The resurrection of the Dead

God's people have the certain hope of the resurrection because God raised Christ from the dead. Since Christ has been raised, believers can be sure about the resurrection of the dead, because it has already begun with his rising ( 1 Corinthians 15:12-28). His rising, however, is the fulfillment of the hope of Israel, that is, it was "in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:4; Nicene Creed) and it fulfilled "what God promised to the fathers" (Acts 13:32-33). This hope, moreover, is een not only in explicit references but is recognized in the very nature of God, as Jesus himself showed when he found the resurrection in the statement by which God identified himself to Moses, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abaraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6; Matthew 22:29-32; Luke 20:37-38). The writer of the letter to the Hebrews implies that the heroes of faith in the earliest times of history believed they would live after death, and they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:13-15, 19).

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Signs of Christ's Coming, Part 2

The Lutheran Confessions identify the papacy as the true end-times Antichrist when it invents doctrine that conflicts with the gospel and arrogates to itself divine authority. The papacy is establishing the kingdom of the Anitchrist when it defends the idea that humanly instituted traditions, human acts of worship, merit justification, grace, and the forgiveness of sins.

Indeed, it is a mark of the Antichrist when the papacy sets itself up "in the temple of God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4) - that is, when it rules and holds office in the church - and virtually assumes that is has divine authority, defending and promoting doctrine that conflicts with the gospel.

Such signs in the church, in human activities, and in nature are evidence that the present age will come to a close, and these signs are intended to encourage watchfulness (Matthew 24:4-8; Mark 13:5-8; Luke 21:8-11). But they do not necessarily indicate that the return of Christ is imminent. Such signs have occurred throughout history.

The present age will finally come to a close when the gospel of the kingdom has been proclaimed to all the nations as a testimony (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10). The earth's inhabitants will know that the close of the age has come when they see in the skies and on earth signs pointing to the destruction of this universe. Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:29-30; Mark 13:24-26; Luke 21:25-28). The coming of Christ will also be heralded by a trumpet call that will gather the elect from all parts of the earth (Matthew 24:31). The first purpose of Christ's return will be to resurrect those who are in the grave so that they can appear before his judgment throne.

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Signs of Christ's Coming, Part 1

The signs intended to alert the world to the Second Coming of Christ and the destruction of this present age are evident in nature, in the realm of human activity and life, and in the church. They are designed to touch all people wherever they are and whatever their physical conditions may be. In nature, the signs occur in the form of "great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven" (Luke 21:11; Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8). In the realm of human activities, there will be wars and rumors of wars and at the same time life and business as usual. {eople will be insensitive to the eschatological implications of such events (Matthew 24:6-7; Matthew 37-39; Luke 17:26-30). The moral fabric of human life will deteriorate so that people will become increasingly selfish, proud, abusive, disobedient, slanderous, pleasure-seeking, and the like (2 Timothy 3:1-9).

In the realm of the church, false christs and false prophets will appear; "the love of many will grow cold"; lawlessness will increase; and many will fall away (Matthew 24:5, Matthew 10-12). "Some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons." They will forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Many will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

One of the most evident signs that the world is approaching its end is the appearance of the Antichrist within the church. The "man of lawlessness," as he is also called, who "opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship." He will also display all power and false signs and wonders, with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 7-12).

To be continued...

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Historic premillennialism holds that Christ will return to establish a thousand year kingdom on earth. Christians who have died will be raised, Christians who are still alive will be transformed, and they all will reign with Christ during this thousand years. This view is called "historic" because many of the first Christians held such a view, and it is called "pre-millennialism" because it holds that Christ will return before this millennium.

Postmillennialism holds that Christ will return after the millennium. Unlike historic premillennialists do not believe that the millennium of Revelation 20 should be taken literally. They do, however, regard the millennium as a recognizable and hoped-for "golden age" in which there will be peace, order, and prosperity and where the gospel of Jesus Christ is widely believed and where the Christian influence is pervasive.

Amillennialism, despite the name, also holds that Christ will return after the millennium (for this reason, it might be named less misleadingly as "realized millennialism"). In this regard those who hold this position are identical to postmillennialists (and, infact, "amillennialism" is sometimes called "postmillennialism"). Unlike postmillennialists, however, amillennialists do not expect that a "golden age" will precede and signal the return of Christ. Amillennialists regard the entire New Testament age, extending from Christ's first coming until his second coming, as the millennium.

