The New Covenant - When Jesus Comes Again
"This
is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so
that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of
God, for which indeed you are suffering. For after
all it is only just for God to repay with affliction
those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who
are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels
in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those
who do not know God and to those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the
penalty of eternal destruction, away from the
presence of the Lord and from the glory of His
power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints
on that day, and to be marveled at among all who
have believed-- for our testimony to you was
believed."
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 (NAS)
"For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him
those who have fallen asleep* in Jesus. For this we
say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord,
shall not precede those who have fallen asleep*. For
the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise
first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be
with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with
these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NAS)
* "Fallen asleep" is commonly used
in the New Testament to refer to those who have
died.
"And as they were gazing
intently into the sky while He was departing,
behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them;
and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you
stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been
taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the
same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
Acts 1:10-11 (NAS)
Jesus, speaking to His twelve disciples
(apostles) during the last supper in John 14:2-3
said:
"In
My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it
were not so, I would have told you; for I go to
prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you to
Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
(NAS)
Question:
When Jesus comes again with his angels...who is
He going to take back to heaven with Him?
- Those that are "in Christ" or "in
Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)...those
that "know God" and "obey the gospel"
(2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
- Those that ignore God, or do not "know
God."
- Those that say they "know God" but do
not "obey the gospel."
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