When Will God Return To Redeem Man? (MP 13)

Many thousand years would pass before God
Came back to earth to redeem fallen Man;
Great spans of history emerged from fog;
Millions died, as sin did the race command!
God prepared men for His saving return;
He chose a tribe which spawned His virgin birth,
Gave them laws and prophets, that sin they’d spurn,
Called them, “the apple of His eye” on earth!
He would come back in the fullness of time;
“Jesus”, meaning “He saves”, was His human name,
For men’s lives will He save, and yours and mine;
Yes, all who believe, absolving of blame!
With God, a thousand years is like a day;
Not like men, who briefly live, then pass away!

Scripture Quoted [Brackets added] (NIV)
Ephesians 1:9-10—“And he [God] made known the mystery of his will [plan] according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ [Jesus] to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”

Romans 5:6,8—“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless [condemned because of Adam’s first sin, with no remedy to keep ourselves from death], Christ [Jesus] died for the ungodly [the entire human race]. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ [God] died for us.”

2 Peter 3:8-9—“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends, with God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord [God] is not slow in keeping his promise [prophets’ predictions of the coming Messiah (Jesus)] as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance [belief in Jesus as Lord].

Commentary
Jesus (God) was born as a baby in Bethlehem, Judea, of a virgin about the year 2 B.C. and lived until 32 A.D. The entire human race had been under condemnation since the sin of Adam, and most had lived and died facing eternal life separated from God. Jesus brought the “good news” of salvation through faith in Jesus as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. All men and women who believe in Him have their condemnation nullified and have been given eternal life with God. God’s apparent “slowness” in bringing the remedy for fallen Man is due to His foreknowledge that world conditions would converge into the opportune time for the gospel of faith to spread quickly to the whole world. The Roman Empire was in control of most of the known world—Europe, north Africa, and western Asia. The Romans had built good roads throughout the Empire; travel by foot and by sea was relatively easy and safe. Thanks to Alexander the Great, the Greek language had become the main means of communication through all these nations three centuries earlier. Paul and the other disciples were able to extend the gospel throughout the Empire and beyond. Thomas the apostle went to India; others went deep into Africa; James, the brother of John, sailed into Spain. Despite fierce persecution, there were so many millions of Christians that in 325 A.D. Emperor Constantine adopted the faith as the official religion of the Roman Empire. God chose the time to redeem Man because He knew all this before He launched the universe.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)