I’m sure from the title that this sounds like a lofty goal; and maybe you are right not to be optimistic that the spat won’t be resolved here and now. But perhaps we can be ‘a very small helm’ that turns ‘the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds’.
When seeking out of the book of the LORD to understand what God hath set forth for our edification exhortation and comfort, we must pay particularly close attention with prophetic writings and revelations. If you have spent time in eschatological literature and debates you might conclude there is more scat than logical. (Ok, I’m sorry for that pun.) So, you might find it useful as a rule to assist in rightly diving the word of truth a very important insight that Jesus himself gave us.
This could be going out on a limb, but I suspect the most important key to understanding the end time events is found in Matthew 17:10-13. Notice that it is not so much the content as the interpretive principal Christ is laying down for us. In the context the disciples see Elijah on the mount with Moses and ask Jesus about why the scribes insist that Elijah will show up before his coming. Jesus' answer gives us a key of knowledge that is immense. “Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not...” Quoting from Malachi 4 the last chapter in the Old Testament Jesus positively affirms the literal plain reading of the prophecy thereby affirming a literal, perspicuous reading of scripture (as taught voluminously here). But simultaneously he lays down beside it (concurrent with it and not contradictory to it) a mystery interpretation regarding John the Baptist who was not literally Elijah. Students of scripture will notice this phenomenon repeatedly. We previously pointed to Isaac for example, who is referred to in the literal, physical, historical sense as the offspring and literal physical seed of Abraham (Mt. 1:2, Lk.3:34, Ac.7:8, Heb.11:17-8); which is exactly how you would understand it when reading the story in Genesis. But we also see Isaac as a child of promise and representing all the children of Abraham by faith (Rom.9:7-8, 4:16). And we see Isaac representing in an allegory, the new covenant (Gal.4:21-31); and also representing Christ the seed of Abraham (Gal.3:16, 29) in figures (Heb.11:18-9). Does the use of the story of Isaac in an allegory mean that we should not interpret the Old Testament story of Isaac literally and conclude he was not a real person? No, we take all 4 interpretations or applications in symmetry. Interestingly these same folks who stumble with the dilemma regarding the kingdom have the same problem understanding Israel ‘according to the flesh’ has not been permanently replaced by ‘the children of the promise that are counted for the seed of Abraham’. (Rom.9:1-9, 11:25-29) It is not an either/or false dilemma but both.
So, the Matthew 17 literal plain reading is “Elias truly shall first come” but also true at the same time and not a cancellation of that fact is “Elias is come already”. So, interestingly we find in eschatology people arguing about whether the “kingdom shall come” (Acts 1:6-7, Heb.10:37, 2 Tim.4:1) or the “kingdom is come already” (Luke 17:20-21). (Consider as well the positional versus the practical distinctions of Christ’s finished work- see sermon at the bottom here.) Why not find out how they are both true at the same time- ‘shall come & is come’? I assert that this is the key.
In general, if you argue that the ‘kingdom is come already’ and THEREFORE it will not truly come in the futurist sense you interpret all prophecies in this vein and are partial or full preterist thus not following a literal interpretation of prophecies mostly and a postmillennial or amillennial order of events. Kenneth Gentry states “postmillennialism is that system of eschatology which understands the Messianic kingdom to have been founded upon the earth during the earthly ministry and through the redemptive labors of the Lord Jesus Christ. This establishment of the "kingdom of heaven" was in fulfillment of Old Testament prophetic expectation. The kingdom which Christ preached and presented was not something other than that expected by the Old Testament saints.” (Pg.70 He Shall Have Dominion) That is the ‘come already’ interpretation. If you take the literal plain reading you expect Christ to come again and reign on earth and thus that kingdom is yet to come; you are premillennial and or dispensational (and correct). But we must accept both as true in their respective place and not mutually exclusive when rightly divided, factoring in the positional finished work of Christ now with the practical outworking of his total salvation and gathering to come. (Eph.1-2:1-10) The spiritual kingdom has manifested, but the political one has not but will with the Lord’s return. (Rev. 11:15, 19:11-16)
Frequently and rhetorically effective is the charge against us pre-tribbers that ‘if you believe in a coming of Jesus before the tribulation and then another coming after the tribulation then you have 2 second comings!’ This is introduced as a reductio ad absurdum argument as the 2nd coming (Heb.9:28) would actually end up as the 3rd coming! But considering the errors that occurred not rightly diving the first coming of Christ in the first century we would do well to take heed lest we fall into the same ditch. As Jesus showed us regarding his first coming there was more complexity than the Jews anticipated not weighing carefully the prophecies (Jn.12:34, Mt.11:3, Ac.1:6) which divide into the Messiah coming to die and suffer before entering his glory. (Lk.24:25-7) And returning from his heavenly glory (Dan.7:13, Mt.26:64, Mk.14:62, Lk.22:69) to reign on the earth on the throne of his father David (1 Chr.17:11-15, 1 Chr.22:10, 2 Sam.7:12-4, Isa.9:6-7, 22:22-3, Luke 1:32-3, Jer. 3:16-17, 23:5-6, Matt. 25:31-32, 19:28, Acts 3:19-26, Mk.11:10, Psa.72, 89:19-37,132:11, Zech.14,8:1-8, Isa.2:1-4, 11:4-10, Isa.60.). So, what they thought was one coming of the Messiah turned out to be many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing they were dull of hearing.
