The second-coming of Jesus is a topical subject among most Christians. But it is a non-event to true Christians, who would have been with Him, all along, anyway. For ordinary people, indeed, the second-coming of Jesus will be the most dramatic event, the world has ever known. To true Christians, Jesus promised the following:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you (John 14:15-17) (ESV).
There it is: Those who love Jesus will keep His commandments. In return, after having left the scene, Jesus would ask the Father, to provide another Helper, who would be with those Christians forever.
That Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. They know Him (The Spirit of Truth) for He dwells with them and will be in them.
The Spirit of Truth is none other than Christ, the Son of the living God, identified by Peter in Matthew 16:16, whose appropriate description is in Isaiah 9:6: “….and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (ESV).
Jesus indicated that the world cannot receive, nor see this Spirit of Truth, just as the world failed to know Him, through Jesus. This is why to Peter, Jesus said: “….Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you” (Verse 17). True Christians have an un-mistaken relationship with this Spirit of Truth. This is why, like Jesus, they directly take orders from their Father:
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:12 (ESV).
In His physical walk on this planet, Jesus provided Christians with the model of how they would conduct their lives. Jesus did not live as one under the Law. He proclaimed Himself to be the Son of God who took orders directly from His Father in Heaven. Once again, who was this Father from whom Jesus took orders?
“….and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Apparently, that is the Son given to us, manifesting in the child born to us (Isaiah 9:6). At His birth, that child, Jesus, became the only begotten Son of the living God.
The fact that through Jesus, God humbled himself, by putting on the physical nature, so that He could identify with us, does not change anything, except that in Jesus there is the existence of our Lord.
The one who called God His Father is the physical Jesus, who, as identifying with humanity, had to show us the way that would help us understand that God, is our Father. See [Revealing the Christ in Jesus].
However, the most interesting aspect about this revelation is that Jesus, as human being who lived with us for thirty-three and a half years, displayed servant-hood as being the only way for His followers.
In His physical existence, Jesus had everything that was necessary to identify with humanity. Except that in Him was the Spirit of Truth, which was also promised to those abiding in His word (John 14:15-17) (ESV).
This is why Jesus kept emphasizing that He was the way, the truth and the Life (John 14:6). Jesus was our bread of life, through whom, we could discover the way to our Father in Heaven (John 6:22-59).
In His sojourn on earth, Jesus emphasized that He and His Father were inseparable. Jesus habitually stated that He did not do anything without His Father’s approval.
But, because to us Jesus was the way, the truth and the Life, we now know that through the Spirit of truth that Jesus promised, we also become inseparable with our Father in Heaven, just as Jesus was. As Jesus said “I and the Father are one”, a true Christian repeats the same words, in every aspect of his/her life.
Let me emphasize that, if Jesus, as the only way, the truth and the Life, did not take orders from anyone in this world, a true Christian does not take orders from anyone in this world.
I am aware that this is a dangerous statement, especially when coming from a person not recognized in the academic world and not a leader of any Christian organization. But this is as truthful as the anticipation of the rising sun tomorrow.
The agents of chaos are free to trivialize everything here. But I have no doubt that those identifying with truth will find this datum workable, as to take advantage of it. This is why, to true Christians, the second-coming of Jesus will be a non-event. See [Truth is not found in religion and philosophy].
Those people would have all along been with Jesus and the Father. But why Jesus and the Father, when Jesus is also the Father? Remember, Jesus, who lived with us for thirty-three and a half years, is our brother whose only purpose was to show us the way to our Father. See also [Why Trinity is questioned].
The most fundamental cognition about Jesus’ model of Christianity is service. Those following my writings do know that I have always used the term ‘altruism’, for this typical principle of service. While there is no doubt that Christ was our Lord, Jesus was our servant.
In His principle of service, Jesus did not leave anyone un-catered for. But those whom He served gave Him nothing in return. See [Jesus the servant and Christ the Lord]. To demonstrate the principle of service, Jesus even washed His disciples’ feet. The disciples did not wash His feet. But He washed their smelly feet, including those of the one who was to betray Him.
“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:12-15) (ESV)
At the beginning I indicated that, to ordinary people, Jesus’ second-coming would be the most spectacular event of all time. Prophetic scriptures reveal that, at that time, there would be World War in the Middle East (Revelation 19:19-21).
Those nations, engaged in that World War, will not be aware of the coming Messiah, being Jesus Christ, who left the scene after resurrection at the first century (Acts 1:11). This is why they will all conspire, in attempt to fight against Jesus, only to be miserably defeated.
Revelation 20:3, then shows the banishment of Satan for a thousand years, after which the world order would be initiated at that time. In Revelation 20:4, John shows that the Saints, long dead, would be resurrected to reign with Christ. These would have obviously been united with those found to be still alive, at that event of the second-coming of Jesus:
“For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) (ESV).
Christians remain in the state of being like anyone else in this world. The only difference is that in them would be the Spirit of Truth, which ordinary humans do not have. This is just as Jesus was like anyone else in this world. But the only difference was that in Jesus was the Spirit of Truth.
The grand transfiguration that will take place, as experienced by those Christians, still living, at Christ’s second-coming, will not be surprising to them, having all along been with Christ, anyway. Of course, they will celebrate the victory of putting on immortality. But that is what they would have all along been expecting.
But as the children of faith, like those depicted in Hebrews 11, they would have had the assurance of that which they hopped for. To them, the greatest achievement would have been to remain in the faith, right up to the end.
The only sobering reality would be the great disappointment for most of those sincere Christians. They would have been unaware of the deception gripping them up to that point (Matthew 22:14).
But Revelation 20:4 shows that the saints will reign with Christ for a thousand years. Those that the Royal family will be reigning over, would not be Christians. The prophet Zachariah shows that, after defeating the armies in Jerusalem, the war-survivors would be subjected under God’s Government:
“Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain. There shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths” (Zechariah 14:16-19) (ESV).
Notice that the people being governed by Jesus and His Saints at that time would not be Christians. These would be ordinary people, previously under the authority of the defeated kingdoms, at Mount Zion.
But the most interesting thing is that the Mosaic Laws would be used for governing. I feel sorry for those who teach others that God’s laws have been done away with. See [Unpacking the myth about Law and grace].
For those not under grace, the Law is still effective today, and will continue to be effective, until after the one-thousand-year reign by Jesus and His Saints. And after the Great White throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11).
That time would be another resurrection, comprising the ordinary people having died, since Adam. Those people would also be judged according to God’s Laws, as was given to Moses (Revelation 20:11-15).
The process of judging those people, would be somehow similar to how Christians are being judged today: “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17) (ESV).
The only difference is that, currently, Christians are expected to exercise free choice, more than there would be enforced obedience, for the unbelievers, in the Kingdom of God. The sacrifice of Jesus embraces those willing to take advantage of His grace, in the current Christian dispensation.
The parable of the Wedding Feast reveals the free invitation that requires self-motivation (Matthew 22:1-14). No-one is forced into God’s Kingdom. That experience requires submissive commitment to Jesus, more than it is to do with keeping the Law.
But the only obstacle that will cause others to remain under condemnation is pride. The pivotal Scripture advises to “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10).
If ever there is anything that keeps people of all walks of life from repentance, it is pride. Dealing with pride can be similar to submitting to death. And this happens to be the only reason why Christ had to be badly treated on the cross.
This is characterized in appreciating or not appreciating the humiliating experiences of Jesus on the cross. The understanding and, therefore, commitment to Christ, is what makes the difference, between life and death.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing reliefs to those having witnessed strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long awaited providential oasis of hope.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
