Peairtach
Puritan Board Doctor
I believe that all of us here will die - being a postmillenialist. Then we'll be raised and "raptured" at the end of time. the Great Tribulation was the destruction of Jerusalem although there have been not small tribulations since, and also associated with the Jewish Dispersion.
Although Jesus said that even He didn't know when He was returning, He already gives indications in the Olivet Discoure about when He is not returning.
From Matthew 24:36 Jesus is talking about His Second Coming - Matthew 24:1-35 is about His figurative coming in judgment on Jerusalem. He said this would happen in a generation and it did. Matthew 24:23-27 tell us that His literal and physical Advent wasn't to be in AD 70.
Re time indications which He is not going to return before
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.(Matt 24:37) The days of Noah's preaching were arelatively long time of 120 years and the judgment wasn't sent till he had proclaimed the Gospel.
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;(Matt 24:38) Jesus will tarry long enough to make people think that His Advent is delayed.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept (Matthew 25:5).
It's going to be a long time.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. (Matt. 25:14) Someone travelling far away may take a long time to get back.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. (Matt 25:19) Once again Jesus indicates He is going to be away for a long time.
Matthew 25:31-46 indicates that the Gospel will have been widely dispersed among all nations.
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23:39) He will not return in literal and physical glory until the Jewish nation receives the messengers of the Gospel. See also Romans 11 which indicates great Gospel blessing for the world after the conversion of the Jews. You can only have great Gospel blessing - i.e. lots of people saved by faith before Jesus returns, because when He returns faith will be swallowed up by sight (Heb 11:1).
Christ will not return until the apostasy and the revelation of Antichrist, which has been accomplished in the Papacy.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;(II Thess 2:3)
Christ does not come as a thief in the night for his people, nor will He come to take from them but to give to them, nor will that day be a nasty surprise for them, but only and always for the wicked.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ ( I Thess 5: 4-9)
More later..........
Although Jesus said that even He didn't know when He was returning, He already gives indications in the Olivet Discoure about when He is not returning.
From Matthew 24:36 Jesus is talking about His Second Coming - Matthew 24:1-35 is about His figurative coming in judgment on Jerusalem. He said this would happen in a generation and it did. Matthew 24:23-27 tell us that His literal and physical Advent wasn't to be in AD 70.
Re time indications which He is not going to return before
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.(Matt 24:37) The days of Noah's preaching were arelatively long time of 120 years and the judgment wasn't sent till he had proclaimed the Gospel.
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;(Matt 24:38) Jesus will tarry long enough to make people think that His Advent is delayed.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept (Matthew 25:5).
It's going to be a long time.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. (Matt. 25:14) Someone travelling far away may take a long time to get back.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. (Matt 25:19) Once again Jesus indicates He is going to be away for a long time.
Matthew 25:31-46 indicates that the Gospel will have been widely dispersed among all nations.
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23:39) He will not return in literal and physical glory until the Jewish nation receives the messengers of the Gospel. See also Romans 11 which indicates great Gospel blessing for the world after the conversion of the Jews. You can only have great Gospel blessing - i.e. lots of people saved by faith before Jesus returns, because when He returns faith will be swallowed up by sight (Heb 11:1).
Christ will not return until the apostasy and the revelation of Antichrist, which has been accomplished in the Papacy.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;(II Thess 2:3)
Christ does not come as a thief in the night for his people, nor will He come to take from them but to give to them, nor will that day be a nasty surprise for them, but only and always for the wicked.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ ( I Thess 5: 4-9)
More later..........
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