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DO YOU KNOW: That the thought of the Judgment Day causes dread in many, usually because they were mistaught that it is a 24-hour day, when, amid great convulsions of nature—literal earthquakes, graves opening, etc.—Christ calls from heavenly bliss and horrible torture the billions of the dead, places them back into the old bodies they had at death, sentences them and then sends them back, some to eternal joy in heaven, but the vast majority to eternal torture by fireproof devils—accordingly, the Judgment Day has been termed Doomsday (see Dictionary)?
● That this view, that originated in the Dark Ages, makes the Judgment Day quite purposeless—a farce? ● That because Adam disobeyed, God sentenced him (and the race in his loins) to death, but that God in His great love caused His Son to be "made flesh," "a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death … that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Gen. 2:17; 3:17-19; Rom. 5:6-19; Matt. 20:28; John 1:14; 3:14-18; Heb. 2:9)? ● That these "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people," center in Jesus, the "ransom for all, to be testified in due time"; they guarantee to "every man" one (no second chance for any of Adam's race) full, fair opportunity for everlasting life (either in this life or after being awakened from the dead—John 5:28-29, ASV), for God "will have all men to be saved [from Adamic condemnation; but all will not be saved eternally], and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (Luke 2:10; 1 Tim. 2:3-6; 4:10)? ● That the term day is often used to mean a period much longer than 24 hours, both in common usage (e.g., Luther's day) and in Scriptural usage (Gen. 2:4; Heb. 3:8, 9; Psa. 95:7-10; 2 Cor. 6:2)? DO YOU KNOW: That the Gospel Age has been the Church's judgment day (2 Thes. 1:4, 5; 1 Pet. 4:17), but that also God "hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness"—"the day of judgment and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men; but … be not ignorant of [forget not, ASV] this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years" (Acts 17:31; 2 Pet. 3:7, 8; Psa. 90:4)? ● That Satan, "the god of this world," has for centuries blinded the minds of the vast majority (2 Cor. 4:4), that darkness has covered the earth, "gross darkness the people," but that in the world's great judgment day he is bound, "that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled" (Isa. 60:2; Rev. 20:2, 3, 7)? ● That "in that day," the 1,000-year reign of Christ, when He will judge mankind, "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea"; then "it shall be said … Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us … we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation" (Isa. 11:9, 10; 25:6-9; 40:5; 52:10: Jer. 31:34; Hab. 2:14)? ● That the word judge as used in the Scriptures does not mean merely to sentence, but includes (1) instruction (Psa. 19:7-11; 25:8, 9; 106:3; 119:108; Isa. 33:5; 56:1; 59:4, 8-15; Ezek. 22:2; Matt. 12:18-20; 23:23; Col. 2:16), (2) testing (Psa. 26:1-3, comp. Psa. 139:23, 24; Jer. 11:20, comp. Jer. 20:12; 2 Thes. 1:4, 5), (3) chastisement for correction (Isa. 26:9; 1 Cor. 11:31, 32—comp. Luke 12:47, 48; Heb. 12:5-11; Rev. 3:19), and (4) passing a sentence (Matt. 7:1, 2; John 7:24; Deut. 1:16; Psa. 17:2)? ● That Jesus "shall judge [by these 4 processes] the quick [the living] and the dead at [during] his appearing and his kingdom"; "he must reign [in His 1,000-year reign], till he hath put all enemies under his feet; the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Cor. 15:24-26; Psa. 72:1-4; Isa. 11:1-6; 32:1; Jer. 23:5, 6; Hos. 13:14; Rev. 20:11-15)? DO YOU KNOW: That Christ's "Bride" and Joint-heir, the true Church, will rule with Him over the earth in the 1,000-year judgment day and assist in judging the world, offering to them "the water of life freely" (1 Cor. 6:2; Obad. 1:21; Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:29, 30; Rom. 8:16-21; 2 Tim. 2:11, 12; Rev. 3:21; 5:9, 10; 20:4, 6; 22:17)? ● That according to God's Oath-bound promise, Abraham's Seed, i.e., Christ and the Church, will bless "all the families of the earth"; and this will be during their 1,000-year reign (Gen. 12:3; 22:16-18; Gal. 3:7-9, 16, 29; Heb. 6:13-20; Acts 3:19-25)? ● That those to be blessed include the dead as well as the living—that the dead will be awakened from their "sleep" in death (Psa. 6:5; 146:4; Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29, ASV; 11:11-14; 1 Thes. 4:14; 2 Pet. 3:4) and will then be given an exact knowledge of the truth and a full opportunity to gain everlasting life? ● That eventually "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 [things of Satan's reign, including the curse of sin and death] are passed away" (Rev. 21:1-4; 22:1-3; Isa. 35:10; 65:17-25)? ● That "when the Son of man shall come in his glory … then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and [under the testings of that great judgment day] he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats"; and that those with good characters, pictured as sheep, will be given everlasting life and "inherit the kingdom" on earth (the meek shall inherit it—Matt. 5:5), whereas those who will not have proved worthy, pictured as goats, will "go away into everlasting punishment [Greek, kolasin, cutting off]," the Second Death, never to live again—“all the wicked will he destroy"; "they shall be as though they had not been" (Matt. 25:31-46; Psa. 145:20; Obad. 1:16; Matt. 10:28; 2 Pet. 2:1, 12; Jude 1:12)? DO YOU KNOW: That the destruction of the wicked is symbolized by their being cast into "the lake of fire," "which is the second death," into "everlasting fire [fire is an apt symbol, not of preservation, but of destruction], prepared for the devil [who is to be destroyed, annihilated—Heb. 2:14; Ezek. 28:19] and his angels" (Rev. 20:14, 15; 21:8)? ● That "the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ," that "the soul that sinneth, it shall die," that eventually "every soul, which will not hear [obey] that prophet [Christ], shall be destroyed from among the people" (Rom. 6:21, 23; John 3:36; 1 John 5:12; Psa. 37:38; Ezek. 18:4, 20; Acts 3:19-23)? ● That the Bible shows that the world's judgment day is not Doomsday, but Salvation Day, when God's Kingdom will rule on earth; so we should rejoice greatly as we see it approaching—"Let the earth be glad … for he [God] cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth"; "all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God," and shall fear (reverence) Him (Psa. 96:1-13; 98:1-9; 67:1-7; Isa. 26:9; Num. 14:21)? |
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