A day early or 3 days late depending on how you wish to look at it. I rarely answer the same question I ask but I decided to add in my commentary an explanation from me on when the now is. Continue to search for yourselves and never let my words be your final explanation. With that I have added from now on connecting scripture and text to read after every commentary. Some obscure, some obvious, but all His words.
Extra Credit: In looking at (now) and the future I thought it right to also take a look at What will Heaven be like with this short devotion by Todd Nibert.
Jhn 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Jhn 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
- When was or will the now be accomplished?
Judgment is now. So when is now? The tense of the word cast (ekballo) is a future tense corresponds and indicates the certain occurrence of an event which has not yet occurred. The casting or (to cast) out of Satan gives us some light to the now. The now toke place on the cross and was satisfied with the completed work of Christ. The now was the finished act of the end of Satans reign and the redemption of His elect. And that now is even to us today a hope and certainty of an occurrence of an event that will occur. We see this today in the grace filled hearts who rest in the now, in the casting, saving, glorifying power of our triumphant savior.
We see now 3 consequences of this victory on the cross.
The prince of this world (Satan) was cast out. He received his sentence and he was destroyed. Today we see the casting out of evil and know with certainty that the anticipated execution of the final days is yet future.
He will draw all men (elect) unto Him. All that He died for were redeemed and shall come to Him. Today we preach the gospel that all that His blood was shed for will be called by the grace and mercy of the Spirit and draw into the fold. And when the last soul is called we know with certainty the final days will be upon us.
He will be lifted up (glorified). Though the means would never enter the hearts of man, for we would never look at pain and suffering as glory but our Savior crucified was in fact the ultimate in Christ glorified. Today we see the Son lifted up and glorified in His elect coming to a saving knowledge of His finished work. And we know and anticipate a final hour and day that He will return and every knee will bow and every voice will cry out Hosanna.
Acts 17:30-31
