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 62)
Afterword
The Traditions of Men or the Truth of God?
In this book, I have shown you how the Bible teaches that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ should be considered by us in the 21st Century not future and physical, but rather past and spiritual. In other words, Jesus Christ has already come again – sometime late in the 1st Century A.D. not too many years after the destruction of Jerusalem’s temple in 70 A.D. I did this by showing you what the Scriptures themselves say about the Second Coming, and how history confirms it.
We first spent time analyzing what Jesus and His apostles said about the timing of the Second Coming. In doing so, we brought to light the fact that is so often ignored in today’s Bible teaching on this subject – that all believers in the New Testament expected the Lord’s return in their generation and gave no indication that they thought it could possibly come in any other generation. This actually explains why this fact is ignored, for if you say the New Testament disciples were wrong about this but right about everything else, you look a little silly to the world you are trying to convince about Jesus being the Way. Second, we analyzed what Jesus and His apostles said about the nature of the Second Coming. We saw that they were describing not a physical event, but a spiritual one. We are to see Jesus coming in His kingdom the same way we saw Him at the right hand of the throne of God – that is, by faith.
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Trusting Jesus, His apostles, and the prophets before them about the timing and nature of the Second Coming demands a belief in a Second Coming that was accomplished in their timeframe and in their way. What was imminent future for them is, for us in the 21st Century, distant past. Fait accompli. Mission accomplished.
All this is completely fitting with what Paul said in his second letter to the believers at Corinth:
…even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 2 Corinthians 5:16
This is the church that Paul called “still fleshly” in his first letter. Yes, God did come in the flesh…but we are to know Him in the spirit now.
I do not deny that the teaching of a “future, physical” Second Coming is more traditional than what I have shown you in this book. I simply ask which is more important to you: the truth of God or the traditions of men?
And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’
“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
Mark 7:6-8
(This concludes the book.)
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