Hi everyone. We all know that 7 is one of God's greatest numbers. So, here we go with 7 proofs of our Lord's great second coming back in the first century...
#1 - Jesus Came in Their Generation - The Last Days Generation
As we all know, Jesus promised his apostles that they would be the ones to witness the endtimes signs as well as His return in their generation (Matthew 24:33-34; Matt 23:36). Jesus promised to return in the lifetimes of his apostles (Matthew 10:22-23; John 21:21-22; Matthew 16:27-28), for they were the Last Days generation (Heb 1:1-2; James 5:3; 1 Cor 10:11; 1 Peter 1:20; Acts 2:15-17; Heb 9:26). The Last Days signify the last days of the Old Testamental Age.
#2 - Christ Came "In His Kingdom"
The nature of Christ's Parousia is confirmed by a comparison of Matt. 16:27-28 and Lk. 17:21. We note that in Matt. 16:27-28 Jesus taught openly that His Coming was going to be "in His Kingdom." In Lk. 17:21, He taught that the coming of His Kingdom was going to be unobservable. Therefore if the coming of the Kingdom was going to be unobservable, then it follows that the Coming of the King in that Kingdom was also going to be unobservable.
#3 - Christ Came "In the Glory of the Father"
The coming of Jesus was to be "in the glory of the Father" (Matthew 16:27) -- i.e., it was to be as Father Yahweh always came to Israel. Yahweh was famous for his cloud-comings and apocalyptic comings down to earth (see: Isaiah 19:1-2; 2 Sam 22:10-14; Deut 33:2; Isa 31:3-8; Psalm 97:2-5; Ezek 30:3; Ps 104:3; Nah 1:3; Ex 34:5; Judges 5:4-7; Jer 4:13; Zeph 1:14-15; Psalm 68:32-35; Isa 31). Therefore Christ came in AD 66-70 as Yahweh did in those passages. Christ came back in that generation (Matthew 24:33-34), and Christ's glorification had returned him to his former glory He had with Yahweh before the world ever began (John 17:5) -- so his return came in Yahweh's power and glory.
#4 - Christ Came as a "Day of the Lord" Event - (Day of Yawheh)
Preterists understand that Christ's coming was a "Day of the Lord," also known by the phrase "Day of the Lord's Vengeance" (see Jer 46:10; Isa 61:2). Jesus confirms for us that AD 66-70 was the day of the Lord's Vengeance (see Luke 21:20-22 and compare 21:22 to Isa 61:2)! Biblically speaking, such periods of the Lord's vengeance are times of disasters and wars waged upon nations and individuals by Yahweh in real history, and AD 66-70 was the greatest Day of the Lord in Israel's History. It was Israel's Great Tribulation. Undoubtedly, it was this Day of the Lord that the 1st century apostles and saints prophesied they would live to see (1 Cor 1:7-8; Phil 1:10, 1:6; Heb 10:25; 1 Thess 5:23) -- AD 66-70 was the Day of the Lord they spoke of just decades before it transpired. We can see also that Jesus told the rulers of Israel that when he would come to them as the "Lord of the Vineyard" he would be the Stone that would grind them to powder (Matthew 21:40-45) -- they understood that he spake this of them (Matthew 21:45).
#5 - Christ "Came With Clouds" -- Rev 14:14-20
Coming and going with clouds is a consistent biblical theme for the comings and goings of divine beings and saints (see: Dan 7:13; Rev 11:12; Isa 19:1-2; 2 Sam 22:10-14; Ps 104:3). "Clouds" often signifies judgment and doom (Ez 30:3; Nah 1:3-5). We have an undeniable example in Revelation 14:14-20 where Christ is depicted in a "cloud-coming," and it is clearly in the realm of the heavenlies -- Christ is depicted there as Yahweh, the mighty ruler and judge over Heaven and Earth (Matt 28:18). Preterists note that while Christ comes in the heavenlies in that Rev 14 passage, it causes calamities upon the earth -- see Rev 14:20. This is how the jews understood Yahweh to come in O.T. times, and the apostle John is depicting Christ as equal to Yahweh and doing exactly as Yahweh had always done in His judgments upon nations. Rev 14:14-20 shows us what a "cloud-coming" means and its precise spiritual, powerful, nature.
#6 - Christ Came Upon 1st-Century Sardis "as a Thief in the Night"
Everyone knows about Christ's teaching that he would come as a "Thief in the Night" -- Jesus gives this teaching in Matthew 24:43. That coming came upon the 1st century Church of Sardis in Rev 3:1-3. It was also promised to come upon the enemies of the Thessalonians (but not overtake the Thessalonians themselves) in 1 Thess 5:2-9. This places the event firmly in the 1st century.
#7 - Jesus Said: "The World Sees Me No More"
In John 14:19 and 17:11, Jesus stated plainly that this world would see him no more. How long is "no more"? We maintain that "no more" means "no more." Jesus goes on from that passage to explain that He was to be seen on earth thereafter in and through his universal Body, the Church (John 14:19-23, 17:20-23; -- compare to Eph 1:22-23; Eph 5:30-32; 1 Cor 12:27; Rom 12:5). The TRUE temple, listed as the body of Jesus Christ in John 2:19-22, is also now the eternal Church-Temple as one of the great mysteries of the Faith (Eph 5:30-32; 2 Cor 6:16). We can't explain mysteries, we can only affirm them. Indeed God is here and now walks among His people forever (2 Cor 6:16) -- he is the Lord of all heaven and earth (Matt 28:18) and is the Prince of the kings of the earth (Rev 1:5).
