What does the Bible say about when Jesus Christ would return?

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MatthewG

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image.jpg Still haven’t finished this book, however it brings into to question the scriptures questions of what does the Bible say about when Jesus would return plus other sections of scriptures.

It’s about 12$ on EBay, at most.
 

MatthewG

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Content in the book if you are curious to know. Written by a pastor who is 70 years old who use to preach that Jesus was returning.

Then Glenn Hill started considering why hasn’t Jesus still returned ? Then sought out for answer.

Don’t believe religious manmade traditions and really get rooted in Christ and believe what he had to say and the other writers of scripture.

Knowing the truth about something keeps you from not knowing or denying the truth of something.

God bless and be encouraged.

image.jpg
 

marks

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Perhaps if you provide the link, others may be able to to consider this as well, otherwise it is a power game where you say you have the knowledge but will not provide the knowledge to anyone else.

More information and/or links are required.

Shalom
See my post 201. You can google this for other sources, I've seen it a number of places.

Much love!
 

RR144

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You seem to be forgetting that parousia can be translated EITHER as "presence" OR as "coming", depending on the context. As a matter of fact it is used for both the Rapture and the Second Coming (two distinctly different events). So the KJB translators have correctly translated this word, but you are trying to tell everyone that parousia does not mean "coming" at all. Once again as a "Berean" you are doing a good job of sowing spiritual confusion.

Lert's look at a few references.

Bible dictionaries and Greek lexicons give “presence” as the primary definition of parousia: (Not an exhaustive list.)

G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1964) p. 347.
Parousia” —1. Usually a being present, presence. 2. A coming, arrival, advent. A technical term for the visit of a king.

William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 4th ed. (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1952), p. 635, c1. “Parousia” — 1. Presencethe proofs of his presence. 2. Coming, advent as the first stage in presence.

Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider, eds., Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1993) V3, p. 43, c2. “Parousia” — Presence; arrival. Derived from the verb “be present.” Originally meant presence…frequently means “arrival” as the onset of presence.

Geoffrey W. Bromilay, ed., The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986) V3, p. 664, c1. The basic meaning of parousia is “presence.”

…In Greek, “presence” has an exact equivalent in παρουσία, parousía, but this word is rendered “presence” only in 2 Co. 10:10; Phi. 2:12; the Revised Version (British and American); Phi. 1:26 (the King James Version “coming”). Elsewhere parousía is rendered “coming,” but always with “presence” in the margin. Otherwise in the New Testament “presence” represents no particular word but is introduced where it seems to suit the context (compare e.g. Act 3:13 the King James Version and Act 3:19). See PAROUSIA.

“Parousia” (parousía), a word fairly common in Greek, with the meaning “presence” (2 Co. 10:10; Phi. 2:12). More especially it may mean “presence after absence,” “arrival” (but not “return,” unless this is given by the context), as in 1 Co. 16:17; 2 Co. 7:6, 2 Co. 7:7; Phi. 1:26.

Colin Brown, ed., The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976) p. 898.
Parousia” — Presence, appearing, coming. Presence (with certain effects following)…and arrival, someone coming in order to be present.

Alexander Balman Bruce, The Expositor’s Greek Testament (London: Hodder and Storighton, 1907) V1, p. 289, c1.
Parousia” — Literally presence; second presence.

Frederick Dale Bruner, Matthew, a Commentary, Vol. 1: The Churchbook (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990) p. 474. The word parousia can also be translated “presence.”

Ethelbert W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975) p. 598, c2. “Parousia” — The being or becoming present; presence, arrival.

The Classic Greek Dictionary (Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1949), English to Greek, p. 184. “Parousia” — 1. A being present, presence. 2. Arrival.

The Complete Biblical Library — The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary (Springfield, MO: The Complete Biblical Library, 1991) Pi-Rho, p. 101, c1, #3814. “Parousia” — Presence, coming, advent, arrival. Classical Gk. from verb pareimi #3780, compound of #3706 para “beside” and #1498 eimi “I am.” Means “presence.”

Also, denotes the “arrival” of someone or something. In the papyri, for example, a woman writes that her “presence” (parousia) is necessary in order to take care of certain financial concerns….

