There is no rapture as it is popularly conceived, so there is no physical separation, no group being physically left behind. The Kingdom was to come without observation.
And, yes, evangelism continues to this day. People are still coming into His kingdom every day.
Some Standing Here
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by HisWitness, Jan 27, 2013.
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asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
I know you saw my answer because you answered it. So don't say "I never answered".
For the record - again: evangelism is very necessary today. People are coming into the Kingdom every day.
Here in China I think of myself as an ambassador for Christ much more than a citizen of America. And I am thankful for opportunities here. I am not "wandering around". I am quite clear on my mission. As God gives me grace and strength, I hope to have many more years to do it. -
What kingdom came in the first century?
And most important of all, in Acts chapter one, when the disciples asked Jesus, when the kingdom will come:
Jesus answered, "It is not for you to know..."
How then would you know that the kingdom came if it is not for them to know, especially since John lived all through the first century and never gave evidence that it came. -
asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
By "parousia" I mean exactly what Scripture means by the word. It does not come with observation. The first age was different than the "age to come". It was necessarily visible and visual, pointing to the more real things to come. Those earthly copies, types and shadows pointed to spiritual things that we enjoy now.
As far as "It is not for you to know..." we need to keep audience- and time-relevance in mind. -
John of Japan Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
In other words, there is not a single provable usage of the word parousia in the literature in which the presence was not observable. Parousia refers to a physical, observable presence. Christ's coming will be observable, just as lightning is (Matt. 24:2).
Even more specifically, "p. became the official term for a visit of a person of high rank, esp. of kings and emperors visiting a province" (entry for parousia in the BAGD lexicon, p. 630). Christ's appearing will be a physical appearing, an official visit by a king. Again, it is "a technical term for the visit of a king" (entry in Abbot-Smith lexicon, p. 347). -
asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Now I ask you: Did Jesus Christ cast out devils. The answer is yes He did. Therefore, the Kingdom of God is come.
In John 3:3-5 Jesus Christ yells us:
3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Those who are "born again" enter the kingdom of God, not in the future but on the "new birth" because we also read in Scripture:
Colossians 1:12-13
12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
When are we translated into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? When we are "born again"!
Now unless you want to argue that God has multiple kingdoms your eisegesis of the passage from Matthew 16 is demonstrated to be just that.
As for your comment regarding Matthew 26:64 Jesus Christ is simply declaring his Deity to the high priest.
Regardless of what Scripture you pick out to prove whatever it is you are trying to prove you have to ignore the clear teaching of a general resurrection of all the dead, you have to ignore the clear teaching of Paul regarding the transformation of those living Saints when Jesus Christ return.
Even worse if you are trying to argue that the resurrection and transformation of the living believer occurred at a return of Jesus Christ in 70 AD then Jesus Christ took the Church, all the redeemed of all time, back to Heaven with Him and where does that leave us.
And where does that leave the Patriarch Job. He was convinced and told all future believers:
Job 19:25-27
25. For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
I do love that passage of Scripture. It is, or should be, a comfort to all believers! -
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For the Preterist,
Christ's return - Done
Kingdom - Done
Resurrection - Done
What's next? -
However, that belief leaves unanswered the Scripture that teaches a resurrection of the body of all the dead. The inability of the FP doctrine to deal with these Scripture is the most troubling aspect of their teaching.
There is another problem, a what's next, with Full Preterism which I believe I mention to Tom some years ago. The universe is running down and that is a fact. The earth as it currently exists is not eternal, the energy of the sun and all stars is degrading. That is the inevitable conclusion of the primer law of Science. Now it is entirely possible that God can intervene in this process and recharge everything so to speak. In fact I have a book on Thermodynamics written by a man named Gordon Van Wylen who suggests this very thing. He is from Michigan and may himself be a Full Preterist. I don't know. But that is something that the Full Preterist can only speculate about since I don't believe Scripture deals with that problem. Of course we all know that all Creation is sustained by God. -
The Ftaher will show Him off as being then King of kings/Lord of Lords! -
Has that really happened as per Hyper preitierism states? -
asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
What's next? According to Hebrews 9:27 we all still have personal encounter with God. Christians will be forever with the Lord.
There are doubtless other things in store for us personally, hard for us to grasp now. -
asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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