9/24/75

 

DOCTRINE OF THE SECOND ADVENT

 

A.  Definition.

            1. There are two advents of Jesus Christ depicted in the Word of God.

            2. The First Advent begins with the virgin birth and concludes with the resurrection, ascension and session. During the First Advent, Jesus Christ in Hypostatic Union accomplishes the strategic victory of the angelic conflict and the salvation of the human race. This strategic victory gives Him battlefield royalty. He must have a royal family to go with this royalty. Therefore, there is the need for the Church.

            3. The Second Advent is designed to reveal Him as both battlefield royalty and Jewish royalty. He returns to earth in resurrection body and Hypostatic Union.

            4. At the Rapture of the Church, Christ does not return to the earth as in the Second Advent. We meet Him in the air.

 

B.  The Distinction Between the Rapture and the Second Advent.

 

RAPTURE

SECOND ADVENT

1.  Private, Acts 1:11

Public, Rev 11:7.

2.  In the air, 1 Thes 4:17

On earth, Zech 14:4.

3.  Judgment of believer’s works,            2 Cor 5:10

Baptism of Fire, Mt 25:31-46.

4.  Church goes to heaven, Jn 14:3         

Church returns with Christ,1 Thes 3:13.

5.  Holy Spirit is removed, 2 Thes 2:6

Removal of Satan, Rev 20:1-3

6. Change in believer’s body              Phil 3:21.

Earth is changed, Zech 14:9; Rom 8:19-22.          

7.  Christ appears as the groom.

He appears as the Messiah.

8.  End of the Church Age.       

End of the Jewish age.

9.  Israel under the fifth cycle of discipline.

Termination of the fifth cycle of discipline.

11. A time of comfort, 1 Thes 4:18.

A time of terror, Rev 6:15-17.

 

 

 

 

C.  At the Second Advent, Jesus Christ will return to Jerusalem and His feet will touch first on the Mount of Olives, Zech 14:1-4.

 

D.  Analogies to the Second Advent.

            1. The Analogy of Nature:  Lightning, Mt 24:27.

                        a. Seen by all, Rev 1:7.

                        b. Travels at great speed, Rev 22:7, 12.

                        c. Disturbs and frightens the unenlightened, Rev 6:15-17.

                        d. Warns of a coming storm. The Second Advent is characterized by the storms of coming judgment.

                                    (1) Annihilation of the invading armies.

                                    (2) Judgment of Satan and the fallen angels.

                                    (3) Judgment of the beast and false prophet.

                                    (4) Baptism of fire removes all unbelievers from the earth.

                                    (5) Administration of the fifth cycle of discipline to certain nations.

            2. The Historical Analogy, Mt 24:37-41.

                        a. It will be like the days of Noah. People were living under the wrong priorities. Marrying, eating, and drinking (normal pleasures in life) were more important than Bible doctrine.

                        b. “They did not know” a big judgment was on the horizon. And as in the time of Noah, so also in the Tribulation; people cannot tell what is about to happen because they have no Bible doctrine in their souls.

                        c. The believer is left and the unbeliever is taken in the baptism of fire. Just the opposite occurs at the rapture. In Noah’s day unbelievers were removed by water. Now fire will be used.

 

E.  The Second Advent and Armageddon.

            1. Armageddon is a campaign in the last world war of history. Jesus Christ comes back to slaughter the anti-Semitic armies, Ex 14:14; Josh 5:13-6:2; Isa 37:36; Ezek 38:16.

            2. Our Lord’s own record is broken at the Second Advent, Isa 34:5-6, 63:1-6.

            3. There are two sources of righteous violence:  Jesus Christ and the laws of divine establishment, Ezek 39:11-12; Joel 2:20; Zech 12:2-3; Rev 14:20, 19:15.

 

F.  The Second Advent and Operation Footstool.

            1. This is the final victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and the fallen angels. Ps 110:1 is the prophesy of the climax to the First Advent, the strategic victory of Christ.

            2. Heb 1:13, 10:13 teach that Christ receives His battlefield royalty and waits.

            3. During the Church Age, the royal family represents Christ on earth, not Israel. After the Rapture, the Age of Israel resumes.

            4. During the Tribulation, the royal family is being prepared in heaven. The bride receives a body like Christ’s, Phil 3:21; 1 Thes 5:23. Then the bride returns with Christ as a part of operation footstool, 1 Thes 3:13; Rev 19:6-8.

            5. Then comes operation footstool. Satan is locked up for 1000 years, Rev 20:1-3. There is the triumphal procession of Christ, Zech 13:2 cf Col 2:15; 1 Cor 15:24-25.

            6. Christ rules over Israel and the entire earth, which changes the environment of the world.

 

G.  The Baptism of Fire and the Second Advent.

            1. The baptism of fire is the means by which all the unbelievers are removed from the earth and cast into fire. Only mature believers of the Church Age will rule with Christ in the Millennium, 2 Thes 1:7-9.

            2. Jesus Christ is first mentioned in the baptism of fire in Mt 3:11-12; Lk 3:16-17. Mt 24:36-41 is an analogy to the baptism of fire.

            3. The parables of the baptism of fire.

                        a. Wheat and the Tares, Mt 13:47.

                        b. The bad fish.

                        c. The ten virgins, Mt 25:1-13.

            4. The Jewish baptism of fire is found in Ezek 20:34-38. The Gentile baptism of fire is found in Mt 25:31-46. 5. The baptism of fire is used to evangelize the Jews in the Church Age, Mt 12:27.

            6. The baptism of fire vindicates the character of God, Rev 19:11.

 

H.  The Second Advent and the Millennium.

            1. The Second Advent introduces the Millennium and perfect environment on the earth.

            2. Satan and demons are removed, Rev 20:1-3.

            3. There will be maximum spirituality, Isa 65:24. Evangelism continues on the earth.

            4. Israel is restored as a client nation to God, Isa 5:26-30; Zech 2:28-29.

            5. All the unconditional covenants to Israel are fulfilled, Dan 9:24.

            6. The nations of the world enjoy perfect environment, including:

                        a. Universal peace, Ps 46:9; Isa 2:4; Hos 2:18; Micah 4:3.

                        b. Universal prosperity, Ps 72:7, 16.

                        c. Perfect world government under Jesus Christ and the royal family, Isa 11:1-2; Zech 14:9.

                        d. Perfect objectivity in the administration of justice, Isa 11:3-5; Ps 72:12-14.

                        e. Nature changes radically. Creation shares the bondage of sin, Rom 8:19-22, and is released from this bondage. Isa 35 says that flowers abound. See also Isa 11:6-9, 65:25.

                        f. There is a population explosion, no death except for capital punishment.

                        g. The Gog revolution is started by Satan after his release from prison because there are unbelievers on the earth, Rev 20:7-10

. ______________

© 1989, by R. B. Thieme, Jr.      All rights reserved.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------