The Unshakable Hope

After laying the foundation of New Testament Christianity throughout Season 1, Casey and Michael close the season by looking ahead to the ultimate question: What happens next?

In this powerful finale, the hosts explore the Christian’s unshakeable hope—what Scripture teaches about the moment of death, Paradise, the Second Coming of Christ, the final judgment, and the promise of a new heaven and new earth.

Along the way they address common misunderstandings about Hades, the “secret rapture,” and the millennium, while reminding believers that Christianity is not a random journey—it is a story moving toward a glorious destination.

Though David’s chair is noticeably empty in the studio, his voice is felt throughout the conversation as Casey and Michael reflect on the hope that anchors every Christian life.

As Season 1 concludes, one message rings clear: keep your eyes on the King.

Season 2: The New Life & The Church is coming soon.

No Creeds, No Confusion, Just Christ

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome to the Simply Christian Podcast. No creeds, no confusion, just Christ. Hey guys, welcome back to the Simply Christian Podcast. This is our season finale. Yeah. The finale of season one of the Simply Christian Podcast. I'm Casey. I'm sitting here with Michael. But before we dive into today's topic, y'all, I have to be honest. I'm heartbroken. It feels a bit lonely in the studio today. David couldn't join us for our final episode. Yeah. And uh, you know, having having his chair empty and his mic sitting there with uh no one to speak into it. I know it um it's kind of noticeable.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Yeah. It it really is, you know, as I as I sit here and I look next to me and there's nothing there but the emptiness of the chair. And the mic with no face up close to it.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

Just a reflection of the emptiness of our heart.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

No, seriously. We're goofing off this afternoon. And you know, there was a couple of times that I weren't I weren't. I weren't here. I wasn't here for some episodes.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

But man, last week last week all three of us had a a hard time just getting our words out.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

There there was there was a couple episodes where I wasn't here, and so I it gets kind of weird, you know, when you're trying to do this and you have this this three guys, you know, and now it's just two. And you know, I'm sure it would be even worse if it was just one, you know, you'd be in here talking to yourself. Yeah. So technically we're we're talking to y'all, but we're talking to each other too, you know. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

Anyways, but yeah, we're feeling lonely. I'm sorry, I just I can't leave that alone. Anyway, all right. So y'all we've we've probably already got so many people that's already turned around. No, but they done turned it off. They're like, man, we're done. We're moving on. These two guys are weirdos.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

Where's David at? Not that we disagree. They're feeling it too. They're like, where's David at? These two weirdos.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Mm-mm-mm. Well, we'll push forward. That's right. We'll try to do it justice without David to round us out. That's right. Uh actually, you know, I think when we on a serious note, when we consider what we're gonna talk about today, it's just fitting that it's the the topic to end on, really.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

To end the season on talking about the end.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

That's right. So uh over 11 episodes, we've laid a foundation for true, simple New Testament Christianity. That's right. But today, we're gonna look at the unshakable hope. And we're asking the question: what happens next? And is there any hope for us?

SPEAKER_02 3:15

And you know, this is actually this is, you know, we're gonna get a little fancy here with our words. This is actually what is known as teleology. Uh that would be the study of ends, right? I taught them that word. Yeah, because I didn't know. I was like, what are we what word? What is this? Yeah, I didn't know. So I don't do big words. I like simple, easy words, easy to understand. Don't come at me with no mess that I don't know. Okay. So here, there, you know that about me. This is actually, I didn't even know this was a thing. This is the study of ends. But but the thing is, is that Christianity is not just a it's not just a random walk, right? It's a journey. It's it is a Paul talked about it being a race that we run. And all of these different things clue us in that it is going towards a destination, right? We're we're we're headed somewhere. If our hope is only in this life, we are the most pitiful people on the face of the planet.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Absolutely. And you don't have to know the word teleology.

SPEAKER_02 4:18

To know that. To know that. That's exactly right. So so what we're gonna talk about today, what we're gonna end this season on is the end. Today we're going to look at what lies beyond all of this. That unshakable hope.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Absolutely. I think we have to start with the immediate. You know, when a Christian breathes their last breath, that famous question, the question that every soul asks, where do they go? Yeah, yeah. Is it straight to the new heaven, the new earth that we see in Revelation?

