Questions - Wednesday

Will there still be sin during the millenial reign?

Revelation 20:7-9 indicates that there will be a multitude who are deceived by Satan at the end of the Millenium. These are likely the offspring of those who enter the Kingdom as believers in natural bodies from the Tribulation, who rebel against the righteous rule of Jesus Christ during that time. Sin will be present in the Kingdom, though righteousness and justice will prevail. 

Do you think our generation will be the one in the rapture? 

Throughout history, each generation has believed it could be the generation alive when Jesus returns for His Church. In fact, Paul seemed to think his generation could be the one in the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17).   Certainly, nothing needs to take place prior to the Rapture in order for it to happen in our lifetime. Jesus could return during our generation, or many more generations in the future. The fact that Jesus return is imminent should cause us to live with a sense of urgency and focus as we attempt to bring Him glory during our time on the earth. 

Questions - Tuesday

What book on the End Time Events would you recommend? 

David Jeremiah has a new book out called "What in the World is Going On?" that is an excellent resource. Mark Hitchcock has also written a good, scholarly book on End Time events called "The Complete Book of Bible Prophecy."

Who will we rule if we are going to be with Christ in heaven? Will the Earth vanish?

Those who have trusted Christ at the time of the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16) will be with him in Heaven for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-10).  When Jesus returns to the earth to establish His thousand-year kingdom, we will return with Him (Revelation 19:11-21). At that point, those who are identified with Jesus will rule with Him under His authority (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:4-6) over those who remain on the earth in natural bodies.

Jesus' thousand-year reign will be on this earth, on which the effects of the fall will be minimized (Isaiah 11; Joel 2:19-32; Zechariah 14:6-21; Jeremiah 31). At the end of that reign, the ultimate judgment against evil will be handed down (Revelation 20:11-15) and the earth will be judged as a part of the system which has gone away from God (2 Peter 3:10-11), as God creates a New Heavens and New Earth where we will live with Him in Paradise forever (Revelation 21).

 

  

Questions - Monday

How accurate are the Left Behind books in describing these events?

The Left Behind series by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye are books of theological fiction which attempt to give an account of what the events of Revelation (and other passages) might look like. The basic timeline of events described in the books are certainly in line with our understanding of how the end times will play out, though the authors have taken some liberties in describing specific places and names that cannot be known with certainty from the information Scripture gives us. The books are good, but no substitute for reading Scripture for yourself.

Are Judaizers (Jesus plus works) disqualified from salvation?

Much of Paul's ministry was dedicated to addressing people who wanted to add good works to the front-end of the Gospel. The entire book of Galatians was written to people who tried to add good works to the message that we can have eternal life and forgiveness of sin by trusting that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin through His death on the cross - the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Paul says adding something to the Gospel changes the Gospel into something that is not the gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-7), and that people who teach a different gospel should be "eternally condemned" (Galatians 1:9). Jesus is not cooperating with our good works to save us. If He were, He would only be part Savior. The gospel of Jesus as part-savior is no Gospel at all.