Why should I believe in Christ’s resurrection?

Question: "Why should I believe in Christ’s resurrection?"

Answer: It is a fairly well-established fact that Jesus Christ was publicly executed in Judea in the 1st Century A.D., under Pontius Pilate, by means of crucifixion, at the behest of the Jewish Sanhedrin. The non-Christian historical accounts of Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tacitus, Lucian of Samosata, Maimonides and even the Jewish Sanhedrin corroborate the early Christian eyewitness accounts of these important historical aspects of the death of Jesus Christ.

As for His resurrection, there are several lines of evidence which make for a compelling case. The late jurisprudential prodigy and international statesman Sir Lionel Luckhoo (of The Guinness Book of World Records fame for his unprecedented 245 consecutive defense murder trial acquittals) epitomized Christian enthusiasm and confidence in the strength of the case for the resurrection when he wrote, “I have spent more than 42 years as a defense trial lawyer appearing in many parts of the world and am still in active practice. I have been fortunate to secure a number of successes in jury trials and I say unequivocally the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”

The secular community’s response to the same evidence has been predictably apathetic in accordance with their steadfast commitment to methodological naturalism. For those unfamiliar with the term, methodological naturalism is the human endeavor of explaining everything in terms of natural causes and natural causes only. If an alleged historical event defies natural explanation (e.g., a miraculous resurrection), secular scholars generally treat it with overwhelming skepticism, regardless of the evidence, no matter how favorable and compelling it may be.

In our view, such an unwavering allegiance to natural causes regardless of substantive evidence to the contrary is not conducive to an impartial (and therefore adequate) investigation of the evidence. We agree with Dr. Wernher von Braun and numerous others who still believe that forcing a popular philosophical predisposition upon the evidence hinders objectivity. Or in the words of Dr. von Braun, “To be forced to believe only one conclusion… would violate the very objectivity of science itself.”

Having said that, let us now examine several lines of evidence for Christ’s resurrection.

The First Line of Evidence for Christ’s resurrection

To begin with, we have demonstrably sincere eyewitness testimony. Early Christian apologists cited hundreds of eyewitnesses, some of whom documented their own alleged experiences. Many of these eyewitnesses willfully and resolutely endured prolonged torture and death rather than repudiate their testimony. This fact attests to their sincerity, ruling out deception on their part. According to the historical record (The Book of Acts 4:1-17; Pliny’s Letters to Trajan X, 97, etc) most Christians could end their suffering simply by renouncing the faith. Instead, it seems that most opted to endure the suffering and proclaim Christ’s resurrection unto death.

Granted, while martyrdom is remarkable, it is not necessarily compelling. It does not validate a belief so much as it authenticates a believer (by demonstrating his or her sincerity in a tangible way). What makes the earliest Christian martyrs remarkable is that they knew whether or not what they were professing was true. They either saw Jesus Christ alive-and-well after His death or they did not. This is extraordinary. If it was all just a lie, why would so many perpetuate it given their circumstances? Why would they all knowingly cling to such an unprofitable lie in the face of persecution, imprisonment, torture, and death?

While the September 11, 2001, suicide hijackers undoubtedly believed what they professed (as evidenced by their willingness to die for it), they could not and did not know if it was true. They put their faith in traditions passed down to them over many generations. In contrast, the early Christian martyrs were the first generation. Either they saw what they claimed to see, or they did not.

Among the most illustrious of the professed eyewitnesses were the Apostles. They collectively underwent an undeniable change following the alleged post-resurrection appearances of Christ. Immediately following His crucifixion, they hid in fear for their lives. Following the resurrection they took to the streets, boldly proclaiming the resurrection despite intensifying persecution. What accounts for their sudden and dramatic change? It certainly was not financial gain. The Apostles gave up everything they had to preach the resurrection, including their lives.

The Second Line of Evidence for Christ’s resurrection

A second line of evidence concerns the conversion of certain key skeptics, most notably Paul and James. Paul was of his own admission a violent persecutor of the early Church. After what he described as an encounter with the resurrected Christ, Paul underwent an immediate and drastic change from a vicious persecutor of the Church to one of its most prolific and selfless defenders. Like many early Christians, Paul suffered impoverishment, persecution, beatings, imprisonment, and execution for his steadfast commitment to Christ’s resurrection.

James was skeptical, though not as hostile as Paul. A purported post-resurrection encounter with Christ turned him into an inimitable believer, a leader of the Church in Jerusalem. We still have what scholars generally accept to be one of his letters to the early Church. Like Paul, James willingly suffered and died for his testimony, a fact which attests to the sincerity of his belief (see The Book of Acts and Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews XX, ix, 1).

