A
human being is a creature of two different worlds. He is a flesh and
blood body that has been quickened by the breath of life, the Spirit of
God. Since the body is inanimate material, it has to be infused with
life by a force outside of itself. The spiritual has to penetrate the
physical before life can be experienced by that which has no life.
From the planting of a seed to the coming forth of the kingdom of God
among men, the miracle of this life is consistent in the events of its
mystery. The kingdoms of men, as in the interpretation of Nebuchadnessar’s
dream, must be broken into pieces before the means of their annihilation
(the coming of Christ) spreads forth in a great nation of God filling
the whole earth. The outward husk of the seed must be destroyed before
the essence of new life within can come forth in its glory. The coming
forth of the miracle of life within the created world always comes forth
in the labor pains of physical death--the dying to something in the
earthly domain.
This moment of time, when the essence of the Spirit would break forth
out of the flesh, came to be known in the prophecies of the Old
Testament and the teachings of the New Testament as the "Day of the
Lord." It was a special time, a special day when God’s will and
purpose in the created world would be fulfilled.
It is not only the process of the new life for the individual, but it
is also the way by which God brings about his will and purpose in the
world as a whole. As in Daniel’s interpretation of the dream of the
king of Babylon, it always has both judgment for the physical world and
restoration of the spiritual realm. It always depicts the end of a
present age and the coming of a new age.
The prophet Amos was probably the first to use the phrase, the
"Day of the Lord:" "Woe unto you that desire the day of
the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness,
and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or
went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit
him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very
dark, and no brightness in it?" (5:18-20). Amos is speaking of the
judgmental aspect of this special time of God that eventually would
bring restoration. The physical world of man’s existence must come
down.
The prophet Joel gave both the judgment and the restoration of the day
of the Lord. The Lord spoke through Joel and said, " ye shall know
that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and
none else . . . I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth,
blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day
of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call
on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in
Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the
remnant whom the LORD shall call. (2:30-32). Those who would call on the
name of the Lord in the midst of this judgment and be restored to
newness of life, would do so because the Lord said, "I will pour
out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see
visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days
will I pour out my spirit" (2:28,29). The Lord further promised the
restored remnant, "ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and
praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with
you . . . And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I
am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be
ashamed" (2:26,27).
With Peter quoting the prophecy of Joel to explain what was happening to
the followers of Jesus on the Jewish feast day of Pentecost, he was
understanding that out of the judgment of the nation of Israel was
coming a new nation. The present age of the physical nation of God was
giving birth to a new age. The power, the glory, and the honor of the
new kingdom of God was being experienced. By the Holy Spirit, this new
nation was being infused with the life of God, Jesus Christ, the
"Day of the Lord."
A few hours before His death, Jesus told his disciples that He was going
to have to leave them. Then, He said, "I will come again."
(John 14:3). When Jesus was taken up into the heavens by the Father, two
men in white apparel told the disciples who were witnessing the
ascension, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall come
again in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts
1:11).
The return of Christ is probably the most dominant theme in the New
Testament, especially if importance is measured by the number of times a
subject is mentioned. The return of Jesus is referred to over 300 times.
The expectancy of the coming of Christ is found in every letter and book
of the New Testament.
Peter wrote, "That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:7). James inscribed, "Be ye also
patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth
nigh" (James 5:8). Paul recorded, "And the very God of peace
sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1
Thess. 5:23). John penned, "And now, little children, abide in him;
that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28). Jude communicated ,
"Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints"
(Jude 14). Finally, the Bible closes it record with, "Even so,
come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22.20).
Jesus Himself talked of his return: "I go to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also"
(John 14:2,3). He added, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will
come to you" (John 14:18). Finally, He stated, "Ye have heard
how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you" (John
14:28).
There are three keys words that were used by the early followers of
Jesus when they talked of the coming of Christ. The most dominant of the
three words is usually translated "coming." Surprisingly, it
is not translated from the word meaning, "to come" or "to
go," as if you are in one place and need to go to another place.
The key word that is most often used to translate the "coming of
Christ" means, "a being near." The King James Version
translates the original word as "coming" and
"presence." The coming of Christ is to experience the nearness
or presence of Christ.
The second most often used word in the "coming of Christ" is
translated from the word meaning, "disclosure." The root of
this word means, "to take off the cover, i.e. disclose." It is
translated by the King James Version as "appearing,"
"coming," "lighten," "manifestation,"
"be revealed," and "revelation." The coming of
Christ is the disclosure of Christ. The original word is where we get
our word apocalypse. The revelation of Jesus Christ came to be
understood in the apocalyptic events of the destruction of the present
evil age to usher in the future good new age--the Day of the Lord. Thus,
the last book of the New Testament is the "Revelation" of
Jesus Christ--the apocalypse of Jesus Christ.
The third word used in the "coming of Christ" is translated
from a word meaning, "a manifestation." It is translated by
the King James Version as "appearing" and
"brightness." As Paul wrote, "then shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and
shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (2 Thess 2:8).
Wickedness is always "rendered entirely useless" (destroyed)
with the manifestation (brightness) of his presence (coming).
The early followers knew that Jesus had promised that He would return to
them. He had said, "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come
to you." They believed that Jesus had not only returned to them by
the Holy Spirit on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, but they also believed
that the revelation of His presence would be manifested
every time the present condition of life needed to be brought to an end
and a new beginning experienced. They knew Jesus would come into their
world and save them. They lived their lives in the expectancy of the
coming of Christ.
For example, when Paul was in Athens because he had been forced to leave
Thessalonica by envious nonbelievers, he wrote back to the Thessalonian
disciples and raised a penetrating question (1 Thess. 2:19,20). In the
midst of persecution and affliction (an apocalyptic event), he ask them,
"what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?" He answered
the question for them: "Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord
Jesus Christ at his coming?" Then, simply stated, "For ye are
our glory and joy." Experiencing the manifestation of Jesus Christ
in their relationship, the nearness of Christ had produced such glory
that in the midst of the afflictions Paul was experiencing hope and joy.
Is it any wonder then that the early followers continually lived in the
expectancy of the coming of Christ?
We, too, should live in the expectancy that in every "Day of the
Lord," in every crisis that life brings our way, Jesus will come to
bring restoration. As the old is being brought to its end, the new will
be ushered in by the coming of Christ. It is a special manifestation of
His nearness as His presence is revealed. This is the eternal hope of
every believer in Christ. Jesus will come again and again with His power
of deliverance to save us from the presence pressure of life.
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