The Return of Christ

A Premillennial Perspective

David L. Allen, Steve W Lemke, David L. Allen, Steve W Lemke

• Publisher: B&H Academic
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9781433675812
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

In the study of end times (eschatology), evangelical Christians usually adhere to one of three positions. Premillennialism holds that Christ will return to earth before He reigns over an earthly kingdom for one thousand years. Postmillennialism says the kingdom of God will become realized on this earth through the church's influence, even before Christ's return. Amillennialism suggests the millennium is not a literal thousand-year reign, but that Christ's return will usher in eternity. The Return of Christ gathers presentations from the Acts 1: 11 Conference where church leaders spoke in support of the premillennial position and pre-tribulation rapture. Regardless of whether or not a reader holds this same position, the text emphasizes the deep importance of eschatology in Christ's teaching ministry and as the focus for our hope. Indeed, without the promise of Christ's return, Christianity has little to offer the unbeliever.The book's dozen contributors include Jerry Vines, Ergun Caner, Danny Akin, Paige Patterson, David Allen, Richard Land, Junior Hill, Stanton R. Norman, Craig Blaising, Lamar Cooper, Steven Cox, and Michael Vlach.

PART ONE

Presentations from the Acts 1:11 Conference

"Men of Galilee,
why do you stand looking up into heaven?
This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,
will come in the same way that
you have seen Him going into heaven."
—Acts 1:11 (HCSB)

1

STARGAZERS OR SOUL-WINNERS?

“This Same Jesus Shall So Come”

Jerry Vines

Dr. Vines is president of Jerry Vines Ministries, sponsor of the Acts 1:11 Conference.

The theme passage of this conference is Acts 1:9–12: “And when He [the Lord Jesus] had spoken these things, while they beheld, 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, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.”¹

Since most people live in life’s valleys, it helps for us to climb a mountain every now and then. An old Baptist friend from the mountains in Georgia said that every great event in the Bible happened on a mountain. He was not far from the truth because many great events in the Bible did take place on mountains. Sometimes if I want to know a little theology I climb rugged old Mount Horeb, and I hear God say, “I AM that I AM.” If I would like to have a little Christology I climb snow-capped Mount Hermon, and I see the deity and humanity of the Lord embraced in transfigured splendor. Sometimes when I want a little soteriology I climb that mountain of Moriah, and there I see Isaac receive resurrection life on the basis of a substitute lamb. And when I need a little eschatology I climb the Mount of Olives, where the Lord Jesus laid out His blueprint in Matthew 24–25 for His return. According to the Bible, the Lord Jesus will come to this Mount of Olives when He returns to the earth. From this mountain the Lord Jesus ascended back to heaven.

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

On the Mount of Olives, Jesus spoke words of mystery and then went up to Calvary. Later at the top of that mountain He spoke words of majesty, and He went back to glory. While His disciples were standing there, Jesus ascended, back to heaven. The Bible says a cloud received Him, and the verb that is used there really means to “receive under.” The cloud came under the Lord Jesus, received Him, and carried Him away. Psalm 104:3 says the clouds are His chariot. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said the cloud was Jesus’ royal chariot back to heaven. So we can imagine the angels of God as they brought the cloud, His chariot from above to bear Him to His throne. They spread their triumphant wings and said the glorious work was done. Right before the eyes of the disciples the Lord Jesus ascended back to heaven.

What a day it must have been when Jesus went back to heaven. When Jesus went walking through glory, blood-stained from dark Calvary, I wonder whether angels bowed down and wept at His knee. What happened on the Mount of Olives as the disciples watched the Lord as He ascended? The Bible says two men came and stood with those disciples as He was ascending. Acts 1 does not say these two men were angels, but we know they were for two reasons. One reason is because of their apparel. Acts 1:10 says they were clothed in white apparel. White seems to have been the garments of the angels. When I was a young preacher, it was customary for preachers in the springtime to get out their white suits. I can remember I had the privilege of hearing the great preacher Robert Lee on many occasions, and he would be there in that white suit. He would preach, and I would get carried away. It was a little-known fact that Dr. Lee liked onion sandwiches. On one occasion after I had gone to hear Dr. Lee preach, I got home and said to my wife, Janet, “Make me an onion sandwich.” She said, “Onion sandwich? You don’t like onion sandwiches.” I said, “I know I don’t, but if I can’t preach like him, at least I can smell like him.” So there was Dr. Lee with that white suit. Where the angels live it is springtime all the time, and so they were clothed in white apparel.

The second reason we know they were angels is because of their announcement. They were what I call the “good-news” angels. They may have been the same angels who were in the tomb was where the Lord had been. One angel was at the head, and one angel at the foot where the body of Jesus had been, imitating their Old Testament cousins, the seraphim who were on the mercy seat. The true mercy seat had now exited, and they said this Jesus whom the disciples had come to seek was not here because “he is risen as he said” (Matt 28:6).

