The second advent of Christ

When will Christ return?

Can we know the time?

No Yes

Matthew 24:36

Revelation 3:3

II Peter 3:10

Amos 3:7

I Thessalonians 5:4

Matthew 25:1-13

Can we know the time?

No

Matthew 24:36

Revelation 3:3

II Peter 3:10

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son but the Father only.”

Can we know the time?

No

Matthew 24:36

Revelation 3:3

II Peter 3:10

“If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.”

Can we know the time?

No

Matthew 24:36

Revelation 3:3

II Peter 3:10

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.”

Can we know the time?

Yes

Amos 3:7

I Thessalonians 5:4

Matthew 25:1-13

Can we know the time?

Yes

Amos 3:7

I Thessalonians 5:4

Matthew 25:1-13

“For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.”

Can we know the time?

Yes

Amos 3:7

I Thessalonians 5:4

Matthew 25:1-13

“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day.... So then let us not sleep, as others do.”

Can we know the time?

Yes

Amos 3:7

I Thessalonians 5:4

Matthew 24:32-33

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”

Can we know the time?

Those who are ‘awake’, or prepared, will recognise the time as having arrived:

“I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…”

Acts 2:17

When will Christ return?

Pattern of restoration

Adam

Abraham

Noah JacobJacob inHaran

Jacob toEgypt

Isaac

Lord of

Second

Advent

Jesus

400120400 400 210 400

Slavery inEgypt Judges

United Kingdom

Divided Kingdom

Babylonian Captivity Preparation

PersecutionIn Rome Patriarchs

United Kingdom

Divided Kingdom

Papal Captivity Preparation

400120400 400 210 400

401201600 400 21 40

Brothers divided

Slavery in EgyptSlavery in Egypt

JudgesJudges

Israelite MonarchyIsraelite Monarchy

Divided KingdomsDivided Kingdoms

Exile and ReturnExile and Return

Prep. for the MessiahPrep. for the Messiah

Suffering under RomeSuffering under Rome

Church PatriarchsChurch Patriarchs

Christian EmpireChristian Empire

Divided EmpireDivided Empire

Papal Captivity & ReturnPapal Captivity & Return

Prep. for 2nd AdventPrep. for 2nd Advent

Malachi Luther1517

Jewish History Christian History

400

210

400

120

400

400

The messiah should come between 1917-1930

How will Christ return?

The second coming of Elijah

Elijah(circa 864 BC)

Goes to Heavenin a ‘Fiery Chariot’

‘Second Coming’as John the Baptist

(Working with John, who inherits his mission)

Luke 1:17Matthew 11:13-14Matthew 17:10-13

New person, similar mission, born on the earth

In what manner will Christ return?Born on earth? Come on the

clouds?

Born on earth?

Expectations about the first comingBorn on earth?

But you, O Bethlehem . . . from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel . . . Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has given birth.

Micah 5:2

Expectations about the first comingBorn on earth?

Behold, a maiden shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

Come on the Clouds?

Expectations about the first coming Come on the

clouds?

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

Daniel 7:13

Expectations about the first comingBorn on earth? Come on the

clouds?

Jesus was born on the earth

Coming on the clouds prophecies for the second advent?

Jews do not believe that the messiah should come twice

Born on earth?

In what manner will Christ return?Born on earth?

She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.

Revelation 12:5

Come on the Clouds?

In what manner will Christ return? Come on the

clouds?

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of man. And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Matthew 24:30

In what manner will Christ return? Come on the

clouds?

The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command . . . and the dead in Christ will rise first.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

What do clouds represent?Metaphorical Biblical language:

Clouds = crowd

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses . . .

Hebrews 12:1

What does water represent?Metaphorical Biblical language:

Water = fallen people

And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.

Revelation 17:15

Who are the clouds?Metaphorical Biblical language:

Clouds = water vapour = pure peopleHeb. 12:1 “clouds” = resurrected believers

Rev. 17:15 “water” = fallen people

Why will the messiah be born on earth as a man again?God’s will is eternal, unchanging and

absolute

Adam and Eve were supposed to fulfil the Three Blessings but fell

Jesus came as the Second Adam restore Adam’s failure, destroy evil and establish the Kingdom of Heaven by fulfilling the Three Blessings

The messiah will come as the Third Adam to complete Jesus' work of establishing God’s Kingdom by fulfilling the Three Blessings

The second coming of Jesus

Jesus(33 AD)

Ascended into heavenas a spiritual being

‘Second coming’as a new messiah

The spirit of Jesus will work with the messiah who inherits his mission

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:11

What is the new messiah called?

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a new name which no one knows but himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

Revelation 19:11-13

Where will Christ return?

Will Christ return among the Jewish people?

• Landlord = God• Vineyard = Israel• Tenants = Leaders• Servants = Prophets• Son = Jesus Christ

Tenants murder the son“Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing the fruits of it.”

