The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Lorraine Hannaford of Ontario, Canada from the tape, GC 1301-L, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 14."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1980. All Rights Reserved.

Question

Why is there death in the Millennial Kingdom?

Answer

Why is there death? He’s talking about in the kingdom, the thousand year millennium, there will be death, because wherever there is physical life there is death. There are people alive today, we’re going to get raptured and taken out of the world and there’ll still be people here right? So we’re in heaven, there are still people here, alright? Some of those people are going to be saved right? In fact, Revelation seven says innumerable number of them are going to be saved and the whole nation of Israel is going to be saved. Great revival in the tribulation, alright? The Bible tells us that Antichrist is going to slaughter those people that are saved, is that true? It is true. But he will not kill all of them. As best we can tell the Prophets indicate that Satan will kill two out of three.

So in the tribulation period there are going to be people who will have believed in Christ and escaped the slaughter of the Antichrist. If you read Revelation you will find that in the twelfth chapter and on that there is going to be an escape, these people are going to flee from Antichrist. Antichrist's army is going to chase them, the ground is going to open and swallow the Antichrist army, and the people will be saved. Some people feel they’ll be hidden in Petra in Edom, nonetheless there will be some saved.

Now when Christ comes at the end of the tribulation, and He comes to set up his kingdom, He will judge the ungodly, the "goats," Matthew 24. And he will say to the goats, "Depart you cursed into everlasting punishment," but the sheep are the still remaining living saints, who have escaped the Antichrist--to them he will say, "Come ye beloved of my Father, and inherit the kingdom." Therefore going into the millennial kingdom are living, physical beings. They’re the ones who because they still have a physical body will have the capacity to die. Now, the change in the environment, in the food, and in the pollution and everything that occurs in the kingdom, is going to lengthen their life, so that if they do die at a hundred they die like a baby. But none the less where there is physical life there is decay and death. So they will die physically. But there will be death as long as there is physical life and there will be people in the kingdom in physical form.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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