Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The second coming Message-ID: Date: 1 Apr 91 07:59:37 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Data General Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC Lines: 98 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article smaanian@swift.cs.tcd.ie writes: > >The people believing in Moses they didn't accept Christ because He didn't >come as Kings of Kings. But Jesus was a King in the Spiritual Realm. However, Jesus will return as King of kings and Lord of lords to establish His earthly, visible reign. That is our Blessed Hope. >Why God sent His prophets? Why God sent Jesus? Why God will send Prophets? >One answer is that God sends Them to guide us to the salvation of our souls. Okay. >There is an ever advancing civilization, so the needs of mankind are changing >from age to age. When Moses came He spoke about laws in society: tooth to tooth >etc. The people at that time didn't had the capacity to understand more. But >when Jesus came He spoke about love and how to develop the life of an indivi- >dual. He said that the people were not ready to understand all that he wanted >to say and the Sun of Truth will come to guide them. And when the apostles ask >Him how they'll regognize Him, when He will come again He said that from the >fruit you understand the Tree. Here we enter into a realm that is not of Christian origins. Civilization has advanced technologically, but not spiritually. In fact, civilization (humanity) is still doing precisely what it has always done. God gave us the Law as a teacher and a mirror into which we must look to gauge our own lives. But the Law itself is not able to save -- only God can save us. One thing that concerns me is this idea that the people of ancient times were somehow less intelligent than we are today. Merely examining their manifest works says that this is not the case -- they started cities, governments, developed laws, and built structures that stand to this day. These are not the works of ignorant people. But as Solomon said, and I paraphrase, there ain't nothing new; we been down this path before in history. Yes, Jesus said that there were things that He could not say at that point, but He also said that He would send one who would teach us all things -- the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. Later, it is written that we have an unction with the Father have need that no man teach us. However, I find no reference in the Bible to the "Sun of Truth." Could you please cite a reference (book, chapter and verse would be nice)? The last part of your statement in the paragraph cited above ties in with the following statements, so I'll deal with it there. >So I think that the second coming doesn't speak about Christ coming in the same >form as 2000 years ago. The reason is that we were created to know and worship >God. For our soul to progress we have to pass through tests. If Jesus will come >on the clouds, as it is literary stated in the Gospel, do you think any human >being is going to doubt His Dominion? No never. But this not the purpose >underlying the creation of Man. Well, let's see now, Acts 1:10, 11 says: "And while they [the disciples, including the 11] looked steadfastly toward heaven as he [Jesus] went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel: "Which also said. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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." Sounds pretty straitght forward to me. This same Jesus that they saw will come back in like manner. This means physically. Notice that the angels said "this same Jesus" so that there is no doubt that they were talking about the man Jesus, whom we call the Christ (the Anointed One of God). You make a good statement when you say that the reason we were created is to know and worship God. However, I question what you mean by "for our soul to progress..." This sounds like reincarnation, which is not the Christian view. The purpose for Jesus' visible return is to conclude this age. This is clearly stated throughout the Biblical texts. Take a look at Matthew 24, which deals with the second coming of Jesus. In John 14:3, Jesus specifically says that He will come again and receive us to Himself. >Lets not forget that He mentions that He will come as a thief in the night. >One meaning of that could be that when He will come people will not recogni- >ze Him. So maybe He has already come. Actually, Jesus gave the interpretation of this. Check Matthew 24:42-51. What Jesus is saying is that since we do not know the precise moment of His return, we need to stay busy doing what He has commanded us to do. He uses the idea of a man and his house that a thief breaks into and robs. If the man had known at which hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not suffered the loss. But Jesus tells us to be ever watchful. For what, the return so that it does not take us by surprise. Jesus gave us ample signs to watch for so that we can judge the seasons and know when the time is drawing near. When Jesus returns in the parousia, history as we know it ends and the Millennium begins. En Agape, Gene