Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (V)

The Coming of the Son of Man. As mentioned in Jun02, the seven-year tribulation period will end with the coming of the Son of man to execute judgment upon the earth:“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He who sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…. And His name is called the Word of God…. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations; and He shall rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on his vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords…. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet [or Antichrist] … [and] both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:11-21).

It is well to be aware of this side of the “meek and lowly” Lord Jesus. Today, thankful to say, He “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). We hear people today saying, “I believe in the God of the New Testament” or “I believe in a loving, tolerant Jesus.” He wasn’t always tolerant when He was here on earth (Matt. 21:12,13; 23:13-36), and He is not going to be tolerant when He comes back in judgment upon those who rejected Him and His free offer of salvation.

1. Satan will be bound and shut up in “the bottomless pit” for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-3).

2. “The LORD shall be King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9; also Jer. 33:15; Dan. 7:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 11:15).

3. The raptured and resurrected saints (including those martyred during the tribulation) will reign with Christ (Rev. 5:10; Luke 19:12-19). (See Assignment 10)

4. All 12 tribes of the nation of Israel will be joined together in their land, God will write His law upon their hearts, and they will become the center of blessing for all the nations of the earth (Isa. 2:1-3; 11:10-13; 60:3,10-22; Jer. 23:3-8; 31:31-34; 33:7-9; Rom. 11:25-27).

5. It will be a time of righteousness. “They shall not build, and another inhabit…. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble” (Isa. 65:22,23).

6. It will be a time of unparalleled peace:“Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people:and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither, shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:4).

7. This peace will extend to the animal kingdom:Wolves, lambs, leopards, kids, lions, calves, bears, snakes, and little children will all live peaceably with one another (Isa. 13:6-9; 65:25).

Running the Race
WHAT ALTERNATIVE DO I HAVE?

We are often faced with dilemmas and decisions in life. It may seem like the only “safe” way is to go along with the crowd, even though we know that the crowd is not following God’s Word and way.

In Noah’s day, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of … of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Noah and his family could easily have adopted the attitude, “Everyone else is doing it; I might as well do it too.” But because they were willing to stand alone in faithfulness to the LORD, they were saved through the flood while “everyone else” perished (1 Pet. 3:20).

Caleb and Joshua stood apart from all other children of Israel, and they alone, of all who were at least 20 years old, survived the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness to enter into the promised land (Num. 14:29,30; Josh. 14:6-13).

In the times of ancient Babylon, the only way to survive-so it seemed-was to obey king Nebuchadnezzar’s orders to bow down to the image of gold that he had made. After all, the alternative was not very pleasant: being “cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace” (Dan. 3:1,6). But three young men challenged “the only safe way.” And guess what? You already know the rest of the story: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived the fiery furnace with no hurt and with not even the smell of smoke on them (3:25-27). On the other hand, the men who threw the three young men into the furnace were killed from the intensity of the heat (3:22).

During the coming tribulation period those who are saved will face a similar dilemma. The second beast [Antichrist] will cause “that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all … to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and no man may buy or sell, except he who had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name [666]” (Rev. 13:15-18). Some may be able to avoid a confrontation with the image of the beast, and thus escape with their lives. But what about buying groceries and gasoline, paying the mortgage, and receiving social security and pay checks? To conduct the most ordinary matters of business one will be required to choose between allegiance to God and allegiance to the beast.

The Book of Revelation provides much encouragement to the saved persons who will be challenged with such decisions. Here is a promise to those who remain faithful to the Lord, even unto death: “I saw the souls of those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus … and who had not worshipped the beast … neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev. 20;4; also 15:2). For the rest, “there fell a … grievous sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast” (Rev. 16:2). “The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast” (Rev. 14:9-11).

Young men and women, you may be faced with similar choices and decisions in your lifetime. Don’t take the easy route. Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Don’t make the choice that appears to be “safe.” The only really safe way is obedience to God’s Word and total allegiance to the Lord.

