Look! Up in the Sky!

LOOK UP IN THE SKY

Waiting for the Coming of Christ

Look up in the sky…..

“Hey! It’s a bird…. it’s a plane…. no…., it’s Superman!”

This phrase is commonly said in Superman cartoons. Superman was seen in the sky flying for the rescue of the villains’ victims. People saw him as a man flying with super strength. People looked at him as their savior, the savior of their world. Superman, the Man of Steel indeed is a great superhero. He is my favorite superhero. I may seem like a child, but you know Superman created a hope in people’s hearts. When they saw Superman, they thought, it was the man who would save them from their fears and their enemies. Superman guaranteed security and protection. Superman though he was in outer space could hear millions of voices of people needing his help. That’s why he is “Super” man. He has abilities greater than an ordinary man. But the reality is: Superman is still a fantasy. There is no such thing as Superman. But you know this fantasy character is also based on the realities of life.

Because of what is happening in this planet earth, people are looking for a savior or saviors who can change this world and make it a better place. Every religion in this world teaches a great man just like “Superman”. The Israelites in Bible times had their “messiahs” or “anointed Ones”.  They were looking for a God-anointed Savior, a Messiah to save them from their enemies, from the Roman Empire. They were looking for a “Political” and “Military” Messiah. That is why they were looking not for a “spiritual” kingdom but for a “natural” literal kingdom. There are people to day who are still longing for the building of the temple of Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ will reign for a millennium according to them. It will be a “literal” kingdom, according to them. They are still waiting for a “Messiah” or “Christ” to come from heaven. It seems like they are the people in Superman movies, looking for the Superman to come and save them. They are looking for a “Messiah complex”.

The Israelites, the Muslims, and even Christians are still waiting for a “Messiah”, a “Superman” to come and save them. Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah already came in the first century into the world of Israelites, when “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim 3:16), when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). John 1:10-11 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” Yes! Jesus Christ [The Messiah] already came but they didn’t know him. They didn’t received him. But people among who received him as the Messiah “to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12). That was Chris’t second coming. Unbelieving Israelites didn’t receive him. But believing Israelites [Jews and Gentiles] received him. They believed in him. They were the “Christians” of the first century. They were the disciples called “Christians”.

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

They didn’t call themselves Christians. Others did it. Not them.

These “Christians” who were believers of Christ were looking for their redemption. They were expecting for the hope of Israel as Paul the apostle called it:

Acts 28:20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

Acts 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Acts 24:21 Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

These Christians were expecting that hope to happen in their lifetime, trusting in the very words which were spoken by the mouth of their Messiah Jesus:

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Luke 21:22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Luke 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

All those spoken by Jesus (read the whole chapters cuch as Matthew 24) were already fulfilled in their generation.

They were hoping for this:

1 Thesalonians 4:
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
 17 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.

and this:

1 Corinthians 15:
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

All these things were fulfilled. Christ came back and fulfilled his words to that generation. He came in his kingdom and he delivered up that kingdom to God, that God may be all in all.

Before and after that fulfillment, there arose people who didn’t believe in the words of Christ and began a “religious” Christianity. And this so-called Christianity was already mixed with paganism. They questioned the authenticity of the Scriptures and exalted “traditions” more than the “Words of God”. These happened according to the words of the Great Apostle of the Gentiles:

Acts 20:
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Came those scoffers:

2 Peter 3:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

These people were saying to the believers “Where is the promise of his coming?” They were as if saying “Why wait for his coming? He won’t come as he said. Maybe wait for a two thousand years or more…”. And this was the beginning of the “futurism” eschatology of Christianity. So-called “Christians” from different thousands of denominations are waiting for Christ to come in “the future”, looking for Superman to appear from heaven and snatch them up or whatever they may call it.

Many versions of this “futurism” eschatology are popular in Christianity. And Christians are very confused of what eschatology is the true teaching of the Bible. There are many versions such as Premillennialism, Postmillennialism and Amillennialism. There are many opposing groups under these isms. There are pretribbers, midtribbers, postribbers, no tribbers, pre-wrathers. There are also Partial preterists and idealist-preterists.

All these are versions of futurism. All of them were looking for a literal coming of Christ on earth. A literal new heaven and earth.

Israelites were looking for the Messiah. Even the modern-day Jews are still looking for their Messiah. Even Christians from different versions of denominations are still looking for the Messiah.

But the apostles, Paul and the first-century Christians (which were Israelites: Jews and Gentiles) were looking for a quick fulfillment of prophecy in their lifetime.

Hebrews 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

What must we believe? The Christian teachers who teach “Futurism” or the Holy Scriptures that teach the “Fulfillment” message. I would rather believe the Scriptures, the very words of the Lord.

Judaism is futurist. Christianity is futurist. Religions are futurists. But the Scriptural faith people are not futurists but believers of the “fulfillment” message. Yes, they are believers of fulfilled eschatology. That’s not what modern Christianity teaches. That’s not what institutional denominational Christianity teaches.

Jesus will not come like Superman. The Bible teaches that Jesus “he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:7).

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

He was portrayed by John as the rider of the white horse, coming with clouds. He was not portrayed as riding on a flying motorcycle, or riding on spaceship or a UFO with guns and bombs. He was portrayed according to the descriptions of their generation – the first century. Jesus fulfilled these prophecies in the first century – “quickly”.

He will not come to change this universe and planet earth and make them a new heaven and a new earth. The fact is Jesus Christ is already “present” and is “here with us”. We just have to acknowledge and accept this truth. Paul the apostle said: “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). After Christ ascended to heaven, he was absent in a natural body of “flesh and blood”, but the sent the Holy Ghost as the manifestation of his presence during the Acts period until 70 A.D. And though he was not there in “the flesh” Jesus was present with the apostles because he was there with them as the “Head of the Body”. Did the Head leave the Body. If so then that Body was a headless body. It was not like that. He didn’t leave them. Jesus told told them: “I am with you always until the end of the world”. he didn’t leave them. They could not see him, but he was there.

How much more today? If he was present during the apostolic times, he is much more present TODAY because he is “God with us”.

So why should I be looking up and wait for the Messiah to come if Christ is already present here in and with me?