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 48)
Part Three – The Nature of the Second Coming
Chapter 8 – How the Old Testament Prophets Set the Stage
The Language of the Prophets
In seeking to better understand the Second Coming of Christ, it is essential to recognize that it is not a concept that originated with Jesus – at least not with Jesus in the flesh. Rather, Jesus and His apostles were explaining and elaborating on something that the prophets of Israel had written about in the Scriptures centuries before the time of Jesus and His apostles.
We have already noted that Jesus’ location after the resurrection and ascension was the right hand of God, and that this expression, so often found in the New Testament, originated with Psalm 110:1, written around 1,000 B.C. Likewise, the expression “Son of Man coming on the clouds” was not coined by Jesus of Nazareth but rather taken from the Old Testament – in this case from Daniel 7:13, written around 500 B.C. In this passage, Daniel is conveying a vision God had given him. In the vision, Daniel saw “the Ancient of Days” sitting on a throne with a garment white as snow and hair like pure wool. The throne was ablaze with flames and its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing from it. When the Son of Man came on the clouds, He came up to this Ancient of Days and received a kingdom. Re-read the last few sentences if necessary, but be sure you have Daniel’s entire picture in mind. Got it? Okay. If someone expects to see Jesus physically coming on clouds, he should also expect to see in the same moment all the rest of this scene. It can’t be right to say that the Son of Man part of it will be physically fulfilled but the Ancient of Days part will not.
Such a scene physically acted out would make the coming of God’s kingdom exactly what Jesus said it would not be – a spectator event. Not only this, but would such a scene physically acted out even be worthy of God? Jesus goes to all the trouble (crucifixion being only the centerpiece of His efforts on our behalf) to teach us that God is spirit, just so it can one day be revealed that He wasn’t spirit after all but rather someone with hair like wool, who could burn without burning up, and who we could see with our physical eyes if we just wait long enough? Is this what Jesus died for?
Besides all this, those who insist that Jesus must physically appear coming to earth on physical clouds as if He would take delight in riding a cosmic surfboard before the physical eyes of humanity, have Him going the wrong direction! For in Daniel’s vision He’s coming up to the Ancient of Days, not down to earth.
(This section of the chapter to be continued tomorrow)
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