Biblical Foundations For Our Hope In Our Lord's Second Coming
by Pastor Paul Appere, Paris 1982 in
London
NB. the content of our hope: not the Lord's coming only, but the
Day of the Lord, of which the Lord's coming is a part.
NB.
1. The way Jesus and his apostles designated the "Day"
which is to come
N.B. the terms or expressions they use to describe it:
1.'The Day"
(Mt. 7:22; Lk. 10:12; 17:31; 21:34; Ac. 17:31; Rm. 2:16; 13:12; 1
Co. 3:13; 1 Th. 5:4; 2 Th. 1:10; 2 Tm. 1:12, 18; 4:8; He. 10:25)
2."the last day" (Jn. 6:39, 50, 44, 54; 11:24; 12:48)
3."the day of judgment" (Mt. 10:15; 11;22, 24; 12:36; 2
P. 2:9; 1 Jn. 4:17; cp. 2 P. 3:7)
4."the day of wrath" (Rm. 2:5; Ap. 6;17)
5."the day of deliverance" (Ep. 4:30)
6."the great day" (Jd. 6; cp. Ac. 2:20)
7."the day of eternity" (2 P. 3:18)
8."the day of God" (2 P. 3;12; cp. Ap. 16;14)
9."the day of his visit" (2 P. 2:12)
10."the day ..'.'
a. "... of the Lord"
(Ac. 2;20; 1 Co. 5:5; 1 Th. 5:2; 2 Th. 2:2; 2 P. 3:10) b.
"... of our Lord Jesus"
(1 Co. 1:8; 2 Co. 1:14) c. "... of Christ Jesus"
(Ph. 1:6) d. "... of Christ"
(Ph. 1:10; 2:16) e. "... of him"
(Lk. 17:24) f. "... when the Son of man shall be
revealed"
(Lk. 17:30) Cp. the expression: "the days of the Son of
man" in Luke 17:26 Conclusion.
2 the time of that Day NB.
Lit has already been determined by the Father
(cf. Mt. 24:36 = Mk 13;32; cp. 1 Tm. 6;14-15) 2.it has not been
revealed to anyone
(cf. Mt. 24:36 = Mk 13:32; Mt. 25:13 = Mk 13:33; Mt. 24:42, 44,
50; cp. Mk 13:35; Lk 12:40,46; cf. also Jn 21:23)
3.it is near
(cf. Mt. 16;27; Rm. 13:12; He. 10:25,37; Js 5:8,9; 1 P. 4:5,7; 1
Jn 2:18; Re. 1:3;
3:11; 22:7, 10,12,20) 4.it will be announced
(cf. Mt. 24:14-28; Mk 13:5-23; Lk 21:8-19; 2 Th. 2:Iss; 1 Tm.
4:1-3; 2 Tm. 3:1-9,
13; 2 P. 3:3-4) 5.yet, it will take everyone by surprise
(cf. Mt. 24:37-44; cp. Mk. 13:33-37; Lk. 17:26-36; Mt, 25:1-12; 1
Th. 5:1-11; 2
P; 3;10; Re. 3:3; 16:15).
6.it will mark the end of an era and the beginning of another
3 the content of that Day
1. the coming of the Son of man NB
a. the texts which announce it
b. the terms used by Jesus and his apostles to designate it i.
parousia ii. apokalupsis iii.epiphaneia vi. episkope v. "coming" c.
its time
(cf. in part. Mt. 24: cp. Mk 13; Lk. 21) d. its different phases
(cf. in part. Mt. 24:30-31; cp. Mk 13:26-27; Lk. 21:27; 1 Th.
