How the Bible Interprets Itself
To Whom the Word is Written
- Part II Administrations II

Read Time: 8 Minutes

From last week, the first 5 administrations are:

1. Original Paradise,  original heaven and earth before the fall of man.
2. Patriarchal Administration, the fathers taught their children of God up until Moses
3. Law Administration,  Moses received the law
4. Christ Administration,  the personal presence of Christ on earth, Christ fulfilled the law
5. Church of Grace,  free from the law and God's people are part of the Body of Christ

The next administration is the Appearing Administration, also called the Revelation Administration, when Christ will return, appear, and gather us together, and later, the rest will be resurrected and judged. This administration has two phases, the parousia; Christ coming to gather together his church, those who have believed on him and then the apokalupsis; Christ coming with his church to execute judgment which is the day of the Lord.

The Parousia when Christ come for his church:

I Corinthians 15
:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; 
        We shall not all sleep, 
        but we shall all be changed,
:52   In a moment, 
        in the twinkling of an eye, 
        at the last trump: 
            for the trumpet shall sound, 
            and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, 
            and we shall be changed.
:53   For this corruptible must put on incorruption, 
        and this mortal must put on immortality.
:54   So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, 
            and this mortal shall have put on immortality, 
        then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 
            Death is swallowed up in victory.
:55   O death, where is thy sting? 
        O grave, where is thy victory?
:56   The sting of death is sin; 
        and the strength of sin is the law.
:57       But thanks be to God, 
                which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Thessalonians 4
:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, 
    concerning them which are asleep, 
    that ye sorrow not, 
        even as others which have no hope.
:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, 
    even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, 
    that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord 
    shall not prevent [old English for precede] them which are asleep.
:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, 
        with the voice of the archangel, 
    and with the trump of God: 
    and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 
        to meet the Lord in the air: 
    and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

These verses describe the Gathering Together when Christ comes for his church.

The Apokalupsis, when Christ comes with his church, the Lord's Day:

II Thessalonians 2
:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, 
        by the coming 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;

The day of Christ, or the day of the Lord, shall not happen until after the falling away first. The Geneva Bible and the Cranmer Bible, published prior to the King James, translate "a falling away first" as "a departure first." When looking at the Greek we see that "a falling away first" is actually the words he apostasia. He means 'the' and apostasia is apo a prefix indicating motion away from the exterior of a circle to some distant point and stasia, to separate or draw out. Hence, a departure. The day of the Lord will not happen until after Christ has returned to draw out his church also called the gathering together.

The Lord's Day is the day the Lord will judge those remaining. 

I Thessalonians 5
:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, 
    ye have no need that I write unto you.
:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
:3 For when they shall say, 
        Peace and safety; 
    then sudden destruction cometh upon them, 
        as travail upon a woman with child; 
    and they shall not escape.
:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

The brethren, the Believers, the Saints, will not be overtaken by the day of the Lord because we will have already been gathered together because we believe and are not in darkness. We will not be subjected to the day of wrath or judgment day, we are already judged faithful and righteous in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I Thessalonians 1
:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, 
        whom he raised from the dead, 
    even Jesus, 
        which delivered us from the wrath to come.

I Thessalonians 5
:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, 
    but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

John 3
:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; 
    but that the world through him might be saved.
:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: 
    but he that believeth not is condemned already, 
        because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 8
:1 There is therefore now no condemnation [katakrima, judgment] to them which are in Christ Jesus . . .

Romans 5
:9 Much more than, being now justified by his blood, 
    we shall be saved from wrath through him.

We, the believers, do no have to experience the wrath for we are judged for rewards already and gathered together with Christ.

II Corinthians 5
:9 Wherefore we labour, that,
        whether present or absent,
    we may be accepted of him.
:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
    that every one may receive the things done in his body,
    according to that he hath done,
    whether it be good or bad.

That judgment seat is the bema, the throne from which rewards are given for our works here during this lifetime. We are not there to experience the wrath of God because we have already been judged righteous in our substitute, Jesus Christ.

The wrath is during the apokalupsis when Christ comes with his church:

II Thessalonians 1
:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, [more properly translated; and to you who were troubled are at rest with us]
    when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed [apokalupsis] from heaven with his mighty angels, 
        [angelon dunameos, messengers of His mighty power, angels and the Church Saints,  Believers]
:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, 
        and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, 
        and from the glory of his power;
:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, 
    and to be admired in all them that believe 
        (because our testimony among you was believed) 
    in that day.

We can rest knowing that we are saved from the wrath because we have believed and will be coming with Jesus Christ at his return..

During the apokalupsis there will be two resurrections; the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust.

John 5
:28 Marvel not at this: 
    for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
:29 And shall come forth; 
        they that have done good, 
            unto the resurrection of life; 
        and they that have done evil, 
            unto the resurrection of damnation.

Acts 24
: 15 And have hope toward God, 
        which they themselves also allow, [they - the Judeans accusing Paul of heresy]
    that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, 
        both of the just and unjust.

There is a period of time between the resurrection of the just and of the unjust. Revelation 20:1-15 explains many of the events of the last times. The devil will be bound 1,000 years and the just will be raised and judged and live with Christ during that time and then the unjust will be raised and judged and Satan will be loosed for a time and then cast into the lake of fire and those whose names were not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire as well.

The Final Paradise or Glory Administration begins when Christ delivers up the Kingdom of God 

I Corinthians 15
:24 Then cometh the end, 
        when he [Jesus Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, 
            even the Father; 
        when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, 
    then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him 
        that put all things under him, 
    that God may be all in all.

Revelation 21
:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: 
        for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; 
        and there was no more sea.
:2 And I 
            John
     saw the holy city, 
        new Jerusalem, 
    coming down from God out of heaven, 
        prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 
        Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, 
        and he will dwell with them, 
        and they shall be his people, 
        and God himself shall be with them, 
            and be their God.
:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; 
    and there shall be no more death, 
        neither sorrow, 
        nor crying, 
        neither shall there be any more pain: 
    for the former things are passed away.
:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, 
        Behold, I make all things new. 
    And he said unto me, 
        Write: for these words are true and faithful.
:6 And he said unto me,
        It is done. 
        I am Alpha and Omega, 
            the beginning and the end. 
        I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
:7     He that overcometh shall inherit all things; 
        and I will be his God, 
        and he shall be my son.

Knowing which administration the word of God is written in and about is instrumental in rightly dividing the Word of God. If we apply the events of Revelation to us today we err and know not the truth. If we think that the resurrections of the just and unjust pertain to the Believers than we must go through the wrath. When ascertaining to whom the Word is written we must also pay close attention the administration it is referring to.

God Bless