Post 14. The Spiritual Aspect of Redeemed Man's Destiny as It Applies to the Present Age and the Day of the Lord (The Creation: Volume I: Chapter 3, Subhead 2)

The Spiritual Aspect of Redeemed Man’s Destiny as It Applies to the Present Age and the Day of the Lord (Post 14. CVIC3S2)

With regard to the spiritual aspect of redeemed man’s destiny, this can be divided into two parts:  (1) that which applies to the present age and the day of the Lord (which is part of the present age); and (2) that which applies to the future age.  Here, we will address that part of redeemed man’s destiny that applies to the present age and the day of the Lord.  The essence of the spiritual aspect of redeemed man’s destiny, at the present time, is found in the passages of the Bible, and especially the passages of the Bible that concern the gospel of Jesus Christ.  There may be exceptions to this.  However, these are not known, for certain, by anyone, except  the Creator and Jesus Christ.  In The Creation, the view taken is that the Bible is the inspired word of the Creator.  The Bible, it is believed, possesses many ways of conveying the truths it contains.  These truths may be expressed literally, figuratively, metaphorically, symbolically, and in other ways.  Because of the various contexts in which the Bible can be expressed, there are no real errors that exist in the Bible, except those wrongly perceived to be errors by those who have not grasped the range of contexts that are possible in the Bible.
 
The term, gospel, is an English translation of the Greek word, euangelion, which means “good news.”  The good news presented in the gospel of Jesus Christ is that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all mankind:  those who lived in the past, those who are presently alive, and those who will live in the future (until salvation and redemption are no longer possible).  However, it is still left up to each and every person to decide whether or not to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that is, his death on the cross, for the forgiveness of his sins by the Creator.  Those, who accept Jesus Christ’s work on the cross, not only receive forgiveness for their sins and reconciliation with the Father, but the promise of eternal life in the age to come, as well.  These, comprise the saved of mankind, and, some would say, will comprise the redeemed of mankind at the time of their resurrection and their receiving of eternal bodies near the end of the present age.  One could say that the Creator, in the person of the Son (the Word), has taken it upon himself-through Jesus Christ, who is an integral part of the Son (the Word)-to bear the condemnation and punishment that each member of mankind deserves because of their sins against the Creator and their fellowman.  Therefore, the good news of the gospel is that instead of receiving condemnation and punishment in the future age, the person, who is saved, receives forgiveness for his sins, reconciliation with the Creator, and the promise of eternal life in the age to come.  As such, he will be one the redeemed of the Lord in that age.
  
Christian eschatology reveals that following the second advent of Jesus Christ on earth in the day of the Lord, all members of mankind-past and present-who received a soul-spirit will be judged by Jesus Christ.  With regard to those who are dead, they, of course, will be resurrected at this time.  Those who accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ during their lifetimes on earth (or some other means of salvation provided by the Creator, prior to the appearance of Jesus Christ on earth in his first advent) will dwell, eternally, with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God of the new heaven and new earth (Rev.21:1) in the future age. This will be the blessed part of the creation in that age.  They will be granted this privilege because they, like Jesus Christ and the Creator, are holy; and are the redeemed of the Lord.  Those who possessed a soul-spirit when they lived on earth and did not accept the gospel of Jesus Christ during their lifetimes on earth (or some other means of salvation provided by the Creator, prior to the appearance of Jesus Christ on earth in his first advent) will not dwell, eternally, with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God in the future age.  They will not be granted this privilege because they, unlike Jesus Christ and the Creator, are not holy; and are not the redeemed of the Lord.  Instead, they will dwell in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).  This will be the accursed part of the creation in the future age.

