Is the Second Coming Near?
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Is the Second Coming Near?
I am new and I recently heard Steve on the radio with Hank and I only heard alittle But..........I was wondering do you believe we are close to the return of christ??
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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Hi Linzee,
As for your question concerning the nearness of Christ's return, I can only say that I hope it may not be far off. There are many things about the present age that make it hard to imagine what the world could possibly be like a hundred years from now, if the Lord should tarry. The fact that I have children, and look forward to having grandchildren makes me hope that the Lord may come before some of the current societal trends that are only in their germinal stages right now begin to flower. However, things can be pretty bad for centuries without it signalling the near coming of Christ (think of the Imperial persecutions and the Dark Ages!).
On the other hand, things may get unexpectedly better. I, for one, have been praying for revival. If God sends one, that would be worth staying around for!
As for concrete indicators of the near coming of Christ, the Bible doesn't give many. Most of the signs that are popularly applied to that topic (e.g., earthquakes, famines, pestilence, false christs, wars and rumors of wars) are not really applicable, and are found in passages related to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).
Also, the much-balleyhooed restoration of the nation of Israel, so often declared to be a significant indicator of the "last days," is an event that is actually never mentioned or hinted at in the New Testament, and all Old Testament references to the restoration of the Jews to their land were probably fulfilled in the days of Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah. Thus the modern State of Israel may have nothing to do with the "end times."
The one thing the Bible does indicate is that Christ will come after certain developments have occurred within His body, the church.
One of these is the evangelization of the nations. Though Matthew 24:14 may or may not be talking about conditions that were met prior to 70 AD (cf. Col.1:6, 23), it reveals the same concern of God that is found in the Great Commission, namely, that all nations be evangelized and discipled (Matt.28:19-20/ Mark 16:15). God has waited 2000 years, so far, for us to get as far as we have gotten on this assignment, and since it is still moving forward, I doubt that He will abort the project before it is completed.
The other development that God seems to be waiting for is the maturity and the unity ofthe saints (Eph.4:13-16/Mark 4:29).
The first coming of Christ is likened, in scripture, to a sunrise (Isa.60:1-3/ Mal.4:2/ Luke 1:78), and so is the second coming (2 Pet.1:19/ Matt.24:27 [see the Greek for "lightning": "Astrape" means "bright shining," as in Luke 11:36]). Before the morning sun appears, the light in the eastern sky becomes gradually brighter. "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that grows brighter and brighter until full day" (Prov.4:18).
The glory of the Lord will be revealed in us (Rom.8:18) as Christ is progressively formed in us (Gal.4:19). This process will be measured on the scale of our love for and unity with each other (Eph.4:13/1 Cor.1-3/ John 17:21-23). It seems that it will resemble the dawning of a new day, "the Day of the Lord," with His people more and more resembling Him, both corporately and individually, and the light of His countenance upon us becoming brighter (Psalm 4:6), until the Son Himself appears over the horizon to judge the world and to reward those who love His appearing.
Just so I am not misunderstood, I believe in an actual future day of the second coming of Christ, to raise and glorify the saints (John 5:28-29/ Phil.3:20-21) and to bring in the new heavens and the new earth (2 Pet.3:10-13). I do not necessarily anticipate the world getting better and better, as some do, though this may in fact happen. It is the change in God's own people that I think is predicted, and this change may occur in a hostile environment, and may even be augmented by persecution (2 Cor.4:16-18). So, even if the world gets worse and worse, and we are persecuted as never before, our light will shine in the faces of our persecutors, brighter and brighter until the Son Himself arises for all to see and his enemies wither like the grass on the rooftops in the blazing sun (James 1:11/Isa.37:27).
Looking at the present state of the church, I am not encouraged to expect the second coming of Christ this afternoon, but I hope it may not be very long.
As for your question concerning the nearness of Christ's return, I can only say that I hope it may not be far off. There are many things about the present age that make it hard to imagine what the world could possibly be like a hundred years from now, if the Lord should tarry. The fact that I have children, and look forward to having grandchildren makes me hope that the Lord may come before some of the current societal trends that are only in their germinal stages right now begin to flower. However, things can be pretty bad for centuries without it signalling the near coming of Christ (think of the Imperial persecutions and the Dark Ages!).
On the other hand, things may get unexpectedly better. I, for one, have been praying for revival. If God sends one, that would be worth staying around for!
As for concrete indicators of the near coming of Christ, the Bible doesn't give many. Most of the signs that are popularly applied to that topic (e.g., earthquakes, famines, pestilence, false christs, wars and rumors of wars) are not really applicable, and are found in passages related to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).
Also, the much-balleyhooed restoration of the nation of Israel, so often declared to be a significant indicator of the "last days," is an event that is actually never mentioned or hinted at in the New Testament, and all Old Testament references to the restoration of the Jews to their land were probably fulfilled in the days of Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah. Thus the modern State of Israel may have nothing to do with the "end times."
The one thing the Bible does indicate is that Christ will come after certain developments have occurred within His body, the church.
One of these is the evangelization of the nations. Though Matthew 24:14 may or may not be talking about conditions that were met prior to 70 AD (cf. Col.1:6, 23), it reveals the same concern of God that is found in the Great Commission, namely, that all nations be evangelized and discipled (Matt.28:19-20/ Mark 16:15). God has waited 2000 years, so far, for us to get as far as we have gotten on this assignment, and since it is still moving forward, I doubt that He will abort the project before it is completed.
The other development that God seems to be waiting for is the maturity and the unity ofthe saints (Eph.4:13-16/Mark 4:29).
The first coming of Christ is likened, in scripture, to a sunrise (Isa.60:1-3/ Mal.4:2/ Luke 1:78), and so is the second coming (2 Pet.1:19/ Matt.24:27 [see the Greek for "lightning": "Astrape" means "bright shining," as in Luke 11:36]). Before the morning sun appears, the light in the eastern sky becomes gradually brighter. "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that grows brighter and brighter until full day" (Prov.4:18).
The glory of the Lord will be revealed in us (Rom.8:18) as Christ is progressively formed in us (Gal.4:19). This process will be measured on the scale of our love for and unity with each other (Eph.4:13/1 Cor.1-3/ John 17:21-23). It seems that it will resemble the dawning of a new day, "the Day of the Lord," with His people more and more resembling Him, both corporately and individually, and the light of His countenance upon us becoming brighter (Psalm 4:6), until the Son Himself appears over the horizon to judge the world and to reward those who love His appearing.
Just so I am not misunderstood, I believe in an actual future day of the second coming of Christ, to raise and glorify the saints (John 5:28-29/ Phil.3:20-21) and to bring in the new heavens and the new earth (2 Pet.3:10-13). I do not necessarily anticipate the world getting better and better, as some do, though this may in fact happen. It is the change in God's own people that I think is predicted, and this change may occur in a hostile environment, and may even be augmented by persecution (2 Cor.4:16-18). So, even if the world gets worse and worse, and we are persecuted as never before, our light will shine in the faces of our persecutors, brighter and brighter until the Son Himself arises for all to see and his enemies wither like the grass on the rooftops in the blazing sun (James 1:11/Isa.37:27).
Looking at the present state of the church, I am not encouraged to expect the second coming of Christ this afternoon, but I hope it may not be very long.
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
In Jesus,
Steve
Steve