Monday, September 14, 2015

The Signs Of The Times (9)


The Ninth of the Signs of the Times Series
The Manner of the Lord’s Return
(Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:25-27;Luke 21:25-28;
 Revelation 1:7)


THE MANNER OF THE LORD’S RETURN (a)
  The New Testament encapsulates an expectation that the Lord’s return will be literal, physical – and, as such, visible, sudden, cosmic, and glorius.  Some experiences are too profound to find edequate expression in language and appeal; thus, some "end times" events appear in the poetry of apocalyptic language, but still are no less real. The Bible’s witness is that the return of Jesus Christ as the Lord from heaven come again to Earth will end the long period between Christ’s ascension and His parousia. In the biblical texts cited above, we may find variable expressions (for example, "on,"  "in," or "with clouds") to declare the wonder and mystery of an event that transcends exact description, for the return of the Lord will have no counterpart in anything earlier or of ordinary experience.  Christ’s return then is visible.

A second characteristic of His return is that Christ will come suddenly and unexpectedly.  In His Oliver discourse recorded in Matthew 24:27, Jesus uses the image of lightning:

"So shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Unlike the thunderclap that we may expect, a lightning flash comes without warning, and so the Synoptic Gospels all depict Chrrist’s unexpected coming (Matt. 24:44, 50; Mark 13:35; Luke 21:34).  The signs of the times are not given so that the faithful may precisely predict the time of His appearance, but to call us to readiness at every moment for His imminent return. The image of the thief is employed in the New Testament for the same purpose (compare Matt. 24:43; Luke 12:39; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:1-3).


Be prepared,




Janet Thomas
Founder/President/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts

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