Eschatology

There will Be Two Raptures

Doctrine, Eschatology / /

There is great confusion about when the time of the rapture of the Church to heaven relative to the coming Tribulation—before, during or after it. This confusion is propagated by the determination of many to base doctrine for the rapture upon false doctrine concerning both the Church and the Tribulation.

It will be my contention that this confusion will not be sorted out except by recognizing that the Church Age is one of the dispensations of God. Even dispensationalists, those who accept that God has dealt with and will continue to deal with man through different dispensations, need to recognize some vital differences between the Church Age and other dispensations.
Paul called this Church Age “the dispensation of the grace of God”. And this is surely because in this dispensation, as in no other dispensation, salvation is by the grace of God without works. Also believers in this dispensation, as in no other, are to live by grace not law. These distinctions (ignored by most) are sufficient to establish that the Rapture of the Church will be outside of (before) the Tribulation.
Also the dispensation of the Church Age, including its rapture, is said by Paul to be a mystery unknown to all until it was revealed to him. That means all references to a rapture before Paul wrote his epistles must refer to a rapture other than the rapture of the Church. Such references (and there are several) lead us to discern another rapture, its nature, and its time.

See slides The Two Raptures for a reorganized discussion of these things.

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When will Old Testament saints be judged?

Doctrine, Eschatology / /

Just after the sounding of the seventh trumpet in heaven during the the time of the Tribulation on earth, Scripture says that the time has come for the dead to be judged and for God to reward His servants the prophets, the saints, and them that fear His name, small and great.  This is in Revelation 11:18 just after the two witnesses have just been killed, resurrected, and called up to heaven. In the slides The Two Raptures, it was I argued that this is the time of the partial rapture of Tribulation saints along with resurrection and transport to heaven of the Old Testament righteous who will serve in the Millennial Kingdom.

Serious Bible scholars argue that the judgment mentioned in Revelation 11:18 is not a judgment at this time in the narrative sequence, but rather a look from a future time backward at the Great White Throne Judgment, which will occur after the Millennial Kingdom and just before a new heaven and earth are prepared. The slides Time to Reward God’s Prophets evaluate the arguments for and against such a discontinuity in the narrative of future events in the Book of Revelation. As such this study will give us some insight into God’s judgments and help us to understand the sequence of events which must shortly come to pass. (Re 1:1)

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One Day is with the Lord as a Thousand Years

Eschatology / /

Peter wrote, “Beloved, Be not ignorant of this one thing….” This sounds quite important. What is it we should avoid ignorance about? Peter went on to say, “that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” In view of this warning, we would be ignorant not to recognize that there are thousand-year periods of time on earth that easily count as days with the Lord.      

For certain the thousand years that Jesus Christ is prophesied to reign on this earth in Revelation 20 is said to be a day in various Old Testament passages. The one-thousand-year kingdom is also said to be a time (day) of rest for the earth and for Israel specifically. This will be the future rest promised to Israel corresponding to the Sabbath day by which God covenanted this rest.

With the impending second coming of Jesus Christ to set up a one-thousand-year kingdom and almost exactly six thousand years of history for this present earth since its creation in Genesis 1, we surely need to consider carefully whether that history can be divided into six thousand year periods that correspond to six days with God. To write off such a possibility as foolish thinking without careful analysis is surely the very essence of ignorance.

So see the slides Seven Thousand Years to avoid such ignorance and to see that God has indeed prophesied a seven thousand year timeline for this present earth.

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The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Doctrine, Eschatology / /

Although the Marriage of the Lamb will be in heaven before Jesus Christ comes to earth for his second coming, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb mentioned immediately after the marriage will not be in heaven. It will be back on earth during the Millennial Kingdom.

These slides present a fivefold argument that this supper will be during the Millennial Kingdom based upon these points: the prophetic nature of the announcement in heaven, the given order of events in Revelation 19-20, Jesus’ statements about when He would again drink the fruit of the vine, the prominence of feasts in the Millennial Kingdom, and the prophetic symbolism of the wedding feast at Cana.

These slides briefly discuss how Jesus’ parable about the wedding dinner as stated cannot indicate that the gospel would be taken to Gentiles as it is usually so interpreted. The parable declares that feasting will be prominent in the kingdom of heaven. Even so men will be rebellious and bring upon themselves God’s judgment.  

See slides Marriage Supper of the Lamb for arguments about why the feast will be on earth during the Millennial Kingdom.

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