Thoughts towards the future

As I was thinking on what I had submitted in today's blog, I was struck once again by the wonderful prophetic hope we find in God's word.

The Bible can be summarize by four major events
When we consider the scope of biblical revelation, four events dominate the fabric of scripture:

1. The Bible's first big event - creation.  Over 60 passages speak on the God of glory creating the heavens and earth in six 24 hour periods of time.  Man was originally created sinless, yet capable of choosing for or against God.  Genesis 1-2 are the chief chapters that deal with this event.  Not only did God create what is seen, but also what is unseen - namely the angelic realm. 

2. The Bible's second big event - the fall.  From Genesis 3 onward we find the first and greatest catastrophe ,the fall.  It is here where Adam and Eve broke the Covenant of works, having been tempted by the fallen angel Lucifer, who led a third of the angelic hosts astray and by himself, entered the garden of Eden in the form of a serpent.  (Please compare Ezekiel 28, Revelation 12). 

With the Covenant of works broken, God offered a second Covenant, the Covenant of grace.  As God would repeat that second covenant in various forms through various people (like Abraham, David), two things were being assumed: that a redeemer would have to come and fulfill the first covenant that had been broken - the covenant of works, and that this same redeemer would also come to pay for and fullfill the Covenant of Grace.

3. The Bible's third big event, the cross.  It was in God the Son assuming upon himself human flesh that led to the third event - namely His death, Burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven.  For 33 years God in human flesh - Jesus Christ - lived in active, perfect obedience to the Father's will.  According to Romans 5, Jesus Christ is the New Adam, who did accomplish the completion of the Covenant of works. 

By doing that, Christ then submitted himself in obedience to the cross, thus purchasing the price for the Covenant of grace.  Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that "by grace are you saved through faith, this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, lest any man should boast."  Thus when I, called by grace, am positioned by God, I then by faith truly receive the benefits of all that Christ accomplished.  The event of the cross truly becomes an experience in my life.

4. The Bible's fourth big event - Christ second coming.  Following Christ's ascension into heaven, the apostles (the disciples who witnessed Jesus' life and ministry and who preached the gospel in the early church) were told that Christ would come back again.  The Bible in both Old and New Testaments speaks about Christ's second coming, with eight times more mentionings of His second coming than His first coming! This event of course has yet to occur, however its of such great significance that it not only determines the purpose and end of history, but affects how Christians live their lives now  (please compare 1 John 3:1-3). 

Starting tomorrow, I want to focus our attention on what the Bible has to say about Christ's return and prophecy, with the aim of raising our hope and our eyes to our Imperial Majesty, Jesus Christ.