We believe that all Church Age believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be evaluated in reference to their life. Those with a positive evaluation (approval) will receive eternal rewards, inheritance, praise, and a fullness of joy; those with a negative evaluation (disapproval) will suffer loss of reward, be disinherited, rebuked, and ashamed before Him. The highest reward of all is to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.” This will result in the believer reigning with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom and on into eternity. The believer never loses their eternal life for any reason even if they are unfaithful in time. The unfaithful in time will not reign with Him.
Matthew 19:27-30; Luke 19:15-27; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; Colossians 3:23-25; 1 John 2:28; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28, 3:5, 12, 21.
We believe the Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe as Creator (the universal kingdom) and His particular future kingship over the earth in the coming literal, physical kingdom (the mediatorial kingdom). The biblical terms “Kingdom of God” and “Kingdom of Heaven” for the most part refer to the coming millennial reign of Christ on earth. This kingdom then goes on into eternity. Christians ought to pray that the Kingdom will come and God’s will be done on earth. Jesus Christ did not inaugurate the David Kingdom in any form and does not now sit on the promised throne of David. The Church is not the kingdom of God and Jesus is not now seated on the Throne of David as prophesied.
Psalm 2:4-12; Isaiah 2:1-5, 9:6-7, 33:20-24, 65:17-25; Ezekiel 36:24-38; Daniel 2:44, 7:13-14, 26-27; Joel 1:15ff, 2:1-32, 3:9-18; Micah 4:6-8; Zephaniah 1:14ff, 3:15ff; Zechariah 14:1-4, 9, 16; Matthew 16:27, 25:31-32; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 20:25, 28:23, 30-31; Revelation 5:8-10, 20:4
We believe Jesus Christ will return personally to take up all true believers, the church; this event could occur at any moment. The dead in Christ shall rise first, and those that are alive shall be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air. At that moment all believers in the Church Age shall all receive a glorified body that is like that of Christ’s. The believers are then taken to heaven. This event is called the “rapture” and it is the “blessed hope” of the church. We believe in the pre-tribulation, premillennial rapture of the church and the physical resurrection of all church age believers at this time.
1 Corinthians 15:50-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10
We believe that God will enact a seven-year tribulation on planet after the rapture of the church. On the earth will come a terrible time of tribulation, which will come upon all earth dwellers for seven years. The Antichrist, or man of sin, shall dominate world history during these years.
John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; Revelation 6-18
We believe in the literal Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. He will at that time defeat all enemies and will establish His millennial/ messianic kingdom upon the earth.
Matthew 24:29-30; John 14:1-3; Titus 2:13; Revelation 19:11-16
We believe in the literal reign of Christ on planet earth for 1,000 years after the Second Coming. He will at this time fulfill all His promises to the nation of Israel. Believers will rule with Him under His Lordship. Isaiah 2:2-4, Micah 4:1-5; Revelation 20:4
We believe that at the end of the millennium those who are dead out of Christ, those still dead in trespasses and sins, shall rise and be brought before Christ at the Great White Throne judgment. Since all men were created to live forever all will spend eternity somewhere. The unrighteous, those without a saving relationship to Christ will have a body suited for eternal punishment and will be consigned to the lake of fire, the place of everlasting separation from God. There is no annihilation of the unrighteous nor is there a purging or second chance for those who die without Christ. The righteous, those with a saving relationship to Christ, will dwell with the Lord God forever in a new heaven and a new earth.
Revelation 19:11-20:4
We believe in the eternal condemnation in the Lake of Fire from which there is no escape of those who have never believed in Jesus alone for eternal life.
Matthew 13:41-42, 25:41, 46; Luke 16:19-26; Revelation 20:11-15