Come, Lord Jesus
Of all the subjects we have looked at this is probably the most important, yet difficult to comprehend. It's not something that our current experience can cope with. We're looking for someone who is the son of God, someone we've never met in person doing something that has never been done before. I have to admit I've often wondered just what it will be like and just how I will respond.
Last week we looked at prophesies explaining what the world will be like and how Jesus will appear. But what happens next?
The Bible has the only answer.
I'm going to start in one of my favourite chapters -1 Thessonians 4, but first go back as step. What has happened to those who believed in Jesus but are now dead?
The central theme of the New Testament is that of resurrection. The Sadducees and rulers in the times of Jesus and the Apostles had problems with this. Paul's discussion at Athens centers around this issue. And in his defense before the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:6) and before Agrippa (Acts 26:8), he relates to this as the central issue of their differences. It even went so far that some of the followers of Jesus didn't quite understand. Paul had to write to the Corinthians (in chapter 15) and explain that just as Jesus was raised from the dead, and so will those who follow Jesus.
This is still not understood these days. Main professing Christians ignore the Bible teachings and instead hold on to the pagan and Norse idea of an afterlife and underworld. This begs the question - why?
I had a discussion quite a long time ago with two people who didn't know much about Jesus but wanted to find out a bit more and while we were talking the topic got round to "what's in it for me?" I straight away answered that we could all have a place in Jesus' Kingdom, forever. This didn't have the effect I expected. It wasn't until I worked out that they expected any follower of Jesus to spend eternity up in the clouds playing a harp and admiring the sunset. To them (and me) this sounded like some sort of eternal punishment.
So what does the Bible actually say?
We were looking at 1 Thessonians 4 at the time and we see that Jesus is coming back to earth. We read that those who have already died will be raised. And lastly we have the words "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
It took me quite a long time, but they thought that this meant that we would be in the clouds, forever. I'd always been so interested in the preceding verses showing that the "dead in Christ shall rise first", that I'd see my Grandparents and other relatives and friends who are now dead, that I'd not seen this explanation. No wonder they weren't very enthusiastic about being Christians!
As we've already come across this year, reading a verse or phrase out of context can cause all sorts of problems. Fortunately the Bible contains loads of other references and prophesies showing that God cares for the Earth and that his ultimate wish is to see it perfect, populated with people who love him and each other. This is especially true of the books of Isaiah, Ezekiel other prophets of old.
In a few weeks we'll look at just what it will be like to be in that kingdom.