Assignment 10: Write out a verse in 1 Corinthians 6, one in 2 Timothy 2, and one in Revelation 20 that support the point just made.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (IV)

Introduction:Tribulation and the Tribulation. All Christians are promised tribulation. Jesus told His disciples, “In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer:I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Paul and Barnabas advised the new believers “that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). These tribulations are not to be “avoided like the plague” but “we glory in tribulations … knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Rom. 5:3,4; 12:12; 2 Thess. 1:4).

In the last issue we showed that Christians will be raptured, that is, taken to heaven out of the world, prior to the seven-year period of tribulation in the last days. We must not allow this truth to give us a false sense of security and safety. Citizens of North America have been quite shielded from the fires of persecution and tribulation that have afflicted Christians in other parts of the world –both past and present. When the Communists gained control of China in the early 1900’s, the persecution of Christians was so intense that many believers feared that the rapture had occurred and somehow they had been left behind to go through the seven-year tribulation. One of the readers of GROWING recently wrote to me of violent persecution of Christians in his city in Nigeria. More and more this persecution is coming to Christians in America. Let us be prepared through prayer and nearness to the Lord. When it comes, “rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings” (1 Pet. 4:12-14).

What Believers Will Be in the Tribulation? If the Church–made up of all true believers in Christ–is raptured prior to the tribulation, and if there is no second chance for unbelievers at the time of the rapture (see Apr02), then who are the 144,000 sealed “servants of our God” and the “great multitude … of all nations” who “came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:1-14)? The Lord is going to raise up a gospel testimony during the tribulation (Rev. 11:3-12). Presumably God will open hearts of children and adults who had never heard the gospel previously. (Amazing as it may seem, I have met some people here in America who had no idea who Jesus Christ is, except being a swear word.) The 144,000 represent those from the 12 tribes of Israel who are saved during the tribulation. Note that these will include not just Jews as are identified today (who are mainly from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi), but descendants of the so-called “lost tribes of Israel” as well (Jer. 30:3). The “great multitude” refers to Gentiles who are converted during this period.

What Will Happen During the Tribulation Period? In Revelation 6 we find the Lamb opening the book with seven seals. This chapter seems to present the unfolding of events in the tribulation period. The Lord’s description of this period in Matthew 24 presents a similar order:(1) war (Matt. 24:6,7; Rev. 6:2-4); (2) famine (24:7; 6:5,6); (3) death (24:7-9; 6:7,8); (4) martyrdom (24:9,10; 6:9-11); (5) the sun and moon darkened and the stars falling (24:29; 6:12-14); (6) the coming of the Son of man to execute judgment upon the earth (24:32-25:46; 6:15-17). Both passages also mention earthquakes (24:7; 6:12).

Items 1-3 above fall under the heading of “the beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 24:8), no doubt referring to the first half of the tribulation period. It is probably during this same period that the Jewish temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Also, the alignment of world powers prominent in the tribulation likely takes place at this time. The first beast–a political leader–will head a confederation of ten nations that corresponds in some way to the ancient Roman Empire (see Dan. 7:7,19-25; Rev. 13:1; 17:7,12, 16). The second beast–a religious leader, also called the Antichrist (Rev. 13:11-15; 1 John 2:18) and the False Prophet (Rev. 19:20; 20:10)–will decree that the people worship the first beast … or else be economically discriminated against or killed (Rev. 13:15-18).

The so-called “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21 and Rev. 7:14) starts at about the middle of the “week” of seven years and is marked by the de- filing of the temple by the first beast (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15). This is referred to in Scripture as the “abomination of desolation.” The Holy Spirit goes to great lengths to reveal the length of the great tribulation (3½ years), no doubt to clarify its link with the 70th week of Daniel 9:27 and to encourage the believers that it will soon be over:It is 1260 days (360×3½; Rev. 11:3; 12:6), 42 months (12×3½; Rev. 11:2; 13:5), and a time, times, and half a time (or 1+2+½ years; Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:14), along with being half of seven years (Dan. 9:27).

