Christians: how will you know the messiah when he arrives?

[Avoice]

Christians:

How will you know who the Messiah is? How will you know who is the real one and who isn't?

Like if some guy claimed to be Jesus how will you know if he is or isn't?

[Consocius]

I suppose that the general idea is up to the way how the Messiah appears, literally or spiritually. According to the letter, He is supposed to come in the following way:

" Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send forth His angels with a trumpet and a great sound; and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end to end of the heavens (Matt. 24:29-31)."

That is the prophecy about His Second Coming.

With regard to prophecies Peter said the following in the epistle:

"this first knowing, that no prophecy of the Writing doth come of private exposition, for not by will of man did ever prophecy come, but by the Holy Spirit borne on holy men of God spake."

It has to be, however, taken into account that in the past the Lord did fulfill some prophecies not literally, but spiritually, for instance, with regard to his being the king and kingship, for His kingdom was not of this world, similarly with regard to wars. And also the prophecies about the jews and gentiles, were not fulfilled in the way that the Jewish Church leaders were expecting, at least, at that time.

So, with regard to the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Second Coming, I believe, there are two ways of thinking: one - that it going to be literally fulfilled, the other - that it will be fullfilled spiritually, and yet in history.

[Hawkins]

[Replying to Avoice in post #1]

Spiritual "knowing" is automatic, more or less like how the disciples reckoned Moses and Elijah right away in the transfiguration event.

[bjs1]

Christians:

How will you know who the Messiah is? How will you know who is the real one and who isn't?

Like if some guy claimed to be Jesus how will you know if he is or isn't?

Luke 17:23-24
People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.

I’m not sure what the event will look like, but it will be indisputable. It will be like lightning striking on a dark night. When lightning strikes, everyone knows what happened. I might not know when and where lightning will strike beforehand, but I am not confused in the moment.

If someone claims to be Jesus, but his claim is not indisputably true, then we can be confident that it is false.

[Avoice]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #4]

What would be indisputably true? How would you know if he was or wasnt

[bjs1]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #4]

What would be indisputably true? How would you know if he was or wasnt

This is more of a “I’ll know it when I see it” situation. The descriptions of Christ’s return are largely symbolic. I cannot give you a reliable play-by-play of what will happen. The only two indisputable teachings about the Second Coming are:
1. It will be unmistakable.
2. No one knows when it will happen.


The only thing I can add is that if we have to question if it was, then it wasn't.

[tam]

Peace to you,

Christians:

How will you know who the Messiah is?

By His voice.

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”


Peace again.