Advent Then and Advent to Come*

   

     Advent means "the appearing, the coming."  Throughout scripture, both the first appearing and the second appearing of the Messiah/Christ Jesus are described. As we have been discussing comparing spiritual with spiritual these last few weeks, we will also compare scriptures that confirm both advents of Christ from the Old and New Testaments. Scripture says that the LORD does nothing without first telling His servants, the prophets, and that includes the two advents of Jesus.

     Matthew Ch. 2 tells the first advent of the baby born in Bethlehem to Mary, and the divergent attitudes towards that miraculous event. The wise men from the east came to King Herod in Jerusalem, asking: "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have followed his star from the east, and are come to worship him.' When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." (Mt. 2:1-3). Why was the birth of the Messiah troubling to Herod, and to all of Jerusalem? They were not prepared for the fact that the long promised royal Messiah/Christ had in fact appeared. Is the Church today also unprepared? Peter wrote that many would pretend that Christ was not returning, asking, "Where is the promise of His coming?"

     Herod asked his scriptural experts where the Messiah was to be born, and they answered him "Bethlehem" citing the prophecy: "And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a governor, that shall rule my people Israel."

     We have confirming prophecies of the promise to Israel concerning the Messiah/Christ being a royal King who will reign eternally in the earth, and of His birth in Bethlehem. (see Gen. 49:10-11, Mic. 5:2-3, Isa. 9:6-7). The birth of Jesus Christ and His royal identity are described exactly in these prophecies from the Old Testament, and their fulfilment is recorded in the New Testament.

      After questioning the wise men about the timing since they first saw the star appear, Herod's response to the birth of the King of the Jews, the child, Jesus, was to murder all the children of Bethlehem and surrounding area under the age of two years. (Mt. 2:16-18). This also was the fulfilment of prophecy as the Gospel notes. (see Jer. 31:15).

     The child Jesus was spared this murder of the children because Joseph was warned in a dream to take Mary and the baby into Egypt for safety. (see Mt. 2:13-15). After Herod died, God told Joesph to bring the family back to Israel, which he did. This was also a fulfilment of prophecy from Hosea 11:1: "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."

     In His first advent or appearing, Jesus came born in the flesh to shed His blood for sins and to establish the new covenant, a principle that was prophetically foreshadowed in the Old Testament, as the Book of Hebrews, which I believe was authored by Paul, points out: "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined to you'...and almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." (Heb. 9:19-22). Speaking then of the similarity to Christ, it is written in Hebrews: "...but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself...So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (v. 26-28). The blood in the law, was not only to purge sins, but to establish covenant. He is also to appear again as written the verses above. This is confirmed by Christ Himself as He offered the elements of Communion with His disciples during the Passover supper: "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (Mt. 26:26-29).

     The promise of the new covenant, which Jesus fulfilled above, was given in Jeremiah 31:31-34: "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and the house of Judah...After those days...I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people....for they shall all know me (the LORD), from the least of them unto the greatest of them...for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." The LORD also promises through Jeremiah that He will never cast off the seed of Israel (v. 36-37). God is not done with Israel, nor the promises that He has made to Israel.

     Above in Hebrews, Christ's second advent or appearing is promised. This same promise is also in prophecy: "And his (the LORD's) feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof...And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem...And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one." (Zechariah 14:4, 8-9).

     In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes the promise to return: "...believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (Jn. 14:1-6, excerpt).

     The second advent or appearing of Jesus Christ is also noted in Acts 1:10-11, 1 Thess. 4:13-18 and 5:1.

     Scripture also makes clear the purpose of the second advent of Jesus Christ. He will return with all of His saints and with His angels to judge and take vengeance upon those who work wickedness, including the one wicked one who will exalt himself, also called the son of perdition, who will seat himself on the throne of God in God's temple. The temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt, as preparations to do so are even now being set in order. The Lord will take vengeance against them with the flaming sword of His mouth, which is the Word of God. (see 2 Thess. 1:7-10, 2:3-4, Jude 10-11,15).

     Considering that the second advent or appearing of Jesus Christ is confirmed repeatedly in scripture, and the signs of the times tell us that He is coming soon, how should we be preparing for this event, which is part of our calling from God? The apostle Paul wrote: "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thess. 1:11-12). We are to be worthy of the calling and exhibit the glory that Jesus has given to us - the same glory that He had with the Father from the beginning, as Jesus prayed in John 17. Jesus said to His disciples, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." How are we seen by others? Do they see the glory of Christ, or do they see our flesh?

     After writing of the judgment that will accompany the second advent of Christ and our preparation for it, Jude wrote: "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 20-21).

     Jesus is coming soon. Is the Body of Christ prepared or divided and deceived over doctrines of men instead of knowing God for ourselves as the scriptures say? We are to be fulfilling our calling and purpose in the Great Commission given to us by Christ - preaching the Gospel to all.

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 12/7/25 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on the Facebook page of Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at the Kenneth Stevenson channel. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, which is evidence of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook. Also the book NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling, written by Dr. Stevenson, is available on Amazon.