OUR LORD'S COMING - A FEW BASICS

OUR LORD'S COMING - A FEW BASICS

Steve Horne

In my life I have found that there is great dissension in the body of Christ concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is just so much ambiguity regarding the circumstances of the second coming that I do not think there is anyone that can put it all together. I have been taught by premillenial dispensationalists, classical or historical premillenialists, amillenialists, and postmillenialists. I have read thru the Old Testament the New Testament with a focus on all the basic passages about the second coming and have not been able to determine exacts. Especially as some people claim to do. I have come to a point in my readings that I am not a dispensational premil. I do state that the position I understand the Bible to put forth is postmil. Amil is a position I also have a lot of respect toward. I have said before that I intend to change positions from day to day according to how optimistic I feel when I get up from bed in the morning. Now please, this is a joke. I do not float on theological subjects according to how I feel. Humor me and laugh with me! What I really want to do is to lay down a few basics that I do find clearly understood and encouraging about the second coming.

I.) Christians of all ages have known that the scriptures teach:

1. That Christ will return visibly and bodily


2. That there is going to be a resurrection of all men


3. The judgment of all men


4. There was no way to tell when Christ will return

NOTE: Those who believe the above are regarded as holding the Christian faith.

II.) Some particular understanding that I have discovered about the kingdom of Christ

A. The kingdom of God is already existent:

• Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

• Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

• Matthew 16:19 “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

• Mark 9:1 “and He said unto them, verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”

B. The kingdom of God is spiritual and invisible as opposed to worldly and material:

• Luke 17:20 “and when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation”

• John 3:3-21 “Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 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?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God."

• 1 Thessalonians 2:12 “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”

C. The kingdom of God is everlasting:

• Daniel 2:44 “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

• 2 Peter 1:11 “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

D. The kingdom of God is not the physical nation of Israel:

• Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

• Revelation 11:15 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

E. At the consummation at the end of the age our Lord will deliver up the kingdom to the Father:

• 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all.

(Note: The kingdom of God will never end. Then ending in this passage is just referring to the mediatory administrative function of the kingdom on the earth as we now live in and know it.)

III.) The scriptures declare that Christ’s return will be:

A. Without signs or warnings:

• Matthew 24:36-39 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the son of man be for as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the son of man be.”

B. A scene wherein all men will be called from the grave:

• John 5:28-29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 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.

• Acts 24:15 “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”

C. A day in which the earth and the heavens will melt away:

• 2 Peter 3:10-11 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

D. In the “last days”:

• This is the name given the time we live in which is from the death and resurrection of Christ until He comes on the last day.

(Compare the passages: Heb 1:2; Jn 6:39; 11:24; 12:48, Acts 2:17; 2Tim.3:18; 2Pet. 3:3, 1Jn 2:18)


E. In a day of great apostasy:

• 2Thessalonians 2:7-10 “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

• 1 John 2:18 “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

F. A day of final subjection:

• 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that god may be all in all.

In conclusion I understand that the scriptures teach that the kingdom is a present reality. Jesus the Messiah has been ordained of the Father and anointed by the Holy Spirit to be our Prophet, Priest, and King. Christ is now King governing His people in his kingdom by his Word and by the Spirit, while preserving them and defending them in the salvation he obtained for them until the end of the world. The King will, after all the elect are regenerated, return in a day appointed and judge all men. And on that day I call the “horizon” of life the King will come in glory to finally stomp out all evil and His putting His enemies under His feet and then He delivers His Bride, the church, to God the Father. In this let us look for our coming King giving him all glory, laud, and honor.