The Third and Fourth Lines of Evidence for Christ’s resurrection

A third line and fourth line of evidence concern enemy attestation to the empty tomb and the fact that faith in the resurrection took root in Jerusalem. Jesus was publicly executed and buried in Jerusalem. It would have been impossible for faith in His resurrection to take root in Jerusalem while His body was still in the tomb where the Sanhedrin could exhume it, put it on public display, and thereby expose the hoax. Instead, the Sanhedrin accused the disciples of stealing the body, apparently in an effort to explain its disappearance (and therefore an empty tomb). How do we explain the fact of the empty tomb? Here are the three most common explanations:

First, the disciples stole the body. If this were the case, they would have known the resurrection was a hoax. They would not therefore have been so willing to suffer and die for it. (See the first line of evidence concerning demonstrably sincere eyewitness testimony.) All of the professed eyewitnesses would have known that they hadn’t really seen Christ and were therefore lying. With so many conspirators, surely someone would have confessed, if not to end his own suffering then at least to end the suffering of his friends and family. The first generation of Christians were absolutely brutalized, especially following the conflagration in Rome in A.D. 64 (a fire which Nero allegedly ordered to make room for the expansion of his palace, but which he blamed on the Christians in Rome in an effort to exculpate himself). As the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus recounted in his Annals of Imperial Rome (published just a generation after the fire):

“Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.” (Annals, XV, 44)

Nero illuminated his garden parties with Christians whom he burnt alive. Surely someone would have confessed the truth under the threat of such terrible pain. The fact is, however, we have no record of any early Christian denouncing the faith to end his suffering. Instead, we have multiple accounts of post-resurrection appearances and hundreds of eyewitnesses willing to suffer and die for it.

If the disciples didn’t steal the body, how else do we explain the empty tomb? Some have suggested that Christ faked His death and later escaped from the tomb. This is patently absurd. According to the eyewitness testimony, Christ was beaten, tortured, lacerated, and stabbed. He suffered internal damage, massive blood loss, asphyxiation, and a spear through His heart. There is no good reason to believe that Jesus Christ (or any other man for that matter) could survive such an ordeal, fake His death, sit in a tomb for three days and nights without medical attention, food or water, remove the massive stone which sealed His tomb, escape undetected (without leaving behind a trail of blood), convince hundreds of eyewitnesses that He was resurrected from the death and in good health, and then disappear without a trace. Such a notion is ridiculous.

The Fifth Line of Evidence for Christ’s resurrection

Finally, a fifth line of evidence concerns a peculiarity of the eyewitness testimony. In all of the major resurrection narratives, women are credited as the first and primary eyewitnesses. This would be an odd invention since in both the ancient Jewish and Roman cultures women were severely disesteemed. Their testimony was regarded as insubstantial and dismissible. Given this fact, it is highly unlikely that any perpetrators of a hoax in 1st Century Judea would elect women to be their primary witnesses. Of all the male disciples who claimed to see Jesus resurrected, if they all were lying and the resurrection was a scam, why did they pick the most ill-perceived, distrusted witnesses they could find?

Dr. William Lane Craig explains, “When you understand the role of women in first-century Jewish society, what’s really extraordinary is that this empty tomb story should feature women as the discoverers of the empty tomb in the first place. Women were on a very low rung of the social ladder in first-century Israel. There are old rabbinical sayings that said, 'Let the words of Law be burned rather than delivered to women' and 'blessed is he whose children are male, but woe to him whose children are female.' Women’s testimony was regarded as so worthless that they weren’t even allowed to serve as legal witnesses in a Jewish court of Law. In light of this, it’s absolutely remarkable that the chief witnesses to the empty tomb are these women... Any later legendary account would have certainly portrayed male disciples as discovering the tomb - Peter or John, for example. The fact that women are the first witnesses to the empty tomb is most plausibly explained by the reality that - like it or not - they were the discoverers of the empty tomb! This shows that the Gospel writers faithfully recorded what happened, even if it was embarrassing. This bespeaks the historicity of this tradition rather than its legendary status." (Dr. William Lane Craig, quoted by Lee Strobel, The Case For Christ, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998, p. 293)

In Summary

These lines of evidence: the demonstrable sincerity of the eyewitnesses (and in the Apostles’ case, compelling, inexplicable change), the conversion and demonstrable sincerity of key antagonists- and skeptics-turned-martyrs, the fact of the empty tomb, enemy attestation to the empty tomb, the fact that all of this took place in Jerusalem where faith in the resurrection began and thrived, the testimony of the women, the significance of such testimony given the historical context; all of these strongly attest to the historicity of the resurrection. We encourage our readers to thoughtfully consider these evidences. What do they suggest to you? Having pondered them ourselves, we resolutely affirm Sir Lionel’s declaration:

“The evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”

gotquestions.org

Did Jesus really exist?

Question: "Did Jesus really exist? Is there any historical evidence of Jesus Christ?"

Answer: Typically, when this question is asked, the person asking qualifies the question with “outside of the Bible.” We do not grant this idea that the Bible cannot be considered a source of evidence for the existence of Jesus. The New Testament contains hundreds of references to Jesus Christ. There are those who date the writing of the Gospels to the second century A.D., more than 100 years after Jesus’ death. Even if this were the case (which we strongly dispute), in terms of ancient evidences, writings less than 200 years after events took place are considered very reliable evidences. Further, the vast majority of scholars (Christian and non-Christian) will grant that the Epistles of Paul (at least some of them) were in fact written by Paul in the middle of the first century A.D., less than 40 years after Jesus’ death. In terms of ancient manuscript evidence, this is extraordinarily strong proof of the existence of a man named Jesus in Israel in the early first century A.D.

