July 2007 - Volume 3, Issue 2

In this issue...
-- The Resurrection Body of Christ the Lord (Part 6)
-- Hear Dr. Whitcomb speak this month
-- Register now for the Fourth Annual Day with Whitcomb Ministries
-- Dr. Whitcomb part of new AiG DVD

The Resurrection Body of Christ the Lord (Part 6)
By Dr. John C. Whitcomb

At the dawn of the millennial kingdom on earth, our Lord Jesus Christ will reveal Himself in bodily form to all glorified and non-glorified believers. Just as He revealed Himself and His true identity to His astonished disciples for 40 days after His resurrection, often at mealtimes, so also will be His self-revelation at the inaugural kingdom banquet.

At the second coming of Christ in glory, probably culminating at this banquet, the nation of Israel will experience a transforming confrontation with their Messiah God. The Apostle John says that at His coming "every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him" (Revelation 1:7).

Especially at the banquet, as He serves them, they will see His nailed-pierced hands, just like the Apostle Thomas did in the upper room. A week earlier, Thomas, who had not been in that room when Jesus appeared to the ten apostles, emphatically declared: "Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25).

The amazing thing is that God spared his life for verbalizing such unbelief and rationalistic evidentialism! In infinite condescension, our Lord appeared to him in that same room, eight days later and said: "Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing" (John 20:27).

Now many Christians have assumed that the nation of Israel will not be converted until they see the Son of God at His coming. But that is highly improbable for at least two reasons. First, seeing Christ, even in His glorified state, cannot save people. Saving faith "cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). It must be remembered that Thomas was a genuine believer (cf. John 13:10-11) before he saw his glorified Savior and cried out, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Thomas was like those few "brethren" (1 Corinthians 15:6), among the 500, who "doubted" even at the sight of the resurrected Christ (Matthew 28:17). And he was also like the two on the road to Emmaus who doubted that He would ever rise from the dead (Luke 24:21; cf. Mark 16:9-14). To them our Lord sadly admonished: "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:25-26).

Today, we cannot see the risen Savior. But, by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit, we can trust in Him and be saved. "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). Yes, "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).

This will also be the case for the nation of Israel. Several years before they see their Messiah, they will put their faith in Him and be saved! How this is confirmed in the prophetic Scriptures will be our next study, God willing.

To Be Continued...

Hear Dr. Whitcomb speak this month
Dr. Whitcomb has a number of engagements during this patriotic month in the United States. If you cannot hear him in person where you live, you can always listen to any of the more than 335 messages from Whitcomb Ministries that are available on our pages at SermonAudio.com. We hope that our ministry will be a blessing to you in either case.

On Tuesday, July 3, and Wednesday, July 4, Dr. Whitcomb will speak at the national conference of the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches International, which will be held in Bolivar, Penn. For more information, call Amy Stiffler at 724-238-3677 or Ethan Kallberg at 802-888-4452.

On Sunday, July 22, Dr. Whitcomb will preach at the Eagle Creek Grace Brethren Church of Indianapolis, Ind. For more information, call Pastor Paul Woodruff at 317-293-3372.

On Sundays, August 5 and 12, Dr. Whitcomb will teach at the Harbour Shores Church of Cicero, Ind. For more information, call Pastor Don Jennings at 317-984-5552, or visit www.harbourshores.org.

From Friday, August 17, to Sunday, August 19, Dr. Whitcomb will speak at the McCalla Bible Church of McCalla, Ala. For more information, call Jimmy Dean Brown at 205-507-0901.

From Friday, August 24, to Sunday, August 26, Dr. Whitcomb will preach at The Living Hope Church of Winchester, Wis. For more information, contact Pastor Richard Krenz at 715-686-7502.

For additional details about these events, please visit our web pages at www.whitcombministries.org and www.sermonaudio.com/whitcomb.

(*Answers in Genesis-sponsored event. For more information on these conferences, visit www.answersingenesis.org/events.)

Register now for the Fourth Annual Day with Whitcomb Ministries
Make sure you save the date for the Fourth Annual Day with Whitcomb Ministries - to be held on Saturday, Nov. 10, in the Greater Milwaukee Area.
Our theme will be, "The Bible: The Christian's Essential Foundation."
Dr. John Whitcomb will teach on apologetics at this conference. His theme will be, "Helping People Believe the Bible," with the following messages:

* "The Conversion of an Evolutionist"
* "We Need Help!"
* "God's Perfect Provision"
* "The Value of Christian Evidences"

In addition to the teaching of Dr. Whitcomb, those who attend will be able to hear the music of Sherry Trainer, who has been confirmed as the soloist for this conference once again.
Much more information on this special event will be available soon. However, you may already register - at no cost - by calling 920-623-0257, e-mailing conference@whitcombministries.org, or using the form under "Events" at www.sermonaudio.com/whitcomb.
You may also register by sending your name, address and phone number to:

Whitcomb Ministries, Inc.
c/o Paul Scharf
N2485 County Road II
Columbus, WI 53925

Although admission is free, registration is still recommended, as only those who register will be guaranteed a conference packet.
You may also wish to make a donation, which will help us to continue this and other important ministries.
Please contact us using the information above if you would like a presentation regarding this conference for your church, Christian school, home school group or other organization, or if you would like a quantity of brochures.

Dr. Whitcomb part of new AiG DVD
Dr. John Whitcomb, along with Tim Lovett and Ken Ham, is a contributor to a new DVD published by Answers in Genesis called, "Noah's Ark: Thinking Outside the Box." For complete information, or to order this exciting new resource, visit the online Answers Bookstore.