Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 65
Gary shares his takeaways and summary of the recent discussion/debate he had with Douglas Wilson in Moscow, Idaho.
What verse goes with the Nicene Creed’s “He shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead”? Where in the NT does it say Jesus will “come again”? Of course, based on Matthew 16:27, Jesus did come again before that generation passed away. Peter Leithart writes, “Jesus’ prophecy of His powerful coming in Matthew 16 and its parallels is an abbreviated version of His Olivet Discourse. In both, the Son of Man is said to come (16:28; 24:3) with glory with the hosts of angels (16:27; 24:30-31). Both foretell events that will take place before the disciples die (16:28), before ’this generation’ passes away (24:34).” (The Promise of His Appearing: An Exposition of Second Peter, 41).
Matthew 16:27 literally reads, “‘For, the Son of Man is about to [μέλλει] come in the glory of his Father, with His angels, and then He will reward each, according to his work.” Would those who heard what Jesus said think He was describing some far-distant event? Would they have understood that two comings were in view? There is no hint of there being two comings. It was a soon coming that would be witnessed by some who were standing there.
In the book And It Came to Pass, published by Canon Press in 1993, there is this: “Jesus came in His kingdom, to judge His enemies and bless His people who waited patiently for Him.” The Scripture passages referenced for support are Matthew 16:27-28, Luke 17:24-30, and James 5:7-9. The book also includes a chapter by Douglas Wilson on 2 Peter 3.
There’s much more in this recap.
Prophecy Wars: The Biblical Battle Over the End Times
In his 2008 debate with Douglas Wilson, Christopher Hitchens charged that Jesus was wrong because He predicted that His coming would take place within the time span of their generation (Matt. 24:34). This, of course, would make Jesus a false prophet and the New Testament unreliable if Hitchens’ claim was true. If Jesus was wrong about what generation would be alive when the destruction of Jerusalem was to take place, then why should anyone trust Him on anything He said? In just a few sentences in his response, Wilson showed that Jesus was referring to a more near-term judgment that in fact did take place before that first-century generation passed away. It’s the only way to properly read the Olivet Discourse. Hitchens did not know how to answer Wilson.
Buy NowGary shares his takeaways and summary of the recent discussion/debate he had with Douglas Wilson in Moscow, Idaho. It was a rare occasion for honest discussion on a topic that remains hotly contested among Christians of all types. Hopefully, it can be the first of many of such events to help the Church work through the biblical teaching on eschatology.
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