THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

1. The Biblical Teaching: Matt. 22:29-32; Mk. 12:24-27; Lk. 20:34-38; Jn. 5:25, 28-29; 6:39-40, 44, 54; Acts 23:6, 24:21; 1 Cor. 15; 1 Thess. 4:13-16; Rev. 20:4-6, 13. 2. The Nature of the Resurrection a. Bodily in Nature (Rom. 8:11, 22-23; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:44). i. Immortal and incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:42) ii. Powerful (1 Cor. 15:43) iii. Glorious (1 Cor. 15:43) iv. Spiritual (i.e., Spirit-controlled 1 Cor. 15:44) b. Resurrection of Both the Righteous (Lk. 14:14, 20:35; Jn. 11:25-26; Phil. 3:11) and the Unrighteous (Dan. 12:2; Jn. 5:28-29; Acts 24:14-15). The Bible does not reveal specifically the state or nature of the resurrection bodies of the unrighteous; but it may be assumed that they will be bodies subject to corruption or ruin (Matt. 10:28) 3. How many resurrections are there? It is clear in Rev. 20:4-5 that there will be two resurrections: the resurrection of the dead Christians during the coming of Christ and the resurrection of all the dead after the Millennium.

THE FINAL JUDGMENT

1. The Biblical Teaching: Acts 17:31, Rom. 2:5; Heb. 10:27; 2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 20:11-15. 2. The Nature of the Final Judgment a. Jesus Christ will be the Judge (2 Tim. 4:1; Act 10:42, 17:31; Matt. 25:31-33; Jn. 5:26-27) b. Unbelievers will be judged (Rev. 20:12; Rom. 2:5-7; Matt. 25:31-46). c. Believers will be judged (Rom. 14:10, 12; 2 Cor. 5:10; cf. Rom. 2:6-11; Rev. 20:12,15). It is important to realize that this judgment of believers will be a judgment to evaluate, confirm and bestow various degrees of reward not a judgment to condemn (Rom. 8:1). d. Fallen angels will be judged (2 Pet. 2:4, Jud. 6).

TRIBULATIONAL VIEWS
Pretribulationism - Jesus Christ will come before the great tribulation to remove the Church from the world. This is the first phase of Christs coming called the Rapture. In this view, the Church will be absent during the great tribulation. Rapture (First Phase) Final Coming (Second Phase)

The Great Tribulation

Millennium

Problems: 1. There are no clear Biblical support for the two comings.

2. There are many passages that support the idea that the believers will be present during the great tribulation (e.g., Matt. 24:1-25; Mark 13:9-23; Luke 21:5-28; Rev. 3:10, 6:9, 7:9-17) 3. The pretribulationalism maintains that there will be three resurrections: a. The resurrection of the righteous dead at the rapture. b. The resurrection of the tribulation martyrs at the end of the tribulation. c. The resurrection of the unrighteous at the end of the Millenium. But Revelation 20 speaks of only two resurrections: v. 5 and v. 13. Midtribulationalism the Church will go through the middle of the great tribulation (three-and-a-halfyears) which is the less severe part of the tribulation, and then the Rapture will take place. Rapture (First Phase) Final Coming (Second Phase)

The Great Tribulation

Millennium

Problems: 1. Again, the two phases of Christs coming is not clearly taught in the Scriptures. 2. The Book of Revelation or the apocalyptic passages in the Gospels never mentioned about the removal of the Church at the middle of the tribulation.

Posttribulationism - the Church will be present during the great tribulation, and after this period Christ will come. This view rejects the two phases of Christs return. Second Coming (Rapture)

The Great Tribulation

Millennium

This view is preferable because it fits better with the general tenor of biblical teaching. Some arguments against posttribulationalism 1. The Church will not experience the great tribulation but the elect (Matt. 24:22), i.e., the Jewish people. But the word elect or chosen (eklektos) in the New Testament generally refers to the Church or the believers, Jews and Gentiles (see Rom. 8:33, Col. 3:12, 1 Tim. 5:21, 2 Tim. 2:10, Tit. 1:1) 2. The believers will not experience the wrath of God. The passages used to support this view are 1 Thess. 1:10 and 5:9. But the wrath of God is never directed to the believers but to the unbelievers (John 3:36, Rom. 1:18; see also 2 Thess. 1:8, Rev. 6:16-17; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15). The great tribulation is an expression of Gods wrath to the unbelievers but a way of testing or purifying the believers: Rev. 2:10, 3:10. The believers will experience Gods protection in the day of wrath: Rev. 3:10, J ohn 17:15. The Book of Revelation mentions also the sealing of the believers which also signifies protection (Rev. 7:3, 9:4). But this does not necessarily mean complete or total protection for God will allow some to be killed with a purpose. When God allows sufferings to come upon us he will enable us to sustain them. So during tribulation we might experience Gods protection or enablement.

