| Manner of the SECOND Advent The Return of Jesus Christ Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven.—Acts 1:11, American Standard Version Richard Evans Angels declared to the apostles that Jesus "shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven." Over the centuries there has been much conjecture concerning the meaning of "in like manner." Is it to be understood in a literal sense, or is it figurative? Does it mean Jesus returns in flesh, physically visible to the earthly creation; or, does it mean his return will be unobserved by the world and known only to his small band of faithful followers? With the verse taken by itself it is difficult to determine. God, however, made sure those whom he calls to be of that small band, a "little flock," are not limited to those in just this one text. When we talk about the return of Jesus Christ, therefore, we must be sure to include all the information providentially provided. We must also be very clear what it is we mean. There have been many different thoughts presented on this subject and, consequently, preconceived ideas make communication difficult. Often the thing said is not the thing heard. The Return of God For example, the return of Jesus is often confused with the promised return of God. Though closely related they are not the same! "Behold, I [God]* come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."—Revelation 22:12,13, ASV. Regrettably, some translations have inappropriately put these words in red giving the impression "I come quickly" pertains to the return of Jesus. The titles used in this text, however, belong to the heavenly Father. First/Last was used by Isaiah three times and applied to God in each instance (Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). The other two titles were used of God earlier in the context: "And he said unto me, They are come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."—Revelation 21:6,7, ASV. The statement "I will be his God" links the titles Alpha/Omega and Beginning/End to God himself. Thus, the context and the titles require Revelation 22:13 be understood as referring to the return of the heavenly Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of Israel. This understanding is confirmed in both the Old and New Testaments: "Then Jehovah thy God will turn thy [Israel’s] captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither Jehovah thy God hath scattered thee. . . . for Jehovah will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers."—Deuteronomy 30:3–9, ASV. "And it shall come to pass, after that I [God] have plucked them [the Israelites] up, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land."—Jeremiah 12:15, ASV. These prophecies by Moses and Jeremiah define God’s return to be the return of his favor—the result of which is the regathering and restoration of Israel. The words of Jeremiah bring to mind the unprecedented provisions of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8–17). The apostle James, in quoting the prophet Amos (Amos 9:11,12; Acts 15:14–16), understood this. He declared that after the Almighty Creator takes out of the Gentiles a people for his name (the "little flock," a new creation), then he [God] "will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David [Israel]." Amos’ prophecy is based on the covenant God gave David (2 Samuel 7:10–16; Isaiah 16:5; Zechariah 12:10; 13:1)—a covenant that expressly concerns David’s kingdom, Israel. "And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."—2 Samuel 7:16, ASV. This is an unconditional covenant and does not depend upon the righteous conduct of any creature, neither David nor that of his seed. "Once have I [God] sworn by my holiness: I will not lie unto David: his seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and asthe faithful witness in the sky."—Psalms 89:35–37, ASV. The perpetuity of David’s throne—thus, David’s kingdom—is based upon an oath by God, an oath that rests upon his holiness. Like the gracious covenant the Lord made with Abraham, David’s covenant is as permanently secured as the sun and the moon, and as the "witness in the sky" (i.e., the rainbow—Genesis 9:12–17). Because of their disobedience, God departed from Israel—divine favor was removed. They were cursed. God promised, however, following the cursing he would return and they would receive a blessing. "And they [the Jews] also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved."—Romans 11:23,25,26, ASV. Natures Separate and Distinct The Bible indicates there can be no direct interaction between the divine and the human. The earthly creation is not compatible with the environs in which God dwells. As God told Moses, "Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live" (Exodus 33:20). This statement implies that the very nature of human beings precludes the literal seeing of God. This, of course, is beyond our understanding. Our experience is limited to our four dimensional cosmos (space plus time). The Creator of all things exists outside those dimensions. God’s cosmos is spiritual where, apparently, there is no time. Otherwise how do we explain God having no beginning and no end? If there is no time, movement as we understand it in our physical cosmos, distance divided by time, has no meaning since it results in division by zero. The promised return of God cannot be understood in a literal sense. It does not involve his movement in the physical cosmos nor any visual personal appearance. Rather, it speaks of his intervention in earthly affairs, the use of his holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6) to accomplish his purpose. This understanding of the "return" of God has a direct bearing on the "return" of Jesus, the Son, who is the "express image" of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). What is true for the Father is