Finding Jesus in the Bible…So We Can Follow Him in Life
Bible Reading Plans
- Plan One: New Testament Only
- Plan Two: New Testament + Psalms
- Plan Three: New Testament + History
- Plan Four: The Entire Bible – Year 1 of 3, Year 2 of 3, Year 3 of 3
Don’t know which plan? Go to A Christ-Centered Bible Reading Plan: Quick Start.
Extras
Verse of the Day, Audio Capsule, and Video Minute
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(Today’s Reading)
The Biblical Case for the Second Coming as Accomplished Fact
(Book Installment 23)
Part Two – The Timing of the Second Coming
Chapter 2 – What the Gospels Say
Summarizing Jesus’ Statements About Timing
There is more than one approach we could take here in summarizing the data. The case is embarrassingly clear. We could pull together statements of Jesus from all four gospels but let’s just list five unequivocal statements about timing from the single gospel of Matthew:
“…for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.” Matthew 10:23
“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Matthew 16:28
“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Matthew 24:13
“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:22
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” Matthew 24:34
Was not His message to them about the timing of His coming more than clear? Is there any way to deny that He led His disciples to expect His return before their generation passed away? Can’t you almost hear the disciples from heaven crying out to us, “Why don’t you believe what He said?” Jesus left no room for doubt that the Second Coming would be in the lifetime of His contemporaries. He went out of His way to make His meaning clear on this point. He was not one for equivocating.
Now if we insist that Jesus has not yet come, we have a problem. A big one. He would be, not the Messiah of Israel, but a false prophet. For Israel’s prophets, by decree of God (Deuteronomy 18:22), had to be exactly right about events and their timing (see Jeremiah 28 and how a prophet named Hananiah who prophesied falsely about timing lost his life as a result). Jesus, however, is no false prophet. He’s the truest of the true! Compared to Him, there’s not an honest man among us. The elaborate schemes of interpretation that have been devised to explain why He has tarried are not necessary. He has not tarried! He has kept His word!
Since Jesus has been so clear about the timing of His Second Coming – that it would occur in that generation – we would expect His apostles to be in agreement with Him and with each other. Indeed they are, as we shall see in the next two chapters which cover the rest of the New Testament.
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