The Ancient Witnesses

264 • The Ancient Witnesses: A Journey to Discover Our Sacred Roots

Joseph: Where do we believers go, right after we die? 1 Preacher: Will the Church be raptured before or after the tribulation? 2 Cesar: Will there be a literal millennial kingdom here on earth? 3 Ari: Is there a purgatory? 4 Several ancient witnesses were at the lectern as Mentor began reading aloud from the lectern Bible. After reading several verses in 1 Thessalonians 4, he came to the following verse, which he and the witnesses recited in unison from memory, 1 This question, discussed by Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine , 3rd edition (Hulstad, ed. 198-199), asks what happens to a believer after death but before the Lord’s return and the resurrection of the dead. Some commentators point to Luke 23:43 and 16:19-31 to suggest an intermediate state between death and resurrection during which the believer is with the Lord but awaiting the resurrection of his body. 2 This question, also discussed by Erickson (444-445), assumes two “Second Comings” of the Lord separated by a seven-year period of tribulation on the earth. The first is a secret coming of the Lord to take his saints out of the world (known as the rapture ), and the second is when the Lord comes with his saints to judge the world. 3 The belief in a literal millennial kingdom here on earth is the view of premillennialism , which teaches that Jesus Christ will be physically present to rule on earth for a period of a thousand years. This view is discussed by Erickson (see previous note) on pages 455-457. 4 Purgatory is a place of purification, according to Roman Catholic doctrine, for those who are going to heaven but not yet perfected. See Erickson, 435-436.