The Last Army-like Church-Types (Part 2)

 

See the series here.

Part 1 lists what I perceive are Heaven's 'army-like' church types—groups it would create, commission and command to sustain righteousness, first in Heaven, then on Earth, and finally, eternally in Heaven. Here is the list of these groups as I perceive them:

 

1. An innumerable company of holy angels

2. Adam—and through him, humanity in general

3. Seth and his 1st-age righteous descendants ¹

4. Israel, as a set-apart ‘holy’ nation

5. The current, post-cross, 3rd-age church

6. The tribulation, 4th-age church

7. The post-Millennial-Reign, 6th-age church

 

The first 5 are historical. The last 2 are prophetical. The Bible, history and current day news reveal the relatively poor performances of the first 5 groups. ² 

 

Let's consider the how and why of the performances of the 6th church-type.

6. The Tribulation, 4th-age Church

 

The Bible distinguishes the 3rd and 4th ages churches, but not necessarily by those names. This current 3rd age church-type began on The Day of Pentecost. The 4th age church-type will begin sometime after the start of the 4th age of our history—the tribulation age.

 

It also appears to distinguish separate resurrection/rapture events for these church-types—one at the end of this current 3rd age, and another at the end of the 4th age. ³ Uniquely, the 4th age church is spiritually depicted in Heaven, in chapter 7 of Apostle John’s Revelation vision! It appears as the predicted, fruitful harvest of people from across the world who will come to faith in Jesus, presumably based on the testimonies and preaching of 144,000 anointed Jewish witnesses! Imagine that~

 

Since that age will be extremely short (~7 years per interpretation of Daniel 9:24–27), I intuit the majority of that church-type might be adults born in this current, 3rd age. As such, it would very likely include many former Christians who, in our day, will have been ‘Christianesque’, or become lukewarm, backslidden, or fully apostate prior to the close of this age. Unless they repent and return to demonstrated, strong faith, they will very likely have missed Heaven’s pending resurrection/rapture event for The Lord’s bona fide, 3rd age saints. If so, that event might serve as a shocking wake-up call for people who were previously lackadaisical with their faith.

 

Curiosities and Distinctions

 

I find it curious that the inference in Revelation 7 seems to be that tens of thousands of Jewish witnesses will be efficiently effective in drawing Gentiles into a saving relationship with Jesus, The Lord God. If this is Heaven’s intent, those witnesses will be uniquely equipped to do that job, though the notion of ‘Jews significantly winning Gentile souls for Christ’ is unimaginable in our day. For The Lord, nothing is impossible!

 

It is also curious how, in Revelation 7:15-17, this group receives some possibly unique accolades. That passage might be transitory—potentially covering from the Millennial Reign age, to throughout eternity. If/IF so, then it raises the question will there might be distinguished groups among The Lord’s saints---throughout eternity? We know He promises to give us rewards that will correlate to the spiritual quality of our works in this current life. The Bible does not indicate whether/how our ‘diverse reward levels’ might signify differentiations in eternity, as some rewards/awards may do in this current life.

 

Here's my personal take: I would not at all be surprised if/IF The Lord might have a personal, intimate affinity/alliance throughout eternity, with ALL saints (including those from earlier ages) who will have been martyred for their severely tested and abiding faith in Him as The Lord God Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of all things, since He, Himself, walked that same, exact path. He was martyred (crucified) on behalf of every human being to whom He will have ever given the breath of life, and an immortal spirit and soul!

 

Here's a possible distinction within this group. Revelation 7 does not say every person in that group will be martyred. But in Revelation 20:4 uniquely singles out this group as:

 

‘…those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus

and for The Word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image,

and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.

And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.’

 

While many early Christians were similarly beheaded for their testimony and The Word of God, they lived long before the rise of the anti-Christ—whom The Bible callsthe beast in the 4th age. This point appears to indicate that many, or possibly all in multitude in Revelation 7 will have been beheaded by the anti-Christ’s brutal regime. I wonder if anyone in that group might die naturally before the anti-Christ regime unleashes its beheading campaign on Christians. If so, then all in that group will not be martyrs. 

 

Of course, given human nature, there is the possibility that, just like today, some 4th age believers might defect. Yet, The Bible predicts a faithful multitude will besustained through it all, and will be resurrected/raptured and GLORIFIED (bodily glowing) to join us previous saints on the cloud of The Lord’s, not 2nd, but THIRD coming! 

 

Moreover, the reference in Revelation 7:14 to, ‘…come out of the great tribulation’,appears to signal that, rather than being martyred during the pre-apocalypse years(the first 42 months) of the 4th age, people in this multitude will experience parts, or potentially ALL of the apocalypse plagues during the last half (42 months) of that age! This point should be sobering to any Christians today who may be slack in their faith and good works for Christ. 

 

The final unique point about this group is their attendance at The Marriage Supper of The Lamb, referenced in Revelation 19:6-9. If this chapter’s sequence of events will unfold as presented, then the 4th age saints might attend this event in their disembodied, immortal twins form—their spirits and souls. Why?? According to this chapter and Matthew 24:31, they won’t be resurrected bodily, until after that supper, when The Lord brings with Him, from Heaven to Earth:

 

(a) All of His fully-embodied, immortal, resurrected saints from the first 3 ages of our history, and also

b) The immortal twins (spirits and souls) of all disembodied, un-resurrected, martyred, 4th age saints! 

 

That second point clearly mirrors what Paul says The Lord will do when He returns, hidden on a cloud, to resurrect and rapture all true, 3rd age saints at the end of this current age. He will bring with Him, from Heaven to Earth, the disembodied spirits and souls of all deceased, 3rd age saints! I intuit this will be necessary in order for their spirits and souls to reunite with their physical bodies, strewn in the dust all across the Earth. Only The Lord knows the location of every molecule of every deceased body He intends to resurrect and make immortal. Imagine that~

 

Conclusion

Revelation 7 and 19 appear to confirm that the 4th age ‘church type’ might out-perform ALL preceding church types, possibly thanks to the efficiently effectiveministry of 144,000 anointed Jewish witnesses. In slaying potentially all of them, the anti-Christ’s regime might think it’s getting rid of a problem of rebels who will refuse to receive its branding mark on their foreheads or hands! But The Lord plans to ‘flip the script’ and bestow upon this entire group special, unique blessings, possibly rewards that will endure throughout eternity! Hallelujah!!!

 

Key Lesson:

Identification with Christ in suffering deepens our conformity to Him.

Martyrdom is the FULLEST, visible conformity to His own martyrdom,

on behalf of ever human to whom He will have ever given the breath of life.

 

Stay tuned for Part 3

The 6th Age Church-type

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¹ Seth was Adam and Eve’s 3rd son. See: Worship or Warfare (Series).

² To understand why the list excludes the 5th age of human history--The Millennial Reign Age, please see: Salvation in the Millennium (Series). See also: Worship or Warfare (Series).

³ See: Bible Raptures – Types and Timings (Series).