The judgments of mankind that will take place during the day of the Lord are judgments that have been delegated by the Father to the Son (the Word).  The Son (the Word), in this context, is not identical with Jesus Christ.  Rather, the Son (the Word) is the second person of the Triune Godhead.  However, since the time of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, about A.D. 30, and his subsequent  resurrection,  Jesus Christ has been an integral part of the Son (the Word); so much so, that the two can be considered to be one.  Therefore, one could say that Jesus Christ, at this time, is one, eternally, with the Creator, and the Creator is one, eternally, with Jesus Christ.  This, apparently, is the reason that Jesus Christ is considered worthy and capable by the creator to judge man following his second advent on earth in the day of the Lord.  At that time the eternal destiny of all members of mankind-past and present, living and dead-who received a soul-spirit, will be decided by this judge, whom Christians call the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the spiritual aspect of man’s destiny in the present age and the day of the Lord involves a spiritual transformation made possible by the Holy Spirit.  Each and every person who possesses a soul-spirit nature and has accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ (or some other means of salvation provided by the Creator, prior to the appearance of Jesus Christ on earth in his first advent) undergoes this transformation. Gradually, a person’s unholy nature is made holy through the power of the Holy Spirit.  These are the saved and the redeemed of the Lord.  They will dwell with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God of the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1) in the future age.  However, there exists also the unsaved and the unredeemed.  These, too, will be judged by Jesus Christ.  However, because the Holy Spirit did not dwell with (was not upon), or within, these, they cannot be viewed as having undergone a spiritual transformation.  The Holy Spirit was not present in their lives to change their unholy nature to a holy nature.  Consequently, these will not dwell with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God of the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1) in the future age, for here holiness will abide, forever and ever.  They will dwell in the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 11-15), for here unholiness will abide, forever and ever.
 
The gospel of Jesus Christ concerns not only the first advent of Jesus Christ on earth, but his future second advent, as well.  The second advent of Jesus Christ is associated with a period of time that will bring the present age to an end.  This period of time, in Christian eschatology, is referred to as “the time of the end” or “the day of the Lord.”  The time of the end (Dan. 8:17-19, 12:4-9; Mt. 24:14) or the day of the Lord (Isa. 13:9-13, 65:17-19; 2 Pet. 3:10-13) is a transitional period of time that precedes the point in time referred to in The Creation as the end of the present age and the beginning of the future age.  It is also a period of time during which cosmic events on a cataclysmic scale take place on the earth and elsewhere in the creation.  These events will be signs that the end of the present age is drawing near.  These events also will usher in the future age, or as the latter is referred to in Christian eschatology-the age to come (Mt. 12:31-32).  As a result of the cosmic events that will take place within the creation during the day of the Lord, a changed matter universe of the material realm will come into existence-one that is referred to in the Bible as “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1; 2 Pet. 3:13).  A kingdom will be established in the new heaven and new earth that is referred to in the Bible as the kingdom of God (Ps. 103:19; Mt. 6:33; Lk. 8:10).  Although the kingdom of God already exists in the present age, the Creator’s total expectations concerning it can only be fulfilled in the future age.  Jesus Christ will reign over the kingdom of God in that age, and redeemed man, as well as the spiritually saved living entities of the advanced interstellar civilizations that dwell in the Milky Way Galaxy, will be members of that kingdom, eternally.
          
The length of time associated with the day of the Lord is not known, for certain.  In The Creation, it is believed that this period of time will be centuries, or even millennia.  Many events important to man and his destiny are prophesied in the Bible to take place during this period of time.  However, three of these events are believed to be crucial in preparing man and the earth for the end of the present age and the beginning of the future age.  The first of these three salient events is one referred, to in Christian eschatology as the rapture.  The word, rapture, is the English translation of the Latin, raptio, which means to “catch up.”  Likewise, the word, raptio, is a Latin translation of the Greek word, harpazo, which means “to sieze” or “catch up.”  Other meanings of harpazo are “to pluck,” “to pull,” and “to take” (by force).  The use of the word, harpazo, translated “caught up” in 1 Thes. 4:17 of the Bible, identifies this word with the event referred to in Christian eschatology as the rapture.  In 1 Thes. 4:13-18, the Apostle Paul writes concerning this event: 

13  But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others
which have no hope.
14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep.
16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall
we ever be with the Lord.
18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

In the above passage, Paul reveals that at some point Jesus Christ will come, and the “dead in Christ,” that is, the deceased members of the church of Jesus Christ; “shall rise first.”  This means, it is believed, that they will be resurrected before the living members of the church are taken in the rapture.  Paul continues, “then we which are alive and remain,” that is, the living members of the church, “shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”  This means that after the resurrected members of the church have risen, the living members of the church will be taken in the rapture, and both will meet Jesus Christ in the sky.  In The Creation, the view taken is that the rapture is a secret, second advent of Jesus Christ in the sky above the earth; and is not the second advent of Jesus Christ, when he, in power and glory, will alight on the surface of the earth (Rev. 19:11-21).  The latter will not be a secret, second coming as in the case of the rapture, but will be an event that will be clearly visible to all who will be dwelling on the earth at that time (Rev. 1:7).

