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Posts Tagged ‘Book of Revelation’

THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE, BE READY!

Posted in Articles, BIBLE, English Posts, GOSPEL, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 25, 2013| 3 Comments »

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 THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE ,BE READY

By Marc Roy


THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IS A CONTREVERSIAL SUBJECT, BUT I BELIEVE WE ARE TO TAKE A LITERAL VIEW OF SCRIPTURES, AND NOT A SYMBOLIC VIEW.

THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS THE ONLY BOOK OF THE BIBLE THAT PROMISES A SPECIAL BLESSING TO THEM WHO READ IT.

REV 1:3.
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
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((( GOD’S WARNING )))

REV 22:18 AND 19.
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.
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((( WHAT IS THE RAPTURE ? )))

THE OPPOSITION TO THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE WORD RAPTURE IS NOT EVEN IN THE BIBLE. I’VE HEARD THAT SO MANY TIMES, THAT IT MAKES ME WONDER IF ANYBODY REALLY STUDIES ANYMORE, OR IF THEY JUST PARROT WHAT THEY’VE HEARD SOMEONE ELSE SAY.

THE ENGLISH WORD RAPTURE IS NOT IN THE BIBLE, AND ALTHOUGH THAT’S TRUE, NEITHER IS THE WORD BIBLE, OR TRINITY. THE LATIN TRANS;ATORS OF THE BIBLE USED THE WORD RAPTURO, THE ROOT OF THE ENGLISH WORD RAPTURE. IN OUR BIBLES, THE SAME GREEK WORD, HARPAZO IS TRANSLATED CAUGHT UP, WHICH MEANS TO BE SEIZE UPON WITH FORCE, OR TO SNATCH UP.

AT THE RAPTURE, THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST ( DEAD OR LIVING ) WILL BE CHANGED INTO A NEW GLORIFIED BODY, IMMORTAL BODIES, AND THEN WE ARE CAUGHT UP INTO THE AIR TO MEET THE LORD, AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD. AMEN.
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1 THESS 4:16 AND 17.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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1 COR 15:51 AND 52.

51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
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((( THE RAPTURE IS FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST )))

THE RAPTURE IS EXCLUSIVELY FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST, THOSE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED THE LORD’S DEATH ON THE CROSS TO REDEEM THEM, WEATHER THEY ARE JEW OR GENTILES.

1 COR 12:13.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
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THE RAPTURE IS NOT FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL AS A WHOLE, OR THE INHABITANTS WHO HAVE REJECTED JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR ( MESSIAH ) THEY ARE NOT IN CHRIST.

MANY PEOPLE WILL TURN TO CHRIST DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD AND BECOME WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS TRIBULATION SAINTS, AND THESE SAINTS WILL BE BEHEADED FOR THEIR FAITH, AND THE REST OF THE UNSAVED PEOPLE DO NOT RECOGNIZE JESUS UNTIL HE COMES BACK TO THE EARTH TO SMITE THE NATIONS AT HIS SECOND COMING. ( REV 19,15 )
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((( WE MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR )))

WHEN JESUS COMES TO RAPTURE THEM THAT ARE IN CHRIST, HIS FEET WILL NOT TOUCH THE GROUND, FOR WE WILL MEET HIM IN THE AIR. THE RAPTURE IS CHARACTERIZED AS A TRANSLATION COMING, FOR THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE WITH RESURRECTED BODIES, AND WE WHO ARE ALIVE WILL BE CHANGED IN A MOMENT, IN A TWINKLING OF AN EYE, WHICH GENERAL ELECTRIC HAS MEASURED TO BE ELEVEN HUNDREDS OF A SECOND.
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((( HAS ANYONE BEEN CAUGHT UP BEFORE ? )))

YES, GOD HAS REMOVED INDIVIDUALS FROM THE EARTH FOR HIS OWN PARTICULAR REASONS, AND HE HAS THE POWER TO CATCH UP THOSE HE CHOOSES AT THE APPOINTED TIME.

((( ENOCH )))

GENESIS 5:23 AND 24.
23) And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

24And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
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HEB 11:5.
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
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((( ELIJAH )))

2 KINGS 2:11.
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
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((( THE TWO WITNESSES )))

REV 11:12.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
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((( JESUS )))

ACTS 1:9.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight..

JOHN 16:7.
Jesus was taken up to heaven to allow for the Holy Spirit to come indwell the believers at Pentecost.
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((( WHERE IS THE RAPTURE MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE ? )))

IN REVELATION 4:1 JOHN IS TAKEN IN THE SPIRIT TO SEE THOSE THINGS WHICH MUST TAKE PLACE AFTER THIS, MEANING AFTER THE CHURCH AGE DESCRIBED IN CHAPTERS 2 AND 3 OF REVELATION.