New Testament Usage. Paul…illustrated this same understanding when he contrasted his presence (parousia) with his absence (apousia [#660]). Personal presence…

F. L. Cross, ed., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997) p. 1223, c1.
Parousia” — Presence or arrival.

Matthew S. DeMoss, Pocket Dictionary for the Study of New Testament Greek (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 2001) p. 94.
Parousia” — Presence or arrival.

George C. Divry, ed., Divry’s Modern English-Greek and Greek-English Desk Dictionary (New York: D. C. Divry, Inc., Publishers, 1961) p. 634. “Parousia” — Presence.

Walter A. Elwell, ed., Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988) V2, p. 1616.
Parousia” — Transliteration of a Greek word meaning “presence,” “arrival,” “appearance,” or “coming.”

Sinclair B. Ferguson and David F. Wright, eds., New Dictionary of Theology (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1988) p. 299, c2.
Parousia” — The word means “presence” or “arrival,” and was used of visits of gods and rulers.

David Noel Freedman, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992) V5, p. 166, c1.
The Greek word parousia is used in the New Testament to speak of the arrival or presence of someone. It is also used as a technical term to speak of the arrival or presence of Christ in glory…

David Noel Freedman, ed., Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000) p. 1009, c2.
Parousia” — A Greek noun used of persons or things, meaning “arrival” or active “presence” (from the verb pάreimi, “to be present”).
 

RR144

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Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000) p. 302, c1. “Parousia” — 1. Being present, presence. Opposite of άπουσία (absence, being away) 2. Coming, arrival.

Henry Snyder Gehman, New Westminster Bible Dictionary (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1970) p. 703.
Parousia” — Gr., presence.

William H. Genty, ed., The Dictionary of Bible and Religion (Nashville: Abington, 1973).
Parousia” — The Greek term parousia, literally “presence” or “arrival,” used in first century literature of the visit of an important dignitary to a city or land…

James Hastings, ed., A Dictionary of the Bible (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1903) V3, p674, c2.
Parousia” — Lit. “presence” as opposed to absence, hence the arrival which introduces that presence.

Alvah Houg, ed., An American Commentary on the New Testament. Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, by John A. Broadus (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publications Society, 1886) p. 482, c1. “Parousia” — Presence or arrival.

Wilbert Francis Howard and James Hope Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1920) V2, p. 320.
Parousia” — παρουσία, in which the RV marginal note (Gr. “Presence”) would suggest that the idea of “motion towards” is to be excluded; outside evidence for the technical meaning “royal visit” shows that advent is as literal a rendering as presence, which occurs in some places.

A. N. Jannaris, A Concise Dictionary of the English and Modern Greek Languages as Actually Written and Spoken (London: John Murray Publishers, Ltd., 1959) p. 289, c2. “Parousia” — Presence, appearance.

Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1967) V5, p. 858. “Parousia” — 1. Presence — to be present. 2. Appearing — to have come.

G.W.H. Lampe, ed., A Patristic Greek Lexicon (London: Oxford University Press, 1961) p. 1043, c2.
Parousia” — A. Presence B. Arrival, appearance, personal visit, advent.

RCH Lenski, Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel (Columbus, OH: The Wartburg Press, 1943) p. 928. (To the American Lutheran Conference) “Parousia” — Coming and Presence.

Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), p. 1343.
Parousia” — 1. Presence, of persons. 2. Arrival. Note, many ancient Greek writings are cited for these conclusions.

Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: United Bible Societies, 1988) p. 726, 85.25.
Parousia” — The presence of an object at a particular place—“presence, being at hand, to be in person.” 2 Cor. 10:10, when he is with us in person (literally “…his bodily presence”).

Alan Hugh McNeile, The Gospel According to St. Matthew (London: MacMillon and Company, Ltd., 1915) p. 344.
In classical Greek it tends rather to the meaning “presence” than “arrival,” but the latter is illustrated by the use in papyri (2nd and 3rd century AD) for the visit of a king or other official.
 

RR144

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Paul Kevin Meagher and Thomas C. O’Brien, eds., Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion (Washington, DC: Corpus Publications, 1979) V2, p. 2680, c1 (Catholic). “Parousia” — A transliteration of the classical Greek word for presence or arrival.

Allen C. Meyers, ed., The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987) p. 795, c2.
Parousia” — Arrival, presence.

