Jesus’ Second Coming and the Church
I want to address something which is both enigmatic and controversial. Although all believers affirm the second coming of Jesus, they are quite divided on the particular circumstances surrounding this awesome event. I would say they are split between those that interpret Scripture literally and those who would see the Word as being more representative and symbolic.
Besides the mysterious conditions related to Jesus second coming, there is the whole matter of the Church. Estimates for the number of denominations run from the hundreds to the thousands which of itself tells us of the brokenness and disunity in the body of Christ. Obviously Jesus is not coming back for a particular religion or denomination. Scripture clearly states he is returning for a glorious church without spot or wrinkle. Surely this means he is coming to a church whose knowledge of the faith is congruent with the truth of his Word.
We should know emphatically that God puts a premium on unity. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians differentiates two types of securing unity. The first in verse three encourages our striving for spiritual unity while verse 13 speaks of the Lord bringing about unity in the faith. The first results from our volition while the second comes through the Lord’s aligning our beliefs with biblical truth. In Jesus John 17 prayer, he specifically asks the Father to bring oneness among the believers just as he experiences with the Father. And then in the ascension Psalms, Psalm 120 through Psalm 134, considered sung by Israel while pilgrimaging to Jerusalem to celebrate the major feasts, culminate in the temple with glorious worship in the presence of God. Prior to that concluding epiphany, Psalm 133 espouses unity as a precursor promising the blessing of eternal life.
The existence of multitudinous “flavors “ of the church loudly proclaims the abysmal absence of unity in the universal church. Denominations exist because each maintains distinctives separating them from one another. In essence these differences can be reduced to competing interpretations in Scripture, contradictions of beliefs, and liturgical practices. All of this notwithstanding, it violates the Lord’s concept and desire for unity.
I believe it behooves us to biblically define the church if we are ever to understand what Jesus is coming to. I would offer this, the church exists wherever two or three are gathered together in his name. The church is a spiritual reality. It does not require a building, or pastor, or any liturgical form, or any other seemingly religious furnishings we usually prescribe. Interestingly, when a group of believers want to start a new church, they begin by looking for a place to meet. The early church thrived for centuries without church buildings.
Isn’t the church the people? Doesn’t God reside in us? Isn’t Christianity all about having a relationship with Almighty God? We need to examine our hearts regarding how much focus we are putting on all the paraphernalia we have associated with the church. We need to do a little research and learn more about where so many of the traditions and religious objects came from.
One of the greatest tragedies in the church came through creation of the clergy class and separating the so-called clergy and laity into two separate classes. This basically disenfranchised the believers from their calling and ministry. It also elevated pastors to a position of “lording it over others,” something specifically forbidden by Jesus.
For those interested in history, it was the Roman Emperor Constantine who first brought about a cessation of persecution of the church with his successor Theodosius (with the brief interim of Constantine’s sons) formally legalizing Christianity in the Roman Empire. With the ending of persecution and favor of the civil rule, the church began to adopt many secular practices and objects.
Uncovering the historical truth regarding the church has to create questions for all those faithful followers of Jesus presently attending institutional churches. I hope you will prayerfully seek answers to your questions while giving full respect and appreciation to the fellowship you are attending. Unquestionably, all expressions of the church not consistent with what the Bible describes that Jesus is coming to, will necessarily become non-existent. How this transition transpires is yet a mystery to us.
I truly believe that the church in the end times will be populated by disciples who have been cleansed of man’s false and unbiblical creations regardless of the sincerity and good intention involved. The church Jesus is coming to will be inhabited by those who have denied self, taken up their cross, and answered the call to follow Christ. Such things as candelabras, altar rails, large numbers, super worship teams, flamboyant pastors, choirs, and clergy/laity divisions won’t mean anything to them.
From the very beginning when the Lord rescued Israel out of Egyptian captivity, he expressed his desire to make them his very own people with whom he would reside. “I want the people of Israel to build me a sacred residence where I can live among them “ (Ex 25:8 NLT). With the advent of the gospel and of the new covenant in Christ, all true followers of Jesus are the new people of God. We are the living stones God is building into his spiritual temple, we are his holy priests. For me this is describing a last day church, the church without spot or wrinkle, the church that Jesus is coming to.
If this is what you are anticipating and desire for your life, you are going to have to be willing to sacrificially alter, give up, or change anything in your life that is antithetical to Jesus’ climactic “omega.”
