Mark 12:30 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength".  What does the word ‘all’ mean?

Sincerely,
All For One

Dear All For One,

The word ‘all’ in that verse means ‘whole’.  The Greek word comes with the connotation of ‘the sum of something’s parts’.  For example, the ‘whole city’ means ‘every section of the city’.  God tells us to love Him with our whole heart, whole soul, whole mind, and whole strength – leave no corner of your soul and life untouched by His presence.

What is the meaning of “a thousand years with the Lord is as one day, and one day as a thousand years”?

Sincerely,
Tick Tock

Dear Tick Tock,

The verse you are referring to is 2 Pet 3:8.  When you put that verse in context, it is referring to how patient God is.  God created the world, and someday He will destroy it (2 Pet 3:11).  Mockers say that this will never happen because nothing cataclysmic has happened in their lifetime (2 Pet 3:3-4).  But in mocking God, they forget that things have changed throughout history.  One time God flooded the earth – that’s a big change (2 Pet 3:5-6), and someday He will destroy the earth by fire (2 Pet. 3:7).  Just because those events didn’t happen in our lifetime, doesn’t mean they didn’t or won’t happen.  God is very patient and gives mankind many years to repent and turn back to Him before the Final Judgment (2 Pet 3:8-9).

What are the keys to the kingdom?

Sincerely,
Locked In Confusion

Dear Locked In Confusion,

The keys to the kingdom are the teachings that provide access to salvation (which is only found in the church).  In Matt 16:13-15, Jesus asked His disciples who He was.  Peter told Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16-17).  After that statement, Jesus tells Peter that His church (which is the kingdom – Col 1:13) will be built upon the foundational rock of Peter’s statement that Jesus was the Christ (Matt 16:18).

After that statement, Jesus tells the apostles that they will be given the keys to the kingdom/church (Matt 16:19).  Keys provide access.  If you have the keys to a house – you can get in.  Keys to the car – you can drive it.  Keys to the kingdom – you know how to get into the church.  Jesus told the apostles that they would receive that key knowledge when the Holy Spirit came (Jhn 14:26).  The Holy Spirit gave the miraculous knowledge to the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Consequently, the apostles have written down this knowledge for us to read (Eph 3:4)… so that we can have the keys to the kingdom, too.

What happens to the pre-church saints at the rapture, and are there any references for this?

Sincerely,
Rapt Attention

Dear Rapt Attention,

The millennial rapture doctrine is a widely taught, but false, concept.  The Scriptures never describe a millennial kingdom or a worldwide event where all of the faithful are caught up to heaven before a great tribulation.  Pre-millenialism is a teaching that comes from taking parts of the book of Revelation out of context as well as misusing parts of the book of Matthew.  It is a very common teaching, but that doesn’t make it accurate.  We recommend reading “Left Behind”, “Tripping Over Tribulations”, and “I Was Told There’d Be Dragons” for further information on that topic.  If you are really interested, feel free to check out a series of classes one of our AYP writers taught on the book of Revelation.

As for what will happen to all the faithful who died before Christ came to this earth, they will be saved just like us.  Christ’s blood paid for the sins of those who had made animal sacrifices for their sins – Jesus paid the price those animals never could (Heb 10:1-5).  Jesus became the living sacrifice that the faithful of all ages depended upon.  Those who died before Christ lived faithfully under the Old Testament, trusting in the Savior who was to come (Heb 11:13), and they receive salvation as much as those who live under the New Testament.

Where in the Bible does it explain pre-creation events: fallen angels, rebellion, that sort of thing?

Sincerely,
Angelic Interests

Dear Angelic Interests,

The rebellion of the angels is not necessarily a pre-creation event.  The Scriptures never directly tell us when the angels were created – they may very well have been created during the six days of creation (Gen 1:1-31).  Having said that, the Bible gives very few details regarding the spiritual battle happening in the spiritual realm.  There is no one area of the Bible that addresses the topic.  Instead, we have a smattering of verses sprinkled throughout the Text that give us a glimpse into the heavenly realm.  Here are a few:

1. The devil has angels that follow him (Matt 25:41)
2. The devil and his angels have been banished from God’s presence by Christ’s sacrifice (Rev 12:9-11)
3. The devil’s angels are also called ‘demons’ (Lk 11:15-18)
4. Satan pretends to be an “angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14)
5. These sinful angels will not be spared by God (2 Pet 2:4)

Those are a few of the more noteworthy passages on the topic.  God gives us a minimal view into the heavenly battle over mankind, but what He does show us is exceedingly impressive.