It is also important to recognize that in A.D. 70, the Romans invaded and destroyed Jerusalem and most of Israel, slaughtering its inhabitants. Entire cities were literally burned to the ground. We should not be surprised, then, if much evidence of Jesus’ existence was destroyed. Many of the eyewitnesses of Jesus would have been killed. These facts likely limited the amount of surviving eyewitness testimony of Jesus.

Considering that Jesus’ ministry was largely confined to a relatively unimportant area in a small corner of the Roman Empire, a surprising amount of information about Jesus can be drawn from secular historical sources. Some of the more important historical evidences of Jesus include the following:

The first-century Roman Tacitus, who is considered one of the more accurate historians of the ancient world, mentioned superstitious “Christians” (from Christus, which is Latin for Christ), who suffered under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius. Suetonius, chief secretary to Emperor Hadrian, wrote that there was a man named Chrestus (or Christ) who lived during the first century (Annals 15.44).

Flavius Josephus is the most famous Jewish historian. In his Antiquities he refers to James, “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.” There is a controversial verse (18:3) that says, “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats....He was [the] Christ...he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him.” One version reads, “At this time there was a wise man named Jesus. His conduct was good and [he] was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who became his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.”

Julius Africanus quotes the historian Thallus in a discussion of the darkness that followed the crucifixion of Christ (Extant Writings, 18).

Pliny the Younger, in Letters 10:96, recorded early Christian worship practices including the fact that Christians worshiped Jesus as God and were very ethical, and he includes a reference to the love feast and Lord’s Supper.

The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a) confirms Jesus’ crucifixion on the eve of Passover and the accusations against Christ of practicing sorcery and encouraging Jewish apostasy.

Lucian of Samosata was a second-century Greek writer who admits that Jesus was worshiped by Christians, introduced new teachings, and was crucified for them. He said that Jesus’ teachings included the brotherhood of believers, the importance of conversion, and the importance of denying other gods. Christians lived according to Jesus’ laws, believed themselves to be immortal, and were characterized by contempt for death, and renunciation of material goods.

Mara Bar-Serapion confirms that Jesus was thought to be a wise and virtuous man, was considered by many to be the king of Israel, was put to death by the Jews, and lived on in the teachings of His followers.

Then we have all the Gnostic writings (The Gospel of Truth, The Apocryphon of John, The Gospel of Thomas, The Treatise on Resurrection, etc.) that all mention Jesus.

In fact, we can almost reconstruct the gospel just from early non-Christian sources: Jesus was called the Christ (Josephus), did “magic,” led Israel into new teachings, and was hanged on Passover for them (Babylonian Talmud) in Judea (Tacitus), but claimed to be God and would return (Eliezar), which his followers believed, worshiping Him as God (Pliny the Younger).

There is overwhelming evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ, both in secular and biblical history. Perhaps the greatest evidence that Jesus did exist is the fact that literally thousands of Christians in the first century AD, including the twelve apostles, were willing to give their lives as martyrs for Jesus Christ. People will die for what they believe to be true, but no one will die for what they know to be a lie.

Return of Christ - Biblical Time Frame

Times of the Gentiles

Times of the Gentiles

The phrase "times of the Gentiles" is found in Luke 21:24.

Luk 21:24  They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 

In this passage, Jesus was foretelling about the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. This is a continuation of verse 20-23, where we hear Jesus warning His disciples about the signs that will come before the great tribulation.

What was Jesus talking about here? He was continuing His speech from verse 20:

Luk 21:20  But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 

So this verse 24 cannot be taken to stand alone, but must be read together in the Context of the earlier verses. Dispensationism says that the "times of the Gentiles" means all the Gentiles in the world, and because they have not all come to Christ, the Coming of Jesus is still in the future. This is a misunderstanding on the term "times of Gentiles". In fact, Luke 21:32 tells us that all these signs will be fulfilled within that generation of the audience. So how can we apply the "times of the Gentiles" to people 2000 years later?

The "times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" means that the time of the conquest of Jerusalem by a Gentile enemies (Roman armies) is completed. Jerusalem was invaded, felled and given over to the Romans who are Gentiles.

We see a similar parallel passage in Rev 11:2 when John was given a glimpse of what will happen to Jerusalem in the very near future.

Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 

The courts of the Temple was "given to the Gentiles" and this was exactly what happened in AD70 when the Romans invaded Jerusalem and trampled underfoot their Temple for 42 months (three and a half years). The courts of the Temple were reserved for the Gentiles to be trampled.

This was the physical presence of the Gentiles within the Temple and in Jerusalem. It was the physical fulfillment of the "times of the Gentiles" in that generation.

However we are also drawn to a spiritual understanding to the fulfillment of the "times of the Gentiles".

We know that the Old Testament was written about the Jews, their nation Israel and their relationship with God. But before we had the Jews, before we had Abraham, Moses and before we had Jacob (also called Israel), way back when God made mankind, there was no separation between Jews and Gentiles. There was no such terms as Jews or Gentiles. God just created Adam and Eve. They were human beings made in the image of God, and not termed Jews or Gentiles.

