The Return of Jesus Christ

I was flipping through the tv channels and stopped on this show that's on right now called Rockstar INXS. There was a girl singing and trying out to be a new member of the band. As I was watching her sing and the crowd as they were listening to her, some verses came to mind.

Matthew 24:37-39. But as the days of Noah were so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.

The singer was obviously not singing a song concerning God and she was dancing seductively and the audience was responding and couldn't care less what song she was singing. From observing they were just there to be amused and kill time. I would be surprised if anyone in that room was thinking about Jesus Christ.

That's when the verses were recalled to me. Noah was working on the ark, work God gave him to do. In the NT Noah is called a preacher of righteousness. His words and actions showed those alive at his time that God was on his mind and that's who he lived for. Whether Noah talked one word to others or not by his actions he was proclaiming that people need God and He is important. Besides his family no one else cared. Thoughts of God did not enter their minds and they obviously believed serving God was not a thing to be concerned about. They were going about life without involving God in it. Noah was probalby scoffed at and ridiculed for his stand.

As I was watching this show the same thing struck me, I doubt anyone there is concerned with God and thinking about Him at this moment and they were simply passing time and thinking thoughts that were not of God. Going about life without involving God. There are true believers in Jesus Christ, me among them, and Jesus said in John 14:2-3 ...I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again.......

Going by what I experience living in the US this is mainly a nation concerned with self and pleasure and ease. Words concerning Jesus Christ bring ridicule and scoffing and laughter and unbelief. We are living at a time when these verses along with others add up to one thing in my mind. Jesus Christ is returning soon.

edit- Belief in Christ also invokes hatred from others.

[edit on 26-7-2005 by dbrandt]

Yes He is returning but I think we will find it isn't to what we call Israel today but to the 'promised land' descibed in Hebrew which only fits Australia. Forget all the false and faulty histories people keep trying to fit the Bible into as god tells us about the supercontinent that didn't get divided till Peleg's time and it was man that tried to fit His book into the middle east, He of course ment the whole world when He said it not the then known world of only some of the worlds people.

Originally posted by dbrandt
Jesus Christ is returning soon.

People have been saying that for 2000 years. You do realize that don't you?

How much are you willing to bet that he will return in the next 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?

I'm willing to take your bet to the extent I can cover it (I'm an honest opportunist).

Originally posted by spamandham

Originally posted by dbrandt
Jesus Christ is returning soon.

People have been saying that for 2000 years. You do realize that don't you?

A 1000 years is like a day to God, so Jesus has only been gone for 2 days in God's view.

Hmm

Jesus rose on the 3rd day.

Lets see if I got it down right...Im going from memory which is generally not a good thing

Passover Lamb

It is set aside on the 10th. For 4 days. Then it is sacrificed. Now, back in egypt...I think it was 3 days later they went thru the Red Sea

But with Jesus..

He made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem and then was hid for 4 days. The end of the 4th day he was killed. Now, on the morning of the third day after His death...the women went to the tomb but it was empty. Jesus rose on the 3rd day.

Earth history.

Jesus is the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the earth. Jesus was set aside at the beginning if you will. 4000 years later, Jesus died on the Cross for our sins. Now, on the third day after that (not at the end of 3 days..but ON the thrid day) Jesus will come back.

This means...since the bible shows the earth to be just short of 6000 years old...with 6000 being the beginning of the 3rd day.... Jesus will return very soon.

I love the way God worked everything out.

the Pre-flood earth was special in that EVERYONE besides noah and his family (and thier spouces) was unrepenting sinners. If you look at the example of Sodom and Gomorrah the LORD was willing to save the cities if there were as little as 10 belivers in there. But they were so filled with corruption and sin that he litterally smited them but still saved Lot and his wife.

I highly doubt present day earth is the same as pre-flood earth just before the flood, or like Sodom and Gomorrah. What Jesus is talking about during his second coming is that it will be sudden, and you will not know when it will happen, and all you should know is that it is happening soon. Granted 2000 years IMHO is not soon, but to God it could be an instant and we should be ready for when the second coming of Christ does arrive. and help others who do not belive become ready

This never added up for me. If everyone died in the flood except Noah, dosen't that mean that everyone is inbred? Yuck! Isn't that a sin? Sorry if it's a bit off topic but I just want to know.

