The second stage will take place throughout the thousand-year Kingdom Age (Millennium) and is the purpose for the Kingdom Age. During the second stage, as I see it, the firstfruits of the Church will assist the remainder of the Church to gain total victory over worldliness, lust, and self-will. The remainder of the Church will be in the spirit realm at this time, I believe, because they did not satisfy the requirement for resurrection to immortality in the body. They will not be able to return to earth in a body until the time of the coming down from Heaven of the new Jerusalem.

One may object that people in the spirit realm cannot be delivered from worldliness, lust, and self-will—self-will, maybe, but not worldliness or lust.

Now stop and think.

Both worldliness and lust originated in the spirit realm and exist in the spirit realm. Satan is the god of the spirit that is in the world today.

God loves the world, but the spirit of the world God does not love. All that is in the spirit of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but of the spirit of the world, the spirit of Satan himself.

As far as lust is concerned, Adam and Eve were not created with lust in their bodies. Lust is a spiritual factor that inflames the normal desires of the flesh. It is demonic. It exists in the spirit realm even when there is no flesh for it to inhabit. When these unclean spirits are cast out they walk through dry places, the Lord informed us, not being able to express themselves through flesh.

It is likely that Christians who die without gaining victory over worldliness, lust, and self-will shall be dealt with in the spirit realm by appropriate means until they are free from these characteristics of Satan. If you stop and think about this you will see the sense of this idea.

But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. (I Peter 4:5,6—NIV)

So the plan is to deliver a part of the Body prior to the Lord's return, and then the balance of the Church during the thousand-year Kingdom Age.

The First Stage

Probably the strongest scriptural base for the two-stage plan, which I am proposing, is found in the Book of Revelation. There are two events set forth as the marriage of the Lamb, one occurring at the beginning of the thousand-year period and one after the thousand years have been concluded. This is where I derive the idea that the purpose of the thousand years is to perfect the Church.

Do you know of any other reason for the thousand-year period that makes sense or has scriptural support?

To be continued.