Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," Summer Edition 2003
The Bible Doctrine Of Christ's Return
The Bible doctrine of Christ's return is
not terribly hard to understand. In fact, it is really very simple. Jesus Christ
will come again at the last day to resurrect the dead and judge all men.
Friends, that one statement, as far as doctrine is concerned,
says it all, and we don't need to add any further embellishments to it
whatsoever.
Surprisingly, however, many of we moderns have great
difficulty accepting the above straightforward, simple Bible doctrine of
Christ's return. Somehow we want to add many speculative ideas to the Word of
God that cannot be clearly proven. For example, folks want to add a seven year
great tribulation "time frame" to the end-time Bible prophecy picture, but where
does the New Testament say anything about some future seven years?
Again, many want to add a secret rapture of the church before
the above speculative future seven years, but where can we distinguish in the
New Testament any hint of the rapture being "pre-" anything? Jesus plainly said
that he would resurrect believers at the "last day" (John 6:39-40, 44, 54), and
Paul clearly told us that the rapture of the church will happen at the "last
trump" (I Corinthians 15:53). Now how, pray tell, can this expression of
finality, "last," mean "pre-1,007 years"?
Friends, it does not mean pre-1,007 years at all! There is no
pretribulational premillennial rapture of the church taught in the Word of God.
I'm sorry if that bursts your bubble, but these are God's own literal words,
and--although we may not be able to wring out of them all the same sentimental
and/or sensational appeal that many of our any-moment secret pretribulation
rapture speculationists brethren desire—, they are, nonetheless, divinely
authoritative, and absolutely safe to go by.
So now, dear friends, what part of the word "last," as in
"last day," and "last trump," do you still not understand?
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