Jesus died nearly 2,000 years ago. The question naturally
arises, Why the long delay before setting up his Kingdom for the
blessing of all mankind? One thing is clear throughout the Bible:
God has not been attempting to convert the world since Jesus’
death and resurrection.
The Scriptures speak of God dealing with only a few for a
specific purpose. Christ’s followers are spoken of as a little
flock. "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s
good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). God is
only calling a few; a representative of every type of the human
race is being called into the church of Christ.
The Greek word for church is ecclesia which literally means
"called out ones." These called out ones, the little
flock, will share with Christ when he establishes his Kingdom for
the blessing of all mankind. Thus Paul says, "Know you not
that the saints shall judge the world?" (I Corinthians 6:2).
The Revelator discloses that the followers of Jesus will
live and reign with him during his Kingdom, during the time that
the benefits of Jesus’ death are bestowed upon the world of
mankind (Rev. 20:4).
Jesus’ words in Mark 4:12 show that God is not presently
interested in converting even the majority of mankind. "Unto
you it is given to know the mystery [secret] of the Kingdom of
God, but unto them that are without all these things are done in
parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing
they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be
converted, and their sins should be forgiven them." This
scripture might seem strange to some, but it gives us an insight
into what God has been doing between the death of Jesus and the
return of Jesus to set up his Kingdom upon the earth.
Have you ever wondered why the Bible is difficult to
understand? By divine intent it has been written in parables, dark
sayings and symbols so that it would not be easily understood.
Why? So that the majority would not bother and consequently would
not be converted. During the Christian Age, the Lord is only
converting a few, a "little flock," "who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory, honor and
immortality"—Rom. 2:7. These are elsewhere symbolically
referred to as the bride of Christ.
After Christ returns, these believers will be united with
him and then the conversion of the world will begin. Revelation
22:17 prophesied of that time: "And the Spirit [the returned
Christ] and the bride [the true church] say, Come. And let him
that hears say, Come. And let him that thirsts come. And whosoever
will, let him take the water of life freely."
This sequence of the call of the church, the establishment
of the kingdom, then the blessing of the remainder of mankind is
also corroborated by Acts 15:14-17. "God for the first time
did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name
[the true church]. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as
it is written, after this I will return and will build the
tabernacle of David which is fallen down; and I will build again
the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue
[remainder] of men might seek after the Lord.…"
Note these points: A small group, "a people for His
name" is first selected out of the Gentiles. Then the
tabernacle of David, which was an Old Testament type or
illustration of the Kingdom of Christ, is set up again. Why is the
church first called? Why is the Kingdom (tabernacle of David) then
set up? "That the residue [all that remain] of men might seek
after the Lord, and all the Gentiles." First a choice group
is called out of the Gentile nations so that afterwards, by it the
rest of the Gentiles—the vast majority—may learn to call upon
God’s name.
Remember 1 Timothy 2:6, speaking of Jesus, said, "Who
gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time."
The "due time" for the true church to learn of the
ransom is now during the Christian Age, but the "due
time" for the rest of mankind to understand the ransom is yet
future. Mankind will be re-educated by the church.
Since the vast majority of the human race went into its
graves without hearing or understanding the "ransom for
all," the Kingdom will require the raising of the dead. This
is just what Jesus tells us in John 5:28."Marvel not at this,
for the hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves
shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done
good to a resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto
the resurrection of judgment" (RSV).
Note again the same pattern of sequence we have seen in
other scriptures. All will be raised from the dead—first,
"they that have done good ." This refers to the true
church. During Christ’s return they will be raised to spiritual
life and united with their heavenly Lord. Then will follow the
resurrection of the "evil class," all the remainder of
men.
They will come forth to a "resurrection of
judgment." The King James Bible, translated in A.D. 1611,
grossly mistranslated the word "judgment" with the word
"damnation." The American Revised Version in 1881 used
the word "judgment," and no translation since has used
the word "damnation."
The Greek word in the text is krisis and it actually denotes
"a crucial testing time." This Greek word is the source
of our English word "crisis." And it has the same
meaning. A doctor might say, "The patient will reach his
crisis tomorrow morning." This does not mean that the patient
will die tomorrow morning. Rather, the crisis of an illness is
that period when the patient will take a turn for the better or
for the worse.
The "crisis" or trial time for the church is in
this present life, but the "crisis" or trial time of the
remainder of mankind will be at the resurrection in the Kingdom.
Billions of mankind before and after Jesus’ earthly ministry
died without receiving the light of Jesus. Yet John 1:9 states
that Jesus is the light that "lights every man that comes
into the world."
A further Scriptural confirmation that, for most, truth
enlightenment will require an awakening from the dead. The world
has yet to come to this momentous experience.
Why the Church Is
Called First
Why is the true church first selected to
share with Christ in the Kingdom work of blessing mankind? There
are a number of reasons given in the Scriptures.
One reason can be illustrated by the noble
work of Alcoholics Anonymous. An essential step of AA therapy is
to assign a former alcoholic to each alcoholic that comes for
help. The victim being driven by alcohol will not readily accept
help or advice from just anyone. How could anyone know his agony,
his depression, his desperation if he has not shared the same
experience? But the alcoholic will accept help from a former
alcoholic because he knows that this person can understand his
agony. And this former alcoholic stands ready at any time to come
to his side, to plead with him. It requires a former alcoholic to
rehabilitate an alcoholic.
When mankind comes forth from the grave in
Christ’s Kingdom, they will be informed they have been purchased
with the precious blood of Christ and they will be made aware of
the fact that they are now under the reign of Jesus Christ and his
church (I Corinthians 6:2). What confidence they will have that
the church will know just how to enter into their problems! Why?
Because the church also were once sinners. This plan for
rehabilitation will work. The majority will gladly receive the
instruction, the disciplining, the nurturing necessary to pass
their trial for eternal life.
The world, for whom Christ died (John 3:16),
is about to embark on an Age which will realize all humanity’s
deepest longings (Rom. 8:20, 22; Isa. 25:9).
