I do not believe that the Bible teaches that the living saints at the Rapture of the Church do not die. I Corinthians 15:50, I Corinthians 15:22, Genesis 2:17 and Genesis 3:19 absolutely preclude any such possibility.
I Corinthians 15:51-57 teaches that our mortal and corruptible bodies must be changed to an incorruptible body, as if one changed his dirty clothes to clean ones. II Corinthians 5:1-4 does not teach about a temporary body, but instead teaches that Christ will bring the recreated bodies of all believers, whether in the grave or alive, with Him when He comes to Rapture the Church. All believers will then be changed "in the twinkling of an eye" from our old bodies, whether in the grave or alive, into our new, recreated bodies that Christ will bring with Him from heaven. The dead bodies of millions of believers will litter the world as a witness to the Rapture of the Church.
In addition, according to I Corinthians 15:50, corruptible bodies cannot be resurrected. The only earthly body that was ever resurrected was the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, but then His body was perfect.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Discussion on the Great White Throne Judgment
Revelation 20:11-15 has to be one of the most difficult passages in the Bible to interpret. It raises many questions and no doubt any interpretation will be fraught with errors.
I will not try to interpret this passage but I will raise at least two questions. In verse 12, the dead are raised, which implies that they are raised to life, and yet they are still dead as they stand before God. How can they be both dead and alive? They are judged out of God's books, one of which is the book of life. Apparently, God considers them to be dead because their names are not found in the book of life, and yet they are judged by what is written in God's books according to their works as if they were alive. According to Revelation 22:12 and Ecclesiastes 12:14, they are evidently judged according to their good works as well as their evil works. Since Revelation 22:12 clearly states that Christ possesses a positive gift with which He rewards good works, how can each individual dead person be cast into the lake of fire as a whole person?
I will not try to interpret this passage but I will raise at least two questions. In verse 12, the dead are raised, which implies that they are raised to life, and yet they are still dead as they stand before God. How can they be both dead and alive? They are judged out of God's books, one of which is the book of life. Apparently, God considers them to be dead because their names are not found in the book of life, and yet they are judged by what is written in God's books according to their works as if they were alive. According to Revelation 22:12 and Ecclesiastes 12:14, they are evidently judged according to their good works as well as their evil works. Since Revelation 22:12 clearly states that Christ possesses a positive gift with which He rewards good works, how can each individual dead person be cast into the lake of fire as a whole person?
Discussion on the Bema Judgment Seat
While it is certainly true that the blood of Jesus has washed away all the believers' sins (I John 1:7), and God has "cast all their sins into the depths of the sea," (Micah 7:19), the purpose of God's forgetfulness and forgiveness of sins is to protect His children from eternal damnation and the grasp of Satan. Acts 26:17-18.
Hebrews 12:5-11 definitely teaches that God punishes His children, but only for their correction. God has determined that He will conform every believer to the image of His Son no matter how long this process may take. Romans 8:29; Philippians 1:6. I believe II Peter 2:10-19 teaches that God will condemn all apostates to eternal damnation, but I believe that II Peter 2:20-22 teaches that carnal believers who act like apostates will be punished even worse than unbelievers who go to hell, but only temporarily and for their correction. I do not believe in Purgatory because God will never allow His children to be subject to the power of the Devil.
However, I believe that in the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus taught that the wedding guest without the wedding garment symbolizes the carnal believer whom Christ will punish for his correction even after the Rapture of the Church.
Hebrews 12:5-11 definitely teaches that God punishes His children, but only for their correction. God has determined that He will conform every believer to the image of His Son no matter how long this process may take. Romans 8:29; Philippians 1:6. I believe II Peter 2:10-19 teaches that God will condemn all apostates to eternal damnation, but I believe that II Peter 2:20-22 teaches that carnal believers who act like apostates will be punished even worse than unbelievers who go to hell, but only temporarily and for their correction. I do not believe in Purgatory because God will never allow His children to be subject to the power of the Devil.
However, I believe that in the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus taught that the wedding guest without the wedding garment symbolizes the carnal believer whom Christ will punish for his correction even after the Rapture of the Church.
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