The Return Of Jesus

Jesus had said that our bodies were a temple and thus we must treat it like its a temple, In fact We are a Spiritual being inside a physical body. I believe that Jesus will return to us one day, but in what form spiritual or physical? Many including me dream of the day we see Jesus descending from the sky, But what if his return is Spiritual? If Jesus's spirit descended upon the Earth and filled filled everyone personal temple with his spirit would it be as recognizable as if he descended from the clouds. Would we wake up one day and notice that every one on Earth behaving with the compassion of Christ and wonder why? Witch way would you rather have it, where Jesus returns to earth and sets up a throne on earth to rule us, or have the living Christ within us. I've been pondering this question for a while and reading the Bible but with the metaphors that Jesus used how can you know exactly what he meant when he said he was returning. Harold Champion studied the Bible way more than me and he came out dead wrong so I would have to say I don't know any thing is possible with Jesus. He likes to keep us thinking and rethinking what we already knew. I wish I could live to see the day Jesus returns from the clouds, but if we all received the spirit of Christ within us would that be even better?

 

"Our body is a temple" is one of the most misused quotes of Jesus.

Jesus makes it very clear what he means by this statement: The conversation was about what makes someone "unclean"

Jesus says, " It is not what goes into your body that makes it unclean, but what comes out"

 

My understanding is that Jesus became a Christed being when he was baptized and the dove appeared to symbolize what had just taken place. The return will be a spiritual, rather than a physical event, and I don't think it means a person or spirit named Jesus will return. It means that we will become Christed beings like Jesus. He said:

The only way a person could do greater things would be to become a Christed being and have the spiritual gifts that Jesus demonstrated (healing, multiplying the loaves and fishes, turning water into wine, etc.).

 

Whether Jesus returns as viewed in the clouds or whether it's spiritual and from within, it is not scriptural that the non-believer will witness such an event.

What is this musing that "all received the spirit of Christ within us"? He is already within the Christian and we know Him as the Holy Spirit. The personal temple are His followers not ALL.

 

I would claim that it is scriptural. See Revelations.

In any case, Christ predicted he would "return in the clouds" in the lifetime of those he was speaking to so we need not worry about it now.

 

For Christians eternity is inclusive of a lifetime. Not to worry though. You haven't taken your last breath yet.

 

That may be for Christians .. but Christ clear in what he meant.

You are grasping at straws my friend.

 

He was supposed to return quite some time ago, during the time of his original followers. However, being a man, I can understand why that did not occur.

 

I've not heard of someone becoming Christed. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit existed prior to Creation. No other can be Christed.

What occured when what appeared to be a dove landing on Jesus, was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is where his humaness gained the power and authority that all true born again Christians now possess. We are not Christed in the the sense that I think you mean.

 

I am grasping for nothing. I have all that there is in the person of the Holy Spirit within me.

For those that don't they are not grasping at straws, they are gasping for life.

 

Indeed the generation Jesus was talking to is passed and long gone.

To claim that Jesus meant eternity is a stretch that leaves the realm of logic.

 

Again, you consider the time between birth and death as the sole existence of man. Perhaps this is true of our physical bodies, certainly not true of our spirits.

You also ignore the fact that without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, your wisdom is limited to your humaness, mind and grasp of only the physical. There is more to life than meets the eye.

 

What I consider is what Jesus meant by "this generation shall not pass"

The term "Generation" is quite specific having a beginning and an end. The end is when the folks listening died, and indeed they did die.

 

Where in the Bible does it say that?

Quantrill

 

Yes, if you want to consider only the dictionary meaning and not the biblical inference.

 

Matt 24:34

 

The whole point of Matt 24 is Jesus answering the question of when the world would end. After describing a bunch of different events he sums up with

"Verily I say unto you, This
generation shall not pass, till
all these things be fulfilled"

The Greek word used by Jesus is very specific "Genea"

This word means Generation. There is no "Biblical definition" for the word Generation that differs from what we all know the word "Generation" means.

If you are going to make up a different definition because you do not like what Jesus is saying that is your choice but at least back it up with something other than your opinion.

 

Please read the entirety of Matthew 24 for context. Enough of the cherry picking, a favorite pastime of the unbeliever.

Jesus was referring to the last generation that will witness His return, not the 1st Century Christians. Easily misunderstood by the unknowing.

 

I did read the entire chapter, many times and am not Cherry picking.

You present zero Biblical evidence for you claim because there is none.

 

It is not an opinion that BFOJ offers. It is the understanding of the complete chapter 24 of Matthew. First of all, it is not the end of the 'world' that is beign addressed. The word 'world' is used in different ways in the Bible. It can mean the worldly system of man, or the earth, or an age. It is used in Matt. 24:3 as 'age'. The end of the age. What age? The Jewish age as the destruction of the temple was what sparked the question when this would end.

That age, though interrupted by the Church age, will not end until the tribulation period is over where God finishes His judgements against Israel.

So, you see in Matt. 24:4-5 Christ's warning to the Jews of false Christs to come. This is not to the Church as the Church doesn't look for false Christ's, we look for false teachers and false spirits. Israel looks for false prophets and false Christs.

Thus Christ says later, Matt.24:15, 'When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel...."

And Christ says in Matt.24:32-33 "...So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

These things Christ is speaking of have not occurred yet. The generation that sees all these things occurring will indeed see them all be fulfilled.

So, Christ is not talking to the generation existant in His day.

Quantrill

 

Q, they can't hope to understand for their minds are closed to the truth, yet we can hope that some viewer of these posts can see through the man-made clouds of mental darkness and see the light. We can hope.

 

Indeed, it is a spiritual darkness and blindness which fuels the clouds of mental darkness.

To him who would believe on Jesus Christ as the Son of God and come to Him as the Saviour, that spiritual darkness would be lifted.

Quantrill

 

Christ does not say "The Generation that sees these things"

What he does say is:

Not "The Generation" This generation

 

I just showed you. Christ described the things which they shall see when the end of the age is coming.

"This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fullfilled." (34)

Thats what He says.

Quantrill

 

Christ is is talking to the disciples in private. The disciples ask, "Tell us, when will these things be? and what will be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?B] http://bible.cc/matthew/24-3.htm

Most Bibles give end of the World .. some give end if the age. It does not really matter for the purposes of this discussion.



After describing to the disciples the various signs of his coming Jesus says,

"Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened"

It is the generation of the disciples that Jesus is speaking to.

"When you see all these things" By "You", Jesus is talking to his disciples not to some future people

The disciples have asked "when will these things happen" and Jesus responds "When you see all these things"

There is zero indication that Jesus is addressing some other people. He is addressing the disciples in private.

Then he says "Truly I tell you" again the "you" is the disciples

"That this generation will not pass" This Generation is the generation of the disciples.

There is zero reference to any other generation. Jesus is talking to the disciples who have asked him a direct question and Jesus gives a direct answer.

You have provided no evidence other than your opinion and even that is not supported one iota by the words of Matt 24.