4:13-18) e. its manner
i. it will be a sudden
coming
(cf. Mt. 24:27; cp. Mk 13:36; Lk. 21:34-35) ii. it will be a
personal coming
(cf. 1 Th. 4:16; cf. also Ac. 1;11; 1 Jn 3;2; etc.) iii.it will be
a visible coming
(cf. Mt. 24:27; cp. Lk. 17:24; Mt. 24;30; cp. Mk 13;26; Lk. 21:27;
Mt. 26.64; cp. Mk. 14:62; Ac. 1:11; 1 Jn. 3:2; Rev. 1:7) iv. it will be a
glorious coming N.B.
(1) the Son will come as the great victor (1 Co. 15:25; cp. Rev.
19:11-16)
(2)the Son will appear as coming from heaven (Mt. 24:30; Ac. 1;11;
1 Th. 1:10; 4:16; 2 Th. 1:7)
(3)the Son will be announced by the voice of the archangel and by
the sound of the trumpet of God (1 Th. 4;16)
(4)the Son will come "on" (Mt. 24:30), "in"
(Mk. 13:26), "with" (Mk. 14:62; Re. 1:7), "the clouds", or
"in a cloud" (Lk. 21:27; cp. Ac. 1:11)
(5)the
Son will come surrounded by his "angels"
(Mt.
16:27; cp. Mk 8:38; Lk. 9:26; Mt. 25:31; 2 Th. 1:7)
(6)the
Son will come:
(a)
"in his glory" (Mt. 25:31)
(b)
"in his Father's glory" (Mt. 16:27; Mk 8:38)
(c)
"in the glory of his Father and of his holy angels" (Lk. 9:26)
(7)the
Son will come as a "lightening" in the sky (Mt. 24:27; cp. Lk. 17:24)
(8)the
Son will come in a "blazing fire" (2 Th. 1:7) v. it will be a
terrifying coming
(cf.
the reaction of the peoples of the earth when he comes) f. the resurrection of
the dead
NB.
a.
the texts which announce it b. its time
i. in the last day
(Jn.
6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:24) ii. at the time of the Son's coming
(1
Co. 15:23; 1 Th. 4;16) iii. after the sound of a trumpet will have been heard
(1
Co. 15:52) iv. just before the judgment
(Jn
5:28-29; cf. also Ac. 24:15-16) v. just before the end
(1
Co. 15;24)
c.
its nature NB.
i. it will be the work of the triune God (the
work of God in 1 Co. 6:14; 2 Co. 1:9, 10; the work of Christ in 1 Th. 4:14; Jn.
5:28-29; 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:25; the work of the Spirit in Rm. 8:11) ii. it
will be a bodily resurrection iii.it will be a resurrection of all the dead iv.
it will be a resurrection the meaning of which will not be the same for all
3.
the tranfiguration of the just (living) NB.
a.
the text which anounces it in the clearest way (1 Co. 15:51-53) b. its time
i. after the sound of the last trumpet will
have been heard (1 Co. 15:52) ii. at the time of the Son's coming
(cf.
1 Co. 15)
iii.
right after — if not at the same time as — the raising of the dead (cf. 1 Co.
15:51-53)
NB.
This transformation will be instantaneous (1 Co. 15:52). c. its aim
=
to bring all the just to that perfection without which no one may see God. d.
its consequences
(cf.
in part. 1 P. 1:6-7 and 1 Co. 13:12)
4.
the judgment NB a. the texts which announce it
(cf.
in part. Mt. 25:31-46; Re. 20:11-15) b. its time
i. in the last day
(He.
10:25, 27; Jd. 6) ii. right after the Son's coming
(Mt.
16:27; Mk. 8:38; Mt. 25;31; 2 Th. 1:7-10; 1 Tm. 6;14); 2 Tm. 4:8; 1
p;
5;4; 2 P. 3:14) iii. after the resurrection
(Jn.
5:28-29; He. 6:2; Red. 20:12-13) iv. at the end
(Mt.
13;39, 40; cp. 1 Co. 1:8; 1 P. 1:5) c. its manner
i. who will be judging?
(1)God,
the Father
(Mt.
10:32-33; Rm. 2:5-6; 14:10,12)
(2)God
the Father, through the Son
(Rm.
