Last Day Doctrines

Question 1: What do the scriptures teach about the "rapture"?

ANSWER: There is nothing in God's word about the “rapture!” It is that part of the false doctrine of "premillennialism" which teaches that Christ is going to come two (sometimes three) more times; that between these comings, the church will go "somewhere" to spend seven rapturous years with Him (the rapture), while those remaining on earth will be going through a period of great tribulation. This doctrine has no basis in God's word and will be rejected by the faithful Christian! 99% of the Premillenial argument for this theory is based on I Thessalonians 4:16-17 and what some Premillenialists perceive to be two resurrections, in concert with their errant doctrine of “two future comings,” which is clearly not of the Scriptures, but simply their invention. Consider this passage a little more closely: Premillenialists claim that the “coming of Christ,” as stated in I Thessalonians 3:13 and I Thessalonians 4:16, refers strictly to His “first” of two comings, at which time He will come “for” His saints (the saved). But this is not what the passages say! These passages say that He will be coming “with” His saints! The Premillenialists take two Greek words (parousia and epiphaneia) and use them to support their theory. They say that Christ will come twice, i.e., prior to the tribulation “for” His saints at His “parousia” and “with” His saints after the tribulation at His “epiphaneia.” They claim that the Thessalonians passages have to do with His “first” coming or “parousia.” But this “first” coming, as they believe it, clearly states, contrary to their belief, that Christ at this time will not be coming “for” His saints, but, rather, He will be coming “with” His saints, which according to their theory is supposed to occur at His “second” of two alleged future comings, or at His “ephiphaneia.” Confusing? To say the least! The truth of the matter is that their theory will not hold water. Christ never even hinted at two future comings or two resurrections! In fact, the very theory of two comings, based on their  “parousia’ and  “epiphaneia” arguments are forever destroyed by Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians (2:8) where he says that when Christ does come that he will destroy the Wicked One with the brightness (epiphaneia) of His coming (parousia). They are both evidenced at one time, not two different times!

Question 2: Should we believe in the "rapture?"

ANSWER: No! Undoubtedly there are always many whose religious focus seems always to be directed toward the end of time. As well, there are many false doctrines about this matter being promoted throughout the religious world today. Primarily they revolve around the unscriptural theory of "Premillenialism." Some false teachings included in this theory are: the rapture; the great tribulation; two (sometimes three) resurrections; and Christ returning to physically reign over the earth for a thousand years. None of this is biblical and certainly cannot be helpful! Many of these false prophets have repeatedly tried to predict the time of Christ's return. All have failed and will continue to do so. Jesus said in Mat­thew 24:36, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." It is folly to speculate about such. However, we do need to be aware of the truth that He will return someday to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:30-31). Therefore, we are told in Matthew 24:44, "be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." To be "ready" means to be living a faithful Christian now, and at the time of His coming! Our focus then in this life ought to be on our faithful service in His church, the Church of Christ! Undue anxiousness about the "end of time" will then leave us and, indeed, we will learn to look forward to that great day with joyous anticipation.

Perhaps it would help to list the events that will occur at His Second Coming:

1. All the dead (good and bad) will be resurrected (John 5:28-29).

2. All (good and bad) will be judged (II Corinthians 5:10).

3. The righteous will go to heaven, the wicked will go to hell (Matthew 25:31-46).

4. The earth will be destroyed by fire (II Peter 3:10).

The faithful Christian will fear none of these things!

Question 3: What do you understand scripturally about the millennial (1000-year) reign of Christ on this earth?

ANSWER: There is no basis in scripture for this false doctrine. Those who teach such try unsuccessfully to find support in the last phrase of Revelation 20:4, "and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." However, this symbolic passage does not remotely refer to a one thousand-year reign of Christ. Nor is there mention made of a reign of any kind on this earth! The "reigning" in this verse refers only to the reign of the disembodied "souls who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and the word of God." In today's language, we might say that John Doe "lived and reigned" with the King of England for "ten years." We would understand the "ten years" as referring to the dura­tion of John Doe's reign. It would not tell us how long the King of England reigned! The same principle holds true in Revelation 20:4. It is also interesting to note that our Lord has already been reigning for almost two thousand years (I Timothy 6:15-16).    

Question 4: Can the Christadelphians be called Christians?

ANSWER: Not scripturally! John Thomas began this organization in 1848. They hold many doctrines contrary to God's Word and cannot, therefore, be referred to as "true" Christians. For example: They deny the biblical doctrine of three persons in the Godhead, teaching that the Holy Spirit is not a person (John 14:26), but an influence; they teach the false doctrine of Premillenialism (the kingdom has already been established- Mark 9:1; Colossians 1:13); that man is totally mortal (I Thessalonians 5:23); that only "believers" become immortal; that there is no eternal hell; that the unbeliever will simply be destroyed at the end of time (Matthew 25:41-46)!

Christadelphians simply constitute another denomination, all of which have their roots in the doctrines and commandments of men (Matthew 15:9, 13, 14)!

Question 5: Must we pass through the great tribulation described by Jesus in Matthew 24:21? I ask this because Jesus said the tribulation must come before He returns in Matthew 24:29-30.

ANSWER: No! This passage is dealing with the symbolic coming of Jesus in the destruction of Jerusalem, which was fulfilled in the year 70AD. Notice carefully in Verse thirty-four of this chapter what Jesus said: "Verily, I say unto you, this generation will not pass away, till all these things be fulfilled." Everything before this verse was fulfilled during the lives of the people who lived during that generation! Jesus then begins a dis­cussion of His Second Coming in Verse thirty-six, continuing through Verse forty-six of Chapter twenty-five.

Sometimes, because of the use of symbols in Verses twenty-nine through thirty-one, there is a tendency by some to assign this language to Christ's Second Coming. How­ever, Isaiah used this same language in Chapter 13:6-11 to describe the symbolic coming of the day of the Lord at the destruction of Babylon. Just as the language of Isaiah does not refer to Christ's Second Coming, similarly, neither does the language of Matthew 24:29-33. Christ's language here deals with the destruction of Jerusalem, just as Isaiah's language dealt with the destruction of Babylon. The Jews of the first century, being famil­iar with Old Testament writings, would have readily understood the symbolism used by Christ in this particular passage. It is recommended that beside reading Isaiah, Chapter thirteen about the prophecies concerning the destruction of Babylon, that Chapters seven­teen, eighteen, and nineteen also be reviewed to consider the language used in those prophecies concerning the destruction of Damascus, Ethiopia, and Egypt, respectively.  

Question 6: What is the "Tribulation Period?"

ANSWER: The so-called “Tribulation Period” is a false doctrine within a larger false doctrine known as Premillennialism. This man-developed theory says that Jesus failed in His first attempt to establish His kingdom. They teach that when Jesus comes the second time He will accomplish what He failed to do the first time; that He will reign over an earthly kingdom for a thousand-year period from a literal throne in the city of Jerusalem. Immediately before this, they claim there will be a seven-year period, divided into two three and one-half year periods; the first called "The Tribulation;" the second called "The Great Tribulation." They also falsely teach that immediately before the seven-year period that Christ will come to "rapture" the faithful, both the living and the dead; take them into the clouds so that they might escape these tribulations. After the seven-years, He is to return again to rule for a thousand years, following which is to be a sup­posed second resurrection, and then the "The Great White Throne Judgment."

This doctrine is totally false! It is based upon the false premise that Christ failed to establish His kingdom when He was here the first time. If it can scripturally be shown that Christ did, in fact, set up His kingdom, then it will have been shown that the entire doctrine of Premillenialism is false!

Throughout the Bible we read about the establishment of the kingdom. In Daniel 2:28-45, he prophesied that the kingdom would be established in the days of the fourth world kingdom from that time, that is, the Roman Empire. In Verse forty-four, he tells us that once the kingdom was set up, it would never be destroyed. It was in the days of the Roman Empire (Luke 3:1) that John the Immerser began preaching, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mark 1:14-15). Later in Matthew 16:13-19, Jesus said, "I will build my church" (Vs.18), which He also called the kingdom of heaven (Vs.19). It is highly significant that the Son of God said, "I will!" He did not say perhaps or maybe! He said, “I WILL build my church." In Mark 9:1, He said, "Verily I say unto you, that there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." When Jesus, after His resurrection, ascended back to the Father, He was given "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall never be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14).