The great tribulation will be a time of vast amounts of death and destruction that will make what happened on September 11, 2001 seem like child’s play. “Four angels were loosed … to slay the third part of men … by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone” (Rev. 9:15-18). The King of the North (perhaps a confederation of Islamic nations such as Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and some of the Soviet states) and the King of the South (perhaps Egypt) will battle each other, with Israel caught in the middle (Dan. 11:40-45). Toward the end of the tribulation many nations will be gathered together in Israel for the Battle of Armageddon and more judgments from heaven (Rev. 16:14-21). Babylon the Great, generally considered to be Christendom minus the Church, will fall (Rev. 17,18). The tribulation will conclude when the Son of man–the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ– comes “in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him. Then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations:and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:31, 32). The sheep–those saved during the tribulation and surviving to the end–will join the Lord in His millennial kingdom upon the earth (25:34), while the unsaved goats will be cast into everlasting fire (25:41,46).

Running the Race
Assignment 8: Write out two verses in Isaiah 13, one verse in Jeremiah 30, and two verses in Ezekiel 20 that refer to the tribulation in the last days.

Assignment 9: There are many verses in Revelation 6-18 that give encouragement to believers who are going through tribulation. Find and write out at least one such verse from each of four different chapters in Revelation 6-18.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (III)

Scriptures That Support a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. One of the most frequently used verses in support of a pre-tribulation rapture is found in the letter to the church in Philadelphia:“Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you [out of] the hour of temptation [or testing] that shall come upon all the world, to try those who dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10). Temptations and testings are an expected and normal part of every Christian’s life (Acts 20:19; 1 Cor. 10:13; Heb. 2:18; 4:15; Jas. 1:2,3). But this verse in Revelation refers to “the hour,” that is, a prescribed period of time rather than an open-ended lifetime of testing. This verse also says that this time of testing “shall come upon all the world.” Even World War II (which many people thought to be the great tribulation) did not come upon all the world. So this verse seems to be referring to the seven-year period of tribulation in the last days. Being kept out of this period of tribulation fits better with a pre-tribulation than a mid- or post-tribulation rapture.

In Revelation 4 and 5 we find two word pictures of heaven. Seated around the heavenly throne are 24 elders with “crowns of gold” on their heads (Rev. 4:4). These elders (1) “cast their crowns before the throne” (4:10); (2) worship the Lord as the Creator of all things (4:11); (3) sing to the Lamb who had redeemed them by His blood (5:9); (4) fall down and worship the Lamb (5:14; 11:16; 19:4); and (5) ask about those “who came out of great tribulation” (7:13,14). The crowns in 4:4 and 4:11 are not the kingly crowns (or diadems) worn by the dragon (12:3), the beast (13:1), and the Lord when coming as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:12,16). Rather they correspond to the crowns of life, righteousness, and glory (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10; 3:11) given by God to His people in recognition of their faithfulness to the Lord.

What does this have to do with the timing of the rapture? Just this:When Isaiah and Ezekiel received visions of heaven, there was no mention of 24 elders. When the apostle John had a vision of the Son of Man in Revelation 1, there was no mention of 24 elders. But after reading the letters to the seven churches (Rev. 2 and 3) and before reading about the series of judgments to be sent by the Lord upon the earth during the tribulation period (Rev. 6-18), we begin reading about 24 elders gathered around the Lamb singing songs of redemption. Who else could these elders be but the redeemed saints, no doubt including those saved in Old Testament times as well as those of the New Testament Church? The entire picture provides a very strong inference that these saints were raptured prior to the seven-year period of tribulation. In agreement with this picture, there is no mention of the Church on earth in Rev. 6-18 concerning the tribulation period.

Let us now examine an Old Testament passage that gives strong evidence of a pre-tribulation rapture:“Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city. … From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and 62 weeks:the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after 62 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 over-spreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan. 9:24-27).

