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              THE COMING OF CHRIST                  
  By Mae Shurow

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”(1 Timothy 3:16). 

Jewish scholars were mystified by prophecies that said the Messiah would come as a humble servant, while seemingly contradictory prophecies said He would come to rule in great power.  They could not understand that the Messiah would come more than once!  I believe the whole counsel of the Bible teaches that the coming of Christ WAS, IS, and IS YET to be.  God came in the flesh manifested as Jesus, came into His Kingdom in the coming in power of the Holy Spirit, and is coming again as Judge.  

When Jesus ascended, the two angels told His followers that “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).  This verse is widely interpreted to signify that Jesus will return bodily, but it is possible that the prevalent interpretation may entirely miss the point of the passage.  Upon a closer look at the context, verse 9 reveals:  “…while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”   

We must always let Scripture interpret Scripture.  And in the Word of God, clouds are symbolic of God’s great power, presence, and glory.

• Psalm 68:34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. 

• Exodus 16:10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
• Exodus 34:5 And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
• Exodus 24:15-18 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. 16And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
• Exodus 40:34-35 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
• 1 Kings 8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.
• Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

When Jesus Himself spoke of His coming, He spoke of coming in the clouds with power and great glory:

• Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

• Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
• Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
• Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
• Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

John, too, in the book of Revelation, speaks of His coming in these terms:

• Rev. 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

• Rev. 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

We have missed the most important aspect of Acts 1:9-11 altogether!  Whether or not Jesus will return in a human body is of minor consequence, and may or may not be so.  BUT THE ESSENCE OF THIS PASSAGE IS THAT JESUS WILL RETURN IN POWER AND GREAT GLORY!!

 
The Kingdom Is Now! 

"Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28).

This verse has puzzled many a Bible scholar.  How can it be that Jesus’ coming will be future as the Bible plainly says, and yet His disciples who were standing there would see Him coming in His Kingdom before they died?  I believe the Bible teaches that Jesus HAS COME into His Kingdom, but He WILL YET come again in consummation and final judgment.  

Daniel 7 describes Jesus’ return to the Father, when He was given His Kingdom

• Daniel 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

Scripture speaks of our Lord coming into His Kingdom as Jesus being exalted to the right hand of power.

·     Luke 22:69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

•  Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

• Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

In Acts 1:6-8, Jesus’ followers asked the resurrected Jesus if He would restore the kingdom to Israel at that time. 

• Acts 1:7-8 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus is saying that He will not reveal to them when the kingdom will be restored.  But they would recognize the Kingdom when they received power, after the Holy Ghost came upon them! 

In Acts 2:30-33, which takes place just after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter is explaining that God had raised Jesus to the throne (verse 30), and that the coming of the Holy Spirit was evidence that Christ is now sitting on the throne of David at the right hand of the Father! 

• Acts 2:30-33  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him [David] that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Jesus sits on the throne of His Kingdom now, at the right hand of the Father, and He will reign until He has put all enemies under His feet!

• Ephes. 1:20-21 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

• 1 Cor. 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

THE WORLD WILL NOT “SEE”JESUS COMING IN HIS KINGDOM, BUT HE WILL BE MANIFESTED AS THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM 

Acts 3:26 says, “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”  When Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16-31 and in John 16:7-16, He was speaking of His own return.  He told them that they would not see Him for a little while, but they would see Him again in a little while. He said He would manifest Himself to those who love Him, but that the world would not see Him when He came to His followers. 

• John 14:17-19 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.  I  will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

• John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
• John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

In all of John 14, Jesus speaks of coming again as the Holy Spirit to dwell with His followers.  He finishes by telling them to not be troubled nor afraid (for He would always be with them, Matthew 28:20).  Jesus then encapsulates this chapter about His coming as the Comforter with this statement in John 14:28, “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you…

Jesus Dwells With Us NOW

When Jesus taught His disciples that He would come again as the Holy Spirit, He began by speaking of dwelling with them.  He said, “In my Father's house are many mansions [Strong’s #3438 “to remain, dwell; habitation, abode”1]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place [“a house, a dwelling place, abode, home, dwelling; a temple; the temple as the abode of God”^[1]] for you. 3And if I go and prepare a [dwelling] place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:2-3).  Jesus then proceeds to tell them how He will come as the Holy Spirit in John 14:17-18! (Read these verses again in the previous paragraph.)  Continuing in John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”   This word “abode” is the same Greek word (Strong’s #3438, “habitation”) translated as “mansions” in John 14:2. 

What could be plainer?  If we love and obey Him, WE ARE IN OUR FATHER’S HOUSE. He dwells with us in the Spirit and we dwell with Him.

• Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we,

• 1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
• Ephes. 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

THERE REMAINS A FINAL RETURN 

Some will say the Bible teaches only two comings.  However, there are no references to a “second” coming in the Bible.  Hebrews 9:26-28 does seem to say that Christ has come once and “unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”  But if one reads these verses carefully, one will see that they apply to salvation.  Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us for ALL to see at His first coming.  And He appears “the second time” to them that look to Him for salvation.  Jesus manifests Himself to those that seek Him and He reveals Himself to those who love Him and obey Him! 

Jesus came in the flesh and was crucified, rose the third day, returned in exaltation to the throne of power at the right hand of the Father, and came to rule in the hearts of men through the Holy Spirit.  But we await His Final Coming in judgment to consummate His Kingdom, when every eye shall see Him and acknowledge that He is indeed King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

• Hebrews 2:7-8 Thou madest him [for] a little [while] lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8Thou 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. [All things are ALREADY under Him, but every eye is not able to SEE that fact yet!  He is only manifested to those who love Him and allow Him to rule in their hearts.]

• 1 Cor. 15:24-25  [Christ at His coming] Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

• Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

• Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.  
  
  

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come.

Revelation 4:8

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Written July 16, 2005
*All emphasis  mine.

Copyright ©2005 by Mae Shurow 
Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution 
provided proper citation of authorship is included.

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