The sudden disappearance of the living members of the church of Jesus Christ at this time, it is believed, will mark the beginning of that period of time, referred to above, as the time of the end or the day of the Lord.  This is implied in 1 Thes. 5:1-2, which, in the Bible, appears immediately following the passage above.  In 1 Thes. 5:1-2, we read: 
   
                               1  But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need 
                               that I write you.
                               2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so
                               cometh as a thief in the night.             

Here, Paul is revealing that the event referred to in Christian eschatology as the rapture is closely associated with the day of the Lord.  In The Creation, it is assumed that the rapture marks the beginning of the day of the Lord.  At the time of the rapture, the Holy Spirit, as it pertains to the salvation of man on earth, it is believed, will temporarily depart the earth.  A short period of time will follow when the Holy Spirit will not dwell with (be upon), or within, the members of mankind who were left behind on earth at the time of the rapture.  This appears to be implied in 2 Thes. 2:5-9, which reveals that the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit (in opposing the working of Satan in the latter’s efforts to deceive man) must first be removed from the earth, before the antichrist can be revealed.  In 2 Thes. 2:5-9, we read:

                              5  Remember ye not, that, when I was with you, I told you
                              these things?
                              6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he may be revealed
                              in his time.
                              7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:  only he who
                              now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
                              8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
                              consume with spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
                              brightness of his coming:
                              9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
                              power and signs and lying wonders,

The Bible also indicates that after this short absence, the Holy Spirit, once more, will resume its presence with man on earth.  Then, many will accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, their Lord and their Savior, and receive the Holy Spirit.  These saved people will then be spiritually prepared for their destiny, both during the remainder of the day of the Lord in the present age, and in the future age.   However, these will still need to experience death, resurrection, and the receiving of their eternal bodies before they will be capable of dwelling in the kingdom of God of the new heaven and new earth (Rev.21:1) of the future age.  In Rev. 7:1-17, we catch a glimpse of these saved people who will accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, their Lord, and their Savior during the tribulation period, which, according to Christian eschatology, will take place on earth between the time of the rapture and the second advent of Jesus Christ on earth in power and glory. Rev. 7:1-4 states:

         1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the
   four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth,
   that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor
   any tree.
   2    And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the
   seal of the living God:  and he cried with a loud voice to the four
   angels, to whom it had been given to hurt the earth and the sea,
   3   Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till
   we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
   4   And I heard the number of them which were sealed:  and there
   were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the
   tribes of the children of Israel.

In addition to the Jews and the Israelites referred to in Rev.7:1-8, who will receive the Holy Spirit and be saved at this time, Rev. 7:9-17 reveals that a multitude of people “from all nations” will receive the Holy Spirit and be saved at this time, also.  Rev. 7:9-10, 13-15 states:

9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10  And cried with a loud voice, saying Salvation to our God which
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb….
13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are
these which are arrayed in white robes?  And whence came they?
14  are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
night in his temple:  and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell
among them.

The period of time referred to above as the “great tribulation” is usually considered to be the last three and one-half years of a seven year period of time referred to in Christian eschatology as the tribulation period.  The latter, as we have seen, immediately follows the rapture.  This seven year period of time is derived from a seven year period of time that is signified by the “one week,” mentioned in Dan.9:27.  In this case, the seven days of this “one week” represent the seven years of the tribulation period, referred to above.  This “one week” is part of a prophesy involving seventy of these weeks, in which the time of the end is related, symbolically, by the angel, Gabriel, to Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27). Therefore, the tribulation period, it is believed, will take place on earth between the rapture and the second advent of Jesus Christ on earth, when he appears in power and glory.  During this short period of time, according to Christian eschatology, members of mankind referred to in Rev.7:1-8 and Rev. 7:9-17, above, will accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, their Lord, and their Savior, and be saved.  And after their death and resurrection, they will be counted among those referred to as the redeemed of the Lord in that day.

