He returns where?

Originally posted by Justme
Hi,

In this future physical return of Jesus, where/how will He return so every eye will see Him, yet at the same time no one will mention it. Luke 17 : 20
Note:I am assuming everyone agrees the coming of the son of man and the Kingdom of God are the same thing.
How does this work?
Justme

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I don't necessarily agree. Jesus describes the Kingdom of God in many ways, and not just as the Kingdom He comes into when He returns.

I'm not sure where you're going with this, so I don't know if you just want to rephrase that or if we disagree on your ultimate point.

He must logically return to the place built for him to dwell with his people, that is, the "new" temple. So, let us consult the Scriptures to determine precisely where and how that dwelling place is built.

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— [12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15] by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephes. 2:11-22)

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It would appear that Paul has a very good grasp of what Jesus meant when he said:

The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. (Luke 17:20-21)

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When does the kingdom of God begin? When Christ is enthroned as Lord of our lives; when he is given dominion over our whole being. When this becomes a reality in our lives, we embody the hope of all creation. What is already a reality in our inmost being will eventually be realized throughout all of creation, with Christ himself--the embodiment of the kingdom and the prototype of redeemed humanity--being personally present in our midst forever and ever.

You misunderstood me. I was pointing out that the "temple" in which Christ "returns" is not a physical temple. Paul makes it clear that the whole body of believers constitutes the "new" temple. Elsewhere, he says, "For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:17b). Whenever Paul speaks of "the temple of God," he is speaking of an inward, spiritual reality within the human soul. Thus, when he speaks of "the man of lawlessness. . .who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God" (2 Thessalonians 2:3b-4), he is speaking of that inward orientation toward disobedience in the heart of every human being as a result of the fall. It is this "man of lawlessness" that Christ "comes" to destroy so that he may take his proper "seat" as Lord of our whole life.

As this is a reality in the life of every believer, so every believer, therefore, embodies the hope of all creation. For the promise of eschatological salvation does not stop at the individual level. The Church as a whole, through tribulation and patient endurance, is being perfected so as to be presented at last as the pure and spotless Bride of Christ. Moreover, as Paul points out (Romans 8), "the whole creation" longs to be liberated from its "bondage to decay" and know the freedom of "the children of God."

The hope of the Church, indeed of all creation, is that, as Christ, through the power of his death and resurrection, brings complete redemption in the life of the believer, so he will also, in the end, do the same for all of creation, restoring it to its original splendor. The centerpiece of this fully redeemed creation will be the personal presence of Christ himself.

I do not use the term "physical" presence because, since his presence even now in the midst of the believing community is personal, it would be both redundant and reductionist to say his presence is "physical." Redundant because a personal relationship already implies a physical aspect; reductionist because an overemphasis on the "physical" diminishes the importance of the "spiritual" aspect of the relationship.

The hope that all creation will eventually be restored and Christ will be personally present in the midst of this fully redeemed creation is not the same as the "pie in the sky, by and by" apocalypticism which infects much of Christian eschatology (LaHaye, etc.). It is the hope that the Church has always held out that God will ultimately do for all of creation what he does day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment in the hearts and lives of believers in and through Christ by the power of his Holy Spirit, removing the corruption caused by sin and restoring all things to their original state of perfection. In other words, it is to look toward the "end" for the promise of the "beginning."

I mean just what is implied: a restoration to that perfect relationship between God and humankind, with all creation reflecting God's glory, just as Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden before the fall.

Whether this will "one day" be actualized in the temporal realm or whether it is the ultimate reality into which we are raised after passing from this life into the next, I'll leave to God. Either way (perhaps it's both), the world to come will be infinitely more glorious than anything we can conceive of in the present.

I cannot conceive of even the idea of "atheism." There is no such thing as a true atheist because belief in "no God" is, in fact, belief in some concept of God and, from the actions and behaviors of many outspoken atheists, it appears this "concept" is frightening to them. While they would never acknowledge it, their actions are driven by a fear of imminent judgment. Their scarred psyche puts them in a constant state of denial, seeking to eliminate, in their own minds, the Source of that fear and, thus, portray themselves as courageous dissenters struggling for their "rights" while being "persecuted" by "a bunch of fanatical zealots."