The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Army of the Lord, continued

What did the Prophets teach concerning the coming of Christ and the Day of the Lord? The Hebrew Prophets spoke among other things of two main events:

The coming of Christ with the installation by force of the Kingdom of God on the earth, and the accompanying righteousness, peace, and joy for the inhabitants of the earth.

The resurrection of the dead and the Day of Judgment.

Concerning the installation of the Kingdom by force:

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. (Micah 5:8,9)

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4:1-3)

Concerning the resurrection of the dead:

Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. (Isaiah 26:19)

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)

The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead.

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. (Acts 23:8)

It appears that Paul believed the Lord was coming in his lifetime and would deliver the Thessalonians from the persecution and suffering they were experiencing.

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (II Thessalonians 1:7)

As we have said, if we would understand Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians we must view the future as the believers in Thessalonica did. These Gentile Christians had been taught that the Kingdom of God was at hand. If they would be saved in the Day of the Lord they must put their faith in Jesus and be baptized in water. Having done that they were to wait patiently until the Lord Jesus came and established His Kingdom on the earth, in the meantime serving the Lord and obeying the commandments given by the Apostles.

Try to adopt this frame of mind and it will aid your understanding of the Scriptures. It is the true vision of salvation and the Day of the Lord.

To be continued.