SPEAKER_02 4:54

Yeah. Well, the the New Testament describes it best. The Bible, as always, the Bible gives us a clear picture of it. If you go to um Luke chapter 16, you know, uh the New King James actually has a really good um explanation of this. They distinguish between Hades and Gehenna, Gehenna being the lake of fire, and Hades being something else. But but in Luke chapter 16, we see there with the rich man and Lazarus, right? Um the ver I'm actually going to read some of it to kind of help us to help explain this. But in verse 19 it says, There was a certain man who was clothed in purple, fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, so this would be Lazarus, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. Okay, so let's remember that, Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. Being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. So we can take that and we can see that we we don't just automatically go to heaven or hell, right? That there's a place that we go. There's a kind of a holding area, I guess you might could say, if you want to make it somewhere that's easier to understand. But but there's two sides there's a place of torment and there's a place of rest called Abraham's bosom.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Right. The Hadean realm is indeed it is made up of both sides. Yeah, that's right. And and for a believer, the place of rest that the King James or New King James there calls Abraham's bosom is often called paradise. That's right. You know, Jesus told the thief in Luke 23 and verse 43, the one thief that would would confess him and say, Yeah, remember me. Yeah. He said, Today you'll be with me in paradise. And that paradise is referring to Abraham's bosom. I I wanna I want to kind of make a a quick point here that we really before we actually began and we were getting our thoughts together and whatnot. We didn't even talk about this. But there are a lot of people that do not believe that Luke 16 is that that Jesus was telling a little they they they consider that as just a just a story that Jesus told. Right. They don't see that as uh an actual account, they don't see that parable as actually being something that uh it's just a parable, it's just a narrative that Jesus told. Right. And I say it's more to it than that. Absolutely. And I also from this understand that it is through the Hadean realm that God will bring, just as He brought the fullness of time on earth for Christ to come, that will be the fullness, the end of all time. Right. You know, there has to be a way in which we can all stand before the judgment seat at the same time. Yeah, and and and that will be the the cessation, the the ceasing of that time.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

That's right. And and and I was just about to make that point. That was something that was popping in my head as you were saying that. You know, we talk people talk about, well, so-and-so's in heaven or so-and-so's not in heaven, or whatever, you know, ha whatever you want to say, right? Why would we all go and stand before God in judgment if we've already made it to the place that we're trying to go?

SPEAKER_01 8:35

Right. Which interestingly enough, for the people who say that we go straight to heaven or whatever, they say, well, then what's the point of the Heyden realm if you already know where you're going, because if you wake up in paradise, you know you're going to have to and and they fail to understand that it's much like when a person gets a charge today, right? They are charged with a crime and they have their arraignment, then they go back for sentencing. That's right. You know, at that point, the guilt uh or the innocence is already proven, it's already shown. Yeah. Sentence, though, has not been given. That's right. It's not been the full weight of one's sin has not been given to them at judgment. That's right. And time has not ceased at that moment. Yeah. It's very difficult for us to uh fathom the spiritual realm. And the Hadian realm is the spiritual realm. Yeah, yeah. And so uh there's a whole lot to that. Yeah. But I I think that it's also important to understand a little bit about paradise. Yeah. Um while the New King James, um, I think it uses, does it use it uses paradise or does it use Abraham's bosom? Abraham's bosom. It uses Abraham's bosom.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

