died until the Lord resurrected him from the dead?” A. While no one knows, it is reason able to assume that his soul went to the abode of the righteous dead, or Paradise. Keep in mind this fact, how ever, that actually Lazarus was not “resurrected” in the sense that our Lord Jesus Christ was. The Saviour was the first One. Lazarus was just brought back to life and had to die all over again. In the strict sense of the word, when a person is resurrected he dies never more. Q . San Jose, Calif. — “Will the Old Testament saints go in the rapture when Jesus comes, or is that only fo r New Testament saints in the church?” A. There are good Bible scholars on both sides of this question which is important in the study of prophecy. There are those who hold that the rap ture of the church, referred to in I Thessalonians 4, does include both Old and New Testament saints. It would seem, however, based upon a careful study of Scripture, that this is not what actually takes place. The key phrase of the rapture refers to those who are “in Christ.” This could Mr. Ed Steele (standing), director of radio for Biola, looks over the broadcasting log for KBBW, San Diego, owned and operated by the school. With him is Mr. Bob Ohlson. enoineer for the station.
not be a term to use in reference to those of the Old Testament such as Abraham. While he was trusting in the coming Messiah he could not be considered “dead in Christ.” This is a soteriological expression. It is our belief that Old Testament saints will be resurrected at the end of the Trib ulation before the Millennium. Q , Sacramento, Calif. — ‘‘How do we know that Jesus will return soon?” A. This is a very significant question. There are so many signs that space will permit us only a few illustrations. Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reminds us, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man.” Gene sis 6 tells us what those evil times were like. The explanation is culmin ated in the expression that every imagination of the thoughts of man were only evil continually. What a marked parallel today. The tragic part of it is that which is revealed as evil in the Word of God is thought of as respectable in the eyes of the world. Again we are told that a sign is a similarity between the days of Lot and the time preceding the Lord’s return. You remember how that Abraham could not find even five righteous men in the city of Sodom. This vile form of evil is gaining ascendency and even respectibility in many areas today. It is so despicable, vile, and rotten, that one hesitates even to think of it. Yet, the sin is rampant on every hand. Then the -people were marrying and giving in marriage. This speaks not so much of polygamy as progressive mo nogamy made possible by the weak divorce laws and the spread of im morality and iniquity which then abounded and now abounds on every hand. There are other wonderful signs of Christ’s soon return, however, such as the rebirth of the Israeli nation which we have seen in our own generation since May 14, 1948. This climaxed a period of constant, continuous, immi gration to the holy land by the Jews. Earlier, people thought God was 25
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