QUESTIONS/ANSWERS FROM THE QUESTION FORUM
Group Number 92
If you could recommend specific topics or even
explanations of the views of Christ's Return, that would be a help to me. How
should I approach the subject?
When dealing with the coming of the Lord and the end times, there is an old
aphorism that applies: "It is through the known, and only through the known,
that we come to learn of things unknown." That is, in acquiring, we must begin
with what is plain, and then proceed to what is not so plain. That is because
what is clearly revealed sheds light on what is otherwise obscure.
There are some statements concerning Christ's return that are very precise and
clear. These are the ones on which you should focus. Here are some examples.
1. Matthew 24:36 through Matthew 25:13. The 24th chapter is clearly speaking
about the return of Jesus Christ. That is the day no man knows (24:36). It is
the day that will be like Noah's day in which some were taken away (24:37-41).
The ones who were "taken away" were clearly not Noah and his family -- they
stayed. We are to watch for the coming of the Lord like Noah watched for the
flood (24:41). The coming of the Lord is like the breaking up of a house,
abruptly and unexpectedly (24:43-44). Those who are unprepared for that time
will be cast where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (24:51).
Chapter 25 is clearly about the return of Christ, and our gathering together
with Him. Even premillennialists acknowledge this. The chapter begins by saying
"THEN" -- that is, when the events of chapter 24 come to pass. What will happen
then? Every one will be awake, beholding what is taking place -- like "every eye
shall see Him" (25:1-7; Rev 1:7). Those who are unprepared will know what is
coming, and will know they are unprepared (25:8). The time of sharing will be
over (25:9). The door will be shut (25:10). All appeals from the unsaved will be
rejected (25:11-12). Jesus concluded by saying, "Watch therefore, for ye know
neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" (25:13).
2. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43).The parable of the tares of the field sharply
clashes with the premillenial theory. The owner of the field was presented with
a dilemma: an enemy had populated His field with tares "while men slept." When
the servants asked if they should pull the tares out, he said, "No, lest while
you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them" (13:29). His
solution, "'Let both grow together UNTIL THE HARVEST, and at the time of harvest
I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in
bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn" (13:30). Note, they
were not to grow together until the rapture, or the appearance of the
Antichrist, or the 1,000 years . . . etc. Something else to note, the tares were
to be the first removed from the field -- not the wheat.
When asked to explain this parable, Jesus clearly said the wheat were "the
children of the kingdom," and the tares were "the children of the wicked one."
He declared the tares would be gathered and burned at "the end of the world"
(13:40). He affirmed He would send His angels to gather out of His kingdom all
things that offend and them that do iniquity (13:41). The wicked will then be
cast into the furnace of fire (13:42). Then, the righteous would shine forth as
the sun, or become evident (13:43). As you can see, it does not take a doctorate
degree to see what He is saying.
3. 2 Peter 3:10-12.Peter declares the day of the Lord will come "as a thief in
the night" (3:10a). This terminology is also used in First Thessalonians 5:2,
and is a favorite expression of the premillennialists. It is in that day -- when
Jesus comes as a thief in the night -- that "the heavens will pass away with a
great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and
the works that are therein will be burned up" (3 10b). Peter identifies this
with all "these things" (heavens and earth) being "dissolved", or destroyed by
fire (3:11). He later describes the occasion as "the day of God" in which "the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat" (3:12).
Somehow, I find it most difficult to conceive of anything happening in this
present world after that time.
4. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10. Here the Spirit affirms that the wicked will be
punished when Jesus "shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired
in all them that believe." This is something that will happen simultaneously,
with no declared gap between. Also, note that the accent is upon the punishment
of the wicked, not the removal or extraction of the righteous. This is a telling
observation, because premillennialists largely base their doctrine on the
teaching of First and Second Thessalonians. Yet here, a single event (when the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven") is connected with the admiration of
the saints and the punishment of the wicked, with the punishment being
emphasized.
Phil
2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is
above every name, Phil 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, Phil 2:11 and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When is this going to happen?
This will happen when Jesus is "revealed from heaven" (2 Thess 1:7) -- when
"every eye shall see Him" (Rev 1:7), and He comes in all of His glory, with His
holy angels (Matt 16:27). Peter tells us the coming of the Lord will be as "a
thief in the night," and that the heavens and the earth will pass away at that
time (2 Pet 3:10-12). Paul reminds us His coming will involve the punishment of
the wicked, and the admiration of the saints at the same time (2 Thess 1:8-10).
All of this will occur when Jesus comes from heaven.
