Jesus, the Messiah is coming for His People.
The
Importance of Biblical Eschatology.
The Purpose
to lived in being part at time of the rapture.
There are
many things we do not understand that God does not reveal to us while we are
still sinners here on earth; and some things belong to God, and we need to
learn to respect the fact that God does not reveal everything to us. But, He
does tell us everything we need to know to be able to one day live with Him in
Glory forever. In Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the LORD our
God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we
may follow all the words of this law”. I believe it is proper to leave in God’s
Hands the things that belong to Him; but, all the things He has revealed to us,
we need to share with all God’s Children.
And the
warning about the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25: 1-13. I hope you were
blessed reading up until here and allow the biblical principles presented here
guide your life in the direction desired by God on the subject of things to
come in the future. Since we know now that God reveals everything we need to
know, we need to be confident to read about the future. God would never write
us anything telling us how horrible our future is; therefore, keep on reading
in confidence, because the teaching for our future is a blessing for us.
The Rapture, The Coming Of Jesus The Messiah.
God gives
us the grace to know future things in advance, by the Bible His Holy Word and
the revelation of the Holy Spirit using his apostles and prophets, in the Old
Testament as well as the New Testament; teaching us their message. Every
Christian should have the understanding this is what Jesus used his disciples,
the apostles and prophets; as well as the Body of Christ to teach the lost ones
about Jesus.
The ones
that have studied as much as layman; we all have the obligation to search for
information, of this important subject: the future. The minister in the house
of God as well as the believer on the bench need to go and obey the command
Jesus gave. Do you know why we need to know this? God has a beautiful,
supernatural, and wonderful plan prepared for all who receive Him as it says in
John. 1:12. Jesus has sent all who believe in him to go and announce and make
disciples.
How can a
person go and announce things to come if he does not even you know what awaits
him after death to rejoice in the eternal glory? God uses the Apostle Paul to
talk about eschatology, that is, about the things to come; as he wrote the
letter to the Thessalonians. He comforts the Christians not to grieve over
those who sleep in Christ, because they are already with Jesus. I Thes. 4: 13-17 - tells us that Jesus will
not set his foot here on the earth as He did the first time. Jesus will come
with a great shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God
and come to the clouds, and there meet him in the air.
The Coming of
the Lord
I Thes. 4
13
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to
grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
14 We
believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring
with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15
According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who
are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have
fallen asleep.
16 For the
Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of
the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will
rise first.
17 After
that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord
forever.
God uses
Apostle John in Revelations to show us about eschatology, the things of the
future. God reveals to John and asks to register them,
Rev.
1:10-11 “On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud
voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send
it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis,
Philadelphia and Laodicea".
Revelation
1:1-3 “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants
what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant
John, who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the
testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this
prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written
in it, because the time is near”.
The Church of
Jesus will be raptured.
Paul
addresses the Church of Thessalonica on this matter because he was asked
explanations about those who had died, how they should feel about this, to
which he answers in the text quoted above. The Second Coming of the Lord, vs.
13-18 here we come to the main theme of the letter. Certainly, Paul had already
emphasized in a specific way this in his preaching’s in the Church of
Thessalonica; because this subject is mentioned in every chapter.
Although it
is commonly mentioned as coming or appearance of the Lord; is specifically
called "second" coming in Hebrews 9:28. “So Christ was sacrificed
once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time,
not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him”.
(Some theological lines explain it as the second phase of the first coming.)
The Greek
expression used by Jesus in John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”.
The words "come back" translated means literally "returning the
second time". It is therefore entirely appropriate and biblical to talk
about this coming of the Lord as the Second Coming. The chapters in which is
explained in more detail are: Matthew 24 and 25, Luke 21, 1 Thes. 4 and 5; and
2 Peter 3. The Second Coming of Christ is the great event that Christians are
awaiting with hope, as seen in a 1 Thes. 5 :9-10, 2 Co. 5:8; Fl. 1:23; Cl. 3:4.
The Bible makes a great emphasis on this event, for this hour that Jesus will
take his bride to live with him in heaven.
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take
you to be with me that you also may be where I am" - Jn. 14:3.
According
to Halley said: "It is considered the culmination of the work of Christ in
the Redemption. It is regarded by most, the literal and bodily coming of
Christ, when He will take with Him His church, which is here on Earth".
