Topical Bible: Waiting for the Coming of Christ

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The anticipation of Christ's return is a central theme in Christian eschatology, deeply rooted in the teachings of the New Testament. This expectation is not merely a passive longing but an active, hopeful waiting that shapes the life and conduct of believers.

Biblical Foundation

The promise of Christ's return is explicitly stated in several passages of the New Testament. In John 14:3, Jesus assures His disciples, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also." This promise is reiterated by the angels at the Ascension, as recorded in Acts 1:11: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven."

The Apostle Paul frequently addresses the return of Christ in his epistles. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, he writes, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord."

The Nature of Waiting

Waiting for Christ's return is characterized by vigilance and preparedness. Jesus Himself warns in Matthew 24:42, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come." This call to watchfulness is echoed in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), where the wise virgins are prepared for the bridegroom's arrival, while the foolish ones are not.

The Apostle Peter emphasizes the transformative effect of this anticipation in 2 Peter 3:11-12: "Since everything will be dissolved in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God."

Ethical Implications

The expectation of Christ's return has profound ethical implications for believers. It calls for a life of holiness, as seen in 1 John 3:2-3: "Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

Moreover, the anticipation of Christ's return encourages perseverance and patience. James 5:7-8 exhorts believers, "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. You too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near."

Hope and Comfort

The return of Christ is a source of hope and comfort for Christians. Paul writes in Titus 2:13, "as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." This hope is not only a future expectation but also a present reality that provides comfort in times of trial and suffering. In 1 Thessalonians 4:18, after describing the events of Christ's return, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to "comfort one another with these words."

Conclusion

The anticipation of Christ's return is a dynamic and integral aspect of Christian faith, influencing both the spiritual and ethical dimensions of a believer's life. It is a call to live in readiness, holiness, and hope, as the Church awaits the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan through the return of His Son.

Nave's Topical Index

1 Corinthians 1:7
So that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
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1 Thessalonians 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
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Library

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. Waiting for the Coming of Our ...
... Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end. Waiting ...
/.../lyra germanica the christian year/eighteenth sunday after trinity waiting.htm

The Waiting Christ.
... remnant of His people on earth wait for His Coming. ... In the brief but great 110th
Psalm that waiting is predicted ... The Christ, who is so often seen in the Psalms ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/the waiting christ.htm

The Apostles Referred to the Redeemer's Return in the Language of ...
... all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; So that ye
come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"(1:Cor.1 ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/2 the apostles referred to.htm

The Character of Christ's Advent (I. 7).
... The coming of Christ for His Church is quite a different event, and belongs to quite
a different Dispensation. The end for which the Church is waiting is not ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the character of christs advent.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Coming of Christ. Ch. 21:5-38
... the long years of faithful service and of eager waiting which were ... it should be
encouragement and more confident expectation of the coming of Christ and the ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/i the destruction of jerusalem.htm

Whether Christ's Birth was Made Known in a Becoming Order?
... As a figure of this, Simeon, "who was waiting for the consolation of Israel ... by the
Magi and the shepherds, who did not await the coming of Christ with such ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christs birth was made.htm

With the Entry of Angela's Great Picture "The Coming of Christ" ...
... meaning of Christ's message"what of the millions more waiting to know ... by your niece
Donna Angela Sovrani and entitled 'The Coming of Christ,' in which the ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxxviii with the entry of.htm

The Redeemer's Return is Necessitated by the Ratification of the ...
... So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/iii the redeemers return is.htm

The Christ Crowned, the Fact
... In the reigning time that's coming this peculiar opportunity of crowning Christ
while He ... the rarest opportunity to put this great waiting patient Man ...
/.../i the christ crowned the fact.htm

The Angel of the Everlasting Gospel.
... The Corinthians are exhorted to "come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the angel of the everlasting.htm