Jesus is both LORD and Christ!

[Bold Believer]

I think one of the problems we run across is the misunderstanding of the words of Jesus concerning the gathering of the elect.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Mt 24:29-31

The sun shall be darkened has nothing to do with nuclear fallout darkening the sky blotting out the sun, but rather is a reference to moral light given by Judaism at one point. Likewise, the moon is what reflects the sunlight, and this is a reference to Israel not receiving any righteous teaching from its 'sun' (the leaders). The stars fall from the heavens means that those who were most prominent are no longer so (because they're either dead or captured). The powers of the heavens are the demons. (Powers, principalities etc are no longer able to assert their effect on Israel, she is now free to hear the Gospel and receive Messiah.) The sign of the Son of Man in heaven appears. This is the fact that everything he said came true giving proof that He is in fact IN HEAVEN. He was and IS Messiah. HE has ascended to the throne of David, He is ruling. The nations are now His to rule. This causes the tribes of the LAND (not the earth, ge' means either land OR earth, but the land of Israel is the one who mourns. See Acts 2:37. When the multitude of Jews were given the Gospel, they were katanyssomai--pricked in their hearts, which causes emotional pain or mourning.) They then receive the Gospel, which causes them to see that Christ has come; it is a realization of the first coming, not of the second. The reference to the messengers going out is of Pentecost. It is God's human messengers who go out and gather together the elect (the Church) across the world. It's the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy (again, see Acts 2).

It's the end of the age...and the start of a new one. Messianic reign from David's throne for thousands of years. Which leads to a second error: That David's throne is a physical one. The idea of David's throne means His authority and position as King of Israel, not a literal physical throne. Listen to Peter carefully please.

"Men [and] brethren, let [me] speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Jesus has received David's throne. It's at the right hand of God, IN HEAVEN. The sign of the Son of Man in Heaven.

Before Jesus ascended, He said this:

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age."

This is the declaration of a KING. This is the command of a KING. Jesus has assumed the throne (power and authority and position) of David at the right hand of God.

This is proof positive that the millennium (most correctly the Olam ha Ba, or world to come) has arrived. Jesus rules over heaven and earth. You can't dispute that He has defeated the Fourth Beast and the Dragon.

How often do we hear "The year of Our Lord" in official statements? Why? Because the people who devised those legal statements understood that Jesus was the reigning Lord! They understood it as something that had already occurred, not as something that was going to occur.

Now, however, God has permitted the devil to come out of his prison. The reign of Christ over the present earth is through. He is preparing the New Heavens and Earth for its King and His Bride. This little season and war of Gog and Magog will not last much longer.

[gdemoss]

Thanks for sharing BB. Although I do not believe as you, I appreciate your effort to make sense out of that which is not easily understood. To this we agree: Jesus is both Lord and Christ. He is ruling and reigning in heaven at the right hand of the father. And I believe that he will reign until all things are put under his feet. This must first begin with the casting out of Satan and his minions permanently to which there is no clear evidence to suggest that that has already occurred but rather to the contrary, it seems clear to me that the accuser of the brethren is still before the throne accusing away. Thanks for the thoughts.

Gary