In the context of Luke 16, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Yeah, and uh but there are other versions like the English Standard version um that handles Hades a little differently uh than than old and I think the New American Standard as well. I could be wrong in that. Yeah. Um I think it is. Uh I think the uh English Standard, the New American Standard, perhaps even the Christian Standard Bible, um, and uh the New Living Translation, I think all of those they somewhat uh uh handle Hades a little differently than versions like the King James, uh which often referred to as hell. Right. Um King James uses the term hell for both in the temporary realm of the dead as well as final punishment, and that creates some confusion. And I th so I think that the the New King James in the term Hades uh or Abraham's bosom and Hades, right, um and along with the English Standard New Living Translation, right, uh New American Standard Bible, I think they help also to show the difference there and cut down on some of that confusion. And I think that's a lot of what caused people to think that Jesus went into hell for three days, right? Uh because he actually went to paradise. That's right. Remember I just I just quoted uh uh Luke 23, 43, um, where Jesus said, Today you will be with me in paradise, not the Hadean realm, not not in Hades, not in Tartarus, not in hell. Yep. He said, in paradise, which is Abraham's bosom, it is the resting side of the Hadean realm. That's right. And so we wait in paradise for the resurrection. Well, what resurrection? 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Paul deals that whole chapter with resurrection, and he ties our bodily resurrection to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's right. And he also points out in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, if there is no resurrection, then we have no hope. We are uh most pitiable. And so, but what triggers that? Well, the second coming. That's right. So, Michael, is there any such thing as a secret return of Jesus Christ?

SPEAKER_02 12:31

No, you you you're not gonna find the secret return of Jesus in the Bible. Now, the text does tell us that no, no, no one knows when he will return.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

I guess that's a secret.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

That that's a secret. Only the Father knows. Jesus said that only the Father knows.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

That's right. But his return.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

But his return is not going to be secretive. In fact, first Thessalonians. Y'all, Thessalonians is a hard word to say. First Thessalonians 4 and 16 says, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, right? A shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. I want you to think about these three words shouts, voice, trumpet, right? This is all very public, very audible, very visible. It is loud, there's going to be a lot of noise. He is, it is, those things are announcing in some way, I guess you could say, announcing his return, right? And so this is going to be a big visible event that that people are going to witness, right? This this idea of left behind, this secret rapture that's going to happen, it's it's it's not going to be that way. When he comes, everyone is going to know that he's coming.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Absolutely right. That's absolutely right. And this brings us to the millennium. You know, most of the religious world today expects there to be some kind of earthly reign of Jesus. Uh there is a prevalent doctrine of this 1,000-year, this thousand-year earthly reign of Jesus. And um so many hold to a millennial view and hold to this doctrine of premillennialism. So, but since there's so many, the majority, it seems, hold to a premillennial or millennial view, why is it that we hold to typically to an eight-millennial view?

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Well, when you look at the thousand years, right, people will say the thousand-year reign. Revelation 20, it's a it's a symbolic number representing the plea the complete and perfect reign of Christ now from his throne in heaven. Jesus also said, My kingdom is not of this world. I think it's important we we recognize that. We understand that. When you look at the whole text of Jesus' ministry, okay?

SPEAKER_01 15:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

And you look at when he would go and he would he would preach, a lot of times, what was what what did the Jews think? What did the Jews, when it when we talk about the kingdom, what did what were they expecting? They expected an earthly kingdom. Earth expecting a political kingdom. They they're in their mindset, the Messiah was going to come. He was going to raise up an army, he was going to defeat their enemies, which at the time was who? Rome, right? And there was going to be a physical reign. Even his disciples, even they thought that. Even they thought the kingdom was going to be physical. When did they figure out the kingdom was not going to be physical?

SPEAKER_01 15:50

Acts chapter two.

SPEAKER_02 15:51

Acts chapter two.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Acts chapter one, verses four through eight. Yeah. Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel at this time? That's right. Verse six. And then verse seven, Jesus says, it's not time for you to know. That's right. That's important. Yeah. Yep. That is so vital. Yep. Because Jesus tells even his own disciples, it's not for you to know and understand right now. Yep. But, verse eight, you will. That's right. Verse eight, he says, you will receive that power from the Holy Spirit. That's right. Remember John 14, 26, 28? Yep. When he said that I'm going to send a comforter and he will bring uh he will put you in remembrance of the things which I've taught you. He will, he will um, man, I am butchering that so bad. I need to get a Bible. Where are you at, John? John 14. 14. 26.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

