1:9-10: “Turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for His Son from Heav en.” The rapture has been imminent since the Lord Jesus Christ ascend ed, at which time two angels de clared to the wondering disciples: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven” (Acts 1:11). BEASTS OF REVELATION Q. Who were the “ beasts” o f Reve lation U, 5 and 6? Who are the twen ty-four elders ? A. It is likely that they were a very high order of angel, perhaps sera phim as described in Isaiah 6:2-3; Ezekiel 1:4-28. They are more cor rectly called “ living creatures” in Ezekiel. They are given to the wor ship of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father and in Revelation are ac tive in the revelations and visions which John saw. It is believed that the elders are the raptured saints, twelve for the Old Testament believers and twelve for the New. There is a difference of opinion in these matters but with the 4th chapter of Revelation it ap pears that the church has been rap tured and John is being shown the church in heaven before earthly events are unfolded. JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL C ITY OF THE UNIVERSE Q. Are we seeing in our day the ful fillment of Micdh 1:1-2 where Jeru salem is described as the capital city of the universe with all nations going up there to worship and to pay tribute ? A. No, this will take place during the millennium when Christ will sit upon David’s throne. You have only to read this fourth chapter of Micah
to realize that these things have not come to pass in our times. The na tions are not resorting to Jerusalem to be taught the law of the Lord; the nations are not beating their swords into plowshares. Alas, war continues in this world and so it will be until Christ comes in person as the Prince of Peace to rule and to reign. "ON E BAPT ISM " Q. Does “ one baptism” in Ephesians 1:5 refer to water baptism and one certain form o f water baptism? A. No, I do not believe this refers to water baptism at all but to the bap tism of the Holy Spirit. When we re ceive Christ as Saviour, we are bap tized into the body of Christ as ex plained in I Cor. 1 2 : 1 3 : “ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gen tiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” This is not to say I do not believe in water baptism, for I do, as a sym bol and testimony to our salvation without having in itself any saving power. OUR HOLY GOD Q. Please explain Isaiah 15:7, “I make peace, and create evil.” Is God the author of evil, as this text sug gests ? A. Isaiah is not speaking of moral evil. The Hebrew word for evil is correctly translated sorrow, wretch edness, adversity, afflictions, calami ties, but never sin. God created evil only in the sense that He allowed sorrow and wretchedness to be the sure fruits of sin. James 1:13 distinctly says, “ Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”
HOW M A N Y TEMPLES? Q. How many tem/ples did Israel have? And will another temple he built in present Israel? A. If you count the tabernacle, which is called a temple in I Sam. 1:9 and 3:3, there were four: this wilderness temple, Solomon’s, Zerub- babel’s and Herod’s. A temple will be built in unbelief by the Jews who will return to the land from all direc tions of the compass. How soon that will be we do not know but we do know that during the tribulation pe riod this temple will be in existence and there the antichrist will set up his image to be worshipped (Revela tion 11:1, 2; Matthew 24:15). GUARD AT THE TOMB OF CHRIST Q. Was the guard around the tomb of Jesus a Roman or Jewish body? A. It was not Roman, you may be sure. Pilate had allowed Joseph of Arimathea to bury the body of Jesus in Joseph’s own tomb. The Roman governor would not be likely to place a Roman guard around the private property of a member of the Sanhe drin. Pilate told them plainly, “Ye have a watch, go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch” (Matt. 27:65, 66). The Jews would not have dared to deal with Roman soldiers as they did with their own guard. Doubtless the Roman soldiers would have taken the bribe but for them to say they had slept on their watch would have meant death for them in the Roman army.
IM M IN EN C E OF CHRIST'S RETURN
Q. Did the early Christians look for the Lord to come in their lifetime as many o f us do? A. Yes, they did. Note I Thess.
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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