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T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
a fte r these days of te rrib le trib u latio n (Mt. 24:29-31; Lk. 2 1 :2 4 ). I t is therefo re evident th a t the tribu lation has not tak en place in th e past. Is th e second coming therefo re before or a fte r th e m il lennium? 9. A re th e saints of God to be a perse cuted, suffering people th roughou t th e m illennial period? Adm ittedly not. The church is distinctly told it shall be a cross bearing people to the last (Jn . 15:19-21; 16:33; 1 Thes. 3 :3 ; 2 Tim. 3:12 I t w ill so continue u n til He comes (2 Thes. 1 :7 -1 0 ). So also th e Jews (Lk. 21:24-27). If th e ir sufferings are to end at C h rist’s coming, is it before or afte r th e m illennium th a t He comes? 10. Is th e re to be a g re a t religious apostasy du ring th e m illennium ? Adm ittedly not, for th is is to be an age of perfect unity. Apostasy is represented as covering th e whole tim e u n til th e adv en t of Christ (2 Thes. 2 :1 -8 ). • Is He coming therefo re before or afte r th e m illennium? 11. A re th e Jew s to h ave a fu tu re as a n ation ? The prophecies concerning th e ir n ational reg ath ering have never been fulfilled and th e present Z ionist movements are unm istak able signs th a t th ere is to be a gathering of th e Jews from all corners of th e ea rth in exactly the m anner th e Old T estam ent Scrip tu res predict. Are they no t to be gathered un til the close of th e thousand years? W ill they con tinu e to be a trodden down people th roughou t the m illennium? (Lk. 21 :24 ; Mt. 24:15 -30 ). If all th e trib e s are in m ourning when He comes (Zech. 12:10; 13:6-7) must H is coming no t occur before the m illennium begins? (Mt. 24:32-33 F ig Tree symbol of Israel.) 12. Is S atan to continue a t larg e th ro u g h o u t th e m illennium ? He is to be bound in th e p it before th e m illennium begins, otherw ise th e re would be no mil lennium . (Rev. 2 0 :1 3 ). Man has no power to bind him . If his binding is contemporaneous w ith Christ’s second coming is Christ’s coming before or afte r th e m illen nium? 13 A re we anyw here exhorted to look for th e dawning of th e m illen n ium ?
No, all exhortations are to look for C h rist’s personal coming (Tit. 2 :1 4 ). The world’s hopes are said to be in Christ Himself, who will a t H is comifig solve all social prob lems. Is H is coming therefo re be- . fore or afte r th e m illennium? 14. When a re th e dead in C h rist to be raise d ? One thou sand years before the unsaved dead are raised. The la t te r come fo rth for judgm en t im m ediately a t th e close of th e m il lennium . (Rev. 20 :5 -6 ). The resu rrection of th e sain ts is to oc cu r a t Christ’s com ing (1 Thes. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:22-26.) If the thousand years’ reign occurs ’ be tween th e two resurrections and th e saints are raised a t th e first resurrection, is C h rist’s coming be fore or afte r th e m illennium? (Note— wherever reference is made to the resurrection of th e sainted dead alone, the Greek word “ ek- n ek ron” meaning “ out from among’’ is used. The word is used 34 tim es of Christ’s resurrection and four times of th e fu tu re resu r rection of the saints. The idea of a general resu rrection is therefo re not scrip tu ral.) 15. If C h rist is n o t com ing u n til th e close of th e m illennium , w h at is th e significance of th e many exho rta tions to “w atch” ? (Mt. 24 :42 ; 25:13; Mk. 13:35- 37; Rev. 16:15, etc.). It is not consistent to watch for something a thousand years or more off. There is no prophesied event in th e way of C h rist’s coming for His Church. His coming is th e hope held before th e church to keep believers in proper a ttitu d e of expectancy. Is His coming th erefo re before or afte r th e m illennium? 16. Is th e re to be no distinguishing line between th e close of one age and th e beginning of an o th er? God always closes th e door of one dispensation by judgm ent be fore He opens th e door of another. We will know when th e m illennial Kingdom has come, for th e King H imself is coming w ith power and g reat glory in th e clouds of heaven. 17. Is th e re any S cripture statem en t show ing th a t th e p resen t object of th e church is to “b ring in th e K ingdom” ? The work of the church is evan gelization for the gath ering of souls to Christ by regeneration
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