THE DOCTRINE OF LAST THINGS:
A. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST -
We believe in the pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture of the Church; that is, that Christ's second coming is imminent. Christ will first resurrect the dead in Christ and then translate the living in Christ. Then begins the great tribulation period lasting 7 years (3 1/2 years of peace and 3 1/2 years of Christ's righteous judgments being poured out on the unbelieving world). Christ will then come with His saints in the Revelation and will set up His glorious Kingdom (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 10:37; Jude 14-15; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-7).
B. THE ETERNAL DESTINY OF MAN -
We believe in the bodily resurrection of man, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 5:13). The souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit and soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:4-6).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in constant misery until the second resurrection when with the soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7;
Revelation 20:11-15).
A. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST -
We believe in the pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture of the Church; that is, that Christ's second coming is imminent. Christ will first resurrect the dead in Christ and then translate the living in Christ. Then begins the great tribulation period lasting 7 years (3 1/2 years of peace and 3 1/2 years of Christ's righteous judgments being poured out on the unbelieving world). Christ will then come with His saints in the Revelation and will set up His glorious Kingdom (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 10:37; Jude 14-15; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-7).
B. THE ETERNAL DESTINY OF MAN -
We believe in the bodily resurrection of man, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 5:13). The souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit and soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:4-6).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in constant misery until the second resurrection when with the soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7;
Revelation 20:11-15).