Jesus resurrected and promised to return
What does the Apocalypse tell us about the Return of Jesus?
The crucifixion of Jesus is still an emblematic event. Despite His martyrdom on the cross, Christ unwaveringly never doubted the immortality of the Soul and the Divine existence of the Heavenly Father. This was how, three days later as was prophesied (Gospel according to Luke 24: 44 to 49), He was able to resurrect and reformulate the concept of “death.”
In his article The Sublime Existence among us, the President-Preacher of the Religion of God, of the Christ, and of the Holy Spirit1, Paiva Netto, comments on the subject:
“On April 1, 1983, Good Friday, at Casa D’Itália, in the city of Salvador (Brazil), when launching the Livro Jesus [Jesus Book], I declared: In His victory over death lies the driving force of Christianity and His disciples’ certainty of triumphing over themselves. The main message of Holy Week in the present time, when people insist on invoking death, making it their goddess, is that the Divine Master was never really dead. The Spirit cannot be extinguished. That is why we are immortal. We were created in the image and likeness of the Almighty. And ‘God is Spirit,’ as the Heavenly Educator revealed to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (The Gospel according to John 4:24).”
This concept of Eternal Life is one of the pioneering aspects of Jesus that needs to be better understood by all of us. After all, if there is no end of the line for us, the prophecy of the return of Jesus is still valid, since He lives and will live for eternity:
“Behold, Jesus is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him” (The Apocalypse of Jesus according to John 1:7).
The Religion of Universal Love understands that this return is described as a transition of Humanity to a new period, which, in fact, can be experienced right now, since the beginning of the new era will be based on this warning from Jesus:
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done” (Apocalypse 22:12).
What will change with the return of Jesus?
For reflection, writer Paiva Netto clarifies that the happening goes beyond its literal meaning: “Behold, Jesus is coming with the clouds, means that He comes from up high, where we, whatever our belief or disbelief, must raise everything that has been soiled by the derision of others, for it to receive His enlightenment. It is time that Humanity looked up. ‘Jesus is the Sun of Charity,’ Zarur taught us and I complete it thus: And because He is divine, He casts no shadows. Therefore, when everyone is really prepared to live under this Heavenly Clarity, Politics will stop being shady. Beliefs will be freed from the part of Babylon that includes all that Man puts his hand on. Economics will cease being this global Babel that people do not understand, because this is what it has been like in the world: multitudes abandoned in favor of abundance for one or other group, for one or other nation”, from the book The Prophecies without Mystery, page 213.
This Light, which is capable of overcoming the barriers of inequality, of disrespect, and of indifference, is the same that overthrew the walls of death. The triumph of Christ is not reduced to what happened on the Cross, however painful it was, but also became reality in all His actions of solidarity, Love, and Humanity that He dedicated to the people who met Him and whom He helped, regardless of their origin, beliefs, or economic situation. That is why the late proclaimer of the Religion of God, of the Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, Alziro Zarur (1914-1979), used to say that “Jesus is the Sun of Charity;” of a Charity based on the New Commandment of Jesus:
“Love one another as I have loved you. Only by this shall all of you be recognized as my disciples” (The Gospel of Christ according to John 13: 34 and 35).
This is the firm and decided initiative to help those in need without expecting a reward, because one is touched by the suffering of others3 and recognizes that the other is also a Divine Being who deserves respect, dignity, and protection. That is why Paiva Netto defined it thus: “The Spiritually Revolutionary New Commandment of Jesus is the structure of a new world.”
It is under this Light that we must prepare ourselves for the Return of the Christ of God right away, since it would be no use having a new world that is inhabited by people who cultivate their former, evil habits, like wickedness, prejudice, selfishness, and greed. Therefore, our improvement should be daily so we can overcome such feelings. This process requires time and hard work, but we can count on the support of Christ Himself:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. Because surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age!” (The Gospel according to John 14:1 and Matthew 28: 20).
When will He return?
Also in the Gospel of Jesus (Matthew 24:36), we find: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” In other words, only God knows when Christ will return, but if He warned us so long ago it is because He is granting us the opportunity to prepare ourselves for the great moment when “every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him” (Apocalypse 1:7).
The youth of the Religion of God, of the Christ, and of the Holy Spirit also invite you to join the debate on the final book in the Holy Bible, the Apocalypse of Jesus. Please send an email to english@boavontade.com. Read also other articles by writer Paiva Netto about the final prophecies: www.paivanetto.com/en.
_______________________
1 Religion of God, of the Christ, and of the Holy Spirit — also called the Religion of the Third Millennium, and the Religion of Universal Love. This is the Ecumenical Religion of Brazil and the world.
2 The act of helping those in need without any restriction as to class, religion, race, or culture is defined by Paiva Netto, inspired in the behavior of Christ, as the Ecumenism of the Hearts: “The Ecumenism of the Hearts is that which convinces us not to waste any time with hatred and sterile disputes, but rather to lend a hand to the fallen, for it is touched by the suffering of others; to take our own shirts off to clothe the unclothed; to contribute to the healing balm of those who are ill; to protect the orphans and the widows, as Jesus teaches us in the Gospel according to Matthew 10:8. Those who understand the elevated meaning of the Ecumenism of the Hearts know that Education with all-encompassing Ecumenical Spirituality is fundamental for the progress of nations, because Ecumenism is Education open to Peace; for the strengthening of a nation (not for it to rule over others).”
