#Jesus Return

[thelordismylightandmysalvation]

Jesus Speaks of the Future ~ Mark 13:28-33 (NLT)

“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!

Graphic via Verse of the Day - Mark 13:33

[psalmonesermons]

Did Jesus and his earliest followers believe that he would return during their lifetime ? Part 1/2.

A study of Mark 9:1, Mark 13:30, and Matthew 10:23

Certain people, usually sceptics, claim that Jesus appeared to have stated in three different bible verses that his second coming would take place before all his first followers had died.

The main passages they cite are Mark 9:1, 13:30, and Matthew 10:23.

If the sceptics claim is true, then it has big implications for the internal consistency of the bible. If Jesus predicted such a thing and it did not happen, then Jesus’ words could be considered unreliable and therefore a significant part of the New Testament canon could be proven to be untrustworthy.

Much has been written about this apparent dilemma however the best studies[1] are able to offer reasonable alternative explanations for all three of these verses after close study.

Mark 9:1: KJV [2] In anticipation of the Transfiguration

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

This verse is leading up to the transfiguration, which Jesus’s disciples, Peter, James, and John are about to witness, so Mark is thinking along those lines. The fact that the transfiguration occurs six days later suggests this promise seems to confirm this interpretation, as does Peter’s description of the transfiguration[3].

Mark 13:30: Predicting Jerusalem’s Destruction

Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

“These things” refers to what he has just been describing, and in verses 24–27 where Jesus has described his own return to earth. Again, Jesus speaks of “these things happening” in verse 29 as a hint to recognizing that his return is near. This would have Jesus saying something like this, “Once you see I have returned, know that I am near.” This does not make sense.

“These things” in verses 29–30 must surely refer to the events described in verses 5–23, all of which can be understood to have been at least provisionally fulfilled in the years between Jesus’s death (AD 30) and the destruction of the temple in AD 70— or you could say a 40-year period, or a biblical generation.

Matthew 10:23: Interrupting the disciples’ short-term mission to Israel?

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

This is the most difficult of the three verses to interpret. In verses 5–42, Jesus is teaching the disciples about what to expect as they travel around Israel trying to replicate Jesus’ ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing.

Does Jesus think his second coming will happen within a matter of weeks or months?

Sceptical people assert that Jesus appears to think that his second advent will happen within a matter of weeks or months. Could it be possible that Jesus could be killed and resurrected, go away into heaven, and then return, all during the comparatively brief period that the apostles are on the road proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom within Israel? This seems highly unlikely. If it were not for the other two passages we discussed, this idea might never have even occurred to anyone. But what then does Jesus mean?

Jesus meant he would meet up with his disciples again somewhere before they had completed their mission. By applying Occam’s razor, this would be the simplest answer. Jesus often styled himself as the “Son of Man,” instead of saying ‘I’ as is also the case in Matthew 8:20. Every other time Jesus speaks of the ‘Son of Man’ coming, he refers to his return in glory (in Matthew’s Gospel alone, see 16:27, 28; 24:27, 30, 37, 39, 44; 25:31; 26:64).

However the ‘Son of Man’ will return in glory makes the “meeting up with the apostles before their mission trip was over” interpretation unlikely, together with various other interpretations. For example, some have suggested that the coming of the Son of Man could refer to Jesus’s resurrection, to his sending of the Spirit at Pentecost, or to his coming in judgment against Israel with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Sometimes interpreters have tried to strengthen their case for one of these by reinterpreting one or more of the other occurrences of the Son of Man’s coming in Matthew in the same way.

In Part 2 we consider an alternative explanation to these passages.

[1] Craig L Blomberg -see part 2

[2] See also parallels in Matthew 16:8 and Luke 9:27

[3] See 2 Peter 1:16-18

[duking-out-life]

A Disturbing Ad - Encouraging Abortion

This post highlights an ad promoting abortion and how that goes against the narrative that abortion should be legal but rare.

