Studies on the Return of Christ

By Hayes Press

This concise overview of Bible prophecy explains what is in store for Israel, believers in the Body of Christ and unbelievers, taking a pre-millenialist, two-phase coming, non-replacement theological view of the end times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hayes Press
• Release date: Apr 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386364382

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STUDIES ON THE RETURN OF CHRIST

COMPILED BY HAYES PRESS

Compiled by Hayes Press

Copyright © Hayes Press 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of Hayes Press.

Published by:

HAYES PRESS Publisher, Resources & Media,

The Barn, Flaxlands

Royal Wootton Bassett

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United Kingdom

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, the Revised Version (Public Domain)  Scriptures marked NKJV are from the New King James Version® (NKJV®). Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.  Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked NIV are from New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scriptures marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission (www.Lockman.org).

CHAPTER ONE: THE CLIMAX OF DIVINE PURPOSE (JIM JOHNSTON)

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

The knowledge that God is in complete control of events, and that He is working to a pre-determined plan should suffice to dispel any doubts and calm any fears that might dismay us. The overruling hand of God may be discerned in relation to events of world-wide significance and also in relation to the affairs of our everyday lives. Nothing happens by chance the ordering of events is in the hands of a loving, all-wise omnipotent God, and we are happy to leave it there.

Nebuchadnezzar was a proud and haughty despot, and the world-wide dominion given to him ushered in the times of the Gentiles, but he had to learn by bitter experience that, although he exercised great authority, he was subject to a higher authority. He was compelled to acknowledge that God, doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou? (Daniel 4:35).

THE OUTWORKING OF THE DIVINE PLAN

Divine objectives were set out in the eternal counsels of deity and the purpose conceived in those counsels were not thwarted by the entrance of sin into the world. That eventuality had been foreseen and taken into account in the divine plan. The sombre backcloth of man's sin and rebellion, permitted by God, has thrown into brighter relief the wondrous grace, mercy and love of the One, who worketh all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).

For the fulfilment of His purposes God has intervened directly in the affairs of men at specific times; the most crucial intervention so far taking place after some four millenniums of human history had run their course. At that point in time God sent His Son into the world. That coming took place at the consummation of the ages (Hebrews 9:26 RV margin) or the fulness of the time (Galatians 4:4). The appearing of the Son of God on earth in human form marked a definite climax in fulfilment of the divine plan. A further climactic point will be reached at the second coming of Christ to earth when there will be ushered in the dispensation of the fulness of the times", in which all things will be summed up in Christ (Ephesians 1:10).

OLD TESTAMENT PREDICTIONS

The prophets wrote of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them (1 Peter 1:11). It was not, however, appreciated by those who companied with the Lord when He was here that the sufferings must precede the glories. The One who came to earth to suffer and die will one day come to earth to reign; this is explicitly predicted in the Scriptures. A preview of the succession of world empires throughout the succeeding centuries until the full divine plan is finally achieved on earth was given through Daniel: in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever (Daniel 2:44). The ruler of that kingdom will be the Lord's Anointed (Psalm 2; Daniel 7:13, 14) who was rejected by Israel and the Gentiles at His first coming (Acts 4:25-28), a rejection which had been predicted.

THE CONSUMMATION OF THE DIVINE PURPOSE FOR ISRAEL

A time-period for the completion of God's purposes in relation to Israel was specified in the revelations given to Daniel but there is a break in the continuity within the stipulated period. The seventy weeks of the prophecy are divided into three component parts of sixty-two weeks, seven weeks and one week (Daniel 9:25-27). Sixty-nine weeks have run their course, the final week has yet to be fulfilled. The sixty-nine weeks began with a definite event, the issuing of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem, and ended with a definite event, the rejection and death of God's anointed One. The magnitude of the period of time between these two specific events clearly shows that the weeks referred to are weeks of years. The precision of that Old Testament prediction is confirmed by the record of history.

As the completion of the seventy weeks sees the realization of the God appointed consummation for Israel and the nations, and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness, its terminal point must clearly still lie in the future. There must, therefore, be a hiatus between the completion of the sixty-ninth week and the beginning of the seventieth week. A comparison of the prophecies of the books of Daniel and Revelation sheds further light on this final week, confirming that it is a week of years. The assertion that there is a time-gap of indefinite duration to be allowed for is not unreasonable as the prophecy relates specifically to Israel, Seventy weeks are decreed upon they people (Daniel 9:24). Israel's rejection of the Messiah resulted in their being set aside nationally by God, and they will not be taken up again until God's present purpose for this dispensation has been accomplished.

The commission that the Lord gave to His apostles, when they met with Him by appointment in Galilee after His resurrection, was world-wide and multinational in its scope and age-long