2:16; hence; Mt. 13:41; Jn 5;22, 27; Mt. 25:31, 32, 34, 40; Ac. 10:42; 12:31; 1
Co. 4:5; 2 Tm. 4:1, 8; etc.)
(3)God,
the Father, through the Son, "with" (?) the righteous (?)
(cf.
1 Co. 6:3 and Mt. 12:41-42; Lk. 11:30-32; Mt. 19:2 Lk. 22:30) NB. The angels of
God will be standing by the judges to help them prepare and carry out the
judgment (cf. Mt. 13:41-42, 49-50; 24:31; 25:31). ii. who will be judged? All
men
(cf.
Mt. 12:36-37); Rm. 2:6; 2 Co. 5:10; cf. also Mt. 25:32 — "all the nations";
Ac. 17:31 — "the whole world"; Rm. 2:5-16 — "Jews and
Greeks"; Ac. 10:42; 2 Tm. 4:1; 1 P. 4:5 — "the living and the
dead"; Re. 20:12 — "great and small;" Jn. 5:28-29; Mt. 13:30,
40-43, 49; 25:14-23, 34-40,46; Rm. 14:10, 12; 2 Co. 5:10; etc. — the righteous;
2 P. 2:9-12; 3:7 — the unrighteous)
And
all the fallen angels (Mt. 8:29; 1 Co. 6:3; 2 P. 2:4; Jd. 6) iii. what will be
examined on that day?
(1)the
works of all
(cf.
Rm. 2:5-6; 2 Co. 5-10; Re. 20:12) each one's words
(Mt.
12:32, 36-37)
each
one's behaviour, or attitude — open and secret (af. Mt. 10:26;
cp.
Mk. 4:22; Lk. 2:35; 8:17; 12:2-3; Rm. 2:16; 1 Co. 4:5; cf. also Re.
20:12)
(2)the
"light" every man will have received while on the earth
(cf.
Mt. 10:15; 11:22-24; cp. Lk. 10:12, 14-15; 12:47-48; Rm. 2:12-16) iv. what will
be the result of that investigation? The distinction between two kinds of men:
(1)the
unjust
N.B.
the marks of the unjust.
(2)the
just
N.B.
the marks of the just. v. what will be the sanctions?
(1)for
the unjust
The
"reward of unrighteousness" (2 P. 2:13) i.e. "death".
N.B.
how Jesus and his disciples describe the penalty of the unjust.
(2)for
the just
The
free gift of God, i.e. full salvation: eternal "life".
N.B.
how Jesus and his disciples describe the reward of the just.
5.
the execution of the judgment passed against the enemies of God: the manifestation
of divine wrath
(cf.
in part. Rm. 2:5; 2 P. 3:10-17; Re. 6:12-17)
N.B.
It will be the time when God and his Son will crush Satan under the righteous'
feet, destroy him and his forces and abandon his followers to their frightful
doom (cf. Mt. 25:41; Rm. 16:20; 2 Th. 2:8; Re. 20:9, 10; etc.)
6.
the renewing of all things (cf. in part. Mt. 19:28; Ac. 3:21; He. 1:12;
12:26-27; 2 P. 3:13; Re. 20:11; 21:1-8; etc.)
7.
the coming down, for the righteous, of the New Jerusalem (Re. 21:9 - 22:5)
John Calvin: whose contempt for pre-millennial ideas when he says in the
chapter on "The Final Resurrection" in his Institutes, that Satan has
endeavoured to corrupt the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead by various
fictions, and adds: "Not to mention that he began to oppose it in the days
of Paul, not long after arose the Millenarians, who limited the reign of Christ
to a thousand year. Their fiction is too puerile to require or deserve
refutation."
Preacher C. H. Spurgeon, speaking on 2 Thess. 1:6-10, said:
"When Christ is manifested then are we manifested with Him. When Christ
comes in His glory then are we glorified with Him. At the same time all that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel, are punished with everlasting
destruction."