Jesus will leave heaven one more time. It is called "the second time," comparing
it with His first coming, when He came to "put away sin" (Heb 9:26,27). At that
time, the heavens and earth that now are will pass away, the dead will be raised
(1 Thess 4:16; John 5:28), all of the living will be changed to have bodies that
cannot die (1 Cor 15:52), the saints will be gathered to Christ (Matt 24:31),
the wicked will be gathered together (Matt 13:41), and the judgment will begin
Matt 25:31-32; 1 Cor 4:5). That is the time when "every knee will bow," and
"every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
This will take place because that is the time God is going to unveil His Son in
all of His glory and majesty (1 Tim 6:14-15). Who Jesus really is will be so
evident, there will not be a personality that will not see it and acknowledge
it. For some, that acknowledgment will be to their condemnation, for they had
rejected Him when the door of salvation was open. For those who received Him, it
will be a day of "exceeding joy" (1 Pet 4:13).
2
CORINTHIANS 10:3,4,5,6 WE DO FIGHT .. BUT RESIST IS PART OF IT... WE DO THE
RESISTING AND BINDING AND LOOSING.. THE DEMOLISHING... IT IS WE THAT TAKE THE
KINGDOM BY FORCE... IF WE JUST RESIST WE SIT STILL.. WHEN WE FIGHT WITH GOD'S
POWER THEN HELL SHAKES.. I SHAKE HELL DAILY.. I AIN'T SCARED OF NO GHOST.. BLESS
YOU...
I am afraid you misunderstood what I said. Resisting DOES include an aggressive
initiative on our part. The passage in Second Corinthians is speaking about
casting down imaginations and thoughts -- part of Satan's arsenal (2 Cor 10:5).
Those are things which, like "fiery darts" are hurled at us by the wicked one
(Eph 6:16).
We seize the kingdom by force, indeed. However, it is not Satan's kingdom that
we seize, but the Kingdom of heaven (Matt 11:12). Satan's efforts are directed
toward stopping us from doing this. We are not invading Satan's territory, he is
attempting to invade ours. His territory has all been rejected by God, and Satan
himself has already been "destroyed" (Heb 2:14). He is attempting to deceive us
on these matters.
Fighting the good fight of faith is not directly fighting Satan -- he has
already been fought and defeated by the Lord Jesus. It is fighting to keep the
faith, maintain our ground, and press toward the mark. Resisting is anything but
sitting still. Peter reminds us that Satan is walking about, seeking whom he may
devour. He further states we that counter that circumstance by being "steadfast
in the faith," not by fighting Satan himself (1 Pet 5:8-9).
The description of the weapons of our warfare show the kind of battle we are
fighting: truth for a belt, righteousness for a breastplate, the Gospel of peace
for our feet, faith for a shield, salvation for a helmet, the word of God for a
sword, and all prayer. These are said to enable us to "stand against the wiles
of the devil." Standing is further depicted as wrestling against the host of
darkness. Our activity is described as withstanding and standing (Eph 6:11-18).
The objective of the "good fight of faith" is said to "lay hold on eternal life"
(1 Tim 6:12). In military skirmishes, soldiers often hold a particular mountain
or location that they are occupying, refusing to allow the enemy to wrest it
from their hands. Their resistance involves fierce battle. Resisting is not
sitting.
What you have said is true. We do fight and we do cast down, or demolish. Do not
rule out the fact that Satan is said to flee when we resist, NOT when we fight
(James 4:7). That is how the Spirit says it, and that is how we must say it.
Enlarge your understanding of the word "resist." It will include all of the
things you said, and more.
from
Pakistan
Day after tomorrow I have a message in Women meeting
about Salvation. And that is very slum area and I need to give them message in
very very simple or in easy way, because they are uneducated.
As a coin has two sides, so there are two sides to salvation. We are saved FROM
something, and we are saved TO something. To be saved from something is to be
delivered. To be saved to something is to obtain an inheritance. In both cases,
only God can save. Only He can deliver, and only He can give an eternal
inheritance. The people must see that when we talk about salvation, we are not
speaking of temporal things. Even though God can and does deliver from sickness,
poverty, hardship, and other similar things, that kind of deliverance is not the
focus of salvation.
The salvation which is to be addressed is described by the Holy Spirit as "the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Timothy 2:10). It is
also referred to as "eternal salvation" (Hebrews 5:9). There are several things
that are clarified by these representations.
1. Salvation is exclusively associated with Christ Jesus.
2. Salvation is not only a rescue from the condition created by sin, but is
accompanied by something that is eternal.
3. Salvation involves more than life in this world – it is an "eternal
salvation" that extends beyond death.
In speaking of salvation this must be made clear. Those who hear you must see
that there is more than this world, and there is existence after death. All
people will eventually face the God who created them – and He is the "eternal
God" (Deuteronomy 33:27). Salvation is getting people ready for that time – when
we will all stand (Revelation 20:12). That time is also referred to as standing
before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10). He is the One God has
appointed to judge the world (Acts 17:31).
Salvation is necessary because of sin, because sin has separated mankind from
God (Isaiah 59:2). Sin is anything that is unlike God, whether thinking,
speaking, or doing. It is something that is in conflict with God, violates His
will, and is done, without any respect or fear of the Lord. Essentially, or most
important, salvation resolves the problem of sin. That means it brings God and
people together in peace. It means God becomes well pleased with people.
In salvation several things happen.