(This post may contain affiliate links where I am paid a small fee) I recently heard a commercial that left me feeling quite sad. It was sponsored by Planned Parenthood. In the ad, four or five women shared their abortion experiences, each declaring it to be a positive choice for them. I couldn’t believe Planned Parenthood has stooped to this level to encourage abortions among young women.…

[hsantand]

The Prophet Who Brought Rain to Catalonia and Spain

Being a prophet of God was never an easy task; in addition to arousing the enmity of agnostics and atheists, the anointed one must endure the contempt of their own church, inevitably preconditioned by the lives of their saints and martyrs. The appearance of the Virgin Mary to virgins and children over the past two centuries has accustomed the 21st-century faithful to believe that God never…

[jesusstormteam]

Giant Idol and false religions

[touchofgoddotworld]

Not Frightened of Wars or Rumors of Wars (211) - September 16 2023

Play on other Podcast Apps We walk through several verses in Matthew 24 as we hear how Jesus describes the End Times. This program covers the following scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC): Matthew 24:1-12. Help us by supporting the program via Podfan 🙂 Contact us for Prayer Type your email… Subscribe to our Weekly Email Online Weekly Meeting Bible Teaching and…

[mweiii]

this is truly the end of the world

[p4nishers]

i cant get over the ball being so CLEARLY all for crowley i can't get over aziraphale trying to woo him with a WHOLE FUCKING BALL because that's what he knows that's what romance IS for him because he's been wanting to dance with crowley ever since dancing was invented and he's so stuck in time with the way he dresses and talks and he still thinks a dance is the high of romance AND HE MADE A WHOLE ENTIRE FUCKING BALL FOR CROWLEY JUST SO HE COULD DANCE WITH HIM like now it's so fucking obvious he gave away his BOOKS without a second thought and it was all for crowley he organised a whole JANE AUSTEN THEME BALL just so he could have an excuse to finally dance with the love of his life and i can't get over this i'm shaking my fists and pacing up and down he did not give a single fuck about anything other than dancing with crowley and HE BARELY TOUCHED OTHER PEOPLE'S HANDS WHILE HIS WHOLE FUCKING PALM WAS PRESSED TO CROWLEY'S AND i need to lie down

[beansnpeets]

Thinking about human behaviour compared to animal behaviour again.

It's funny to hear people (the older gens) complaining that "kids these days are lazy, they don't wanna work, etc." What do we get for busting our asses? There is no reward. Many will never own homes. Many are unemployed, trying to find work, and nobody will hire them because they don't have a million years experience and a masters degree OR they want people to work for minimum wage??? People are giving up because there is no reward. Why would we do all this for nothing?

Same as a dog that won't recall when you haven't reinforced it with a reward. Your dog isn't going to do what you tell it to if there is no incentive. No, your dog SHOULDN'T listen just because you're boss and it should respect you. That isn't how it works. They don't think that way. And honestly neither do people.

When we went hiking Sprocket wasn't always taking treats gently from me when I recalled her or she checked in and I rewarded and my one friend told me to stop giving her treats. I told him I won't work for free so why should she. And he said "I do things for free all the time because I want to do them," and I didn't say it then, but I wish I had, but if you like doing it, that's the incentive. It's a self-rewarding behaviour. Just like anything else a dog does, like chasing a squirrel or sniffing things or getting into the trash. Heeling instead of going off to sniff stuff or recalling off of something they want to chase is something you have to reinforce. You have to give them something better so they make the choice you want them to make. They won't make it just because they *respect* you. They won't willingly recall off of exciting prey out of RESPECT. You need to give them a tangible reward for that. You cannot possibly expect your dog to listen just because and then punish them for disobeying you.

Yeah, Sprocket bit my fingers a couple times. The one time pretty hard. But she was excited. She knows how to take gently and I reminded her and she tried very hard to be gentle most of the time. I wasn't going to stop rewarding her for checking in with me and recalling while we were off leash hiking in the woods. I want her to know that coming back to me is good and in the event of an emergency I would like her to not blow me off.