In the later part of Genesis, from the time of Moses onward, the Jews began to set up a religious system to imitate that of the surrounding nations that did not know God. They instituted the priesthood and established a tabernacle and then a temple to be the meeting place with God. The performance based religion started with temple sacrifices and observation of special days and feasts. They try to make themselves righteous based on their own obedience. That was what the religions of the neighboring nations doing also.

That means the destruction of the Temple and their religion (Judaism) together with all the religious practices would then make their former way of access to God through the Holy Place impossible since there will be no more Temple. God has brought the Israel's practice of religion obsolete. This is the spiritual fulfillment of the "times of the Gentiles".

There is now no more distinction between Jews and Gentiles. The door of access to God through the Temple had ceased. And all these made possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the Cross and the destruction of the holy city Jerusalem and its Temple. Because of Jesus Christ who instituted the New Covenant through His shed blood, there is no more  separation between God and man. Previously, only the Jews had access to God, and the Gentiles did not. But the event of AD70 brought about the "times of the Gentiles" and God does not show any more distinction of mankind based on race or religion.

Gal 3:26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 

Gal 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

Let us look at how the word "Gentile" was established right from the beginning. The word "Gentile" first appear in Genesis 10:5.

Gen 10:5  By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. 

Here we find that after the flood of Noah, the Gentiles were separated from the Jews, the people of God, into their own nations and languages.

However, prior to Gen 10, there was no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. In fact, these terms or categories do not even exist. In the New Covenant, God brought about a reunification of all races, both Jews and Gentiles, all mankind, into a relationship with God. God brought back all of humanity to Himself.

On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon the people, and they began to speak in various tongues and languages of man until everyone could understand the gospel. And as a result, they heard the wonderful works of God in their own mother tongue, and 3000 people believed in Jesus (Acts 2:41). God reunited back all the people of various nations and languages into the kingdom of God.

The world fights very hard to maintain distinction of race, species and religion, resulting in many wars and tribulations continuously. But those in the New Covenant, they lose their separation and are brought near to God as one. The kingdom of God is the melting pot and the spiritual glue that brings all of us together. This was what Jesus accomplished at the Cross.

The whole bible, and particularly Isaiah has many passages that God was interested to bring His kingdom and blessing not only to Israel but to the Gentiles and the nations of the world. Isaiah prophesied many times that God will bring His kingdom to the Gentiles. Let us look at some of these in Isaiah:

Isa 11:10  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

The root of Jesse is Jesus. The Gentiles will seek for Jesus and it shall be glorious. Isaiah was written to the Jews, and yet it speaks of a time when the Gentiles will seek after their root of Jesse and finding the glory.

Isa 42:6  I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

God will establish a covenant and a light to the Gentiles.

Isa 49:6 I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Israel will bring salvation and light to the Gentiles.

Isa 49:22  Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

God will raise  up the Gentiles to take care of Israel's sons and daughters.

Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Isa 66:12  For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

God will bring about the glory of the Gentiles.

Isa 66:19  And I will set a sign among them, ... and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 

From the above, you can see that God had the nations, both Jews and Gentiles in His eternal plan. That fulfillment of the "times of the Gentiles" happened on the Cross, and completion in AD70 when the Temple was no longer the access route to God.

The Gentiles did not have a Messiah promised to them like the Jews had all through the Old Testament, but they have a share of the Savior (Messiah) now that Jesus is the Redeemer of all mankind. Jesus has completely eradicated the difference between a Jew and a Gentile. Now everyone can come to God through Jesus Christ. God does not have any future plans to put aside the New Covenant and restore the natural nation of Israel again, like what some of these new organizations are advocating. 

Some are trying to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem to bring back the glory of Israel and usher in a new Messiah. But this is never the plan of God.

Some are telling people and naive believers that God is only interested in Israel and Israel Only (IO). Again, from all throughout the Old and New Testament, we have seen the goodness of God for all nations, not just Israel only.

Paul told the  Galatians:

Gal 6:15  For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 

Gal 6:16  And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 

In Jesus, there are no more rituals called circumcision or uncircumcision and especially upon the Israel of God. This complements what Paul said in Gal 3:26-29.

Dead bodies and eagles

Dead bodies and eagles

This is a phrase that is not much written about in the bible, but Jesus saw it fit to bring it up to His disciples within the discourse on the end times and in answer to their question in Mat 24:3.

This appears in Mat 24:28; and Luk 17:37

Mat 24:28  For wheresoever the carcass (dead body) is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 

Luk 17:37  And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse (dead body) is, there the vultures will gather.” 

The bible uses the word "eagle" and "vulture" interchangeably.

To look into the Context of what Jesus meant, we find that in Luke 17, we have a conversation of Jesus with 2 different groups of people, the Pharisees in v20-21, and His disciples after v21 onward.

In v20, when the Pharisees ask Jesus "when will the kingdom of God come?", Jesus answered them in v21, that the kingdom of Go is not "here" or "there" but the kingdom is "within you".

Then in v22, Jesus began to talked to His disciples and going a little deeper into the matter of the coming of the kingdom of God. He said that the kingdom of God is not going to be here or there. Don't go after them He said in Luke 17:23-24 (parallel account in Mat 24:26-27).