The second salient event of the day of the Lord, it is believed, is the second advent of Jesus Christ, when he appears in power and glory, and alights on the surface of the earth (Mt. 24:29-31; Rev. 1:7, 19:11-21).  At that time, the “beast”, or the antichrist (Rev. 13:1-10), and the false prophet (Rev. 13:11-18), who, as servants of Satan, will oppose the second advent of Jesus Christ during the tribulation period, will be “cast alive” into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20).  As for the armies that will have been gathered by the beast and the false prophet to oppose the second advent of Jesus Christ on earth, these will be slain with the “sword of him” that “sits upon a horse” (Rev. 19:21).  The second advent of Jesus Christ on earth in power and glory is described in Rev. 19:11-16:

11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns;
and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:  and his name
is called the The Word of God.
14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should
smite the nations:  and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:  and
treadeth  the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The second advent of Jesus Christ on earth is sometimes referred to in Christian eschatology as the Parousia.  The latter is a Greek word, which means “coming” or “arrival.” As noted previously, this event, it is believed, will take place at the conclusion of the tribulation period.  The second advent of Jesus Christ on earth brings the power and tyranny of Satan on earth to an end for one thousand years.  The   beast and the false prophet will be immediately cast into the lake of fire at the time of the second advent of Jesus Christ on earth.  However, Satan, apparently, will be bound in the bottomless pit for one thousand years.  Rev. 20:1-3 states:

      1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key
of  the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2   And he laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3   And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up ,and
set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more,
till the thousand years should be fulfilled:  and after that he must
be loosed a little season

After the resurrections and judgments concerning those members of mankind who will dwell on the earth and, perhaps, elsewhere following the second advent of Jesus Christ on earth, a kingdom will be established on earth that will endure a thousand years.  This kingdom, over which Jesus Christ will reign, will have as its capital, Jerusalem, and will comprise all the nations of earth.  The thousand year period of time that this kingdom will exist on earth in the present age is sometimes referred to in Christian eschatology as the kingdom age or the millennium.  It represents the fulfillment of the promises by the Creator to the people of Israel down through the generations (2 Sam. 7:8-17; Lk. 1:31-33; Rev. 20:4) in which David’s greater son (the son of David), or the messiah, would rule over the nation of Israel and all nations on earth from Jerusalem.  The length of time of the kingdom age/millennium is stated or implied in several passages of the Bible (Rev. 20:1-3, 4-6, 7-10).  Rev. 20:4 states:

       4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of
them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and
for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the
beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark
upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and 
reigned with Christ a thousand years.  

During the kingdom age, man on earth will enjoy unprecedented peace, prosperity, and righteous government.  However, near the end of the thousand years, it appears that man will be tested by the Creator to determine, who truly are the saved and who are not.  Rev. 20:7-10 reveals that at that time Satan will be released from the bottomless pit and allowed to foment a rebellion among those dwelling on earth.  Presumably, this refers to those of mankind, who do not yet possess eternal bodies.  Many of these, being deceived, will choose to follow Satan rather than to serve Jesus Christ and the Creator.  This final rebellion by man against Jesus Christ and the Creator in the present age, and its conclusion, is described in Rev. 20:7-10.  Here, John writes:

7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan
will be loosed out of his prison,
8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in
the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather
them together to battle:  the number of whom is as the
sand of the sea.
9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed
the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:  and fire
came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone , where the beast and the false prophet are, and
shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

It may, at first, appear that with Satan now having been consigned to the lake of fire, this would be a suitable time for the end of the present age and the beginning of the future age to take place.  However, Christian eschatology indicates that the resurrections and judgments that pertain to the unrighteous dead will occur next.  The resurrections and judgments that pertain to the righteous dead took place one thousand years earlier, and these people dwelt with Jesus Christ on earth, or elsewhere, during the kingdom age/ millennium.  The resurrection of the righteous dead is referred to in the Bible as the first resurrection (Rev. 20:5), or the resurrection of life (Jn. 5:29).  However, following the one thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on earth, the resurrections and judgments of the unrighteous dead will take place.  The resurrection of the unrighteous dead is referred to in Christian eschatology as the second resurrection, or the resurrection of damnation (Jn. 5:29). 

This resurrection and judgment is also called the “great white throne” judgment (Rev. 20:11).  Before discussing  this final resurrection and judgment of the present age, perhaps, the question of the unrighteous dead of mankind, who will die in the tribulation period and in the final rebellion by man near the end of the kingdom age,  should be addressed, if only briefly.  In The Creation, it is assumed that the resurrection and judgment of these will take place at the great white throne judgment.  As for the unrighteous living  of mankind, who will be alive on earth at the conclusion of the tribulation period and the second advent of Jesus Christ, the lives of these, it is believed, will come to an end at this time:  either, at the time of the second advent of Jesus Christ or during the judgments that will follow.  Presumably, these will be resurrected and judged at the great white throne judgment, like the unrighteous dead, mentioned above.  The great white throne judgment is described in Rev. 20:11-15:

11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and
there was found no place for them.
12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
the books were opened:  and another book was opened, which
is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their
works.
13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death
and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:  and they
were judged every man according to their works.
14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is
the second death.
15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.