[bloom-with-grace-and-faith]

[briankang]

"Filling up my truck yeah you want that ride, hit you like a truck I'mma make you fly"

[thelaurenshippen]

911 really is such a good reminder of the particularly kind of joy that is weekly, seasons-long shows with many episodes per season. every character gets a moment to shine even in a truncated season. the satisfaction of seeing characters grapple with stuff that happened YEARS ago. having multi-episode arcs and one-off arcs that are equally enjoyable. beach episodes (metaphorical). I know we're all saying this all the time but why can't more tv be like this

[psalmonesermons]

Did Jesus and his earliest followers believe that he would return during their lifetime? Part 2/2

A study of Mark 9:1, Mark 13:30, and Matthew 10:23.

Craig L Blomberg [1] has suggested another approach to Matthew 10

Blomberg suggests we need to focus in on the larger context of Matthew 10:23 (within Jesus’ sermon) on the mission described by Jesus in Matthew 10.

Vv. 5–15 seem limited to the immediate circumstances of Jesus sending out the disciples without going with them. Many of the teaching points in these eleven verses surely cannot refer to the longer-term mission of Jesus’s followers. Specifically, when Jesus applies the restriction to going anywhere among the Samaritans and Gentiles but only to the lost people in Israel (vv. 5–6) this contrasts with the instruction (to make disciples of all nations) that Jesus gives in his Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20.

It is also unlikely that Jesus intended his followers to never take money or extra provisions with them (vv. 9–10) in their later missionary activity, nor always to rely on others’ hospitality for their room and board (vv. 11–12). So it appears that as far into his message as verse 15, he is still speaking of the literal towns in first-century Israel.

In verse 16, however, he segways into a longer-term perspective. While it is always true that Christ’s followers should be as “wise as snakes” yet “as innocent as doves” (v. 16), this is particularly relevant for their ministry after his death and resurrection. Verses 17–42 contain warnings against rejection, persecution, hostility, arrest, imprisonment, beatings and even martyrdom for allegiance to Jesus (see esp. vv. 17–23a). Most of the above forms of persecution did not begin until after Jesus’s death, resurrection, and the sending of the Spirit, although it has sadly continued in various parts of the world ever since.

The Great Commission to make disciples of all nations includes Israel just as much as any other of the world’s nations.

Since verse 23b appears in this precise context, within the same verse as the prediction of persecution, it is best to understand Jesus as teaching the ongoing incomplete nature of the mission to the Jews, with “cities of Israel” is to be understood both literally and (by implication) to refer to all Jewish people everywhere. The Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (or people groups) includes Israel just as much as the rest of the world’s nations.

Blomberg then argues that in practical terms the meaning of Matthew 10:23 is that all believers should keep busy being about the Father’s business until the ‘Son of Man’ comes back.

Conclusion

Our closer look at the above 3 verses clearly demonstrates that Jesus did not claim he would return to earth during his first follower’s lifetime. Further, as far as these three verses are concerned, it is clear that the internal consistency of the bible remains intact and that there is no evidence of Jesus’ words proving unreliable.

Amen

[1] Craig L. Blomberg is distinguished professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary in Littleton, Colorado.

[unsurebazookacore]

opened my dash and the first thing i saw was:

i feel like someone punched me in the face so hard they sent me back to the 4th grade

[holyspiritgirl]

Read this ✝️🙏

You are not reading this by accident. This is your confirmation. Everything is going to be alright. God is making a way for you right now.

God is making arrangements. Something you prayed for is about to happen!

He says... "Don't even think about giving up. You are going to make it, no matter what it looks like right now. I know you’re worried about your finances, your health, your family… Remember I always work in your favor. I will bless you today with peace, healing and victory if you don't quit. I am going to bring something beautiful out of this ugly situation. Get ready for Your blessings”

He tells us, "Be still and know that I am God." You could think of a hundred things that could go wrong, but God didn't bring you this far to leave you. He's keeping the trouble from defeating you. Stay in peace; you're in the middle of a miracle.

Imagine Jesus is sitting right next to you and saying this to you : “… I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you..." - 2 Kings 20:5

Pray for a moment with me : Dear Lord, please guide our steps today, may you fill us with gratitude and purpose. Let us be instruments of Your love and light, anchored in Your truths and grace. In Jesus' name. Amen

And remember , "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Have a blessed day 👼🏻

[mcrbois]

wow.