7 - The Coming of Christ - Central in History

The Thread - traced in the Coming of Christ

Image credit - Immo Wegmann - Unsplash.com

This timeline highlights a thread of truth which runs throughout human history from creation, through every time period illustrated on this timeline, right through to the end times as recorded in the book of Revelation.

That thread is this:

God is Alpha and Omega; as creator, he has revealed himself to mankind as the only true and supreme God for all nations. He communicates with us and desires to participate in our lives in order to have a relationship with us.

His ultimate goal is to prepare us to spend eternity with him in perfect holiness and happiness through salvation.

This thread starts in Genesis chapter one and continues through all of human history as recorded in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

There are two opposing forces which can also be traced from Genesis to Revelation.

First - is the unrelenting sinful nature and stubborn rebellion of mankind refusing to submit to God's laws.

Second - is the constant stalking and harassment of that ancient serpent, the devil. He never gives up in his vain attempts to thwart the will of God in his dealings with mankind.

All through human history, God reigns supreme and in the closing chapters of Revelation, Satan finally meets his eternal doom while the saved of earth enter an eternity of bliss and happiness with God.

The Thread

Period 7: The coming of Christ

Here, in the coming of Messiah, we see the fulcrum point in human history. Everything that is recorded in the Old Testament points forward to Christ and finds fulfilment in him.

Christ is the last Adam, fixing for all time what the first Adam had broken; Christ restored access to God through his death on the cross.

He is the Passover Lamb. The Old Testament Passover Lamb in Egypt was a foreshadow and type of Christ, the real Passover Lamb.

The Passover Lamb of the Old Testament pointed forward to Christ but the blood of the Old Testament Passover Lamb could not atone for sin or take away the punishment for sin.

The fulcrum point in the Thread

This threefold strand of thread finds its ultimate fulfilment here in the coming of Messiah.

Human rebellion is manifested in the rejection of Messiah who came to save mankind. We crucified the author of life! Man's and earth's darkest hour!

Satanic opposition against the Christ reaches its pinnacle when the Son of God hangs on the cross at Calvary. 

Genesis 3 v 14-15

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

On the cross at Calvary, Christ defeated Satan, he atoned for man's sin, he opened the way for sinners to be made right with a Holy God.

Christ was the long awaited sacrifice for sin that the Old Testament pointed to, and God’s righteous judgement for sin was spent finally and fully on Christ.

In the Old Testament, from the time of the Exodus and the giving of the Law and Tabernacle until the coming of Messiah - a period spanning some 1400 years; literally millions of gallons of animal blood was shed in the ritual sacrificial system instituted by God through Moses and Aaron.

The book of Hebrews makes it clear that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin - it was only symbolic and pointed forward to the death of Christ.

Hebrews 10 v 11-14

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.

14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

The hymn writer puts it beautifully;

Man of sorrows! What a name,

For the Son of God, who came;

Ruined sinners to reclaim!

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with his blood,

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Guilty, vile and helpless, we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He,

“Full Atonement”, can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

“Lifted up” was He to die,

“It is finished!”, was His cry;

Now in heaven exalted high,

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew this song we’ll sing,

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!