3. 1 Thess. 4:17 talks about the Church being caught up (Latin, rapto) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air while in Rev. 19:11-14, he will come together with his saints. The idea here is the same as in Matt. 25: 6 where the bridegroom was welcomed by the virgins and accompanied him back to the wedding banquet. So our meeting the Lord in the air is not a case of being caught away, but of welcoming him and then immediately coming with him to earth as part of his triumphant entourage.

THE MILLENNIUM
1. Postmillennialism This view holds that the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world eventually is to be Christianized, and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace, commonly called the millennium. Problems: Exegetical and Conceptual a. Scripture does not depict the world as experiencing a period of complete (or relatively complete) Christianization before the Second Coming. b. The conditions on earth seem to disprove this theory (e.g., the percentage of Christians in the world today is very small compare with the past). c. Jesus' teaching regarding great wickedness and a cooling off of the faith of many before his return seems to conflict with this optimistic view. d. A clear description of an earthy reign of Christ without his physical presence is nowhere found in the Scripture. 2. Amillennialism This view holds that the millennial reign of Christ is the present period of Christ's rule through his Church on earth. Problems: Exegetical not Theological a. There is no contextual clues at 20:1 to suggest that the Millennium is the time between the First coming and the Second coming. b. Verse 4 assumes an eschatological tribulation setting ("worshipped beast", "received mark") c. "Resurrection" in this view must mean two different things: spiritual (20:4c) and physical (20:5). d. Satan set free for eschatological tribulation (20:3, 7ff), which implies that he can do then what he cannot do in earlier periods of history. Not supported elsewhere in New Testament or Revelation. e. Satan was thrown to a place where beast and false prophet already are (20:10), which could imply that they were cast there at earlier time (see 19:20). f. This view for Millennium cannot be found in any Jewish literature.

3. Premillennialism This view holds that the thousand years is an earthly golden age during which Christ will reign physically after his Second Coming. Problems: Conceptual Not Exegetical a. Difficult to harmonize with N.T. eschatology in general. For example, the Gospels don't seem to describe an intermediate period between the Second Coming and the Final Judgment: " For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done" (Matt. 16:27) and "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats . . . And they [the goats] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life " (Matt. 25:31-32, 46). b. Difficult to conceptualize the nature of this period:

i. Co-existence of old order (old earth with unglorified people) and new order (Christ dwelling with his glorified people). ii. Continuing existence of unbelieving nations in spite of this reality iii. A final rebellion of unbelieving nations in spite of Christ dwelling with them in this world for a period of time.

THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH

Christians often talk about living with God in heaven forever. But in fact the biblical teaching is richer than that: it tells us that there will be new heavens and a new earth (Isa. 65:17, 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1)an entirely renewed creationand we will live with God there. There will be a new kind of reunification of heaven and earth, for the holy city, the new Jerusalem (symbolizing Gods presence) will come down out of heaven from God (Rev. 21:2). And when this happens, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them (Rev. 21:3). So there will be a joining of heaven and earth in this new creation, and there we will live with the presence of God. 1. The Physical Creation Will Be Renewed (Rom. 8:19-21; Heb. 1:11-12, 12:26-27; 2 Pet. 3:10). The earth will not be completey destroyed but just be renewed, for it is difficult to think that God would entirely annihilate his original creation that was very good (Gen. 1:31). The description in 2 Pet. 3:10 is just metaphorically describing the purification of the earth (the fire is a common symbol for purification). 2. Our Resurrection Bodies Will Be Part of the Renewed Creation (Rev. 21:3-4, 24-27). With our glorified bodies, we will function to fulfill the purposes for which he originally placed man on the earth. For that reason, it should not strike us as surprising to find that some of the descriptions of life in the new earth includes features that are very much part of the physical or material creation that God has made. a. We shall eat and drink at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9) b. Jesus will once again drink wine with his disciples in the heavenly kingdom (Lk. 22:18) c. The river of the water of life will flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of street of the city. Although some of these are merely symbolic of the future blessings of the Kingdom, they give us an idea that there will be physical activities in the new earth. In fact, the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it (Rev. 21:24). 3. The New Creation Will Be a Place of Great Beauty and Abundance of Joy a. No more death (Rev. 21:4) b. No more crying and pain (21:4) c. A beautiful place (21:2, 11) d. Free from evil (21:27)