Just as the Jews missed the Lordship of the Messiah (Mt.22:41-6, Mk.12:35-7, Lk.20:41-44) in Psalm 110 current brethren miss the order of events regarding his enemies being made his footstool. They fail to recognize the ‘now’ with the ‘to come’ distinctions. Consider for example man, who is made lower than the angels and God “crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands”. This is after the fall of Adam now, with a foreseeing of the future fulfillment. “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” (Psa.8, Heb.2:7-8) Providentially God has given man dominion over all the earth, but all things are not yet put under him. Likewise, "we see Jesus" seated at the right hand of God exalted now (Mk.16:19, Acts 2:25,33-4,5:31, Rom.8:34, Col.3:1, Heb 1:3,13,8:1, 10:12,12:2, Eph.1:20, 1 Pt.3:22, Rev.3:21) but all things not yet put under him. “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor 15:25-6) So while Christ’s finished work, ascension and glorification at the right hand of God has accomplished putting “all things under his feet” currently (1 Cor.15:27, Eph.1:22) there will be an outworking of this when “he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power”. (1 Cor.15:24) “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (v28)
Clearly not yet but “in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords”. (1 Tim.6:15) There are times involved in the unfolding of the finished work of Christ in the future. There are “the days of the Son of man” (Lk.17:26) when “in Christ shall all be made alive” but “every man in his own order”. (1 Cor.15:22-3) And the Lord Jesus Christ, shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. (2 Tim.4:1, 1 Thes.4:16-7) He will in the future show that he is indeed King of kings when the “kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Rev.11:15, 19:15, Psa.2:8-12) Whereas now “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them” belong to the prince of this world the devil. (Mt.4:8, Lk.4:5-7, Jn.12:31, 14:30, 16:11, 1 Jn.5:19) This is not of course to deny God’s omnipotence over Satan and the kingdoms of men- Dan.4:34-7, Job 1:6, 2:1, Jn.19:11) Again, the “kingdom shall come” and the “kingdom is come already”. The invisible will become the visible after he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (Heb.10:37) The invisible kingdom we experience now by our spirit joined unto the Holy Ghost (Rom.14:17, 1 Cor.4:20,6:17) will be the visible kingdom with the bodily resurrection at his coming and in his times; but not at his first coming despite the confusion surrounding it. (Jn.18:36)
While the disciples “thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear” (and indeed was manifested- Mt.12:28, Lk.11:20) Christ instructed them that he must needs go “into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return” (a “heavenly kingdom” 2 Tim.4:18) and they must “Occupy till I come”. (Lk.19:12-27) Which was to occur as he “tarried” “after a long time” (Mt.25:5,19) and they would begin to say “My lord delayeth his coming” (Mt.24:48, Lk.12:45) and scoffers “saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Pt.3:3-4) But God “shall send Jesus Christ”, "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things". (Ac.3:20-1, Dan.9:24, Rev.11:15-8) The kingdom was not yet visible, “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Lk.17:21, Rom.14:17, Mk.1:15) But why did Jesus instruct us to pray “Thy kingdom come” when “the kingdom of God is come” already? (Mt.6:10,12:28, Lk.10:9, 11:2,20) Why did the Lord give future signs preceding his coming kingdom- “when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Lk.21:31) And the Lord’s supper was to be taken “till he come” (1 Cor.11:26) when he himself stated “I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” (Lk.22:18) Even the thief on the cross understood Christ had not received for himself his kingdom when “he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” (Lk.23:42) “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” (Mt.25:31) Lk.9:26 “the Son of man... shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's” - that is the throne of God (his Father’s glory) now and the throne of David (his own glory) to come. Jesus is coming back. (Jude 1:14, 2 Thess.1:7, Rev.1:4,7,8,2:25,3:3,10-11,11:17,16:15,22:7,12,20, Heb.10:37, 1 Thes.1:10,5:2,2 Thes.1:10,1 Cor.11:26,1:7, Jn.21:23,14:3,18, Lk.19:13,12:40; and again Mark 8:38,13:26,36, 14:62, Mt.24:42,44,46,50,16:27,24:3, 37,39,26:64, Lk.21:27, 1 Cor.15:23,1 Thess.2:19,3:13,4:15,5:23, 2 Thes.2:1,8, Jam.5:7-8,1 Jn.2:28, Ac.1:9-11) Maranatha!
But some still stumble and do not know the mysteries of the kingdom; the parables still stifle and stultify them. It was given unto us to know, yet of the kingdom parables Jesus spake unto us they understood not what things they were which he spake. They understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. For they did not rightly divide the kingdom that now is and that which is to come. (1 Tim.4:8) So, we must consider that since Christ is coming again what are the signs? The disciples asked Jesus “and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Mt.24:3). Those who think the kingdom had come and was thus not to come in the future, claim Daniel’s final week of years happened 40 years after Christ ascended to his heavenly glory in 70 AD. This would of course add almost 6 additional weeks of years to Daniel’s prophesied 70 weeks. They see the destruction of Jerusalem as the ‘end of the world’ referred to in this passage. But unless they have more than one ‘end of the world’ this would not be fulfilled in 70 AD. For Jesus taught in Matthew 13 that “the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (v39-42) And in v49-50 “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
The Mystery of the Faith
We must recognize that the 2nd coming of Christ must be properly divided as the 1st coming was likewise more complex than an initial glance. We must consider the mystery of Godliness. God hath "made known unto us the mystery of his will”. Paul said “the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,” “now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets”. (Eph.1:9, Rom.16:24-6) He expounds this revelation after he prayed for the saints “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints”. (Eph.1:17-19) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ (v10) and that there is particular praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us (the church) accepted in the beloved and wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Paul expounded “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;” (Eph.3:3-5) Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: (Col.1:26) That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Eph.3:6, Col.1:27)
This mystery involves the Gentiles receiving grace whereby Christ himself dwells in them and they are joined together in one body with Jews (Eph.2:11-22) by God’s wisdom and prudence yet unseen in ages past. (Eph.1:8, Rom.11:30-6) This mystery was unknown to the Jews in Christ’s day and even his disciples were not able to bear these hard sayings and the great mystery of Godliness. (Jn.16:12-13, 1 Tim.3:16, 2 Pet.3:15-16, Acts 10-11:18, 15:6-20) That not only were the Gentiles “being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree”. (Rom.11:17) But the nation of Israel was for a time to be cut off- as they cut off their Messiah. (Dan.9:26, Isa.53:8) For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Rom.11:25) That “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Mt.21:43) That “the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt.8:12) The nation was cut off but for a remnant (Rom.11:1-5) and “through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” (v11) And as the fulness of the Gentiles are baptized into the body of Christ he will “present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph.5:27, Rev 19:6-9) This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (v32) The church therefore is a body of believers in Christ in whom he dwells, (after his resurrection Jn.7:37-9) consisting of mostly Gentiles but also a remnant of Jews, with no national distinction made. (Gal.3:28, Col.3:11, Rev.5:9) And that started with the appearing of Jesus Christ in the flesh as the chief corner stone and was built upon by the apostles and prophets. (Mat.16:16-18, Eph.2:11-22, 1 Pt.2:4-10) They had received the Holy Ghost (Jn 20:22) after Christ's resurrection (Romans 6:5, 8:11 with Ephes.2:1) and were born again (1 Jn 4:15, 5:1) by the Spirit (1 Peter1:3, Luke 24:45 with Jn.14:26, 16:13). The Holy Ghost was given after Christ had been glorified (John 7:39 with 1 Corinth. 15:42-44) so, the disciples would be justified by his resurrection (Rom.4:25) by the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11) and become members of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13).