26. I got it right here. Through twenty-eight. Twenty-six through twenty-eight. But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, peace I give to you. Not as the world does, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard me say to you, I am going away and coming back to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I am going to the Father, for my Father is greater than I.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

Absolutely. And so notice what Jesus is telling them. He is going to, the Holy Spirit is going to give them all understanding. Yeah. They did not understand that the kingdom was not a physical kingdom. Yep. They didn't understand that the kingdom was in no way political. Yeah. Well and it wasn't until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came together.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

And you back up to that very first four verses of chapter 14. You know, you talked about those last week, but even they apply here. What does he say there? He says, In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. He's not coming back here to establish some some reign and reign here. We're going there.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

That's exactly right. That's exactly right. He isn't coming back to start a kingdom. No. He's cut he's not coming back to to start a kingdom or to reign. That's right. He's coming back to gather us together, to deliver us to the Father. That's right. And in 1 Corinthians 15, 24. And so that leads us really to the judgment. Uh 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 10 says we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. That's right. And we must receive the things done in our body, whether they're good or bad. But for the Christian, the judge is our advocate. Our names as children of God are written in the Lamb's book of life. That's exactly right. And so I really want to consider something because I don't want us to just glaze over this. I don't want us to just breeze through this. I really want us to consider what the scripture says. In Mark chapter 9 and verse 1, Jesus explicitly said that the kingdom would come in his generation, not thousands of years later. And in Matthew 18, verse, Matthew 28 and verse 18. I don't know why I keep saying 18, 28. In Matthew 28 and verse 18, Jesus says, All authority is given unto me in heaven and on earth. That's right. Notice that that is after his resurrection. That's right. That's right before your sins, or not too long before you sins. Exactly. As is Acts chapter 1 when he's talking to his apostles there. Jesus himself claims that he has all authority. That's right. Pray tell who has all authority if not for the king. That's exactly right. He is king of kings and lord of lords. And then in Acts chapter 2, Peter says in verse 30 that he will sit upon the throne. You follow that all the way through verse 36. We see that that's the throne of David at the right hand of God. That's exactly right. If the kingdom isn't already in existence, why is there a need for a throne? That's right. And some might say, well, that's a spiritual kingdom. That's right. That's right. That's exactly right. Well, that means the the kingdom's in heaven. Wait a minute. That's right. Our citizenship lies in the kingdom of heaven. That's right. Therefore the church is his kingdom. That's exactly it. And so Mark 9 and verse 1, Jesus says there, some will not even taste of death till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

unknown 21:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Acts 1 and verse 8, what did he tell his disciples that they would receive? They would be endued with power from on high. Yep. The Holy Spirit. That's right. And so, you know, Acts uh Mark 9 and verse 1 could not refer to the second coming of Jesus. No. It could not refer to a future uh millennium. That's right. It couldn't even refer to the modern age. That's right. It only fits Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. That's it. And the kingdom came with power. Acts. 1 and verse 8. That's right. Acts 2, verses 33 through 36, which I just talked about a moment ago, Jesus is enthroned and his spirit is poured out on the kingdom. And it's at that moment the kingdom's inaugurated, if you will. Peter never said the kingdom was delayed. No. As a matter of fact, in verse 30, as I said a moment ago, he said God had sworn that the fruit of his loins, he would rise up Christ to sit on the throne.

SPEAKER_02 22:33

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

That's not a future accomplishment. No, not at all. That's not something that will be accomplished. That's something that has been accomplished. That's right. And the kingdom was never meant to be political. We talked about that. John 18 and verse 36. Yep. Somebody's probably sitting in their car, probably already screaming that at the radio, you knuckleheads. John, John 18, 36, my kingdom is not of this world. For if my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight. Right? But Luke 17, 20 and 21, you know, Jesus taught the kingdom of God comes not with observation. For the kingdom of God, listen to this, is within you. Last week we talked about the importance of being in the Spirit of God, being in Christ, being in the Father, and the Spirit in us. That's right. And Christ in us, the Father in us. That's right. And the only way for that is to be in his word, which puts us into Christ. That's right. The body of Christ, which is his church. That's right. Just as Peter told them to do on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 and verse 38. So that we can be a part of that kingdom. That's right. And so Jesus never intended any earthly reign. By the way, when he was here, was he king? Absolutely. Absolutely, 100%. When he was here, he never intended an earthly reign, and his reign could not have been postponed.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

