The Coming of the Son of Man

The point: Do not listen to anyone who claims to know the precise time of Christ's coming.

Predictive prophecy often shows a sequence of events (mountain peaks) but with indefinite time between them (valleys), which history reveals. This illustrates how the Olivet Discourse presents events in sequence without specifying the exact time gaps.

You will remember those who were with us that in our introductory overview of the Olivet Discourse, I stated that this discourse illustrates one of the vital principles of predictive prophecy in Scripture. And the principle is that predictive prophecy establishes definite sequence, but it does so in terms of indefinite time. Predictive prophecy most frequently gives us a sequence of events, but it gives us an indefinite time reference with respect to those events. And the classic illustration is that of the mountain, the mountain range. Looked at from one point of the compass, we may see that ...

14:08 - 15:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the 'startling accompaniments' of Christ's return: the sun darkened, the moon without light, stars falling, and heavenly powers shaken, likening them to an…

The bridesmaids and attendants precede the bride, signaling her coming. This illustrates how celestial darkness and cosmic disruption will be the 'heavenly entourage' accompanying the Son of Man's return.

Now in this building, we've had a number of weddings. My own daughters have been married in this building. And we've had many marriages since then, and it looks like some others are about to happen. And who knows what secrets some of you may be carrying in your hearts. But when we have weddings, the central figures are always the bride and the groom.

20:01 - 20:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But my friend, listen, at his second advent, when the Son of Man comes in his second advent, not only will the world twitch, the sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, and the powers in the heavens sha…

The world did not 'twitch' at Christ's first coming, emphasizing its quiet, humble, and unnoticed nature by the masses. This contrasts sharply with the cosmic upheaval of His second coming.

And the event itself will be the infallible interpreter as to how much literalism is to be understood. But this much is clear, and this is the point that is vital. The first advent when the Son of Man came through Mary's womb, to take up his residence among us, to live out his life of voluntary humility, to effect that obedience to the law of God as the representative head of the new humanity, that obedience which was even now carrying him to death and rejection and to the cross and to the tomb and to glorious resurrection. May I say it reverently, the Son of Man came into the world, the first...

28:26 - 29:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Dear people, though the coming of the Holy Spirit is an epical and glorious and advancing event in redemptive history, to confuse the coming of the Spirit with the personal coming of the Son of Man is to turn the Bible o…

God 'slipped his Son into the world by stealth' at the first advent, meaning it was largely unnoticed by the world, except for a few. This highlights the contrast with the universally visible second coming.

They shall see him, unlike his first advent, when God, as it were, slipped his Son into the world by stealth. As I was wrestling with words to describe it, I said, Lord, is that irreverent to describe it that way? And I said, no, I don't think it is. He slipped his Son into the world by stealth.

40:03 - 40:25 Read in full sermon