This is a prophecy concerning Jerusalem, “your holy city.” It concerns a period of 70 weeks, or literally 70 periods seven units long. Usually in Scripture these are periods of seven days or one week, but in Daniel’s prophecy it fits best to make these periods of seven years. So the prophecy has to do with 70×7=490 years. The 490 years are divided into periods of 7×7=49 years, 62×7= 434 years, and 1×7=7 years. The period of 490 years begins with “the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (Neh. 2:8). After 49 years, “the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” This corresponds to the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 3-4).

After another 434 years, the Messiah–the Lord Jesus Christ–shall be “cut off” or rejected by His people. After this, “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary,” referring to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70.

A Bible scholar, Sir Robert Anderson, performed detailed calculations of the 69 weeks and determined that the 69 weeks (or 483 years) ended on the very day of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, five days before His death (Luke 19:28-40). (See Assignment 7)

This leaves one final week of seven years. The coming prince “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.” In Matt. 24:15-21 this prophecy is linked with “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be”; this final week has not yet happened.

We shall see in the next issue that the end of the great tribulation will usher in a brand new beginning for the nation of Israel, with the Messiah coming to reign over the Earth.

Why is there a gap of nearly 2,000 years or perhaps more between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel’s prophecy? Because this defines the period of the Church as God’s chosen people (Eph. 1:4). Israel as a nation is, for a time, set aside in God’s purposes while the gospel of salvation is going out to Gentiles and Jews alike throughout the entire world. The fact that the 70th week marks a return to God’s dealings with the nation of Israel strongly suggests that the intervening Church period has come to a close. This would signify a pre-tribulation rapture.

Running the Race
Assignment 7: Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is often spoken of as a “triumphal entry.’ Write out a verse in Matthew 21 that shows it was triumphal and another verse or two that reveal rejection by His people.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (II)

What Is the Difference Between Dying and Being Raptured? Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Those who are familiar with the Bible know that Ol’ Ben was wrong. Even death is not certain! One of the best known and loved passages of the Bible is where Jesus tells His disciples:“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 you may be also” (John 14:1-3). But to most people, this is no more than a promise of what will happen when they die.

There are two passages that clearly show that the Lord is coming again for the living as well as for those who die:“The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout … and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who 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” (1 Thess. 4:16,17). “Behold, I show you a mystery:we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…. The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we [that is, the living] shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51,52). (See Assignment 5)

These two passages show something else:there is something more for the believer than dying and going to heaven. “The dead in Christ shall rise first”; “the dead shall be raised incorruptible.” When a believer dies, the body is placed in a grave where it eventually decays and returns to dust (Gen. 3:19); at the same time, the soul and spirit go to be with the Lord “in paradise” (Luke 23:43). However happy the soul and spirit may be to be “present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8), they are incomplete without the body. At the time of the rapture, the decayed and dusty bodies of dead believers will be resurrected. Our new bodies will have the same identity as our old ones, but they will be changed. Our present body is called “a natural [or ‘soulish’] body,” that is, suited to the interests and desires of our soul. Our new body in heaven is called “a spiritual body,” that is, suited to the interests and desires of our spirit (1 Cor. 15:44, see Dec95 and Sep01 for the distinction between soul and spirit). Furthermore, our new body will be “incorruptible” and “immortal” (1 Cor. 15:52-54), that is, incapable of sickness, growing old, or death.

In 2 Cor. 5:1-4 the apostle Paul refers to four distinct bodily states with regard to death and resurrection:(1) Being alive with our present physical body (“our earthly house”); (2) having died with our soul and spirit separated from our body (“unclothed”); (3) being in heaven with our future resurrected body joined with our soul and spirit (“clothed upon with our house that is from heaven”); and (4) standing before God unsaved, without the covering that He provides for those who have trusted Christ for salvation (“found naked”). Many people today, in their pain, loneliness and distress, cry out, “Oh, that I could die and go to be with the Lord!” However, the apostle wasn’t just looking forward to dying (“unclothed”), but to the rapture when he would receive a new body from heaven to go along with his purified soul and spirit. (We will have more about his later in an issue about heaven.)