With you in the Victory of Christ,
GW
#1 - Jesus Came in Their Generation - The Last Days Generation
As we all know, Jesus promised his apostles that they would be the ones to witness the endtimes signs as well as His return in their generation (Matthew 24:33-34; Matt 23:36). Jesus promised to return in the lifetimes of his apostles (Matthew 10:22-23; John 21:21-22; Matthew 16:27-28), for they were the Last Days generation (Heb 1:1-2; James 5:3; 1 Cor 10:11; 1 Peter 1:20; Acts 2:15-17; Heb 9:26). The Last Days signify the last days of the Old Testamental Age.
#2 - Christ Came "In His Kingdom"
The nature of Christ's Parousia is confirmed by a comparison of Matt. 16:27-28 and Lk. 17:21. We note that in Matt. 16:27-28 Jesus taught openly that His Coming was going to be "in His Kingdom." In Lk. 17:21, He taught that the coming of His Kingdom was going to be unobservable. Therefore if the coming of the Kingdom was going to be unobservable, then it follows that the Coming of the King in that Kingdom was also going to be unobservable.
#3 - Christ Came "In the Glory of the Father"
The coming of Jesus was to be "in the glory of the Father" (Matthew 16:27) -- i.e., it was to be as Father Yahweh always came to Israel. Yahweh was famous for his cloud-comings and apocalyptic comings down to earth (see: Isaiah 19:1-2; 2 Sam 22:10-14; Deut 33:2; Isa 31:3-8; Psalm 97:2-5; Ezek 30:3; Ps 104:3; Nah 1:3; Ex 34:5; Judges 5:4-7; Jer 4:13; Zeph 1:14-15; Psalm 68:32-35; Isa 31). Therefore Christ came in AD 66-70 as Yahweh did in those passages. Christ came back in that generation (Matthew 24:33-34), and Christ's glorification had returned him to his former glory He had with Yahweh before the world ever began (John 17:5) -- so his return came in Yahweh's power and glory.
#4 - Christ Came as a "Day of the Lord" Event - (Day of Yawheh)
Preterists understand that Christ's coming was a "Day of the Lord," also known by the phrase "Day of the Lord's Vengeance" (see Jer 46:10; Isa 61:2). Jesus confirms for us that AD 66-70 was the day of the Lord's Vengeance (see Luke 21:20-22 and compare 21:22 to Isa 61:2)! Biblically speaking, such periods of the Lord's vengeance are times of disasters and wars waged upon nations and individuals by Yahweh in real history, and AD 66-70 was the greatest Day of the Lord in Israel's History. It was Israel's Great Tribulation. Undoubtedly, it was this Day of the Lord that the 1st century apostles and saints prophesied they would live to see (1 Cor 1:7-8; Phil 1:10, 1:6; Heb 10:25; 1 Thess 5:23) -- AD 66-70 was the Day of the Lord they spoke of just decades before it transpired. We can see also that Jesus told the rulers of Israel that when he would come to them as the "Lord of the Vineyard" he would be the Stone that would grind them to powder (Matthew 21:40-45) -- they understood that he spake this of them (Matthew 21:45).
#5 - Christ "Came With Clouds" -- Rev 14:14-20
Coming and going with clouds is a consistent biblical theme for the comings and goings of divine beings and saints (see: Dan 7:13; Rev 11:12; Isa 19:1-2; 2 Sam 22:10-14; Ps 104:3). "Clouds" often signifies judgment and doom (Ez 30:3; Nah 1:3-5). We have an undeniable example in Revelation 14:14-20 where Christ is depicted in a "cloud-coming," and it is clearly in the realm of the heavenlies -- Christ is depicted there as Yahweh, the mighty ruler and judge over Heaven and Earth (Matt 28:18). Preterists note that while Christ comes in the heavenlies in that Rev 14 passage, it causes calamities upon the earth -- see Rev 14:20. This is how the jews understood Yahweh to come in O.T. times, and the apostle John is depicting Christ as equal to Yahweh and doing exactly as Yahweh had always done in His judgments upon nations. Rev 14:14-20 shows us what a "cloud-coming" means and its precise spiritual, powerful, nature.
#6 - Christ Came Upon 1st-Century Sardis "as a Thief in the Night"
Everyone knows about Christ's teaching that he would come as a "Thief in the Night" -- Jesus gives this teaching in Matthew 24:43. That coming came upon the 1st century Church of Sardis in Rev 3:1-3. It was also promised to come upon the enemies of the Thessalonians (but not overtake the Thessalonians themselves) in 1 Thess 5:2-9. This places the event firmly in the 1st century.
#7 - Jesus Said: "The World Sees Me No More"
In John 14:19 and 17:11, Jesus stated plainly that this world would see him no more. How long is "no more"? We maintain that "no more" means "no more." Jesus goes on from that passage to explain that He was to be seen on earth thereafter in and through his universal Body, the Church (John 14:19-23, 17:20-23; -- compare to Eph 1:22-23; Eph 5:30-32; 1 Cor 12:27; Rom 12:5). The TRUE temple, listed as the body of Jesus Christ in John 2:19-22, is also now the eternal Church-Temple as one of the great mysteries of the Faith (Eph 5:30-32; 2 Cor 6:16). We can't explain mysteries, we can only affirm them. Indeed God is here and now walks among His people forever (2 Cor 6:16) -- he is the Lord of all heaven and earth (Matt 28:18) and is the Prince of the kings of the earth (Rev 1:5).
With you in the Victory of Christ,
GW