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 Implications of the Second Coming as Accomplished Fact
(Book Installment 14)
The Scope of the Second Coming
Chapter 1 – References to the Second Coming
References to the Second Coming in Other Prophets (continued)
Notice that the beginning and ending of “the last days” are bounded by the same markers Jesus laid down at His trial before the Sanhedrin – the ones I showed you when we were examining Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man in Daniel 7.
Matt 26:62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”
Matt 26:63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.“
Remember that the all caps indicates where Jesus is quoting Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13-14. Jesus is, in effect, announcing that “the last days” of ancient Israel would begin with Jesus seated at the right hand of God (as prophesied in Psalm 110:1) and end with Him coming on the clouds of heaven (as prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14). Both events would happen outside of human physical sight. Human beings would not see Jesus seated at the right hand of God, and human beings would not see Him coming in the clouds.
Recall also that the day of the Lord was going to be a day of wrath but also of salvation. That wrath would be for the Jews who rejected Jesus and the salvation would be for those who accepted Him. Thus, in the coming of the kingdom of God, spiritual Israel was brought in while fleshly Israel was left out.
We who live two thousand years later know that the Second Coming was not the end of the world – but it was for 1st-century Jews the end of the world as they knew it! Life would never be the same for either group. We’ll be analyzing this in much more detail when we get to “Implication: His Church Is Done” and Implication: “His Kingdom Has Come.” For now, I just want you to have the broad outline.
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