When Will the Rapture Occur? As pointed out in the previous issue, there are many different views about this. Most who adopt the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view also believe and teach that the rapture is imminent. We need to examine this word carefully. “Imminent” can mean “likely to happen soon or without delay.” But Christians have been looking for the Lord to come for nearly 2,000 years now, and that doesn’t sound like “soon.” This word “imminent” is used in connection with the rapture in the sense that the rapture is certain to occur at some time, but uncertain as to what time. Another way of looking at it is that while other events may happen before the imminent event, nothing else has to take place before it happens.

There are such things that happen in our world-such as the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 or the tragic events of September 11, 2001-that cause us to exclaim, “The Lord’s coming must be very near!” However, there is nothing in the Bible that says that these or any other events must happen before the Lord comes back for His own.

Will There Be a Second Chance for Those Who Are Unsaved at the Time of the Rapture? A woman who had seen a film about the rapture concluded that she would wait until the rapture occurred and then, knowing what had happened, would put her trust in Christ. This response is foolish for two reasons:(1) She might die before the rapture occurs; and (2) Scripture does not hold out the possibility of a second chance for those who have rejected or neglected Christ’s offer of salvation (Heb. 2:3). Three times in the last chapter of the Bible the Lord declares, “I come quickly” (Rev. 22:7,12,20). This word “quickly” does not mean “soon” but “swiftly, all at once,” that is, before one can make preparations. The rapture will take place “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52); there will be no “two-minute warning” nor another opportunity after the rapture.

In the next issue, if the Lord does not come before then, we shall examine some of the Scriptural arguments that support a pre-tribulation rapture.

Running the Race
HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE (in View of the Imminence of the Lord’s Coming)?

“A certain nobleman … called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:12,13). God has given every believer a spiritual gift to exercise and work to do (see Oct98, Jan99-Aug99). The time to serve the Lord is now! It won’t do any good to wait until after the Lord comes.

“For our [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). Would any of your friends recognize you as a citizen of heaven? (See Assignment 6)

“Be also patient, establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near” (Jas. 5:8).

Assignment 5: Write out a verse in 1 Thessalonians that shows that the believers were looking for the Lord to come while they were still alive.

Assignment 6: Write out three verses in Philippians 4 that tell how we should live in view of the Lord being at hand.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (I)

Do the horrible events of September 11, 2001 mean that the Lord is coming soon and that the end of the world is not far off? What is going to happen next? The Bible has quite a bit to say about the end times. In fact there is an entire branch of theology devoted to the study of what the Bible teaches about the end times:it is called eschatology. We will devote this and the next few issues of GROWING to a consideration of what is going to happen in the future to the believers, the unbelievers, and the earth. This will be followed by a study of heaven and hell according to the Scriptures.

Let us lay the groundwork by giving some definitions:

Rapture. A word commonly used in reference to the Lord’s second coming for the believers. This word, which means “being carried away,” is not found in the Bible, but captures the thought of being “caught up together … to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Another word sometimes used for the second coming is “parousia” (par-ou-sea’-a) after the Greek word for “coming” in 1 Thess. 4:15 and elsewhere.

Tribulation. A seven-year period of God’s judgment upon the earth. The last three and one half years of this period are sometimes called “the great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 2:22).

Appearing. A word often used in Scripture to refer to the coming of the Lord to set up His millennial kingdom upon the earth (see 2 Tim. 4:8; Tit. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:7).

Millennium. The 1,000-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ over the earth (Rev. 20:1-7).

The Beast. A wicked Gentile king or political leader who will head up the western world during the tribulation (Rev. 13:1-8,18; 19:19,20); also known as the “Little Horn” and the “Prince That Shall Come” (Dan. 7:26; 9:26).

