Below is a brief summary of some of the other imminency passages in the New Testament, excluding the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and excluding Revelation. These passages concern not only the Second Coming but related events as well: • Jesus said the judgment of the world was “now” (John 12:31). • Jesus said He would come again to claim his disciples to whom He was speaking (John 14:3). • The Christians were eagerly waiting for the glory about to be (Greek mello) revealed (Romans 8:18-23). • The hour had come, and the prophesied events were nearer/at hand (Romans 13:11-12). • The Christians were (eagerly) waiting for the revealing of Jesus in the Day of the Lord Jesus—at the end (1 Corinthians 1:7-8). • The time was very short (1 Corinthians 7:29). • The form of the world was passing away (1 Corinthians 7:31). • The end/fulfillment of the ages had come upon them (1 Corinthians 10:11). • Some believers would be alive at the Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:51). • The brethren were (eagerly) waiting for Christ’s coming (Philippians 3:20). • The Lord was at hand (Philippians 4:5). • The first-century Christians waited for Jesus from heaven to grant them relief from their oppressors when Christ was revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-19; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10). The language mirrors that of the Olivet Discourse. Paul promised the Thessalonians that God would give them relief at Christ’s Second Coming. If that relief did not come as promised, then Paul was either a false prophet or a liar. Are the Thessalonians still waiting today for relief from their first-century oppressors? • Some of Paul’s brothers to whom he wrote would be alive at the Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15, 17). • Paul told his brothers to be watchful for the Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:2-11). Why would they be told to be watchful if the events were 2,000 years later? • Paul prayed that the bodies of first-century believers would be preserved until the Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 5:23). • The Second Coming would occur during the life of Timothy (1 Timothy 6:14). • The brethren were waiting for the glorious appearing of Jesus (Titus 2:13). • Jesus would appear a second time to save those in the first century who were eagerly waiting for Him (Hebrews 9:28). • The Day was approaching/drawing near (Hebrews 10:25). • Jesus was coming again in a very, very little while without delay (Hebrews 10:37). “Very” appears twice in the Greek text. And nowhere in the Bible is “a little while” portrayed as being thousands of years. • The coming of the Lord was at hand (James 5:7-8). • The judge was standing at the door (James 5:9). • Christ was ready to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5). • The end of all things was at hand (1 Peter 4:7). • It was time for the judgment to begin (1 Peter 4:17). • The glory and Second Coming were about to be (Greek mello) revealed (1 Peter 5:1, 4). • With the Lord a thousand years is as a day (2 Peter 3:8). While this passage is often translated as meaning a long time, given the imminency of Peter’s other words in his epistles, it seems best to believe that he meant the Day of the Lord would come soon. The time was short. • They were looking for and hastening the coming of day of God (2 Peter 3:12). • The world was passing away (1 John 2:17). • It was the last hour (1 John 2:18). If the fulfillment of this verse is still in the future, its fulfillment is about 17 million hours late!
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 01:54:54 +0000
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