During Sunday Evening Story-Time with the ‘teaching elder’ .... about 1 Thess 4:16-18, he talked about "the idea of a shout being a Conqueror shouting orders, to take up reign of His universe, and announce His presence." He referenced Exodus 32:18, Numbers 23:20, and Joshua 6:5. Then he said, ‘Paul is "using a term" .... a concept of a shout is often times of a conquering hero .... a shout of victory, a shout of joy.’
Question: WHY would PAUL be "using a term" if that term was not "applicable" to us?
Answer: He wouldn’t!
Yet ‘mid-Acts-ers’ claim it had no relation. But if it were not relative, then Paul would not use it! But, the fact is, Paul DID use it, and it DOES apply! That’s WHY he used it! Also, that’s WHY Paul used SO MANY ‘OLD’ testament scriptures .... because he was applying them to the church, the body of Christ, yes, the ‘NEW’ testament saints.
On the subject of Christ returning, with a shout, as the Conquering Hero, to change our bodies (1 Thess 4:16-18, 1 Cor 15:51-52), the ‘teaching elder’ said that He will subdue all things unto Himself. Yes, He will:
Phil 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
But, interestingly, the ‘Cunning Royal Jester’ did not use these other verses about WHEN Christ will subdue all things unto Himself.
Was it because he did not want to mention that it will be at the END?
1 Cor 15:23-28 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end,
when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet.
But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Clearly and simply, according to those verses written by inspiration of God through the apostle PAUL .... when Christ comes, then it will be the END. That is EXACTLY the SAME issue that Jesus’ disciples asked Him about:
Matt 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Yet ‘mid-Acts-ers’ deny that it is the same thing. They teach that it is 2 different ‘comings’ separated by ‘more than 7 years’ of time (several years of what-they-call ‘a prophesied GAP’ and then the 70th week of Daniel).
Nestled in Paul’s record in 1 Cor 15:23-28, at Christ’s coming, ‘then cometh the end’ .... is the issue that .... death (the last enemy) will be destroyed (1 Cor 15:26). That is the SAME point he made in a companion passage later in the SAME chapter about when Christ comes (at the SAME coming):
1 Cor 15:51-54 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:
for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Not only the prophet Paul, but other prophets also testified (see Hos 13:14), that death will be destroyed at the END:
Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Death (and hell) will be cast into the lake of fire at the 2nd death (Rev 20:14):
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
When Christ returns as the Conquering Hero .... He will raise the dead and subdue all things unto Himself. And that’s ‘The End’.
(Next time we will look at a 'new' teaching from the Cunning Royal Jester about "the earth is in the heavens".)
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
