Pastor David B. Curtis
Pastor David B. Curtis
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Good morning, Bereans. We are continuing our study of First Peter and today we will be looking at verse 13. Peter is writing to Christians that are suffering greatly for their faith. Peter writes to them about the greatness of their salvation in order to encourage them and bring them joy in the midst of suffering. This epistle was written to strengthen those who were suffering.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua the Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 ESV
This is the beginning of Peter's instructions to the children of God to whom he is writing, regarding how they should respond to the truths he has revealed and confirmed in the previous verses.
"Therefore"—what do you need to do when we see the word "therefore"? We need to consider what the "therefore" there for. The transitional conjunction "therefore" is a reminder that every exhortation that follows is grounded in God's gracious work of salvation (1:1–12). Over the last weeks, we have been looking at the hope that we have as a result of being chosen by God.
"Preparing your minds for action"—this is an aorist middle participle used as an imperative. Its form denotes that a decisive act of personal choice is demanded. This is a Hebrew idiom meaning to literally "gird up the loins of your mind." In the Ancient Near East, both men and women wore robes. In order to be unimpeded when about to start on a journey or engage in any work, they would bind their long and flowing garments closely around their bodies and fasten them with a leather belt.
In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. Exodus 12:11 ESV
And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 1 Kings 18:46 ESV
Peter metaphorically applies this process to the mind.
"And being sober-minded"—this is the Greek word nēphō, which means "to abstain from wine." This is not a call to sobriety but, rather, is a metaphor for mental alertness and level headedness. Peter urged his readers to face their daily trials with a specific attitude clearly and constantly in mind.
"Set your hope fully"—the word "fully" here is teleiōs, which according to Strong's means "completely, without wavering: - to the end." Hope here is elpizō. What is HOPE? Let me give you the biblical definition of hope because it has come to have a different meaning today from that which it originally had in the New Testament. Today it indicates something of contingency or an expectancy that something will happen. It involves some question as to whether or not it will really occur. We say, "I hope they'll show up," or "I hope I can make it to next payday." Both expresses contain some uneasiness or uncertainty about the future. But this is not the New Testament usage.
In the New Testament, "hope" indicates an absolute certainty about the future, an attitude of eager expectancy, of confidence in God and His ability to do what He has promised. We saw this earlier in 1 Peter 1.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Yeshua the Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 ESV
"Born again to a living hope" suggests that hope was not a part of their natural experience, but, rather, was distinctively Christian. This vital hope has its roots in "the resurrection of Yeshua the Christ from the dead." Because He lives, we shall live. Because he defeated the grave, we can trust in his promise to give us eternal life.
Hope in the New Testament often refers to the Second Coming.
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Yeshua the Christ, Titus 2:13 ESV
So, what were they to "Set your hope fully" upon?
"On the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua the Christ." This is the same grace for which the Old Covenant prophets searched (1 Peter 1:10). The grace to be brought to them at the second coming was the grace of salvation.
Understanding audience relevance, we know that Peter is writing to first-century saints. He tells them: "the grace that will be brought to YOU at the revelation of Yeshua the Christ." This means they were to see the revelation of Christ in the first century.
John MacArthur, commenting on verse 13, writes, "This is the Second Coming. He is saying you have an obligation as a Christian who has received the great and gracious salvation of God to fix your mind and heart on the grace to be revealed at the coming of Jesus Christ. In other words, you're to live in the light of the Second Coming. Your hope is to look to Christ's second appearing when He comes to reward and glorify His people, the day when the…the whole redemptive work that has begun will be completed, the culmination of our salvation."
MacArthur totally ignores the original audience and applies these words to believers today. This view totally ignores the teaching of Yeshua and the Apostles concerning the second coming. They all taught it was to come in the lifetime of the first- century saints.
The Apostle John, declares that this grace was future to those of his day.
