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The Kingdom of God Establishes Peace
October 15, 2011

Immediately upon the return of Jesus Christ to establish the Kingdom of God will not come a time of peace, but rather a time of war. It seems like mankind will be averse to divine rule. So shows the Bible. Modern Christians are under the assumption that they will welcome Jesus because Jesus is like one of them. The practices and habits of Jesus as outlined in the Gospels are a significant departure from the practices of Modern Christians. The dilemma that leaves us is that either Jesus will be accepting of the practices of Modern Christians, or that Jesus will require change in the practices of Modern Christians. Differences between Modern Christians and first-century Apostolic Christians include differences on religious observances. Modern Christians have religious observances tied to the traditions of the church and that originate in beliefs and practices that do not originate in the Bible, and the rationale for the observance of these days is that these previously pagan celebrations have been Christianized. The counter-argument from first-century Apostolic Christians is that these observances have paganized the beliefs of Modern Christians. I do believe while it is fair to say that both sides will not cede the argument, and that both might cite the admonition of Paul to not be judged by our religious observances, that the Book of Revelation shows a world that will mostly stand in opposition to Christ upon his return. First let's look at Paul's admonition.

Colossians 2:13-17
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Modern Christians will look at these verses and conclude that there is no need to observe the holy days or the weekly Sabbath. First-century Apostolic Christians will look at these verses and conclude that these verses are to be observed. As a first-century Apostolic Christian, I happen to believe that the laws of clean and unclean food, the calendar, holy days, and Sabbath are to be observed, and that the reasons Paul was writing these verses was to counter arguments from the Jewish community regardingthese. I respect differences in faith and acknowledge Modern Christians may disavow any judgments made against them by mankind in how they observe these. As a first-century Apostolic Christian, I have the same Biblical right. No man has the right to judge me on my beliefs regarding these. In the end we will have to see how Jesus judges. The time when Jesus judges is outlined in the Book of Revelation. This finalbook of the Bible shows a world that will not welcome Jesus. Modern Christians believe that this is because Christians have already been raptured to heaven and the only people remaining on earth are those opposed to Jesus. First-century Apostolic Christians do not accept the rapture as Biblical fact or as a matter of faith. We believe that it is at the return of Jesus that living Christians and the dead in Christ are resurrected.

I Corinthians 15:51-57
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe that this future resurrection and change is celebrated through the Feast of Trumpets, the initial Holy Day of the harvest or fall festivals. We also believe that at this event, the final trump, that what is outline in the Book of Revelation as the seventh angel that sounds, and we believe with a trumpet, as the concluding act of the seventh seal of the Book of Revelation. To include the text of Revelation 11:15 through Revelation 20:4 would be a bit much. These are the verses in Revelation that show what happens at the return of Jesus, that virtually all of mankind will be in opposition Jesus. We believe that the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the change for those who are alive will immediately precede the events of the seventh trumpet of Revelation, and that there will be no rapture as typically believed. Beyond this war, which eliminates all opposition, is a time of peace. A favorite verse of mine to show this peace is from the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 11:1-16
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

This chapter shows the type of peace that will be established through the Kingdom of God. God's people will be gathered from around the world. Former national rivalries will cease. Philistines, who today are known as Palestinians, will live in peace with the children of Israel. Even the animals will be at peace with each other. And children will be safe as God's righteousness prevails.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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