December 2004 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain's Corner - December 15, 2004
Rev. Rich Hines
Chaplains Should Stress Both of Christ's Advents at ChristmasThis
message is prepared especially for those in the United States who call upon the
name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a
chaplain in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission.
All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV),
copyright 1979,1980,1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by
permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any
deviation from the NKJV text is within parenthesis signs ( ). These
usually occur as direct translations from the original languages,
or as notes from the original setting, to help apply the text to today's
culture. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize a text, or a
comment about the text.
In most English dictionaries under the word "Christmas" you will find
definitions like: "The celebration of the advent of Jesus Christ" or
"The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ."
By use, over the years the word Christmas has come to mean many different
things. We have the big SECULAR CHRISTMAS and we have the RELIGIOUS CHRISTMAS,
with its pageants and plays that almost exclusively focus on the first advent
of Christ especially on His lowly birth in a Judean stable.
Before you read any further, understand I am coming from a pre-millenial, pre- tribulational,
eschatological viewpoint. If that's not your biblical understanding of the end
time events, at least I know as a Bible believer, you do believe in the physical
return of Christ to Earth (see John 14:3; Acts 1:10,11 and 2 Thessalonians
1:7-10 for starters).
The Old Testament prophecies did not make a distinction between His two
arrivals, or advents. With the progressive and more complete revelation of God's
plan in the New Testament, we can see the difference
between the two advents of Christ.
The first time He came (at Christmas) it was to bear the sins of His people,
the second time He comes it will be to judge sin and change the world's
government . He will rule on earth from
When Christ came to earth the first time, the first believers didn't see the
intervening age between Christ's two advents. Old Testament believers only saw
one advent of Messiah. Therefore, they expected the glorious rule of Christ
over the world to begin at any moment.
A brief look at just two important prophetic passages from the Old Testament
will illustrate my point.
Isaiah 9:6,7
6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will
be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the
throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with
judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord
of hosts will perform this.
In verse 6, "UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN, UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN"
certainly applied to Christ's birth and first advent, but - "THE
GOVERNMENT WILL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER" as we know from history didn't
happen at His first coming, it WILL BE A REALITY AFTER HIS SECOND COMING, or
His second advent, at His bodily return to planet Earth. All of verse 7 also
applies to the second advent.
As for the names of Messiah at the end of verse 6, the first two and a half
(including "Mighty God" - in part) can apply to His first advent, BUT
the last three ("Mighty God", Lit. "Father of Eternity" and
"Prince of Peace") apply in their fullness to His second advent.
The Old Testament believer expected all of this to apply to His arrival and
didn't see two of them delineated.
The next passage does delineate some, but even so, a distinct gap of time (in
which we live today) is not explained.
Daniel 9:24-27
24 "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city,
to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for
iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
This is a broad sweeping prophecy which as we now know, takes in both arrivals
of the Messiah on Earth.
By comparison with Daniel 12:5-11, especially verses 7 and 11, we understand
that the 70 WEEKS (literally "Seventy sevens") refer to 490 YEARS
(each 360 days long) not 490 days.
25 "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be
seven weeks (49 years) and sixty-two weeks (plus 434 years for a total of 483
years); the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome
times.
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for
Himself;
These 62 weeks of 434 years together with the first 7 weeks of 49 years, totaling
483 years - were fulfilled to the exact day, what an amazing prophecy! The time
FROM the command to rebuild Jerusalem by the Persian ruler Artaxerxes
TO the entry of Jesus, the Messiah on Palm Sunday WAS EXACTLY 483 years (360
days times 483 years, or 173,880 days) TO THE VERY DAY!
"Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself," refers to His
subsequent, violent substitutionary sacrificial
death, which is linked to the culmination of His first advent.
Chaplains NEED TO PREACH THAT CHRISTMAS, OR CHRIST'S FIRST ADVENT, WAS
PRIMARILY TO COME AS THE SIN BEARER AND SAVIOR OF HIS PEOPLE (all true
believers). Matthew 1:21 says "call His name Jesus for He will save His
people from their sins." Referring to His first advent, 1 Tim. 1:15 says "Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners."
But the rest of this prophecy given to Daniel by the holy angel Gabriel in
about 535 BC, as we now know applies to events after Christ's death,
resurrection and ascension in Acts 1:9. (in AD 30).
26 ... and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and
the sanctuary.
This "prince" who was "to come" after Daniel wrote of him
in verse 26, has at least a double reference. First, to the Roman conqueror
Titus in 70 AD, and then ultimately to the final Antichrist who in the end of
verse 26 and in verse 27, wrecks havoc up until the end when Christ comes in
power and glory
26 ... The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war
desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; (seven years of 360
days each) but in the middle of the week (three and one half years of 360 days
each, or 1260 days into the final seven years - compare this to Revelation 11:2,3; 13:5, where "42 months" of 30 days each equals
1,260 days) he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of
abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, (the
very end) which is determined, is poured out on the desolate."
In the simple reading of Daniel 9:24-27 there are the three time segments: 49
years, plus 434 years, plus a final 7 years. BUT NOTHING DIRECTLY SUGGESTS THE
GAP IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING BETWEEN THE END OF THE 483 YEARS AND THE BEGINNING
OF THE FINAL 7 YEARS. Again, the Old Testament believer had no understanding of
two arrivals, two appearances of "Messiah the Prince," they didn't
understand there would be two advents of Christ.
