Page 70 - Christology - Student Textbook
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Section 16: Work of Jesus Christ; Part III


               16.1.  Connect.

                      Everyone is interested in their future.  Because we are human, no man can know what will
                      happen tomorrow.  But God knows.  And He has shared with us what is going to happen in
                      the future of the world.  Did you know that almost 1/3 of the Bible is prophetic?  Men of
                      God, inspired by God Himself, wrote what will happen in the future.  We know that Christ is
               coming soon.  We know that He will call His Church to a great marriage supper.  We know He will
               come and become Israel’s Messiah and will rule and reign from Jerusalem for one thousand years.
               We know He will be victorious over sin and Satan and will destroy all His enemies.  We know He will
               judge the world for their wickedness and that a time of great tribulation is just around the corner.
               All these things have been declared by God in the past that will take place in the future.

               Today we want to investigate the various Scriptures to detail for us what Christ will be doing in the
               future.  Let’s get started….

               16.2.  Objectives.

                     1. The student should be able to discuss those passages that discuss on the future work of
                     Jesus Christ.

                     2. The student should be able to apply the truths we have learned to our everyday lives now
               and into the future.

               16.3.  Future Work of Jesus Christ

                     Jesus is Coming Again
                     Christ Jesus made it clear through many passages that He was
                     going to come back to earth again (John 14:3).  The angels
                     promised at His ascension that He would return as He left (Acts
               1:11).  When He returns, He will no longer be the suffering servant.  He is
               coming as the Son of David, the Messianic king who will save Israel and
               believers.  He is coming as a conqueror.  He is coming as the King of Kings
               and the Lord of Lords to establish His earthly kingdom. His return will
               come in two stages. The first is the Rapture and the second is the Second
               Advent.

               Rapture
               The word rapture does not occur in the Bible. The term comes from a Latin word meaning “a
               carrying off, a transport, or a snatching away.” The concept of the “carrying off” or the rapture of the
               church is clearly taught in Scripture.

                                The rapture of the church is the event in which God “snatches away” all believers
                                from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out
                                on the earth during the tribulation period. The rapture is described primarily in 1
                                Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50–54. God will resurrect all believers
                                who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along
                                with all living believers, who will also be given glorified bodies at that time. “For
                                the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the


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