James Hope Moulton and George Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1960), Foreword. “Parousia,” as applied to the return of the Lord, is simply the anglicizing of the Greek word which literally means “presence.”

William D. Mounce, The Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993) p. 360, c2.
Parousia” — Presence; a coming, arrival, advent.

Wesley J. Perschbacher, ed., The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990) p. 315, c1, (3952).
Parousia” — Presence; a coming, arrival, advent.

Charles F. Pfeiffer, John Rea, and Howard F. Vos, eds., Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975) V2, p. 1392, c1.
Parousia” — …Gr. Parousia in certain cases conveys the idea of presence (II Cor. 10:10; Phil 2:12). …The word parousia as an eschatological term signifies the moment of arrival of the returning Christ plus His subsequent presence with His redeemed people.

J. T. Pring, The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Greek (Oxford: The Cclarendon Press, 1982) p. 148, c1. “Parousia” — Presence, attendance.

Harry Rimmer, The Coming King (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1941).
Harry Rimmer (D.D., Sc.D.), who was styled “Fundamentalism’s outstanding spokesman” until his death, admitted that the word parousia meant personal presence. In his book, The Coming King, he observed that the Greek word parousia is used 13 times in describing the return of Christ and not once does it have the thought of “coming.”

W. Robertson, The Expositor’s Greek Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974) V1, p. 289.
Parousia” — Literally presence, second presence.
 

RR144

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And notice the following from Joseph Bryant Rotherham, The Emphasized Bible, 3rd ed., (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1984) Appendix, p. 271.

In this edition the word parousia is uniformly rendered “presence” (“coming,” as a representative of this word, being set aside). The original term occurs twenty-four times in the New Testament, viz.: Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 16:17; 2 Corinthians 7:6, 7; 10:10; Philippians 1:26; 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:3; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8, 9; James 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 1:16; 3:4, 12; and 1 John 2:28. The sense of “presence” is so plainly shown by the contrast with “absence” (implied in 2 Corinthians 10:10, and expressed in Philippians 2:12) that the question naturally arises, Why not always so render it? The more so, inasmuch as there is in 2 Peter 1:16 also, a peculiar fitness in our English word “presence.” This passage, it will be remembered, relates to our Lord’s transformation upon the Mount. The wonderful manifestation there made was a display and sample of “presence” rather than of “coming.” The Lord was already there; and, being there, he was transformed (compare Matthew 17:2, footnote) and the “majesty” of his glorified person was then disclosed. His bodily “presence” was one which implied and exerted “power;” so that “power and presence” go excellently well together — the “power” befitting such a one and the same moment witnesses of both. The difficulty expressed in the notes to the second edition of this New Testament in the way of so yielding to this weight of evidence as to render parousia always by “presence,” lay in the seeming incongruity of regarding “presence” as an event which would happen at a particular time and which would fall into rank as one of a series of events, as 1 Corinthians 15:23 especially appeared to require. The translator still feels the force of this objection, but is withdrawn from taking his stand upon it any longer by the reflection that, after all, the difficulty may be imaginary. The parousia, in any case, is still in the future, and may therefore be enshrouded in a measure of obscurity which only fulfillment can clear away: it may, in fine, be both a period — more or less extended during which certain things shall happen — and an event, coming on and passing away as one of a series of divine interpositions. Christ is raised as a firstfruit — that is one event; He returns and vouchsafes his “presence,” during which he raises his own — that is another event, however large and prolonged; and finally comes another cluster of events constituting “the end.” Hence, after all, “presence” may be the most widely and permanently satisfying translation of the looked for parousia of the Son of Man.

Ceslas Spicq, Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, trans. and ed. James D. Ernert (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994) V3, p. 53. “Parousia” — Presence, arrival, visit, manifestation. Sometimes the presence of persons or things. Sometimes arrival, coming, visit.

In the Helenistic period it refers…either to a divine manifestation often very close to epiphania or the formal visit of a sovereign, his “joyous entry” into a city “that honors him as a god”…. In line with these usages, the New Testament uses parousia for the glorious coming of the Lord Jesus…. The royal and imperial “visits.” There were great feasts…glory and joy on the part of the people were in response to the prince’s active and beneficent presence…

Merrill C. Tenny, ed., The Zondervan Pictoral Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975) p. 601, c1.
The noun parousia (παρουσία) which occurs twenty-four times in the New Testament, is a compound form composed of the preposition παρά “along side, beside” and the substantival form of the very είμι, “to be.” It basically means “being along side of” and conveys the sense of the English word “presence.” It is used in the New Testament of a person’s presence as contrasted to his absence (Phil. 2:12). It contains the thought of the “coming” or “arrival” of a person as the first stage of his presence that is to follow.

Joseph Henry Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976) p. 490 c2.
Parousia” — 1. Presence… 2. The presence of one coming, hence the coming, arrival, advent.

Archibald Robertson Thomas, Word Pictures in the New Testament (New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1930), V1, p. 188.
Parousia” — Presence as opposed to absence (Phil. 2:12) … [p. 187] Presence, common in the papyri for the visit of the emperor.

Robert L. Thomas, ed., New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville: Holman, 1981) p. 1673, c3.
#3952 Parousia from the present part. Of #3918b. A presence or coming. #3918b Pareimi — to be present, to have come.

Verlyn Verbrugge, ed., The NIV Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000) p. 978.
Parousia” — Presence, appearing, coming, advent. Denotes general presence and arrival.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1946) V1, p. 127.
Parousia” — Originally presence, to be present. Also arrival.

W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Westwood, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1962) p. 208.
Parousia” literally, a presence, para, with, and ousia, being…denotes both an arrival and a consequent presence with.

Daniel D. Whedon, Whedon’s Commentary, 14 Vols. (New York: Carlton & Porter, Hunt & Eaton, 1866) p. 277.
The word parousia, never in the whole New Testament, signifies anything else than presence.

Robert Young, Analytical Concordance to the Bible, 8th ed. (London: Lutterworth Press) p. 770, c2.
Parousia” — A being alongside, presence.

Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor, A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, 4th ed., (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1981) p., 77 (Catholic). “Parousia” — Be at hand/present, presence; coming, arrival.

Christianity Today (a well-known evangelical magazine) published a series of essays on “Fundamentals of the Faith.” The essay in booklet form on “The Second Advent of Christ” had this to say about parousia: “…let us look at the Greek words used in the New Testament for the idea of the return. First of all, there is the word parousia, which means basically ‘presence.
 

RR144

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@Berean so Coming actually means presence? That is very interesting thank you for sharing and it was used in the scriptures you had shared, that is something I myself need to look at.
I posted above in 3 parts the various resources that show the word is presence and not coming. Pray it helps. There are several groups who teach the presence, the Jehovah's Witnesses are the larger of the groups. However, their definition differs from the other groups. They believe Jesus returned in 1914 and from that point started His Parousia. They teach that Jesus is still in heaven and that by presence, he merely turned His attention to earth's affairs. As if He hasn't been watching the world's affairs the past 2,000 years.

Parousia literally means coming in the sense that He has returned. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:3 "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."

Showing that Jesus actually returns, this is what is meant in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 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. 17 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.
He mentions those who are asleep in the Lord will stay asleep until he returns, most in Christiandom believe that wen you die you go to be with the Lord, but according to these verses which is used to proof the rapture doctrine, the first resurrection doesn't occur UNTIL Jesus returns. THEN, from that point forward, those saints who die, will be changed in a twinkling of an eye to meet the Lord in the air.
 

Jay Ross

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See my post 201. You can google this for other sources, I've seen it a number of places.

Much love!

Yep. Did go back and followed the link. However, IMHO, base on Scripture, 1948 was not the restoration of Israel to God as many believe that it occurred in 1948. Israel still has not repented of their continual Idolatrous sins that have occurred, on and off, since the time of Isaac's birth right up and until the present time.

Exodus 20:4-6 tells us that there are two ages, i.e. the third and the fourth, that Israel's sins/iniquities will be visited upon the fathers' children and the children's children, and since 1948 was not the end of this present age, and Paul indicated that all of Israel will be saved when the Kings of the gentile world are judged for trampling the Sanctuary of God and His earthly hosts, i.e. Israel, for 2,300 years, when they assemble at Armageddon for one last tilt at Israel at the very end of the prescribed 2,300 year period, as recorded in Romans 9:25-26. This is when the kings of the earth are judged and are challenged by a King, i.e. Jesus, who is judging them on the field of battle for their going against God's Sanctuary and Earthly Hosts.