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 ESV
"We are God's children now." When is now? It is when John was writing this letter around AD 60-65. He is telling those believers that at that present time, they are children of God. That was their current position, and if you have trusted Christ, it is your current position. It ought to dominate every aspect of our daily lives. We are God's children.
John then tells them that what they are now stands in contrast to what they would be later. But what does John mean by this: And what we will be has not yet appeared? Well, since he immediately added that when Yeshua appeared, they would be like Him, he revealed that they were not at that present time like Him. Does that make sense?
"But we know that when he appears"—the word appears here is phaneroō. This is the same word used in 2:28 of the second coming. Here it also refers to the return of Yeshua in the future (from the first-century readers' perspective). We could translate this as, "but at the second coming." The second coming of Christ is mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testament. This is a major New Testament theme.
The term "when" introduces a third-class conditional sentence. It is used here not to question the second coming, but to express uncertainty about the exact time the event would take place. By exact time, I mean day or hour. The Lord made it very clear that he was going to return in the lifetime of his disciples.
For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Matthew 16:27-28 ESV
Verse 27 clearly speaks of the second coming. He comes with the angels to reward every man. Who are the "YOU" of verse 28? Verse 24 tells us that Yeshua is speaking to his disciples. So, Yeshua is saying this to his disciples who were standing there.
What are the possible explanations for this verse? I see only three. If you have others, I would be willing to hear them.
(1) There are still some of the disciples alive today. I do not think I could convince
any of you of that one.
(2) Yeshua was confused or lying. I hope I could not convince any of you of that one.
(3) Hang on! Yeshua actually did what he said and came in the lifetime of his disciples. I would like to convince all of you of this one. This seems like the simple and clear answer that holds to the inspiration of Scripture. Yeshua did what he said he would do. I am very comfortable with that. How about you?
Later, in Matthew 24:34, Yeshua says that "this generation" would see the second coming. So, we know it was to happen within forty years, a biblical generation. But speaking of the second coming, Yeshua also said:
But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Mark 13:32 ESV
Many today use this verse to prove that we have no knowledge of the time of a future-to-us second coming of Christ. But "that day" refers to the passing away of the heavens and earth which was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Old Covenant. Yeshua had already told them, in verse 30, that it would happen in their generation (forty years or so). But they did not know the "day or hour" that it would happen.
When a woman gets pregnant, we know that in about forty weeks she is going to have a baby. We don't know the day or hour, but we can know that it will happen in about forty weeks. That is exactly what Yeshua is saying here. And it is quite interesting that the time prior to the consummation of the kingdom is often referred to as birth pangs.
All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Matthew 24:8 ESV
The Greek words translated "birth pains" is odin. It means a pang or throe, especially of childbirth: pain, sorrow, travail. This same word is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 translated, "labor pains."
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 ESV
The illustration of gestation and childbirth is a biblical one. We know when the birth of the child is near, but we do not know the day or hour.
The Scripture frequently makes it clear that the second coming of Christ was to happen in the first century. It was always spoken of as being soon. It was to happen quickly—before all of those of that generation died. Look at what James told his readers in James 5.
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. James 5:7-9 ESV
James is talking to them about the coming of the Lord. He tells them to be patient because the coming of the Lord is at hand. "At hand" is from the Greek word eggizo, which means near or at hand. Then he says that the Judge is standing at the door. The word for door here is thura. Matthew shows us what this word means.
So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Matthew 24:33 ESV
Gates here is thura, the same word used in James 5:9. The Lord's standing at the door meant that his coming was near (eggus).
In the context of James 5, we read of Christians who are suffering under the persecutions of the Jews. In the midst of it, they are told to be patient until the coming of the Lord. This is exactly what we see in our text in 1 Peter.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua the Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 ESV
They were also suffering for their faith and were told to put their hope fully in the grace that they were to receive at the second coming.
Futurists would have us believe that in just 2,000 plus years the Lord would come and help them. I cannot see how that would be of much comfort to Peter and those of his day. Let's say that you are suffering and are being persecuted for your faith. You have lost your job, your landlord is about to evict you, and you have no food to feed your hungry family. You receive a letter from a rich relative who tells you to "hang in there, brother, I will be there soon to help." When would you expect him to come? He said soon, and you would justifiably look for him soon! If he didn't come until after you died what good would that be to you?
John wrote that at the Second Coming "We shall be like him." REMEMBER who the we are! John is talking to first-century saints. He tells THEM that when the second coming happens, THEY will be like Christ.
In order to understand what John is saying here, we have to understand that we live in a different age than John and Peter's original audience did. Throughout the New Testament, we see two ages in contrast—"this age" and the "age to come."
And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:32 ESV
The word "come" at the end of the verse is the Greek word mello which means "about to be." We could translate this as "the age about to come." About to come for whom? For the original audience—those in the first century.
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:21 ESV
Here again we see the two ages. So, the New Testament speaks of two ages—"this age" and "the age to come." The understanding of these two ages and the time frame in which when one replaced the other is fundamental to interpreting the Bible. The New Testament writers lived in the age that they called "this age." To the New Testament writers, "the age to come" was future. But it was very near because the age in which they lived (this age) was about to end.
Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 1 Corinthians 10:11 ESV
Paul said very plainly that the end of the ages was coming upon them—the first-century saints. "This age" was about to end.
The "this age" of the Bible was the Old Covenant age, the Jewish age. That age came to an end with the destruction of the temple in AD 70. So, the New Testament writers lived in what the Bible calls "this age." But we live in what the Bible calls "the age to come." In the first century, the "this age (the age of the Old Covenant) was fading away. It ended completely when the Jewish temple was destroyed in AD 70. The "this age" of the Bible is now ancient history.
During the "this age" prior to the second coming, the first-century Christians hoped for and longed for the fullness of their salvation. This is why Peter tells his readers:
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua the Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 ESV
The grace that was to be brought to them was the fullness of their hoped for salvation. To Peter's audience, righteousness was a hope.
For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. Galatians 5:5 ESV
During the 'this age," salvation was also a hope of the New Testament church.
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 ESV
Eternal life was also a hope during the "this age" of the church:
in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began Titus 1:2 ESV
so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:7 ESV
Now, the Bible clearly teaches that you do not hope for what you have.
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24-25 ESV
But eternal life, salvation, and righteousness were all a hope of those who lived in "this age." Eternal life, salvation, and righteousness became the full possession of the church at the Second Coming, which happened at the end of the Old Covenant age. This was the grace that was to be brought to those believers living in the transition period.
Notice what Yeshua said the believers would receive in the age to come.
Yeshua said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. Mark 10:29-30 ESV
Commenting on the phrase "and in the age to come eternal life," Swete states that it is "The age which is to follow the Parousia." Wuest Word Studies says: "The authorities are silent on all this, and the present writer confesses that he is at a loss to suggest an interpretation. The best he can do is offer the usage of the Greek words in question." As is obvious, this phrase is troubling to many.
As we saw, eternal life was a "hope" to those who lived in "this age," but it is a present possession of all believers in the "age to come (the New Covenant age).
So, what did John mean by his promise that they would be like him at the second coming? I think that he is referring to righteousness. As we saw, righteousness was a hope for them during the transition period. But at the second coming, all believers received the righteousness of Christ. The nature of our likeness to Christ will be a likeness in respect to righteousness, as the next verse makes clear (1 Peter 1:14). The believers also put on immortality.
For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:53 ESV
So, at the second coming, believers became immortal. They were given eternal life, and they became positionally righteous.
John told them that "they shall be like him." The word "like" here is from the Greek word homoios [home-oy-os] which means similar (in appearance or character). This same word is used in Matthew 13.
He put another parable before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. Matthew 13:31 ESV
I hope you can see from this that homoios means similar and not exactly the same. We are now like Christ in that we share his righteousness.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
This is our position before God—we are as righteous as Christ. Believers living in the "this age" could not say that.
