Well sure, Jesus's return will be sudden, and the final Judgment will ensue in short order. Yes, sudden destruction ~ but not in the sense of annihilation or ceasing to exist; not sure if that's what you mean here or not, but not in that sense ~ will most certainly come upon them, exactly as written, for sure.
I covered two points with that based on what Paul said in 1 Thess.5 from the Old Testament prophets. The
"sudden destruction" event will be a surprise upon the deceived and wicked, and involves Christ's coming.
But the
"Peace and safety" Paul mentioned is how the world will be just prior to that destruction with Jesus' coming. Rev.11 also gives us a hint about that time of peace and safety during the great tribulation time when God's
"two witnesses" are killed left in the street, and it says the nations rejoice over their dead bodies, and will
"make merry" (throw parties), and send each other gifts, because of how the
"two witnesses" tormented them. In other words, back to their supposed peace and safety. And I feel sorry for anyone today who cannot see how Satan's host are moving all nations into that future Peace and safety with a "one world government", which will be the Rev.13 beast kingdom reigned over by Satan on earth.
Hmmmm... Okay, so this would be my position here: This time of great tribulation ~ this final conflict ~ will not affect anyone any differently in the respect that it will be terribly hard, terribly difficult, even for the elect. But that time will be cut short, for the sake of the elect, as Christ Himself says in Matthew 24:22 and Mark 13:20. But even during this time, the elect will have ~ as we do now ~ the Holy Spirit with us, and Jesus, just as He said He would be in Matthew 28:20, so we can take comfort in that, and endure to the end.
Yeah, pretty much. Jesus covered this in the Mark 13 Chapter about some of us being delivered up to give a Testimony for Christ by The Holy Spirit. In the Luke 21 version, Jesus said even the gainsayer won't be able to resist what The Holy Spirit will give some of us speak in that "
hour." That event is actually what Peter was pointing to for the end involving the cloven tongue, per the Joel 2 Scripture he quoted. Peter was saying the cloven tongue of Pentecost was an example of that future event. Thus God is going to speak to the whole... world through those of us who will be delivered up to give that Testimony for Jesus Christ.
Hm. Not sure if you're saying some are more elect than other members of God's elect, but... I hope not. <smile>
Not directly, but that actually is true, and Jesus revealed it in His prayer of John 17 about two different groups of His servants, His Apostles which He said He 'sent' that are not of this world, and then those who would believe on Him through their word (preaching) by His Apostles. Then Jesus prayed that both groups would become... one, in Him and in The Father. So the phrase
"very elect" in Matthew 24:24 is not a mistake with the emphasis in the Greek on 'very'. Also with what Jesus showed in Matt.22:14 that many are called, but few are chosen. Also with the many times He said something like, 'those with ears to hear', etc.
It's not about status, it's about God's calling and election. The "very elect" cannot fall away, ever, for Jesus already owns them, as they were given to Him by The Father Who owned them before (John 17, that's written there). But the called only, can... still fall away if they so choose. This is why Christ's Apostles spent so much time in their Epistles to the called only, warning them against falling away.
Hmmm. Well, Davy, I would say that's a misunderstanding of what Paul pointed to in 1 Corinthians 15, which I think is what you're referring to. Unless by "flesh body" you mean sinfulness, but I don't think that's what you mean. We will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye, yes, and we will change to the state that Adam and Eve were in at the time of their creation, before the Fall of Genesis 3. We ~ along with all creation ~ will then finally be made new, which is what God promises in Revelation 21:5.
By flesh body, I mean flesh body. Either at death of our flesh, or on that future '
change' on the
"day of the Lord", we all will be done with these flesh bodies.
I suggest you study hard what Paul taught in the 2 Corinthians 5 Chapter about the difference between our flesh body and our other house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens from God. The old Jewish tradition that the soul is made up of material matter like flesh, trying to base it on Gen.2:7, is not what The New Testament reveals. Jesus in Matt.10:28 said to not fear those who can kill our flesh body, but not our soul. That means our 'soul' is NOT made of material matter, but of Spirit, like our 'spirit' is also not made up of material matter. Ecclesiastes 12:5-7 showed this distinction early on.
As for the state Adam and Eve were in prior to their sin, the potential... for sin was already present with their flesh. Satan's host do not like anyone showing how the flesh represents corruption per this present world time, to include even the time before Adam and Eve sinned. Yet Apostle Paul, especially in the KJV Bible version, showed how the flesh is equal to corruption, and even called it a body of corruption...
1 Cor 15:50
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
KJV
You apparently have yet to understand about that matter, and are like the state Nicodemus was in. Jesus said that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of The Spirit is spirit. In other words, the two are separate manifestations from two different sources. The flesh is made up the material matter of this world. But our spirit is made up of Spirit from the Heavenly realm. Flesh is not Spirit.
Ecclesiastes 12 gives even a bit more of a revelation about this, by mention of a
"silver cord" that if loosed, flesh death happens, and the two parts return back to their respective sources. That reveals that invisible
"silver cord" is what holds our spirit with soul attached inside our flesh shell body. This is actually Bible 101 stuff. That's why Jesus marveled at Nicodemus being a leader of Israel and not already knowing about it.
Others not so much; those who have passed on previous to Jesus's return will be reunited with their physical bodies also, in having been resurrected to judgment, along with those resurrected to eternal life. But they will not be changed in the above sense, and will be on the wrong side of the final Judgment... and will then enter into eternal punishment, into the second death.
The
"second death" is not about a death of the flesh body. It is only about death of one's spirit with soul. The 1st death is about death of our flesh body. This is why Satan and his angels, for which the future
"lake of fire" perishing was created for, are only subject to the
"second death", because they have no flesh bodies.
Sure. After the final Judgment, the marriage supper of the Lamb and the ushering in of God's Kingdom in its fullness... the new heaven and new earth. Sure.
After the final judgment of Rev.20, and... the perishing at the
"second death" of the wicked, death, and Hades, yes. But study the Isaiah 25 section about the supper that will happen after the change at the twinkling of an eye, with death swallowed up in victory.
God is the consuming fire. All of creation will be finally made new, in the manner described above. He will purify it, once and for all.
Just as with Peter's previous two world earth age examples, God is only going to cleanse the surface of this earth again. His creation will not be removed, but renewed. Those who keep trying to claim He is going to completely destroy this earth turning it into some kind of asteroid belt to start from point zero is not what His Word is pointing to.
Ps 78:69
69 And He built His sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which He hath established for ever.
KJV
Hmmm, well, if you are not premillennial, and not futurist, in your eschatological understanding, then that's good. But it seems to me from our past conversations that you are a futurist, and a lot of what you've said here seems to confirm that.
I'm detecting a tone change... <chuckles>
Grace and peace to you, Davy.
I bother to study enough of men's theories to know what they are about, but I do not use them as believable references over what God's written Word says. Thus they are irrelevant to those who are determined to stay... in God's Word, and let the chips fall where they may. I've been accused of holding to many seminary labels from men; and anyone who sticks with God's written Word will be categorized like that too. No matter, those men only play games with earth other, and show forgetfulness as to what is really important, i.e., what God says, and not what man says.