An English Keswick preacher, exhorting, said: "My unsaved
friend, I bid you, come to Christ now. My Bible tells me that when Christ comes
for His own "in that day," all that know not God and that obey not
the gospel of Christ are punished with everlasting destruction. When Christ
comes He will either be your Saviour or your Judge. This Christian era is the
last time of salvation."
(See this in 2 Thess. 1:7-10 with John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:11-15).
DR. G. CAMPBELL MORGAN'S CONFESSION in relation to THE SETTING UP OF AN EARTHLY JEWISH
KINGDOM
(which the
learned Doctor made to Miss Bessie Webster, a Chinese Missionary, in 1938)
"My change
of view with regard to some aspects of Prophetic truth was not caused by Mr.
Mauro's writings, but had preceded them; and I had been seriously
contemplating
writing a book on the subject; or perhaps I should say, rewriting the latter
part of my book "God's Methods With Man." This, of course, gave me
the liveliest satisfaction when all I would say, I found now said by Mr. Mauro.
My book already referred to, I have withdrawn from publication. There may be
some minor points, in which I am not able to agree with Mr. Mauro, but they are
minor points. I am quite convinced that the old materialistic view of the
setting up of an earthly Jewish Kingdom, is utterly unwarranted."
It is also on
record that Dr. Morgan declared Philip Mauro's book "The Gospel of the
Kingdom" TO BE UNANSWERABLE—.
Dr. Morgan was
a distinguished scholar, and one of the most gifted Bible Commentators of this
20th Century.
As regards the origin of the system: the beginnings thereof and
its leading features are found in the writings of those known as
"Brethren" (sometimes known as "Plymouth Brethren"). It
came into prominence through the instrumentality of John Nelson Darby a British
Episcopalian clergyman, who was born in 1800 and died in 1882, one of the early
leaders of the "Brethren" system. The new system of doctrine was
first brought to the vicinity of New York by a very gifted and godly man, Mr.
Malachi Taylor (one of the "Brethren") who taught it with much
earnestness and plausibility. And among those who heard and were captivated by
it for truly there is some strange fascination inherent in it), was the late
Dr. C. I. Scofield, who was so infatuated with it that he proceeded forthwith
to bring out a new edition of the entire Bible.
Let it be understood at the outset that my controversy is solely
with the doctrine itself; and not at all with those who hold and teach it, or
any of them. Indeed I was myself one of their number for so long a time, that I
can feel a tender consideration, and a profound sympathy likewise for all
such. I deeply regret having to bring any man's name into the discussion. But
we must deal with conditions as we find them. It is a matter of grief to me
that a book should exist wherein the corrupt words of mortal man are printed on
the same page with the holy words of the living God; this mixture of the
precious and the vile being made an article of sale, entitled a
"Bible" and distinguished by a man's name, viz. the "Scofield
Reference Bible."
Indeed the time is fully ripe for a thorough examination and frank
exposure of all this new and subtle form of modernism that has been spreading
itself among those who have adopted the name of "Fundamentalists"
(but a name more compatible with their theology would be
"Detramentalists").
Evangelical Christinaity must purge itself of this leaven of
dispensationalism ere it can display its former power and exert its former influence.
The idea of the "earthly , sensual, Jewish" Millennium
is derived from the Jewish literature of the interbilical period. Here is a
sample of it from the Book of Baruch: "The earth will yield its fruit ten-thousandfold;
on each vine will be a thousand branches, and on each branch a thousand grapes.
Each grape will produce a cor of wine, and those that have hungered will
rejoice." Perhaps you will smile at this exaggeration, but does the
current teaching on "the millennium" make any more sense? BEAUTIFUL
AGRICULTURAL LANGUAGE OF Isaiah is used to bolster up this one thousand years
Utopia, all based on Rev. 20 as if they referred to the same thing.
Previous Article Spring 2005 Front Page Next Article