In Luk 17:26, Jesus said just like the days of Noah, He is going to come.

Luk 17:26  Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 

Luk 17:27  They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 

In Luke 17:28, Jesus said just like the days of Lot, He is going to come.

Luk 17:28  Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 

Luk 17:29  but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 

Luk 17:30  so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 

Q: What were the people doing during the days of Noah and Lot before the judgement of God came down on them?

A: They were doing what they normally do. They were living their daily lives and suddenly the events that God prophesied came to pass suddenly.

Similarly, the Son of God will be revealed in the same manner, when they were going about their daily affairs, and like the days of Noah and Lot, the Son of God will come suddenly.

Luk 31-36 says that the Coming will take many of them by surprised. Some will be  taken, some will be left behind.

In Luk 17:37, the disciples asked a question that only appears in Luke 17 but not in Matthew 24 or Mark 13, and that is "Where, Lord?". Where is this going to take place? Tell us the location of "where" these signs of your coming are going to happen.

You see, in Matthew 24:3, we read of the disciples asking Jesus "when" will the sign of His coming and the end of the age take place. But in Luke 17:37, we read of them asking Jesus "where".

And in answering the disciples' question of "where", Jesus talks about "dead bodies and eagles", which is the title of our topic today.

Luk 17:37  And they answered and said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them, Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. (MKJV)

Jesus said that all the signs of the coming of Jesus is like the eagles on the dead bodies.

It is interesting to take note that the Roman armies carry a standard (emblem) when they march or go to war, and that standard is the emblem of the "eagle". This was the same standard that was planted inside the Holy Place of the Temple by general Titus when he destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD70.

So what is Jesus answering His disciples as to "where". Jesus is prophesying to them that where the dead bodies are (in Jerusalem), the eagles (Roman armies) will be there.

See some definitions of the Roman eagle:

https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Standard/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquila_(Roman)

The Jewish audience can comprehend what Jesus was saying to them because their culture is full of such imageries, and especially when it comes to warfare images. Imageries are mental images, figures, or likenesses of things so that the audience could understand.

For example in Habakkuk, when God told them about the judgement that is going to come on Israel:

Hab 1:6  For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. 

Hab 1:7  They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. 

Hab 1:8  Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. 

Q: Who are the Chaldeans?

A: They are the Babylonian empire that surrounds Israel and are their enemies.

Q: Who is raising the Chaldeans against the people of God, the nation of Israel?

A: GOD is. Not Satan! God raised His peoples enemies to punish Israel, His chosen people.

Q: How will the Chaldeans attack God's people?

A: Like an eagle flying in swiftly to devour them (see the imagery).

Another example in Jeremiah 7, where God is going to send judgement on His people of Judah for their idolatry and evil (Jer 7:30).

Jer 7:33  And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth, and none will frighten them away. 

Jer 7:34  And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste. 

The context of v33-34 is the judgement of God on Judah because of the evil in the nation. Here God is using imageries to describe the judgement. Their bodies will be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

Again in Jer 19, God is using same imageries to describe the coming judgement on His people:

Jer 19:7  And in this place I will make void the plans of Judah and Jerusalem, and will cause their people to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their life. I will give their dead bodies for food to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth. 

Such imageries are familiar with the Jews when Jesus used them in Luk 17:37. An attack in Israel or God's people will be like the birds of the air or beasts of the earth attacking their dead bodies.

A reputable and early church bible scholar and leader, John LIghtfoot (AD1602 - AD1675) wrote in his commentary on Matthew 24:37:

[  "For wheresoever the carcass is, there the eagles will be". I wonder any can understand the words of pious men flying to Christ, when the discourse here is of quite a different thing. They are this connected to the foregoing. Christ shall be revealed with the sudden vengeance. For when God shall cast off the city and the people groomed right for destruction like a carcass thrown out, the Roman soldiers like eagles shall straight fly to it with their eagles or their ensigns to tear and devour it. And to this also agrees the answer of Christ in Luke 17:37 when after the same words that are spoken here in this  chapter, it was  enquired, "Where. Lord". He answered, "wheresoever the body is," silently hinting thus much that Jerusalem and that wicked nation which he described through the whole chapter would be the carcass to which the greedy and devouring eagles would fly to prey upon it.  ]

Q: Was Jesus drawing cross references from the Old Testament about similar judgments on God's people? (Jesus had always referred back to the Scriptures. To the Jews, Scriptures stands for the 5 books of the Torah, Psalms and writings from the prophets).

A: I will highlight some cross references as evidences.

In Hosea, God sent for eagles against His nation:

Hos 8:1  Set the trumpet to thy mouth. "He shall come" as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. 

The words “he shall come” are inserted for clearness. Hosea beholds the enemy speeding with the swiftness of an eagle, as it darts down upon its prey. “The house of the Lord” is, most strictly, the temple, as being “the place which God had chosen to place His name there.” It is also used, of the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem, among whom the temple was. (Albert Barnes)

Another example in Jeremiah 25:9, God raising up the enemies of Israel against His nation:

Jer 25:9  Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof.

Did you noticed who did God named as His servant? God named Nebuchadnezzar as His servant. Remember Hab 1:6, where God raised up the Chaldeans against His people to execute judgement against Israel. (Babylon was the capital of the country Chaldea).

Another prophecy about the judgement of God by Zechariah:

Zec 14:2  For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 

God will gather the nations surrounding Jerusalem to battle with His nation Israel.

Another prophecy about the judgement of God by Isaiah:

Isa 10:5  Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! 

God calls the enemy Assyrians the "rod of His anger" and the "staff of His fury".

From the above, we can see clearly that God uses Nebuchadnezzar, Chaldeans and Assyrians as His instruments to punish and discipline His people Israel.

See a write up on Nebuchadnezzar:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebuchadnezzar_II

The Jews can relate to the phrase "eagles attacking dead bodies", as the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the coming Roman armies led by Titus in AD70. This is consistent interpretation from the whole chapters of Matthew 24, Luke 17 and Mark 13.

Q: Why was Jesus giving so many evidences and prophecies on the coming destruction of Jerusalem within their lifetime? Why was Jesus speaking so much about God's wrath on His people? Why was there a need for AD70, when the nation of Israel was brought under Roman captivity with the city and the Temple leveled?

A: To answer this, we need to look at Isaiah 54:8-9 (there are many other passages also), to understand about God's wrath.

Isaiah 54 follows after Isaiah 53, where we have the famous chapter on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as prophesied by Isaiah.

In Isaiah 54:8,9 we read of God putting His wrath on His people Israel for a short while, and He will show His compassion on it again. Bible scholars call Isaiah 54 as  God setting up the "eternal covenant" or the "new covenant" with His people.

So the wrath of God was only for a brief period of time. The day of vengeance was just a short burst of God's anger. God had to destroy the effectiveness of the system of religion (Judaism) that is by performance. He is saying no more priests, no more sacrifices, no more temples, no more  man made access to the presence of God. All of it was gone in AD70 when the Temple was destroyed.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that the time will come that Jerusalem will no longer exist as a place of worship of God. Neither will it be any one place but everyone can worship Him in spirit and in truth anywhere. No more mountain. No more Jerusalem.

Joh 4:21  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. "

Jesus was preparing the Samaritan woman the coming of the New Covenant. God in us, the hope of glory.

Coming back to Isaiah 54, we  read that the judgement of God on His people is firstly only for a short period of time, and secondly it will be the last judgement forever and ever. It will never happen again in the future of mankind.

Isa 54:8  In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer. 

Isa 54:9  “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will NOT be angry with you, and will NOT rebuke you. 

Isa 54:10  For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall NOT depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall NOT be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. 

God drew a parallel between the waters of Noah to His prophesied coming judgement on Jerusalem. He said that just as the flood waters of Noah will never cover the earth, God will no longer send His wrath on us again forever. Hallelujah!

The AD70 event was like the event of the flood of Noah's time. It is over. It is done. It is finished and it will never be done by God again.

The rainbow that surrounds the throne of God in Revelations 4:4 reminds God not to flood the earth again. God will not to display His wrath again. There is no more wrath, no more day of vengeance. No more tribulations. We can rest in the fact that there is a great future with God without the wrath of God upon His people.

The Parousia

The Parousia

Lately you may have heard a lot about Christians using the word "Parousia".

The word "Parousia" is a Greek word that is used often in the Greek bible. In English it is translated as "Coming" or "Arrival" or "Presence"

In Mat 24:27, we read the word "Parousia":

Mat 24:27  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming (Parousia) of the Son of Man. 

This verse is Jesus answering the disciples question in verse 3:

Mat 24:3  As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming (Parousia) and of the end of the age?” 

The disciples are asking Jesus in verse 3 about the sign of Jesus "arrival". They knew from their scriptures that the Messiah is making His presence with power and glory. Just that they want to know "when" is His "parousia".

This term "Parousia" has been misunderstood by many to mean a "physical" appearance, more so particularly within the last 200 years of church history, when the Dispensationalist propagated their future arrival of a physical Jesus. But to understand whether it is so or not, we need to look at the Jewish perspective because Jesus was talking to a Jewish audience.

One example is the "burning bush" experience of Moses when he met with God and talked with Him about the situation of the nation and Egypt.

Exo 3:7  Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 

Exo 3:8  and I have "come down to deliver them" out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 

God told Moses that He will come down to deliver them. My question is when did God came down to deliver them? and was it a literal coming down in physical form or in the flesh?

Of course not. God did not come down in physical form but He used Moses to deliver His people. Where was God then? God was with Moses by His Presence (Parousia) to perform signs and miracles, such as opening up the Red Sea. God made His appearance by His presence to confirm that God was there with Moses. God had a "Parousia".

This is the Hebrew culture. In their history, when God delivered Israel from the enemies in military combat, God did not come down physically to fight for them in human form. They still had to fight but God was with them in His Presence to give them the victories.

Consider the question of the disciples to Jesus in Mat 24:3. Why did the disciples ask for a "sign" of Jesus "Parousia"? Why was a sign needed? Is there a need for a "sign" if Jesus is coming back in physical form or in the flesh?

Just to ponder: Could it be that it is their Hebrew culture to expect Jesus to come back or to come down to deliver them (just like God who delivered them in the past), NOT in physical form but by His PRESENCE (Parousia), or in His spiritual form?

It is interesting to take note that of all the 4 gospels, only the book of Matthew uses the word "Parousia" and also the phrase "End of the Age", because these words are easily understood by Jews and not by non-Jews. Definitely not by 21st Century believers. Matthew was speaking to a Jews audience. In fact he had to convinced the Jews that Jesus came from the line of David by calling Jesus the Son of David in Mat 1:1, making Him the rightful heir and leader of the Jews. This makes Jesus as their rightful king and Messiah. The Jews also understood that "age" refers to their "Mosaic age", and "parousia" may not mean a physical arrival but a spiritual arrival.

In other parts of the New Testament the Greek word "Parousia" is sometimes translated in the English bibles as "presence" or "arrival".

See:

1Co 16:17  I rejoice at the coming (Greek:Parousia) of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus,...

Php 2:12  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence (Greek:Parousia) but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 

Q: Could it be that the Coming (Parousia) of Jesus be a spiritual appearance, but not in their timeline but in the far distant future when He will return a second time?

A: Let's look at what Jesus said about the timing of His "Parousia" in Mat 26:64.

Mat 26:64  Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from "now on" you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming (Parousia) on the clouds of heaven.” 

Jesus was telling the high priest Caiaphas, scribes, elders and the Pharisees, that FROM NOW ON, they are going to see the Coming (Parousia) of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven in power and in glory.

It was "from now on" or "hereafter" or "from that moment on", and NOT a future someday event.

Ask ourselves honestly, why are we teaching that the Coming of Jesus is still in our future? It is wrong teaching and wrong interpretation. It is from that moment on, the Caiaphas and the priests are going to see the "Parousia". Not 2000 years later they are going to see because all of them will be DEAD in 2000 years.

Q: What was recorded in the bible that happened that the priests and Pharisees saw from then on?

A: When Jesus died on the cross, the bible and other historians recorded that there was an earthquake that shook Jerusalem. The sun was darkened and the day turned night in the noon day. (See: Mat 27:45).

There was a 1st Century Roman historian called Pliny (AD23 - AD79) who was living in Egypt on the day that Jesus was crucified. And this was what he wrote on what he saw in Egypt:

[  At the moment, in the afternoon when the sky went dark, either the world was coming to an end or God is dying  ]

See some background on Pliny:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder

The world had a phenomenon event due to the death of Jesus at the Cross. This was what Albert Barnes, a bible theologian wrote:

[  There was darkness - This could not have been an eclipse of the sun, for the Passover was celebrated at the time of the full moon, when the moon is opposite to the sun. Luke says Luk 23:45 that “the sun was darkened,” but it was not by an eclipse. The only cause of this was the interposing power of God - furnishing testimony to the dignity of the sufferer, and causing the elements to sympathize with the pains of his dying Son. It was also especially proper to furnish this testimony when the “Sun of righteousness” was withdrawing his beams for a time, and the Redeemer of men was expiring. A thick darkness, shutting out the light of day, and clothing every object with the gloom of midnight, was the appropriate drapery with which the world should be clad when the Son of God expired. This darkness was noticed by one at least of the pagan writers. Phlegon, a Roman astronomer, speaking of the 14th year of the reign of Tiberius, which is supposed to be that in which our Saviour died, says “that the greatest eclipse of the sun that was ever known happened then, for the day was so turned into night that the stars appeared.”  ]

Also when Jesus died and was resurrected, the bible records that many dead bodies were resurrected in Jerusalem, and began to walk the streets of the city (Mat 27:52-53).

See a secular write up on this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_27:53

This was their confirmation of the Coming (Parousia) of the Son of Man in power and in great glory and it climaxed at the judgement of Israel with the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in AD70.

After the death and ascension of Jesus, Paul wrote to the Jews in Hebrews 9:28:

Heb 9:28  so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. 

Jesus came a first time to take away their sins.

Jesus came a second time to save them from the judgement of God on Israel.

All these signs and calamities, armies surrounding Jerusalem, troubles and famines are the manifestations of Christ's Coming (Parousia). While the believers in Jerusalem see all these things they had to look up and lift up their heads because their redemption (salvation) was drawing near. Their redemption was the hope that they had to wait for.

The Coming of the Son of Man

The Coming of the Son of Man

In Matthew 24:27-30, we read of the phrase "Son of Man" was used.

Mat 24:27  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 

Mat 24:30  Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

The real Messiah is going to come as a lightning. Lightning is not secretive, like in verse 26, where people do not know where He is. Lightning can be seen by everyone.

The false messiahs on the other hand, are localized appearances. They are bound by location and space, and only some will know where they are. But the real Messiah will be seen by all.

From verses 27-30, we have come across several interpretations through the last 2 centuries. Some say that the Son of Man had already came in the past. Some say that the Son of Man will be coming in the future. Some say that the Son of Man had come in the past but will come again in the future.

