Why does Christ need to come back at all? Dr. William Lane Craig lays out four purposes Scripture assigns to the Second Coming: it completes the work of redemption begun at the cross, triggers the resurrection of the dead, brings about the judgment of all people, and gathers the elect into the Kingdom of God. Drawing on 1 Corinthians 15, John 5, Matthew 16 and 24, and Jude, Dr. Craig shows that the Second Coming is not a single event with one purpose but a multifaceted culmination of God's redemptive plan.

Why does Christ need to come back at all? Dr. William Lane Craig lays out four purposes Scripture assigns to the Second Coming: it completes the work of redemption begun at the cross, triggers the resurrection of the dead, brings about the judgment of all people, and gathers the elect into the Kingdom of God. Drawing on 1 Corinthians 15, John 5, Matthew 16 and 24, and Jude, Dr. Craig shows that the Second Coming is not a single event with one purpose but a multifaceted culmination of God's redemptive plan.

Doctrine of the Last Things (Part 8): The Purpose of the Second Coming

Having rejected both the Rapture view and the Preterist view in prior lessons, Dr. William Lane Craig lays out the classical Christian position: Christ's return will be a single, visible event. In this lecture he examines four characteristics of that return. It will be personal, a literal coming of Christ himself, not a symbolic or figurative event. It will be glorious, a public display of power in contrast to the humility of his first coming. It will be decisive, bringing human history to its close. And it will be sudden and unexpected, which is why Scripture calls believers to readiness rather than speculation about timing. Dr. Craig supports each point from Scripture, including 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, Acts 1, Matthew 24, Mark 14, 1 Corinthians 15, and Revelation 1.

Having rejected both the Rapture view and the Preterist view in prior lessons, Dr. William Lane Craig lays out the classical Christian position: Christ's return will be a single, visible event. In this lecture he examines four characteristics of that return. It will be personal, a literal coming of Christ himself, not a symbolic or figurative event. It will be glorious, a public display of power in contrast to the humility of his first coming. It will be decisive, bringing human history to its close. And it will be sudden and unexpected, which is why Scripture calls believers to readiness rather than speculation about timing. Dr. Craig supports each point from Scripture, including 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, Acts 1, Matthew 24, Mark 14, 1 Corinthians 15, and Revelation 1.

Doctrine of the Last Things (Part 7): The Nature of the Second Coming

Did Jesus predict he would return within the lifetime of his first hearers? Some of his sayings seem to say exactly that. Dr. Craig weighs two common answers to this "delay of the parousia" problem, explains why neither satisfies him, and offers his own solution, drawn from a surprising detail in Matthew's account of Jesus sending out the Twelve.

Did Jesus predict he would return within the lifetime of his first hearers? Some of his sayings seem to say exactly that. Dr. Craig weighs two common answers to this "delay of the parousia" problem, explains why neither satisfies him, and offers his own solution, drawn from a surprising detail in Matthew's account of Jesus sending out the Twelve.

Doctrine of the Last Things (Part 10): Delay of the Parousia

Did Jesus expect to return within the lifetime of his first hearers? Dr. Craig takes up one of the most debated questions in the doctrine of the last things: the timing of the Second Coming. In the Olivet Discourse of Mark 13, Jesus predicts false messiahs, wars, earthquakes, famines, persecution, cosmic signs, and the preaching of the gospel to all nations before the end. Paul adds more in 2 Thessalonians 2, where the rebellion and the man of lawlessness must come first, and in Romans 11, where the full number of the Gentiles comes in before all Israel is saved. Taken together, these texts suggest Christ's return lies far in the future. Yet Jesus also says "this generation will not pass away before all these things take place" (Mark 13:30), and that some standing before him would not taste death before seeing the kingdom come with power (Mark 8:38–9:1), a saying Matthew 16:28 makes sharper still. Dr. Craig sets these two lines of evidence side by side and frames the puzzle he resolves in the next lesson.

Did Jesus expect to return within the lifetime of his first hearers? Dr. Craig takes up one of the most debated questions in the doctrine of the last things: the timing of the Second Coming. In the Olivet Discourse of Mark 13, Jesus predicts false messiahs, wars, earthquakes, famines, persecution, cosmic signs, and the preaching of the gospel to all nations before the end. Paul adds more in 2 Thessalonians 2, where the rebellion and the man of lawlessness must come first, and in Romans 11, where the full number of the Gentiles comes in before all Israel is saved. Taken together, these texts suggest Christ's return lies far in the future. Yet Jesus also says "this generation will not pass away before all these things take place" (Mark 13:30), and that some standing before him would not taste death before seeing the kingdom come with power (Mark 8:38–9:1), a saying Matthew 16:28 makes sharper still. Dr. Craig sets these two lines of evidence side by side and frames the puzzle he resolves in the next lesson.

Doctrine of the Last Things (Part 9): The Time of the Second Coming

Defenders: Doctrine of Salvation (Part 16): Imputed Righteousness

Defenders: Doctrine of Salvation (Part 16): Imputed Righteousness

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 34): The Emotional Version of the Problem of Evil

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 33): The Problem of Evil and Suffering (4)

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 32): The Problem of Evil and Suffering (3)

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 31): The Problem of Evil and Suffering (2)

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 30): The Problem of Evil and Suffering (1)

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 29): The Hiddenness of God

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 28): The Presumption of Atheism

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 27): Arguments Against God’s Existence

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 26): The Ontological Argument

Defenders: Excursus on Natural Theology (Part 25): Q&A on the Ontological Argument

Defenders is Dr. William Lane Craig's Sunday school class on Christian doctrine and apologetics

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