A PHILOSOPHY OF CONSISTENCY

The New Testament looked at expecting Christ again as something in that people’s future, which was to occur in their lifetime as a fulfillment of the promises of God. The correlation between God’s promises (which includes his faithfulness to keep promises-1 Cor.1:9), and their fulfillment was immutable. That first century community of disciples was future oriented, not on some fantasy about the future, but on the promises of God and Christ. The word of God remained the truth in all that looked to the future of that generation. Their faith rested on the irreversible dependability of God and his revelation to man.

The New Testament pointed consistently to the imminent coming of Christ and his kingdom (Mt. 16:27-28, Luke 21:27-32, 2 Tim. 4:1). If we recognize this in its full impact, we will either need to acknowledge that what was predicted then by Christ DID take place in the relative time period predicted, or a delay of his coming now exists, resulting in a crisis of failure somewhere.

In the New Testament Jesus’ teaching was about one-fourth prophetic, which has to make us think that his prophecies were not side issues with him. Compare all of Matthew chapters 23-25 for an example. The kingdom of God was spoken of as “at hand” (Mt. 3:2,4:17;Lk.21: 31). This has been called by some “naherwatung”-imminent expectation. Mark 13, with parallel passages, teaches that the kingdom of God or heaven was to be expected within the lifetime of that generation of disciples. The same goes for Christ’s second coming. Matthew 10:23 and 26:64, along with many other verses, cannot reckon with a long time span or duration of time in history. We come to terms like “at hand” and “draweth nigh” and see these examples of the language used in the New Testament which has compelling force, without which recognition makes the New Testament meaningless.

Thus, it is not surprising in the 20th century to see some students of the bible paying attention to what now seems to be “a crisis of delay”. The New Testament does refer to those who came to incorrect conclusions concerning the return of Christ. “Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). These “scoffers” drew their negative questions and statements from their disbelief in the promise of Christ. They no longer looked for Christ to return, but Peter still encouraged those who had “obtained like precious faith” to be of “holy conversation and godliness, LOOKING FOR AND HASTENING THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD, WHEREIN THE HEAVENS BEING ON FIRE SHALL BE DISOLVED, AND THE ELEMENTS WILL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT.”(2 Peter 1:1,3:11-12). As Peter wrote in the first century, God was “ready to judge the quick and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5). WHY? Because “the end of all things is at hand”(1 Peter 4:7). “FOR THE TIME IS COME FOR JUDGMENT TO BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD”(1 Peter 4:17). “There is a remarkable similarity between these words of the apostle and those of the Lord in describing the end of the Jewish age, mt.24: 1-28” (Guy N. Woods, A COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE OF PETER, page 121). The similarity surely is remarkable. Compare Matthew 24 and 2 Peter 3, Noah and all!

Peter further wrote, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). Peter was not speaking of “the slackness of God as men count slackness” (2 Peter 3:9). God was and is eternal in nature as an infinite being. But in communicating to man that some event was to take place “shortly” or “at hand” (Rev. 1:1, 22:6), man would need to be able to understand language conveying time periods TO HOM, NOT TO GOD. We read, “The end of all things is at hand” (1 Pet.4: 7(, “the Lord is at hand” (Phil.4: 5), “the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8), and “the time is at hand” (Rev.1: 3,22:10). It is such passages that have consistently involved difficulties in preaching from the New Testament for most preachers. What did the New Testament mean by “last hour” or “last time”? (1 John 2:18, 1 Peter 1:20). Is some fantastic interpretation to be placed on Paul’s words “the day is at hand” (Rom.13: 12)? In what way had “ the ends of the world” come upon those first century Christians (1 Cor.10: 11)? How were the spirit’s words to be understood when he said through Paul “And the God of peace shall crush Satan under your feet shortly”(Rom.16: 20)?

In view of such passages, it is no wonder the subject of “delay” in regard to Christ’s second appearance has arisen in recent years. BY DENYING THE NORMAL MEANING OF TIME STATEMENTS IN THE BIBLE, WE HAVE BY IMPLICATION BROUGHT INTO QUESTION THE VERY INTEGRITY OF GOD’S WORD ITSELF! There was nothing ambiguous or vague about “at hand” or “quickly” in the first century, just as there is nothing ambiguous or gray about the meaning of those same terms today. WE USE “AT HAND” AND “NEAR” EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY RELATIVE TIME PERIODS BY THOSE TERMS! Should these terms change meaning in some way when they are used in the bible? Does baptism mean something entirely different when referring to something besides water? Consistency, thou art a jewel!

HEBREWS 10:37

In regards to the promise of Christ’s return, we have a very clear passage in Hebrews 10:37 which shows that the time of the first century, the opposite of “delay”, was being taught by the spirit. “ For yet a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay” (NASB). The verse is probably brought from Isaiah 26:20 and and Habakuk 2:3. Nevertheless, whatever we might give for a reason for the Lord’s “delay” regarding his second coming, this inspired verse notes that NO DELAY would be the case. If we thus speak of harmony in the New Testament eschatology, we will have to speak in terms of that first century of people who were the hearers and readers of such verses as Hebrews 10:37. If we say the Lord has “delayed” his second advent ( and if we believe he is yet to come, it surely appears that he has delayed it!), and Hebrews 10:37 said about 64 A.D. “will not delay”, then we actually have ourselves in a direct confrontation with a very plain passage in the bible concerning the relative imminency of Christ’s return in the first century. This seems obvious from the passages cited and compared to traditional futuristic beliefs. It was “the evil servant” who said in his heart “My lord delayeth his coming” (Mt.24:48). DO NOT EVEN THINK IT MY FRIEND!

DOES THE CRISIS EXIST?

Should we then ask if the New Testament has placed the twentieth century in an embarrassing position by teaching that “heavenly rest will be bequeathed when Christ comes the second time?” (Robert R. Taylor, Jr.-Studies In First And Second Thessalonians, page 89). The New Testament answers “Yes!”. Do not the time statements, practically in every New Testament book, force us to interpret nearness to the time it is being penned? The New Testament answers “Yes!”. Just the few verses mentioned in this brief treatise show plainly that Christ’s second revelation was to be expected sooner than 1,950 years!

There is no doubt then that the New Testament of Jesus Christ put a pronounced imminent expectation on the return of the Lord in his day. It was predicted to be in that first century generation (Mt. 24:27,30,34; Lk. 21:27,32), before some of them “tasted death” (Mt.16:27-28), and before the disciples had gone over the cities of Israel (Mt.10:23). Christ spoke to someone like a high priest of Judaism and said “Hereafter shall YE see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, AND COMING IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN” (Mt. 26:64- Jesus to Caiaphas, not Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, or anyone who believes the same). IF CAIAPHAS HAS NOT SEEN THE SON OF MAN COME YET, AND HE WAS ONE OF SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO WERE PROMISED THEY WOULD SEE THE LORD COME, ARE WE NAÏVE ENOUGH TO THINK WE WILL? Jesus promised his disciples, the first century church, a high priest, that he would come again, BUT HE NEVER PROMISED ANY CENTURY AFTER THE FIRST THAT HE WOULD “COME AGAIN!”

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:1).