Somebody asked me a question and I didn’t know what to answer, I hope you can help me out. We were talking about 1 Thessalonians 5. In verse 6, referring to the 2nd. Coming, Paul includes himself in the verse like he is going to be waiting for the Lord also. But doesn’t he suppose that he and the church will be in the presence of God by then? I get the impression that Paul or any other writer in the Bible talk as if they will be on earth at the second coming.

Genesis 1:3 says, “Let there be light” but Genesis 1:14 says, “Let there be lights in the sky.” What is the difference between these lights?

I’ve noticed several places where people are saying the Lord’s 3.5 year ministry fulfilled the first half of Daniel’s 70th Week and therefore there’s only the second half left to be fulfilled. Can this be true?

Some unbelievers point to the God of the Old Testament as a harsh God, even calling for the total destruction of men, women, children, and even their livestock (Deut. chapter 7). They ask me, “What’s the difference in this and Muslims who call for the destruction of all those “infidels” who won’t convert?” To them, it seems one is as bad as another. They ask, “Where is the love of God in that?”

I know there is a difference between how God acted under the Old Covenant and how He shows us how to act through Jesus Christ under the New Covenant. How do I explain the difference to an unbeliever in a way they can understand?

In partial answer to the question Why Is Satan Still Free? You said: “If there was no evil in the world we would not have free will. We could only do and be good. Because of Satan we can love God and live in a manner that’s pleasing to Him by choice. This makes our love meaningful to Him. Otherwise we’d just be mindless robots.”

What are the implications of the above statements for our lives after the Rapture? Are we going to be mindless robots or will there be evil so that we can have free will? If there is evil what would keep us from falling again?

As I understand it the Book of Life will contain the names of every person who ever lived, except those whose names were blotted out for denying Jesus. Whereas, the Lamb’s Book of Life contains the list of all who truly accept Jesus as their savior, and whose names will never be erased. One prophecy teacher states, “When God opens this book (of life) at the Great White Throne Judgment, the only names left in it will be the names of those who have believed in Christ as Savior and Lord. That’s why the name of the book is changed from the “Book of Life” to the “Lamb’s Book of Life.” I never thought of it in this light. Will the Book of Life literally be changed into the Lamb’s Book of Life, or will there still be two separate books?

I think I have committed the unforgivable sin by rejecting the Holy Spirit’s grace. Something happened to me in 2008 and I didn’t know what it was. Now, I think I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit not knowing that it was it. I only realized that I might have committed it because I dreamed of hell already. I dreamed that I was in a car and was looking for a way out then two huge walls blocked my way and there was only one way out and it was pitch pitch black.

I think I denied Christ because I wasn’t ready to follow him at that time but now I’m regretting what I did, but I think its too late for me. I pretended that I didn’t know the Holy Spirit because I wasn’t ready to surrender myself, I wasn’t aware that I am committing the unforgivable sin. Please be honest and tell me, I am preparing myself for the worst.

I was wondering why Jesus cried when He arrived at Lazarus’ tomb? I know Lazarus was a good friend and Jesus loved him, but Jesus knew He was going to bring Lazarus back to life and He would see Lazarus in a few minutes. So why was Jesus so sad?

Thanks for your excellent information, perspective and attitude. You have answered questions I have had for years. I am still unclear though about the Tribulation saints’ need to maintain their faith, and about which covenant they are saved through, the Old or the New. Are you saying they are saved during that time by their faith in God through the Old Covenant system and that is why they must maintain it? If so then aren’t you saying there are two ways to be saved since the time of Christ? (The Old Covenant and the New Covenant?)

At the Rapture, Jesus will descend from Heaven with a shout (calling for the saints at the resurrection). (1 Thess 4:16) with the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God. I assume the trump of God is the voice of God. It seems to me that if we are changed into our new, glorified bodies at that time, how can all this happen in a twinkling of an eye? I’ve also been taught that all this will be a secret event, the Rapture, but at the Second Coming, every eye shall see him. If the Rapture is secret, won’t the Archangel’s voice and trump of God be loud enough to wake the dead, since at that time the dead will rise first?