Dispensational premillennialism holds that Christ will return to establish a thousand year kingdom on earth before the general resurrection, final judgment, and new creation. In this way dispensationalists are premillennialists. Unlike the premillennialists, the eschatology of dispensational premillennialism emerges from and is only a part of a complete theological system. The theological system understands that God has dealt with human creatures in different ways during different periods of human history, These different ways are called "dispensations," and the most common number of dispensations is seven.

Tomorrow we will look at what the Bible has to say about Christ's second coming.

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The Manner of Christ's Second Coming

The New Testament reveals that Christ will return visibly. All nations will see him, believers and unbelievers, including those who were responsible for his death. He will appear in the unveiled glory and majesty of God, sitting at the right hand of the Father and coming on the clouds of heaven, accompanied by the holy angels (Matthew 24:30; Matthew 26:64; Luke 9:26; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7).

When the Son of Man appears in the sky, all the tribes of the earth will mourn (Matthew 24:30). They will call "to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come'" (Revelation 6:16-17). Sinful humanity cannot stand in the presence of the holy God and view his unveiled glory and majesty (Isaiah 6:5). The people of God, however, will raise their heads with joy, knowing that their redemption is drawing near, and Christ will "save those who are eagerly waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:28; Luke 21:28). Christians also have the Lord's promise that when they see Christ face-to-face and behold him in his glory, he will transform their bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:49).

The Lord's return will be a personal, physical coming. He will be the judge of all humanity, clothed in divine majesty, but in his human nature as the God-man (Matthew 16:27; Matthew 25:31; Matthew 26:64; Acts 1:11). His return will be different, therefore, from his coming as the Son of Mary, from his coming through the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and from his coming through Word and Sacraments. At his last coming Christians shall see him face-to-face.

Jesus' return will be unexpected and will find many unprepared (Matthew 24:37-44; Matthew 25:1-13; Mark 13:33-37; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; Revelation 3:3). The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (Matthew 24:43-44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 3:3; Revelation 16:15). Life will be going on very much as usual. As in the days of Noah and Lot, the world will be preoccupied with the routine things of this life, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, planting and building (Matthew 24:37-41; Luke 17:26-30). Humanity in general will be insensitive to and undiscerning of the signs God provides as reminders of his coming and as means to urge repentance and an attitude of watchfulness.

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Millennialism

The term "millennium" refers to the thousand years of Revelation 20. Revelation 20 and 21 portray the entire New Testament era and its consummation with the coming of a new heaven and a new earth. It begins with a picture of an angel capturing Satan and binding him in the "bottomless pit" for a millennium, after which he must be released for a little while (Revelation 20:1-3). During this millennium the martyrs are raised in a first resurrection and reign with Christ (Revelation 20:4-6). When the millennium is over, Satan is released and assembles forces to attack the camp of the saints. But fire comes down from heaven and consumes them, and Satan is thrown "into the lake of fire and sulfur" (Revelation 20:7-10). Then come the resurrection and the final judgment (Revelation 20:11-13). The wicked are thrown into the lake that burns with fire and sulfur (representing eternal death, Revelation 20:14-15) and the righteous inherit eternal life in the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21).

But the term "millennialism" has come through the years to refer not only to various views about this period, but also to different views about the timing and even the nature of the return of Christ. As the label suggests, "Millennialism" and "Millennial views" refer to this millennium. The most common millennial views may be classified under four categories: "historic premillennialism," "postmillennialism," "amillennialism," and "dispensational premillennialism."

We look look at these four categories in the next few days.

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The Time of His Second Coming

According to the gospels, Jesus repeatedly taught that the day of judgment would occur in the near future (Matthew 10:23; Matthew 16:28; Matthew 24:34; Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32).

However, some of these passages may refer to the destruction of Jerusalem, and others may refer to Pentecost or to the Savior's return to take the believer to himself in death. It is evident that not all "comings" are to be identified with the parousia (Christ's second coming), since Christ and the apostles also caution the Christian to remain watchful because the Lord's return may occur at a more distant time, and scoffers may use the delay to deny that he will ever return (Matthew 24"48-50; Matthew 25:5,19; Luke 12:45; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Peter 3:4).

There may even be those who will claim that the day of the Lord has already come (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The Lord, however, clearly indicates that the time of the parousia has not been revealed. It is unknown to all except the Father. Even Jesus in his state of humiliation did not know the time of his coming (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32-37; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; 2 Peter 3:10).

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