QUESTIONS/ANSWERS ON THE SECOND COMING

QUESTION #273 -- I am not just clear as to when and where the Marriage Supper of the Lamb occur. Please explain.

ANSWER #273 -- I think, after all these years, there has not appeared a better treatise on the Book of Revelation than that written by Dr. J. A. Seiss and printed in three volumes under the title, "Lectures on the Apocalypse." I commend this work to anyone who desires to make a fuller study of this wonderful book with which our wonderful Bible concludes. In substance there are two phases to the Second Coming of Christ: the first is intimated in I Thessalonians 4:15-18, the other is intimated, though not developed, in Revelation 1:7. Concerning the first phase, the occurrences are as follows: (1) The return of Christ for His Church-a secret coming, so far as the world at large is concerned. But upon His approach to the world, the holy dead will be resurrected and the holy living translated (the equivalent of resurrection, but not involving death) and together they will ascend to some place in the regions above the earth where the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be held. While this feast is on in the chosen place in the heavens, the Great Tribulation will be on upon the earth. (2) At the end of the Marriage Supper and the Great Tribulation period (a period many estimate to be from three and one-half to seven years), Jesus will return to the earth (coming this time clear back to the earth and His feet touching again upon the Mount of Olives-at His first appearance to and for His Church His feet will not touch the earth) and will establish His glorious millennial reign which shall continue for a thousand years. Then the end-time occurrence centering about the Great White Throne Judgment will take place.

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QUESTION #274 -- What event is to take place first, the Rapture of the saints or the battle of Armageddon? Where in the Scriptures is the answer to be found?

ANSWER #274 -- The Rapture of the saints comes first, at the time of Christ's coming for His Church. This is the next event due in the order of the future. There is of course no place in the Scriptures where a regular ordered schedule of events is given, but I believe you will find something pretty close to that in I Thessalonians 4:13-5:11.

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QUESTION #275 -- In Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; and Luke 9:27 it is said there were some there present who should not taste of death until they should see the kingdom of God. Does this refer to the Second Coming of Christ? What is meant here by the kingdom of God? What is the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven?

ANSWER #275 -- I know some have thought the verses in question referred to the Second Coming of Christ, and they have thought to explain by suggesting that John was translated and did not die. But you will notice that in each case the Scriptures go right on to describe the Transfiguration. And I think this is the explanation. There were three persons present who within a few days time saw Jesus in His glory on the holy mount. And the transfiguration was a miniature of the Second Coming. And in these passages the term kingdom of heaven means the kingdom of the glorified. There is no essential distinction between the terms kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven and they are used interchangeably. In the first form emphasis is laid on the King, in the second on the kingdom. As to the exact meaning in any case, one must depend pretty much on the context; for sometimes the reference is to the spiritual kingdom, sometimes to the church in visible form, sometimes to the kingdom of the glorified, etc. But as a rule there is no great difficulty in the matter; for the context makes it plain.