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"When He comes, He will tell us all things,"
she said with a searching sincerity (John 4:25). The coming of
Christ in the Scriptures has various connotations. Respected Gospel
preachers like Foy E. Wallace, Jr. assigned the following meanings
to this phrase.
It refers to his first advent into the world (Gen.
49:10; Matt. 2:6; Rom. 11:26); to his second advent (Acts 1:11;
Heb. 9:28); to his chosen apostles in the church (Jno. 14:3);
to the coming of his kingdom on Pentecost (Matt. 16:28; Mark 9:1);
to the destruction of Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 24:30; Mark
13:26; Luke 21:27); to the death of a Christian at the end of
life (Psa. 23:4; I Cor. 1:7-8); to the end of time (I Cor. 11:26;
I Thess. 4:15); to the last judgment (Matt. 25:30-31; II Thess.
1:6-10); and to the rewards and judgments in the events of trial
described in Revelation, as mentioned in the letters to the seven
churches (Rev. 2:5; 2:16; 2:25; 3:3; 3:11; 3:20). (Wallace 39-40).
The Samaritan woman looked for the coming Messiah.
"I who speak to you am He," Jesus answered (John 4:26).
This was the first advent of the Christ; the first time the Son
of God came into the world as the incarnated Savior. There had
been other "comings" of the Son into the world, but
this was the first advent. For instance, He was the spiritual
Rock quenching the thirst of weary Israelites in the wilderness
(1 Corinthians 10:4). Nonetheless, when we have referred to the
coming of Christ we have typically been most concerned with the
Second Coming.
Perry Cotham estimated more than three hundred
passages in the New Testament either mention or elude to the last
Advent of Christ (Cotham 1). That Jesus will return has been the
hope for Christians for nearly two millenniums. The Lord promised
to come again (John 14:2-3). The apostles placed heavy emphasis
on it (1 Thess 4:16; 2 Peter 3:10-14). The church has continued
to partake of the Lord's Supper with this very hope the Christ
will come again (1 Corinthians 11:26). Thus, the reader must not
confuse the various comings of Christ described in this article
with the Second Advent, the final coming of Jesus Christ.
He Came With His Kingdom (Matthew 16:28).
The Jehovah's Witnesses have never liked this verse. Here Jesus
promised His disciples some of them standing there listening to
his address would not die until "they see the Son of Man
coming in His kingdom." Either it was the case that the kingdom
came in the first century or there are some extremely elderly
people walking the earth today. The apostle Peter pronounced by
the Holy Spirit's inspiration, "let all the house of Israel
know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified,
both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). It was the day the church
was established; the day Peter unlocked the Kingdom with the Gospel
key. The resurrected Christ was crowned with life and sits on
Heaven's throne (Acts 2:30-31; 1 Timothy 1:17). This was indeed
an awesome coming of the Son.
He Came And Judged Jerusalem (Matthew 24:30).
It wasn't the Final Judgment wherein the living and the dead will
be sentenced for eternity. That it was a judgment pronouncing
an end to the Jewish economy was resolute. As for the last Day
of the Lord, "no one knows, not even the angels of heaven"
when that will be (Mat. 24:36). Nobody has ever, nor shall they,
discerned with Christ will return to judge the living and dead
for all of eternity. Pertaining to the destruction of the Temple
and Jerusalem, however, Jesus gave several warning signs (Matthew
23:37-24:35). Concerning that specific judgment He said, "Assuredly,
I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till
these things take place" (Mat. 24:34). In 70 A.D. the Romans
besieged Jerusalem and tore the Temple down to plunder her gold.
Historians tell us it was a bloodbath. Judaism has never been
the same.
He Came When Christians Passed From This Life
(Psalm 23:4; 1 Corinthians 1:7-8). As Stephen was dying from
being stoned for preaching the Gospel he called on God saying,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59). The Lord
has always been delighted with the death of believers it's the
transition point where our fellowship was completed (Psalm 116:15).
According to the epistle of James, death was defined in Scripture
as when the spirit is separated from the body (James 2:26). An
old friend of mine has believed Christians never truly experience
death. He thought the Lord takes our souls before our bodies actually
die. Foy E. Wallace, Jr. taught from 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 that
Jesus has come for believers as each one passes from this present
world. What a beautiful thought!
The New Testament promised not all of us will
have to wait to rise from the dead to see Jesus come (1 Thessalonians
4:15). The Bible promised the Second Coming, Advent, will conclude
earthly history (1 Corinthians 11:26). It foretold the Judgment
of the living and dead (1 Peter 4:5). Some have mistakenly taught
the Judgment Day to be passed, and destroyed their hope (2 Timothy
2:17-18). Scripture affirmed the melting of the earth and its
entire works in fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10). The notion has been
promulgated that Jesus will sit on an earthly throne and reign
on earth for a thousand years. But, there the same earth for him
to stand on will not exist (2 Peter 3:11-12). In the words of
Mr. Gene Carrell,
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