We should ask God to bless us with a proper understanding of His word

Tue Feb 24, 2015

Editor: My friends, the dispensationalist put forth the theory that at the second coming of Jesus, he would take ‘their church’ to heaven (in a certain secret rapture) and return to earth to rule the Jews with a rod of iron during a period of one thousand years (their millennium). This time would be sandwiched by a certain literal forty-two months of what they call ‘the great tribulation’ and a certain opposing ruler known as ‘The antichrist’.{{more}}

In Acts 2 :11, it is recorded of the angel telling the disciples that Jesus would return the same way he left. He was seen leaving by His followers and His church would see Him coming back. It is amazing that God could fulfill the threat of making intelligent well-trained men fall spell to a delusion. 2 Thess 8-11. The idea of His coming as a thief was taken by these men to be literal, even though the few verses before in 1Thessalonians 4 :16 clearly speaks this. ‘For The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.’ The next chapter speaks of the day, not Christ, coming as a thief in the night, 1Thess. 5:2, but verse 4 emphasizes that that day shall not come as a thief in the night to God’s children who walk in the light of His truth.

The controversy arises as to what happens to the remainder of the dead after the dead in Christ have been resurrected. Let’s visit Revelation 20. The first three verses speak about the imprisonment of Satan for a thousand years, I would let verse 4 speak for itself: ‘And I saw thrones and they that sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, (It does appear that we are hearing about those who went through the great tribulation here) and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, (here I think we are seeing the idea of the beast or antichrist preceding the coming of Christ) and they lived and reigned with Him a thousand years. The next verse tells of the fate of the dead who rejected Christ’s offer of salvation. ‘But the rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.’ Now what happens to the remaining living people?

Jesus told Moses on the mount when he appeared before Him ‘thou canst not see my face: for there shall NO MAN can see me, and live.’ (I deliberately used the name Jesus here, for I believe He is the great I AM). He was about to demonstrate His glory as The Divine Father. Now Luke says that he will be returning in triple glory, that is in His glory, in the glory of The Father and in the glory of the angels.

His people would only be able to live through that coming because we would be changed from mortal to immortality in the twinkling of an eye. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. What would happen to those who are not changed? 2 Thessalonians 2:8 supplies the answer… they shall be destroyed by the brightness of His coming; remember Moses was told that no mortal can survive a look at God’s glory. Hence Satan would have no one to tempt. Jeremiah captures the scene in chapter 25:33 ‘And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.’

Satan is chained by circumstances; remember the book of Revelation carries a great deal of symbolic language. He is powerless, he has no one to deceive. Where then, my friends, would people for your phantom millennium come from? I beg you to read carefully Revelation 22:19 before you answer.

So, until next week, be it the will of the Lord, Do yourself a favour; ask God to lift you out of the delusion and bless you with a proper understanding of His word.

Your Humble Servant

Sinned