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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

Overflow

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(Today’s Reading)

The Implications of the Second Coming as Accomplished Fact

(Book Installment 62)

The Plan Behind the Second Coming

Chapter 4 – The Predetermined Plan

The Plan Summarized

Recall that Peter was my source for the phrase “the predetermined plan.”

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know–
Acts 2:23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

God’s predetermined plan included a lot more than the crucifixion – a whole lot more! It included:

• A personal promise of redemption from God to Adam, Eve, and their descendants
• A promise of judgment for the serpent
• The selection of a new progenitor: a man named Abram, whose name would be changed to Abraham
• The formation of a nation from the descendants of this man
• The liberation of that nation from slavery in Egypt
• The conquest of a land in which that nation could permanently dwell
• The birth of a Messiah
• The righteous life, good deeds and miracles of that Messiah
• The crucifixion of that Messiah
• Messiah’s resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven, and seating at the right hand of God

But there was even more included in the final fulfillment of that plan, what we call the Second Coming:

• Messiah’s personal return in great glory as king of the long-awaited kingdom of God
• A new heavens and new earth (where there is no longer any sea)
• The resurrection of the dead to eternal glory in heaven
• Satan and his minions exiled from heaven (forced to eat the dust of the earth)

Even with all this, I have not fully identified all the components of God’s great plan. But you get the idea.

The Second Coming was massive because the plan of which it was the conclusion was even more massive.

We organized the key elements of this plan into three R’s (including three little r’s). These apply to the plan as a whole.

• The Revelation of God in the fullness of His being
• The Restoration…
  • …of our relationship with God, and, through Him, with each other
  • …of our residence with God and with all other creatures
  • …of a rationale for this eternal relationship and eternal residence
• The Recordation of the plan to secure its knowledge for all generations to come

We also acknowledged the four vantage points on God’s plan that He provided us in the Scriptures. These identify the stages of execution and revelation.

In order of the plan’s disclosure in the Bible, they are:

1. OT – The Old Testament vantage point had a singular focus on God, nation, and temple.
2. RHG – The right hand of God vantage point had multiple focuses: God and Lord, Jews and Gentiles, and many churches. (aka “the New Testament View”)
3. PC – The Pre-Creation vantage point had minimal disclosures (though their impact on revelation was massive).
4. KOG – The kingdom of God vantage point revealed the final – that is, eternal – state of things. (aka “The Second Coming View”)

In order of the plan’s execution in history, they were:

1. PC (eternity past)
2. OT
3. RHG
4. KOG (eternity future)

Your grasp of the distinctions between these four vantage points will strengthen with use. That usage will come as we explore the various implications of the Second Coming one by one, because we won’t get any of those implications right without this four-perspective framework.

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