The Coming of God in Four Movements (The Consummation) 09-09-15

This fourth and final coming of God is what many Christians and non-Christians alike think of and frequently refer to as the Second Coming or Second Advent. It is second to Jesus’ incarnation as His first appearing. But if we look at the whole sweep of Christian history we see that this is the fourth major movement of what could be described as God’s unrelenting effort to restore creation to its’ original beauty and perfection.

The final coming of God is to once and for all establish God’s reign on earth. (Where one places the millennium in this process is a conversation for another time and another unit in this series.) In the broad view, God’s ultimate plan is to restore Earth to its original, pristine condition and set up His kingdom here and reign on earth. God’s final coming achieves this restoration. What was spoken of by the prophets, inaugurated by Jesus, will be finally complete. All wrongs are put to right. All injustice is eradicated. Sin is no more. Sorrow and crying are gone.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their Father. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.  … I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.’” (Revelation 21:1-3, 22)

Notice that “now the dwelling of God is with humanity” and in verse 22, there is no temple in the city. Remember, the temple was the way God has mediated divine presence to human beings throughout history. The temple was the dwelling place of God among people. It was a way of mediating and even moderating God’s powerful presence. But now, in the consummation, no mediation is necessary. God lives directly among God’s people.