End Time Insights

The arrival of Jesus at the end of the age will mean the resurrection and the end of the Last Enemy, namely, Death - 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. Certain members of the congregation in Corinth denied the future resurrection of the righteous. Paul responded by stressing how necessary our resurrection is and by appealing to the past Death and Resurrection of Jesus. His resurrection was and remains the precedent for our future resurrection and life in the coming age. We will be raised bodily when he “ arrives ,” and his appearance will mean nothing less than the end of Death itself.

In his first letter, Peter addresses congregations under pressure to conform to the expectations and values of the surrounding society. Their situation is not unique. They are members of a worldwide suffering community. A key theme of the Letter is the necessity for believers to persevere in tribulations and remain steadfast in holy living until the “ Day of Visitation ” when Jesus will be “ revealed ” from Heaven.

In his second epistle, Peter addresses the growing weariness of some believers due to the apparent delay in or even the failure of the “ arrival ” of Jesus to materialize, an open door for false teachers and outside critics to exploit. Instead of the predicted terrestrial and cosmic upheaval, daily life was continuing as it always had. The Apostle’s explanation is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago.

Instead of calculating times and seasons, followers of Jesus must always be prepared for his sudden arrival . Did Jesus command his followers to know end-time chronologies, the “ times and seasons ”? Must we decipher key “signs” and use them to calculate the time of his return so we may prepare ourselves in the nick of time for the end? Did Christ and his Apostles leave us with a comprehensive list of signs whereby we may decode prophetic timetables and cosmic signs?

Portions of Daniel’s vision of the Fourth Beast with the Little Horn are applied to Jesus and his saints in the New Testament . Key phrases from Daniel’s vision of the four beasts “ ascending from the Sea ” and the “ one like a Son of Man ” are applied to the future coming of Jesus, descriptions of the Kingdom of God, and the sovereignty of the Messiah. What follows are several examples.

In explaining the resurrection, Paul lists key events that will precede or coincide with the arrival of Jesus at the close of the present age . Paul outlined the events that will occur at or shortly before the “ arrival ” of Jesus in 1 Corinthians . The Greek noun ‘ Parousia ’ or “ arrival ” is one of several terms Paul applies to the future coming of the Lord in his letters. Regardless of which term is used, the Apostle always refers to one “ coming ,” one “ appearance ,” one “ revelation ” and one “ appearance ” of the Son of God, not two or more.

Paul does not provide detailed information about the times and seasons since the Lord will arrive like a thief in the night  – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3. Paul continues discussing the “ arrival ” or ‘ Parousia ’ of Jesus Christ in Chapter 5 of  First Thessalonians , where he addresses the question of its timing and how it will affect the prepared and the unprepared. Rather than signs and timetables, the Apostle reminds his readers that “ the Day of the LORD ” will come like a “ thief in the night .”

Jesus will arrive on the Day of the Lord at which time the dead will be raised, the wicked judged, and death will cease . Paul discusses aspects of Christ’s future arrival in his letters to the Corinthians, including the “ Day of the Lord ,” the consummation of God’s Kingdom, the resurrection of the dead, the bodily transformation of saints still alive when Jesus comes, the judgment of the wicked, and the end of death itself .

The arrival of Jesus will mean the resurrection of the dead, the commencement of the New Creation, and the final judgment . Several Greek terms are applied by the New Testament to the return of Jesus, including ‘ Parousia ’ (“arrival”), ‘ erchomai ’ (“coming”), ‘ apokalupsis ’ (“revelation”), and ‘ epiphaneia ’ (“appearance”). Regardless of which one is used, it is always singular in number, it always refers to only one future “arrival,” “appearance,” “revelation,” or “coming.”

Paul responded to concerns about the dead in Christ by pointing to the resurrection that will occur when Jesus arrives from Heaven .  In his first Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reassured the congregation concerning the participation of saints who die before the ‘ Parousia ’ in the glories of that day. According to him,  BOTH  dead and living saints will assemble and “ meet ” the Lord as he descends from Heaven. Thereafter, they will be with Jesus “ forevermore .” He wrote these words in response to believers who were sorrowing over the deaths of fellow saints.

The “ day of the Lord ” will not commence until the “ Lawless One ” is “ revealed in the sanctuary of God .” His arrival coincides with the “ apostasy ,” and he will be characterized by his ability to deceive, especially with “ lying signs and wonders .” Satan himself will equip him to destroy as many saints as possible.

Jesus will deal with the “ Lawless One ” at his “ arrival ” or  Parousia . In describing this, Paul employs language from Daniel’s vision of the “ little horn speaking great things ,” originally, an image representing the Seleucid ruler who attempted to destroy the Jewish faith and nation through deceit and persecution.

When Jesus appears, faithful believers will rejoice exceedingly and participate fully in the glories of that day . In his first epistle, John exhorts his congregations “ to abide ” in Jesus. This is necessary so that “ whenever he is manifested, we may have boldness and not be shamed away from him at his arrival .” Believers are summoned to holy living because of the impending arrival of Jesus and the rewards that he will bring with him.

The whole earth will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of Heaven, and he will send his angels to gather his elect  –Mark 13:21-27. After describing the destruction of the Temple, Jesus turns to the subject of his return. How much time will pass between the Temple’s demise and his arrival, he does not say, but in the intervening period, his disciples must beware of deceivers and “ false prophets ” who spread false information about his coming.

SYNOPSIS  -  Peter exhorts Christians to persevere in suffering and persecution, and to live holy lives in the knowledge of Christ’s impending return  -  1 Peter 3:3-12 . I n his first epistle, Peter addressed Christians in Asia Minor who were experiencing pressure to conform to the demands and expectations of the surrounding pagan society. The situation was not unique to his churches - They were part of a worldwide suffering community. A dominant theme in this letter to them was the call to persevere through their sufferings and persecution.

In Chapter 3 of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he issues a prayer that concludes the first half of the Letter. In it, he reiterates two requests stated previously. First, for the opportunity to return to Thessalonica to continue ministering to the congregation. Second, for God to increase the Assembly’s love for him and others. The fulfillment of both requests will make the faith of the Thessalonians complete on the day when Jesus “arrives” from Heaven.

If anyone fails to keep the words of the book, he will be excluded from citizenship in the city of New Jerusalem  – Revelation 22:6-21.  The book of   concludes with an epilogue that recalls the earlier promises to “ overcoming saints ,” reiterates warnings against faithlessness, summons believers to render homage to God alone, and calls for Jesus to “ come quickly .” Testimony from uncontestable sources attests to the trustworthiness of the “ words of the book .”

The “coming” of Jesus will mean the vindication of the righteous and the judgment and condemnation of the wicked .  In the New Testament, several Greek terms are applied to the return of Jesus at the end of the present age, including parousia (“arrival”), erchomai (“coming”), and epiphaneia (“appearance”). Regardless of which term is used, in each instance, it is found in the singular number; it describes only one “ coming ” of Jesus. Each passage provides only a limited amount of information about the event.

Foundational to our future hope is bodily Resurrection when Jesus arrives in glory at the End of the Age . Paul’s description of the “ arrival ” or ‘ Parousia ’ of Jesus in his first letter to the Thessalonians was written to comfort believers over the fate of their compatriots who die before Christ’s return. We need not sorrow “ like the others ” since   the righteous dead will be resurrected when the Lord “ arrives ” from Heaven.