Why was Christ sent to earth 2000 years ago?

[Suttonsue]

Why then and not before or after? Is there any reference as to why God decided that was the time?

 

[ddjones1230]

.

 

[Goinheix]

Why did God choose the year 30AD to have His Christ crucified? Could it be one year early or later? Could it be a century before or after? The fact is that Jesus was crucified in the year 30AD and that is an historycal fact.

In the first century the Jew people were most prepared to recieve the Christ than ever before. They were expecting Him; something that never hapens before. The Temple was reconstructed, and the sence of jew nationality was growing.

The nationality sence is an historycal fact, registered at the Gospels and Acst, and the climax was the destruction of the Temple. The Temple itself seem to be the key. It existed in a relatively short tima wich coincides with the crucifixion of Christ.

Could God manage to have the Temple build at any other time? Yes He could. but independently of in wich time God manages to get the Temple build, the question will remain "could God manage to have the Temple build at any other time?"

I belive that the key was the jew people to wich the Christ was sent. never before in all the OT we found a people so much expecting the Christ.

 

[OzSpen]

Sue,

Why then and not before or after? Is there any reference as to why God decided that was the time?

I suggest that you consider Galatians 4:4:

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law (ESV).

Nothing is out of time in God's economy. Jesus came when he did because it was as God described, "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son".

Oz

 

[logos65]

Sue,

I suggest that you consider Galatians 4:4:

Nothing is out of time in God's economy. Jesus came when he did because it was as God described, "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son".

Oz

I agree with OzSpen, on this. Plus God reveiled to Daniel the exact time Christ would come (Daniel 9:24-27).

 

[CryptoLutheran]

Sue,

I suggest that you consider Galatians 4:4:

Nothing is out of time in God's economy. Jesus came when he did because it was as God described, "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son".

Oz

Precisely the passage I was thinking of.

There are some unique historical factors also going on at the turn of the first century. The Roman occupation of Judea not long after the Jews had wrested control of their land from Seleucid oppression after hundreds of years of successive occupation since the time of the Babylonian Captivity. That intense patriotic zeal inspired by the Maccabean era, along with an intense messianic anticipation (and the two really go hand-in-hand), along with the most powerful imperial power ever--up to that point--to exist in Israel's history. The growing tension between the Judaism of the common people and the elite Judaism of those who ran the Temple.. It was a ripe moment in history.

The statement God made in Jesus at that point in history is extremely telling. Because God's statement wasn't a violent revolution to shed Roman occupation or restore purity to the Temple; but a small Child born in Bethlehem to a virgin mother whose primary witness were a group of shepherds; raised the son of a carpenter and who preached the kingdom of God as a thing wholly other than the power dynamics of both the Roman imperial system, the Hasmonean system or even that comprehended as a revival of Davidic rule: it was instead a kingdom manifest in the crucified carpenter from Galilee who was true King and true Lord of God's kingdom.

That same statement could have been made at other points in time, perhaps, but I think we ought to defer to the Divine Wisdom of God which Paul says is revealed through the foolish things of the world. This backwardsness of God's activity is essential to the message of Christ and our message about Christ to the world.

It was the right time, perhaps for reasons only God can say; but I think looking back at that time and as the Event unfolded what God is ultimately telling us in and through Jesus in that particular place and time of human history is manifestly profound in its backwardsness and how counter-intuitive it is. God could (so we could speculate) say the same thing at any time and any place, but that was the time and place God decided to say it, and it resounds through the ages.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Walter Kovacs]

To make dead men live.

 

[Pilgrimer]

Precisely the passage I was thinking of.

There are some unique historical factors also going on at the turn of the first century. The Roman occupation of Judea not long after the Jews had wrested control of their land from Seleucid oppression after hundreds of years of successive occupation since the time of the Babylonian Captivity. That intense patriotic zeal inspired by the Maccabean era, along with an intense messianic anticipation (and the two really go hand-in-hand), along with the most powerful imperial power ever--up to that point--to exist in Israel's history. The growing tension between the Judaism of the common people and the elite Judaism of those who ran the Temple.. It was a ripe moment in history.

The statement God made in Jesus at that point in history is extremely telling. Because God's statement wasn't a violent revolution to shed Roman occupation or restore purity to the Temple; but a small Child born in Bethlehem to a virgin mother whose primary witness were a group of shepherds; raised the son of a carpenter and who preached the kingdom of God as a thing wholly other than the power dynamics of both the Roman imperial system, the Hasmonean system or even that comprehended as a revival of Davidic rule: it was instead a kingdom manifest in the crucified carpenter from Galilee who was true King and true Lord of God's kingdom.

That same statement could have been made at other points in time, perhaps, but I think we ought to defer to the Divine Wisdom of God which Paul says is revealed through the foolish things of the world. This backwardsness of God's activity is essential to the message of Christ and our message about Christ to the world.

It was the right time, perhaps for reasons only God can say; but I think looking back at that time and as the Event unfolded what God is ultimately telling us in and through Jesus in that particular place and time of human history is manifestly profound in its backwardsness and how counter-intuitive it is. God could (so we could speculate) say the same thing at any time and any place, but that was the time and place God decided to say it, and it resounds through the ages.