Matthew 21:43

Jews who believe in Jesus

Who is Israel?

The messiah will be born to a Christian people

John the Baptist: “God is able from these very stones to raise up children to Abraham.”

Matthew 3:9

Jews who believed in Jesus = the Jesus MovementScripture of the early church was the Old Testament

The Christian Churchspiritual descendants of Abraham

Christianity = 2nd Israel

= Jews who believe in Jesus + Gentile converts

Which Christian nation?

“For as the lightening comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man.

Matthew 24:27

A country in the East:

Communistleaning

Imperialist

MilitaristicImperialistic

Pagan

Non-aggressiveReligious

China Japan Korea

The last four hundred years

GermanyMartin Luther1517

Karl Marx1848

Britain

America Korea

Russia

ChinaTravelsWEST

TravelsEAST

Free market

Liberal Democracy

Protestantism Communism

Totalitarianism

State control

British Empire

Fascism

Nazism

Why Korea?

• Messianic prophecies and spiritual groups preparing for the coming Christ

• Deep religious traditions

• Non-aggressive nation with history of suffering

• Front line of the battle between Communism and Democracy: divided Cain and Abel brother nations

Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

Matthew 24:28

How did Christianity go East?

Christianity in China

Nestorian Stele (781)

• Arrived 635 – Alopen• Flourished Tang

dynasty 200 years• Persecuted and

declined 10th century• Revived Mongol Yuan

dynasty 13th century• Disappeared 14th

century Ming dynasty• Xenophobia

Some recent Korean history

• 5000 year history• Chosun dynasty

established 1392• King Sejong the Great

– Hangul alphabet– Neo-Confucianism– Cultural and technological

advances– Agricultural innovations– Calendar reform– 1/3 population slaves

King Sejong the Great(1418-50)

Invasions and threats

• Japanese invasions 1592-98– Admiral Yi Sun-sin and turtle

ships supported by Chinese Ming Dynasty defeated them

• Manchu invasions 1627/36– Korea under Qing suzerainty

- paid tribute– 200 years of peace and

isolation “Hermit Kingdom”– Hostile to foreign trade and

contact including missionaries

Admiral Yi Sun-sin

Coming of Catholic Christianity• 1603 Korean envoy to China

brought some Catholic texts• 1758 Christianity outlawed• 1840 French missionaries• 1856 French bishop appointed• January 1866 Russian ships

off coast• February Catholics propose

alliance– France, Britain, Korea

• Rejected by Korean court– 8-10,000 Catholics martyred– 7 French priests martyred

Bishop Siméon-François Berneauxtortured, beheaded March 1866

Coming of Protestantism• 1865 Robert Jermain

Thomas from Wales takes Chinese Bibles to Korea

• August 1866 he travels on General Sherman – Misunderstanding– Clash– Thomas martyred

• 1877 John Ross from Scotland translates Bible into Korean and distributes Robert Jermain Thomas

1839-1866

Korea makes treaties

• 1854 USA sign treaty with Japan– Meiji restoration 1868

• 1876 Korea made unequal trade treaty with Japan• 1882 Korean king wanted US goods and

protection but not Christianity or democracy• US promised to protect Korea• Korean court politics rejects closer relations with

the West

Japanese occupy Korea• 1st Sino – Japanese War 1894-5

– Korea nominally independent – Empire of Korea• Anglo – Japanese Alliance 1902

– Japan occupies Korea• Russo – Japanese war 1904-05

– 1905 Russian Revolution, closing of Duma– Treaty of Portsmouth 1905

• Eulsa Treaty 1905 – Korea becomes a protectorate of Japan

• Japan – Korea Treaty 1907– Korea controlled by Japan

• Japan – Korea Annexation Treaty 1910– loss of Korean sovereignty

Korean Pentecost

• Revival in Wales 1904-05

• Spread to India and Korea 1907

• Meeting of missionaries spirit descended• Rapid spread• Today Korean Christianity most vital in the

world – most missionaries, largest congregations

March 1st 1919• Korean declaration of independence• Influenced by Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points• Korea ‘connects’ to worldwide foundation

for the messiah• 2,000,000 Koreans participated in 1,500

demonstrations• 7,500 killed, 16,000 wounded, 46,000

arrested• Korean delegation at Versailles Peace

Conference blocked by Japan and USA

Sun Myung Moon born

• 25th February 1920• 2nd son of Kyung-yoo Moon and

Kyung-gye Kim• 1930 family converted to Christianity• 1935 encounter with Jesus• 4th May 1944 marries Sun Kil Choi• 1946 travels to North Korea

Japanese occupation 1905-1945

What must the Messiah do?

• Fulfill the three blessings• Bring a new expression of truth• Be victorious over evil• Show the way for all people to regain

their status as God’s true sons and daughters

• Unite people of all faiths and establish a world of peace.

And more….