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Eschatology review online
By Ron McRay
May 19, 2002
At a special request, I am reprinting the following article from
Eschatology Review.
IF THE LORD TARRIES
By Lloyd Dale
"...if the Lord tarries…" Have you heard that statement recently?
It seems that every time we turn around these days, someone is writing or
exclaiming "if the Lord tarries…" We cannot help but wonder, how
do they explain such a statement in the light of the declaration
contained in the following Scriptures, which were written in c. 60 AD:
"For Christ is … entered into ...heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often,
as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood
of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation
of the world: but NOW ONCE IN THE END OF THE AGE He has
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for Him, He shall appear the second time without sin
unto salvation … For yet a little while, and He that shall
come will come, and WILL NOT TARRY" [Hebrews 9:24-28;
10:37].
Dear ones, look at those verses again! They clearly and unambiguously
state that "Christ appeared once IN THE END OF THE AGE to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Then He entered into
heaven to appear in the presence of God for those first century
Hebrew Christians (and us), and He shall appear the second time
without sin unto salvation … FOR YET A LITTLE WHILE, and He that shall
come will come, and HE WILL NOT TARRY!
That scripture clearly states—that from the time this statement was
written—it would only be "A LITTLE WHILE" until
Jesus Christ would "APPEAR AGAIN A SECOND TIME," and
"HE WILL NOT TARRY."
Is it not, at least inconsistent, if not totally ludicrous to think, say,
and write, "if He tarries" when the Scriptures plainly state that
"HE WILL NOT TARRY?"
We do not apologize that we are deeply offended by such statements that
appear to make the Holy Scripture lie. This is a very real problem with
the whole range of "futurist" eschatology!
Now, let’s take a closer look at another portion of the Scripture quoted
above:
"For then must he often have suffered since THE FOUNDATION OF THE
WORLD: … but NOW ONCE IN THE END OF THE AGE He has appeared to
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. …So Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many."
Dear friends, please answer the following question: When did Christ offer
Himself to bear the sins of many? Whatever your answer is, does not this
verse clearly and with certainty, state that He did this "IN
THE END OF THE AGE?"
Now ask yourself another question: In the end of what age? What age ended
during the first century, within forty years of the death, burial,
resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ?
Look at the words of the author of this epistle to the first century
Hebrew Christians:
"God...has IN THESE LAST DAYS spoken unto us by his Son, whom
he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the
AGES [Heb. 1:2].
There it is again, God spoke by His Son, Jesus Christ, during the last
days of an age. What age was it that was ending in the first
century during or shortly after the time of Jesus Christ?
Look one more time at the following words written by the apostle Paul:
"...they [the OT Scriptures] are written for our
admonition, upon whom [the first century Christians]
THE ENDS OF THE AGE ARE COME" [1 Cor. 10:11].
Well, there we have it again—this time from the pen of the apostle Paul.
The Scriptures require two witnesses to establish a fact. The two
witnesses shown above were in complete agreement that the Christians
that were alive in the first century were living "in the last days" …at
"the end of the age!"
Once again, we ask, "What age was about to end … as it was
going through its last days – there and then in the first
century?"
It should be perfectly obvious to everyone – that if one age ended in the
first century – another must have begun right after that one ended!
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