Luke tells us in the Parable of the Minas that, when Satan goes away to get a crown, Israel will send a delegation after Him to declare before the throne of God that they no longer want Satan to be King over them. In Luke 14:31-33 Jesus references the Battle that will take place at Armageddon. It is also recorded in Matthew 24:32, Mark 13:28 and Luke 21:28-29 as to when the end of the ages for the visitation of their iniquities would end, at the very beginning of the Everlasting Kingdom of God being established.

In Ezekiel 34:11-16, God tells Israel through the prophet, that He will gather them all to Himself and will take them to a fertile field/place and will teach them about on the Religion based around Jesus being the Son of God, in all of the places where they will remain scattered all over the earth.

God is going to heal them by sprinkling water over them and they will enter once more into the covenant of being a Kingdom of Priests, a Holy Nation, and a Blessing to all of the nations where they are scattered throughout the whole earth.

But, sadly, our fallible translations do not paint this picture for us so that we have an understanding of what God is planning to do when He establishes His everlasting Kingdom on the Earth at that time.

Shalom
 
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MatthewG

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I posted above in 3 parts the various resources that show the word is presence and not coming. Pray it helps. There are several groups who teach the presence, the Jehovah's Witnesses are the larger of the groups. However, their definition differs from the other groups. They believe Jesus returned in 1914 and from that point started His Parousia. They teach that Jesus is still in heaven and that by presence, he merely turned His attention to earth's affairs. As if He hasn't been watching the world's affairs the past 2,000 years.

Parousia literally means coming in the sense that He has returned. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:3 "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."

Showing that Jesus actually returns, this is what is meant in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 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. 17 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.
He mentions those who are asleep in the Lord will stay asleep until he returns, most in Christiandom believe that wen you die you go to be with the Lord, but according to these verses which is used to proof the rapture doctrine, the first resurrection doesn't occur UNTIL Jesus returns. THEN, from that point forward, those saints who die, will be changed in a twinkling of an eye to meet the Lord in the air.

That is right. Good scriptures to bring forward in the Thessalonians. That is a significant piece of scripture. Considering the audience and the dating. (51 Ad) Paul is writing them to be encouraged to be trust, waiting in hope for the Lords return. In John written a little later possibly (67-69 Ad) which the coming is escalating to the point then of being at hand.

And at hand means as if you have a water bottle near your hand and you are able to grab it, it is at hand. If it was some where far away it wouldn’t be at hand at all.

Some points to think about and consider, thank you, berean.
 

marks

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1948 was not the restoration of Israel to God as many believe that it occurred in 1948. Israel still has not repented of their continual Idolatrous sins that have occurred, on and off, since the time of Isaac's birth right up and until the present time.
Yes, I agree with this. Many point to God's promise to return Israel to their land fulfilled in 1948, I believe that will be fulfilled when Jesus returns. That's what I mention the return to sovereignty, that seems to me to be the key in this particular point. Not that they are saved, not that they are fully returned from all the places they were scattered to, but returned to self-rule.

Much love!
 

marks

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Lert's look at a few references.
Normally I don't read posts like the several you made with the references regarding Parousia, but in this case, that was very interesting! I saw quite a few I already knew about, but so many more I had not seen before! Great stuff!!

In it all, clearly, Parousia does refer to "presences as opposed to absence", I.E, "his presence is weak". Definitely not refering to Paul's weak arrival.

But then again, I find Parousia refers to "advent", that is, the arrival of one who is henceforth present. Many of your scholars say this, and many of the passages show this. One example,

1 Corinthians 15:23 KJV
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

That it's not now is to say Christ is not present now, and therefore this is to mean when He becomes present, that is, His advent, or coming.

Much love!
 

Davy

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....
The problem with the latter is in verse 34. Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples, not to the masses.
He said, " this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. "
So the obvious question is "Did Jesus make a mistake?"
Aren't Peter and the Apostles the foundation of His church?
They all died without seeing all these things that He spoke about, including the great tribulation.
So, we have to reconcile verse 34 to reality and history.

How can we understand the parable of the fig tree?
He couldn't have been talking about the generation long dead, but He could've been referring to the generation that sees all the signs. Or, since parables represent some spiritual truth, he could've been referring to one of two generations commonly mentioned in scripture, the generation of the righteous or the generation of the wicked.

All born again believers are the generation of the righteous as are all the saints. There are no second generation Christians. You must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. But there are many generations of the wicked. Jesus spoke this to His disciples, the foundation of the church, and there is no one righteous except by faith, so Jesus asserted that His church would by no means pass away "till all these things take place."

Just which generation Jesus was pointing to there in Matthew 24 is actually very easy... to understand, just by reading the simplicity of that Scripture...

Matt 24:33-34
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

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


Know that what is near, and even at the doors? His return of course.

When WHO sees "all these things", meaning all those Signs leading up to His return?

Well, what generation will SEE Christ's future return? The LAST generation, of course. This is so... easy!
 

Davy

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I don’t even know what the full definition of everything a "Full Preterist” believes I might disagree with them in something too.

Either way I do believe the Bible and what it presents and believe the Bible is still useful today even for growing in Christ, and growing in knowing God and Jesus.

:)

I'm not afraid to say it, men's false doctrine of Full Preterism, which wrongly believes there is no LITERAL return by Jesus Christ, is a doctrine of devils. It goes directly against Bible prophecy written in God's Word in so many ways, I even consider it a worse leaven doctrine than the false pre-trib rapture theory which was devised by men, and not God.
 

Davy

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The world has been reconciled to God, and Jesus was the one who accomplished it. He returned and gathered his bride in the day in age promised to those who were written to in the letters. Don’t you see the point?

The retuning of Jesus and victory over all things is now experienced freely without having to go to Jerusalem to worship God which was a requirement back then in that Age.

That is all so... FUNNY, and anti-Scripture too!

So you are... on men's false leaven doctrine of FULL PRETERISM.

There will be a LITERAL return of Jesus Christ back to this earth, as written in Zechariah 14, and YOU cannot do anything about it!

I'd rather not see you be separated among the goats on the left hand when Jesus 'literally' returns to this earth to sit upon His father David's throne. You still have time to repent of such false doctrines like Preterism, but that time to repent to Jesus Christ is getting shorter every day.
 

MatthewG

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I'm not afraid to say it, men's false doctrine of Full Preterism, which wrongly believes there is no LITERAL return by Jesus Christ, is a doctrine of devils. It goes directly against Bible prophecy written in God's Word in so many ways, I even consider it a worse leaven doctrine than the false pre-trib rapture theory which was devised by men, and not God.
That is all so... FUNNY, and anti-Scripture too!

So you are... on men's false leaven doctrine of FULL PRETERISM.

There will be a LITERAL return of Jesus Christ back to this earth, as written in Zechariah 14, and YOU cannot do anything about it!

I'd rather not see you be separated among the goats on the left hand when Jesus 'literally' returns to this earth to sit upon His father David's throne. You still have time to repent of such false doctrines like Preterism, but that time to repent to Jesus Christ is getting shorter every day.

Hello to you, Davy

I am fine thank you.

I’m placing my full faith and trust that Jesus came and did what he said he was going to do within a generation.

If you don’t. I do not mind. That is your own choice.

We all have choices. Most reject do not consider that Jesus returned and gathered his bride in the 1st century.

Either Jesus was telling the truth, or Jesus was simply lying and the apostles also were lying to the people and audience in that day. (Shouldn’t even trust the Bible if Jesus is a liar and the apostles too).

I continue to say it like this because one needs to think for themselves and not believe everything anyone else may tell them, and also encourage them to search the scriptures.


I’m not lost, Because I believe by complete and total faith that Jesus returned. It seems people are offended by anyone having the audacity to say.

Jesus came back to that bride in that day in age as promised

Anyone can keep railing against this notion if you desire.

With love and respect in Christ Jesus,
Matthew Gallagher
 
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MatthewG

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It is amazing the victory Jesus has had.

Jesus defeated Satan and his demons.
Jesus overcame sin, death, hell, grave, Sheol, for all individuals. Believers and unbelievers.

Jesus is the one who is our hope, comfort, and who gives rest to the soul. Knowing the kingdom of heaven will increase forever. There will never be an end to the kingdom, there will always be a fluctuating flow of people coming into the kingdom, by faith. For faith is one thing that pleases God in the first place.

