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The beginning of a new liturgical calendar is called Advent season, which literally means coming. All the readings mention the word. In the OT the verb bô’ (בוֹא) has generally the straight forward sense of ‘come’ or its related meanings like ‘enter’ and ‘visit’ where God, the subject, is pictured as coming upon his enemies to punish them or upon his people to bless them. The verb takes an specific sense in the allussion to the coming Day of the Lord- the time of judgment resulting to punishment for his people (e.g. Joel 2:1,31), against his enemies (e.g. Babylon cf. Isa 13:9) or for both (Zech 14). And finally it refers to the coming of a king, the messianic hope of Israel earlier promised in the oracle of Nathan to David (2 Sm 7:11-16) and echoed by the prophets like Jeremiah (33:14-16). Unlike the many other descendants of David whose reign had brought disappointments, the future monarch is to be honest and just (vv 15-16) attesting to the fidelity of Yahweh to his covenant promise (cf Hos 2:21f).
In the NT the verb erchomai (ἐρχόμαὶ) has the same basic sense and nuances as in OT. When predicated to the Son of Man Lk 21:25-28.34-36) it is connected as well with the climactic time of judgement and blessing- judgement for God’s enemies and deliverance and transformation for His people. At Jesus’s coming, first “in the flesh”, he fulfills the prophecy of the prophets as the Messiah and King who will carry out the divine plan of salvation, and second, in his final glorious return at the end of time for convicting the world of sin and vindication of the faithful ones.
As Christians we believe that Christ is the promised Davidic king. We also believe that Christ is moving towards us from the future, with his advent frequently appearing in the signs of the times. History will have an end as will our own personal life story. When will this occur we do not know. When it comes to our individual lives is equally uncertain. But if we continue to live with a certain sense of expectancy, accompanied by a consistent response to God’s will, we will be standing tall with heads high at the return of Christ. He will not disappoint. At his first coming the heavens rejoiced. At his second we shall all will.