John goes on to say to them that they would be like him because "we shall see him as he is." The verb "see" is used in reference to the eyewitnesses' encounter with Yeshua (1:1–3) and in the denial that those who keep on sinning have ever seen him (3:6).
To see him as he is is different from to see him as he was. The believers who lived at the time of Christ saw him in his humiliation during his incarnation. But the Lord prayed that they would one day see him in his glory.
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24 ESV
Do you see what this verse is saying? Yeshua is saying that He desires that we (the ones given to Christ) be with Him in heaven. "To see my glory that you have given me"—you don't see it in the ESV, but there is a purpose clause here ("so that"). He wants us to be with Him so that we may see His glory which the Father has given Him.
Notice that the glory that our Lord speaks about here is the glory that was given Him. In verse 5 Yeshua prays to have the glory restored that He had in eternity past.
And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. John 17:5 ESV
The original disciples had seen Yeshua's glory (1:14). They saw the miracles that He did, and they saw the cross and the resurrection. But they had not witnessed the majesty of Yeshua's pre-incarnate deity. He wanted them all to see the "glory" that the Father would restore to the Son following His ascension. Yeshua wanted believers to see him in his pre-incarnate glory.
Did the first-century saints see Christ as he is? I believe they did. Notice what Yeshua says to Caiaphas.
Yeshua said to him, You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Matthew 26:64 ESV
Three times Yeshua uses the personal pronoun "you." Whom is He talking to? Verse 63 tells us that it is the high priest, Caiaphas. Caiaphas asked Yeshua if He is the Son of God, the Messiah. Yeshua answered Caiaphas by saying that he would see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. If Caiaphas saw this, as Yeshua said he would, then it must have happened in his lifetime.
Notice the similarities between Yeshua's answer to Caiaphas and what he said in Matthew 24.
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30 ESV
Yeshua told Caiaphas, "You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power." He told His disciples that "They would see the sign that the son of man was in heaven." He told Caiaphas, "You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven." He told His disciples that "They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." It is obviously the same event in both passages. Notice Caiaphas' response to Yeshua's statement:
Then the high priest tore his robes and said, He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. Matthew 26:65 ESV
What did Yeshua say that was blasphemy? Caiaphas understood that Yeshua was claiming to be the Messiah. In order to understand what Yeshua is saying, we need to understand the idea that is behind "coming in the clouds." God's "coming on the clouds of heaven" is a symbolic way of speaking of His presence, judgment, and salvation. Throughout the Tanakh, God was described as coming "on clouds" in the salvation of His people and judgment of His enemies.
So, for the disciples and Caiaphas to see Yeshua coming in the clouds was to see him as he is, to see him in the glory of the Father. It was to see him in the glory that he had before his incarnation. They saw him as he is in the destruction of Jerusalem. And when they saw him, they became like him.
So, what about us? When do we become like him? We become like him when we trust in him for our salvation. We live in the age to come. We have eternal life now; we have righteousness now. We have received the grace that the believers who lived in the transition period hoped for.
So, Peter is telling these first-century, persecuted believers that in the midst of their suffering they were to keep their minds focused on the hope of their complete salvation and the second coming of Christ.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua the Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 ESV
When their salvation was complete at Christ's second coming, how would that help them in dealing with the persecution they were experiencing? I believe that the grace that was to be brought to them at the second coming would give them relief from persecution.
How were they delivered from persecution at the second coming? What Peter is saying here in 1:13 is very similar to what Paul says to the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1.
This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Yeshua is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Yeshua. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-8 ESV
Here we see that at the second coming, Yeshua would inflict vengeance on those who did not know God and on those who did not obey the gospel of our Lord Yeshua. These are the unbelievers who were persecuting the believers. The believing Thessalonians were to be delivered from the wrath of God and from the wrath of their opponents.
Not only would the Thessalonians not experience God's wrath, but that very wrath would free them from affliction brought about from the wrath of their opponents. How did this happen? How did Yeshua's judgment-coming on Jerusalem in AD 70 affect the Thessalonians who lived over 900 miles from Jerusalem?