The Second Beast. A wicked Jewish man who will pretend to be the promised Messiah and who will work hand in hand with the Gentile Beast (Rev. 13:11-15); also known as “Antichrist” (1 John 2:18) and the “False Prophet” (Rev. 19:20; 20:10).

The King of the North. An ambitious leader of nations to the north of Israel (Dan. 9:40-45) during the tribulation; probably the same as Gog, the political leader of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal (Ezek. 38, 39). Some think this refers to Russia; others think it is a federation of Islamic nations.

There are several different views held by evangelical Christians about the order of events in the end times. I shall present first of all the one that I believe fits most closely with Scripture. After that I shall outline some alternative views as to the end times that we may encounter when talking with other Christians.

Pre-Tribulationism. The following ordering of events places the rapture at the very beginning of the end times, before the tribulation; thus this is referred to as Pre-Tribulationism:

1. The rapture occurs, removing from the world to heaven all true, born-again Christians as well as raising up and giving new bodies to all believers who have died in ages past, including those of Old Testament times (see Heb. 11).

2. With the salt and light influence (Matt. 5:13-16) of Christians removed from the world, evil personages including the Gentile and Jewish Beasts and the King of the North will quickly take charge of the world.

3. While there will be no second chance for Christ-rejectors in this present age, God will raise up believers and evangelists during the tribulation period among those who had never heard the gospel before. There will be believers from all of the original 12 tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:4-8) along with “a great multitude” from “all nations” (Rev. 7:9-17).

4. There will be intense persecution of believers, horrible wars centered in Israel, and severe judgments from heaven upon the entire earth for the seven-year tribulation period.

5. The Lord will return, this time with the large company of His raptured and resurrected saints, to set up a 1000-year reign of peace and righteousness upon the earth (Isa. 11:1-9; Rev. 20).

6. At the end of the 1000 years there will be a final outbreak of rebellion against God, followed by the judgment of the wicked before God (Rev. 20:7-15).

7. The heavens and earth will be cleansed of all evil and renewed for habitation of God’s people for eternity (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 11:15; 21:1).

Mid-Tribulationism. The rapture occurs at the middle of the seven-year period of tribulation. This view is in part based on linking the sounding of the seventh trumpet during the tribulation (Rev. 11:15) with the “last trump” of the rapture (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16).

Post-Tribulationism. The Church will go through the Great Tribulation; the rapture will occur at the end of the tribulation period. The saints caught up to be with the Lord will immediately return with Him to the earth to set up the 1000-year reign. This view is based on equating the coming of the Son of man, “immediately after the tribulation,” to “gather together His elect” (Matt. 24:29-31) with the accounts of the rapture in Paul’s epistles (1 Cor. 15:51-54 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18). (See Assignment 4)

Partial Rapturism. This is a modification of Pre-Tribulationism. Only those who are actively looking for the Lord’s coming will be raptured (based on 2 Tim. 4:8; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 3:21).

Post-Millenialism. The Scriptures that speak of the great tribulation were fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem; the millennium will be ushered in by the efforts of the Church; afterward, Christ will come and reward His own, judge His enemies, and establish the new heavens and new earth.

Amillenialism. This view is similar to Post-Millenialism except there is no millennium during which Christ will reign over the earth. Those who hold this view and the preceding one do not distinguish between the nation of Israel (God’s chosen people in the Old Testament) and the Church (God’s called out ones in the New Testament).

Comment. The scope of this publication does not permit a detailed comparison of these various views concerning the Lord’s coming. Please write the editor for more information.

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture view will be discussed in more detail in the next issue.

Running the Race
Assignment 4: Read Matt. 24:29-31 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18. In What ways are these two passages similar? In what ways are they different?

Foundations of Faith
THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST (II)

As noted in the previous issue, one of the benefits of the ascension of Christ into heaven is that He is now our High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate. We now examine these aspects of Christ’s present work on behalf of His own.

Christ became “a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make [propitiation] for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to [help] those who are tempted (Heb. 2:17,18). “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a High Priest who cannot [sympathize] with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16). This High Priest “ever lives to make intercession for those” who “come unto God by Him” (Heb. 7:25,26).