And his reign could not have failed. That's right. Christ's church, which by the way, is not a plan B. No. I've heard people say that that um oh it's true that Jesus didn't fail in his mission, but his ultimate mission was Luke 19, 10 to seek and save the lost. When someone says that that his was his ultimate mission, and his later mission is to establish the kingdom, that tells me they don't understand salvation. Right. Because salvation comes through the church, which is his kingdom. That's right. And the only way that we can be in the church is to be in his body.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

Yeah. Right. Well, and going back to that idea of the you know, Jesus and the church, that was not n that was never plan B. I think it's in uh this verse is, I mean, maybe maybe you're gonna say, Michael, this is a little out of context, but in Acts chapter 15, okay, the church in Jerusalem is trying to bind circumcision onto the Gentiles. They're trying to some of them, not the church, but some of the let's go back to Wasn't that Athens? Um No, certain men came from Judea and taught the brethren, unless you're circumcised accordingly. They end up going to Jerusalem to talk to Paul, to talk to Peter and the church. The elders, the elders, and they meet because what it is, it says there in verse 5, some of the sects of the Pharisees who believed rose up saying it was necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. Right. That's in Jer that happens in Jerusalem right there in that verse. They're in Jerusalem.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Yeah, but my point was was didn't that originate back at the end of chapter 14?

SPEAKER_02 26:21

Uh at the end of chapter 14, they're they go back there at Antioch. Paul and Barnabas are at Antioch, Athens.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Man, I want to go to Greece.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

That's what it is. They're at Antioch, right? Antioch of Syria, okay? Not Antioch of Poseidia, Antioch of Syria, and we can get into a whole big old thing about that another time. But but they're there at the church at Antioch. There's that says that the very last verse is, so they stay there a long time with the disciples, verse chapter 15, verse 1. Certain men come down from Judea and they they're teaching this doctrine of circumcision, right? Right, absolutely. They're trying to go back to the old law. They're trying to go back, yeah. And the whole thing is they're trying to go back to the old law. Now, they have this council meeting, James stands up, Peter talks, Paul and Barnabas talk, and and then um James, the half-brother of Jesus, he gets up and begins to talk. And this is talking about the Gentiles being um being given the gospel, just like the Jews, right? And he quotes Amos, and he says, After this I will return, I will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, I will build its ruins, I will set it up, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things. This is the point I want to make, verse 18. Known to God from eternity are all his works. Now I understand the context of this is talking about the Gentiles being given the gospel, right? But you cannot say that the church was plan B. And you cannot say anything that that was that that involves Jesus and what he did was plan B. It was never plan B. Known to God from eternity are all his works. Everything that he's ever done or ever going to do, it's always been his plan.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Absolutely. And that goes hand in hand with Ephesians 3, yeah, 10 and 11, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ. That's exactly right. Jesus our Lord. That's it. And and so God had a plan from before the foundation of the world, he had that plan and he did not fail in that plan. And while many of my friends that hold to this premillennial view that Christ is going to return, establish a kingdom, and reign for a thousand years, they they would tell you, Well, we don't believe that Jesus failed. It's just his purpose was not to establish a kingdom, it was to save souls. And and it goes back to I'm not certain they understand what it means to save a soul. That's right. Because we have to be in the body of Christ to be saved. In the body of Christ, Colossians chapter 3, well, Colossians 1, Colossians 3, there are many other passages, but the body and the church are one.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

They're one.

