A. Keep in mind that the Lord didn’t say that on every occasion. We would not properly say that our Lord was afraid He might come to Calvary too soon. Rather, He did everything ac cording to the will of His Father. He didn’t want opposition to Him to make it impossible for Him to com plete that work for which He came to this earth. In infinite wisdom His program was to go on as scheduled. The Lord certainly does want us to be witnesses today for, after His resurrection, Christ said, “Go and tell.” What a marvelous privilege to tell others about a risen Saviour! Q. Whittier, Calif. — “R ec en tly I heard someone say on your program that Christ could come for the saved before the broadcast was over, and that no prophecy had to be fulfilled before Christ could come again. How about II Thessalonians 2:3? Has this taken place?” A. We do believe that the return of our Saviour, the Rapture of the Church, is imminent. As far as the fulfillment of I Thessalonians 4 ¡IS IS, this could take place at any mo ment. No event needs to be completed for this to take place. He will come in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. II Thessalonians 2:3 refers to the time of the Tribulation, not the Rapture. This whole section reflects on things that will take place, but which obviously have not occurred as yet. Q. Vancouver, B.C---- “There is a cult which states that at death, the un believer is annihilated. Christ said to the thief on the cross, 'Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise.’ How could this have been if the Lord descended into Hell three days after His death?” A. We need to understand the words as they appear in the original. There are three words which refer to the
them. His grace is sufficient to save all such who die in infancy. But when a person comes to the age of accountability, he must make the decision for himself. “Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.” See II Samuel 12:23 regarding David’s infant son; Mat thew 18:10; Mark 10:14. Q. Oakland, Calif. — “What is the proof that the Jehovah of the Old Testament is in fact Jesus of the New Testament?” A. That may be an oversimplifica tion. While Jehovah does refer to the Lord Jesus, it’s not used exclu sively for Him. In Isaiah 53:6 we see God the Father, placing on God the Son, the iniquity of us all. In Job 33:4, we see that the Holy Spirit is also referred to as Jehovah. This is one of the beauties of the Trinity. Q. Mission Hills, Calif. — “Does Scrip ture indicate whether or not there will be any lapse of time between the Rapture and the Tribulation? Does the latter follow the former?” A. The answer is found in II Thes- salonians 2:3-8. The mystery of in iquity is the working of Satan in the world. The Holy Spirit is the One who hinders him through the body of believers. When the church is tak en out of the way, “the son of per dition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God” will be made evident. Notice his final judgment as the Lord destroys him with the brightness of His com ing. So, the Tribulation will begin immediately after the Rapture. Q. Santa Barbara, Calif. — “Why was it that Jesus, after He healed people, told them not to tell anyone about it? Was He afraid He would come to Calvary too soon? Why shouldn’t those people be witnesses, even as we are today?”
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