I would like to visit an Adventist church but I might have a major disagreement with Adventism.
I believe that the millenial kingdom will be on earth after a post-tribulation rapture, rather than in heaven.
Are Adventists allowed to have difference of opinion regarding the location of the millennium and, if not, can you please share with me the best evidence from the Bible that the millenial kingdom will be in heaven, rather than on earth?
This is the Progressive forum (I am moderate not progressive)... and so I am not sure what the progressive position on this is - but it might be the same as the official SDA version below.. so just in case it is.
If the progressives do not have this view then you can go to the conservative SDA forum to see it - and I assume this post will be removed. (Anyway not sure what the situation is so I am being optimistic in posting this response at this point)
===================================
Anyone can visit and the Sabbath School Bible study that is before the church service is interactive discussion about the Bible lesson for the week. It is highly unlikely anyone will mention what happens during the millennium (unless the sermon happens to be on that topic). at church but I am happy to discuss it.
The teaching the SDA denomination has on it comes from this.
1.
John 14:1-3 - Jesus said "
I will come again and receive you to myself". He goes to His Father to prepare a place for us - many dwelling places in heaven are there currently, He comes to get the saints.
2.
Matt 24: Great tribulation, then immediately after the tribulation - signs in the sky, then people see Jesus coming, .. then the rapture where Angels gather people who are in the sky.
21 For
then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will
again. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘
He is over here,’ do not believe
him. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out;
or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe
them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
The Glorious Return
29 “But
immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the
Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and
they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and
they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
People are "in the sky" because of the rapture described in 1 Thess 4:13-18. Matt 24 is describing the 2nd coming which is the rapture.
The
Appearing = the
coming of the Lord = our
gathering together to him
2 Thess 2: 1 Now we ask you, brothers
and sisters, regarding
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 No one is to deceive you in any way!
For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains
him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains
will do so until He is removed. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and
bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9
that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved.
Does not happen until after the massive deception is setup by satan.
2 Thess 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by
the coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by
our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for
that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God
sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
1 Thess 4:13-18
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers
and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest
of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until
the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For
the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the
dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
2 Thess 1: For after all it is
only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and
to give relief to you who are afflicted,
along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with
His mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power
Rev 19:
11 And I saw
heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it
is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes
are a flame of fire, and on His head
are many crowns; and He has a name written
on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13
He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Jesus takes the saints to heaven at the second coming event (second coming is just John 14 " I will come again") - He receives the saints (rapture) and takes them to heaven.