If we look into the Context of Matthew 24, and understand that Jesus was not just speaking randomly, but in answer to the disciples questions in verse 3, then we can conclude that the coming of the Son of Man is in the past, and will happen before the great judgement of God on Jerusalem in AD70. All these events were meant to be happening in their generation, in their timeline.

It was only about 200 years ago, that the modern Church believed otherwise. From the 2nd Century writers until now, the Church has always looked at Mat 24:27-30 as events that had already taken place in the past.

John Calvin, one of the early 16th Century church fathers, wrote in his Bible Commentary Volume 1, about Matthew 24:26-27.

[  The meaning therefore is that everyone who collect his forces into a secret place in order to regain the freedom of the nation by arms, falsely pretends to be the Christ. For the Redeemer is sent to diffuse His grace suddenly and unexpectedly through every quarter of the world. But these two things are quite contrary, to shut up redemption within some corner and to spread it through the whole world. The disciples were thus reminded that they must no longer seek a redeemer within the small enclosure of Judea because He will suddenly extend the limits of His kingdom to the uttermost ends of the world. And indeed this astonish rapidity with which the gospel flew through every part of the world was a manifest testimony of divine power. For it could not be the result of human industry that the light of the gospel as soon as it appeared darted from one side of the world to the opposite side like lightning and therefore it is not without reason that Christ introduced this circumstance for demonstrating and magnifying His heavenly glory. Besides by holding out this vast extent of His kingdom, He intended to show the desolation of Judea would not hinder Him from reigning.  ]

The phrase "lightning from the east to the west" is a metaphorical expression of how quickly Jesus is going to reveal His justice and His grace upon the earth. And He did it in AD70.

This apocalyptic language of "lightning from the east to the west" is also found in Zechariah 9:14.

Zec 9:14  Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. 

This metaphor means that "God will arrive or appear over them". It is an image of the coming of God.

The phrase "coming of the Son of Man" was a unique answer to the disciples question in verse 3:

Mat 24:3  As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 

Jesus was answering the disciples that He is the Son of Man, and that He will appear and reveal Himself to them.

Q: Why did Jesus called Himself to be the "Son of Man" in this reply?

A: The answer can be found in Daniel 7. This is an important passage:

Dan 7:13  “I (Daniel) saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 

Dan 7:14  And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. 

Here the "Son of Man" (Jesus) is appearing before the "Ancient of Days" (God), and the "Ancient of Days" gave the "Son of Man" a kingdom that will last forever and ever and will never be destroyed. It speaks of a divine coronation ceremony for a new Ruler is beginning an all encompassing kingdom.

Note in v13, that the arrival of the "Son of Man" is on the clouds of heaven and the purpose of the arrival is to appear before the "Ancient of Days".

Do you see the similarity or parallel here with Matthew 24:30 where Jesus said the "Son of Man" is gong to come on the clouds of heaven?

Mat 24:30  Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

Jesus is telling His disciples at Mount Olives that they are going to see the manifestation of Daniel 7:13, the coming of the "Son of Man" and will be given an everlasting kingdom.

"Coming in the cloud" is a Hebrew metaphorical image in their language. It is not a physical cloud like what you see in biblical artwork.

The full phrase "Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven" refers to Jesus coming to receive an eternal kingdom from God, a kingdom that is full of power and great glory. This is the full manifestation of God's kingdom that was taken away from Israel and now made available to everyone.

This was confirmed in Acts 7:55-56 when Stephen was being stoned to death.

Act 7:55  But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 

Act 7:56  And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 

Stephen saw the "Son of Man" standing at the right hand of God. Stephen saw it with his naked eyes what Daniel saw in a vision in Daniel 7.

The crowd that was present at the stoning comprised of religious figures like the Pharisees understood what Stephen meant because they know their scripture in Dan 7:14. So when Stephen drew reference and said he saw Jesus as the "Son of Man" standing at the right hand of God, they just could not take it anymore and killed Stephen.

At the time of Stephen stoning until AD70, the job of establishing God's kingdom on earth was given to Jesus disciples. They were seeing a New kingdom being established. The New Covenant was overtaking the Old Covenant and climaxed at the destruction of the Temple.

After AD70, the task of establishing God's kingdom and enforcing that power and glory of His kingdom in our lifestyle is now given to ALL, for we are now in the New Covenant Age.

Thus the term "Son of Man" does not just refer to Jesus humanity while He was on earth but it is much more about Jesus exaltation at the right hand of God. And as He is exalted, the expansion and the power and glory of His kingdom will be for eternity and will never end.

When Jesus said that "the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (John 12:23), He was referring to Daniel 7:13-14, that through His sacrifice at the Cross, He is going to be exalted by the Father and given an everlasting kingdom.

In recap, Jesus "coming in the cloud of heaven" means "receiving His everlasting kingdom from God with all power, authority and great glory".

The disciples of Jesus saw that "Coming of Jesus" in His Father's glory and kingdom just as what Jesus promised them in Matthew 16:27-28. They saw it in their generation and their lifetime.

Mat 16:27  For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 

Mat 16:28  Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” 

The climax is the Son of Man becoming king over an eternal kingdom.

That eternal kingdom that was ushered in by Jesus is continuing until now and forever more.