REV 4:1 AND 2.
1) After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

2) And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
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JOHN’S TRANSLATION TO THE THRONE IN HEAVEN PICTURES THE CHURCH AT THE END OF THE AGE. IT OCCURS PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE FIRST SEAL, AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE ( REV 6,1 ).

THE COME UP HERE COMMAND HEARD BY JOHN IS THE SAME COMMAND GIVEN TO THE TWO WITNESSES IN REVELATION 11,12 WHEN THEY WERE TRANSLATED BACK TO HEAVEN.

THERE ARE TOO MANY MISGUIDED CHRISTIANS WHO TRY TO RELATE THE LAST TRUMP OF 1 CORINTHIANS 15,52 WITH THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR POST TRIBBERS, BUT EASILY RECTIFIED IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE JEWISH FEASTS.
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REVELATION 11:12.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
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((( ARE THERE TWO COMINGS OF CHRIST ? )))

YES, LET’S LOOK AT TWO OF THE WAYS THE WORD COMING IS USED IN REFERENCE TO CHRIST’S RETURN.
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((( CHRIST’S SECOND COMING TO EARTH )))

COMING –  PAROUSIA ( STRONG’S -) BEING NEAR, ADVENT ( OFTEN RETURN SPECIFIC OF CHRIST TO PUNISH JERUSALEM, OR FINALY THE WICKED ) PHYSICAL ASPECT – COMING PRESENCE.
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MAT 24:27.
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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2 THESS 2:8.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
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AT CHRIST’S SECOND COMING, THE LORD APPEARS WITH HIS SAINTS, COMING FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH TO SET UP HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM ( ZECHARIAH 14, 4 AND 5 AND MAT 24, 27 TO 31 ).
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((( THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH )))

COMING PAROUSIA ( VINE’S – # 3952 ) – LITERAL, A PRESENCE WITH. WHEN USED OF THE RETURN OF CHRIST, AT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, IT SIGNIFIES, NOT MERELY HIS MOMENTARY COMING FOR HIS SAINTS, BUT HIS PRESENCE WITH THEM FROM THAT MOMENT UNTIL HIS REVELATION AND MANIFESTATION TO THE WORLD.
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1 CORINTHIANS 15:23.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. (rapture).
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1 THESSALONIANS 4:15 TO 17.
15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
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16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
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17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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2 THESSALONIANS 2:1 AND 2
1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
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THE MOVEMENT OF THE BELIEVER AT THE RAPTURE IS FROM EARTH TO HEAVEN IN WHICH THE LORD COMES TO CALL HIS BRIDE UP TO HIS FATHER’S HOUSE ( JOHN 14,3 ).

1.The falling away

The Bible states that “the” falling away will come first. The phrase falling away may also be translated ‘apostasy’ or the ‘falling away from God’s truth’. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 it specifically refers to the final apostasy (revolt), indicating that many will fall away from God’s truth. If you look at the condition of the world we live in today, I’d say we’re there now. When you look at Christianity today, you may just wonder, “Where is the Bible?” The decay of Biblical truths within the church is overwhelming.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2. The restrainer is removed

The Bible then states, “He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way”

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The ‘He‘ that Paul is referring to in these verses is not the person of the Holy Spirit. Translated from the Greek noun pneuma, ‘He’ is not gender specific – it is used in the neutered sense – being neither male nor female. The person of the Holy Spirit is the pronoun ekeinos – in the masculine.

Jesus in the flesh [his body], had to be taken to heaven to allow the Holy Spirit to come indwell the believers (John 16:7). In the same way, the church [his body] must be taken to heaven to remove the indwelling Holy Spirit from the earth. It will be like Pentecost in reverse.

The Greek word for taken (ginomai) means awakened, altered, to arise, be removed, be assembled, and be married to. It describes what happens to the church [the bride of Christ] not the Holy Spirit. When the bride of Christ is removed, things will go back to the way they were before Pentecost. The Holy Spirit will be here on earth so that He can lead people to Christ, but the Holy Spirit-filled Christians won’t be here – just as it was prior to Pentecost. Right now, the body of Christ is restraining the man of sin, and we are not about to roll over and play dead. We know by looking at the Old Testament that the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth doesn’t restrain sin. The body of Christ must be removed before the Antichrist can be revealed to the world.

3. Then, the lawless one is revealed

Now that the restrainer (the Body of Christ) has been taken out of the way, the man of sin (Antichrist) is able to make his grand entrance on a white horse. As Jesus opens the first seal in Revelation 6:1, the Antichrist goes out “conquering and to conquer.”

Revelation 6:1-2 1And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Our Blessed Expectation

There are several passages that tell us that the faithful believer (those not in darkness) will not be caught by surprise. See Elijah Wasn’t Surprised! We are expected to know the signs of the times. Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for not knowing the day of their visitation!

Luke 21:28 28And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

1 Thessalonians 5:4 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Why is this all happening?

Daniel wanted to know what was meant by the prophecy in the book of Jeremiah, that said God “would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:2). The angel Gabriel came to Daniel and told him what it meant.

Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks (of years) are determined for your people [Israel] and for your holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

Gabriel told Daniel that seventy weeks would be determined upon your people, the people of Judah, and your holy city, Jerusalem. The seventy years is the time that God has specifically set aside for dealing with His people – the nation of Israel. Since one week signifies seven years in the Bible, seventy weeks is 490 years.

The prophecy in Daniel 9:24 states that at the end of 490 years, the transgression would be finished, sins would end, reconciliation for iniquity would be made forever, everlasting righteousness would be brought in, visions and prophecies would be sealed, and the most Holy – the Messiah, would come back to redeem the world. Gabriel also told Daniel when the Messiah would come to earth the first time.

Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks [years], and threescore and two weeks: [years]. (69 weeks of years)

The End of the 69th Week of Daniel

On April 6, A.D. 32, sixty-nine weeks or 483 years (this includes leap years) after Gabriel gave Daniel the meaning of the prophecy (Daniel 9:25) Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, so the prophecy was fulfilled precisely. (Prophecy has ALWAYS been fulfilled precisely and will continue to be fulfilled precisely.)

John 1:11 11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Sixty-nine out of the prophesied seventy weeks ended that day when the nation of Israel rejected their Messiah. And because they rejected Him, God concealed the truth from them.

Luke 19:41-42 41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thin e eyes.

Romans 11:8 8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

Psalm 69:23 23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not;

When Israel rejected their Messiah, God’s ‘clock’ stopped, marking the end of the sixty-ninth week. From that time through the present day, we have been in an unspecified period of time, uncertain when the seventieth week would begin.

What happens between the 69th and 70th weeks?

God offers the gift of salvation to the Gentiles to provoke Israel to jealousy.

Romans 11:11 11I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Romans 11:25 25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

On the day of Pentecost the church was born, and God switched His attention from the age of Law [Israel], to the age of Grace [the Church]. But He is not finished with Israel!

Romans 10:1-4 1Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Ephesians 1:9-10 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

The ‘fullness of the times’ is when Christ gathers together those who are in Him, both in heaven (dead) and on the earth (living) – the rapture of the church.

When does the 70th Week begin?

It begins when the Antichrist confirms the covenant (treaty) with Israel, and God starts His ‘clock’ up again.

Daniel 9:27 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (7 years): and in the midst of the week (3 ½ years) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.

Confirm, literally translated means, he will ‘enforce the covenant upon the many.’ The question is when does he do that? Keep your eyes open for Israel to sign a 7-year peace treaty.

First, there will be much speculation as to the whereabouts of the ones who vanished (when the church is raptured). People will come up with all sorts of explanations for it; UFO’s invaded the earth (look what’s happening with the Raelian Movement) or, Mother Earth has purged herself of the intolerant religious fanatics who were hindering the movement to a peaceful ‘One World’ order. I believe that the Antichrist will use this unique opportunity to offer consolation and peace to the world. He will rise in power sufficient enough to enforce the covenant with Israel for seven years.

Matthew 24: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

What happens during the 70th Week?

Beginning with the opening of the first seal in Revelation 6, and continuing through the opening of all seven seals, God exhorts the Jews, His chosen people, to repent. This ‘week’ is sometimes referred to as ‘Jacob’s trouble’, which pertains to the descendents of Jacob/Israel (God renamed Jacob ‘Israel’ after He struggled with him, Gen. 32:28). This is a period of time for God to deal with Israel as a nation, and all who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. It is NOT a time for the Church to be purified through persecution, as many in the church like to think. The precious blood of Jesus has already fully purified His true bride.

Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. (A remnant will be saved – Jeremiah 13:8)

This 7-year period [known as The Tribulation] is actually two 3 ½ year periods. At the end of 3 ½ years, the Antichrist breaks the covenant with Israel, takes away the daily sacrifice, and places there the abomination of desolation, thereby ushering in the second 3-½ years – called the Great Tribulation.

Daniel 11:36 Then the king (Antichrist) shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.

Matthew 24:15-16, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

For those still on the earth when the first 3 ½ years (1260 days) have ended, you could literally count the days until Christ returns with His saints.

Revelation 13:5 He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. (1260 days)

(Why then are there an additional 30 days mentioned in Daniel 12:11? And why does Daniel 12:12 say “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days”? Although Daniel does not explain these varying durations, it does not alter the timing of Christ’s return. The establishment of Christ’s millennial kingdom requires time, and His Advent may be followed by several divine judgments (Matt. 25:31-46) and the regathering and judgment of Israel (Ezek. 20:34-38).

