Beliefs | Our Statement of Faith
The Holy Scriptures
- The Holy Scriptures were written by holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Ghost.
- The Holy Scriptures are composed of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament of which the Apocrypha is not part of.
- The Holy Scriptures are the infallible, inerrant, plenary, verbal, and inspired words of God and final revelation of the will of God in the original writings. (Hebrew & Greek language)
- Infallible & Inerrant means the Word of God is without error and totally accurate about every subject that it covers.
- Verbal means that each word itself was inspired.
- Plenary means all of the Word of God was inspired not just parts.
- Inspired means that every word was God breathed.
- The Holy Scriptures are preserved for us through the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus.
- The Holy Scriptures are preserved for us in the English language through the Authorized King James Version which is an exact translation of the Masoretic Text and the Textus Receptus. However, because what they translated is an exact, accurate, and faithful translation of the inspired Hebrew and Greek texts, the Authorized King James Version is therefore the infallible, inerrant, plenary, verbal, and inspired words of God and the final revelation of the will of God for the English speaking people. Therefore, it is the supreme and final authority for mankind’s faith and practice.
- The Holy Scriptures shall be interpreted literally according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning.
{Psalm 12:6-8; 19:7-11; 119:89-90, 160; 138:2; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:17-18; John 17:17; I Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 3:16-17; I Peter 1:23-25; II Peter 1:19-21}
The Trinity
- The Trinity is taught in Scripture to be the unity of the Godhead. There is only one true and living God – Jehovah God of the Old Testament and the New Testament. In Jehovah there are three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, co-equal in every divine attribute, co-existent and eternally existent with one another while executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
- The Trinity created the heavens and the earth, including all life in six literal (not allegorical or figurative) 24-hour days, by a direct act in which the entirety of creation was carried out and not by the process of evolution. Man was unique in creation: man was made in the image and likeness of God and man was given a soul.
{Genesis 1-2; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3; I John 5:7; I Peter 1:2}
The Person and Work of God the Father
- God the Father is completely God and is distinct from God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
- God the Father is the first person set forth in the Trinity.
- God the Father has always existed and will always exist from eternity past to eternity future.
- God the Father in salvation provided the sacrifice for our sins – His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
- God the Father adopts every believer into His family at the time of salvation.
- God the Father has many attributes, of which these are some – self-existent, self-sufficient, immutable, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, merciful, good, gracious, love, just, righteous, and holy.
- God the Father “Is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
{Deut. 4:39; 6:4; Matthew 5:48; I Chronicles 29:11-12; Exodus 3:14; Titus 3:3-7; Psalm 103:13; Matthew 7:11; John 4:24}
The Person and Work of God the Son
- God the Son is completely God and is distinct from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
- God the Son is the second person set forth in the Trinity.
- God the Son has always existed and will always exist from eternity past to eternity future.
- God the Son in salvation was the sacrifice for our sins – “the Lamb slain from the foundations of the world”.
- God the Son is 100% God and 100% man. He never ceased to be God for one instant.
- God the Son existed eternally before His incarnation at Bethlehem and did not lay aside His deity but His glory at birth.
- God the Son was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin named Mary and lived a sinless life.
- God the Son accomplished the redemption of man through His finished work on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice.
- God the Son literally and physically rose from the dead for mans justification.
- God the Son ascended visibly, bodily, and in the clouds into Heaven and will return the same way.
- God the Son is now at the right hand of God the Father, where He is High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate.
- God the Son will one day return for all believers, in the clouds, at the Rapture but not visibly or bodily to the world. He will come bodily and be visible to the believers when they are raptured in His presence but the unbelievers will not see Him. This event will take place before the Tribulation period begins.
- God the Son will return, with all believers, at the end of the tribulation period, visibly and bodily, setting His feet back on the earth in order to defeat Satan and his army and set up His Kingdom for 1,000 years.
{Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; 28:6, 18-20; Luke 1:26-38, 2:7-14; 19:10; 24:1-12; John 1:1-3, 14; 3:16; 8:58; 10:30; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 3:24-25; 8:34; I Corinthians 15:12-22; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 2:5-8; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:5-6; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 13:8; I Peter 1:3-5; 2:22-24; I John 2:1-2; 5:20; Revelation 13:8}
The Person and Work of God the Holy Spirit
- God the Holy Spirit is completely God and is distinct from God the Father and God the Son.
- God the Holy Spirit is the third person set forth in the Trinity.
- God the Holy Spirit has always existed and will always exist from eternity past to eternity future.
- God the Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of salvation until the day of redemption when we will receive our new glorified body that will be free from sin. Believers were not permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit before the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two.
- Because the Holy Spirit indwells every believer – He can convict us of our sin & chasten us when we are in sin, He can give us power over sin to live a holy life, and He can illumine our minds to understand & apply the Scriptures to our hearts.
- God the Holy Spirit “Reproves the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”.
- God the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, baptizes us into the Body of Christ, seals us for His own, gives us a gift or gifts for use in the Body of Christ, and gives us a new birth which includes the imparting of His divine nature to us.
- We are commanded to be filled by God the Holy Spirit and sanctified through Him on a day to day basis.
- God the Holy Spirit gave temporary sign gifts for the Jews such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or the filling of the Holy Spirit. The believer’s ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though the Lord frequently chooses to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing.
{Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:17-20; John 3:3-8; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9, 16, 26-27; I Corinthians 1:22; 2:10-12; 13:8; 14:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; Hebrews 2:3-4}
The Fall of Man
The fall of man took place with Adam and Eve. Adam was created in innocence, but by voluntary transgression of the Lord’s command, fell into sin as a consequence. Because of this Adam immediately died spiritually and began to die physically. Adam brought upon himself and all mankind just condemnation. Now all mankind are become sinners alienated from the Lord, not by constraint, but by choice and by virtue of our fallen nature, utterly void of holiness, positively inclined to evil, and actually condemned to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.
{Genesis 1:26-27, 31; 2:7, 17; 3:1-24; 5:1-2; Psalm 51:5; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 1:21-23; 3:10-18, 23; 5:10-21; Revelation 21:8}
The Salvation of Man
- The salvation of man was needed by Adam, every man that has lived after Adam and every man that ever will live with the exception of Jesus Christ. Because of our sin, we have incurred a debt to the Lord that can only be paid through a perfect blood sacrifice, which Jesus, of His own freewill, and because of His love for us, offered to pay our debt through His death, burial, and resurrection. Through His death on the cross, He actually satisfied the penalty of the offended Law by suffering in the sinner’s place. Through His obedience and sacrificial death, He made full and vicarious atonement for sin when He bore our sins in His body on the cross of Calvary. To have this payment applied to our account we must accept this gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ, by having repentance toward God and placing our faith in the shed blood and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This salvation is wholly by God’s grace and that no works, no matter how good, make our salvation anymore secure.
- The salvation of man is a new birth. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour are born from above becoming new creatures in Christ Jesus. The new birth is instantaneous and not a process. It is affected solely by the power of God. In the new birth, the one dead spiritually, in trespasses and in sins, is made a partaker of the Lord’s divine nature, made alive spiritually, receives eternal life, and is eternally secure in Christ. Proper evidence of this new birth is seen through our sanctification in Christ which appears in our walk of newness of life.
{Isaiah 1:18; 53:6; Matthew 5:17; John 1:12; 3:18, 36; 6:39; 10:27-30; 14:27; Acts 16:31; 20:20-21; Romans 3:23-25; 5:1; 6:23; 8: 28-30; 10:13; 11:6; II Corinthians 5:17, 21; Ephesians 1:7; 2:1, 8-9; I Timothy 2:5-6; II Timothy 1:8-9; Titus 3:3-7; Hebrews 2:17; 7:25; 9:12, 22; 10:10-12; I Peter 1:2-5; 2:24; 3:18; II Peter 1:4; I John 1:7; 5:1; Revelation 1:5}
The Righteous
- The righteous and the wicked are essentially different. The righteous are children of God. It is a personal choice of every man – this is what is meant by the term soul liberty. Every man makes his own choice and is responsible for that choice.
- The righteous are those who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior by faith in His finished work on the cross and have thus received eternal life through Jesus Christ.
- The righteous have the power to live for the Lord Jesus because they are sanctified by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
- Sanctification is the believer separating himself to the Lord first and then, by the power given by the Lord, separating himself from the world. It is partaking of the Lord’s holiness. It is a progressive work that is nurtured daily by the Holy Spirit when the believer yields himself to the Lord through his self-examination, obedience, self-denial, prayer, and studying the Word of God.
- The righteous are heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ.
- The righteous will spend all of eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven, which is a literal place, and experience all the joys and blessings that come along with being in the presence of the Lord.
{Exodus 33:14-16; Malachi 3:16-18; Matthew 25:34-41, 46; Luke 9:23; John 3:6, 18, 36; 5:24; 14:1-6; Romans 4:3; 8:1-7; I Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23; I Timothy 4:5; I John 3:8}
The Wicked
- The wicked and the righteous are essentially different. The wicked are children of the Devil. It is a personal choice of every man – this is what is meant by the term soul liberty. Every man makes his own choice and is responsible for that choice.
- The wicked are those who have rejected or not received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior by faith in His finished work on the cross and thus have not received eternal life through Jesus Christ but are still in their natural state of eternal death and separation from Christ.
- The wicked are condemned because of unbelief and corrupted by the god of this world, the Devil.
- The wicked spurn the privileges of the Lord’s grace, choosing the life of sin and rebellion.
- The wicked will spend all of eternity separated from the Lord Jesus Christ in eternal damnation. This is the inescapable portion of suffering of the unjust in a place called Hell, burning with fire and brimstone, which will be cast into the Lake of Fire. They will be in a literal place with real fire but never be consumed.
{Matthew 25:34-41, 46; Luke 16:23-31; John 3:6, 18, 36; 5:24; 8:44; Romans 8:1-7; II Corinthians 4:4; II Thessalonians 1:8-9; I John 3:8; Revelation 221:8}
The Intimate Relations of Man
The intimate relations of man are only Biblical inside the confines of marriage between a man and a woman. If it does not meet this criteria then it is sin and falls in one of these categories of the sinful perversion of God’s gift of sex within the bonds of marriage – fornication, adultery, incest, sodomy (homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, and transsexuality), polygamy, bestiality, pedophilia. Pornography is also sinful and is a leading contributor to the perversion of God’s gift of sex within the bonds of marriage.
{Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5-29; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-32; I Corinthians 5:1; I Corinthians 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4}
The Institute of Marriage
Marriage was instituted by the Lord and He intended for it to be a permanent covenant or union between a man and woman. The Word of God clearly states that this is the natural way and any other way is unnatural and is an abomination in the Lord’s eyes. The permanency of this covenant is until one spouse is deceased. Human marriage depicts for us the spiritual marriage between Christ and His bride (the Church). Therefore because Christ will never divorce (or separate Himself) from the Church, the marriage union should not be broken in divorce. If a person divorces and remarries, the Word of God states that it is adultery. The Lord does seem to give an exception on the grounds that the spouse is being unfaithful and living in fornication and will not repent and come back exclusively to the spouse. There are positions in the Church that divorced or divorced and remarried persons (if legitimate) can hold and be used of the Lord in, but they can never hold the office of a deacon or Pastor.
{Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 1:26-32; 7:1-3; I Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6; Hebrews 13:4}
The Sanctity of Human Life
- Human life begins at the moment of conception and is set apart from all other life because of the great truth that man is created in the image of God.
- Human life is universal to all humanity – It applies to all races, both sexes (male and female), those of different economic status, those on different spiritual levels, the young and aged, and the born and unborn.
{Psalm 51:5; 139:13-15; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Luke 1:41-44}
- Abortion is the unjustified (there is no justified reason for abortion) murder of an unborn human life.
- Abortion is wrong in any circumstance even in mental wellness of mother or child, incest, rape, birth defects, population control, scientific research, or gender selection.
{Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:13-15; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Luke 1:41-44}
- Euthanasia is the unjustified (there is no justified reason for this mercy killing) murder a person who is disabled from an injury, an illness, or disease. This murder is deemed to be for the persons own good and it could imply that the person is no longer useful in society but has become a burden. This kind of action that is taken on someone who could live without life support is usurping the will of God for that individual’s life.
{Psalm 68:20; II Kings 5:7; Job 1:14-21; 2:6; Hebrews 9:27}
The Angels
- Angels are created beings. Created sometime prior to the creation of the earth.
- Angels are not able to reproduce – meaning that when the Lord created them, the same exact number still exist today.
- Angels are holy creatures but are limited in power, knowledge, and activity.
- Angels are not omnipresent, everywhere all the time, like the Lord but they have less spatial limitation than humans.
- Angels have different responsibilities and different ranks.
- Angels minister to the Lord (they praise, worship, and serve the Lord) and minister to believers.
{Psalm 103:20; 148:1-2; Isaiah 6:2-3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:6, 14; Revelation 5:11-12}
The Devil and his Angels
- The Devil is an angel created with all the other angels. He was one of the chief angels and most likely was in charge of worship in Heaven.
- The Devil, although a powerful angel, is not equal to the Lord in any of his attributes. He is not omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent – which means that he does not know everything, he is not everywhere (in fact he is limited to one place at a time), and he does not have all power.
- The Devil through pride, ambition, and self-will attempted to become greater than the Lord and even attempted to take the place of the Lord. He led a rebellion against the Lord and one-third of the angels in Heaven followed him. This brought the judgment of the Lord upon the Devil and the rebellious angels. They were cast out of Heaven to earth and the Lord created a place called Hell for them, which would eventually be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
- The Devil presents himself as an angel of light, deceiving many by his wonderful allure, but the Lord presents him for who he really is. His many titles in the Scriptures describe who he really is – Lucifer, Satan, Serpent, Evil One, Tempter, Beelzebub, Belial, Dragon, Adversary, Lion, & Accuser.
- The Devil operates today as “the god of this world” and “the prince of the power of the air” controlling the world system and fueling the corruptness in the world through temptations.
- The Devil was spiritually defeated at Calvary when the seed of the woman (Christ) bruised the serpent’s (Satan’s) head and the same Christ that defeated Satan on the cross gives us the power to have victory in this corrupt world today.
- The Devil will one day be physically defeated by Christ and cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
{Genesis 3:1-6, 14-15; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Isaiah 14:12-27; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Matthew 25:41; John 8:44; II Corinthians 4:4; 11:13-15; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; II Thessalonians 2:3-12; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:4-10; 19:20; 20:10}
The Local New Testament Church
- The local New Testament Church is a visible, local, organized body of baptized believers, both Jew and Gentile, called out from the world and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the great commission, exhort and provoke one another unto love and good works, and to observe the ordinances of Christ (baptism and the Lord’s Supper).
- The local New Testament Church met together in the New Testament on Sunday (The Lord’s Day), but there are examples and commands to meet together more than just primarily on Sundays. Although not required directly in the Word of God, it would be to the glory of God and for the perfection of the saints to have a midweek service and special times of gatherings (such as ministry meetings) throughout the week for the Church.
- The local New Testament Church was started by and founded on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ (with His disciples) and was empowered at Pentecost. He is not only the foundation, but also the Head of the Church. The consummation of the Church will be at the rapture, when the Church is caught up to be with the Lord.
- The local New Testament Church has two offices:
- Pastor (Elder, Bishop, and Overseer).
- Qualifications: Should be blameless, husband of one wife (meaning that a Pastor cannot be a woman or sodomite), vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, patient, not a brawler, not covetous, and one that ruleth well his own house. (I Timothy 3:1-7)
- Deacon (means servant).
- Qualifications: Should be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience, husbands of one wife (meaning that a deacon cannot be a woman or sodomite), blameless, and ruling their children and own houses well. (I Timothy 3:8-13)
- The local New Testament Church has two ordinances (these are not ministerial ordinances but local Church ordinances)
- Believers baptism –
- It is for believers only (this would exclude infant baptisms since infants cannot believe on the Lord Jesus Christ).
- Baptism is the immersion of a believer completely under the water and then back out of the water to symbolize the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit by an authorized member of the local Church, which is usually the Pastor.
- The meaning of baptism is the believer’s death to sin, the burial of his old nature, and his resurrection unto a new life. It is done in obedience to Christ and does not save a person or complete a persons salvation.
- The Lord’s Supper –
- It is for believers who have been baptized and are walking in fellowship with the Lord.
- The elements of the Lord’s Supper are the “bread” and “wine”.
- The unleavened bread represents Christ’s body which was broke for our sins. Leaven in the Word of God is a picture of sin and the use of bread with leaven in it would not accurately represent the sinless life of Jesus Christ.
- The wine (unfermented juice) represents Christ’s blood which was shed for our sins. This juice is a non-alcoholic beverage. Leaven in the Word of God is a picture of sin and during the fermentation process leaven is produced. A fermented (alcoholic) beverage would not accurately represent the sinless blood of Jesus Christ.
- It is a symbol that helps us to remember the Lord’s death, which was a payment for our sins. These symbolic elements in no way transform into the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ, they are only a symbol.
- It is observed as often as each local Church sees fit and is administered by an authorized member of the local Church, usually the Pastor and deacons. There should be a time of solemn self-examination before partaking of this ordinance.
- The local New Testament Church is autonomous – self-governed by the commands of the Lord and free from outside rule and hierarchy. It only answers to the Lord and is sovereign in all Church matters.
- The local New Testament Church is indigenous – native or natural in its settings – self-supporting (does not depend on outside finances to exist – this should start when the Church reaches maturity).
- The local New Testament Church is self-propagating – reproduces other Churches.
- The local New Testament Church is commanded to be a Spirit-filled witness in their Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and uttermost part of the earth. In doing so believers will reproduce other believers and Churches will reproduce other Churches. The mission of the Church begins at home and ends at the uttermost part of the earth. It is the sole responsibility of each local Church physically and financially.
- A missionary is one sent by God and the local Church to a fulltime ministry of the Word and prayer, who in the pursuit of that ministry crosses cultural and/or geographical boundaries to perpetuate the winning of souls and the planting of local Churches.
- The method that was used of Paul in his mission work is found in Acts 14:21-23:
- Evangelism (v21) – preaching the gospel to the entire city.
- Discipleship (v21) – “taught many”.
- Encourage (v22) – confirming and exhorting the souls of the disciples.
- Leadership (v23) – “ordained them elders”.
- Responsibility (v23) – “commended them to the Lord”.
- The local New Testament Church should be funded by the tithes and offerings of the members of that New Testament Church. The tithe belongs to the Lord and every believer has an obligation to pay the tithe and by God’s grace give an offering that is above and beyond the tithe. It should be the first ten percent of your increase and given with a cheerful and willing spirit. It is up to the Church to be wise stewards of this money and use it for the agreed upon needs of the Church and ministries.
- The local New Testament Church has the responsibility to determine who they associate with on the basis of their obedience to the Lord. The Church should militantly separate from all apostates and compromising believers, who walk in a pattern of Scriptural disobedience, while still loving them and seeking to minister to them so as to bring them to a more Scriptural position. Separation does not mean isolation. Believers must have contact with the lost, even befriending them, without participating in or approving of their sins. This has to be done without compromising personal righteousness, without having the appearance of evil, and be done with a conscience void of offense toward God and man. The goal of this friendship is to witness to them that they might be saved.
- The local New Testament Church has the responsibility and right to discipline unruly Church members. This should be carried out prayerfully and Scripturally so that the disobedient believer might be restored in good standing with the Church and the Lord.
- The local New Testament Church should acknowledge the civil government and its officials by prayer, honor, and obedience (with the exception of something that violates the commands and principles of the Lord). The Church is not in control of the Government and the Government is not in control of the Church. The Church does have a responsibility to be light to and influence the Government for the glory of God, but they should be kept completely separate institutions.
- The local New Testament Church should not or individual believers should not bring civil lawsuits against other Churches or believers to resolve problems. This should be resolved within the Church or between individual believers.
- Believers baptism –
- Pastor (Elder, Bishop, and Overseer).
{Leviticus 27:30; Proverbs 3:9; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 16:18-19; 18:15-18; 23:23; 26:26-30; 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 6:12-16; 24:46-49; John 3:3, 5; 4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 17:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-47; 6:1-6; 8:26-39; 10:47; 13:1-4; 14:19-23; 15:19-27, 41; 18:27; Romans 6:3-5; 10:13-17; 13:1-14; I Corinthians 1:1-3; 6: 1-8, 19; 9:13-14; 11:2, 23-32; 12:12-13; 16:2, 19; II Corinthians 6:14-18; 8:1-6, 16-24; 9:6-8; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:4-7; Colossians 2:12; I Thessalonians 4:14-17; I Timothy 3:1-15; Hebrews 10:25; I Peter 1:23; II John 1-4; Revelation 1:10}
The Things to Come
- The rapture is the event in which Jesus Christ will return for all believers in the clouds, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.
- The rapture could take place at any time, but it will take place before the Tribulation period and the revelation of the Antichrist.
- The rapture will result in the believers, who are already dead, being raised up from the dead first and then the believers who are alive will be caught up with them and all the believers will be transformed with new bodies to meet the Lord in the air.
{Matthew 24:40-42, 44; 25:1-13; Luke 21:36; I Corinthians 3:12-14; 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:14-18; II Thessalonians 2:3-8; Revelation 3:10}
- The Tribulation period will begin sometime shortly after the rapture of the saints.
- The Tribulation period will be the time when the Judgment Seat of Christ will take place.
- The Tribulation period will be the time when the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place.
- The Tribulation period will be the time when the Roman Empire will be revived, the Antichrist will rise, the Antichrist will establish a covenant of peace with Israel, the Temple will be rebuilt, and the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system will be put back in place.
- The Tribulation period will be a seven year period of God’s judgment on an ungodly world.
- The Tribulation period will have 144,000 Jewish evangelists and there will be two witnesses that are indestructible until their appointed time.
- The Tribulation period will be divided into two parts:
- First three and a half years:
- There will be much destruction, death, and people coming to the Lord.
- Second three and a half years (The Great Tribulation):
- It will begin with the Antichrist breaking his covenant with Israel.
- It will be much worse than the first three and a half years.
- The Tribulation period will end when Christ returns with all believers, visibly and bodily, setting His feet back on the earth in order to defeat Satan and his army at the battle of Armageddon. At this time the Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Satan will be bound and placed in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. There will also be a resurrection of the Tribulation saints.
- First three and a half years:
{Job 19:25-26; Isaiah 63:6; Jeremiah 30:7-9; Ezekiel 39:22; Daniel 2:31-43; 7:7-8, 19-25; ; 9:24-27; Zechariah 14:4; II Thessalonians 2:3; Revelation 1:7; 6:8-19; 7:1-17; 11:1-13; 13:1-8; 16:16; 17:3, 12-13; 19:7-9, 11-20:10}
- The Judgment Seat of Christ will take place during the Tribulation period.
- The Judgment Seat of Christ is when the saints, taken up in the rapture, will be rewarded according to the deeds done in the body. Rewards and salvation are not one and the same thing. Salvation is wholly of the Lord and our rewards are wholly dependant on us. The rewards received are for the saints to cast at the Lord’s feet for all eternity.
{John 5:29; I Corinthians 3:11-15; II Corinthians 5:10}
- The Millennium will begin when the battle of Armageddon is finished.
- The Millennium will be a literal 1,000 year period, in which Jesus Christ Himself will rule with a rod of iron. At this time Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit. The saints will also rule with Christ under His perfect leadership. Jerusalem will be the capital and there will be worldwide peace among men and animals.
- The Millennium will end with Satan being loosed and leading the unsaved men against God and be defeated. This is when the great white throne judgment will take place. Satan will be cast in the Lake of Fire once and for all. The earth and universe will be destroyed and there will be a new Heaven and Earth, in which the saved will spend all of eternity in.
{Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 25:31-34; Luke 1:31-33; I Corinthians 15:25-27; II Peter 3:10; Revelation 12:5; 20:1-10; 21:1-22:5}
- The Great White Throne Judgment will only be for the unbelievers. They will be resurrected and they will be judged according to their works, to determine the punishment they will receive for all eternity. All will be cast into the Lake of Fire and tormented, but some will receive greater torment. The Beast, False Prophet, Antichrist, along with Satan and his fallen angels, will also be in the Lake of Fire.
{John 5:29; Revelation 20:10-15}