Page 79 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

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THE NECESSITY OF INTERVENING EVENTS

A careful study of related Scripture will demonstrate that
an interval of time between the translation of the church
and the coming of Christ to establish the millennial kingdom
is absolutely necessary because certain events must take place
in the intervening period. In general, the argument depends
on four lines of evidence: (1) intervening events in heaven;
(2) intervening events on earth; (3) the nature of the judgment
of Israel; (4) the nature of the judgment of the Gentiles.
Intervening Events in Heaven
According to 2 Corinthians 5:10, all Christians will ap­
pear before a judgment seat of Christ to be judged according
to their works: “For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for
the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” This
judgment is not a general judgment—it relates to those de­
scribed as “we . . . all,” which the context would seem to limit
to believers in Christ in the present age.1 The character of the
judgment is that of reward. By comparing this Scripture with
a companion passage in 1 Corinthians 3:14-15, it is clear that
the issue is not punishment for sin but reward for good works:

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