[edit on 7/29/2005 by GoldEagle]

Originally posted by jake1997
This means...since the bible shows the earth to be just short of 6000 years old...

:bnghd:

This explains a lot.

Originally posted by Jehosephat
the Pre-flood earth was special in that EVERYONE besides noah and his family (and thier spouces) was unrepenting sinners. If you look at the example of Sodom and Gomorrah the LORD was willing to save the cities if there were as little as 10 belivers in there. But they were so filled with corruption and sin that he litterally smited them but still saved Lot and his wife.

I highly doubt present day earth is the same as pre-flood earth just before the flood, or like Sodom and Gomorrah. What Jesus is talking about during his second coming is that it will be sudden, and you will not know when it will happen, and all you should know is that it is happening soon. Granted 2000 years IMHO is not soon, but to God it could be an instant and we should be ready for when the second coming of Christ does arrive. and help others who do not belive become ready

The Lord had determined to destroy Sodom and Gomorah while Lot and family still lived there.
The Lord removed Lot from Sodom and Gomorah and then JUDGED the cities.

The Lord had determined to destroy the earth with water while Noah and family was still there. The Lord removed Noah and then judged the earth.

In each case, the Lord removed his faithful before pouring out judgment.

The Lord has determined to judge the earth. The judgments are listed in Revelation.
The Lord will remove the faithful from the earth, and then pour out the Revelation judgments.

Before the flood, after Enoch there were two more and then Noah.

At sodom, there were two angels to be the witness

In Revelation there are two witnesses in Jerusalem.

In Noahs day the scientists assured the people there was no such thing as rain. Imagine water floating on air. Laughable. The best science of the day said dont worry about a world wide flood. Impossible.
Just go on marrying and giving in marriage...eating drinking...enjoy...

In Sodom it was also about personal pleasure. They were determined to carry out their gay right to have sex with those two good lookin angels.
hmmm


Both of those seem to apply a bit today.

Originally posted by Jehosephat

I highly doubt present day earth is the same as pre-flood earth just before the flood, or like Sodom and Gomorrah.

I disagree. Sin was rampant in the preflood world and Sodom and Gomorrah. God was not important to most, not all, but most. We have those same conditions today. Look around, sin is rampant and the ONE TRUE God is not important to most. Once again I said most, not everyone. Some in this present world love God, just like the some(8) of Noah's time and the 4 found in Sodom.


I decided to throw in this edit point that I noticed. Noah is mentioned as righteous. Not his wife or children, yet they were spared also. Lot is mentioned as righteous , not his wife and children yet his wife and children were spared also. I find this interesting and see the Grace and Mercy of God in these actions.

I am wondering what physical and other spiritual applications there are in this that relate to the present?

I just thought of something. Lot went to the 2 men that were going to marry his daughters and told them about what was going to happen. They laughed at Him. They didn't believe Him. Lot's wife and and 2 daughters were removed so they must have believed what Lot told them. It's probably true of Noah's family, they believed that God would do what He said He would do.

This same condition exists today, the world is told over and over again that Christ is returning. That promise is laughed at and not believed by the majority.


[edit on 30-7-2005 by dbrandt]

[edit on 30-7-2005 by dbrandt]

[edit on 30-7-2005 by dbrandt]

[edit on 30-7-2005 by dbrandt]

Originally posted by jake1997
Earth history.

Jesus is the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the earth. Jesus was set aside at the beginning if you will. 4000 years later, Jesus died on the Cross for our sins. Now, on the third day after that (not at the end of 3 days..but ON the thrid day) Jesus will come back.

This means...since the bible shows the earth to be just short of 6000 years old...with 6000 being the beginning of the 3rd day.... Jesus will return very soon.

I love the way God worked everything out.

Excellent, I am in awe of God when something hidden is revealed!

Originally posted by jake1997

Earth history.

Jesus is the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the earth. Jesus was set aside at the beginning if you will.

come again?

He was created when the world was created? Is that what you are saying?
Can you quote the Bible verse that says that?
Also, created as what? Can't be as human because that happened 2000 years ago.
I don't get what you are saying here.

Also, you surely mean 6000 years metaphoricaly, since Earth is a LOT older then that.