SPEAKER_01 29:04

You know, Ephesians 4. Yeah. 4 through 6. There's one body, one spirit, even as you're called in one hope of your calling, one. One faith, one hopefully baptism, yeah. Yeah. One God, Father of all, who's above all through all, and in you all. Yeah. And so the church is indeed God's eternal plan. And I'm glad you brought up Acts chapter 15. And I don't know why. I I guess I don't know, uh rain fart or something. It might have I don't know. But you know, you can't talk, and I can't think. It's Where's David? But I kept saying, what was it? I don't even know what I said. You say in Athens. And and I was like, I'm like, where are we at? They went all the way from Greece back to uh Greece back to Jerusalem. But no, but no, I'm glad you went to Acts chapter 15 because the Judaizing teachers there, they were trying to get the Gentile Christians to be circumcised, not just to be circumcised, but to keep the law of Moses. That's right. And what they did not realize is if they had to keep the law of Moses, that would mean the law of Christ, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is insufficient to save.

SPEAKER_02 30:23

And well, in Peter, let me find the verse. Peter says, Um, now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? What's he talking about there? Keeping the law. Yeah. You know, and then he says, he says, but we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved. Absolutely in the same manner as they.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Absolutely. You know, this idea of this thousand-year reign, this millennial kingdom. Um I hey, I know a lot of a lot of good Bible teachers. Yeah. I I that that hold to a um a millennial kingdom view. And and in some particular issues and some matters uh of of the scripture, they they really know their stuff.

SPEAKER_02 31:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

But I fail to grasp how a person can take this and say, This is a a priest. And I know it has to do with their theology. Right. I know it has to do with how they they view uh God and and their study of Him, but they pull all of this, the the thousand years and all that, they pull that from one chapter in Revelation, and that's Revelation 20. Yeah. And we have to remember Revelation is an apocalyptic language. Absolutely. It's apocalyptic language. Yep. It's very symbol uh symbolic. Yep. It it uses signs and symbols, and remember it was written to persecuted Christians.

SPEAKER_02 32:10

That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_01 32:10

And so it was written in that manner in which it would be unknown to those who were not Christian. Yeah, that's right. And and you know, Revelation 1 and verse 1 puts it into context for us that it it that uh the angel of the Lord showed and signified this to John. That word signified this. Yep. Uh means it communicated through signs.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

And and so in you know, in I've heard a lot of people that that believe in this this um this passage about the thousand years. Um you've heard people say um they they go to Psalm 90 in verse 4, a thousand years the Lord is one day, and one day is a thousand years are but as yesterday, or I forget how David wrote that. But um the fact of the matter is the burden of proof is on the one who insist that this one symbolic number overrides a clear teaching elsewhere that the kingdom is now established and that we are part of that kingdom. That's right. Also, it's on them to prove that this one symbolic number requires Jesus to leave heaven. That's right, to reign. Yeah. It also requires them to prove that that one symbolic number requires animal sacrifices again. Right. Because they run to Ezekiel and they run to uh um Daniel and other passages that are are apocalyptic in language. That's right. And in Ezekiel 40 uh really through 48, um, there are issues with that and and the idea behind all that. And and in other words, there are a lot of different consequences of holding to a premillennial doctrine or premillennial view to this. And I think unintentionally, uh it teaches some things that they don't realize that it does. Uh holding to that view it it it holds on to the fact that Jesus' mission was only partially successful. Um and that God had to improvise due to man's uh lack of obedience. Yeah. And the cross did not establish a kingdom, and that the church is only temporary. Yep. When the church is the earthly representation of the kingdom itself.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

Yep. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 34:59

And so the scripture teaches us though, Colossians 2 and verse 15, uh, having spoiled principalities and powers, triumphing over them, right? Um and then 1 Corinthians 15 talked about this a moment ago, verses 24 and following, that Christ reigns now until death is destroyed. Yeah, not after. Yeah, that's exactly right. And so um I I know we just kind of chased a rabbit on that.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

You know, I think it's important though that we cover all of that.

