The Apostle Paul labels the future return of Jesus as his ‘parousia’ (“arrival”), ‘erchomai’ (“coming”), or ‘epiphaneia’ (“manifestation”). But on two occasions, he also calls it his ‘apocalypsis’ or “revelation.” And by comparing how he applies these several Greek terms, it becomes apparent that, in each case, the same event is in view.
Continue readingLast Days
The Day of Christ
The coming of Jesus is not a major topic in Paul’s two surviving letters to the Corinthians. But he does touch on several aspects of it, including its identification with the “Day of the Lord,” the consummation of God’s kingdom, the resurrection, the judgment, and the cessation of death.
He begins his first letter by thanking God for His grace to the Corinthians, and he puts the proper perspective on spiritual gifts by referring to the expectation of Christ’s return.
Continue readingLet Us Draw Near
After urging believers to enter God’s “rest,” the section concludes with a description of the powerful word of God, then returns to the subject of Christ’s priesthood. Believers must strive to enter His “rest” while the opportunity remains – “TODAY, hearken to His voice.”
Because Israel refused to believe the words of Yahweh, Joshua could not lead that generation into the Promised Land.
Continue readingEnter His Rest
The letter continues using the example of Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness to summon believers not to make the same error of unbelief and thereby fail to enter God’s “rest.” In the desert, Yahweh decreed that the generation of Israelites freed from Egyptian bondage would not enter the promised land. And so, disciples who fail to “hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end” will face a similar fate.
Continue readingHarden not your Hearts
After expounding on the “household of God” and demonstrating the superiority of the Son over Moses, the “servant of God,” the study continues with a lesson drawn from the story of Israel. During its sojourn in the wilderness, the Israelites complained bitterly against Moses for leading them to a place lacking sufficient water.
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