The Bible tells us this age is not the age of the millennial kingdom. The dispensation of the church will end in apostasy, and for some reason, we just didn't want to believe it. Only when Christ returns and establishes His Davidic reign over the entire world will there be peace and blessings. And even then He must rule with a scepter of iron because of sin that will not be finally eradicated and destroyed until eternity begins.
Here is what the Bible has to say: (1) there will be a final apostasy that will blanket the world. Paul tells us "in later times some will fall away (apostatize) from the Faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1), and "in the last days difficult times will come. For men (the world) will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, … disobedient to parents, … unloving, … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God …" (2 Tim. 3:1-on). "The time will come when [men] will not endure sound doctrine, but they will be wanting to have their ears tickled with lies …" (4:3). "There will be false teachers among you …" (2 Pet. 2:1).
Then (2) the rapture will take place to remove believers from the world that is going to go under the wrath of God. We will at that time be resurrected from the dead, or if we are still alive, be raptured out of here as the wrath falls upon the entire earth. At the end of the seven year period of wrath (3) we return with Christ to reign with Him during His earthly kingdom rule.
Physical and spiritual peace and contentment will only come about during His kingdom reign that extends worldwide from the Holy Land. Not until then will this world be okay. The church, and believers, cannot fix the ills of humanity! We are light and salt but we cannot bring in final and lasting peace! Only the Lord Jesus Christ will solve the world's problems.
With the elections in America, a new day has dawned, in which believers can say, "Yes, we knew this was coming!" America's enemies are happy and we can now brace ourselves for the greatest period of liberalism and socialism this nation has ever seen. So what must we do? All we can do is hold fast to what we have always known correctly from Scripture! This does not mean that we go passive in living for the truth, but we should not be surprised when we see the direction the world is ultimately going.
Paul commended the Thessalonian Christians for their stance in the persecutions and afflictions they were enduring and suffering (2 Thess. 1:4-5). But he promises that God has a righteous judgment coming when the kingdom of God is established on earth (v. 5). Only then will we find rest (relief) when Christ comes, revealed from heaven, with His mighty angels in flaming fire (v. 7). Christ said the same thing to His disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him …" (Matt. 25:31-32).
Why do we seek perfection from this life? Why do we think we are now receiving the kingdom blessings when only Christ, when He comes and reigns, can bring in that glorious day?
Who do we think we are?
The apostle Paul goes on in 2 Thessalonians and reminds us that peace will not arrive until the Lord returns to reign and rule!
He will come "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 …" (vv. 7-10).
If we look just at this hour, we can see a dark day on the horizon, but if we look at what the Lord says about eternity, we are at peace. We should be content in our souls, share the gospel, and look for the final day when God will make all things right! In light of the troubles of the Thessalonian believers, Paul closes his second letter with these words:
The Son and the Father have loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, and may we be comforted and strengthened in our hearts in every good work and word (2:16-17).
--Dr. Mal Couch