When Messiah Christ rules on earth, the final Antichrist will be forever
defeated and the glorious age of His kingdom on earth will begin. See
Revelation 19:11-20:4 (the "beast" there in context is the final
Antichrist).
We still look forward to that coming rule of Christ on earth. It is the
ultimate answer to what I call THE CHRISTMAS PROBLEM.
This problem is: if and when our society looks at the birth of Christ, there is
really little lasting effect. To many, Christmas is
just a time for presents, parties and sentiments - Christ isn't even brought to
mind. Others that are not true Christians "throw Christ a bone," like
people who give in to a begging dog. They get sentimental about the artwork and
poetic songs that mention His lowly birth. After "the Season" is
over, Christ means nothing at all to them.
How confusing it must be to those who sing the sentimental Christmas songs
without true biblical understanding.
Thinking of just one of them that's catchy, has a great sound with the back-up
vocals, tells a story yet really honors someone other than Jesus - THE LITTLE
DRUMMER BOY who played his "best for" Jesus, note the lyrics:
LITTLE BABY Pa rum pum pum pum I AM A POOR BOY TOO Pa rum pum
pum pum I HAVE NO GIFT TO
BRING Pa rum pum pum pum THAT'S FIT TO GIVE OUR KING Pa rum pum
pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum.
If Jesus is the Great King why is he always seen as so poor? Without biblical
input the words make no sense and little attention is paid to the Bible when
unbelievers think of Christ and the carols of the season.
Have you ever noticed how the religious side of Christmas tries to market BABY
JESUS to secular society? They want to keep Him a baby. That way he's harmless
and can make no real claim on the lives of adults. I once heard Dr. John
MacArthur say, "just a babe in a manger is no
threat to the world."
The shepherds and Magi who came to worship the Child weren't worshiping Him AS A BABY, as if infancy was something of itself to be adored.
They were worshiping Him as the long promised Messiah, who one day after paying
for their sins, would reign in power as King of the
universe. They knew this Babe was the God-Man.
One reason we have the Christmas problem is because many professing Christians
and most of the people who celebrate Christmas aren't true Bible believers. In
one sense, after just His first advent, for society in general, it was take it or leave it. There are no immediate OBVIOUS
consequences to ignoring the Christ that came as Savior from sin. That same
attitude reigns in the hearts of most people today - especially at Christmas
and that's a BIG PROBLEM.
BUT, when He returns at His second advent, NO ONE CAN IGNORE HIM! Ultimately
unto Jesus, the Christ and Lord, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS
(admit) WHO HE REALLY IS! (Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:9-11).
At the first Christmas, most didn't even know He had come - at His second
coming, EVERYBODY WILL KNOW IT AND BE AFFECTED BY IT. That's something to look
forward to and celebrate - even ahead of the time!
In both advents of Christ what we really have is God invading human history.
But in the first advent, which included Christ's birth, life, substitutionary sacrificial death, bodily resurrection and
ascension - God didn't invade and personally re-orient EVERYBODY'S life.
The results of the next arrival on planet Earth of the Christ will be far
different. God will invade and re-establish human government around the
Glorified Jesus. God in glorified human flesh will actually rule and reign as Universal King on planet Earth, from
This Christmas why not present Christ in all the fullness of history, past,
present and FUTURE? Don't just center your Christmas message on what Christ did
in the past, and what He's doing today, also include the message of what He is
going to do in the future.
We live in a time of political turmoil, both nationally and internationally. At
the heart of the turmoil in our own country, in the Middle-East, and globally
with the agenda of militant Islam - is the Christ, the Three in One God of the
Bible, issue. At the return of Christ, which ushers in His second advent, the
open rebellion against Him will be over.
As you present Christ in all His fullness this Christmas, do present Him coming
as the God-man that bore the sins of His people BUT ALSO AS THE FUTURE COMING
GOD-MAN THAT WILL JUDGE SINNERS AND RULE PLANET EARTH.
Though the visible form of His Kingdom waits for His return, the good news of
the gospel is that inmates and all types of sinners can - by God's grace - this
Christmas repent and own Him as their invisible King and sin bearer, reigning
and reorienting them to Him and His ways, in their inner-most being.
Teach the inmates the meaning of the verses so often quoted on religious
Christmas cards:
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government
will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of
the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne
of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and
justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts
will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6,7)
Here are some other great Christmas texts that include the second advent of
Christ -
Philippians 2:5-11 (NASB)
5 ... Christ Jesus
6 who, although He (continually, always) existed in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself (so as to lay aside His privileges as God), taking the
form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. (at His human birth, Christmas)
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death, even death on a cross. (at the culmination of His FIRST
ADVENT)
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in the
heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father. (this will be at His SECOND ADVENT)
Revelation 1:5,7 - in context, written to prompt
worship of Christ.
5 ...Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the
ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and
washed us from our sins in His own blood. (FIRST ADVENT)
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who
pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so. Amen. (SECOND advent)
Dear believing Chaplain, may the past and future truths of the Christ, be your
reality and rejoicing this Christmas! Know Him and make Him known.
Rich Hines - Minister To Chaplains,
"for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ"