The Confession of Faith (50)

It is evident that this article was written in the days of persecution, for the Church testifies that it will not continue forever; the day of deliverance is coming! The return of Christ is of great comfort for the Church since it is in a continual warfare with the three-headed enemy.

In this article we hear the language of faith as spoken by the martyrs of the sixteenth century. We must keep in mind that this article does not speak of the dream of the Jews, who still expect the restoration of David’s kingdom, nor about the expectation of the chiliasts or millenialists (mille meaning a thousand), who teach that Christ will reign for a thousand years in Jerusalem. It speaks about the coming of Christ on the clouds of heaven to judge the quick and the dead.

Death is the end of this earthly life for every person. Only Enoch and Elijah entered heaven without dying, and Moses was raised from the dead when Satan, as the prince of death, tried to take his body for the unholy purpose of leading Israel into temptation by worshipping it (see Gill’s Exposition on the Entire Bible for Jude 1:9. —Ed.). When a person dies, the body returns to the earth, but the soul is immortal and continues to live consciously after the separation from the body either in hell or in heaven. Thus, man continues to exist in the soul.

This was known among the believers of the Old Testament, whereof, also the Lord Jesus said, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” The consciousness of the soul is taught by Christ in the parable of the rich man in hell, who spoke of his father’s house and of his brothers, requesting that they be warned by Lazarus, who was in heaven. There is no doubt about the continuing existence of the soul, even though many deny it or are in error about it.

Rome teaches that the souls of the wicked and unbelievers go to the place of damnation but that the souls of the believers go to heaven, although not immediately. First they must undergo a painful cleansing process in purgatory. According to their teachings, Christ paid only for original sin while man must pay for his actual sins himself. By masses, prayers, and other means, usually involving money, it is possible to shorten this time of pain; however, according to our fathers, this is nothing more than an accursed doctrine. Rome bases this doctrine of purgatory on Matthew 5:25-26, where it is written that the debtors shall remain in prison until they have paid the uttermost farthing, but God’s Word speaks of only two places for man’s eternal destination and not of three.

The time of Christ’s coming is unknown; it will be as a thief in the night. Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus has foretold of the signs of that time. At times, Christ spoke about the destruction of Jerusalem, but, at the same time, about His coming, which would also be a dark time. The common signs of Christ’s coming are as follows: false Christs, wars, pestilences, persecution of the believers, growing power of sin, and the preaching of God’s Word over all the world. These common signs are found throughout all ages. The special signs of Christ’s coming are these: the revelation of the anti-Christ, the conversion of Jews and heathens, revolution in church and society, and changes in sun, moon, and stars.

We do not know the exact order of succession. This article does not tell us so; it says only that Christ will come in glory and that the resurrection will follow. Many in our day (Jehovah Witnesses and other sects) make a difference between the first and second resurrection. They say God’s people will arise first and reign for a thousand years with Christ. Afterwards, the second resurrection of all people will follow. The origin of this doctrine seems to have been with the Christians from among the Jews. It was sharply condemned by Augustine, and then, for a period of time, not much mention was made of it, but in the days of the Reformation it revived. Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin also condemned this doctrine.

It is fitting that we make a few remarks about it:

(1) This doctrine is against God’s Word (see Matthew 25:31-46).

(2) The defenders of the millenium expect two comings of Christ, whereas God’s Word speaks of but one.

(3) The chiliasts speak of a separation of believers and unbelievers before the thousand years begin while in several parables the Lord Jesus made it clear that this separation will take place at the end of the world (see parables of harvest and of fishes).

(4) The chiliasts expect a thousand years without suffering and oppression for believers and then Christ will come again. The Lord Himself spoke of heavy persecutions and a very difficult time for God’s people, a time when sin and unrighteousness will multiply, and then the Lord will suddenly appear.

(5) The chiliasts base their doctrine on Revelation 20, which tells us that Satan will be bound for a thousand years. We must view this chapter in the light of that which the Lord has said before and that the Book of Revelation is an encouragement for the Church that Christ will come again to take them into eternal glory. The Lord has never promised a thousand years but, rather, an eternal salvation, to be always with the Lord.

What is the meaning of the thousand years in the Book of Revelation? We must remember that the numbers in Revelation are always symbolic, for example, the seven churches of Asia-Minor, even though there were more congregations. The same can be said of the 144,000 of Israel, which is also symbolic. When John wrote of a thousand years, it means a long time and not exactly this number of years. Satan has been bound since the ascension of Christ. The angel at that time promised in the name of the Lord that He would return once again. Before this will happen, Scripture must be fulfilled in every detail; also, all the elect must be called from spiritual death to life. Then Christ will return, corporally and visibly, with great glory and majesty, surrounded by a great multitude of angels.

What a day that will be—terrifying for the ungodly but a deliverance for the Church. Are we prepared for His coming? As the years pass by, our lives also pass by, but the world is also growing older, and its end is approaching. May the Lord prepare us for that appearance before Him, which is only possible when we may take part in the merits of Christ, whose birth we have commemorated at Christmas. May we not delay but seek the Lord while it is yet the time of grace. When we die, the world comes to an end also for us.

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