The Three Appearances of Christ

The Three Appearances of Christ

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.  And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. …

Hebrews 9:24-28

We are perhaps accustomed to think of the two appearances of Christ; however, the 9th chapter of Hebrews sets before us, not just two, but three appearances, each of which should gladden our hearts. The first of those appearances we constantly expound when we preach the Gospel. Verse 26 identifies it as a suffering appearance. Because Christ has ‘trodden the wine press alone,’ as verse 26 again implies, His appearance was a solitary one as well. That His appearance was ‘to bear the sins of many’ made it substitutionary. In the plainest of terms verse 26 declares that it was a sacrificial appearance. The reference to His return in glory in the 28th verse leads us to the conclusion that His first appearance was satisfactory in every sense of the term. Christ’s second appearance, to which our passage refers is not an earthly one but a heavenly one, as verse 24 makes plain. We might also well consider that this appearance is one that is currently in progress. It is occurring today. The wonderful thing about this second appearance is that it is as thoroughly for us as was the first. It is an intercessory appearance based upon the foundation of the first, and is perpetual, extending from the first to the third appearances. According then to verse 28, and the relevant passages which expand upon it, there remains to come Christ’s third appearance. This is that visible, glorious, assured appearance which the saints of God have been anticipating since the close of the first. Since the ‘cloud received Him’ we have been waiting for them to part again to reveal Him ‘Whom having not seen (we) love.’ It ought to rejoice our hearts today that these appearances are all vital evidences of Christ’s love for us and faithfulness to us. What a heartening thought with which to face today!

Our Great and Gracious God,

we rejoice today in Our Incarnate, Interceding,

and Soon-to-be-Returning Christ.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice