Monthly Archives: April 2014

In An Hour As You Think Not, Rapture, The Soon Return of Jesus

40 Days-Before Going Home

“…He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.  Acts 1:3

For 40 days after the cross and His resurrection, Jesus  was seen  with “infallible proofs” and spoke about things of the kingdom of God.  The big question on the disciples mind was:

 “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Verse 6

Jesus answer was blunt:

“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” Verse 7 

How ever you want to interpret the answer, Jesus made it clear that the timing belonged to the Father only.  Jesus used similar words another time in Matthew 24 about His second coming:

 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24: 36

But just before verse 36 and after, he Jesus also made it clear that we, as watching Christians,  can know His coming and the end is near even as a person who is at the front door.

 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!

Verse 32, 33

Jesus goes on to explain the conditions of the world before the coming of Christ.  His coming will be one of surprise for those who have become a lover of this world.  Many will be going about the everyday events of this earth when Jesus will visibly come back.

 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,  and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24: 38-39

I will come back to verse shortly.  A relevant question concerns what the angels said  about His return in Acts 1?  They said you will see Him, just as they saw Him go:

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Verse 11

This begs the question as to why so many people teach that the church is secretly raptured at His coming.  When He comes, as shown in Matthew 24: 39 above, those who were caught by surprise  (eating, drinking, marrying, etc.) are “took away.”  This is not a translation  or a rapture but something different.  Luke describes the same scene, but uses different language for those who are “took away.”

They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Those that are “took away” are taken by the destruction that takes place when Jesus returns. Peter described this destruction.  It is by fire:

 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

1 Peter 3:10

The second coming is loud and destructive, not silent.  The reference to the “thief in the night” can’t be related to something secret since His coming is visible and with much fire.  A thief catches its victim by surprise and takes their belongings.  They don’t expect it.

Paul and Matthew encourages us to watch for  the “thief” so we won’t be surprised.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:4

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Matthew 24: 43

Let go back to the scene in Acts 1 as Jesus was ascending to heaven.

Where was He during this time of 40 days?  It must of been of such little consequence that Luke made no reference to His whereabouts.  But, one thing is clear.  After the 40 days, he ascended to His Father as described six verses later by Luke:

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,  who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1: 9-11

And where did Jesus Go?

After the crucifixion and His resurrection, Jesus stayed on this earth for 40 more days.   There is a seeming odd statement by Jesus to Mary when she went to the tomb and did not find Him in it.  She then asked someone she thought to be a gardener about the body of Jesus, but it was Jesus.  Then Jesus said something that lets us know that He had not yet been to Paradise where Heaven and the Father are  located:

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.  John 20:17 KJV

Jesus clearly states He has not yet ascended to the Father, at least not up until that point.  Many think that Jesus went to Paradise the day He died on the cross because he said to the repentant thief:

“And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”  

Luke 23:43

There are also many that think that Jesus went to hell during his death and resurrection, but there is no evidence in the Bible of any such think happening.  Also, what would be the purpose?

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living…”  Mark 12:27

But if Jesus had not gone to Paradise, where God the Father and all the holy angels are located, then is there a contradiction?  The answer is simple.  The original language of the Bible did not contain punctuation.  When the translators were translating it into English, the comma was placed at the wrong place in the sentence without considering the verse in Luke and other passages that let us know he did not go to paradise until He ascended to God after about 40 days.   With the comma in the right place, it brings harmony to the other verses in the Bible:

“And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you today, (comma is at the right location here)  you will (future tense) be with Me in Paradise.”  

Luke 23:43

With the comma in the right location,  it states that Jesus is promising him today while everything looks hopeless that he will be with Him in paradise. Jesus did not go to paradise that day.  The  answer Jesus gave the thief is in context of the desire of the thief when he said to remember him when he comes into His kingdom.

 “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

Luke 23:42

When does Jesus come into his Kingdom?

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

 Mathew 25: 31-34

Even as the death dew was upon the brow of Jesus, He was in His Father’s will of bringing compassion and salvation to any who responded to the tug of the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus.  The thief had likely heard Jesus talk about the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God and desired to be part of it.  *Jesus talked more about the Kingdom of Heaven or God than He did about hell, so likely the thief was familiar with Jesus teaching on the kingdom.