Originally posted by Jehosephat

I highly doubt present day earth is the same as pre-flood earth just before the flood, or like Sodom and Gomorrah. What Jesus is talking about during his second coming is that it will be sudden, and you will not know when it will happen, and all you should know is that it is happening soon. Granted 2000 years IMHO is not soon, but to God it could be an instant and we should be ready for when the second coming of Christ does arrive. and help others who do not belive become ready

I would say that if God does not find this world of ours worthy of destruction, then He owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology. I think He knew exactly what He was saying and that He was not only talking about the suddenness of His return but the spiritual bankruptcy of the time as well. I think your right dbrandt - He should be showing up any time, now.


Grace & Peace,

Lightseeker

Originally posted by jake1997

The Lord had determined to destroy Sodom and Gomorah while Lot and family still lived there.
The Lord removed Lot from Sodom and Gomorah and then JUDGED the cities.

The Lord had determined to destroy the earth with water while Noah and family was still there. The Lord removed Noah and then judged the earth.

In each case, the Lord removed his faithful before pouring out judgment.

The Lord has determined to judge the earth. The judgments are listed in Revelation.
The Lord will remove the faithful from the earth, and then pour out the Revelation judgments.

Before the flood, after Enoch there were two more and then Noah.

At sodom, there were two angels to be the witness

In Revelation there are two witnesses in Jerusalem.

WOOT, WOOT, JAKE

Alright! I like your statistics; I feel even more encouraged then I already was; and that's a lot. ( no pun intended )

In Noahs day the scientists assured the people there was no such thing as rain. Imagine water floating on air. Laughable. The best science of the day said dont worry about a world wide flood. Impossible.
Just go on marrying and giving in marriage...eating drinking...enjoy...

In Sodom it was also about personal pleasure. They were determined to carry out their gay right to have sex with those two good lookin angels.
hmmm
Both of those seem to apply a bit today.

Right on, brother, the parallels between the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and todays world are staggering. All my bags are packed for the "Flight out", Oh! wait a minute..I forgot, I don't need to pack for this flight!

BTW. I just voted for you for the Way Above award- good work.

[edit on 7/30/2005 by lightseeker]

Originally posted by paperclip
Also, you surely mean 6000 years metaphoricaly, since Earth is a LOT older then that.

Something that isn't there can't be interpreted metaphorically. The 6000 year business comes from counting generations in the lists of x begat y, and is a fairly ancient belief.

Even if you accept the stories at face value, you can not legitimately conclude 6000 years, because it was common practice in those days to refer to a distant anscestor as being your father (sort of like we use the word forfather), so there's no way of knowing that the lists are consecutive generations.

I'm quite certain that won't dismay jake. The world has to be 6000 years old to maintain hope that Jesus will come back anyday. I suggest you YECers write memoirs so your great-great-great-great-great-great...-great granchildren can read about how Jesus is just around the next cloud - 100,000 years from now.

Originally posted by dbrandt
Lot is mentioned as righteous , not his wife and children yet his wife and children were spared also. I find this interesting and see the Grace and Mercy of God in these actions.

I see the same things of God as you, dbrandt--but I'm wondering why you say Lot is mentioned as righteous--I don't find that anywhere.

Lot was saved because God was merciful toward him--he received grace and mercy, but was not said to be righteous. God saved him, perhaps because of Abraham:

And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
(Genesis 19:29)

God's mercy and grace in saving us, at any time in human history, doesn't come because of our righteousness. It is not a 'reward'. Any righteousness a man obtains is directly a gift of God--more grace. Abraham had faith in God--and is God's friend.

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
(Isaiah 41:8)

Originally posted by queenannie38

Originally posted by dbrandt
Lot is mentioned as righteous , not his wife and children yet his wife and children were spared also. I find this interesting and see the Grace and Mercy of God in these actions.

I see the same things of God as you, dbrandt--but I'm wondering why you say Lot is mentioned as righteous--I don't find that anywhere.


God's mercy and grace in saving us, at any time in human history, doesn't come because of our righteousness. It is not a 'reward'. Any righteousness a man obtains is directly a gift of God--more grace. Abraham had faith in God--and is God's friend.

Lot mentioned as righteous
2 Peter 2:7-9 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wickedFor that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds

vs9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished:

You are preaching to the choir, one is saved by what Christ has done and we are considered righteous by God after we have ACCEPTED Christ.

