Latest

Call to Worship

Gloria Patri

Worship in Songs
AM: Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven; Hymn of Heaven; I am His and He is mine
PM: A Mighty Fortress is our God; There is a Day

Scripture Reading: Revelation 20:1-15 ESV

Message: The Day of Judgement

Response Hymn: O Praise the Name (Anástasis)

Corporate Life & Prayer

Offering

Benediction

Announcements 

Speakers: Ps Ng Zhiwen (8.30am & 10.30am), Ps Dev Menon (4.30pm) 

8.30am
Service Coordinator: Sharon Quek
Worship Leader: Dn Tay Beng Hwee
Vocalist & Musicians: Morning Team 3

10.30am
Service Coordinator: Dn Charles Chia
Worship Leader: Eld Chuah Chin Yew
Vocalist & Musicians: Morning Team 3

4.30pm
Service Coordinator: Vanessa Lee
Worship Leader: Dn Peter Wang
Vocalist & Musicians: Afternoon Team 3

Pastors (more info)
Rev Dr Alby Yip, Senior Pastor	9844 9536
Rev Dr Dev Menon, Pastor	9829 6051
Rev Lim Jit Thye, (Cantonese-Mandarin)	9182 6957
Rev Daniel Nge, Pastor (Mandarin-English)	8428 0525
Rev Vernon Quek, Pastor	9796 0196
Rev Ng Zhiwen, Pastor	9092 6095
Rev Paul Yeo, Pastor (Hokkien)	9751 1897
Rev Ebinezar Mohan, Associate Pastor (Tamil)	8198 9696
Ministry Staff (more info)
Mrs Emily Quek, Special Projects	9001 2926
Mrs June Tan, Children’s Ministry	8388 1883
Mrs Sharon Quek, Overseas Ministries	9788 0195
Mr Danny Chua, AG/Safeguarding	9239 4160
Mr Quek Tze-Ming, Assoc Min Staff	9060 8340
Miss Jacqueline Lie, Youth Ministry	9322 7629
Miss Vanessa Lee, Women’s Ministry	9880 4507
Mr Joel Khoo, YAs/Discipleship	9368 9221
Mr Timothy Ong, Missions Educator	9271 5785

  

Our Church

Christianity Explored (CE) – Thank God for the 11 seekers and friends whom we had the joy and privilege to walk alongside with the past 7 weeks to share Jesus through the Gospel of Mark. As the course concludes this coming Wednesday, pray for our table hosts and members as they prayerfully seek out how they can continue supporting them in taking steps closer to Christ.

Our People

HY – Sister HY left in Nov 2023 to spend 6 months with Habibi International in West Asia. She gives thanks to God for how He has grown her during her time with them serving refugees in this challenging region. She is nearing the end of her time on the field and will return in about 2 weeks. She is grateful for this 6 months Internship and hopes to continue serving the NGO remotely from Singapore. Pray that she will have a good transition back to life in Singapore and also to process all that God has been doing in and through her.

Our Denomination

Emmanuel BP – We thank God for 2 of our members have volunteered to help out with the Mandarin-speaking service at our sister church. We pray that more ZB members will consider coming to help revitalise some of the church ministries and outreach work.

Our World

Indonesia – In a recent update, a partner in Sulawesi informed that in 2023, they started a special service for the hearing impaired/ deaf friends in their community under the name “Persekutuan Doa Suara Hati”. This is a wonderful way for them to receive teaching and encouragement in the word of God. They shared about Sister L, a deaf friend from a Christian family in their community who did not have the opportunity to grow in the Word because there was no sign language interpretation in her church. Since she joined the special service, she has been able to grow in her knowledge and faith and also serve as a worship leader. Thank God for this ministry.

India – One partner in the northeastern hills has requested prayer for 14 youths who are attending a one month intensive bible course. Pray that God will use this to raise up the next generation of leaders who will not be afraid to put their hand to the plow for the Lord’s harvest in India and beyond. Pray too for another partners’ training programme to train summer camp teachers for kids in May. The same partner is also conducting Life Skills Training for youths (25 boys and 25 girls), as well as prayer meetings and outreach to widows. May the Holy Spirit use these programmes to grow the faith of these youths and the next generation of Christian leaders in India. 

1. Ps Dev is preaching at Sembawang BP Church this morning.
2. Ps Alby is preaching at Herald BP Church this morning.
3. Bro Tze-Ming is preaching at Tamil Service this morning.
4. Our deepest condolences to Ps Ebi & Priya on the Homegoing of Mr Prabakar Jayachandran, aged 73, in India on 16 Apr 2024. He was Ps Ebi’s only brother. Please uphold the bereaved family in prayer.
5. Our deepest condolences to the family of Mr Cheong Kim Yean (ZS), aged 93, who went Home to be with the Lord on 19 Apr 2024. He was the father of Suzanne Cheong (ZB), father-in-law of Harry Tan and grandfather to Harrison and Nathan.

Fri, 26 Apr
8.00pm: Prayer Meeting 
Register at www.zionbishan.org.sg/fpm

Sat, 27 Apr
4.00pm: Youth Fellowship
Register at www.zionbishan.org.sg/yf

Sun, 28 Apr
Worship Services at 8.30am, 10.30am & 4.30pm

[ Revelation Series ]

28 Apr
I am Making All Things New (Rev 21:1-22:15)
Ps Zhiwen ( 8.30am & 10.30am )                
Ps Dev ( 4.30pm )

5 May
I am Coming Soon (Rev 22:6-21)
Mr Quek Tze-Ming ( 8.30am & 10.30am )                
Mr Joel Khoo ( 4.30pm )

12 May
Review of Revelation
Ps Alby ( 8.30am & 10.30am )                
Ps Vernon  (4.30pm )

By Ps Dev Menon

In Revelation 20:1-6, the phrase “a thousand years” is mentioned six times. This phrase is rather unique in Scripture, with only a couple of other brief uses in Psalm 90:4 & 2 Peter 3:8. 

Clearly it refers to a prolonged period of time where Satan is restrained and the saints reign with Christ before final judgment and the new creation. But when and how exactly does that happen? That has been the focus of intense debate for close to 3000 years (yes you read that right)! 

Even before Revelation was written, many Jewish scholars believed in a golden age; where with the coming of the Messiah, the law of Moses would extend beyond Jerusalem to the ends of the earth – quoting passages like Isaiah 11, 65 and Psalm 72.

Some early church fathers, like Justin and Tertullian, took a similar view. Just like God worked 6 days and rested the 7^th; so at the end of 6000 years Christ would come and physically reign with all His saints, raised from the dead, for 1000 years, in an Edenic age – before the new creation. 

However, there were those like Augustine, who insisted that the language of Rev 20 (and those OT passages) was symbolic, describing the present time. A sort of “church age”, where right now the saints are raised and reigning with Christ spiritually for a symbolic 1000 years. After which, Christ will return in judgment. 

Still others like Eusebius, agreed that the thousand years was symbolic, but with one major difference. They saw the world becoming more aligned with the gospel. The kingdoms of the world would eventually become the kingdom of God politically – a kind of Christendom. After a long period of flourishing, Christ returns in judgment. 

In a sense, not much has changed today. All three views still exist, in a variety of flavours… 

There is premillennialism. In this view, Christ returns to live physically for 1000 years with His resurrected saints (or martyrs) in earthly glory. After which, final judgment and the new creation. Scholars such as Spurgeon, W. Grudem and D. A. Carson take this view. 

Just to note, there is a popular variation in the 19th-20th century called dispensationalist premillennialism. This novel view included an initial return of Christ, where He rescues the saints from impending tribulation, before returning a 2nd time to begin the literal 1000 years. John MacArthur and Norman Geisler take this view.

There is amillennialism. In this view the 1000 years is symbolic for this present age, where the world is getting worse, yet the church is spiritually reigning with Christ. After the age (however long it is), Christ returns for final judgment and inaugurates the new creation. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and reformed scholars like M. Horton and G. Beale take this view. 

There is postmillennialism. In this view, again the 1000 years is symbolic, but this time the world is getting better (thanks to the preaching of the gospel) and will eventually align with the kingdom of God. After the age (however long it is), Christ returns for final judgment. Many 17^thC Puritans, Jonathan Edwards and B. B. Warfield took this view. 

As you can imagine, this passage has proven to be notoriously difficult. Because it’s so brief and seems unique, interpretations differ wildly, and many change their views within their lifetime! It’s harder still when the Biblical scholars and pastors that many respect fall into different camps!

Yet what was helpful for me was the Westminster Confession. In my studies, I realised there were pastors in the assembly who held to each of the 3 major views. Yet despite their differences, they gave each other some latitude, while others graciously conceded for the sake of unity. More than that, they had the common conviction that if they kept studying God’s Word, the Holy Spirit would give understanding. In the end they produced that wonderful document that helped so many!

I am glad that the BPCIS pastors (and our ZB preaching team) have now come to the same understanding. We may disagree on a particular interpretation (in many Revelation passages!) but in humility, we also agree that we don’t understand it completely. Thus we then agree to keep discussing Scripture in its entirety. By doing this, we trust that the Spirit of God will bring us to a greater level of unity in Christ. 

May it be so with the whole of church of God. 

Missions Prayer Night

Come and hear SA & J’s story, their desire and their plans to bring God’s love to a neighbouring country.

Date: 26 Apr 2024
Time: 8-9pm
Venue: Zoom only

Register at https://zionbishan.org.sg/fpm to receive the Zoom link if you’re not yet in our FPM channel.