In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
John 14:2-3
The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead concern future events. Future events are foretold in the Word of God. Although these events have not happened yet, God has provided knowledge of His future plans through prophecy. There is much about future events which is not revealed in God's Word. That which is revealed has been interpreted several different ways by students of the Bible. However, It is not necessary to understand all the various interpretations of Bible prophecy given by men. Most of these interpretations center on the exact timing of certain prophetic events or specific details of these events.
What
is important to the foundation of the Christian faith is a general understanding
of what the Bible says will happen. The
following are important events revealed in the word of God:
The
Bible teaches that the Lord will return to earth for believers. Jesus promised His followers:
In my Father's house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye
may be also. John 14:2-3
The
Rapture:
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15
The
most detail about Christ's return for believers lets us know this:
® Christ Himself will
return.
® There will be a
resurrection from the grave of those who were believers when they died.
® There will be a
rapture, which means "the act of taking a person from one place to
another.” Living believers will be taken from earth to meet with Christ.
® There will be a
reunion between believers who have previously died, believers living at the
time of Christ's return, and their Lord Jesus Christ.
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: Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore
comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
The
Tribulation:
The
Bible tells of a terrible time on earth which is called the tribulation.
® The tribulation will
last for 42 months or 1,260 days
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy
city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to
seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the
going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the
Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the
street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall
Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that
shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall
be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many
for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the
oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate,
even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the
desolate. Daniel 9:24-27
® It will be a very
difficult time. There have been many difficult times in the world, but three
things will distinguish the tribulation from all other times of trouble.
¨ It will be worldwide
and not just local.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep
thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try
them that dwell upon the earth. Revelation 3:10
¨ People will realize
the end of the world is near.
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us
from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the
Lamb: Revelation 6:16
¨ The intensity of the
trouble will be greater than ever before experienced.
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man
deceive you. For many shall come in my
name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of
wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but
the end is not yet. For nation shall
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines,
and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be
afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my
name's sake. And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many. And because iniquity shall
abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come. Matthew 24:4-14
® Those who do not accept the mark of the beast:
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment 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, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4
® Its description:
There
are a series of judgments of God on the earth during the tribulation. These are
described in Revelation 6, 8-9, and 16
® The reason for the tribulation:
The
wickedness of man must be punished, Satan defeated, and Jesus acknowledged as
Lord of all. This completes God's plan
of the ages
Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his
will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That
in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in
him: Ephesians 1:8-10
® The Timing Of The Rapture:
Some
people believe the rapture will occur before the tribulation and that believers
will not have to experience any of this terrible time on earth. Others believe the rapture will happen midway
through this period. Still others believe the rapture will happen at the end of
the tribulation. The most common
interpretation is that the rapture of believers will happen before the
tribulation period begins. The different views of the timing of the rapture
result from various interpretations of the prophetic information given in
Scripture.
What is most important is to know you are a true believer and
will
be ready to go with Jesus in the rapture when it does occur
® The Millennium:
The
Millennium is a period of 1,000 years after the tribulation during which Jesus
will rule the earth in righteousness
And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall
there be one Lord, and his name one. Zechariah
14:9
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that
all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed. Daniel
7:14
The
city of Jerusalem will be the center of government
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to
the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach
us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth
the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:3
This
period will end when Satan stages a last revolt against God
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed
out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle:
the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured them. Revelation 20:7-9
God
will send fire from Heaven and end all opposition. Satan will be cast into the
lake of fire for eternity
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be
tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation
20:10
® Judgment:
All
created beings will be judged by God. This is known as the time of eternal
judgment. It is the last of the foundational principles spoken of in the book of
Hebrews.
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Hebrews
6:1-2
Those
who died as unbelievers will be resurrected to face judgment. Because they did
not repent from sin and accept Jesus as Savior they will be condemned to eternity
in Hell
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works. And the sea
gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire. (Revelation
20:12-15)
True
believers who repented from sin and accepted Jesus as Savior will spend
eternity in Heaven in the presence of God according to Revelation 21.
Biblical Studies
10/03/19
04/07/21
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are welcome and encouraged!