THE GOOD NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT

Now we have more good news. This is the good news the angels spoke: “This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.” This is the best news this old weary world has ever heard. Jesus is coming again. It is the one ray of hope in this dark world of ours. It is the divine event toward which all history is moving. On this mountain, on the second-advent mountain, the announcement was made that the Lord will return.

If you believe the Bible, you have to believe in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. A number of years ago I had the privilege of hearing the great black preacher Manuel Scott preach. I have never forgotten his outline. He preached on the “Save-Some Strategy of the Church: I became all things to all men, so that I might by all means save some.” His outline was (1) you got to evangelize the gospel; (2) you have to “efficasize” the gospel; and (3) you have to “eschatologize” the gospel. Sooner or later you have to get around to “by and by when the morning comes.”

Think about climbing this second-Advent mountain, this Second-Coming mountain.

A PERSON

First, when you climb the second-advent mountain you find yourself looking at a person. These disciples were looking at Jesus. The verbs in Acts 1:9–11 are rather graphic. The first verb (in v. 9 and v. 11) is blepō, which means “to see or look with the eyes.” Then the next word is atenizō, which means “to rivet one’s eyes” on something or someone. It was used in medical terminology to describe an unnatural gaze, an unnatural fixed look. They were looking with their eyes. They were stretching their eyes, watching the Lord Jesus Christ. Then comes the verb theaomai (v. 11). The verb is in the aorist tense, which means that these disciples, having seen His ascension physically with their eyes, now understood with their minds and their hearts the significance of the Lord’s return to heaven.

When we climb the Second-Coming mountain, we are looking at a person. The Christian faith is not a philosophy. The Christian faith is a relationship with a person. Jesus is the foundation of one’s faith. He is the focus of faith. He is the sum and substance of Christian belief.

The angels referred to “this same Jesus” (v. 11). Also Heb 13:8 refers to “the same” Jesus: “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” When we are looking at the Lord Jesus Christ, we are looking at one who dominates every dimension of time. He is the Jesus of yesterday. He is the past Jesus. Look at Him as the One around whose cradle all the datelines of the nations are bent. Look at Him, the One who came all the way from heaven’s glory down to earth’s misery. Look at Him in His virgin birth, in His virtuous life, in His vicarious death, in His victorious resurrection, and in His visible return. Look at Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Jesus of history. This One who commenced history is the same One who controls history. And He is the same One who will return and will consummate history. So we are looking at the Jesus of yesterday.

The fact that Jesus Christ is the same Jesus today means that He still saves people today. Ernest Easley, pastor of the Roswell Street Baptist Church, called me recently to share something with me. One of his deacons had stated in their deacons meeting that his granddaughter was over at his home for morning devotions. One of the things they do is look at some DVDs. He shared that they were looking at a DVD of one of my messages. After the message was over and they had turned it off, their little granddaughter said, “Granddaddy, I want to be saved.” She was saved just as he was watching a DVD. Jesus is still saving people today! Jesus is still forgiving people today! Jesus Christ is still taking the guilt of sin away from people today! Jesus Christ is still transforming lives today!

How wonderful that Jesus still saves today! And how wonderful that Jesus still sanctifies today! Sitting all around you are people who have marvelous stories of what Jesus has done in their lives. People may be sitting right here who have served prison terms and Jesus has changed their lives. Others may be sitting here whom Jesus saved from alcoholism and drug addiction. Now they are living well-adjusted and productive lives for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Jesus of yesterday. He is the Jesus of today. He still saves today. He still sanctifies today.

Also, Jesus satisfies today. One time He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). That is an astonishing thing. A Galilean carpenter who opens up His arms and says to the whole world, “You come to Me and I will satisfy the deepest needs of your life.”

From my age of nine until this very night Jesus Christ has completely satisfied me. Jesus Christ has met every need of my life. I am satisfied with Jesus. He has done so much for me. But the question comes to me as I think of Calvary, Is my Master satisfied with me? So we are looking at a person when we talk about the return. We are looking at the past Jesus, the Jesus of history. We are looking at the present Jesus, the Jesus of reality. Also, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb 13:8) is the perennial Jesus. He is the Jesus of eternity. The One who is historical is also the one who is personal, and He is the One who is eternal. Isaiah 57:15 says He is “the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity.” And Isa 9:6 states that He is “the everlasting Father,” that is, the Father of eternity. We are looking at the eternal Lord Jesus Christ when we climb this second-advent mountain.

We are not so much dealing with a doctrine as we are dealing with a person. We are talking about a relationship with a person. I have a DVD titled “Rescued.” I preached that message several years ago after Scott O’Grady was shot down over Bosnia in 1995. You may remember the story. For six days O’Grady eluded the Serbs. He survived on grass and insects, and then there was that tremendous rescue. When O’Grady was rescued, he was flown back to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, and there his family awaited his return. When the plane landed, what do you think his family did? Did they run and...