Therefore, this manifold grace is dispensed with all wisdom and prudence in this body alone as distinct from any time before or after. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Eph.3:21) And it will be limited to this body alone; that is his bride (thus is the meaning of marriage). God will then provoke the Jewish nation to jealousy by this Gentile bride and when the fulness of the Gentiles be grafted in (a completion- fulness) he will turn back to his people Israel for the final week of years. (Rom.11) This is the back drop to understand the final week of years determined upon Israel and Jerusalem. Israel according to the flesh were given promises that they had to receive by faith; and still to “whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises”. (Rom.9:4) They did not receive the righteousness of God by faith in Christ (Rom.10:3-4, Phil.3:9) and the New Covenant was not established with the whole house (Ezek.39:25-9), “with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” yet. It will need to be. (Rom.11:26-7, Heb.8:8,13, Jer.31:31-4, 32:37-40, Mt.26:28, Ezek.36:24-28) Rather it was established with Gentiles and a small remnant of Jews in the non-nationalistic body of Christ, the church. (Eph.2:11-19, Rom.11:1-5, Gal.3:28, Col.3:11) But all Israel (without distinction not without exception- ) shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob, for touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Rom.11:25-9) Therefore, the church did not replace national Israel and the Israel according to the flesh. The adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises still pertain to them. They will be saved and restored to their land. Even though now concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes, they will be grafted into Christ by faith during the time of Jacobs trouble. (Jer. 30:7, Deut.4:30)
2 Second Comings?
We have already shown the necessity of distinguishing between the church which is the body of Christ (consisting of all nations but not distinguished by descent) and the covenantal Jewish nation and the remaining Gentile nations (distinguished by lineage), when studying prophetic literature. This helps to distinguish between the admonitions to us (the church) now to look for the Son to appear suddenly and that his coming is at hand, with those scriptures regarding the day of his appearing being after the tribulation (Jacob’s trouble) and the man of sin arising after evil increases exponentially (2 Tim.3, Dan.8:23, Mt.24:12, 2 Thes. 2:3). Between Christ coming as a thief without a sign (1 Thes.4:16-5:4) versus when you see all these signs know that his coming is nigh. Between all things continuing as they were, eating, drinking, marrying, building, buying, selling, etc., and the time of trouble such as never was on the earth and great distress among nations and peace is taken from the earth. Between those that can escape and those that must endure. What is distilled before us is that the 2nd coming and return of Jesus Christ to the earth is itself manifold.
Jesus will come to remove the dam of sin (Prv.11:8, 2 Thes.2:7-8) and let the deluge of lust and pride overflow the earth until it reaches unto heaven (Rev.18:5,16:19,17:2,5) and he answers in vengeance. So, we see Jesus coming for his church in the air (he who now letteth) and then coming with them to the earth in global judgment (Psalm 149:4-9, Rev.19:11-16, Jude 14-15), after a short time interval involving the last 7 years of God’s punishment upon Israel and Jerusalem. By analogy I might say the warring army assembled themselves outside the city then attacked. The attack itself would be the event while the assembly is a stage of the event. You might even point to the annual harvest in Israel. (Lv.25:5) It consisted of spring harvest and summer harvest; two stages. The initial stage of his return takes the church out of the way and the last stage of his coming is to deliver from the ungodly the remnant of Jewish believers now converted to the faith of Christ. (Zech.14:3-4, 12:1-10) The first stage of his coming (and order of the resurrection) is to receive the church unto himself in the air and take them to the Father’s house in heaven. (Jn.14:2-3, Matt.6:9, 1 Thess.4:14-18, Psa.11:4, Rev.11:19- seen in a figure here- Dt.24:5) We are instructed to be looking for him to appear. (Titus 2:13, 1 Thess. 1:10,5:1-2, 2 Thess. 3:5, Phil. 3:20, Col. 3:4, Luke 12:40-41, Mark 13:33-37, James 5:8-9)
Because this is related to the mystery of the church there is new revelation Paul was unveiling to us regarding this, not understood in the Old Testament or even by the early disciples. When we consider that the “doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” is considered “first principles” and part of a “foundation” of elementary teachings they are “milk, and not of strong meat”. (Heb.5:11-6:3) The fact of the resurrection of the body at the end was known by Job presumably before Moses wrote and Daniel after the Jews captivity. (Job 19:25-27, 14:12, Dan.12:1-2, 13). The Jews knew “He will swallow up death in victory”. (Isa.25:8, 26:19, Hos.13:14) Jesus even showed the Sadducees how the resurrection was rationally inferred by God’s covenant with Abraham. “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Jesus added this “in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” “And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.” (Matt.22:29-33, Lk.20:36) He rebuked the Sadducees saying “ye therefore do greatly err”. (Mk.12:27) They were conversant to the point of debate in this first principle. (Jn.6:39-40,44,54, 11:24) Thus, the fact of the resurrection was not new, but the order of the resurrection was yet to be expounded. The fact of the return of the Lord in judgment was prophesied by Enoch the seventh from Adam. (Jd.1:14-15) This likewise was known from the beginning. So, when Paul, in spite of the immaturity of the Corinthians (1 Cor.3:1-3) gave details of the resurrection and coming of Christ and weaving in the doctrine of the church, he said “Behold, I shew you a mystery”. (1 Cor.15:51)