For the Gentiles, this will be a period in which they betray Jesus and go through torment and destruction to the end. Some assume that this is an all out attack by Satan, when in reality it is God who has granted him the authority to do so, just as He did with Job. As Jesus opens each seal of the scroll, another form of destruction is permitted to come upon the inhabitants of the earth. Power is also given to the angels to bring famine, disease, death, and to torture the unrepentant ungodly people. Although the Lord desires for more people to turn to Him for forgiveness, many continue to blaspheme Him. Only a few will survive the final 3 ½ years.

Revelation 13:7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

The saints? Yes, don’t forget, the Holy Spirit is still leading people to salvation during the 70th week. These saints are specifically called the “Tribulation Saints” because they have become believers during the tribulation period. The Bible says that these saints are beheaded for their testimony of Christ. They are NOT the church (the Bride of Christ) – the Church Age will have already ended and the Bride is already with her Jewish Bridegroom.

Colossians 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.

God will save His remnant out of Israel.

Zechariah 13:8-9 “and it shall come to pass in all the land,” says the Lord, “that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it; I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.'”

The church will not be present for the seventieth week, as it was not present during the first sixty-nine weeks [Remember the church wasn’t born until Pentecost, which was after Israel rejected their Messiah].

Where is the church during the 70th Week?

We spend the ‘week’ in the marriage chamber, according to Jewish tradition. Our bridegroom is Jewish and has taken us to His Father’s house for the weeklong marriage celebration

John 14:2 “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.”

Jewish customs are often used as illustrations in the Bible. It is not coincidence that in John 14:2, Jesus chooses the precise words that a Jewish bridegroom would use when addressing his future bride. He tells her he is going to prepare a place for her. Then he leaves to go back to his father’s house to prepare the marriage chamber. When He returns for his bride she is supposed to be ready and waiting for him. He takes her back to his father’s house where they enter the bridal chamber – the marriage is consummated – and the bridal week begins.

Isaiah 27:20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.

Based on Jewish tradition, the bride and groom remain in the bridal chamber for one week during the wedding celebration. This is more than just an interesting parallel; it is a direct foreshadowing of things that will happen. Jesus will come to take His bride to His Father’s mansion, where we will enjoy a seven-year wedding “week”.

Ephesians 5:31-32 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

At the end of the seven-year [tribulation], the bride of Christ is no longer referred to as the bride, but rather His wife! (Rev. 19:7).

After Christ and the church are married, we return to earth with Him (Rev 19:14). We will watch Him, as He alone, strikes the nations.

(I can’t understand why Christians think Jesus would hurt His own “BRIDE”!) Can you imagine Jesus saying something like, “I will be back to marry you. But first I am going to beat the life out of you.”

It’s worth briefly mentioning, that Israel cannot be the bride of Christ. As the law was set forth in Leviticus, a High Priest cannot marry someone who is divorced or widowed. Jesus is OUR (the church’s) High Priest.

Leviticus 21:13-14 And he [the high priest] shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot – these he shall not marry.

We know that Israel is an adulterous wife, already married to the God the Father.

Isaiah 54:5 For your Maker is your husband.

Jeremiah 3:14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord, “for I am married to you.

Jesus returns to earth!

Yes, and we come with Him for a thousand year ‘honeymoon’. When Jesus returns to earth with His heavenly armies and His saints, He is coming to smite the nations, and to set up His millennial kingdom. It is at this time that rebellious Israel and all unbelievers will realize that He is the Messiah – The King of Kings.

Israel Will Mourn For Him

Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Sprit of grace and supplication; then they will look upon Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Every Eye Will See Him

Rev. 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him [Israel]. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.

Matthew. 24:30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

His Feet Will Touch The Ground

Zechariah 14:3-4 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, and He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two.

The Saints Come With Him

Zechariah 14:5 Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You.

Colossians 3:4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

The oldest prophecy in the Bible was by Enoch regarding Christ’s return to earth. He said it was a time to execute judgment on all. For God to include the redeemed during His execution of judgment on the people of the world would mean that the blood Jesus shed on the cross wasn’t sufficient to justify us. Once we have been made the righteousness of God, we cannot be judged for sin a second time.

Jude 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all.”

Exhortation

A post tribulation perspective would lead us to store up food and survival equipment out of fear. How can our children grow in their love for the Lord when they believe that He will make them endure years of undeserved judgment and punishment? They would be subjected to seeing their friends, neighbors and relatives dying all around them.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We would be teaching our precious little ones that God punishes His obedient and SAVED children. Fear is ALWAYS from Satan, and our children should never be living with it.

2 Timothy For God has not given us spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

When we take God’s Word literally, we know that the true believer must be escorted to heaven before the 70th week of Daniel can begin. We don’t fear the future when we understand and believe what God has said to us – and we can focus on spreading the truth. If you need help understanding, there is One you can ask.

John 14:26 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.

Don’t let the devil steal the truth from you. Don’t let him kill your hope. And don’t let him destroy your faith. Jesus has come that you may have an abundant life!