The role of the high priest of Israel in the Old Testament was to offer the animal sacrifices necessary to keep the people in a close relationship with God and make it possible for the people to approach God with all their needs. All of these sacrifices pointed forward to the one perfect sacrifice offered by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. That perfect sacrifice has been offered; the Offerer is risen and ascended into heaven. On the basis of that sacrifice of Himself, Christ as our great High Priest helps and encourages every believer to “come boldly unto the throne of grace … in time of need.”

Many of our needs relate to our trials and temptations. Christ Himself “suffered being tempted.” How so? In the wilderness He was hungry (Matt. 4:2). In the garden He was “in an agony” and His “soul [was] exceeding sorrowful” (Luke 22:44; Matt. 26:38). Before and on the cross He was falsely accused, wrongfully condemned to death, forsaken, denied, mocked, spit upon, slapped, beaten, stripped, nailed, and taunted by man, and then forsaken by God (Matt. 26:56-27:50). Oh, how He suffered—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—far more than we can imagine! So whenever we are tried, tested, or tempted—because of pain, ill-ness, bereavement, depression, loneliness, financial problems, hurtful or difficult people, false accusations, or whatever—we are invited to bring those needs to the throne of grace. There we will find a merciful High Priest who knows perfectly—from His own personal experience—what we are going through, and thus knows perfectly how best to help us in our time of need.

Let us be careful to note that these passages are only referring to so-called “holy temptations,” those that come from outside of us. Christ cannot sympathize with our lusts, sins, and failures. For those we need Christ as our Advocate (see below). But when we are oppressed with trials and temptations, our merciful High Priest helps and strengthens and encourages us to depend upon Him; thus He keeps us from anger, fear, impatience, retaliation, or other sinful responses to our trials.

“If any man sin, we have an Advocate with [or literally, toward] the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1,2). “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever:even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16,17,26). The words “Advocate” and “Comforter” are exactly the same in the original Greek. That is why the second passage says “another Comforter.” We are blessed with two Advocate-Comforters—the ascended Christ and the Holy Spirit. An advocate or comforter is literally one who comes along side to assist us.

While the work of Christ as High Priest is largely to keep us from sinning, the work of Christ as Advocate is to direct our hearts back toward the Father if we do sin. How does Christ carry out this work? By reminding us that “He is the propitiation for our sins” (see Feb97), that is, by reminding us of how much He suffered for us on the cross for our sins. Such a reminder shames us, humbles us, leads us to confess this fresh outbreak of sin, and results in our restoration to communion with God our Father. (See Assignment 2)

Is there a difference between the work of the ascended Christ as Advocate-Comforter and that of the Holy Spirit as Advocate-Comforter? The work of the Spirit is to remind us of the teachings of Christ (John 14:26) and the things pertaining to Christ, including His Person and work (John 16:14, 15). So it would seem that these activities of the ascended Christ and of the Holy Spirit go hand in hand with each other.

In Jan02 we noted that one of the blessings of Christ’s ascension is the blessed hope that He is coming back to take His waiting people home with Him in heaven. This plus other themes relating to the end times will be topics of consideration in upcoming issues of GROWING.

Running the Race
HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE (in View of Christ as Our High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate)?

God’s purpose for His sons is that we should “be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). If our risen and ascended Christ is presently occupied with keeping us from sinning and restoring us if we do sin, is this not also a worthy occupation for each of us in our associations with our fellow believers? “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14) “Love covers all sins” (Prov. 10:12).

Assignment 2: (a) Write out a verse in Matthew 26 that illustrates the high priestly activity of trying to keep another person from sinning. (b) Write out a verse in John 21 that illustrates the advocate-like activity of restoring a sinning person to the Lord.

Assignment 3: Write out one verse each in Matthew 18, Galatians 6, and 1 Thessalonians 5 that point out our responsibility to help others not to sin and to restore sinners to the Lord.