Where you and I differ is you say all will be saved no matter what. Unless you accept Christ you are not saved and eternal seperation from God is your destination. Universalism is not Biblical. There are too many verses that tell otherwise, including vs 9 above.

this is the edit -How come there are smily faces on my post? , I didn't put them there. Hopefully someone will answer this.

[edit on 31-7-2005 by dbrandt]

Originally posted by dbrandt


Where you and I differ is you say all will be saved no matter what. Unless you accept Christ you are not saved and eternal seperation from God is your destination. Universalism is not Biblical. There are too many verses that tell otherwise, including vs 9 above.

Do I say 'no matter what?' The bible doesn't say that, and I'm just pointing out what it says when I say 'all will be saved.' I'm not making this up--despite my posting numerous verses that say just that, you continue to say there is eternal separation from God. Yet there are verses that contradict that, too.

Now when we find contradictions in our understanding of the scripture, do we just throw out those that don't align with our present ideas--as you are doing--or do we consider than maybe we don't yet fully understand as of yet? God does not contradict Himself and so if something appears to conflict, those of us who have faith in the bible as God's Word have no true alternative but to 'wait on the LORD' to reveal the rest of the story, which will make complete sense in the final revelation.

I do not refute there is 'everlasting' or 'perpetual' destruction (not suffering, torture, or separation) for certain ones. However these certain ones are not human souls (men).

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(Ephesians 6:12-13)

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
(Matthew 25:41)

Cain and Abel--Cain a husbandmen, Abel a shepherd. Cain being older is to care for his brother. But when Abel obeyed and Cain did not, instead choosing his own way of error, Cain became jealous in his heart and slew Abel. He answered God with 'am I my brother's keeper?'

Well, that he was. And what did he do? He killed him rather than keep him. And so the ground was cursed with that blood, and the inheritance was sold to the dark side who had eliminated the other heir. And so evil and sin abounded in the world, with idolatry being a direct product of worship of the rebellious host.

Christ came and was obedient, did not lie, and He paid the ransom of both the 'lost sheep of Israel' (Abel was the shepherd, remember?) and the fruits of the world's harvest (gentiles--men). He bought back the inheritance and in the year of jubilee, all redeemed possessions revert to their rightful owner. When Christ returns He takes back the inheritance, the apostasy is destroyed by fire (because these knew God and yet rebelled and polluted the world with their evil and greed--and all sorts of sensual lust) and the kingdom restored to the elect (kings and priests) who will rule with Christ over the 'world' which is all men--who were also ransomed and saved from the curse of death that came from being born in the flesh.

And through the witness of Christ's saving of the whole thing, and the battle between the elect and the powers of this world, and the final victory in which all but the rebellion are delivered and restored--through all these things the world will see the incredible mercy and power of God. Then, even the most adamant atheist will realize what was a lie and what was the truth, and the brightness of God's glory will leave no soul unconvinced that He is Most High over all and perfect in all His ways.

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
(1 Corinthians 4:1-5)

Ephesians 1:8-23 says there is no such thing as 'eternal separation from God'.

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
(Ephesians 1:21-23)

When God cast out Adam and Eve from the garden, His curse also carried a blessing with it--that of redemption. If permanent separation had been the end destination of any soul descended from them, then never would any of it even been done or said. They were separated and all are restored.

And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 5:16-21)

Unless you can find verses that actually refute what Paul is saying in Romans, you have a contradiction in your interpretation. Did Christ save all or just some? Is justification unto life to all men, or just some?

This never added up for me. If everyone died in the flood except Noah, dosen't that mean that everyone is inbred? Yuck! Isn't that a sin? Sorry if it's a bit off topic but I just want to know.

[edit on 7/29/2005 by GoldEagle]

Well, you may be surprised to know that recent findings by geneticists support a time when the human species was pinched off down to very few individuals. The lack of genetic diversity in the entire human race is less than that of a family of 50 Bonobos chimpanzees, so they claim. The article even went so far as to say it is likely it was pinched off more than once.
So it appears as though in fact we are all quite inbred, relatively speaking.

Christ died for all. Not all will listen and accept.
Thomas was murdered. Only one thief believed. Judas turned. Aggripa almost believed. Anninias lied to the Holy Spirit. Hymenaeus and Alexander were kicked out.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.