The Second Coming
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The Last Judgement by Peter Paul Rubens, 1615, Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany The Virgin Mary, Jesus and Moses at the top, the damned falling into hell on the right and the blessed rising on the left. At the bottom are the dead, the dying and those just resurrected. |
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Parousia
Parousia is an ancient Greek word meaning arrival of a special event, like advent. In the New Testament this refers to the second coming of Christ.
Bart D. Ehrman, Professor of Religious Studies at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, in his book "Forged", described many books of the New Testament as being "pseudonymous - falsely named". The commentary in my own New Oxford Annotated Bible states that there are contrasts between First Thessalonians and Second Thessalonians and that the second letter was "written in Paul's name", that is, falsely attributed to the Apostle Paul. Thus, "I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it the way I write." (2 Thess 3:17) is probably not true, and again everything must be questioned.
The differences center around the time of Christ's coming again. First Thessalonians declares the end is near. When that did not happen in the early Church, there were disputes and Second Thessalonians was written to "clarify and explain" that a "dire struggle with evil must take place first" and things will be delayed. A spin job - God's time is not our time. Good advice about Christian living is in both letters, but the time of "parousia" cannot be true in both.
The above letters are written by the Apostle Paul and/or Paul's scribe or imposter. The teachings of Jesus and the teachings of Paul (or Pauline writings) are not the same. Look at Luke 17:20-21 "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is !' or There it is ! For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you."
Rather than End of Times and the Second Coming, a more reasonable belief would be to look for the "kingdom within" that we could experience through Christ Consciousness.
Jesus in Islam
Suprisingly, Jesus, Isa in Arabic, in well known in the Koran and in Islamic writings, and is important in End of Times theology. Eschatology is from two Greek words "last things" and "study", and it refers to the theology of death, judgment and the ultimate destiny of humanity.
Islamic Day of Judgement, Unknown Painting. Jesus (Isa) is shown on the upper step on the left. |
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Medieval Persian manuscript depicting Muhammad (right) leading Abraham, Moses and Jesus in Prayer. From The Middle Ages. An Illustrated History, by Barbara Hanawalt, 1998, public domain. |
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The above images of Jesus do not violate the Commandment "do not make graven images" because the Muslim religion generally considers Jesus - Isa - as a prophet, not "the Son of God". Jesus is a Messiah , Masih in Arabic, and is not God Incarnate. Jesus is "the Messenger of God". This is very interesting, it appears that Islam maybe a Christian heresy. Some scholars think early Muslims (second or third century) were influenced by various Gnostic groups.
The Quran, or Koran, is the main Scriptures in Islam and was realed to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel (or Jibril) begining in 609 AD. Jesus (Isa) is mentioned many times and is referred to as Son of Mary (Maryam), Spirit of God and the Word of God. And He will return to earth to restore justice and to defeat the false messiah or the Antichrist. Sounds like Revelations.
Paramahansa Yogananda
Yogananda wrote a book called "The Second Coming of Christ , The Resurrection of Christ Within You", in which he made an extensive commentary on the teachings of Jesus and the Gospels. For example, in regard to John 1:1-4, "Word means intelligent vibration ... the vibratory force emanating from the Spirit is the Holy Ghost ... and the holy Cosmic Sound of Aum (Om) is the witness of the manifested Divine Prensence in all Creation." This all sounds like the "kingdom within our Next Reformation" Yogananda was a yogi from India and came to California and established the Self-Realization Fellowship in 1920 to teach techniques of meditation anf "God Consciousness."
Paramahansa Yogananda shown meditating, about 1920. |
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Eternity
If eternity is forever, then are we not now part of eternity?
Is not our present state part of this eternity?
Galaxy M42 Courtesy of NASA |
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When we hear the question “where will you spend eternity?”, we have answered part of it already. Eternity, for us, will not begin with our death. Eternity is not a one way street.
Then the question also becomes “where did we spend the previous part of eternity?” We have been incarnated from some previous state - either from nothingness or somethingness.
In science we see that matter can be changed into other forms of matter. We have seen here, in some brief way, how matter may be created from energy. Energy can also be changed, but can not be created or destroyed. In nature, in the world around us we see cycles. We breath air and oxygen, we exhale carbon dioxide, the trees use carbon dioxide to grow their leaves and they also make oxygen. There are many cycles in life.
Reincarnation Unknown Artist |
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Christian mythology makes sense only with the idea of reincarnation: born, die, born again. There is a certain sense of comfort in living as if reincarnation is possible.
For most “westerners”, that is those of the so-called western part of civilization, reincarnation is viewed as an absurd concept. Images of coming back as an animal or as a strange human being, is to much to take seriously. However, if we consider the possibility of our own past lives, then some things make sense. Intense feelings of past persecutions and sympathetic connections may trigger thoughts in some part of our inner self. Or, it may just be part of an over active imagination.
But how much better to believe that we will have a continual chance to become better and to personally evolve to higher states.
If we believe in an afterlife, then we must also believe in a previous life.
If there is such a thing as eternity - then let us understand that we are in a part of it now.
And there are references to rebirth in Scriptures that could be taken allegorically.
John 3: 3-5 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." ... "without being born of water and spirit."
To be reborn of the spirit is a great feeling. To live as if rebirth is a real possibility offers great comfort.
The Baptism of Christ by Alessandro Algardi, 1645, terrcotta, Rome |
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There has been a history of deceit, corruption and false prophets in the Church since the early centuries. This has been balanced by the selfless sacrifices, devotion and martyrdom of many.