now true for the Son. The Nature of Jesus There is no direct statement of Scripture that declares the glorified Jesus to be a divine being. There is, however, a logic that may be developed from a group of Scriptures that validates such a conclusion. Paul stated all who are baptized into a sacrificial death like that of Jesus are raised in "newness of life" (Romans 6:3–5). He identified those who have this new life as "new creatures" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Peter indicated these privileged ones, these new creatures, are "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). John declared to those so privileged, "now we are sons of God" (1 John 3:2, KJV). The apostle concluded, "when he [Jesus] shall appear, we [the sons of God] shall be like him." Thus, if those who are baptized into Christ receive the divine nature, and if they are to be like Jesus, then it is evident Jesus must also be of this divine new creation. Paul’s description of the elevated status of the glorified Jesus confirms this logical conclusion. "Which he [God] wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and he put all things in subjection under his feet."—Ephesians 1:20–22, ASV. "I charge thee in the sight of God, who giveth life to all things, . . . that thou keep the commandment, . . . until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in its own times he [God] shall show, who [Jesus] is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who [of those whom God has given life (Ephesians 1:13)] only [at the time of the writing] hath immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable [the Shekinah]; whom [God] no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power eternal. Amen."—1 Timothy 6:13–16, ASV When we think of our Lord, we should remind ourselves that the man Jesus died some 2000 years ago. He was raised a divine being and that is how we should think of him. "Yet a little while, and the world beholdeth me no more; but ye behold me: because I live, ye shall live also."—John 14:19, ASV "Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more."—2 Corinthians 5:16, ASV We must not allow the confused teachings of Christendom to befuddle our minds. We must remove from our thinking the totally inappropriate mental pictures we have as a result of all the false representations we have been exposed to (e.g., Renaissance paintings, movies, television). Jesus is divine, therefore he is like God. God is invisible and, as Paul declared to Timothy, "no man hath seen, nor can see [him]" (1Timothy 6:16). "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."—John 1:18, ASV "God is spirit; and those worshipping him must worship in spirit and truth."—John 4:24, Diaglott "And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form."—John 5:37, ASV "Who [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."—Colossians 1:15, ASV "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."—1 Timothy 1:17, ASV "No man hath beheld God at any time."—1John 4:12, ASV What is true of the Father is true of the glorified Son. Again, we have the lesson of John—"we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2, KJV). To see Jesus, now a divine being, it is necessary to be "like him." Only beings who are like Jesus will see him. This would rule out any physical manifestation on his part to the earthly creation. What is true for the glorified Jesus would also be true for the glorified Church. The Need for Faith If there were visible manifestations of divine beings, it would nullify the need for faith. God has made it plain that faith, belief in him and of him, is essential for life. As shown by his conduct over the past 6000 years he will not give his earthly creation evidence of his existence in such a way that faith is unnecessary. The testing foretold to take place in the Little Season (Revelation 20:3,7–9) supports this thought. If there were a physical manifestation, faith would be set aside and the test would not accomplish its purpose. As the prophet and the apostle taught, the just live out of faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17). God’s criterion for righteousness is a life that is an outgrowth of faith. One’s thinking, one’s conduct, one’s lifestyle, the whole of one’s existence, must be ordered by faith. Such a life of faith is required to appreciate, to perceive, to "see," the things which are spiritual. As Jesus instructed Paul on the road to Damascus, sanctification requires faith (Acts 26:18); without faith there can be no sanctification. Sanctification is a prerequisite for having the faculty to "see" the Lord. "Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see [horao] the Lord."—Hebrews 12:14, ASV Since only the sanctified "shall see the Lord," the importance of faith becomes apparent. Those who live in faith and have the insight to "see the Lord" will realize the great work God accomplished through his Son. "Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see [horao] him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him."—Revelation 1:7, ASV The time will come when every sanctified eye of the human creation will perceive through faith the glory of Christ and will come to understand the exceeding sinfulness of sin (Romans 7:13). "Then shall ye remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations."—Ezekiel 36:31, ASV Just as with Israel in the beginning of the restoration, all who "see" Jesus will have remorse for their previous behavior and their defiance of God and his Christ, and will "mourn over him." Though there have been and will be many wonderful signs and evidences such as this, there will be no personal manifestation of the heavenly Father. No human being can see God in person. The same is true for his divine family. It will always be true. If it were otherwise, the need for faith would be unnecessary. "And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him."—Hebrews 11:6, ASV The Work of Jesus—Before His Return During the Christian age—the age in which God develops his new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) by taking out of the world a people for hisname (Acts 15:13–17)—Jesus has been a sympathetic high priest (Hebrews 4:14–16), always there to assist all whom God calls (Matthew 28:20; Acts 18:10). "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."—Matthew 18:20, ASV He is their "advocate" (1 John 2:1). This help can entail any and all factors that have to do with the spiritual growth of those called, as well as overruling providence in mundane daily affairs. It must be noted, however, this advocacy does not require his physical presence, but is accomplished through the power of the holy Spirit (John 14:16–18,26). This activity with the called of God by Jesus must not be related to the return foretold by the angels in our theme text. The apostle Peter made this evident: "Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence [face] of the Lord; and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old."—Acts 3:19–21, ASV Shortly after Pentecost, while preaching in the temple, Peter declared Jesus would not return until the "times of restoration." Just a few days previous the apostles had used a form of the same Greek word rendered "restoration" in a question to Jesus. "They [the apostles] therefore, when they were come together, asked him [Jesus], saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"—Acts 1:6, ASV So, the times of restoration to which Peter referred directly concern the restoration of "the kingdom to Israel." The apostle indicated in his temple sermon the return of Jesus was closely involved with that restoration, an activity which has had its beginnings only in recent times; therefore, the return of Jesus cannot be construed to be the advocacy that has occurred since the wondrous events on the day of Pentecost some 2000 years ago. The Work of Jesus—After His Return Recorded history reveals God has not interacted with his human creation directly, but always through intermediaries—intermediaries who are created beings themselves. Such a protocol continues with his return. The same is true for his divine family. The interaction between the glorified Christ, Head and Body, and humanity will be through angels and the nation of Israel. Israel will be the visible link to God for humankind. "Ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of [the hem of] the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."—Zechariah 8:23, ASV During the Christian age Jesus did not interact with the world. Throughout the age God’s purpose was to develop a people for his name, the Church (Acts 15:14). So, Jesus did not deal with individuals of the world, except perhaps in the way in which God dealt with the Pharaoh of Moses’ day. With his return, however, the relationship changed. The return of a divine being does not mean he left some isolated location in the material universe and physically moved to planet Earth. Just as with his work with the Church throughout the Christian age, his return has nothing to do with movement from one location in the physical cosmos to another. We must be extremely cautious when we apply physical characteristics to a divine being. We must not take metaphoric language literally! The statement that he has returned indicates he changed his way of interacting with the world. He began a new work—the work God assigned to him to bring about restoration of Israel as well as of all God’s creation. "And he [the Father] gave him [the Son] authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment."—John 5:27–29, ASV Jesus’ return and the work of restoration are not evinced by a visible manifestation, but are made apparent by the consequences, the effects, they have on the cosmos. As Jesus himself foretold: "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee" (Revelation 3:3, ASV). This metaphor describing the Lord’s return as a thief appears a number of times in the Bible (Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 16:15) and validates the principle of a return not seen by the human eye, but by the human spirit. Another metaphor used to describe our Lord’s return, meaning his direct intervention in the affairs of humanity, is found in the book of Daniel. "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people [Israel]; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people [Israel] shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."—Daniel 12:1, ASV Michael is another title for Jesus. A topical study of the phrase "stand up" in Daniel reveals it to be an idiomatic expression meaning "to assume rulership," "to execute authority," (Daniel 8:22,23,25 and 11:2,3,4,7,20,21). It has nothing to do with a literal getting up on one’s feet; it describes one who "takes charge." Thus, the return of our glorified Lord, his "standing up," means he is now personally and intimately involved in the affairs of this world. This work is many faceted. The events in Israel, the overthrow of governments, the outcome of elections, the raising up of popes, the development of technology, the increase of knowledge, etc.—all of these activities are being overruled by the returned Lord to accomplish the desired end. This end includes: Judgment of Angels Judgment of Nations Judgment of Babylon Completion of the Church Restoration of Israel Restoration of Humanity Jesus must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). Then, the work of restoration for which Jesus "returned" will be complete and God will be "all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28). * The application of this passage to Jehovah God is that of the author and is not
shared by the other editors of this journal. |