|
|
|
|
Friday, September 25 2009
For those who incorrectly believe that the Kingdom of God is here now (i.e. that some man-made "church" or some other worldly entity is the Kingdom of God), these verses are often used as their "proof":
"17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees [see also The Origin Of The Essenes, Sadducees And Pharisees and Was Paul Among Them?], when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21 KJV)
But Jesus was not saying that the Kingdom of God was there then (considering that after saying what He did, as quoted above, He went on to explain the future time when the Kingdom of God would come - see below). In His answer to the Pharisees, the Messiah was describing how the religious authorities of that time failed to see Him, the future King of the Kingdom of God, when He was standing right in front of them i.e. "17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation." (Luke 17:25 KJV)
"Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed"
Christ's statement, as quoted above, summarized why He not only would come twice, but why He had to come twice (see the Fact Finder question below). His further explanation, quoted below, has, just like the Pharisees did with the first part, been misunderstood by others to mean that a "rapture" would occur at some time around the return of Christ (see The Raptures to comprehend that the "rapture" theory is merely a misunderstanding of the resurrections).
"17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 17:23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 17:24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man [see The Adam Family] be in his day. 17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all [see Could Christ Return Tonight?].
17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all [see Sodomites].
17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord?
And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together [see 'To Meet The Lord In The Air']." (Luke 17:22-37 KJV)
Fact Finder: As Christ described above, why is it necessary for Him to come twice?
See Why Two Comings Of The Christ? and When Does The Kingdom Of God Begin?
| Daily Bible Study Library - Thousands of Online Studies! | ||
 |
Jesus Christ Bible History Prophecy Christian Living Encouragement |
Eternal Life By The Book Bible Places Curiosities The Spirit World |
This Day In History, September 25
1644: Ole Romer born. The Danish scientific researcher and astronomer was the first to accurately determine the speed of light - 186,000 miles per second. Light can travel around the entire earth 7 times in 1 second, or travel from the earth to the moon in just over 1 second.
1513: Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the first known European to sight the Pacific Ocean. He claimed the entire Pacific Ocean, and all lands anywhere that were touched by it, for Spain.
1555: In Germany, the Peace of Augsburg was declared. It was the first effort in the Holy Roman empire to allow Lutheranism (Protestantism) and Catholicism to exist together in the Holy Roman Empire.
1690: The first newspaper in the United States, the Public Occurances, Both Foreign and Domestic, was published in Boston.
1789: The First Amendment of the United States Constitution stated that: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
1818: The first human blood transfusion took place at a hospital in London, England.
1890: The Mormon Church officially banned polygamy.
1956: The first transatlantic telephone cable between Europe and North America went into service.
1996: Israeli troops and Palestinian security forces exchanged gunfire in Jerusalem and in other areas in Israel, set off by Palestinian opposition to an Israeli historical research tunnel dug in Jerusalem in the area of the Temple Mount. The confrontation was described as the heaviest fighting in Jerusalem since the area was captured by the Jews during the 1967 Six Day War.