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

I share this with you in the hope that it will renew your hope for the future and to remind you that God’s promises are true and His words are everlasting. Everything that He said would happen WILL happen exactly at the appointed time. This note is not meant to be the final word. Only God’s Word is final, so get in it and run to and fro!

But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end. [Then] many shall run to and fro and search anxiously [through the Book], and knowledge [of God’s purposes as revealed by His prophets] shall be increased and become great. (Dan. 12:4.)

EVERY MAN THAT HAS THIS HOPE IN HIM ( THE RAPTURE ), PURIFIES HIMSELF, EVEN AS HE IS PURE 1 JOHN 3:3. DO YOU HAVE THIS HOPE IN YOU ? IF SO, YOU ARE PURIFYING YOURSELF, AND LIVING A HOLY OBEDIENT LIFE AWAITING HIS SOON COMING.

LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE, AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. TITUS 2:13.

LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED, YE BELIEVE IN GOD, BELIEVE ALSO IN ME, 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 UNTO MYSELF, THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO JOHN 14:1 TO 3.

WATCH THEREFORE, AND PRAY ALWAYS, THAT YOU MAY BE ACCOUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE ALL THESE THINGS THAT SHALL COME TO PASS, AND TO STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN. LUKE 21:36.

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THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE

Posted in BIBLE, English Posts, GOSPEL, tagged , , , , , , , on July 29, 2013| 2 Comments »

THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE

Posted on June 24, 2013 by

The Pretribulation Rapture

What is the Pretribulation Rapture?

The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. The Apostle Paul gave a clear description of the rapture event in his letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess, 4:16-18).

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:51-53).

The timing of the rapture is not known. From the Word of God and from sound reasoning–something Jesus used quite frequently–I hope to prove the reality of the pretribulation rapture.

The word “rapture” comes from Paul’s “caught up” remark in verse 17. The words “caught up” are translated from the Greek word harpazo, which means “to carry off,” “snatch up,” or “grasp hastily.” The translation from harpazo to “rapture” involved two steps: first, harpazo became the Latin word raptus; second, raptus became the English word “rapture.”

Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture

The Unknown Hour
When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus’ return, we find verses that tell us we won’t know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase “neither the day nor the hour” to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it’s time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride’s house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father’s house. This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father’s house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev 19:14).

What They Didn’t Teach You in History Class
Many groups try to discredit the pre-trib rapture by saying most of the end-time events in the Bible have already taken place. A group of people called preterists claims that the Book of Revelation was mostly fulfilled by 70 AD. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I’m at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred.

The People of the Millennium
If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly, who would be left to populate the earth during the millennium? Only the pre-trib viewpoint can account for this post-trib problem. The Church is raptured before the tribulation, a vast number of souls are saved during this seven-year time frame, and those who make it through the tribulation go into the millennium while the unsaved are cast into hell.

The Saint U-Turn
In the pre-trib scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. Revelation 1:7 states that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. If He’s already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?

“Come Up Hither”
Many pre-trib writers cite Revelation 4:1, which says, “come up hither,” as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church, leaving Revelation chapters 1 through 3 as a description of the Church Age. After the shout to “come up hither,” the Church is not mentioned in Scripture at all. The attention of Scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel.

Armies in Fine Linen
When Jesus returns (Rev. 19:18), an army follows Him. The army’s members are riding on white horses, and they are clothed in fine linen that is white and clean. In Revelation 19:8, we are told that the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. If the saints of God are returning with Christ to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not possible to have a post-trib rapture without us running into ourselves as we are coming and going.

The Time of Jacob’s Trouble
In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase “Jacob’s trouble” pertains to the descendants of Jacob. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel’s 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, “70 weeks are determined unto thy people” (Dan 9:24). Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians. However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God’s protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation would have to be an exception.

“He” That is Taken Out of the Way
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain “He” must be taken out of the way. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the “He” that must be removed is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit. It has been promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church.

War or Rapture
(Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. For those who believe in a post-trib rapture, it would be strange to meet your Lord and Savior just as He’s rushing into battle. The idea that war and rapture could occur together is difficult to imagine, especially since they transpire at the same moment.

The Five Foolish Virgins
The wedding story that Jesus gave in Matthew 25:2-13, I believe, is a parable of the rapture of the Church. It explains how some will not be ready. Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on an event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides, heaven. Although some try to put this parable in a post-trib context, it doesn’t fit very well. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the Lord because they’ll immediately be confronted by Him and His army of angels.

God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God’s anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-trib view would make God’s promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it’s impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died–both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God’s promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world.

The Salt of the Earth
Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). When the believers are supenly removed, the earth will be plunged into spiritual darkness. When this happens, the Antichrist will then be free to control the world.

God Takes an Inventory
In Revelation 7:3, an angel descends to earth and seals the servants of God. Two bits of information about this sealing highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The first item is the number of people sealed: 144,000. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the 12 tribes of Israel. For the events in Revelation 7:3-8 to be true in a post-trib interpretation, either the Church has turned against God or God has turned against the Church. A post-tribber could write a thousand-word commentary about why the Church doesn’t need to be sealed. Instead of trying to argue about why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, “We’re already in heaven.”

Noah and Lot as Examples
The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over whether the time frame Jesus was talking about in that passage was pre-trib or post-trib. In doing so, they miss an important point. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved.

Common-Sense Reasons for Believing in the Pretribulation Rapture

The World Test
One way to check the soundness of a doctrine is to see how the world reacts to it. One company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. One of the questions was, “Do you believe in the rapture?” If you answered “yes,” your chances of getting hired would not be good. Some internet sites do not allow the topics of Rapture or Second Coming. They do allow topics such as sex, gays, and drugs. The only time the news media mentions the rapture is when someone sets a date and is proven to be wrong.

That Old-Time Religion
It used to be a rule of thumb that when one was visiting a church or listening to a preacher, one could assume the preacher believed in repentance, prayer, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost if he taught the rapture doctrine. It was also true that the churches on fire for God worshipped out of storefronts. Today, many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principal doctrines.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end-time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. Some organizations, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, teach a false gospel and are heavily into Bible prophecy. Why, then, don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses teach a false doctrine that would be right up their alley? Could it be that the demonic forces that influence these groups know something that Christians opposed to the rapture don’t know? The list of prophetically minded cults that reject the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God and the Moonies, as well as leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.

The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist
If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians were praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England outperformed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany. If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. In Revelation 11:3, the two witnesses alone give the Antichrist enough headaches. Millions of Christians who know their Bibles well would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead the whole seven years.

We should all remember one thing: Knowing the Antichrist’s mother’s maiden name isn’t the primary goal. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and having your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life should be your number-one priority. The jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

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THE EARLY CHURCH AND THE RAPTURE

Posted in Articles, BIBLE, English Posts, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 29, 2013| 1 Comment »

 

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The Early Church And The Rapture

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Q. We are studying Revelation in the home study
at my house, and I know I am going to butt heads with the leader over the Rapture. He is convinced of a “mid trib” Rapture, because he doesn’t believe we would be taken out of the world to escape persecution, which is all he sees in the first half, not the wrath of God.

He has also cited that tired “fact” that no church father ever taught or believed in a rapture. I know there is not a huge amount written about it, but I do know there are some who believed it. Would you givean example please?534352_125603257575371_100003770935740_117468_1946230387_n

A.  The mid- trib view is impossible to defend from
Scripture, which is probably why your friend relies on opinion.  It’s very name is misleading because the mid trib position actually placesthe rapture in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week, just before the Great Tribulation begins. So it’s technically a pre-tribulation rapture.

Since the Great Tribulation begins in Rev.13,mid-tribbers have the Church going through the seals and 6 of the 7trumpet judgments, leaving earth at about the time of the 7th Trumpet in
Rev. 11.  By then over 1/3 of the world’s population will have died and a group of tribulation martyrs too big to number will have arrived in Heaven (Rev. 7:9-17). That’s a bit more intense than “mere” persecution.

Paul was the best known proponent of the pre-trib rapture, having personally introduced it to the Church.  If you read the text carefully, you’ll find that 2 Thessalonians 2 doesn’t make sense unless Paul had taught them the pre-trib position when he was there.

The Book of Revelation clearly states that God’s wrath begins in Rev. 6 with the Seal Judgments.   Paul taught that since we have now been justified by the Lord’s blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him (Romans 5:9).  In 1 Thes. 1:10 he said that the church would be rescued from the time, place, or any relation to the coming wrath, because we weren’t appointed to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes 5:9).  And the Lord Himself said that He would keep us out of the hour of trial coming upon the whole world (Rev. 3:10).

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DAYS OF PRAISE-Lukewarm Laodicea-Institute for Creation Research

Posted in Articles, BIBLE, English Posts, UNITY OF DISCIPLES, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 

 

Lukewarm Laodicea

 

July 14, 2012

 

 “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; . . . I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:14-16)

 

The Lord Jesus used intense language to rebuke this church, the last of the seven He had John write to in the book of Revelation. Laodicea was dangerously near the brink of being disavowed by He who is the Head of the church.

 

 Such churches believe they “have need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17). Worldly wealth, extensive property, and popular recognition blinded these members and their leaders to their true spiritual condition. They failed to understand that, from the Lord’s perspective, they are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

 

 The cause of this terrible spiritual destitution is being spiritually tepid. It’s like expecting a glass of cold water or a cup of hot tea but finding everything at room temperature. This church “tasted” just like the world around them. They were neither godly nor in rebellion–just “nice people” who blended in well with the community. Their spiritual reputation did not smell either like life or death (2 Corinthians 2:16).

 

 Despite the Lord’s distaste for such a condition, He loved and counseled them to “buy” from Him the gold of the kingdom’s true wealth, righteous clothing that would cover their shameful exposure of worldly behavior, and to anoint their spiritual eyes so that they could see eternal values rather than temporal things.

 

 As the Lord graciously closed His letter, He “stands at the door” of the church, waiting for anyone to open and let Him in (Revelation 3:20). Tepid spirituality keeps the Lord outside. What a shame that such could ever be said about any church.

by Henry Morris III, D.Min.

 

 Institute for Creation Research| 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

 

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Archive of Days of Praise Articles

Days of Praise | Henry Morris III, D.Min. | Jul 14, 2012
Days of Praise | Henry Morris III, D.Min. | Jul 13, 2012
Days of Praise | Henry Morris III, D.Min. | Jul 12, 2012
Days of Praise | Henry Morris III, D.Min. | Jul 11, 2012
Days of Praise | Henry Morris III, D.Min. | Jul 10, 2012
Days of Praise | Henry Morris III, D.Min. | Jul 9, 2012

Days of Praise | Henry Morris III, D.Min. | Jul 8, 2012

 

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DAYS OF PRAISE-FAITHFUL SMYRNA -Institute for Creation Research

Posted in Articles, BIBLE, English Posts, MARTURII-MEMORII, UNITY OF DISCIPLES, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 9, 2012| 1 Comment »

Faithful Smyrna

July 9, 2012

 “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; . . . I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) . . . Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer . . . be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:8-10)

 The Lord Jesus recognized this struggling church, which is not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament, as one of only two churches mentioned in the book of Revelation that did not receive any warning or condemnation.

 He saw them very differently than our “church growth” movement might today. Many tend to envy the churches with big auditoriums or grand building programs. Most of the world praises those churches that are “emerging” from the restraints of godliness and churches that are “driven” to attract and please the ungodly.

 Smyrna was poor, troubled by those who hated God’s message, and suffered tribulation for their works. Some were thrown into prison for their willingness to be identified with the truth. Generations have passed since anything like that has happened to churches in the Western world. Those countries that persecute Christians today seem only like scattered incidents that have little bearing on the day-to-day life of “civilized” nations. May God protect us from such attitudes.

 But the One who walks among the “candlestick” churches of Revelation (His churches) saw Smyrna as rich and worthy of a crown of life. He praised this little church and encouraged them to remain “faithful unto death” (Revelation 2:10). When the King gives out His rewards from the great judgment seat, these faithful, poor, persecuted, troubled, and imprisoned souls will enter eternity with great riches and joyful liberty in the “general assembly and church of the firstborn” (Hebrews 12:23). HMM III

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HAVEN TODAY-REVELATIONS THROUGH THE JESUS LENS-LISTEN NOW!

Posted in Audio Files, BIBLE, English Posts, GOSPEL, tagged , , , , , , , on June 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

HAVEN TODAY-REVELATIONS THROUGH THE JESUS LENS-LISTEN NOW!

  06.12.12 Tuesday

REVELATION THROUGH THE JESUS LENS

What is the book of Revelation all about? Some have strong

opinions, but others are not sure. If we look at the final book

of the Bible through the Jesus lens, we will see the answer more clearly.
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June 12, 2012

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Revelation Through The Jesus Lens

What is the book of Revelation all about? Some have strong opinions, but others are not sure. If we look at the final book of the Bible through the Jesus lens, we will see the answer more clearly.

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JESUS: OUR PASSOVER LAMB

Posted in Articles, English Posts, UNITY OF DISCIPLES, tagged , , , , , , on April 7, 2012| 3 Comments »

JESUS: OUR PASSOVER LAMB

While speaking to his disciples, John (the Baptizer) saw Jesus coming and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29, 36). This was not a new concept in God’s Word, for approximately two thousand years before, Abraham had said, “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8). The prophet Isaiah described Him as “as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers” (Isa. 53:7). This verse from Isaiah was the one the Ethiopian eunuch was reading when Phillip joined him in his chariot (Acts. 8:32).

The Apostle Paul, not only recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God, he understood Him to literally be our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). The Apostle Peter described Jesus as being qualified to be our Passover when he wrote, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things…. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Ex. 12:3-5). Jesus is also described as the resurrected Lamb of God twenty-seven times in the Book of Revelation. Perhaps the most revealing of those is “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).

Because Jesus was born before Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., and it is believed He lived at least thirty-three years, theologians estimate His birth to be in 5 B.C. and His death somewhere between A.D. 26 and A.D. 36 (the years Pontius Pilate was the Prefect of the providence of Judea). Their estimate has to do with Jesus being “about thirty” when He began His ministry (Lk. 3:23), and the number of Passovers mentioned in the Gospel of John (Jn. 2:13; 6:4; 11:55; 19:14). Therefore, it is quite possible that Jesus actually was thirty-three when He was crucified, because in the year A.D. 28, the Passover Lamb was slain on a Wednesday.

Because Matthew 12:40 describes Jesus as being dead for three days and three nights, a Friday Crucifixion is impossible. Jesus rose on the first day of the week (Sunday – sometime after sunset on our Saturday); counting backward seventy-two hours, He would have had to die just before sunset on Wednesday. Regardless of tradition, it appears that the Lamb of God was “selected” on the tenth of Nissan, examined by the religious rulers over the next three days, and then sacrificed on Wednesday, the fourteenth of Nissan (Ex. 12:3-6). That would make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Friday, the ninth instead of Sunday as we now celebrate it as Palm Sunday.

The Feast of Passover involved selecting the Lamb, waiting until the fifth day, and then sacrificing it. Because Jesus was our Passover Lamb, and He died as such on the fourteenth of Nissan, a Wednesday, I believe the meal we call the “Last Supper,” was simply one of the evening meals between the tenth and the fourteenth of Nissan, specifically, the evening meal of the thirteenth. I do not believe it was a Passover Seder, as many have declared it to be. But, that is just how I see it.

Regardless of the day, Jesus died right on time for the sins of all mankind!
Better yet, He rose right on time to be Lord of all who will believe!

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THE EARLY CHURCH AND THE RAPTURE

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on March 21, 2012| 1 Comment »

 The Early Church And The Rapture

 

 Q. We are studying Revelation in the home study at my house, and I know I am going to butt heads with the leader over the Rapture. He is convinced of a “mid trib” Rapture, because he doesn’t believe we would be taken out of the world to escape persecution, which is all he sees in the first half, not the wrath of God.

He has also cited that tired fact that no church father ever taught or believed in a rapture. I know there is not a huge amount that wrote about it, but I do know there are some. Would you site those who did, please?

 

A. Of the major rapture positions, the mid- trib view is the most difficult to defend. It’s very name is misleading because the mid trib position actually places the rapture in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week, just before the Great Tribulation begins. So it’s technically a pre-trib rapture. Since the great Tribulation begins in Rev.13, mid-tribbers have the church going through the seals and 6 of the 7 trumpet judgments, leaving earth at about the time of the 7th Trumpet in Rev. 11. By then 1/2 of the world’s population will have died and a group of tribulation martyrs too big to number will have arrived in Heaven. That’s a bit more intense than “mere” persecution.

 

A number of early teachers taught the pre-trib view, most notably Paul. If you read it carefully, you’ll find that the 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians doesn’t make sense unless Paul had taught them the pre-Trib position. Whether people like it or not, the book of Revelation clearly states that God’s wrath begins in Rev. 6 with the Seal Judgments and Paul taught that the church would be removed from the time, place, or any relation to His wrath.(1 Thes. 1:10) Here are some a links to articles on the Pre-Trib Rapture in the early church.

 

http://www.grantjeffrey.com/article/why_some_reject.htm

 

http://www.rapturealert.com/pretribnewidea.html

 

 

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CAN PEOPLE TELL YOU ARE ENGAGED?

Posted in Articles, English Posts, tagged , , , , , on March 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

CAN PEOPLE TELL YOU ARE ENGAGED?

 


Born again believers are engaged in a war with the god of this world, with the prince of the power of the air, (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:12). He is known by many names, but primarily as “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan” (Rev. 20:2). And while he may be able to steal, kill, and destroy the lives of God’s children, he cannot separate us, that is, our souls from the love of God (Jn. 10:10; Rom. 8:35-39). He is fighting a war that he cannot win, and his end is already determined (Rev. 20:10)!

Born again believers are also engaged to be married. The Apostle Paul wrote, “… for I have espoused you to One Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2). In other words, the Church is engaged to Jesus Christ, and in the eyes of God, we are pure, or righteous, because He has made us so (Matt. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 Jn. 3:2-3).

Even though the marriage of the Church to Christ is yet future, for all practical purposes, we are already married to Christ. Using the relationship between Joseph and Mary as an example of how the Jews viewed marital engagement, we see that the Law considered engaged couples as already being married. Matthew wrote:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily” (Matt. 1:18-19).

“Betrothal,” getting engaged, included marriage vows, and a divorce was required to break the engagement (Wycliffe Bible Commentary p. 932). The woman was considered the man’s wife, and since Mary was pregnant by “Someone” other than Joseph, had he made it public, she would have been stoned to death (Deut. 22:23-30; Lev. 20:10).

Paul, in describing the perfect relationship between a husband and wife, used our relationship with God as a pattern. He wrote:

“Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:24-27).

According to the Book of Revelation, the Church will be officially married to Christ in heaven while the Tribulation is occurring on earth (Rev. 19:7-9). That means, we are espoused to Him now. We are engaged to Christ.

Do you live like you belong to Jesus, or you living in “spiritual adultery?”

http://skipslighthouse.blogspot.com/2012/03/can-people-tell-you-are-engaged.html

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