1. All sin, or wrong doing, is forgiven. That means God remembers it no more
(Hebrews 8:12). Sins are removed from the books of heaven, so that there is no
record of them anywhere. Not only is this true, but God removes them from the
conscience of the saved person, so that the person knows they are gone. Being
saved makes a person comfortable and at home in the presence of the Lord.
2. The saved person is changed. Scriptures call this being "born again" (John
3:3,5; 1 Peter 1:23). That means God gives us a new nature – a new heart and a
new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). The person thinks differently, feels different, does
differently. They have a different reason for living. They are a "new creation"
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
3. The saved person now agrees with God. When the word of God is heard, it is
not strange to the saved person – even if they have not heard it before. They
can sense in their heart that it is the truth, even though they may not
understand it. They are able to trust God without any doubts. The Scriptures
refer to this as God writing His laws upon our heart and putting them into our
minds (Hebrews 8:10; 10:16). This is an area where we grow, but from the very
beginning, the person who is saved will have no trouble believing what God has
said – particularly what he has promised.
4. The saved person lives for Christ, not for self (2 Corinthians 5:15). They
live to please the Lord, and the Lord takes care of them. Their main purpose is
to be forever with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Pleasing Christ is the main
thing, not what happens to them in this world. They know Jesus will direct them
in this world while He is leading them to glory, where they will be forever with
the Lord (Hebrews 2:10).
My friend's mother is living in USA, and she don't
believe on Jesus and told that He is a failing person and only has a dramatic
life -- or we can say false God etc. etc. So I don't want to accept Jesus Christ
as a savior. My friend is a real Christian and she is very worried about her
mother, she think that she have no longer life and she need to accept Jesus
Christ as a savior. Please write me some messages that I will share with her and
she accept Jesus Christ.
Your friend's mother thinks of Jesus as a failure because He was not a mighty
earthly ruler, and appeared to have been defeated by His enemies. She must be
brought to see that Jesus did not come into the world for that purpose. The
world and everyone in it was made by Him, and He ruled over and cared for the
world and its inhabitants BEFORE He came into the world (John 1:3; Colossians
1:17; Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus came into the world on a mission. That mission had two sides, or was
twofold. First, it was to do the will of God – to accomplish what God had to
have accomplished if people were to be saved. Second, it was to defeat the devil
in the devil's territory, and release those the devil had taken captive – which
all of humanity.
According to appearance, it looked like Jesus was defeated by his enemies in His
suffering and death. However, until that timer came His enemies were unable to
touch Him. Think of what Jesus did, even though His enemies would have stopped
Him if they could.
1. He cleansed the Temple at the beginning of His ministry, and His enemies
could do nothing about it (John 2:14-17). He cleansed the Temple again at the
close of His ministry, and His enemies could do nothing about it (Matthew
21:12-13).
2. He cast out demons, and Satan could do nothing about it (Luke 11:20).
3. When His enemies tried to trap Him with questions, He answered them so
powerfully they stopped asking Him questions (Luke 20:21-40; Matt 22:46; Mark
12:34).
4. When the people led Jesus to a brow of a hill so they could cast Him off of
it, He went through the midst of them and went on His way (Luke 4:29-30).
5. When the Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus, He simply passed through the
midst of them and went His way (John 8:59).
6. When a large number of soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the garden, and He
told them He was Jesus of Nazareth whom they were seeking. Upon hearing His
words, they went backward and fell to the ground (John 18:4-6).
All of these prove Jesus was not a failure. In fact, those who were against Him
were the ones who failed.
When it came to Christ's death, no man took His life from Him. He gave His back
to the ones who beat Him (Isa 50:6). He gave His own life, according to the
commandment of the Father in heaven (John 10:17-18). God allowed Satan and all
of His hosts to take charge of things for a short time. Jesus referred to this
when He was betrayed in the Garden: "When I was daily with you in the temple, ye
stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of
darkness" (Luke 22:53).
It was like Jesus laying on the ground, and allowing His enemies to tie Him up
in the best way they could. It was like letting His enemies all sit on Him,
holding Him down with all of their might and power. When they killed Jesus, men
did the worst they could do. There was nothing else they could do to Him. When
He was buried, the grave held His body, doing the worst it could do. When His
spirit went to the abode of spirits, Hades, it did the worst it could do.
According to men, there was nothing Jesus could do about this situation.
However, on the first day of the week, Jesus took His life back. Just like the
Father commanded Him to do (John 10:17-18). In doing this He conquered the
Devil, death, and the grave. None of them were able to hold Him. In addition to
this, He spent forty days with His disciples, teaching them and showing them
many proofs of His presence and will (Acts 1:3). His enemies in the world could
stop this. The devil himself could not stop this.
After the forty days, Jesus ascended back to heaven, where He was before, and
sat down victoriously on the right hand of God (Mark 16:19). He had completed
His mission. He had finished His work. He was, in every sense of the word,
successful. In absolutely no sense of the word was He a failure. A person must
see it the way it really is.
Go to next page
