Hi Pilgrim,
It looks like you are responding to both Charlie and I but, we are on opposite side of the discussion--I think its why it's helpful to read a few of a person's post before responding. I am in agreement with you--If you see my other post--the most recent with enumerated points-where I state that Christ is ruling and reigning now--sitting at the right hand of the father and in every believer. His work on this present earth was finished at the cross and there is no necessity (or scriptural support) for Him to come again to earth to rule a literal 1000 years. He comes a second time to gather the elect, to judge the world, then immediately all is destroyed --the unbeliever, the current heavens and earth and then God creates a new heavens and new earth where only 'righteousness dwells'.
“His work on this
present earth was finished at the cross and there is no necessity (or scriptural support) for Him to come again to earth to rule a literal 1000 years.”
his work here was while
he preached the gospel and was finished before he ever went to the cross to be put to death on the flesh , and glorified in the spirit the cross wasn’t Jesus work
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come;
glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As
thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
And
this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.”
John 17:1-6
the cross was about salvation and glory not his work , his work was to preach the truth from heaven to mankind and manifest the true God to believers
“Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
John 18:37
to announce the promised kingdom of eternal life
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:14-15 KJV
his works were in life , but his glorification was by death and resurrection for the salvation of man from death and hell
“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to
believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
And
beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Luke 24:25-27 KJV
his death was for sin but his resurrection and the works he does for us even today is about glory he works on our behalf still
“Wherefore he is
able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Hebrews 7:25 KJV
The point of Jesus at Gods right hand is that he intercedes on our behalf who he died for when we fall short sometimes or find we’ve been wrong somehow he is still our advocate
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And
if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep
his commandments.”
1 John 2:1
the reason Jesus was born was to teach mankind the truth that we couldn’t understand or know. And thre reason he died was to be our forerunner and advocate with The Father our mediator
“For there is one God, and
one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who
gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
1 Timothy 2:5-6
He’s the only one now in Gods presence regarding intercession and so those who believe in the Kingdom he preached and ways he taught can even as we know we will die one day we can have this same assurance facing that first death apppinted to all as to this man approaching death
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee,
To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:43 KJV
This is possible because we hear and believe what Jesus preached
“Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 5:24 KJV
that’s new and offers life after the appearance of death
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”
John 8:51 KJV
again an escape from death is offered by Jesus
“Jesus said unto her,
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
John 11:25-26 KJV
Jesus of course raised him up that same day a few minutes later. It’s the gospel Jesus preached that offers eternal
Life and that’s what his work is and was to convince us of the truth his death is simply a prince he paid so all
His words can be enforced upon all mankind who he purchased with his death from hell and death now he alone holds The keys to death and hell our experience in death is now up to the guy promising that we won’t come to death if we believe him
“I am he that
liveth, and
was dead; and,
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Revelation 1:18 KJV
Jesus has the authority to promise an escape from death the second death of course bekng the one referred to we all die once but we can live afterwards with God in the kingdom paid for by Jesus blood but promised by his words in the gospel of the kingdom
his works are before the cross , and now bekng glorified in death and resurrection and seated at Gods right hand in heaven making intercession for us still who can ever condemn us ?
“Who is he that condemneth?
It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:34-35, 37-39 KJV
speaking the New testament was Jesus work. Because before he was there advocating for us this was at Gods right hand constantly accusing us for any transgression we’ve made
“Take
this book of the law, and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”
Deuteronomy 31:26 KJV
That needed to be fixed