Good question. I'm glad you asked. The Jews were strong opponents of Christianity. They hated Christianity and tried to stop it's spread and even sought to wipe it out. We saw that Paul's visit to Thessalonica caused a riot.
But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. Acts 17:5 ESV
Because of this, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away at night to Berea. Notice what happens at Berea.
But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Acts 17:13 ESV
The Jews hated Christianity and anyone who preached it. When Jerusalem was destroyed, this persecution ended. God's destruction of Jerusalem showed the world the identity of the true sons of God.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:19 ESV
That Christians were the true "sons of God" was clearly revealed when the Lord returned and destroyed Jerusalem.
With their city and Temple destroyed, the Jews were no longer able to attack the Christians, and for the most part, the persecution ended. But wait. There's more!
I think that the biggest reason that the wrath against Christianity ended at the second coming was because the spiritual battle ended then. Paul taught the transition saints that they were in a spiritual battle with spirit beings.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 ESV
First of all, notice that Paul says that this struggle is "NOT against flesh and blood." In the Greek this is literally, "blood and flesh." Paul was saying that their struggle was not with humanity, not with mere human power. With what, then, was the struggle? Paul wrote that it was, "against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." We know what he is saying here. The question is what does he mean? The word "rulers" is from the Greek word, arche, which has a wide range of meanings such as "chief (in various applications of order, time, place or rank): —beginning." The word "authorities" is from exousia which means "power, ability, privilege." These titles are used of human and spiritual powers, but notice the rest of the verse—"against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." "Cosmic powers" comes from the Greek word, kosmokrator, which, according to Strong's Concordance means "a world ruler, an epithet of Satan." Thayer's says it means "lord of the world, prince of this age, the devil and his demons." This is its only use in the New Testament.
Paul goes on to say "against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." These forces are "spiritual" and not human. They are in "heavenly places" or the spiritual realm, that is, the place where Yahweh dwells.
The first-century saints were in a spiritual battle with spirit beings. These spirit beings were fighting against Christ and the gospel. These spirit beings would empower and provoke people to attack the Christians. They were in a war and that war ended in AD 70 with the coming of Christ.
Let me show you this by looking at Matthew 24 and Matthew's account of the Olivet Discourse. In this discourse, the Lord is answering the disciple's questions about the destruction of the Jewish temple, the sign of His presence, and the end of the age. Yeshua is speaking to his disciples in the first century and that context must be kept in mind. I just want us to look at one verse in this discourse.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29 ESV
Modern commentators generally understand this and what follows as the end of the world, but the words "immediately after the tribulation of those days," show that he is not speaking of any distant event but of something that would immediately follow the tribulation. He was referring to the destruction of Jerusalem.
If you are not familiar with the apocalyptic language of the Tanakh, you will not understand what Christ is saying here. It sounds to us like the end of the world. But if we are familiar with the first three quarters of our Bible, we will know that this language is common among the prophets.
I want to focus on the last half of verse 29: "The stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." We see this same language in Revelation 6. Is this to be taken literally? Are the literal stars going to fall out of heaven? There are many who think so and who see this as the end of the world, a cosmic collapse if you will. But I don't think this is talking about literal stars. "Stars" is used of literal stars, bright lights in the sky, and it is used of divine beings.
This text in Matthew 24 is about the judgment of the gods with whom the first-century Christians were in a spiritual battle. "The stars" and "the powers of the heavens" are the same spiritual "cosmic powers" and "spiritual forces of evil" that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 6:12. We know that this is speaking of AD 70 and the destruction of Jerusalem.
Back to our text.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua the Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 ESV
These first-century believers were to set their minds and hope fully on the grace that was to be brought to them at the second coming. This grace brought them the fullness of salvation at the second coming and Christ's judgment-coming destroyed Jerusalem and ended the cosmic battle thus giving them relief from their persecution.
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