Although it is generally assumed by many Christians that the great white throne judgment will take place on earth, that may not be the case.  The earth, the matter universe, and the entire creation will be in the midst of the transition that will accompany the end of the present age and the beginning of the future age.  Therefore, it is possible that the earth and other celestial bodies, similar to the earth, will be too unstable to support life at this time.  If so, this may mean that life in the matter universe may only be capable of being sustained aboard large spaceships employing mystical technology.  The Apostle Peter in 2 Pet. 3:10-13 may have described the unstable state of the matter universe at this time.  In 2 Pet. 3:10-13, he writes:

10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night;
in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also
and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what
manner of persons ought ye be in all holy conversation and
Godliness,
12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,
wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new
heavens  and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

If it is correct that the matter universe of the material realm will be too unstable to support life in the latter part of the day of the Lord.  This would obviously explain the Creator’s desire for man’s planetary civilization, based on material technology, to be transformed into an advanced interstellar civilization, based on mystical technology, prior to the end of the present age.  Man may have need of one or more large spaceships having interstellar capabilities.  These spaceships may also need to be capable of enveloping themselves in mystical particles at this time.  This may serve as an energy force-field that will protect those aboard from the cosmic events associated with the end of the present age and the beginning of the future age. 

 

  

 Figure 9.  A latitudinal cross section of the

creation as it is believed to exist at the present

time with accompanying key.  Click on the

picture and accompanying key to enlarge

each.

 

The third salient event of the day of the Lord, it is believed, involves the cosmic events that will accompany the passage of the trailing edge of the matter universe from the inner region of the creation, where presently the material, mystical and spiritual realms of the creation exist superimposed, to the outer region of the creation, where presently the new spiritual realm of the creation exists (Figure 9).  Click on the picture and the accompanying key to enlarge each.  The passage of the trailing edge of the expanding matter universe into the region of the creation where the new spiritual realm presently exists, it is believed, will mark the completion of that period of time referred to in Christian eschatology as the time of the end, or the day of the Lord. The end of the day of the Lord, as noted previously, will also mark the end of the present age. 

 

As we shall see in Chapter 4, an infinite feature of the creation is believed to exist between the inner and outer regions of the creation that completely separates the two. This infinite feature is referred to in The Creation as the Holy Spirit Zone (Figure 9).  The Creator, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is believed to reside here.  It is possible that the Holy Spirit may manipulate the speed of the transfer of the matter universe as the latter passes through this infinite feature.  If this is the case, then the time required for the transfer of the entire matter universe from the inner region to the outer region of the creation may be reduced considerably.  Instead of billions of years, as would be expected if this transfer was accomplished by means of the normal expansion of the matter universe, this expansion may be accelerated by the Holy Spirit residing in the Holy Spirit Zone, so that this may only require hundreds of years.  The end of the present age will mark the beginning of the future age.  Redeemed man, as well as the spiritually saved living entities of the advanced interstellar civilizations, at this time, will be initiated into the future age.  However, at that time, this age will no longer be “future.”  Therefore, a new name will be needed for this age. Perhaps, the future age, then, will be renamed the eternal age


Commentary  

It is sometimes said, "The Bible can be interpreted in many ways."  And Christian eschatology, because it frequently concerns prophecy, symbolism, and difficult-to- understand ambiguous passages, is more likely than other kinds of Scripture, to be interpreted in a variety of ways.  However, it is important when studying Christian eschatology, and its many possible meanings, to see the overall picture.  In order to do this, one must have some idea how the different pieces of the Christian eschatological jigsaw puzzle fit together.  Eventually, the perfect Creator will reveal that all the pieces fit together perfectly.  But until that time, we must remember that man is imperfect, and his view of this complex subject sometimes will be in error.  Therefore, when expressing an opinion concerning Biblical prophesy, let us be careful not to allow one's view to cause unnecessary divisions among brethren, who largely are in agreement concerning the doctrines of the faith.  







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