This second coming, occurring at the time when all the events connected with the apocalyptic program will take place, will inaugurate the coming of the new age, as well as the final destruction of all the forces of evil.Īs time passed, many Christians - especially those who were suffering persecution at the hands of the Roman government - became deeply concerned about how long it would be before these events would take place. Because they were convinced that the work of the Messiah must end in triumph and glory, they believed that this end could be accomplished only by a return of Jesus back to this earth from the heaven to which he had ascended. When the members of the Christian community affirmed their belief that the crucified Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, they necessarily revised their understanding concerning the work Jesus was to do and especially the way in which his work would be completed. The appearance of the Messiah will coincide with the coming of these events. The struggle will eventually reach a climax, at which time God will intervene, destroy the forces of evil, and set up a new order in which the righteous will live for all time to come. As the evil powers grow stronger, they will inflict persecution and in some instances even death upon those who follow a course of righteousness. This conception of coming events is associated with the belief that prior to this future time, the struggle between the forces of good and evil will become more intense.
Apocalypticism was not a new phenomenon among Christians it was a well-established belief among Jews, who held that the coming of the kingdom of God would not be brought about by a gradual transformation but by a sudden intervention, when God would end the present age and establish his kingdom in the world made new. In the Book of Revelation, the apocalyptic hopes of the early Christian community find their clearest and most complete expression.
0 kommentar(er)
