The Finished Word

Foundational to the church’s future hope is the bodily resurrection of believers when Jesus arrives in glory . Paul’s description of the “ arrival ” of Jesus is written to comfort believers concerning the fate of their compatriots who died before that event. They need not sorrow “ like the others ”  BECAUSE  the dead will be resurrected when the Lord “ arrives .”

The arrival of Jesus will mark the end of the present order and the commencement of the age to come and the New Creation .  Jesus will return at the “ end ” of the present age in great power and glory. His “ arrival ” will result in the judgment of the ungodly, the resurrection and vindication of the righteous, the New Creation, and the termination of death – Thus, it will be an event of great finality . ACCORDING TO JESUS For example, in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares , humanity is divided before him into two groups - The just and the unjust. The “ wheat ” is gathered in the “ barn ,” while the “ tares ” are tied into bundles and burned. The wheat represents the “ sons of the kingdom ,” and the tares symbolize the “ sons of the evil one ” who sowed the “ tares ,” and the “ harvest ” is at the “ end of the age ” - (Matthew 13:24-30). The parable of the Sheep and Goats pictures all nations gathered before Jesus for judgment upon his arrival - “ Then shall he sit upon the throne

Following his resurrection, Jesus began his reign from the messianic throne as prophesied by David – Psalm 2:6-9.  According to the Psalmist, the “ son ” will be anointed to reign on the throne of David “ on my holy mount .” According to the New Testament, that king is Jesus, and his rule began following his resurrection and ascension.

Through a series of comparisons, Hebrews demonstrates the supremacy of the Son over his predecessors . The letter to the  Hebrews  is addressed to a congregation facing pressure from outsiders. Some members are contemplating withdrawing from the assembly and returning to the local synagogue. The letter presents arguments for why doing so will have catastrophic consequences.

The new priesthood after the order of Melchizedek inaugurated in Jesus also means a change in the Law - Hebrews 7:12.  The letter to the Hebrews is structured around comparisons that demonstrate the superiority of the “ word spoken in the Son ” over past revelations “ spoken in the prophets ,” including Moses. Jesus surpasses even the Great Lawgiver.

The conspiracy by the earth’s kings to unseat God’s Son is applied by the New Testament to the plot to destroy Jesus  – Psalm 2:1-6.  The second Psalm is a key messianic passage applied to Jesus several times in the New Testament. But precisely when were its predictions fulfilled, and is the Messiah reigning even now on David’s Throne? Or is the world still waiting for his accession at a future date?