Certainly, the significance of Judgment Day is different to God's chosen
people, compared to the ungodly.
36E.1
What is the
significance of Judgment Day to the chosen people of God?
In Like 21:27-28, Christ's declaration is written:
"Then they will see the Son of
Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. "Now when these
things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption draws near.'' (Luke 21:27, NKJV)
To God's chosen people, the coming of
Judgment Day signifies:
- their redemption or
deliverance is near,
- It also mean that their salvation is near.
36E.2 What
should be the mind-set of the chosen people of God, regarding the fast
approaching Day of Judgment?
The Day of Judgment is also the Day of God's wrath or anger.
"But God shows His
love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the
wrath of God." (Rom. 5:8-9, RSV)
They need not
fear because they are assured by Christ that they will be saved from
God's wrath.
Instead, they should rejoice
over the coming the Day of Wrath, not that ungodly men will perish and the wicked world will be
destroyed, but their
salvation is near and God's gift of eternal life is about to be given.
36E.3
On Judgment Day as all ungodly men will perish, what will happen to the
chosen people of God? How will they be saved by Christ from God's
wrath?
Apostle Paul gives us the answer:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
(I Thessalonians 4:16-17, NKJV)
Two things will happen:
-
The dead in Christ will
be resurrected first. The dead in Christ are the members of
Christ's Church who died before His second coming. They will
be rise first.
-
On the other hand, the
members of Christ's Church who are alive and remain on the the Lord's return will no
longer experience death.
They shall be caught up together in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And they shall always be with the Lord.
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God's chosen people see Judgment
Day as a day of deliverance from the wrath of God and the day when the crown
of life—eternal life, will be given to them. On that faithful day They see
themselves either being the first to be resurrected and meet the Lord in the
air. And thus they shall always be with the Lord forever.
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