“We believe
that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him” - vs. 14. What comes "after
death" is always in all people interests. What comes after I die? Paul
begins with this subject, explaining about what happens to those that are
already “asleep in Him”; that is, those who have died in Christ Jesus, biblical
expression to indicate the death of a Christian. (Mt 27:52, Jn. 11:11, Acts
7:60, 13:36, 1 Co. 15:6,18,20,51; Pe.3 2: 4)
--- We only
fall asleep in Christ Jesus and wake up one day. What a glorious morning will
be for all who received Jesus as their Savior and Lord of your life. This does
not mean that we fall into a state of unconsciousness until the day of
resurrection of the body; on the contrary, we are dead for this earthly life,
but pass immediately into the presence of Christ. Fl. 1:23 "But both sides
I am in distress, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, because it is
far better."
In the same
way we are also here awaiting for His comming, when He will return and pick us
up with Him in the air. The brothers of Thessalonica wanted to know what
happens after death and where were the ones that were already dead. Paul warns
us not to be sad about those who have died in Christ they will rise first,
those who received Jesus as Lord and Savior (Jo. 1:12) of their lives. And then
we will be transformed as well and be lifted up with Him into Heaven: 1 Co.
15:52-54 "In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For
the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be
changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the
mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
Given the
order, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God
Vs. 16 “For
the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first”. This expression is similar to Jesus' words in Matthew
24:30-31 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and
all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on
the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels
with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds,
from one end of the heavens to the other”.
That's when
the dead in Christ shall rise: v.17 “After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And so we will be with the Lord forever”. Maybe it is the literal
resurrection of the body, imperishable and glorious state as described in 1 Cor
15:42-43. Those who are alive at the time of the event, will be caught up
together with them (v.17). Perhaps this is the only text of the NT where there
is a clear reference to the "rapture." (The Vulgate employs rapiemur,
a form of the verb from which the word "rapture" is derived.)
"When
the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on
his throne in heavenly glory”. Mt. 25:31. The saints of past ages will be
resurrected (v.16), believers who are still alive will be transformed, and like
Enoch and Elijah were taken directly to heaven without dying. Hb.11:5 “By faith
Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could
not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was
commended as one who pleased God.”
II
Corinthians 5:20 - "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God
were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be
reconciled to God".
The whole
Church to meet happily rise to the Savior for his second coming to stay with
him for eternity. Think this is a great emotion that inspires us all. In
Genesis it is said that Adam and Eve had fellowship with God but could not get
out of Eden and go to heaven and reign eternally with God. The Church of
Christ, but is given the privilege of reigning with Christ forever. Ro. B 5:17.
The Messiah =
Anointed One
Jo. 1:41
"He first found his brother Simon and told him: We have found the Messiah
(which being interpreted, the Christ) ". The word "Messiah" is a
Hebrew word meaning "anointed one" (Greek word for Christ). The
Anointing was common in the ancient Middle East, involving the application of
oil to a person (or occasionally, an object)
There were
three kinds of anointing:
- The
common anointing for persons or objects.
- Medical
anointing for treatments of the ill.
-
Prophetic
anointing used by the people whom God used to anoint others.
- Prophet
Samuel and the apostles among others.
-
It
is important to point out here that the Old Testament indicates a coming
Redeemer who is called the Anointed (Messiah) on two occasions. Psalms 2:2-3
"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against the LORD and against His Anointed. It is important to note
here that the Old Testament indicates a coming Redeemer who is called the
Anointed One (Messiah) on two occasions.
- Psalms
2:2-3 “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break
their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”
- “Now
then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we
pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God”, II Corinthians 5:20.
-
"Know
and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven
'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench,
but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be
cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will
destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will
continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.” Dan. 9:25-26
The
expectation of the coming Messiah has already been generalized before the time
of Jesus. The N.T. clearly shows that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Anointed
of God. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism according to: John
1:32-33. “Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from
heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the
one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the
Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'” As a
proof that He actually was the Messiah (Luke 4:18,21, Acts 9:22, 17:2-3, 18:5,
28).
This is why
Jesus receives the title of Christ, a Greek word meaning Anointed. Jesus, the
Christ, anointed to be King and Priest all at the same time. (Melchizedek,
Moses and David,) it can be confirmed int the following texts: Gn. 14:18-20;
Dt.18 :15-19, 2 Sam. 7:16) (We will not expand here on this subject and this is
another subject).
In the Lord's Service
No comments:
Post a Comment