*Note:  for more study, go to this link, Did Jesus Teach More about Hell than Heaven

In this account of Mary weeping at the empty tomb of Jesus demonstrates how hopeless the disciples of Christ felt.  She is so immersed in the pain of losing Jesus that she is unable to immediately recognize that Jesus is there with her.  It is not until he says her name, “Mary” that she realizes that her grieve and sorrow have turned into inexpressible joy.

The same occurred when the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  They were so discouraged and were in a frame of mind that to believe He was resurrected.  They could not believe that the resurrection of Jesus was possible.

In a favorite book, called, Desire of Ages, the author puts it this way:

“…the disciples thought upon His empty tomb, and mourned and wept. The day that was a day of rejoicing to all heaven was to the disciples a day of uncertainty, confusion, and perplexity. Their unbelief in the testimony of the women gives evidence of how low their faith had sunk. The news of Christ’s resurrection was so different from what they had anticipated that they could not believe it. It was too good to be true, they thought. They had heard so much of the doctrines and the so-called scientific theories of the Sadducees that the impression made on their minds in regard to the resurrection was vague. They scarcely knew what the resurrection from the dead could mean. They were unable to take in the great subject.” p. 792, 793

There is a lesson here for us.  There will be times when we have heard what the Word has to say, but we are so despondent that we cannot believe.  But, God in his mercy and love for us, will appear in the darkest part of our time and gently say our name.  Then we will turn and our grief will be turned to joy.  Then we will remember the words of encouragement that were spoke to us before our time of trouble came.

We  will be on our journey away from the discouragement of Jerusalem and the crucifixion on a dusty road about to give up all hope, when Jesus will suddenly appear and teach us things we did not know.   Our hearts will burn within us as we listen and understand.  Faith will begin to grow, but we won’t know it is Jesus talking to us until we least expect it.  That is how Jesus works sometimes.  He just shows up!  We didn’t pray for Him to do that.  He just shows up!  We weren’t looking for Him, but He just shows up!  Why?  Because God loves and cares for those who are downcast and hurting.  This is the type of God we serve!

 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Isaiah 41:10

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3

There is a verse in the New Testament that is hardly ever mentioned.  I have never heard a sermon on it,  but it is an impressive event that fits well with the train of thought here concerning the activities of Jesus during the 40 days on earth before he returns to His Father.

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Matthew 27: 52, 53

When Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain, the rulers’ daughter, and Lazarus, they were not clothed with immortality. They must have died again  in the future after growing old to wait for the great resurrection morning.  This is only speculation on my part.  But, those that were resurrected on that Sunday morning with Jesus were the “first fruits” of the resurrection.  They were the trophies of His victory over death. They represented the sacred truth of the resurrection and the hope for all those putting their trust in Jesus to resurrect them one day.

There is no record of Lazarus talking about being pulled out of heaven to return to the earth.  No, they slept in the dust and waited for the day when Jesus would have victory over death and be resurrected and clothed with immortality.  Of them it was prophesied:

“Thy dead men shall live, together with My dead body shall they arise…”  Isaiah 26:19

The verse continues…

“…Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”

Isaiah 26:19 (last part)

Christ and these risen saints became the first fruits of those who sleep in the dust waiting for the resurrection,  But it was Jesus that was the real first fruit of being raised and then going up to paradise.

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.”  

1 Corinthians 15:20

Jesus’ favorite term for describing those who die is sleep.  So were the other writers such as Paul and Job.   Not once does Jesus or the disciples say what we say at funerals such as:

“Well, they are in heaven with their beloved spouse.”

“He  went to be with Jesus.”

“She is up there enjoying the fruits of heaven.”

“God must have wanted him more than we do, so He took him.”

If a person wants to be comforted by words from the Bible about the passing of a loved one, here are a couple of them from Paul who seemed to understand this topic better than anyone other than Jesus:

This verse ends with the words, “Comfort one another with these words.”  What words?  Here they are:

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18

The words we are to comforted one another is the second coming of Jesus and the fact that those who died “in Christ.” will be resurrected.  They will rise from dusty graves and meet those who are left from the destructive events of Jesus’ coming.  We will meet the Lord in the air at the same time!  No one is there already.  We go at the same time!  What a comfort to know our loved ones are not looking down on us!  They have a brief sleep of death and then rise when Jesus resurrects them!

The resurrection is so important that Paul states the following:

 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

1 Corinthians 15: 16-19

Our hope is in the return of Christ!  In fact, belief and trust in the resurrection of Christ is what saves us as much as believing He died for our sins.

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Romans 10:9

Like the thief on the cross, I want to pray that Jesus will remember me when He comes again.  Don’t you?  For forty-days, Jesus was encouraging His followers and reminding them that they must go away, but that He would return to take us where He is now.  In Paradise!

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14: 1-3

His promise here gives me comfort knowing He has promised to return,  give me immortality and take me to paradise.    Doesn’t it you?  Paul tells us that we will be changed in a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.  This is when we become immortal.  Until then we are mortal.  I pray you will receive you comfort in Jesus and the resurrection:

 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality ,then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

1 Corinthians 15: 51-54

Reasons to Believe

The Day Jesus Gave a Bible Study

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A Jesus Journey

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. John 5:46

He gave sermons, taught parables, and read passages in the synagogue, but there is only one time recorded where Jesus gave a Bible study to prove who He is; why He must die on a cross; and that He would be resurrected the third day.  Because of the amount of  scripture He covered, we have no way of knowing what else  he discussed, but this we know for sure, it was all about Him!  What a powerful study that must have been!

At first, the study was given to only two disciples, but later that day, Jesus repeated it to all His disciples except Thomas.  Thomas would meet the live Jesus  8 days later.

This story is found in Luke 24: 13-45 and  is the basis for the following first person account.

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It was early afternoon, the sun was high in the sky as I walked the dusty road speaking in low tones with my friend Cleopas about the things that had transpired over the last few days.  So many things!  All very bad!

It started with the arrest of Jesus in the Garden east of the city.   During the night and into the early morning of the Preparation Day (Friday) the soldiers and mob began to move Him between the governor and religious leadership. Then they beat Him to a pulp and eventually crucified Him on a Roman cross on the hill outside of Jerusalem later in the afternoon of the Preparation Day.  I watched from afar as He hung His head and took his last breath.  He said something at the end, but I was unable to hear because I was trying to stay far enough away so that no one would try to connect me with Him .  I would certainly be labeled as a fanatic believer in this prophet who the clergy labeled as a blasphemer.  I think I saw Peter off in the distance.  He appeared to be on his knees with his face in his hands.  His disappointment must be very great!

There had been an earthquake and the sun refused to shine.  Darkness took over the land like a thick smothering blanket.  Everything seemed out of place…frightening.  The large curtain in the temple had been ripped from top to bottom by some unseen hand. There were even reports of  people, considered saints,  coming out of their graves and appearing to many in the city! (See Matthew 27: 51-53)

My personal disappointment was great, because I believed everything He said and was amazed at His great miracles and works of kindness. His followers thought Him to be the Messiah prophesied by many of the prophets hundreds of years ago.  He was going to set up His kingdom and deliver our people from the iron rule of Rome.

He was the coming king upon which I hung all our hopes.   But, it seemed like He did not want to be king.  I had left everything to follow Him and learn His teachings, but all this seemed to come to nothing on that Friday afternoon when He died.  Now only doubt, sadness, and disappointment hung on Cleopas and me like a heavy smelly cloak belonging to someone else.  I  want explanation, but the reality of deception was creeping into my thoughts and it made me feel sick and foolish.

On top of everything else, the body of Jesus is missing!  The women said He was alive, confirmed by a couple of other disciples, but I know better.  It is just wishful thinking on their part. No one could have survived the beating, the nails, the loss of blood, and finally the sharp sword in the side.  I saw it and refuse to believe anything but what my eyes can confirm. There was no mistaking… the vision of so much blood and the pale appearance of death was real.

We are on our way to Emmaus to start over;  a walk of about 7 miles. It will take me the usual 2 1/2 hours or so to walk…maybe longer today because of our conversation and heavy heart. This will give us plenty of time to try and put all the pieces together….to try to understand and make sense of everything and to decide what to do with the rest of our lives.

All of a sudden and unexpected, a stranger walks up from behind and joins us.  He asks,

“Why are you so sad and what are you discussing?”

I find these two questions odd in the light of the excitement and well-known events of the weekend. Slightly agitated and amazed Cleopas speaks before I can open my mouth and he answers the question with a question.  He throws in some sarcasm  for good measure.

“Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem that does not know the things which happened there this last few days?”

 I am even more amazed when the stranger asks,

“What things?”

In disbelief, we began to explain to the stranger the events of the weekend.  Reviewing everything does not help my disappointment and we rush through them as a courtesy to the stranger.

About Jesus of Nazareth,” we replied in unison! “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.  In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning  but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

Then the stranger calls Cleopas and me “foolish ones” and that we are “slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken”  This is certainly not so! I have always believed the prophets.  I have come from a family who believes in the Tanakh (Old Testament) and I have read it often.  The prophets said, that the Messiah would come and deliver Israel from its enemies.  But the stranger began to recite the writings of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy) and all the Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Micah, Malachi, etc)  of the Tanakh and explain things I had missed before.

The stranger clearly points out passages that were references to Jesus.  For the next 3 hours, I am amazed at the knowledge and clarity of the stranger’s words.  As I listened to the stranger recite our ancient books, I begin to see that it was necessary for Jesus to die for the sins of the world, but that He would be raised up the third day!  How had I missed that?  Why had we not believed Jesus when He said it was necessary for Him to die and that he would rise again?  It was like I had been reading the scripture the way I wanted it to read instead of letting it talk to me!  Indeed, we felt foolish, but encouraged by the words of the stranger.  My heart burned within me!  I wanted to hear more!  This was all exciting and new to me!

As we get near the village where we are going it is almost dark. I don’t want the stranger to go and I look for excuses for Him to stay the night so we can hear more. Thankfully, He agrees to have supper with us.  As He breaks the bread, I recognize those hands and the manner in which He breaks the bread!  I finally look across the table into his eyes about the same time as Cleopas.  It is Jesus!  As soon as we recognize him, He disappears!  We had been talking to Jesus the whole time and we didn’t recognize Him!

With intense excitement and joy, Cleopas and I jump up and run the 7 miles back to Jerusalem in the dusk that eventually turns our path to darkness!   We must tell the 11 and the others who were behind closed doors when we left them. They, too, share our confusion and disappointment.

When we arrive,  we find them excited and questioning  Simon Peter about his encounter with! There is a strange mixture of doubt and hope in the room.  We then  begin to tell them what had happened over the last several hours.  Still some doubt, but hope is getting brighter by the moment.  As we are talking with them and answering their questions, Jesus appears in the room!

Everyone jumps back.  They think they are seeing a spirit, but Jesus tells them it is Him and that He is not a spirit. To prove it, He invites them to touch Him and He asks for something to eat.  We give Him some  fish and some honeycomb.  My heart beats fast!

After everyone settles down and the scales of their eyes begin to fall away as it did with Cleopas and me, Jesus repeats  the same type of study we heard on the road to Emmaus.  This time, He uses the entire Tanakh including the Psalms to explain how He is found all through scripture. All the disciples begin to understand that He had to die, but that He would rise on the third day.  How could we have missed this?  It was right there!

Then He said to us,

“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you.  that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.  And He opened our understanding that we might comprehend the Scriptures.”

Now our hearts are filled with joy and conviction!  We spend the next hour or so talking with Jesus.  Then He tells us that the Father will send us the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we must wait for it and stay in the city.  Our message will go to the world in power.  It will be a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins!

He is risen!

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Do we need  Jesus to open our understanding of Scriptures?  Have we missed Jesus as we have read the Old Testament?  What detail did Jesus teach these disciples when He explained passages from all the books of the Old Testament?  Is the Old Testament not relevant to New Testament Christians?  Have we missed something in our understanding of Jesus?  Thomas was the only one not there in that room when Jesus appeared and taught them from the scripture about himself.

 Next, we will take a look at Jesus through the eyes of a well-known doubter,  Thomas.  We will attempt to understand why the resurrection of Jesus is an absolute cornerstone of the Christian faith. In fact, without it, Paul says we are most pitiful of all men. But, after we see through the eyes of Thomas we will exclaim as he did:

“My Lord and My God.”  John 20:28