-CryptoLutheran

Well said! And we should add that the world too was prepared in a unique way for the coming of Jesus and the spread of the Gospel. Under the "Pax Romana," or Roman peace, trade, communication, travel, and social intercourse had flourished between nations and continents, roads had been built and the Mediterranean had been cleared of piracy so that the sea lanes as well as the highways and byways were safe for travel, the world had a common language of commerce (Greek), and through the Diaspora of the Jews, Moses and the Prophets of God has been preached throughout the world.

So not only was the Jewish nation and people prepared, so too was the world.

And just as the lightening shines out of the east to the west lighting up the heavens, the light of the Gospel shone out from the eastern province of Palestine and gave light to the whole world.

In Christ,
Pilgrimer

 

[Chris47]

On the first day God created light.

Light in the Bible represents the knowledge of God.

On the fourth day God created the Sun, the source of Light.

The Sun represents the source of our knowledge of God, Jesus.

Each day of creation represents 1000 years of Mans existence. The first sunset occurred at the end of the fourth day and Christ was crucified at the completion of 4000 years from the creation.

For a detailed review of the chronology of the Bible copy the link below to your browser.

biblical.chronology.angelfire.com

Chris

 

[Goinheix]

On the first day God created light.

Light in the Bible represents the knowledge of God.

On the fourth day God created the Sun, the source of Light.

The Sun represents the source of our knowledge of God, Jesus.

Each day of creation represents 1000 years of Mans existence. The first sunset occurred at the end of the fourth day and Christ was crucified at the completion of 4000 years from the creation.

For a detailed review of the chronology of the Bible copy the link below to your browser.

biblical.chronology.angelfire.com

Chris

The Sun is not the source of light, in fact, the Sun was created later than light.

The Sun do not represent the Christ. Nowhere in the entire Bible there is such a conection. In fact, the Sun was created, and Christ was creator.

Each day do not represent 1000 years; and the first sunset do not represent the crucifixion of Christ.

 

[GQ Chris]

At the right time, God sent His Son. The Roman roads allowed the Gospel to spread.

 

[OzSpen]

On the first day God created light.

Light in the Bible represents the knowledge of God.

On the fourth day God created the Sun, the source of Light.

The Sun represents the source of our knowledge of God, Jesus.

Each day of creation represents 1000 years of Mans existence. The first sunset occurred at the end of the fourth day and Christ was crucified at the completion of 4000 years from the creation.

For a detailed review of the chronology of the Bible copy the link below to your browser.

biblical.chronology.angelfire.com

Chris

Chris,

That's your allegorisation of Scripture - imposing your meaning on the text. It is not the plain teaching of the text. Surely you wouldn't read your local newspaper that way? Neither should you read the Bible with this imposition of your own allegorical values on the Scripture.

Oz

 

[Chris47]

The Sun is not the source of light, in fact, the Sun was created later than light.

The Sun do not represent the Christ. Nowhere in the entire Bible there is such a conection. In fact, the Sun was created, and Christ was creator.

Each day do not represent 1000 years; and the first sunset do not represent the crucifixion of Christ.

Read The Epistle of Barnabas

Barnabas was a companion and fellow-preacher with Paul. This Epistle lays a greater claim to canonical authority than most others. It has been cited by Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome, and many ancient Fathers. Cotelerius affirms that Origen and Jerome esteemed it genuine and canonical; but Cotelerius himself did not believe it to be either one or the other; on the contrary, he supposes it was written for the benefit of the Ebionites (the Christianized Jews,) who were tenacious of rites and ceremonies. Bishop Fell feared to own expressly what he seemed to be persuaded of, that it ought to be treated with the same respect as several of the books of the present canon. Dr. Bernard, Savilian professor at Oxford, not only believed it to be genuine, but that it was read throughout, in the churches at Alexandria, as the canonical scriptures were. Dodwell supposed it to have been published before the Epistle of Jude, and the writings of both the Johns. Vossius, Dupuis, Dr. Cane, Dr. Mill, Dr. S. Clark, Whiston, and Archbishop Wake also esteemed it genuine: Menardus, Archbishop Laud, Spanheim, and others, deemed it apocryphal.

CHAP. XIII.
{That the Sabbath of the Jews was but a figure of a more glorious Sabbath to come, and their temple, of the spiritual. temples of God.}
1 It is also written concerning the Sabbath, in the Ten Commandments, which God spoke in the Mount to Moses, face to face; Sanctify the Sabbath of the Lord with pure hands, and with a clean heart.
2 And elsewhere he says; If your children shall keep my Sabbaths, then will I put my mercy upon them.
3. And even in the, beginning of the creation he makes mention of the Sabbath. And God made in six days the works of his hands; and he finished them on the seventh day, and he rested the seventh day, and sanctified it.
4 Consider, my children; what that signifies, he finished them in six days. The meaning of it is this; that in six thousand years the Lord God will bring all things to an end.
5 For with him one day is a thousand years; as He testified, saying, Behold this day shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, shall all things be accomplished.


This is first century theology before corruption by the so call Christian Church. You need to do more reading before judging others.

 

[Chris47]

Chris,

That's your allegorisation of Scripture - imposing your meaning on the text. It is not the plain teaching of the text. Surely you wouldn't read your local newspaper that way? Neither should you read the Bible with this imposition of your own allegorical values on the Scripture.

Oz

Please refer to Post #13 above

 

[CatholicandaHalf]

@ the time Jesus came, the world was getting too "civilized" (yeah right)

cities were being built bigger and bigger, etc

The Romans basically brought the whole world together.

The Church brought all Christians together also, until Luther decided that he could do a better job of making a "church" than Jesus could