Christ's Clear Return

When it comes to the study of Christ's second coming, two interpretation difficulties arise which every Christian generation has had to wrestle with. First, how does one resolve the tension between the imminent return of Christ (he is coming soon, like a thief in the night) yet not immediate return (since there are signs that must first take place)? Second, how much of Jesus' teaching about the end of the age was historically fulfilled (particularly with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70) and how much of it remains to be fulfilled in the future? Related to this, how many historical events serve as a pattern or prelude to similar future events? These tensions account for the bulk of difficulties any Bible interpreter faces. Understanding these tensions also helps us see how good Christians throughout history have disagreed on many details regarding the events leading up to Christ's return.

Despite these difficulties and the variety of historical interpretations that have ensued among genuine Christians, I want to stress the amazing fact that Christians have universally upheld the essential doctrine of Christ's personal, visible, physical return to earth. He is literally coming back again! These interpretation difficulties do not lead to a lack of clarity on fundamental Christian doctrine. Christ's second coming has been a unifying doctrine for all Christians, tenaciously guarded by the church. This can be viewed another way: Interpretation difficulties about particulars surrounding Christ's return do not lead to false teaching.

False teachers must deliberately overlook the clear teaching of Scripture to perpetuate their heresies regarding Christ's return. Century after century, groups have denied the visible (Mt 24:29-30; Rev 1:7), literal ("I am coming soon" Rev 22:7, 12, 20), physical (Acts 1:11) return of Jesus Christ. Yet Scripture is clear on these points. Tensions of imminency vs immediacy, historical vs eschatological do not obscure this clear teaching.

The Thessalonian church was burdened with the false teaching that Christ had already returned (2 Th 2:2). Paul spends the whole chapter clarifying what they already knew from what he had taught them. "Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?" (2 Th 2:5). As a result of God's saving work in the lives of the Thessalonian church, they were not going to miss the boat. God had chosen them to be saved and sanctified, therefore, they were charged to hold fast to God's word they had heard from the beginning. His word is clear! "But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter" (2 Th 2:13-15).

Jesus warned us in the Olivet Discourse that many false teachers would come proclaiming the return of (counterfeit) Christs. What is the church's armor against such convincing claims? The word of Christ. "See, I have told you beforehand” (Mt 24:25). Yet more false teachers pridefully declare that they know secret information, long obscured from the view of many Christians. They have figured out the day of Christ's return. They have unraveled the puzzle! It was not that long ago that we had people in our city driving around in RVs emblazoned with May 21st, 2011, the date Harold Camping predicted Christ would return. That date got pushed back to October 21st, 2011. And after those days came and went, Harold Camping surprisingly repented of his false teaching. Do interpretation difficulties lead someone to arrogantly proclaim they know when Christ is returning? No! But dismissing clear Scripture does. "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour" (Mt 25:13).

Another prevalent heresy that has plagued every generation of the church is to deny Christ's return outright. Though some make the mistake of exaggerating every war and earthquake as a portent of imminent doom (everything is a sign; everything is an escalation to the end). These false teachers who deny Christ’s return see every event, every circumstance as a cycle which has repeated itself since the dawn of time. Nothing is a sign; nothing is hastening to the day of the Lord. "They will say, 'Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation'" (2 Pt 3:4). This false teaching must deliberately overlook God's work revealed in his word just as Peter says in the next verses. "For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly . . . But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pt 3:5-7, 13).

As we study the second coming of Christ in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25), we will have to wrestle with the tensions of imminency vs immediacy, historical interpretations vs eschatological expectations. In this, we join the ranks of every Christian generation that has preceded us. And, like them, we will hold tenaciously to the central and essential doctrine of Christ's personal, literal, visible return. We will have questions that will go unanswered, yet our resolve to wait eagerly for our Lord will only increase. And we will find that God's word will not lead us to doubt central truths, nor will it lead us to proclaim false teachings. God's word is abundantly clear. The tensions themselves are there to keep us looking up, for the day of our redemption draws near. The tensions are there so that we will live our lives in faithful service to Christ with fidelity to Scripture and endurance of faith.

When Christ returns, the world as we know it will be destroyed and made new. So how should we live in the interim? "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God" (2 Pt 3:11-12a). Christ's imminent return has always been a clarion call for holy living in the present age (Titus 2:11-13). And Christ's return has always been intended to focus us, not on antichrists, but on Christ himself. Since we know that false teachers twist the Scriptures to ignore Christ's words and obscure Christ's glory, the antidote is to grow in our knowledge of Christ in the Word of Christ.

"You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
(2 Pt 3:17-18).