Tuesday, January 25, 2011

the revelation of the Revelation of the revelation of Jesus Christ



The Word for today:
Revelation 19:11-21

mark this: Revelation 19:11-12
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.



The purpose of the Bible, all 66 of its books, is the revelation of Jesus Christ:
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:10)

Within the Bible's 66 books there is one book, the last, which is even called "the Revelation of Jesus Christ."

Within that last book is a chapter (chapter 19) which describes the Second Coming--the moment at which Jesus is physically, visibly revealed to the entire world, to the believer and non-believer alike.

Thus you could say that we have arrived at the revelation of the Revelation of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

There has been so much information and misinformation concerning the Second Coming that we've decided to print the facts we know from the Bible. We hope this little "outline" will help you to distinguish between what is scriptural and what is merely speculation and guesstimation.
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The phrase "Second Coming" does not appear in scripture. Scripture refers to the "return" of Jesus. (Same difference, but we don't want you tearing your hair out searching your concordance for "Second Coming.")

The return of the Lord Jesus Christ will take place personally, powerfully, bodily, visibly, publicly, and instantly:
For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.  (Luke 17:24; also see Matthew 24:30-31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3.)

This will be no local happening; you will not have to 'Look there!' or 'Look here!' (Luke 17:23)

On that day, the world will not be seeing the carpenter from Nazareth. It will be Jesus in his incandescent brilliance as the 'Son of Man,' as foreseen by Daniel (7:13-14) and by Peter, James, and John (Luke 9:28-36) when Jesus appeared in glory, as if clothed in light. (This appearance, known as the "Transfiguration," provides the best preview of Jesus' triumphant return.)

The martyred Stephen, as he was about to die, had a similar glimpse:
"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56)

The Apostle John, writing Revelation from the Island of Patmos to which he had been exiled, saw the same figure:
…his face was like the sun shining in full strength (Revelation 1:16; Revelation 1:7 tells us that the whole world will witness this same spectacle.)

The return of Christ will mark the end of history as we know it. It will inaugurate the final Judgment and usher in the new heaven and the new earth. Pain, death, and sorrow will all be banished. The entire structure of evil will be dismantled.

This new realm will surpass our current understanding and imagination. Our attempts to express what we shall experience fall so short that we demean heaven whenever we attempt to convey it. We will need--and receive--new eyes to enable us to see what we shall see. Our current portals of perception--eyes, ears, nose, and tactile receptors--would be unable to take it all in.

We have been warned all along not to place a date or time upon the Second Coming of Christ (Matthew 24:42-44). But many people waste their time in endless speculation and calculations.

The way we should be spending our days is to watch, and to work; to witness, and to Repent!--for the return of the once and future King is at hand.

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