Christ's Return (Second Advent)
Question: Why did the Lord Jesus say/imply that He would return soon!
There are a number of ways of looking at this. The Bible says that “Jesus came at the end of the Ages, to deal with sin”, Heb. 9:26.
In this Bible quote it is implicit that “the Ages” is a very long time; i.e. the varying estimates are up to 10-12 billion years of Earth’s existence!
As we know from 2Peter 3:8, 1000 years to God is as one day; so, 2000 years = 2 days to the Lord!
As however it seems implicit in the Lord’s statement that He was saying that He was to return soon (from the moment that He spoke), the above definition does not seem to correspond!
Jesus qualifies His words in Matt. 24:32–44, which are outstanding when comparing with “the days of Noah”!
We must bear in mind that Jesus was speaking to the Jews; and in that context, as He said Himself repeatedly, “I come only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matt. 15:24)! In that context, God’s Covenant commitment to Israel was foremost in the efforts of Jesus and all the Apostles, and particularly Paul; which ran right up to the end of Acts, after which because of the rejection by Israel of Jesus as their Messiah; they were made “Lo-Ammi” (not My people); which will run up to the time of the enactment of Zech.12:10!
Paul did not enact the Prophecy of Isa. 6:9–10, until Acts 28:25–28, until he was instructed by the Risen Lord to do so (as he had been told by Jesus, he would instruct him later), which then delayed the 2nd Advent of Christ Jesus until the completion of the “Gentile numbers”; Rom. 11:25–27!
So; in answer to the question; the Jewish rejection of Jesus stopped His near return (in the timescale of humans)!
But; His return will be when Israel mourn their rejection of their much loved Messiah (Zech.12:10); which in the timescale of God, is only a little over two days, compared with Millions of years!
The most notable indicator of the nearness of Christ’s 2nd. Advent is Matt. 24:32!
Israel is the “Fig tree”; and she has been nurtured back to health by the Gardener/Father, ready for the “Harvest” (when all the Gentiles of the Body of Christ Jesus is complete, Rom.11:25); after which “all Israel will be saved”; and the prophecy of Ezek.39:21–29 will be enacted!
Prior to that, they must undergo further “trouble” Jacob’s!
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