Paul tells us as well as John that when we see Christ our vile bodies will be changed like unto his glorious body and we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. (Phil.3:20-1, 1 Jn.3:2) This is the mortal putting on immortality of the context of chapter 15. We have already disposed of the misunderstanding that the last trump here is the 7th trumpet of Revelation 11. For the Lord had not yet come at the 7th trumpet but it was declared “Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come”. (Rv.11:17) The time for his coming had arrived; but he was still in heaven (v16-7). Another disqualifier was that the angel blew that trumpet where the Lord will blow the trumpet immediately after the tribulation of those days when “the Lord shall be seen over them”. (Matt. 24:30-31, Zech.9:14-16, Rev.1:7) This would leave us with the timing of the last trump for either “they that are Christ's at his coming” or when the Lord blows the trumpet at “the end” after fulfilling Daniels 70th week.
When we compare the 1 Cor.15 passage with the other last trump passage in 1 Thess. 4 we see this trump cannot be the same event as the trumpet at the end of the tribulation because there are no signs (1 Thes.5:1-3). Regarding “the coming of the Lord” he reveals “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven” (1 Thes.4:15-16) thus he is referring to “they that are Christ's at his coming”. (1 Cor.15:23) This corresponds to Jesus statement “I will come again, and receive you unto myself”. (Jn.14:3) Paul is speaking of the resurrection in both contexts “the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (15:52) with “and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them”. (4:16-17) He continues to show that we will go “in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Jesus said this as well “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (Jn.14:3) But he explained where in v2- “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 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.” The Father’s house was the temple. (Jn.2:14-8, Dan.5:3, Psa.27:4, Zech.8:9) But the earthly temple was a pattern of the true. “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us”. (Heb.9:23-4) Christ is the high priest over the house of God which is in heaven. (Heb.10:21) “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven”. (Psa.11:4) John saw “the temple of God was opened in heaven”. (Rev.11:19) He saw an “angel came out of the temple which is in heaven”, heard “a great voice out of the temple of heaven” (Rv.14:17, 16:17) and when “the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:” he saw “seven angels came out of the temple” (Rev.15:5-6) Isaiah “saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” (Isa.6:1) Moses said “Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven” (Dt.26:15) which would be “the third heaven”. (2 Cor.12:2)
Amusingly, Gentry interprets Jesus promise to come again in John 14:3 not literally also, but as the believer's death. “He comes spiritually to believers at death.” And “We know that the disciples (and other believers) are with the Lord in heaven after their deaths (Phil. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:6-9). Hence, this statement must mean He comes to them at their deaths.” (pg.272-3) John however recalls in the last chapter of his gospel that Jesus meant something other than the death of believers. John 21:22-3 “Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”
There should be no confusion that in the Father’s house- which is the temple in heaven- there are many mansions and Christ went to prepare a place for us and shall descend from heaven, will come again, receive us unto himself in the air and take us to the place he prepared for us. Paul adds in Col.3:1-4: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. This is “the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit.2:13) when we are “changed like unto his glorious body”, in the resurrection of the dead when our vile body is sown in dishonour and raised in glory or we which are alive and remain are transformed in a moment.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, (forever- 23:6) to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. (Psa.27:4-5)
The last stage of Christ’s return to the earth is that he is returning to the earth and not going back to heaven. These passages in Jn.14, 1 Cor.15, and 1 Thes.4 are referring to the same event and would be before the tribulation not after. Paul anticipated the imminence of this event in his day: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye... we shall be changed” “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord” “we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air”. He continued with this in 1 Thes.5 regarding “the times and the seasons” of the coming of the Lord when he said “ye have no need that I write unto you” because “yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night”. So, the day will come as a thief without warning or signs, but it does not have to overtake them as a thief. “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (v4) It is important to recognize the distinction between coming as a thief, which he will and overtaking as a thief those not looking for him.
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