Loving the Return Of Christ

A Crown of Righteousness to All Who Love His Appearing

I believe that the many passages of Scripture in the New Testament teaching the visible return of Jesus Christ, some implying a "soon return", was to create an attitude of "earnest expectancy" regarding His return! The Apostle Paul says it well when he writes to Timothy: 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 also that love his appearing. [2 Timothy 4:8]

This is not the same as the belief in the "any moment return" of Dispensationalism but will be preceded by certain signs.

 

Without getting into the different theories about His return, I eagerly seek it, however He does it. In my short 60 years on this earth, things seem to get more out of control everyday. This upcoming election and the choices we have is a good example of how pure evil permeates every aspect of our lives. At one time, back when I was much younger, I read a lot of Hal Lindsey, and thought I would see the return of the Lord in my lifetime. Since then, although I think the Lord could come back anytime, I am not so sure about Lindsays sequence of events. Other ideas sound as credible to me, and it is one of those things I am not sure about. I just know the Lord is coming, and coming for me. I wish I would be one of the those who in Thes. "are caught up in the air and still alive" but nothing makes me any more special than all those who have died and are with the Lord, and that is probably what will happen to me.

 

So it wasn't really soon at all, just a ploy to keep them on their

 

You can call it ploy if it makes you feel good.

To me it shows the love of God for His people in reminding them, that in the final analysis and regardless of what trials this life presents, His Church will emerge victorious.

 

On their what?

These predictions of His visible return are not ploys.

Matthew 24:30 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.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

HankD​

 

........toes.

As you will note HankD I was not speaking of those verses but the concept of "soon".

As for your verses:

Adam Clarke

Rev 1:Verse 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds*
This relates to his coming to execute judgment on the enemies of his religion; perhaps to his coming to destroy Jerusalem, as he was to be particularly manifested to them that pierced him, which must mean the incredulous and rebellious Jews.

And all kindreds of the earth*
πασαιαιφυλαιτηςγης All the tribes of the land. By this the Jewish people are most evidently intended, and therefore the whole verse may be understood as predicting the destruction of the Jews; and is a presumptive proof that the Apocalypse was written before the final overthrow of the Jewish state.

Even so, Amen.*
ναιαμην Yea, Amen. It is true, so be it. Our Lord will come and execute judgment on the Jews and Gentiles. This the Jews and Romans particularly felt.

John Lightfoot

Matt 24:30

[And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man.] Then shall the Son of man give a proof of himself, whom they would not before acknowledge: as proof, indeed, not in any visible figure, but in vengeance and judgment so visible, that all the tribes of the earth shall be forced to acknowledge him the avenger. The Jews would not know him: now they shall now him, whether they will or no, Isaiah 26:11. Many times they asked of him a sign: now a sign shall appear, that he is the true Messias, whom they despised, derided, and crucified, namely, his signal vengeance and fury, such as never any nation felt from the first foundations of the world.

 

According to Revelation 3:10 the scope of the events of the Book of Revelation is the entire world.

The time of "temptation" is coming upon ALL the world.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

"all the world" oikoumene oles.

And then there is Revelation 7.
Since (according to full preterism) all the events of the Book of Revelation occurs in AD70 then that would mean that in addition to the whole inhabited world being involved, an inumerable number of people from all nations, kindred, people and tongues from the whole world were killed.

Revelation 7

9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.​

Preterist problem: When He does actually come, all nations are involved and Christ Himself will fight against them to defend redeemed Israel out of the tribulation.

Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.​

...

9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.​

OK Grasshopper, since you look beyond the plain sense of the text as read which I provided then you shouldn't mind if we futurists look at the word "soon" as being in the nuanced sense of "soon" as defined by the heavenly author of the Bible.

Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.​

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.​

HankD​

 

Their persecution.

 

Thanks for your link. I thoroughly enjoyed it. :thumbsup:

 

It would be interesting to see how full-preterists on this forum explain Revelation 21, 22!

I agree Steve, the Blessed Hope of the Saints was and should be the visible return of Jesus Christ as promised in Scripture!

 

Hal Lindsey was as mistaken concerning the return of Jesus Christ as the full-preterist.

The dispensationalist claim of a "parenthesis Church" is as false as the claim by full-preterists that the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD fulfilled all prophecies of the visible return of Jesus Christ.

 

I see that you still have a problem, Grasshopper, with "rightly dividing" but hang in there. Perhaps the Lord Jesus Christ will soon return in power and great glory!

Not at all!

John 5:28, 29
28. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Revelation 1:7
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Revelation 21:1-8
1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 

So the great and blessed hope for the Church, second coming of christ and us being glorified and this earth and all Creation being restored was JUST for first century church?

So we have NO hope now, we missed that?

 

So those who die remain in their grave and are not presently in the presence of God?