Title The Second Coming (1)/Acts 1:11
Contents Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles Book 1 People of the Early Church Lecture 11
Second Coming (1)[Acts 1:11]
Among the contents of the Christian faith, the biggest thing that remains after excluding his atonement and resurrection is the promise that the Lord will return.
“This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”
Because we believe in this word, we have a different life and different values than the people of the general world. So I think that this problem is the root and foundation for us, but it is a promise that we always think about again and sometimes feel conflict in our hearts.
Let's try to connect this question. ‘Will the Lord really come?’ If he does, ‘When will he come?’ ‘Why hasn’t he come yet?’ These are the things we want to examine from what we have seen today.
Jesus is really coming. To give the most definitive answer to that question, Jesus has to come now.
The ‘problem of the Lord’s coming’ and the ‘when will he come’ have a very close relationship. It is simple if you tell the date when Jesus will come. However, the Bible avoids the answer of when. Our attention is focused on when he will come, but the Bible only repeats the word that he will come. It is only saying that the Lord must come. Look at Matthew 24.
“When Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him in silence, saying, Tell us
Tell me, when will these things happen, and at your coming, and at the end of the world, nothing will happen.
Is there any sign?
Beware that you do not receive it. Many come in my name, saying, I am the Christ.
and will deceive many people. You will hear wars and rumors of wars, but beware.
Do not be afraid, these things must happen, but the end is not yet.
will rise against the kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
It is the beginning of calamity, when people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you.
Then you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
Silver will fall into temptation and will betray one another and hate one another, and there will be many false prophets.
This will arise, and will deceive many; and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will
It will grow cold (Matthew 24:3-12)”
The Lord told us to watch the signs without telling the time. But such signs are the same in the past and now. Wars were then, and famines and earthquakes were then and are still there. So it is not persuasive to say that the time has come when this happens.
So we need to look at this question with a fresh perspective. Where to get a hint for that word is in Acts chapter 1. The disciples had already asked Jesus the same question. Acts 1:6 says, “When they were assembled, they inquired of Jesus, saying, Are you restoring the kingdom of Israel at this time?” The disciples asked the timing here.
At that time the Lord said, It is not for you to know the times or seasons, which the Father has set in his own power. Therefore, the Lord cannot give an answer regarding the time and deadline. As for what it is about, it is explaining with signs that can be recognized on a general level that the Lord must indeed come.
“This is why famines and earthquakes cause wars and tribulations. What would we do if the house we live in shakes once every day? I am thinking of moving soon. These are the contents that the Lord has answered now. ‘The place where you live and where you are based is not an eternal place. A place that has no choice but to end. It is a place that is heading towards its goal with such a value system and such a foundation. The eternal kingdom must come, and for that purpose I must come.”
This is the deep meaning of the signs of the Lord. So whenever we see the way the world is going, we have to make sure that ‘this is a place where we shouldn’t set our eternal goals or make eternal investments here’
The question, then, is why the end is not coming soon and why is it being delayed. However, we find that in these verses there is also a mention of the phrase, “Because there is a different meaning for making us suffer in trouble.”
“But he who endures to the end will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom is a testimony to all nations.
It will be preached in all the world to be inhabited, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:13-14).
The biggest reason for the delay in time is to complete salvation. It is said that the goal is not to inflict suffering on us, but to complete those whom God has saved and to help more people be saved. What does this mean?
“Beloved, I now write this second letter to you,
Awaken the broken heart to think, that is, the words prophesied by the holy prophets,
To a remembrance of what the new Savior commanded through your apostles.
He knows this, that in the last days scoffers will come and walk after their own lusts,
They mocked him and said, Where is the promise of the coming of the Lord?
It is said that all things are just as they were when they were first created. This is because the heavens have existed since time immemorial.
And that the earth came out of water and was made up of water, by the word of God, that they
For this reason the world at that time was destroyed by overflowing waters,
My heaven and my earth were kept for fire by the same word,
preserved until the day of judgment and destruction of those who did not
Children, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day.
The Lord's promise is not slow, as some consider slowness, but only you
He was patient with Him, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, on that day the heavens will depart with a loud noise.
And the body will be dissolved with scorching fire, and the earth and all that is on it will be exposed.
(2 Peter 3:1-10)”
When the people of the world say that in the last days, Jesus is coming, two thousand years have passed since then, but what is coming? Life is getting harder and harder to lead a life of faith. If God didn't send Jesus quickly, why did he delay in this way? Will this suffering ever end? have a question to ask The reason is the answer given here for our benefit. How is it profitable?
When most men go to the army, they try to avoid suffering as much as possible. Because if you fill the time, you can be discharged. But it is not that God prolongs his life and withholds his coming to torment us, just as the state did not call us to torment us. It is an important training period.
The rank at the time of discharge is our rank. When discharged, the rank does not rise. There is no promotion, only promotion when on active duty. We have to do well for the rest of our 60s or 80s now, and when we go to heaven after being discharged, we will remain in that rank.
To make it clear that this world is not our end, no place to put our value, no place to lay up treasures, God places where there will be wars and calamities, tribulations and persecutions. In a sense, it is as if he left us alone.
The important reason for doing this is to make people think that it is not okay to accumulate treasures on this earth only there, and then allow them to build up the right treasures and give them time to build them. But what a misunderstanding is it that you want to leave sooner rather than later?
It is unfortunate that 10 years after believing in Jesus, there is no difference between what you did then and what you did now, and now that 10 years have passed, there are only a few decades left. We should not have our faith in that view. Here, we have to look at ourselves in front of these words. I need to have the realization to know how precious the time God has given me is. Are you sure you are laying up treasures on the ground? Isn't it a waste of time gone by?
This is not something we should fight with others, it is a fight that each of us should be seriously nervous about fighting. It is a battle that must be fought wisely, patiently, and persistently.