It’s not about how much scripture you know or what’s your eschatological view is though they are there and can be studied out.

It’s about having faith, love for God and love for others.

I myself just don’t wanna give our false hope of the return of Jesus and someone in their life be sad by the end of it they never seen it? Doesn’t make much sense to promise something that happen during the first century.

Our hope is founded in Jesus who helps renew our mind and hearts when we allow the holy spirit to come in by faith in the Gospel of Christ.

The hope is deliverance from an evil unbelieving heart to a new believing and loving heart towards God and towards all mankind, one day to enter into the everlasting kingdom with the Lord God Almighty. Those who do not believe are outside the kingdom according to revelation 22.

Just some thoughts, in Christ,
Matthew Gallagher
 
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Jay Ross

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Yes, I agree with this. Many point to God's promise to return Israel to their land fulfilled in 1948,

Many point to poor translations that claim that God's promise is to return Israel to their land in 1948, but the only prophecy I know of where God said that some of Abraham's descendants will return to the land of Canaan, where Abraham was living at that time, would occur in the fourth Age of their existence, in their own strength, and that at that time the iniquities of the Amorite people would not quite be completed. This prophecy is found in Genesis 15:16, but because the timeframe of this prophecy was of the order of exactly some 4,000 years from when Isaac was born in 2052 BC and the return of some of Abraham's descendants occurred in 1948 AD, the time frame was beyond peoples ability to comprehend. Because the time frame of this prophecy was beyond their ability to comprehend, scholars looked for a solution that they could wrap their mind around, they wrongly linked the prophecy in Genesis 15:16, with the prophecy of God being actively involved in rescuing Israel from the oppression that they were experiencing during their 430 years of living in Egypt, as foretold in Genesis 15:13-14.

This linking of these two, very different prophecies together, has lead to the misunderstanding that only four descendent generation of Israelites were born during their time in Egypt. But the genealogy of Joshua confirms to us that he was the tenth descendent generation born in Egypt as told to us in 1 Chron 7:20-27 such that more than four descendent generation were born to the Israelites while they lived in Egypt for 430 years from the time that Jacob took his family down to Egypt because of the famine and Moses lead them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea.

From this we can know that God was not in the 1948 establishment of the present nation of Israel in the Land of Canaan. We must remember the prophecies of God warning Israel that He would remove Israel from the the "Promised Land," or what remained of it, because of their continual idolatrous worship.

The parable of the Sower tells of the Journey of Israel from the time that God filled Solomon's Temple up and until the finial Judgment of all of mankind some 4,000 years latter when the stream that flowed out from under the altar in the temple cascades over the escarpment down into the lowland below and begins to bring healing to the land. It is during this last 1,000 year period that God will place Israel in the fertile field where Israel can be nourished by Christ on the foundation rock that comes down out of heaven which proclaims to all of the world that Christ is the Son of God and is therefore worthy to be worshipped by all.

But we know the ending already that many will not worship Christ but that they will fall away and worship Satan to their own detriment.

Christ used the budding of the fig tree in 1948 of Israel as a sign in the lesson that can be learned from the fig tree to foretell when this present age will end and the last Age of the seven ages will begin when the great harvest will take place.

As Paul tells us in Romans 11:25-26, all of Israel will be save at the time of the completion of the 2,300 years of the Gentiles trampling God's Sanctuary and His earthly hosts. This will occur in our near future, around 20-25 years from now.

Shalom
 

MatthewG

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The important thing to remember is that the Bible “was” not written for you or to you.

Do you have any introduction in the New Testament that say “To the people in America, To the people in Britain, to the people in Australia, to the people in Austria”?

No none of that is in the Bible. Modern readers today take what they are reading and apply it to their own understanding and surrounding.

It’s not uncommon. You can see a specific time, and audience being addressed through out the Old Testament and the apostolic record.

Just some things for you to consider and ponder, I love you either way.

The Bible can be used for your personal benefit of growing in faith and learning about God and Jesus and all the old prophets. The Bible is a reference guide for you to look at history and learn from Christ, and to learn from the apostles, if anything can be applied by then biblical principles that are presented.

The Faith is subjectively lived by your own walk of faith and trusting God.

in Christ,
Matthew Gallagher