The Son of Man will appear in Heaven. Matthew 24:30
From the Bible, we understand that the return of Jesus and the appearance of the Son of Man in the clouds is the same event. But far too many Christians think each is a separate appearance of Jesus. It’s true that you won’t read about the dual returns of Jesus in the Bible. There is only one. Despite that fact, the dual-return teaching can be heard in hundreds of pulpits across the United States on any given Sunday. In an attempt to support this double-return interpretation, many teachers are looking to the ancient manuscripts written by early church believers.
So I ask? Did the early Church believe the rapture would occur before the Great Tribulation? Actually, there is quite a lot of manuscript evidence to help us determine the correct answer to that question. The most logical conclusion is an emphatic one. No.
But pre-tribulation believers expect a quick return of Jesus as he whisks the Church away to heaven. And seven years later, the Son of Man returns again. That’s a simplified version of this double-return interpretation.
The Son of Man is Jesus.
The Son of Man title, in Matthew 24:30, is a reference to the return of Jesus in the final days before the Millennium is to begin. The famous discourse had its beginning when the disciples asked Him three questions. And thankfully, He gave a detailed answer. Now, nearly 2,000 years later, many Christians continue to engage in fierce debates over these passages. What did Jesus mean? What did the disciples believe He meant? And one of the more contentious issues concerns the topic of the rapture. There will be a rapture. But when?
Did Jesus teach his disciples about the rapture? Most scholars interpret Matthew 24:29-31 as a direct reference to the rapture. But the timing of the rapture is key. Should we expect it before, in the middle, or after the tribulation? If you read the Matthew passage, the answer is clear. Or, it should be. As you can read in the passage below, Immediately after the tribulation, the sign of Jesus’ appearing will take place.
The disciples wrote down what they saw and heard.
The earliest disciples wrote down historical records of the words and events of the life of Jesus. Some of those writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit, as the Lord promised. Obviously, we have the four Gospels as the best example of that. Thereafter, we have the Book of Acts and the numerous letters from Paul, Peter, John, and a couple of others. After the Canon of Scripture, either by careful excavations or sheer dumb luck, scores of ancient documents have been found. And many of them are believed to be from Christians in the second and third centuries. A good number of those were discovered in the last one hundred years or so.
I have done a modest amount of research into what those early Church disciples believed and taught. My personal favorite is a man named Hippolytus. He was a very early and prolific writer. And since he wrote so extensively, it’s easier for us to understand how he and others may have interpreted the words of Jesus and the rest of the scriptures. I am fascinated to see how these men interpreted the Old Testament. Of course, the O.T. was their Bible at the time. The New Testament letters and Gospels were written also. And those were studied and used to support a clearer understanding of the scriptures. Looking at the writings of Hippolytus gives us exciting insights into how the influence of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles advanced the understanding of the Scriptures.
Who was Hippolytus?
It is thought that he was born between 170-175 AD. So, just one century removed from the destruction of Jerusalem. He called himself a disciple of Irenaeus who was a disciple of Polycarp. Who was a disciple of John the Fisherman who Jesus called the Son of Thunder. That’s the same John who wrote the Gospel and the Book of Revelation. That is a remarkably close connection to Jesus himself. Importantly, when Hippolytus was a boy, Irenaeus produced a manuscript called, ‘Against Heresies.’ Later on, the young disciple wrote his own version called, ‘Against all Heresies.’ Both were actively engaged in rooting out false doctrines that were contrary to the doctrines and teachings of the Apostles of the Lord.
And we should remember Paul’s letter to Thessalonica. Those letters had two primary focal points. One was to encourage the Churches that were facing persecution and deceptive teaching. Two, to confront false teachings that were arising regarding the return of the Son of Man. The rapture was one such topic. Paul strongly warned them to beware of deception.
What did Hippolytus write regarding the rapture?
In truth, not very much. But what is clear is that he taught that the church would face persecution at the hands of the antichrist. And he saw clearly that the Bible taught there would only be two advents of Christ. We see that below in quotes from his writing.
Only two advents of the Son of Man
“For as two advents of our Lord and Savior are indicated in the Scriptures, the one being His first advent in the flesh, which took place without honor by reason of His being set at naught, as Isaiah spoke of Him aforetime. ” But His second advent is announced as glorious, when He shall come from heaven with the host of angels, and the glory of His Father, as the prophet saith, “Ye shall see the King in glory;” and, “I saw one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient of days, and he was brought to Him. And there were given Him dominion, and honor, and glory, and the kingdom; all tribes and languages shall serve Him.”
In this second quote, Hippolytus has the rapture at the end of the tribulation.
The Consummation of all things. The appearance of the Son of Man (rapture) at the end
These things, then, is to come to pass, beloved, and the one week being divided into two parts, and the abomination of desolation being manifested then, and the two prophets and forerunners of the Lord having finished their course, and the whole world finally approaching the consummation, what remains but the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from heaven, for whom we have looked in hope? Who shall bring the conflagration and just judgment upon all who have refused to believe in Him?
The Return of the Son of Man Matthew 24
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days, ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from the sky. And the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
31 And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call. And they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Daniel saw a vision of the Son of Man
Daniel’s Vision of the Ancient of Days in Chapter 7 verses 12-14
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was removed, but they were granted an extension of life for a season and a time.
13 In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.
14 And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed
What did the early Church believe regarding the return of the Son of Man?
Here’s a video from Joel Richardson and FAI Ministries.
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
Zechariah 12:10
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
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In Search of Antichrist by the dead man of Rome
This book presents to you the teachings of a very old disciple of Christ. The old disciple’s name is Hippolytus. He was an ardent defender of the teachings of the early disciples. He was an early disciple himself, but he was very well aware of the many false teachings that were creeping into the church and affecting the truth of scripture. One of his more renowned writings was called, ‘Against All Heresies.’ In it, he defended the word of God and the teachings and doctrines of the first Apostles.
Hippolytus lived from around A.D. 170 to A.D. 236. He was a contemporary of the more famous Irenaeus and learned under the teaching of Polycarp and Justin Martyr. He was born only seventy years after the death of the last original disciples of Christ, the Apostle John.
The words and first manuscripts of the early church were readily available to a young eager student like Hippolytus.
He was eager to learn and a staunch supporter of the Bible as the only important document when considering God’s truth.
What I have presented to you are his own words, originally in Greek, translated into English. The subject is the Antichrist, but I can assure you there is nothing about spinning heads or spewing vomit. He uses the scriptures only in drawing conclusions and leaves wild conjecture for us to get into.
Let me know what you think.