Who Populates The Millennial Kingdom?
Response to comment [from a
Christian]: "Among those that are
pre-millennial there rages a debate
about the timing of the Rapture.
As a Pre-Trib believer, the one
question I think best to ask is, if
the Rapture takes place after the
Tribulation...who populates the
Millennial Kingdom?
Unless we say that unbelievers enter
into that kingdom (which is unlikely
because unbelievers are not
regenerated (born again), then the
Rapture must take place at some
point where the physical, born again
believers who are "left" after
Christ judges the nations enter
therein."
Men will be
saved during the tribulation.
See:
Saints of the Great Tribulation
Reign with Christ One Thousand Years
"Agreed. Was there something in this that made you think I denied that?"
No, just clarifying.
"Okay, you had me worried, lol.
Since things have slowed down, I
will mention a view that could be
debated: often it is taught in
fellowships that embrace a Pre-Trib
Rapture that if one misses the
Rapture they will not have the
opportunity to be saved.
I myself do not take that view,
because I see understanding as
bestowed by the Holy Spirit, so the
fact that someone has heard the
Gospel or of the Gospel does not
necessarily mean that the Lord
imparted understanding where they
would be held accountable as
rejecters.
What do you think?"
I think that the Holy Spirit is going to keep working to reach people (2 Pe 3:9). Men would do well to get saved sooner rather than later. It's going to get difficult around here when salt and light have been taken out of the world.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [2 Pet. 3:9].
"God is long–suffering; He is patient; He is not rushing things. After all, He has eternity behind Him and eternity ahead of Him. He doesn’t need to worry about time! To Him a thousand years is as one day and one day is as a thousand years. But the point is that the final judgment, the dissolution of the earth and the heavens, is coming. In the meantime, He is giving men everywhere a further opportunity to repent and turn to Himself. This is the reason you and I need to get the Word of God out. It is the only thing that can change hearts and lives. It is by the Word of God that folk are born again—as Peter said in his first epistle, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Pet. 1:23).
"Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." It is not God’s will that you should perish. One of the reasons that you have been reading this book is simply because God does not want you to come into judgment; He wants you to pass from death unto life. And you can do that—you can turn to Him and receive the wonderful salvation that He has for you.
Do you know that you cannot keep God from loving you? You can reject His love, but you cannot keep Him from loving you. Neither can you keep it from raining, but you can raise an umbrella to keep the rain from falling on you. Also, you can raise the umbrella of indifference or the umbrella of sin or the umbrella of rebellion so that you won’t experience God’s love, but you cannot keep Him from loving you.
A story comes out of Greek mythology which illustrates my point: A young man had a very wonderful mother, but he fell in love with a very ungodly girl. The ungodly girl hated the boy’s mother and could not bear to be in her presence. It was not because the mother rebuked her, but her very character and her very presence were a rebuke to this girl. Nevertheless, this boy was desperately in love with her, for she was beautiful. And finally he pleaded with her to marry him, and she said, "Only on one condition: you must cut out your mother’s heart and bring it to me." Well, this boy was so madly in love and so desperate that he descended to the low plane of committing this diabolical deed. He killed his mother, cut out her heart and was taking it to the girl when, on the way, he stumbled and fell. The heart spoke out, "My son, did you hurt yourself?"
My friend, you can slap God in the face; you can turn your back on Him; you can blaspheme Him, but you cannot keep Him from wanting to save you. You cannot keep Him from loving you, for He provided a Savior, His own Son, to die in your place. The Lord Jesus will save you if you will receive the salvation He offers. My friend, things are not going to continue as they are now. Oh, I know the monotony of life today, the ennui of it all. Well, it is coming to an end, and judgment will come. You and I are living in a world which is moving toward judgment." McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (2 Peter) (electronic ed., Vol. 55, pp. 83–84). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
See:
Wisdom's Final Call by Adrian Rogers
