Priority7:
According to those who hold the Rapture view, there seem to be not one, not two, but THREE last days!
Not true. (Edited for lack of charity and factuallity) And, BTW, I listened to John Martignoniâs lecture in which he basically presents Romeâs Amillennial eschatological view, which I found almost entirely deficient of any of the arguments and issues offered by those who adhere the Rapture doctrine. Basically, he told you what you wanted to hear, but one learned nothing of the opposing view.
In John M.'s lecture he refers to Martha saying to Jesus that she knew her brother would rise again in the resurrection on the â
last day.â Claiming that based on this one phrase, â
the last day,â the doctrine of the Rapture cannot stand.
But one must take note that even Marthaâs statement was said in ignorance, that is, when she said it she lacked the knowledge that (
1) within that very hour Jesus was about to raise her brother from the dead; and (
2) she was completely clueless as to Christâs own death and bodily resurrection unto glory (â
the first fruits of those who are asleepâ) that was soon to occur; and (
3) this present, unique Church age that would follow the bodily resurrection of Christ and His ascension back into glory; the building of His Church through the work of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 16:18) which had not yet been disclosed and explained by the Apostle Paul (Eph. 2:15-22; 3:3-10).
Marthaâs statement wasnât false but it lacked other facts in order to be totally accurate for the times even she was living in. She was a Jewess and her statement was based primarily on Dan. 12:1-2 and 13:"Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands {guard} over the sons of your people, will arise.
And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace {and} everlasting contempt (vss. 1-2)âŚâBut as for you, go {your way} to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise {again} for your allotted portion at the end of the ageâ (lit. â
end of the daysâ) (vs. 13).This prophecy, of course, was given to Daniel and pertained specifically to Danielâs people, Israel. It is one of the few verses in the O.T. that even mentions a resurrection from the dead, and it is restricted to âDanielâs peopleâ at a unique time period in their history: â
such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.â
Now Jesus also spoke of â
that timeâ of Israelâs distress in Matt. 24:21, and places it yet future to His day. Not at the âend of the worldâ (cosmos), as John M. claims, but at the end of the âageâ (
aion, see Matt. 24:3). And this too, all within the context of Danielâs people, Israel. Reading Matt. 24 one sees it is conspicuously Jewish in flavor (see 24:15-16, 20) and, in context, Jesus is answering the discipleâs (who are Jewish) questions which they had concerning the events surrounding His return to this earth and the â
end of the ageâ for national Israel. They as yet knew nothing about the Church Christ would build after the nationâs rejection of Him and His subsequent ascension back to glory.
So Martha was right that, according to the prophet Daniel, there would be a resurrection of believing Jews at the end of the age (or,
of days), i.e., the âlast dayâ prior to the next (age). But we see through the study of the prophetic Scriptures that this next â
ageâ is not the end of the world (cosmos) but the earthly reign of Christ on the throne of His father David in Jerusalem over Israel and the Gentile nations for a thousand years (see Lk. 1:32-33; Rev. 19 and 20:1-6; Zech. 14:4, 9, 16).
Those passages, however, say nothing about, nor pertain to, the Church which was not revealed in the O.T. but in the N. T. Scriptures as a separate, divine program and distinct people from that of national Israel. A people being called out today from both
individual Jews and Gentiles, through personal faith in Christ, with a completely different indentity, purpose and time table for the
resurrection of those who â
died in Christâ and the
bodily translation of those who remain alive at that time of His coming for them - â
in the air.â A distinct body of believers called the â
Bride of Christâ who return WITH HIM at His second Advent to reign with Him, in glory, on this present earth (Jo. 14:3; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14-18; cf. 1 Cor. 15:51).
Continued to next post:
) with the fact that our personal sanctification and serving the Lord and neighbor must take precedence over all pursuit of truth, whether of the apoc, or any other thing. Agreed! I agree, we should have a balance between growing in knowledge, and putting knowledge into action, for, as we all know on this forum, âFaith without works is dead!â 
It is very discouraging. It would have to start with each individual reaching out to someone else. Like you reaching out to me.
But the other person has to accept it. I think you have come to that realization and I for one appreciate it.
:bounce:
