The Christ in Prophecy Journal

FHCO: Q&A Session (Part 4)

Future Hope Conference Online

Your Future in the:
BibleTribulationRaptureMillennial KingdomHeavenQ&A

Nathan Jones

Vic Batista
Senior Pastor & Radio Host
Calvary Chapel Aventura

PDF MP3 Facebook

When is the wrath of God?

Vic Batista: Regarding the wrath to come, I really think that it is so important for us to continue to hit on this so that everybody understands clearly that the wrath of God is not for the Church. We believe that the Rapture of the Church will happen way before the Tribulation. Can we get a little more clarification in that regarding the timing?

Don Perkins: Again, the timing is clear in Scripture. The wrath of God, we say it this way, the wrath of God is a dispensation. Let’s say it that way.

Nathan Jones: Can you explain what a dispensation is just one more time, Don?

Don Perkins: A dispensation is a period of time. It is a time that has been allocated by God for a certain event. For example, we have the Tribulation which will be seven years. We have the Millennial Kingdom which will be 1,000 years. Each is a dispensation, and both will accomplish different aspects of the will of God.

Concerning the wrath of God, we can look at it as a dispensation of time when God is going to allow the Antichrist a season to rule and use it as a space to judge. As a matter of fact, the Scripture says in Daniel that when the Antichrist comes to rule, anybody who is born again in the Tribulation, the Antichrist will literally wear them out. In other words, a Christian who gets saved during the Tribulation he can be sure he’ll most likely die under the Antichrist’s rule. You ask, “Why is God going to allow that?” Well, it is a different dispensation. God is allowing the Man of Sin a space and a season to do what he is going to do. It is a time frame.

So, I would say that the wrath of God is a dispensation when God is going to allow all of this to happen. God is going to use the Antichrist like a puppet in a sense. He is going to allow that influence to come in for a reason, but it is going to accomplish something in the overall program of God.

The wrath of God is anger. The wrath is judgment. The Scripture says it’s a dangerous thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

What I also understand is that God is sovereign. One of my favorite verses in Proverbs says, “A false balance is an abomination to God, but a just weight is His delight.” What that means is that sometimes we spend so much time on the love of God that we never see the sovereignty of God. We think that God is just a God of love. We made the love of God so wishy-washy. I call it “Sloppy Agape.” Really, it is a wishy-washy love. Listen, God is a sovereign God and God says if you don’t honor him there’s a season coming that He predicted in the Word. He is giving you forewarning. There is a time of judgment in His anger that is going to be revealed on the earth. God is saying that you have time right now to submit to Him or you will face His judgment.

Why does God allow pain and suffering and not stop Satan?

Nathan Jones: Vic, I have a question for you because you do a lot of work down in the Dominican Republic and you have been in the thick of it after the Haiti earthquake. You help orphans who are disabled. You have seen pain and suffering. Why do you think God allows pain and suffering? If you want to add to that, why does God allow Satan to run amuck? Why is He going to release Satan after a 1,000 years? Really, why does God allow all of this? Why didn’t He just end all this suffering after Adam and Eve and be done with it all?

Vic Batista: That is a good question. That is the one that everyone asks, “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

As a reminder, we live in a fallen world. We have to go all the way back to Genesis 2 and remember that it is all caused by rebellion and sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, the world fell into a sinful state and from there on it has just been one bad event after another. But, God’s overall plan — His redemptive plan — is at work. His love and His grace are working today. Again, pain and suffering is just because we live in a fallen world.

Concerning Satan, look at Matthew 4. It was clear when Jesus was fasting for 40 days and Satan came to tempt him, he offered Jesus the things of the world. From that passage we can understand that the reality of it is that God allows Satan a leash in a sense.

Nevertheless Satan’s involvement, sin is why bad things happen. When I go to Haiti or the Dominican Republic and we are ministering to these handicapped people, I know they’re suffering all on the part of sin which caused this fallen world.

But, it is awesome to know that a time is coming as Isaiah 65:20 tells us when a child will be able to live beyond a 100 years during the time of the Millennium. All of that suffering is going to be turned around and that curse is going to be partially lifted. That is what we have to look forward to. We can have hope in that.

What will we be doing during the Millennial Kingdom?

Vic Batista: The talk on the Millennium I thought was one of my favorite. I’m so excited just thinking about the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. I’m imagining already what the things will be that we’ll be doing during the Millennium. I really want you, Don, to talk to us a little more about our duties in the Millennium and give us a little better scoop on everything that is going to take place in that 1,000 year period.

Don Perkins: The Bible says that we will literally reign with Jesus and we are going to serve with Him. Our duties will be that of helping Christ govern. I believe that He will disperse us all over the world in key positions. I believe that many of us will be teachers. I am a teacher now and so I will probably be a teacher in the Millennium, because people will still learn during the Millennial Kingdom. So, we will have all different types of duties that will help Christ administer His government over the world.

We are going to be very busy. I really believe that. And yet, it is still going to be a fun time. I believe we will still be learning as well. Even in glorified bodies we will still learn during the Millennium.

We will have many other duties to help Jesus. We will also judge. Now, again, we as the glorified will have the mind of Christ and so we will be able to administer justice the way Christ did because we will have become like Him. That is why He is going to put us in key positions.

Vic Batista: I love that!

Don Perkins: Concerning ruling, we are going to rule exactly like Jesus. So, if people disobey the law, we will judge them correctly because we will have the mind of Christ. It is going to be a wonderful time and I’m so looking forward to it!

Vic Batista: That is so cool! Don, the topic of the Millennium, sadly there is not that much out there about it, so I’m glad for your materials and Dr. Reagan’s material and others’ teachings. If there was one topic that is worth really opening up more with materials, it’s that of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. We know a lot about other Bible subjects and topics, but that is one that is kind of vague. I find for me the more details that we give regarding the Millennium, it just really excites me all the more seeing the bigger scope. We can know that once we are done here there is a whole new plan that God has in store for us, and also an exciting one.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
                           

RELATED ARTICLES

ABOUT AUTHOR View all posts Author Website

Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

1 CommentLeave a Comment

LEAVE A REPLY

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *