No, we “eagerly wait for a Savior the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body . . .” (Philippians 3: 20, 21: HBSC). That is more than heaven—indeed, we will live in a new body in a new heavens and new earth (2 Peter 3:13) in which righteousness is at home. Think of it—believer, some day, you will have a new body like His!

It was a body that rose from the dead, walked through doors, ascended into heaven and sat on the right hand of God (where it is today).

On that resurrection day, your body will rise to meet Him in the air, in order to escort Him to earth.  You will then enjoy all the privileges of living in a perfect body in a perfect world! That is heaven, all right: heaven on earth!

Check out our online courses, including, Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling and  The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

Books related to end times:

1. The Time Is At Hand by Jay Adams
2. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

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Why shouldn’t I. Those patriarchs waited, together with those who followed them, for millennia until Jesus came the first time. Why shouldn’t I expect to wait for His second coming as well?

“I guess that’s so. But it’s almost like going to the doctor and having to wait long after the time set for the appointment.”

But Jesus’ coming—just as in the first time He appeared—will be exactly according to schedule. It won’t be like the office wait at all.

“Still . . . . . . .”

Do you know what Peter said about the matter?

“Well . . . “

He said that it was mercy and grace that is making the wait take place.

“What? Doesn’t seem so merciful for us to have to sit around waiting for it to happen.”

That’s because you missed Peter’s point. He said God is waiting until all of the elect have been saved. Would you rather have Christ come in your time and some unsaved persons, who have not yet believed, go to hell because He didn’t wait for them to hear the Gospel and believe?

“Ooops! I sure blew it on that one, didn’t I?”

Need I say more?

“Please don’t!”

Check out our online courses, including, Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling and  The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

Books related to counseling others:

1. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
2. The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
3. How to Help People Change by Jay Adams
4. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post Christ Is Coming appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

These two comings must be understood as separate events. The first coming is mentioned in such passages as Mt.16:27, 28. Clearly, there were some listening to Jesus who would live to see that coming (as it says in v. 28).

But there are other passages to consider as well. One of these is Mt. 26:57-63. Obviously, those who would “see” the event (the coming indicated by the destruction of Jerusalem) would not live until the second coming. They “saw” that He was seated at God;s right hand by the events that occurred.

Take one more: Luke 17:20-36. The clue you need to determine which coming is in view may be found in vs. 31-32. Persons on housetops and in the fields are told not to come down or return home,  They must “get out of Dodge” immediately! Why would anyone need to be told this if he were already rising in a new body to meet Jesus in the air!

These are but samples of the two comings, which you must learn to distinguish if you would make sense of prophecy.

The post Don’t Go Back! appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

At the second coming, believer, you will be caught up into the air to meet the Lord as He returns (1 Thessalonians 4). The word “meet” is a very special word, used only here and two other places in the New Testament (once in Mt. 25) and the once in Acts 28). Why are believers to be “raptured” (snatched up into the air)? This word tells us. As the Christians went out on the road to Rome to greet Paul as He was being taken to prison to accompany him into the city in honor, and as the virgins went out to meet the bridegroom and accompany him back in honor of that occasion, so too, as the term means, Christians rise to meet the Lord in air to accompany Him in honor as He comes to earth.

Notice the occasion is at the time when believers are resurrected (1 Corinthians 15).  They will receive a body like Jesus’ glorious body to replace the old corruptible and mortal one (Philippians 3: 20, 21). In the ascent into the air to meet the Lord, we immediately recognize one of the new capacities that our have glorified bodies will possess—one that Jesus manifested in His ascension—namely, the power to arise into the air! What a glorious anticipation for those of us with our present weak, sickly, corruptible bodies!

But the great thing will not be our renovated bodies—it will be the coming of Jesus—and the fact that we will actually be able to accompany Him in His honor as He descends! Don’t you think that all eyes will be on Him—not on our new bodies! The point always to remember is that it is His coming that is the importance of this event not our going! This is the Day of the Lord; the Day of His revelation, the Day of days in the future. And, as such we should anticipate it!

The post Christ Is Coming appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

Jesus said, “When they (fig trees) put forth leaves you can see and know yourselves that summer is already near” (Luke 21: 30 CCNT/P). Was He pointing to a sign of His second coming? NO! Two verses later, He explained, “Truly, I tell you that this generation won’t pass away until all of this[1] happens” (v. 32).

Why, then, will Christians misuse the verse about the fig tree to refer to an event that is future when it already occurred in 70 AD?

Again, we hear people teaching that when Jesus warned of a sudden coming by saying not to come down from the housetop or in from the field to get any valuable items, He was referring to the rapture. If so, how foolish that warning would have been! Can you imagine believers ascending into the air to meet the Lord who are trying, instead, to get back into their houses somehow to retrieve things they want to take with them?

Much foolish talk is going on today. It is not when people are saying “wars and rumors of wars” that we should look for the bodily return of Jesus. Paul made it clear that He would return when the world is saying “peace and safety.” That is when we can expect Him—not before (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Be careful what teaching you accept—read the entire context to see what is really in view.

[1] Including the leafing of the fig trees.

The post Blooming Fig Trees appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

Studies have shown it was written about 67-69 AD. That it was before the destruction of Jerusalem (70AD) is clear since in the book the temple is still standing, and one of the major portions of the Revelation is devoted to the description of the Roman invasion of Palestine that ended in the destruction of the temple and the city. During this horrible event over 3 million people were killed. No wonder Jesus spoke of it as a time that was not like any other before or after!

At the outset, the book tells us that the “time is at hand.” The same words were repeated in the final chapter. The book was not to be sealed as was the book of Daniel (in direct contrast to what was said there in the last chapter of his prophecy). Daniel’s material, in part, was for the far off future. So it was sealed until “the time of the end” (of the Old Testament period). Because, in contrast, Revelation spoke of times that those who first read it would live to see, John was instructed not to seal his book—and, note the reason given: “for the time is at hand!”

The list of Roman rulers, culminating in Nero Caesar (666), was contemporary. The angel tells the reader that the woman was sitting on the city of seven hills (everyone knew Rome that way). Moreover the angel calls it the great city that is reigning over the rest of the earth. That the book is contemporary, and (except for the 20th and 21st chapters) not still future, is clear from the internal evidence.

If you want to learn more, read my book, The Time is at Hand.

The post Revelation appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.

After the letters to the seven churches, there are two great sections to the Book:

Section One: The First Enemy of the Church and its destruction.

Section Two: The Second Enemy of the Church and its destruction.

This verse stands between them.

If the second section deals with all sorts of peoples of various languages (hint, hint), what do you think the first section deals with?

Just a few thoughts to get you searching. Have fun!

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