In light of this.....it could go very badly and trigger
war:.....Had some alarm bells go off.
Read this
According
to
Scripture, there are at least two remaining Dispensations of God
between now and the destruction of universe and its replacement with
the ‘new heavens’ and ‘new earth’ described by the Apostle Peter.
“But
the
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall
be burned up.” (2nd Peter 3:10)
Peter
refers
to this as the “Day of the Lord” and later, the “Day of God”
((2nd Peter 3:12). This is different than the “Day of Christ.” The “Day
of Christ” is the day He returns for His Church at the Rapture.
“Now
we
beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
by our gathering together unto Him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind,
or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from
us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:1-2)
While
the
“Day of Christ” refers to the ingathering of the Church at the
Rapture and the Bema Judgment for rewards, the “Day of the Lord” refers
to judgment for sin; judgment against the Gentile nations; judgment
against unbelieving Israel and the final judgment at the Great White
Throne.
It
is
important to remember that “Christ” is not God’s last Name; it is
His title. “Christ” is the Greek equivalent [Christos] to the Hebrew
Messiah [Mosiach]. The Day of the Lord is therefore significant of
judgment, whereas the day of Christ signifies redemption.
So,
here
is the chronology remaining for the human race: the current
Dispensation [the Church Age] comes to an end at the Rapture as part of
the Day of Christ.
The
Raptured
Church attends the Bema Seat Judgment (2nd Corinthians
3:11-15), the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9) and
accompanies Him to the earth at His triumphant Second Coming. (Jude
1:14-15)
The
Tribulation
Period is its own Dispensation, in addition to being a
resumption of the Age of the Law – it represents the 70th Week of
Daniel.
The
revealing
Angel gave Daniel an panoramic view of Israel’s history,
beginning with the order to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple and ending
with the coming of the Messiah.
Daniel’s
outline
is interrupted at the end of the 69th week (of years) with the
‘cutting off’ of the Messiah and resumes with the revelation of the
antichrist when he confirms a seven-year peace treaty between Israel
and her enemies.
How
can
we know that the 70th Week is set apart from the Church Age? The
angel listed six specific things to be accomplished during the 70th
Week, from Israel’s perspective:
“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.”
Before
going
down the list, notice that the 70th week is for Daniel's people,
[the Jews] and Daniel's holy city [Jerusalem] and NOT for the Church.
1)
“Finish the transgression” – yet future for Israel/accomplished at the
Cross for the Church.
2)
“Make
an end of sins” – sin loses its power over believers at
regeneration – regeneration is a function of the Cross in the lives of
believers
3)
“Make
reconciliation for iniquity” – simply stated, it means to make
restitution [payment] for sin. Accomplished at the Cross for believers
– yet future for unbelieving Jews
4)
“Bring
in everlasting righteousness” -- Christ returns to set up the
Millennial Kingdom with Himself on the Throne in Jerusalem.
5)
“Seal up the vision and prophecy” – the fulfillment of all Messianic
prophecy – yet future
6)
“Anoint
the Most Holy” – the Mosiach is ‘anointed’ King as per Israel’s
ancient custom and reigns over mankind for a thousand years - the
“Millennial Kingdom.”
The
Church
has no role to play during the Tribulation, which Scripture
identifies has having two specific purposes; the judgment of a
Christ-rejecting world and the national redemption of Israel.
The
Church
was judged at the Cross and found judicially blameless by grace
through faith. The Church neither rejected Christ nor has need of
further redemption. The Church does not remain on the earth beyond the
Church Age.
So,
who
inhabits the Millennial Kingdom? According to Scripture, there are
but two groups who survive the Tribulation – believing Gentiles and
believing Jews.
In
Revelation
19:11-16, we find the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.
This is His Second Coming. The Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1
Corinthians 15:51-53) is an appearing of Christ in the air. That is not
the same as His Second Coming.
This
is
included, I believe, to draw a distinction between the Rapture and
the Second Coming of Christ. There is no mention in Revelation 19-20 of
any kind of rapture event where believers receive glorified bodies.
The
prophet
Joel, in his description of the Tribulation Judgment, was clear
and specific concerning those to come under Tribulation judgment:
"Proclaim
ye
this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let
all the men of war draw near; let them come up . . . Assemble
yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together
round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let
the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for
there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.” (Joel 3:9,11-12)
The
believing
Gentiles are non-Jews who come to faith during the
Tribulation. Note that they are distinct from the ‘new creature’ of the
Church Age.
Jesus
said
that He will separate the ‘sheep’ [righteous, or believing,]
nations from the ‘goat’ [unrighteous, or unbelieving] nations. The
goats are cast into the Lake of Fire whereas the sheep [the righteous
Gentiles] survive and live on into the Millennial Kingdom.
By
implication,
no unbelieving Gentile will survive the Second Coming. The
righteous Gentiles, or sheep, will live on into the millennial kingdom.
They will give birth to children and will populate the earth. However,
these are not the only ones who will be producing children during the
millennial kingdom.
The
impression
is given that when Christ returns, all Israel will trust in
Him (Zechariah 12:10). They, too, will not receive glorified bodies (as
those did who were raptured prior to the tribulation). They also will
produce children during the millennial kingdom.
To
summarize,
the Millennial Kingdom will be populated by believing
Gentiles, Israel, and the resurrected/raptured believers whom,
according to the Apostle Paul, will hold positions of authority and
judgment as well.
“Do
ye
not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world
shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that
pertain to this life?” (1st Corinthians 6:2-3)
According
to
the Prophet Isaiah, during the Millennial Kingdom, the earth is
restored to its original ecological balance, and lifespans return to
what they were prior to the Flood. “. . . for the child shall die an
hundred years old” (Isaiah 65:20)
Everyone
who
enters into the Millennial Kingdom will be a believer, but the
Scripture say that children will be born to believing Jews and Gentiles.
And,
as
incredible as it sounds (what with Jesus Himself on the throne and
resurrected believers in glorified bodies running around directing
traffic, or whatever) many of those born into the Millennial Kingdom
will reject Christ, and they will, once again, gather themselves
together to do battle against the Lord of Hosts. (Revelation 20:7-10)
And
with
that act, the final curtain comes down on the human race. “For,
behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not
be remembered, nor come into mind,” writes the Prophet Isaiah. [65:17)
Which
leaves
us contemplating the question asked by the Apostle Peter;
“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?”
That’s
a
question that each of us has to answer for ourselves in this life.
For it will surely be asked of us as we seek admittance into the next.
Maranatha!