If Jesus returned to this world, how would you know it was Jesus?

[JoshuaTree]

What makes you think that was Jesus referring to Himself as the Son of Man?

Who is the Son of man who will come in the clouds of heaven?

In some instances Jesus was referring to himself as the Son of Man and we know that because of the context of those verses where the title is connected with the earthly life of Jesus we know about from cross verification (reading other verses). For example, we know from other verses that Jesus did the following when he came to earth:

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins - he said to the paralytic (Mark 2:10).

So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28).

And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20)

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again (Mark 8:31).

It is not a reasonable conclusion to assume that Jesus was referring to Himself as the Son of Man who would come in the clouds with great power and glory because:

(a) Great power and glory is not consistent with the personality of Jesus. Jesus was meek and lowly.

(b) Son of man is not a title that belongs exclusively to Jesus, so there is no reason to believe that Jesus was the only Son of Man: 37 Bible verses about Son Of Man

"Son of man", "son of Adam", or "like a man", are phrases used in the Hebrew Bible, various apocalyptic works of the intertestamental period, and in the Greek New Testament. In the indefinite form ("son of Adam", "son of man", "like a man") used in the Hebrew Bible it is a form of address, or it contrasts human beings against God and the angels, or contrasts foreign nations (like Persia and Babylon), which are often represented as animals in apocalyptic writings (bear, goat, or ram), with Israel which is represented as human (a "son of man"), or it signifies an eschatological human figure.

In its indefinite form it is used in the Greek Old Testament, Biblical apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. The Greek New Testament uses the earlier indefinite form while introducing a novel definite form, "the son of man."

Son of man - Wikipedia

(c) Jesus could not come back to earth in the same body because His body died on the cross. Jesus did not come back to life walk around and then ascend into the clouds to heaven and live there for 2000 years planning to return at some future date. This is all a belief that came into being from a misinterpretation and thus a misunderstanding of Bible verses, a grave misunderstanding.

And most importantly,
(d) There are no verses wherein Jesus says He is coming back to earth and many verses where Jesus says He is not coming back to earth because His work is finished here: (John 14:19, John 17:11, John 17:4, John 19:30)

The logical conclusion we can draw is that the second coming was slated to be another man. Since truth from God is revealed progressively, Jesus promised to send the Comforter and the Spirit of truth to reveal more truth in the future, but Christians did not understand what Jesus was referring to and believed that was a reference to the Holy Spirit that was sent to the disciples at Pentecost when on fact those were titles for the man who would be the second coming of Christ who was the return of the Spirit of Christ.

(c) Jesus could not come back to earth in the same body because His body died on the cross. Jesus did not come back to life walk around and then ascend into the clouds to heaven and live there for 2000 years planning to return at some future date. This is all a belief that came into being from a misinterpretation and thus a misunderstanding of Bible verses, a grave misunderstanding.

"...a grave misunderstanding."

I like that!

 

[Neuropteron]

Most Christians are waiting for Jesus to return, although they do not all agree on when or how He will return, but if a man came claiming to be Jesus how would you know it was really Jesus? After all, there are no photos of what Jesus looked like when He walked the earth 2000 years ago.

Anyone can claim that he is the return of Jesus and that is no doubt why Jesus gave this warning to His disciples:

Matthew 24

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Jesus was right, because many men have come claiming to be Jesus

List of people claimed to be Jesus - Wikipedia

So how would you know if a man who claimed to be Jesus was really Jesus? What would he have to do to prove to you that He was Jesus?

(This is mostly for Christians, but anyone can answer it. )

Hi,

Properly translated the word used in Mt24 is "presence" not "return".

We could compare it to a president that has lost the election but "returns" in power at the next election.
He does not necessarily have to be physically in front of us, but rather that his "presence" would be felt through his administration.

If we consider the example Jesus gave "for just as the days of Noah were" we can rest assured that everybody will know when that time come because "so the presence of the Son of man will be".

 

[savagewind]

Is not Jesus Peace on Earth? That happens, then, we will know!

 

[Trailblazer]

"...a grave misunderstanding."

I like that!

I did not mean for it to be a pun but now I can see how it worked well.
I can be very serious but I also have a lighthearted part.

 

[MonkeyFire]

Ask Him who He is and determine what I believe of the situation.

 

[JoshuaTree]

Hi,

Properly translated the word used in Mt24 is "presence" not "return".

We could compare it to a president that has lost the election but "returns" in power at the next election.
He does not necessarily have to be physically in front of us, but rather that his "presence" would be felt through his administration.

If we consider the example Jesus gave "for just as the days of Noah were" we can rest assured that everybody will know when that time come because "so the presence of the Son of man will be".

But no one knew until it was too late, right?

Luke 17:26-30
New International Version

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

 

[Trailblazer]

Is not Jesus Peace on Earth? That happens, then, we will know!

Bringing Peace on Earth was not the mission of Jesus, and nowhere in the Bible does it say it will be later.

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

 

[Neuropteron]

But no one knew until it was too late, right?

They knew beforehand through the warnings, but they did not listen.
Just as their not listening today, thus the analogy.

 

[John1.12]

Most Christians are waiting for Jesus to return, although they do not all agree on when or how He will return, but if a man came claiming to be Jesus how would you know it was really Jesus? After all, there are no photos of what Jesus looked like when He walked the earth 2000 years ago.

Anyone can claim that he is the return of Jesus and that is no doubt why Jesus gave this warning to His disciples:

Matthew 24

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Jesus was right, because many men have come claiming to be Jesus

List of people claimed to be Jesus - Wikipedia

So how would you know if a man who claimed to be Jesus was really Jesus? What would he have to do to prove to you that He was Jesus?

(This is mostly for Christians, but anyone can answer it. )

1 thes 4
13¶But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15¶For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 thes 5
1¶But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

11¶Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

1 cor 15 .
50¶Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[savagewind]

Bringing Peace on Earth was not the mission of Jesus, and nowhere in the Bible does it say it will be later.

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Not a sword forever! And also, a sword is for slicing in half. I am certain that the mission of Jesus was to make peace with God. Peace on Earth is certain to follow that.

 

[savagewind]

1 thes 4
13¶But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15¶For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 thes 5
1¶But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

11¶Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

1 cor 15 .
50¶Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I do not know about reading the Bible in English.

 

[Trailblazer]

Hi,

Properly translated the word used in Mt24 is "presence" not "return".

We could compare it to a president that has lost the election but "returns" in power at the next election.
He does not necessarily have to be physically in front of us, but rather that his "presence" would be felt through his administration.

That works for me, because I believe the presence of Jesus is being felt now and it has been felt since the mid-19th century, as Jesus has been called to remembrance and testified of.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

 

[John1.12]

I do not know about reading the Bible in English.

God does surely ?

 

[Truthseeker]

I can change my mind at any moment.

but I’m pretty set in what was alluded to in my previous post.

That's okay.

 

[John1.12]

That works for me, because I believe the presence of Jesus is being felt now and it has been felt since the mid-19th century, as Jesus has been called to remembrance and testified of.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

The holy Spirit ( Acts 2)

 

[JoshuaTree]

They knew beforehand through the warnings, but they did not listen.
Just as their not listening today, thus the analogy.

The boat couldn't float everyone, so the outcome wasn't a choice, was it?

 

[Trailblazer]

Not a sword forever! And also, a sword is for slicing in half. I am certain that the mission of Jesus was to make peace with God. Peace on Earth is certain to follow that.

That's true, Jesus came to reveal God so we can make peace with God, and Peace on Earth is certain to follow.

 

[savagewind]

God does surely ?

Yes. But, God is NOT English. There is not much that I am sure about but that...I am sure!

 

[John1.12]

Most Christians are waiting for Jesus to return, although they do not all agree on when or how He will return, but if a man came claiming to be Jesus how would you know it was really Jesus? After all, there are no photos of what Jesus looked like when He walked the earth 2000 years ago.

Anyone can claim that he is the return of Jesus and that is no doubt why Jesus gave this warning to His disciples:

Matthew 24

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Jesus was right, because many men have come claiming to be Jesus

List of people claimed to be Jesus - Wikipedia

So how would you know if a man who claimed to be Jesus was really Jesus? What would he have to do to prove to you that He was Jesus?

(This is mostly for Christians, but anyone can answer it. )

Believers would know because those who are alive will be raptured. unbelievers will know because, there will be know Christians on the earth .

 

[John1.12]

That's true, Jesus came to reveal God so we can make peace with God, and Peace on Earth is certain to follow.

1 Thessalonians 5:3

“For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”