Imperishable Inheritance

The idea of the second coming has become something of Christian folklore, because many Christians have their theology of the second coming effected by newspapers, other believers, and seemingly everything except the Scriptures. The New Testament teaches that three main events will happen before the return of Christ to separate the wheat from the tares, and they are (1) the Gospel reaching all the nations, (2) the final display of God's faithfulness to ethnic Israel, and (3) and the revelation of the antichrist.

The Gospel Reaching All the Nations

When the disciples asked Jesus in the beginning of the Olivet Discourse when we will know that he will return Jesus gives an unexpected answer. He goes on to say that wars and rumors of wars, famines, and other events will happen; but these events are only the beginning of birth pangs. Jesus does answer what event will occur before his return.

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Mat 24:14)

Jesus understood that his father's promise to Abram that he "will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing" (Gen 12:2) was a foundational event in redemptive history. By spreading the Abrahamic blessing, which is ultimately soteriological, would bring the greatest glory to God in his creation (Psa 46:10; cf. Mal 1:11; Hab 2:14). It was through Jesus that all who believe "are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:26), and that those who are joined to Christ are Abraham's spiritual descendants (Gal 3:29).

The Final Display of Covenant Faithfulness

This point stems out of Paul's argument in Romans 11. While controversial, in fact one of the most disputed passages in the Bible, I believe Paul finds comfort in that God will display his faithfulness to Israel (in an ethnic sense). While I don't have the time or space to do thorough exegesis of the chapter I would ask the reader to do such a study and be convinced in their own minds. This convictions revolves around Romans 11:25-26:

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." (Rom 11:25-27)

After a discourse on how Gentile believers have been "grated into" the "Israel of God" via their union with Christ, he then tells how God will return to graft in ethnic Israel's near the end of time. He says that a "partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." I take this to mean that there are basically three redemptive epochs in God's plan of history. There was a time when he was largely focused on his covenant faithfulness to ethnic Israel, with the advent of Christ he brings in all the nations (see first paragraph above), and then finally he will return to Israel to show that he has not simply cast them off. This last event is when "all Israel will be saved," and that "from the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (vs.11:28-29).

Please understand that this does not denigrate the idea of a "Spiritual Israel" that is the Church of Jesus Christ which contains Jew and Gentile, and in this eternal perspective there is no separation. But in time and space God does desire to show his covenant faithfulness and mercy, but not through real estate as Dispensationalists contend but through the greatest inheritance which is union with Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:3-9).

The Revelation of the Man of Lawlessness

I plan on finishing an extended writing on who the antichrist is both in title and qualities, but for now I want to mention what I think this event means in terms of the Second Coming of Christ. This is also not meant to deal with how John describes an "antichrist" in his epistles (1 Joh 2:18, 2:22, 4:3; 2 Joh 1:7), because those declarations are more general then a specific person who is the ultimate manifestation of sin which Paul describes to the Thessalonians.

"Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." (Thess 2:3-4)

Paul's lesson to the church in Thessalonica is that there will be a man who is called "the son of destruction" and the "man of lawlessness" who will seek to reak havoc one final time on God's people. Many will fall away to follow him, but by doing so they prove that they never really were united to Christ (1 Joh 2:18-20). The meaning of "temple" is a controversial one, and it is a topic that I will address in an upcoming post.

Conclusion

These events should humble to realize a few things. The Gospel has still not reached all people groups (ethne/"nations") in fact almost half of the known people groups are unreached, and this should tell us that Jesus is not coming back tomorrow and that we have a serious responsibility in seeing God's glory manifest amongst the nations. That is the impetus and urgency of the Great Commission.

Just because God will display his covenant faithfulness to ethnic Israel does mean the same as the nation Israel as understood in our current geography. Our God is a global God not confined to geographic locale, and to believe that God will restore ethnic Israel in Palestine during the millennium is a grevious error. Finally, we should be on the lookout for deceivers and ultimately the man of sin who seeks to destroy God's people.

We must keep in mind to stay focused on spreading the Kingdom of God and not foolishly speculating on the time of Jesus' second advent, because he will come at a time when we least expect it (Mat 24:50).