Ten days after Christ ascended, Peter on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) proclaimed that He had been raised up to be enthroned (Vs.30) at the right hand of God (Vs.34), and had been made both Lord and Christ (Vs.36). The prophecies and promises of the coming kingdom were all fulfilled in a mighty way and, on this great day, Peter used the keys to the kingdom promised to him by Jesus (Matthew 16:19) to open wide its door. He pre­sented the terms of entry, and for the first time men and women were ushered in as citi­zens of the kingdom that would never be destroyed. "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). From this time on, references to the kingdom in the Bible prove it to be in existence. (See Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 12:28; Revelation 1:9).

Nowhere in all of God's Word was it promised that Christ would return a second time in order to establish an earthly kingdom. The truth is that the establishment of an earthly kingdom was never the intent of our Lord. In John 18:36, He told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world." The Pharisees too believed in an earthly kingdom and demanded to know of Jesus when it should come. Jesus responded to them, and to any today who so believe, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, lo here! or lo, there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is among you" (Luke 17:20-21). The Jews wanted to make Jesus a king of an earthly kingdom, but He departed from them (John 6:15). It is clear then, that Jesus came to establish a spiritual kingdom. He did not fail! In John 17:4, He said, "I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished (accomplished) the work which thou gavest me to do."

Since it has been shown that Jesus did not fail; that the kingdom of God was fully established some two thousand years ago, Premillenialism and all of its sub-theories are evidently utterly and totally false! Those who continue to proclaim such are false teachers and should be marked and avoided (Romans 16:17-18).

Question 7: In Revelation 21:1-2, what is the significance of the "New Jerusalem" coming down from heaven?

ANSWER: First, the passage does not say that the "New Jerusalem" came down to this Earth! We should not read this into the passage. Remember that John was writing in signs (Revelation 1:1), or symbolic language. This passage simply teaches that the New Jerusalem originated in heaven with God! It does not teach that the "new heavens and new earth" will be physically located on a renovated planet! Those who teach such are in error!

Question 8: Who were the 144,000? Does not the Bible teach that these will be with God in Heaven, while the "great multitude" will inherit, and live on, a renovated Earth?

ANSWER: The first part of the question is answered for us in Revelation 14:4. The 144,000 are those who were spiritually pure, redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb. Similar language is used of those who make up the "great multitude" of Chapter seven, i.e., they are clothed with white robes (spiritually pure), having washed them, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Vs.9-14). These two groups make up the one group that includes all of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, which would also include those who lived under the first Testament (Hebrews 9:15).

As to the second part of the question, the Bible nowhere teaches a renovated Earth. II Peter 3:10-12 tells us clearly that the material of which the heavens are made will "melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." The original Greek word for "burned up" carries with it the idea of being totally burned up. There is no hint of a reworking or a renovation of this Earth! Such an idea was developed solely in the vain imaginations of apostate man! The Scripture plainly teaches that, at the conclusion of all things, both the 144,000 and "the great multitude" will dwell together in precisely the same place. (In fact the 144,000 are a part of the great multitude!) Notice carefully the following: The 144,000 in Revelation 14:3 are said to be "before the throne." Again, in Verse five, we find this same group to be "before the throne." In Revelation 7:9, the "great multitude" is also said to be "before the throne." Both groups are to be found “before the throne!” They are in exactly the same place! Nonetheless, where is the throne to be found? Is it to be found on the Earth? No! In Revelation 7:15, we learn that the throne is in His temple, and in Revelation 11:19, we find that the temple is in Heaven! Revelation 4:2 also states that the throne is in Heaven! The only conclusion that can be drawn is that both groups (the 144,000 and the "great multitude") are in exactly the same place, i.e., both are found, as a single group, “before the throne,” which is in the temple, which is in Heaven! The allegation by the Jehovah's Witnesses that a reno­vated Earth is needed for the "great multitude" is very clearly negated and rendered fool­ish by the Word of God!

Question 9: Specifically, who are the 144,000 of The Revelation? Is the number literal or symbolic?

ANSWER: The apostle John wrote the book in signs (Chptr.1, Vs.1), by inspiration, to the seven churches of Asia, warning them (Christians of that time and place) of the persecutions that would be placed upon them by the Roman Empire. The main thrust of the book, however, is to encourage these Christians by assuring them that they would even­tually overcome these things by remaining faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10); and that they would, thereby, gain the final victory through Jesus Christ.

Some hold that the 144,000 symbolically represents only the Jews who lived under the Old Testament before Christ. That faithful Jews of that time, as well as we, were cleansed by the blood of Christ in His death cannot be denied (Hebrews 9:15). However, since John is writing specifically to Christians, it appears more likely that he, in the subject passages, is referring primarily and symbolically to Christian Jews of the twelve tribes scattered abroad (James 1:1), and the "Hebrews" to whom Paul wrote. This, of course, would not exclude Jews who lived under the Old Testament from this number, but certainly it should not be limited to them! In Chapter seven, (Vs.1-8), John assigns the equal number of 12,000 (showing the impartial nature of God) to each of the twelve tribes. In Verse nine he sees a great multitude, consisting "of all nations, and kindreds, and people." Undoubtedly the "all' in this verse is to include the "Jews" of the 144,000. "All" of these were said to be arrayed in white robes; had come out of great tribulation; and been washed in the blood of the Lamb (Vs. 9-17). In Chapter fourteen, Verse seven, we learn that these (the 144,000) were those who "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth;" that they "were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits (James 1:18) unto God and to the Lamb." It seems clear that the reference is specifically to Christians; those who followed Christ, but at the same time is broad enough to include "all" who have been washed in the blood, including those under Moses' Law!

The context also shows without doubt that the number of 144,000 is symbolic. For example: none would argue that the four angels, four corners, four winds, sea, tree, seal of the living God, and foreheads were literal (Chptr.7, Vs.1-3). Neither would any insist that the 144,000 were all men and literal virgins (Chptr.14, Vs.4). Why would any then insist that the 144,000 be taken literally, unless to support a false doctrine? Surely, all of these matters are to be taken as symbols, including the 144,000! 

Question 10: What is the battle of Armageddon?

ANSWER: Armageddon is mentioned in Revelation 16:16. As most things in The Revelation, the term is symbolic and has no reference to a literal, physical war to occur between the forces of Christ and the forces of Satan. Such an idea is totally false, having its roots in the foolishness of Premillenialism.

Armageddon has reference to Megiddo, a large valley in which many historic battles were fought by the Israelites. Because of these many battles, the word “Armageddon” came to be used very much as we today use the word “Waterloo.” When using the word “waterloo,” we often have reference to some defeat, either in our lives or that of others. In similar fashion, “Armageddon” came to represent various types of “struggles.” In Revelation 16:16, it has direct reference to the spiritual struggle between Christians of that day and the evil with which they were confronted. Though indirectly, it also has reference, similarly, to Christians today!

Question 11: Those who teach about the “Rapture” base their teachings on Zechariah 14:1-4, 8-11. Could you shed some light on these verses?

ANSWER: Zechariah 14 has nothing to do with the Second Coming of Christ, but rather with His First Coming, at which time He actually stood on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30). Verses one through three have reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD by Rome, which symbolically represents “all nations” over whom she reigned (Verse two). The Lord fighting against these nations in Verse three has to do with the victory of the church over her persecutors as reflected in the theme of the Book of Revelation, i.e., the victory of God’s people over evil. The latter part of Verse four should be understood in the light of the symbolism of Isaiah 40:3-5. The valley provided by Christ in the day when he was upon the earth signifies His provision of a safe way of escape for His followers.

Verse eight has to do with living waters (the efficacy of Christ’s blood) that flowed backward to those under the Old Law (Hebrews 9:15) and to those after the cross under the New Law. Verse nine is explained by Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:9-11, and Daniel 7:13-14. Verse ten is to be understood in the light of Isaiah 2:2-5, which foretells the exalting of Jerusalem above the mountains, because in her the church was established and from her the New Law went forth, promoting the peace and safety (Verse eleven) that is enjoyed by those who make up the church (Philippians 4:6-7).

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