1 Corinthians 16:22 NASB If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.
Dr. Wilbur Pickering notes: All commentators appear to be in agreement that Maranatha is a transliteration of an Aramaic expression [although I would have expected Paul to use Hebrew] made up of two words, but there is disagreement over how to make the division. It could be 'maranatha', meaning 'the Lord has come', or 'marana tha', meaning either 'the Lord is coming' or 'O Lord, come'. All three make good sense, so take your pick.
So people understand it, translate it, and interpret it different.
I understand it in the most common sense, “O Lord, Come.”
1 Corinthians 16:22 WEL If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let the same be anathema. O Lord, come!
Revelation 22:20 BSB He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
We are waiting for His return: Philippians 3:20 NET But our citizenship is in heaven - and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
The return of Jesus Christ is promised
B1 To Israel
C1 Deliverance of Israel and setting up of the kingdom
C2 Doom of coming judgment to those who do not believe
C3 One example: Zechariah 14:1-4 NKJV Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.
B2 To church age believers
C1 John 14:3 NKJV And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
C2 I Thessalonians 4:16-17 ISV With a shout of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of God's trumpet, the Lord himself will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Patiently waiting
B1 Enduring trials: James 5:7-10 LEB Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient concerning it until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is near. Brothers, do not complain against one another, in order that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the doors! Brothers, take as an example of perseverance and endurance the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
B2 Hebrews 10:37 NRSV For yet "in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
A promise of hope
B1 A crown: I Peter 5:4 ISV Then, when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the victor's crown of glory that will never fade away.
B2 A joy in longing for His return: 2 Timothy 4:8 NRSV From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
B3 A new body without defects: 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 CEV Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings that someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. 2 While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home. 3 We want to put it on like clothes and not be naked. 4 These tents we now live in are like a heavy burden, and we groan. But we don't do this just because we want to leave these bodies that will die. It is because we want to change them for bodies that will never die.
B4 A rescue from the coming wrath of God: 1 Thessalonians 1:10 NRSV and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
An exciting expectation
B1 For the King of all kings to deliver and reign forever and ever: Jude 1:14 NET Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, even prophesied of them, saying, "Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones,
B2 Titus 2:13 NRSV while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
B3 Philippians 3:20-21 GNB We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.
An encouragement to live a Christian life
B1 Hebrews 9:28 NRSV so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
B2 Luke 12:35-37 GW Be ready for action, and have your lamps burning. 36 Be like servants waiting to open the door at their master's knock when he returns from a wedding. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I can guarantee this truth: He will change his clothes, make them sit down at the table, and serve them.
B3 1 John 2:28 GW Now, dear children, live in Christ. Then, when he appears we will have confidence, and when he comes we won't turn from him in shame.
B4 2 Peter 3:11-13 GW All these things will be destroyed in this way. So think of the kind of holy and godly lives you must live 12 as you look forward to the day of God and eagerly wait for it to come. When that day comes, heaven will be on fire and will be destroyed. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and melt. 13 But we look forward to what God has promised-a new heaven and a new earth-a place where everything that has God's approval lives.
B5 2 Timothy 4:1-2 NRSV In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.
Lo, He comes with clouds descending
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.
Now redemption, long expected,
comes in solemn splendor near;
all the saints this world rejected
thrill the trumpet sound to hear:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
See the day of God appear!
Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears,
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshipers;
with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
gaze we on those glorious scars!
Yea, amen! let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
claim the kingdom as thine own:
O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.
—CHARLES WESLEY
No comments:
Post a Comment