SPEAKER_01 35:33

You you can't just breeze over this this and this I I didn't want to just glaze over this and say, you know, well, just focus on the king and and yeah. And and that's something else. I if we have a pre-millennial view, why don't we call Jesus King? That's right. Because he's gonna one day be the king? Right. No, because he's already the king. And so, well, they might say, well, he's reigning in heaven. Well yeah. Yeah. But that's to imply that God doesn't, you know, that that Christ doesn't reign over all now. That's right. Um the scripture says he defeated death at the cross. That's right. Now, yes, it's true we still die. Yeah. But as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, there is even for us a bodily resurrection, and if not, we are of all men most pitiable. That's exactly right. And so, man, what a journey. Yeah. Season one has been for it's been awesome.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

I I think there's one thing though that if I can summarize, this unshakable hope. Okay? And for you listeners, I think this is so important that you really listen to what I'm about to say. Here's the hope. Jesus is King, He reigns. You can be a part of it by being a part of His church. Amen. And when this life is done, no matter how good, how bad, how up, how down, if you walk in the light and you're a part of His church, this unshakeable hope is that heaven will be your home.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

And let me let me say this that is absolutely so true, that that church, that is his church, is not a name over the door. No, it's not a title that we give ourselves. It's simply bearing the name of Christ. That's right. Nothing more, nothing less, it's simply a Christian living. That's it. From the very nature of God to our eternal hope.

SPEAKER_00 37:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

We've talked about everything to see. And and I say everything that we we could we could have from now to the end of our dying days and we'd never talk about it all. That's exactly right. But we've we'll we've gone from one end of the spectrum to the other uh this season. And Michael, you have any final word that you want to give to our listeners?

SPEAKER_02 38:15

Guys, we we are just thankful. I I I I I know I'm speaking for the group and David's not here, but I'm gonna go ahead and say for for myself, I'm thankful. I'm thankful for this opportunity to to talk about God's word with these two guys. I know David's not here, but these two guys that I love dearly, they're my brothers, they're my family. Um they're they're a strength, they're an encouragement. And uh I I'm so blessed to be able to do this with these guys. I think very highly of them. Um I'm so thankful that you are here with us. Absolutely. That you're listening to three guys that you don't really know anything about. Uh just just but but know if you don't know anything else about us, know this. We love the Lord. Absolutely. And we want to serve the Lord, we want to be a part of his church, and we all want to be in heaven together, and we want you to be there with us. I don't know your name, I don't know where you're from, I don't know what you're doing right now, but I want you to know that salvation can be there. It is there for you and you can have it.

SPEAKER_00 39:19

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 39:19

And so uh we hope that you've enjoyed this time with us. Uh we hope that that you will continue to listen to us as we dive deeper into the scripture, as we dive into more topics, as we learn more about what it means to just simply be a Christian. You can be a part of his church. Absolutely so easy, and you can do it.

SPEAKER_01 39:40

Absolutely. I say amen to everything that Michael just said and uh how he spoke of me and David, we feel the same about him. And we hope to to see you back season two. Absolutely. Um we're kicking around some ideas for the theme for uh season two. Uh we're thinking uh right now the new life and the church. Yep. And uh that may change, don't know. Yeah. Uh so don't quote us on that. But I will say this leading up to season two, we are planning on dropping some bonus content for you because I I don't misunderstand. We know that we have handled some things that people are gonna disagree with. Yeah. And and some of it is we understand why they disagree. Yeah and and and that's okay so long as we're studying and we so long as we uphold the truth of God's word as paramount in our lives. And and we want to to spend just a little bit more time on a couple of topics um that are probably hot button issues for some brethren. Yeah. And um uh, you know, we don't want believers to think that, oh, they're crazy, they've they've lost their mind. Right. And um, you know, my wife does tell me that I'm crazy quite often, but but that's for different reasons. So um, but no, seriously, um, guys, until season two, until the next episode, y'all stay in the word. Stay in the word. Study, study, study. And and be a Berean. Be a Berean. Love God, put him first in all that you say and do. We hope you have a wonderful day. Don't forget, check out our website, the Simply Christian Podcast.org.

SPEAKER_02 41:34

Yep, that's it.

SPEAKER_01 41:35

We love you. We're thankful that you listen to us. We hope to see you next season. May God bless.