23:43). Paul describes his experience of temporarily entering into Paradise (2 Corinthians 12:4), and the Tree of Life is described in the "Paradise of God" in Revelation 2:7, before the Tree of Life becomes available to all persons (Revelation 22:3) who remain when the heavens and earth are united at the end of the age.

At some point, the dead will be raised and all humankind will be rejoined with their bodies. Some will be destroyed in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-15; 21:8) and the righteous will reign with Christ forever (Revelation 22:5)

 

Those are ALL outstanding verses but would someone please explain this one?... Brother Glen

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.