Part 2 - McLaren’s “Everything Must Change”: Jesus’ Second Coming

Since Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:6-7) Christians have been waiting and hoping for Jesus’ promised second coming in order to judge both the living and dead and visibly establish His Kingdom on Earth. This doctrine has such an important place in Christian thinking that it is confessed in both the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed.

The Apostles Creed confesses:

He (Jesus) ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

The Nicene Creed confesses:

And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

Jesus’ return in glory has been the hope of Christians for two millennia. But we learn in “Everything Must Change” that this is NOT Brian McLaren’s hope at all!

Brian McLaren has re-imagined and re-crafted a kinder and gentler Jesus who WOULD NEVER return to judge the world and forcefully establish His Kingdom on Earth. The "Jesus" that McLaren has created is more like Ghandi. McLaren's "Jesus" works by subverting Imperialism through the use of non-violence and would never utilize the methods of Imperialism to establish his own kingdom.

Said McLaren:

“The phrase “the Second Coming of Christ” never actually appears in the Bible. Whether or not the doctrine to which the phrase refers deserves re-thinking, a popular abuse of it certainly needs to be named and rejected. If we believe that Jesus came in peace the first time, but that wasn’t his “real” and decisive coming - it was just a kind of warm-up for the real thing - then we leave the door open to envisioning a second coming that will be characterized by violence, killing, domination, and eternal torture. This vision reflects a diversion, a return to trust in the power of Pilate, not the unarmed truth that stood before Pilate, refusing to fight...

If we remain charmed by this kind of eschatology, we will be forced to see the nonviolence of the Jesus of the Gospels as a kind of strategic fake-out, like a feigned retreat in war, to be followed up by a crushing blow of so-called redemptive violence in the end. The gentle Jesus of the first coming becomes a kind of trick Jesus, a fake-me-out Messiah, to be replaced by the true jihadist Jesus of a violent second coming.

This is why I believe that many of our current eschatologies, intoxicated by dubious interpretations of John’s Apocalypse are not only ignorant and wrong, but dangerous and immoral.” (page 144).

McLaren’s newly re-imagined "Jesus" didn’t come to Earth to die for the sins of the world. (Mclaren and other emergents like him reject and ridicule the Penal Substitionary Atonement). Instead, McLaren’s "Jesus" is a blend of non-violent civil rights leaders like Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Bishop Desmund Tutu. In McLaren's thinking, Jesus’ death on the cross, much like Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, exposed the brutality and injustice of the Imperial System. The mission of McLaren’s "Jesus", much like Ghandi's, was to teach us a 'new framing story' that would topple imperialism through the practice of non-violence and defection from empire. Since the historic Christian teaching that Jesus ‘will come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead’ requires Jesus to utilize violence and imperial tactics to establish His kingdom on Earth, McLaren concludes that the historic Christian doctrine regarding the Second Coming is a false and immoral eschatology that turns Jesus into a jihadist rather than an unarmed non-violent peace maker.

Let’s review what the scriptures teach regarding Jesus Second Coming and then we can determine which teaching is false and immoral.

Since McLaren thinks that dubious interpretations of the book of Revelation are to blame for the formation of these immoral eschatologies I’ll only quote passages from other books of the Bible and will start with Jesus’ words from the gospels.

In John 5:28-29 Jesus says,

“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

In Matthew 24:27, 29-31 Jesus says,

“For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.... 29   “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and 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 heaven to the other.”

Jesus continues in Matthew 25:31-33 by saying:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.”

Jesus says that He will then judge the sheep and the goats. Regarding the goats Jesus ultimately says, “And these will go away into eternal punishment”. Regarding the sheep Jesus says they will enter into ‘eternal life’ (v46).

The Apostle Paul writing about Jesus Second Coming says this in 1 Thess 4:15-18:

“For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Paul continues in 1 Thess 5:1-3 by saying:

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Finally, the author to the Hebrews writes, in Hebrews 9:28:

“So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

Every one of the passages quoted above make it perfectly clear that the Historic and Biblical Jesus promises and intends to return to Earth a second time. When he appears, HE SAYS that He will come in glory with the angels and will judge the living and the dead. McLaren doesn't like this inconvenient Biblical truth. It contradicts the nature of the "Jesus Idol" that he has created for himself. That is why he attacks the Biblical Jesus by calling Him an immoral Imperialist and a Jihadist.

So I ask you, who is truly being immoral here? Is it immoral for Jesus to return a second time in power and glory to judge the living and the dead (afterall, Jesus is God)? Or is it immoral for Brian McLaren to refashion Jesus in such a way that McLaren could call the Biblical doctrine of Jesus’ second coming an evil act of jihadi imperialism?

More to Come in Part 3

Comments

[Brent]

2 Peter 3:2-13 (King James Version)

2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

"Nevertheless WE", not the "willingly ignorant" Brian the "scoffer" by his own testimony.

[Henry (Rick) Frueh]

Chris - you have presented an organized and Scriptural treatise of a book that obviously teaches more of the same from MacLaren, error. These type of essays that inform without drawing unecessary attention to the author and with only some appropriate hyperbole are much needed today.

I look forward to more of this kind and am edified by your investigative and clear style.

[Chris Whisonant]

“The phrase “the Second Coming of Christ” never actually appears in the Bible." - Neither does "Trinity"...

Regarding this topic, I wrote an essay several years back titled: Against Universalism: A Response to “Biblical” Universalism

In it I combat some of the same teachings that supposed preachers or other "Christians" are using to deny a judgment and hell. It can be found here.

[Nate]

Hi Chris,

I personally don't agree with where McLaren has indeed veered from the Scriptures in regards to the purpose of Christ's death on the cross and other matters, but I do agree with his statement "This is why I believe that many of our current eschatologies, intoxicated by dubious interpretations of John’s Apocalypse are not only ignorant and wrong, but dangerous and immoral." He is dead on accurate there.

You lay out well the scriptures that state that Christ would return, but you left out references to clear and immanent (to 1st century Christians) time statements that are immersed throughout the New Testament stating clearly that the time was at hand, soon, near, about to be, in that generation, coming before all the apostles died... Matthew 3:2, 3:7, 4:17, 10:7, 10:23, 16:27-28 Gk 'mello' = 'about to', 24:34, Mark 13:30, Luke 3:9, 21:22, 21:32, John 21:20-22, 1 Cor 7:29, 10:11, James 5:8, 1 Peter 1:20, 4:5 also Gk. mello, 4:7, 1 John 2:18, Rev 1:3, 2:25 and 3:10 to actual churches then, 22:6-7, 22:12, 22:20. Those are just a small number of them...

All of the NT writers wrote, hoped for, taught and believed that they were living in the last days THEN. Not the last days of the end of the physical world as we know it, or the end of time, but the last days of the Old Covenant. See Acts 2:14-21 and compare to Joel 2:28-32. Also see Hebrews 1:1-2. Also 1 Cor 10:11. We call these authors of the Bible inspired by the Holy Spirit, right?

And yes, historic Christianity has laid out hope for a future, physical return to establish a physical kingdom on earth but Christ Himself even rejected the notion of a physical kingdom (Luke 17:20-21, John 18:36). Daniel 2:44-45 clearly prophesied that in the days of ROME the Kingdom of Christ/God/Heaven would be established. But modern day Christianity rejects that reality and adds a future reincarnation of Rome which is never laid out in the Scriptures. Nearly all of the NT inspired writers including Jesus Himself said the Kingdom was "at hand" and "soon" and about to take place.

Let me ask those reading a few quick questions...

First, Brent mentioned Peter's description of the New Heavens & Earth in 2 Peter 3 and emphasized the "we" in verse 13. Is that written to us or is that talking to first century Christians? Remember, this is the inspired author Peter writing here.

Next, is salvation - our redemption - complete?

And finally, are we under the New Covenant today as prophesied in the OT to Israel?

In Christ alone,

Nate

[clearly]

Great work, Chris. I didn't get a chance to read the whole thing yet, but what I heard, I thought was excellent. You can add to your list Paul's discussion in 2 Thessalonians 2 --- phrases like "flaming fire" and "taking vengeance" don't really sound much like peace to me!

[Ben]

Chris,

Brian never actually rejects a second coming of Christ, simply states that this wording is never used in the Bible. Rightfully so, someone pointed out that neither is "Trinity." However, you missed Brian's point completely, and wrote an essay "proving him in the wrong" but you actually didn't prove anything and didn't even discuss his point. You see his point was that we have used and abused the idea of a second coming that will come in force and by an imperial militant Jesus. Brian's point is that this seems contradictory to Jesus' first coming and makes it a "fake-out" as he says. Jesus was all about nonviolence. Oddly enough, all of your verses you used ACTUALLY DO NOT SUPPORT VIOLENCE in the second coming, but rather JUDGMENT. The two are not one in the same. Violence and Judgment are different concepts and one can exist completely independent of the other. This is Brian's point. You completely missed that and certainly did not prove him wrong.

- Ben

[Ben]

I almost forgot... within that point was the point that in creating a militant imperial Jesus in the second coming, we lose the image of Jesus we see in the NT and we put up with and even subscribe to imperialistic values. This is true, especially in Western Culture. We've created a American, westernized Jesus... and the idea of an imperialistic, violent second coming only strengthens this idea. That was Brians other point within his point... If you're going to read and critique his stuff, any of you, listen to and talk about the actualy point the he is trying to make.

Shalom

[Aaron]

I spent a long time suspicious of McLaren and Co. It was mostly because of posts like this. Then I actually read his writing. I still don't always agree with him, and I think he falls in to theological provincialism, but I don't think he's overtly WRONG. His error, if anything, is imbalance.

What happens time and again with his and other emergents' writings is misunderstanding. At times, this seems almost willful. Most of these sorts of articles do very little to try to fully understand or explain what McLaren is saying. They often pick up what it sounds like he is saying (too often out of context) and then run.

If you are reading this and are curious about McLaren, I'd encourage you to actually read his books. Do so carefully, maybe even suspiciously, but do so humbly as well. Try to understand what he is saying. You don't have to agree. You can even call him names if you want to, but try to get his message concretely first.

He is in some ways a provocateur and aims for the "prophet" kind of voice, so he criticizes more than he edifies, but he has some good things to say. Give him a chance.

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[Joe White]

Yes, the 'non-violent' Jesus made a whip of cords and drove men out of the Temple area, overturning their tables of money (these weren't plastic portable card tables, but most likely heavy wood or stone topped tables).

If we must acknowledge McLaren as a 'prophet', I would add 'false' as an adjective.