copied from Remnant of God
"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." -Jeremiah 8:20
Most of us have been taught one theory or another when it comes to the rapture. Is it Pre-tribulation? Is it Mid-tribulation? Or is it Post-tribulation? Does the Bible even use the term "Rapture?" Many have even been taught of a secret rapture that will occur without the rest of the wicked world knowing where the Christians have gone to. Millions are missing, they will say, is the common belief. We must also consider the seven year tribulation period that all three beliefs claim as still to come upon the world. Some even believe that the seven years are an opportunity for the lost to have their last chance to see the errors of their evil ways and finally convert to Christianity. A major feat no less seeing how all the "real" Christian preachers and teachers were supposedly raptured up beforehand. Then there are those that believe that the rapture occurs at the moment of death for every person on the planet, almost like their own personal end time experience. Before going further, my question is this. Are you a Christian? Do you believe in the Christian God? Do you believe in the Word of that Christian God? If so, then let's see what that Word says about all this...
2 Thessalonians 2:3
"Let 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 "
First of all, Paul's talking to Believers here when he is saying, "Let no man deceive you..." Second, has the man of sin been revealed? The Bible says the lost CANNOT see the truth. It is plainly written that, "Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." [John 14:17] The man of sin is to be revealed to Believers ONLY. Only those that study the Word, and believe the Word can understand the Word. One of the popular theory's is, when the Christians, leave the Holy Spirit goes with them. So again I ask, if there is no Holy Spirit indwelt Christians on Earth, then to WHOM the man of sin being revealed to? The wicked? IMPOSSIBLE! Only those that have the Spirit of Truth can see this man of lies.
2 Thessalonians 2:4-6
"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. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. "
Why would Paul warn the believers in this verse if they were supposed to be raptured up beforehand anyway?
2 Thessalonians 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: "
Here we see the wicked one is revealed, and THEN the Lord comes. The way this is penned it proves that ONLY believers understand who the wicked is, and did you notice? It does not mention 7 years, and it doesn't mention anything about it being a "secret" rapture either. A little later on I will be sharing Bible verses that PROVE it can in no way be a "secret" rapture. So I pray you continue reading.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
Here we see the Word intimating that directly AFTER the "working of Satan" the Lord will arrive on the Planet! This has to be my favorite passage on this topic. A passage you will never see proclaimed on pulpits that preach a 3 or 7 year pre tribulation Rapture. If they were to use this verse it would prove them liars. All across Christendom it is proclaimed that Christians leave BEFORE the "signs and lying wonders" of Satan. But here it is plainly stated that Jesus is coming "after the working of Satan."
This SEVEN YEAR RAPTURE THEORY is found absolutely NOWHERE in the Scriptures. Furthermore, imagine just what this seven year tribulation period would entail if it were true. This would literally mean SEVEN YEARS OF PARTIES for all the sinners that were left behind on the Earth! Think of it. No Christians are on the planet telling them to straighten up and fly right. No one is warning them of their evil ways! No one is praying for them!
Now I know that this pre-trib theory also says that during this seven years the world will experience intense tribulation, and I guess that alone is supposed to get them to "think?" Common sense affords us the reality that if they didn't have "discernment" beforehand, what makes them think they will have it now? Especically since there is no "Holy Spirit" on the Planet prodding them towards truth. Plus, if you have ever known anyone that has been so deeply into the sin of alcohol for example, you would know that rough tribulation would in no way slow down this persons desire to party on. So using the "tribulation" as a catalyst to get them to Christ is just plain impossible. Truth is, all it is, is an obvious trick of the Devil to get people to think that they would have a second chance at salvation once they see with their own eyes the mysterious disappearance of millions of Christians. However, reality proves it's actually bringing to mind a world wide orgy of sin and decadence for all those that prefer not to repent. Kind of like a reward for all the lucky sinners that were fortunate enough to be left behind.
It's amazing to me how common sense rules this one with ease. Seriously! Think about this. Let's say there is a man that has been in graphic sin his entire life. SO much so that he is homeless and living in skid row. I used to frequent the missionaries near Chicago when I lived up there years ago. In order for a man to get a free meal in these missions you had to sit through a 20 minute sermon before eating. Now think about a man that has been living on skid row 40 years! Three times a day he east at these missions. And three times a day he listens to a preacher. This is of course not counting the young preacher wanna-be's that minister unto him. So, that would equate to him hearing well over 43,680 SERMONS he listened to and ignored. Now, according to the pre-tirb theorists, all real Christians have been raptured up. Now, suddenly this man that lived on skid row BELIEVES what he has denied for 40 years? And to top it off he does so WITHOUT The help of a preacher directing him to the Word of God? Or he does so WITHOUT the help of the Holy Spirit?
So, let's look to the Word of God in a little more depth to see if any of these "secret" or "pre-trib" rapture theories hold up to Biblical jurisprudence. Fact remains, if we want to understand prophecy we must keep our own definitions OUT of the mix! For 2 Peter 1:20 plainly teaches us that NO prophecy is of ANY private interpretation! Plus, if we are to understand any Biblical truth and or doctrine are we not counseled in the Word that "precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" -Isaiah 28:10. With that in mind, let us look to His Word.
- Hebrews 9:28 "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
- I Peter 5:4 "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."
If Jesus was planning on coming in SECRET, He would not "appear" at all, and we would not "look for Him" as the Word of God plainly illustrates we will be doing.
2 Peter 3:10
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."
Here we see the Word of God declaring the day of the Lord will not only come unexpectedly, it will come with a GREAT NOISE! Does that sound like a secret? And how is it possible to hide the fact that the earth, it's elements, and all the "works" of man upon the earth are BURNED UP on that day? How do you destroy the earth and all it's cities without the wicked knowing?
2 Peter 3:11-14
"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."
These passages also place our Lord's arrival AND the Earth's destruction AT THE SAME TIME! Plus, we see that we are to be "Looking for" the day of God as well! Since we learned earlier that the wicked CANNOT see the signs of the coming of the Lord because they simply don't believe, who I ask is Peter saying is to "LOOK" for a new Heavens and a new earth?
By the way, there is a VERY blunt reality connected to that "thief in the night" analogy that we will get into a little later. Some of you will be SHOCKED as to what another "epistle" of the Bible has to say about that fact. Most that preach this passage regarding a thief in the night proves the "Rapture" is a secret, are in for a rude awakening. Suffice it to say for now, it is better translated to mean "UNEXPECTED" not "SECRET." But we will get into that a little bit later.
So.. who is lying? The Bible? Or the Preachers? Romans 3:3-4 says, "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."
Luke 17:22 -27
"And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
"Just like in Noah's time?" Did Jesus lie when He said..."So shall it be..."? Don't these verses seem a bit obvious? The ones in the ark were SAVED. The ones that decided to ignore the warnings of Noah of world wide flood were DESTROYED. And they were destroyed UNEXPECTEDLY! For it says they "did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark.."
Noah and his family believed that God was about to do something extremely graphic globally. However the rest of the ENTIRE PLANET decided to take their chances and ignore "the nut building the big boat on dry land," in the hopes that maybe he was just some religious fanatic. I am sure that Noah, "...a preacher of righteousness," according to 2 Peter 2:5 had plenty of opportunities over the course of the 120 years of building the ark to convince some that he wasn't nuts by his method of preaching. But just like today's world, the people of Noah's day may have echoed the same "dried out" comeback... "I've heard preachers say the end is near for many years!" Does that statement make it all go away? Some I think do believe that if they ignore the Scriptures hard enough, it will all go away. This attitude reminds me of a frightened little boy afraid of noise in the dark, so he hides himself under the covers to make it all go away. Or an ostrich hiding it's head in the sand. We all know the truth whether we admit it or not... It will not go away! Now for another of my favorite verses on this subject.
Luke 17:28,29
"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. "
"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot?"... Let me ask you this... If Jesus was planning on waiting seven years to return to get His Saints, why would He tell us His return would be as it was in the days of Lot? Why would Jesus compare an event in Genesis chapter 19 that shows Lot being led out of the city to safety, and then the city is destroyed, THAT SAME DAY? Think about it... Jesus has just compared His second coming with two events in Biblical history in which both events show people being saved from certain destruction and people being certainly destroyed TOGETHER, ON THE SAME DAY.
The pre-tribulation preachers are bluntly stating JESUS LIED! Are they not? Is it any wonder some of them choose not to mention this passage "in context" from their pulpits? Common sense, it proves they are lying.
Let's take a look at another BLUNT reality made plain in the Word. It has to do with the statement, "the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left"
Luke 17:30-36
"Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
Are you curious as to WHERE they are left? I was. As a matter of fact, so were the Apostles curious. Look at the very next verse...
Luke 17:37
"And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. "
Notice the STRONG'S Translation of that word "EAGLE."
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#105 aetos {ah-et-os'} from the same as 109;; n m AV - eagle 4; 4 1) an eagle: since eagles do not usually go in quest of carrion, 2) an eagle as a standard (Roman Military) | ||
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The definition of the word "carrion" = "Dead and decaying flesh." Eagles eat LIVE things. So the better translation of this passage is to state it is VULTURES that is gathering where the "body" is.
Let me ask you this... Have you ever seen vultures gather around people lying on a beach? How about vultures circling overhead while people tan themselves on their balconies? Are there vulture hovering over people going to work? Getting married? Working in fields? No I can confidently say, you have not. We all know that a vulture prefers the fairly ripe flesh of a corpse. So we see, when the Apostles asked Where, Lord? Jesus rather bluntly told them that those people that were not going to Heaven THAT SAME DAY would be left behind DEAD. Jesus didn't say that they would be left behind to deal with seven years of tribulation like the pre-trib theory states. Nor did Jesus say that they would remain behind for three and half years like the mid-trib theory proclaims. Is it becoming clearer? Like Jesus illustrated by using both Noah and Lot, THEY WERE DESTROYED THE SAME DAY!
Still, some get confused when seeing that passage. But it comes to a better light when you allow the BIBLE to define the prophetic symbols in it. What am I talking about? Let's briefly look at the symbols Christ uses to describe those that go, and those that are left behind.
- On the housetop are those at home
- In the fields are those at work in the World
- In the bed are those in the grave
- The "women" are churches
- The mill is the work the churches are doing
You can get a lot more info on Prophectic symbols and their biblical meanings by clicking here. It is plain to see that people of all walks of life will be taken to Heaven on that day whether they are at home, at work, at church, or in the grave. The rest will be left behind as bird food. In fact, look at what Jeremiah says about that day. He gets a bit more graphic...
Jeremiah 25:30-33
"Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
Sounds like a might terrible day for the wicked does it not? It certainly doesn't sound like day one of a 7 year string of sin does it? The day is soon approaching when all we will see is one attack after another being realized on the child of God on a daily basis. The child of God will have to deal with false accusations of incredible crimes being levied against them. They will be brought before the authorities as common criminals, innocent only before God. They will again be tortured and martyred as in days past. They will witness their very own loved ones dying right before their eyes as an attempt to quench their allegiance to the Almighty and ever God of the universe. But they will stand firm in knowing that their Saviour is near at hand to wipe their tears and take them in an everlasting embrace of love. In fact, in many nations across the globe Christians are already being persecuted as we speak. Some even unto death!
Luke 21:28
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. "
Jesus is the Redeemer of the faithful. The wicked are not even contemplating looking up because they don't believe He's coming back. According to the pre-trib theory we are not here at this time. So, WHO I ask is Luke suggesting to have "look up?"
2 Peter 3:3-4
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. "
The wicked are the ones mocking the Lord by saying, "Where is the promise of his coming?" All my life I have heard people say this. And at the same time I have heard believers say the opposite.
Daniel 12:1
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. "
If we left 7 years ago, why would the prophecy declare "thy people" will be delivered at that time? And how is it possible for anyone BUT "thy people" to be written in the "book of life?" The wicked shall not be mentioned in that book at all.
Jeremiah 30:7
"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. "
Just as physical Israel was present during the plague sof their day, so shall spiritual Israel be present.
- Galatians 3:29 "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. "
- Romans 9:4,6-8 "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; ...For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: ...but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. "
Many that preach the 7 year trib theory declare we shall be saved FROM this tribulation by twisting Jeremiah 30:7 as well as others. Problem is, this passage says we are saved OUT of the "time of Jacob's trouble." Not FROM it! Even Christ stated we will not be "taken from the world" but He prayed we be kept "FROM the evil" the world will attack us with. (See John 17:15)
Was not the Seed of Abraham PRESENT during the 10 plagues in Egypt when Pharaoh was ignoring the warnings of God through Moses? The Seed of Abraham was spared mainly because they were BELIEVERS. Are we any different? Other than some of us latching on to fleshly self preserving lies of the devil, and showing a complete lack of trust in a loving God, we are no different. Just as the Lord spared the Old Testament Seed of Abraham...
- Exodus 12:13 "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."
He also plans to spare the New Testament seed as well!
- Romans 5:9, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
The Lord protected His own in the Old Testament, and He promises to protect us New Testament believers as well! And BOTH sets of believers show their faith by the BLOOD of Christ! The Old Testament believers had the blood of a Lamb upon the doorposts of their houses, we have the Blood of the Lamb upon the heart! Praise the Lord for His truth being so blunt and powerful even in the most graphic examples!
Ok, let's look at a few more examples in the Word God that you will NEVER see being preached regarding this topic from pulp[its that embrace the 7 year tribulation theory.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15 "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."
How blunt does it have to be" We are ALIVE when He returns, and the dead in Christ will rise up before we ascend. But still, some twist this passage to say this is during a SECRET rapture, yet the very next verse (which they often avoid) exposes that error with ease.
1 Thessalonians 4:16
"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:"
As I said earlier, most that preach the 7 year trib theory state the preceding verse has to do with a SECRET Rapture. Yet, this passage says the Lord will descend WITH A SHOUT! How do you SHOUT in secret? And to further prove the erro for what it is, IN CONTEXT this passage goes on to reiterate verse 15 as valid and part of the string of explanation here.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:17 "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."
In verse 15 it speaks of "we which are alive" and states we will NOT precede or prevent those "which are asleep" in the graves. Then verse 16 says at that time the Lord will "descend with a shout." Next we see the passage speakign of those that were asleep as already in the clouds with the Lord and then we "shall be caught up TOGETHER with them in the clouds" to be with Jesus! So I ask.. where are the 7 years? Where are the 3.5 years?
Ok.. this next passage has to do with the "thief in the night" analogy that I spoke of earler. ALL of the pre-trib preachers use the following passage to confirm and or validate their SECRET rapture theories. They will awlays do the following, they will read to you...
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2, "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
AND THEY STOP!
Some refuse to read futher, and rightly so. For if they read further a multitude of problems arise! For example, look a the next verse..
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3 "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."
If they read this passage in verse 3 they have to explain how "sudden destruction" comes upon those that aren't ready for Christ after He comes as a "thief in the night." According to the 7 year trib theory they would have SEVEN YEARS to get right with Christ. Yet the Bible says SUDDEN DESTRUCTION comes on them that very same day. This is why most will not read past verse 2. They can't explain it. It doesn't jive with their theories.
Think about this as well. If the seven, or three and half year theory were fact, then we would have to remove verse Matthew 24:36 from the Bible along with other references to the fact that. It PLAINLY says... "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." The reason being, if the Christians all of a sudden disappear from the face of the earth on a certain day, all one needs do is calculate three and a half years forward, or seven years forward to get the exact day and hour that Jesus would return! No, we will not know the exact day or hour years in advance! That is an out and out lie!
Now for my FAVORITE verse in this passage! It is so powerful it amazes even seasoned prophecy students as to how blunt it is.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief."
The "Secret rapture" preachers use the verses above this passage (verse 2) to say Jesus comes as a thief in the night for the Christians. But this verse (verse 4) proves they are bold faced liars. This verse is plain! It says clearly that Jesus does NOT come as a thief in the night to the Christians! And why doesn't the Christian have to worry about Jesus coming as a thief to them? Scroll up and view all those passages that used terms like "looking up", or "looking for" the coming of the Lord. What does that entail? Well, this is also another reason the pre-trib preachers fear the verses I just shared. They have NOT the understanding of PROPHECY! If you don't understand the symbols of Prophecy you can not explain them without using terms like "maybe... perhaps.. could be.. or possibly" in your sermons. Ever notice that? The pre-trib preachers can't be confident in their sermons because they do not have the TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST. What is that?
The Testimony of Jesus Christ happens to be one of the two MAJOR fruits of a Christ. In Revelation 12 we read this...
- Revelation 12:17, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
- dragon
- woman
- remnant
- the seed
- commandment keepers
- testimony of Jesus Christ
This is how you define Prophetic symbols in the Word of God. Did you know that there are 404 verses in Revelation? And 278 of them can be found almost word for word in all the other books of the Bible. In other words, THE BIBLE DEFINES ITSELF PERFECTLY! Don't let anyone give you their "opinion" or "interpretation." Let the Word define the Word!
DEFINITION OF SYMBOLS in Rev 12:17
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The Bible plainly defines the elect as a people that keep the commandments and understand prophecy. PLUS, it also declares the enemy hates us greatly because of that, and that is no doubt the main reason our numbers are so small. Again, on my site I have a list of prophetic symbols defined using the Bible. I have another list offline as well that I am working on that much larger.
So... getting back. The pre-trib preachers declare Jesus comes as a THIEF in the night, and they define that event as being "in secret." However, the Bible says we as true Christians will NOT have Jesus coming to us a thief. And it explain why. It's because we are "looking up" or "looking for" that great day. And how do we "look" for that great day? By UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY! We read our Bibles, then we read our Newspapers. Jesus can not come unexpectedly to those that are understand the signs of the times! And that is another reason the pre-trib preachers refuse to preach past verse 2 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. They don't "look for" or they don't have the "Testimony Jesus Christ" or the "Spirit of Prophecy" that is needed to decipher those Truths. So they can't possibly explain that passage. They know they will stumble over their tongues when trying, so they avoid it at all costs.
Bottom line: The reason verse 4 says Jesus does NOT come as a thief in the night for "brethren" is because brethren understand prophecy and will be READY when He comes. The "wise virgins" are called wise for a reason.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5,6 "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."
And to "watch and be sober" means to study the Word, and follow the Truths that point to Christ! And again, if we are supposed to be gone during a 7 year trib. Why is Paul suggesting we "watch and be sober?"
- 1 Thessalonians 5:7 -10 "For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."
- Matthew 24:42 "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come"
Now for a parable that exposes the error of the 7 year trib. Jesus Himself explains what will happen on that last day in parable format, and then He actually EXPLAINS that parable to His disciples!
JESUS EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS AT SECOND COMING
- Matthew 13:24-30, "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
Jesus then explains this...
- Matthew 13:36-39, "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."
Have you ever seen a actual TARE? It's not just any weed. This is what I used to think for years. A tare looks just like wheat! In fact it looks exactly like wheat. Until harvest that is. The wheat is plump and filled with its fruit, but the tares are scrawny and thin. In fact, inside the tares is a small back seed that if eaten causes sleepiness no less! This parable fits perfectly with todays world. SO MANY people claim Christ as Lord. Literally billions of people on this planet "look" like Christians. Soon however, the harvest will be ready and those of us called to tarry through the time of Jacob's trouble will experience first hand how scrawny and thin those "Christians" really are. They will be the ones that join with Rome to have us jailed, persecuted and even killed.
There is one verse in the Word of god that directly addresses the so called "Secret Rapture" in such a way that it appears to say the Lord knew this lie would be embraced in these last days.
- Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. Psalm 50:3
The "Secret Rapture" theory preaches it's not only secret, it's done in SILENCE where "suddenly" millions are missing! This verse directly exposes those preachers of error with childlike ease!
ONE LAST NOTE... WHAT IF "THIS" WAS PLANNED... by you know who!
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"DON'T WORRY...WHEN THE CHRISTIANS LEAVE, IT WILL BE THE SIGN YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING Signed... Satan | ||
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This seven year rapture theory may be the devil's last trick played on mankind! NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S CALLED "SAVED?"
By the way... this next verse BLUNTLY declares those that state we leave BEFORE Satan does his evil acts are actually what Scripture define as false teachers and false prophets. The 7 year trib and secret rapture theory declares ALL that Satan does will be done AFTER the Christians are raptured up and away from all the trouble. But the following passage states the exact opposite!
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9, "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,"
Jesus is coming AFTER Satan does his lying wonders. This verse proves that! And by the way, Jesus actually PRAYED that we DON'T leave the world in John 17:15. He said, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
So, how was this lie fabricated? How was it so easily embraced by the church? It has to do with a prophecy of Daniel chapter 9...
This seven year tribulation theory actually originates from a mis-understanding, or deliberate re-writing of the prophecy in the ninth chapter of the book of Daniel. Many take this prophecy out of context to explain a seven year,(Pre-Trib) or three and a half year, (Mid-Trib) time of great tribulation for the Christian believer. However, you will find by studying this prophecy that it does not speak of a time of tribulation at all. In fact, it speaks of a time that all believers both Old and New Testament alike hold very dear to their hearts. It is the prophecy that describes the coming of Jesus as the Messiah in 27AD, as well as what transpired from the very year He stepped into the river Jordan to be baptized by John, to the exact year He died on the cross 3½ years after His baptism. We then see the prophecy coming to the time when the Gospel was finally proclaimed to the Gentile 3½ years after the cross. This of course ends up equaling a grand total of seven years after Jesus steps forward as Messiah in 27A.D. Which by the way is prophecied in Daniel chapter nine, and the EXACT YEAR of Christ's arrival as Messiah is also mentioned in that same chapter. It's amazing to say the least!
Over 500 years before Jesus was born there was a prophet named Daniel. This Daniel was given an amazing prophecy which predicted the exact time the Messiah would come. This awesome prophecy with all its well researched and documented prophetic dates, proves beyond a doubt that Jesus is indeed the Messiah that was to come, and He came in the very year Daniel's vision revealed..
- Daniel 9:24-27 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 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, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
First of all, according to the prophecy, how much time was allotted Jerusalem by God Almighty to make up for the sins committed against Him? It states in verse 24 that "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity" Seventy weeks is the amount of time the Lord has given. But how long is Seventy weeks in prophetic time? Looking to Ezekiel 4:6 we see the method of calculating time in prophecy. Ezekiel 4:6 says, "I have appointed thee each day for a year." This is an amazing key in prophetic dating that most preachers today are totally unaware of. Does the Bible really preach this? And does historic fact confirm it? Truth is, there are so many times this calculation is use din the Word when speaking in prophetic tones, that I woul dbe hard pressed to list them all. Here are but a few...
Days prophecied | Source Passage | Historic fact |
1260 days | Dan 7:25, Dan 12:7, Rev 11:3, Rev 12:6 , Rev 12:14 | 538AD to 1798AD |
42 Months | ||
2300 days | Start = Ezra 7:1-27 | Start = 457BC Israel did rebuild. End = 1844AD Sanctuary cleansed, and "Great Disapointment" occurs. (Rev 10:9,10) |
70 weeks (490 days) | Start = Ezra 7:1-27 | Start = 457BC Israel did rebuild. |
62 weeks (483 days) | Start = Ezra 7:1-27 | Start = 457BC Israel did rebuild. |
1 week (7 days) | Start = Dan 9:25 | Start = 27AD Jesus is baptized. |
Want more dates? Click here | ||
Of course there are quite a few more areas in the Word that use the day for a year method, but I believe these few examples should suffice for now. My question has to be then is this. Why is it so many refuse to believe the truth regarding the biblical jurisprudence of a day for a year in prophecy when there is so much evidence to support it? It's absolutely impossible for this to be a mere coincidence. For example, Daniel and Revelation both speak of 1260 days that were to actually equal 1260 years. Then we see that historic record proves the Roman Catholic church started as a church and state in 538AD and exactly 1260 years later Napoleon ended their evil reign for a time. You can verify the historic facts by clicking here. Or even take into consideration how the Lord told Moses that the forty days he searched the land would become forty years of wandering desert for the rebellious people of God. (See verification in Numbers 14:32-34)
So according to the Bible, a prophetic day actually represents a literal year in actual time. No keep in mind this calculation is ONLY good in prophetic situations. So that would mean each of the seventy weeks represents seven literal years because the Lord has given us "a day for a year" when calculating prophetic time. Multiplying seven years times seventy, we come up with a grand total of 490 years that the Lord has given the Jewish nation as a probationary period to get right with God. But when was this 70 week (490 years) period of time to start? Looking at verse 25 of Daniel chapter 9 we see that it will start "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem" So as soon as it was commanded by one in authority, like a king, all that awaited the time to start would be the "going forth" to actually place the foot in Jerusalem.
Understand that at this time God's people were in captivity in Persia. However, the Lord God had touched the heart of the Persian King Artaxerxes, to make a decree which would have allowed all the Jews that desired, to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. This actual decree is historically recorded in the Bible in the book of Ezra chapter 7. Two other kings had also made decrees prior to this one, but they only allowed the rebuilding of the temple, so in fact they would not qualify as prophetic fulfillment in this case.
- Ezra 7:7,12,13 says, " And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. "
History records that this king began his rule in the year 464 B.C. Using simple mathematics, the actual "seventh year of Artaxerxes the king" would then be 457 B.C. This decree was fulfilled in the fall of this year after the arrival of Ezra in the city of Jerusalem. Once Ezra placed foot in what was called Jerusalem, or "went forth," as Scriptures denote, the city had become.
According to Daniel, how much time must pass from the decree of Artaxerxes till the Messiah actually appears? Verse 25 of Daniel chapter 9 tells us, "unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks"
Prophetic statement | # of weeks | Calculation | Total | End result |
Seven weeks | 7 | 7 x 7 | 49 days | 49 years |
...plus three *score | 60 | 3 x 20 x 7 | 420 days | 420 years |
...and two weeks | 2 | 2 x 7 | 14 days | 14 years |
GRAND TOTAL: | 69 | 69 x 7 | 483 days | 483 years |
*NOTE: a "score" = "a group of 20..." -Dictionary.com | ||||
If the "day for a year" prophetic calculation is something the Lord would have us do. Then all we need to do is add 483 years to the date King Artaxerxes made the decree. That was in 457BC. Adding 483 to 457BC you will come to the EXACT year Jesus Christ put His foot in the river Jordan to be baptized! Messiah has arrived!
Did Messiah appear in the year 27 A.D. exactly 483 years after king Artaxerxes made the decree in 457 B.C.? Using the New Testament merely as an accurate and documented history book, lets take a look.
- Acts 10:38 speaks of how "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
- Luke 3:1, 21,22 "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
The name "Messiah" is the Hebrew word for "Anointed". "Christ" is the Greek word for the same. Even though Jesus Christ was actually born the son of God, He was not the "Messiah" or the "Anointed" until He was actually anointed. Looking to Acts 10:38 we see that Jesus was anointed by the Holy Ghost. Then Luke 3:21,22 makes it plain that He was "anointed" by the Holy Ghost at His baptism, which in fact took place in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, according to Luke 3:1
History substantiates that the 15th year of Tiberius was in fact the year 27 A.D. The exact same year that the prophecy in the book of Daniel says He would be "anointed," He was! Jesus Himself even acknowledged the prophecy of Daniel by saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." -Mark 1:15
There's absolutely no room for mistake here. Jesus appeared right on schedule, just as Daniel predicted hundreds of years earlier! The odds that Jesus is not the Messiah are inconceivable. But this isn't the only proof. We have seen 483 out of the 490 years fulfilled, but what of the last 7 years remaining in the prophecy? Are they the "time of tribulation" that many believe? If so, then how do we explain what happens after Jesus is baptized? Do we nullify the rest of the prophetic facts of Daniel regarding what Messiah will do during that week in prophetic time, and then place them at the end of the World? If we do that, then in essence, Messiah never came! For to START those 7 years, Messiah must come the FIRST time to be crucified. For Daniel also states that in the middle of that week Messiah will indeed be "cutoff." We will get into that a little later on.
Daniel predicts in chapter 9, that after Jerusalem has been restored, "the street shall be built again, and the wall..." then there will be "...threescore and two weeks" of time to pass before the final week of the "seventy weeks" Remember? The prophecy stated Messiah will come at the end of 69 weeks! And the Prophecy spoke of 70 weeks.
This last week will be the time that the "Messiah (will) be cut off." Speaking of the final 7 years, Daniel says in verse 27 "for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease" According to the prophecy the Messiah must be "cut off" in the middle of the final seven years of that 490 year prophecy. Did this happen? Let's do the math. One half of 7 years is 3½ years. If we add 3½ years to the Fall of 27 A.D. when Jesus was baptized, we come to the Spring of 31 A.D. We find that Jesus was indeed hung on a cross exactly 3½ years after He was baptized, or "anointed" as Messiah in the Fall of 27 A.D. We also know that Jesus hung on that cross in the Spring of 31 A.D. for the Bible clearly states that it was the time for the Jewish Passover. Jesus with His own mouth said, "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified." in Matthew 26:2.
There is another way of knowing that Messiah was "cut off" 3½ years after He begins His ministry. Directly after Jesus is anointed by God in the river Jordan, Luke 3:23 tells us accurately that "Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was [the son] of Heli," This tells us when Jesus "began" His ministry. Now all one needs do is "COUNT" the amount of Passovers that follow from this verse until Jesus is "cut off" or "crucified" and you will see 3½ years have passed by.
Read John chapter 2 through chapter 13 | |
John 2:13,23 | PASSOVER #1 |
John 6:3,4 | PASSOVER #2 |
John 13:1 | PASSOVER #3 |
Yes once again the Bible accurately proves that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Jesus also caused the "sacrifice and the oblation to cease" at the same time when He became our Passover lamb. This is historically recorded in the book of Mark
- Mark 15:37,38 "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom."
When the temple veil ripped it meant no longer is there any need for animal sacrifice. Jesus had finished it upon the cross. John the Baptist put it ever so prophetically plain when he said these words after seeing Jesus walking towards him..
- John 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Notice that verse 26 of Daniel 9 tells us that the Messiah shall be cut off, "but not for himself." This too is prophetically sound as Jesus did in fact die for us. He did not die for the sins He committed Himself. He was absolutely blameless upon the cross. He was a Lamb without spot or wrinkle! Isaiah put it very plain when he said, "he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." -Isaiah 53:5
We are now in "in the midst of the week" of this prophecy. There are still 3½ years remaining in this prophecy though. What of these years? Is there still something left to be fulfilled? Yes there is. There is still 3½ years left in the probationary period left for the Jewish nation to reconcile themselves to God. Directly after this period expired what happened? In order to understand prophetically as to what actually occurred. We must first come to the realization as to what the "fig tree" means in prophecy.
- Matthew 24:32-34, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."
- 1 Kings 4:25, "And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon."
- Hosea 9:10, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved."
Many already understand the fig tree to be a Biblical symbol of the true Israel. And rightly so, for even Jesus Himself confirms the "Israel - fig" connection in Matthew 21.
- Matthew 21:19, "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away."
The TRUE and FIRST Israel denied Jesus as Messiah did they not. When Jesus walked into Jerusalem, He found "nothing thereon." He even looked upon them and wept did He not? They had NO FRUIT whatsoever. And just as He prophetically announced, just as we learned earlier was inevitable, after the 490 years, they "withered away" and died as the "true" Israel. Probation closed for them on the very day they stoned Stephan. When Jesus said... "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever" He was prophesying as to the end result of the 70 weeks. And here is further evidence of that very fact.
- Acts 13:46, "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles."
Here the "REAL" Israel that was symbolized by the "fig tree" has been judged unworthy of the truth entrusted to them. Therefore the Gospel is to no longer be left to them for to preach. PLUS... Now the REAL Israel, or the "blood" relative of Israel was no longer to be considered the TRUE Israel. Truth is, the believer in Jesus Christ is now considered the TRUE Israel. Those 490 years ended and no longer would Israel have "favored nation" status with God. We Christians were then grafted into the vine.
- Romans 2:28,29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
- Romans 9:6-8 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
- Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
So when Jesus looked upon the fig tree, He was proclaiming He looked at Israel and saw no fruit. He merely acted according to what prophecy already proclaimed in Daniel chapter 9. One other thing I noticed while digging into this. (no pun intended)
- Luke 13:6-9, "He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
In that parable Jesus states "a certain man" had a "fig tree" that had "no fruit." Then after "3 years" Jesus said it was to be cut down. But "the certain man" was convinced to extend the time so as to fertilize the tree. Just as prophecy stated in Daniel 9, three years after Jesus was crucified the Jews stoned Stephan as an absolute sign their probation had ended. Stephan had given them a rather extensive outline of Gospel truth, and the JEwish leaders of the day stoned him as a blasphemer. Their blindness to Biblical truths evidenced their probationary close that day! And they confirmed that fact by stoning Stephan to death.
Since Christ died and resurrected the Apostles preached ONLY to Jews! Later it is confirmed the Lord was ok with them preaching to Gentiles. This is confirmed in Acts chapter 10 when Cornelius became the first Gentile to hear the Gospel. The vision Peter had was telling him to go ahead and preach to the Gentiles. The reason that sheet came down three times tellign Peter to "kill and eat" wasn't giving Peter the ok to eat pork and other unclean foods, because Peter even stated in Acts 11:8, "...Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.""as well. The sheet came down three times because THREE GENTILE MEN were knocking at Peter's door. The Lord was telling Peter to consider the Gentile CLEANSED now to hear the Gospel truth, and then later in Acts Peter explains to Cornelius and the rest listening on that this is exactly what that vision meant. Still, to this day some Preachers and teachers mistake the vision for saying it's ok to eat ham hocks and pork rinds now. EVEN THOUGH Peter explains the vision to Cornelius proving what it meant!
But what about the statement, "then after that thou shalt cut it down", did this occur as well?
- Luke 19:41-43, "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 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 thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,"
Looks like after Jesus did all He could for this nation, He was left merely to weep for it. Plus they are about to be surrounded according to Luke. After they are surrounded, will they be "cut down?"
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In A.D.66 when Cestius came against the city, but unaccountably withdrew, the Christians discerned in this the sign foretold by Christ, and fled while 1,100,000 Jews are said to have been killed in the terrible siege in A.D. 70.-Eusebius, Church History, book 3, chap. 5 | ||
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Verse 26 from Daniel 9 told us that "the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood" This was graphically fulfilled with the arrival of Rome represented by Titus and his soldiers destroyed Jerusalem in 70AD. The soldiers of Titus burned and destroyed Herod's temple and destroyed Jerusalem in a literal "flood" of killing. It is estimated well over a million Jews died in this battle!
So, I ask. How is it possible for prophecy called "the week of Daniel" is to be placed at the end of the world? How can this be when every single prophetic fact mentioned in that prophetic week were already fulfilled? The seven years of Daniel chapter nine are indeed a time of great mercy towards the believers of the Lord Jesus Christ. To take this prophecy and twist it to depict a time of horrid tribulation is indeed a red flag to all those that understand prophecy. Only the enemy would look upon this time as a threat to life and limb. He fears this prophetic event of 2000 years ago because of what it entails. It proves HE LOST!
The bottom line is this... The Bible records that the plagues of Revelation "will come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." [Revelation 18:8] So I ask, how is it possible for the plagues or the "time of tribulation" to last seven years as all these preachers preach? How could they last even three and a half years as others preach? The Bible plainly says the plagues will be within ONE DAY. And since we already understand prophetic time is a "day = a year." The plagues will fall COMPLETELY within ONE YEAR! Not seven!
So, are you curious as to WHO started this lie and why? I know I was. This is what I found...
The Rapture: Rooted in Catholicism
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The foundation of the rapture theory was laid over 400 years ago upon the specific orders of the Catholic Church. Every Christian needs to understand how this fabrication of error was designed to neutralize the great Protestant Reformation. If the facts of history were known by Protestants today who defend with such great emotion the rapture theory and the futurist antichrist doctrine, they would be horrified.Luther and his fellow reformers boldly identified the pope as the "man of sin," and labeled the Catholic Church as the antichrist of prophecy. In response to those charges, the hierarchy assigned two Jesuit priests to develop counter- interpretations which would turn the onus away from the Catholic Church. In spite of the fact that the two men founded opposing schools of interpretation, their theories have survived to form the basis of most modern Protestant theology today. Not only did they effectively blunt Luther's assessment of the papacy as the antichrist, but they cleverly divided and diluted the "protest" of all the churches which grew out of the Reformation movement. Modern religious observers were astounded in January, 1984, when men like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell meekly accepted and defended the establishment of United States political ties with the Vatican. Why could those famous Protestant spokesmen see no danger in being allied with the Church of Rome? Because they are deceived, along with millions of others, by the Catholic-contrived theories of those two priests which have almost eclipsed the historic, biblical position of the Reformers. If the spiritual descendants of Luther and Wesley now had the same doctrine which they taught, not a single Lutheran or Methodist would favor any kind of alliance with the papacy today. Now let's take a look at these two Spanish priests who flooded the sixteenth century with their counter-Reformation propaganda.Alcazar of Seville applied all the beast prophecies to Antiochus Epiphanes, who lived long before the popes began to rule in Rome. His system of interpretation came to be known as the Preterist School of prophecy.On the other hand, Jesuit Francisco Rivera invented a system known as the Futurist School of interpretation. He taught that the antichrist was to be some future superman who would appear near the end of time and continue in power for three and a half years. It is his clever, unscriptural theory which has been resurrected by modern evangelical Protestant Christians. And today millions of Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc., hold this anti-Protestant concoction of the Jesuits as some kind of infallible doctrine. Yet, those same denominations claim to be faithful supporters of Protestant theology. Luther and other stalwart protestors against Catholic errors would be astounded if they were suddenly resurrected to hear what is being taught in the name of Protestantism. In the early 1800s the futurist view of Jesuit Ribera passed through certain refinements and additions, including the seven-year tribulation and the snatching away of the saints. For the first time, it was espoused by Protestant teachers who were seeking ways of reconciliation with Rome. Through the influence and writings of John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren Church in England, the new doctrine spread to the United States. During the middle and latter nineteenth century, it received its biggest boost from Cyrus Scofield, who incorporated it into the notes of his Scofield Reference Bible published in 1909. -Rendevous in space -a concerned Christian | ||
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Below is a list of undeniable prophecies that prove Jesus was indeed the Holy One of God. Using the Old Testament as a prophetic herald, and then using the New Testament as an accurate and confirming history book, we see the link between Jesus and Messiah. This section was created for the sole purpose of sharing facts with my Jewish friends.
| B i b l i c a l F a c t s | Old Testament Prophecy | New Testament Fulfillment |
| Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem | Micah 5:2 | Matthew 2:1-6 Luke 2:1-20 |
| Messiah was to be born of a virgin | Isaiah 7:14 | Matthew 1:18-25 Luke 1:26-38 |
| Messiah was to be a prophet like Moses | Deuteronomy 18: 15,18,19 | John 7:40 |
| Messiah was to enter Jerusalem in triumph | Zechariah 9:9 | Matthew 21:1-9 John 12:12-16 |
| Messiah was to be rejected by his own people | Isaiah 53:1,3 Psalm 118:22 | Matthew 26:3,4 John 12:37-43 Acts 4:1-12 ~ PRESENT DAY |
| Messiah to be betrayed by one of his followers | Psalm 41:9 | Matthew 26:14-16; 47-50 Luke 22:19-23 |
| Messiah was to be tried and condemned | Isaiah 53:8 | Luke 23:1-25 Matthew 27:1,2 |
| Messiah was to be silent before his accusers | Isaiah 53:7 | Matthew 27:12-14 Mark 15:3,4 Luke 23:8-10 |
| Messiah to be struck and spat on by his enemies | Isaiah 50:6 | Matthew 26:67 Matthew 27:30 Mark 14:65 |
| Messiah to be mocked and insulted | Psalm 22:7,8 | Matthew 27:39-44 Luke 23:11,35 |
| Messiah was to die by crucifixion | Psalm 22:14,16,17 | Matthew 27:31 Mark 15:20,25 |
| Messiah was to suffer with criminals and pray for his enemies | Isaiah 53:12 | Matthew 27:38 Mark 15:27,28 Luke 23:32-34 |
| Messiah was to be given vinegar and gall | Psalm 69:21 | Matthew 27:34 John 19:28-30 |
| Others were to cast lots for Messiah's garments | Psalm 22:18 | Matthew 27:35 John 19:23,24 |
| Messiah's bones were not to be broken | Exodus 12:46 | John 19:31-36 |
| Messiah was to die as a sacrifice for sin | Isaiah 53:5,6,8,10,11,12 | John 1:29; 11:49-52 Acts 10:43; 13:38,39 |
| Messiah was to be raised from the dead | Psalm 16:10 | Acts 2:22-32 Matthew 28:1-10 |
| Messiah is now at God's right hand | Psalm 110:1 | Mark 16:19 Luke 24:50,51 |
For 100 Bible Facts proving Jesus is the Christ, click here | ||
A COLLECTION OF VERSES LINKING TRIBULATION WITH CHRISTIANS
Hint: WE WILL BE HERE!
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MY PERSONAL FAVORITE...
- John 17:15, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
Jesus Christ Himself, in a prayer FOR US is asking His Father that we are NOT taken out of the World, rather He wants us protected WHILE we're here. Hence, this Biblical FACT...
- Psalms 91:10, "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."
BIBLICAL & HISTORIC FACTS PROVING THE GREAT TRIBULATION ALREADY OCCURRED
Below is an excerpt from my book, "People Get Ready" that you can read free online, or download absolutely free.
PROPHECY # 1
JESUS SAID BEFORE HE RETURNS, HIS FOLLOWERS IN JERUSALEM MUST FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS, AND THEN JERUSALEM WILL BE DESTROYED
Matthew 24:15,16
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
HISTORIC FACT IS...
In A.D.66 when Cestius came against the city, but unaccountably withdrew, the Christians discerned in this the sign foretold by Christ, and fled while 1,100,000 Jews are said to have been killed in the terrible siege in A.D. 70. (The attack of the Roman warrior Titus occurred in 70AD killing the 1,100,000 Jews) Eusebius, Church History, book 3, chap. 5
The Christians living at the time Cestius came against the city and withdrew understood exactly what was happening. They remembered the prophecy Jesus made in Matthew 24:15,16 and fled to the mountains before the Roman army returned. Could it be Cestius was "casing the joint" as we say in today's lingo? For whatever reason, the Lord saw fit to warn His children in advance of this day and they glorified Him by believing and fleeing as He suggested they should. As the history book records we see that the non-believing Jews saw no danger when Cestius stopped by. And because they chose to deny Jesus and ignore His prophecy, they paid for their disbelief with their very lives! 1,100,000 men woman and children DIED that day!!!! They could have all been SAVED had they just believed in this one mere prophecy! Think about today and all the prophecies that have been fulfilled over the years. What an honor, to be loved so deeply by the Almighty Creator that He would warn us in advance.
After I read about this as a young Christian I understood the importance of prophecy and why the Lord saw fit to bless us with it. I actually saw two reasons for His prophecy.
(1) PROPHECY GLORIFIES GOD IN HIS TRUTH
(2) IT'S GOD'S PERFECT METHOD OF WARNING HIS CHILDREN!
When we see the Almighty's prophecy come to light with 100% accuracy, we see a true and awesome Creator who knows all, has created all, and does in fact see all. We also see a God that loves His children so much that He actually writes them a book that shares with them the true and accurate method by which to live and prepare themselves for His eternal Kingdom. Which by the way, is VERY soon in coming as you will soon see.
PROPHECY # 2
THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS WILL EXPERIENCE A GREAT PERSECUTION, OR "TRIBULATION" BEFORE HIS RETURN
Matthew 24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
This Great Tribulation that Jesus speaks of here in Matthew 24 is one prophecy that is so often taken out of context. It is actually taught by some as being at some time in the future. But what about all the history books that record the Dark Ages with such unintentional prophetic accuracy? Are we to assume that this documented period in history is one that should be forgotten, or looked at lightly? Are we supposed to say that over 50 Million Christians slaughtered for their faith in Jesus as being a time in history that isn't recorded in God's Prophetic Word? Does not the book of Revelation speak of a period of persecution? (See my book, "The Second Window" for an in depth look at the truth about this.) Think about it for a moment... All the history books in every library on earth record a period of time with intense religious persecution.
Under the bloody maxims those persecutions were carried on, from the eleventh and twelfth centuries almost to the present day, which stand out on the page of history. After the signal of open martyrdom had been given in the canons of Orleans, there followed the extirpation of the Albigenses, under the form of a crusade, the establishment of the inquisition, the cruel attempts to extinguish the Waldenses, the martyrdoms of the Lollards, the cruel wars to exterminate the Bohemians, the burning of Huss and Jerome, and multitudes of other confessors, before the Reformation; and afterwards, the ferocious cruelties practised in the Netherlands, the martyrdoms of queen Mary's reign, the extinction, by fire and sword, of the reformation in Spain and Italy, by fraud and open persecution in Poland, the massacre of Bartholomew, the persecution of the Huguenots by the League,... and all the cruelties and perjuries connected with the revocation of the edict of Nantz [Nantes]. These are the more open and conspicuous facts which explain the prophecy, besides the slow and secret murders of the holy tribunal of the inquisition. -Rev. T. R. BIRKS, M.A., The Four Prophetic Empires, and the Kingdom of Messiah (1845 ed.) pp. 248, 249
The church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a compentant knowledge of history. The memorials, indeed, of many of her persecutions are now so scanty that it is impossible to form a complete conception of the multitudes of victims, and it is quite certain that no powers of imagination can adequately realize their sufferings. -W.E.H. LECKY, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, (Reprint; New York: Braziller, 1955) Vol.2 pp. 40-45
The Dark Ages have been recorded in almost every history book available today, however, you may find that some of these books have altered or even omitted certain historical facts that can be easily researched in most local libraries. Think of it, 50 MILLION! That actually dwarfs Hitler's holocaust by comparison! Some historians today are even estimating the death toll at 150 MILLION! This period was indeed the most extensive attack to date ever on the true Christian church in the history of mankind. But still, some preachers will go so far as to say this day is yet to come. Don't let those preachers of error scare you into thinking it's better to be a sinner than a saint because of a precarious future ahead. Of course all Christians will become extremely un-popular soon, and they will experience a short time of trouble as well as the "...time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it." [Jeremiah 30:7] We have an Almighty and Loving Heavenly Father that will protect and keep us during the trouble Jeremiah speaks of. However, the wicked will be all alone when the "time of Jacob's trouble" is realized. They haven't learned how to trust and rely on the God of all creation for protection in this intense time. Yes there is indeed a time of spiritual as well as physical trouble coming to this planet, however, when the plagues begin to fall, it is entirely directed toward the wicked, NOT the Christian! The Bible states very plainly that the children of God will be spared the seven last plagues of Revelation. The Un-Believer is the one that has the wrath of God poured upon him, and this wrath is poured WITHOUT mercy!
Revelation 14:9,10
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
50 Million Christians, maybe even 100 Million! And they were all killed because the apostate church thought they were doing God a favor by their terrorist methods of evangelizing! This brings to mind another prophecy that Jesus makes in the book of John about how the children of God will actually be persecuted by their very own religious leaders.
JESUS SAID IN... John 16:2
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
To think that some religious leaders have actually been blinded so much that they think killing a person rather than preaching the Gospel to them is the method Jesus would have instructed they do. This is evidence of the power and ability of a diabolical enemy we have found ourselves engaging. Nevertheless, don't let that slow you down one bit. For the Word says... "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." [Philippians 4:13]
The next three prophecies are a bit on the extraordinary in manner. I honestly believe that this is no mistake. I believe Jesus planned it that way so that when the prophecy comes to be, it can in no way be mistaken for anything less than fulfillment.
I will not be a bit surprised if you never knew these next three prophecies were actually fulfilled. The enemy has been very busy keeping these facts hidden from the general public. This has been going on for many hundreds of years. Whenever an event occurs in history of Biblical proportions, the media of the day always seems to do a hush hush on it. They always seem to use the reason for playing it down to be that they want to prevent wide spread panic. I have recently noticed watching the TV news that many times a reporter will report an event that was actually prophesied in the Bible. But later the story will be absolutely impossible to find repeated on any other news cast. It's almost as if they realized their snafu of letting the prophecy confirmation air, and then decided to do a hush hush job on it to spare us the details. These next three prophecies are just like that. History does however record them in vivid detail, so be ready to see a prophecy of old come to light today. I have talked with many Christians about these prophecies, and with true honesty, I have to say that over 90% were amazed that they never knew of these particular facts!
PROPHECY # 3,4, & 5 ARE ALL FOUND IN MATTHEW 24:29
PROPHECY # 3
THE SUN WILL BE TURNED TO DARKNESS
Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Documented historical facts reveal...
Timothy Dwight, president of Yale, remembered that "a very general opinion prevailed, that the day of judgment was at hand. The [Connecticut] House of Representatives, being unable to transact business, adjourned," but the Council lighted candles, preferring, as a member said, "to be found at work if the judgment were approaching." (See JOHN W. BARBER, Connecticut Historical Collections [2d ed., 1836], p.403)
... If every luminous body in the universe had been shrouded in impenetrable shades, or struck out of existence, the darkness could not have been more complete. A sheet of white paper held within a few inches of the eyes was equally invisible with the blackest velvet." -SAMUEL TENNEY, Letter (1785) in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, part 1, vol.1 (1792 ed.), pp.97,98
The remarkable Dark Day of May 19, 1780, is described by Samuel Williams of Harvard, The professor relates... "between the hours of ten and eleven a.m., and continued until the middle of the next night,... Candles were lighted up in houses; ... the birds having sung their evening songs, disappeared, and became silent;... the fowls retired to roost; ... the cocks were crowing all around, as at the break of day; ... objects could not be distinguished but at a very little distance; and everything bore the appearance and gloom of night." -Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences [through 1783], vol.1 pp. 234,235.)
How can anyone deny such documented testimonies? Did you notice who these testimonies were from? A YALE president... The Historical Society of Massachusetts... And a HARVARD professor! These are credible witness's! Over Sixteen and a half centuries earlier, the Lord Jesus said that after the tribulation period (1260 year, dark ages) ended, these signs would begin to appear! And as we always see with the prophecy of an Almighty Omnipotent God...
THE SIGNS OF HIS COMING DID INDEED BEGIN TO APPEAR
Some of you are probably a little shocked. Some of you may have always believed this day was still to arrive. Don't let that bother you though, you found out today, just as the Lord had planned for some of you. The enemy has been very cunning in his ability to hide the truth from many people for thousands of years. Today's time is no exception, as a matter of fact, today is more likely to be a conglomerate of confusing demonic lying attacks on the truth mainly because "...the devil is come down... having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. " [Revelation 12:12] So expect the worse people. Absolutely every aspect of battle, every scrap of lying wonders is being showered on mankind with such density that it boggles the mind.
I have noticed something a bit obvious though. The enemy has a tendency to always show his hand. Take for example, the fact that so many people have trouble believing in Jesus. The devil has geared his attack directly upon faith in Jesus! How obvious is that, I ask? One can actually find the truth by merely looking at what threatens the devil! It's truly become that obvious, and rightly so, it's the end times and the devil knows his time is short. Certain aspects of his attack are being exposed mainly because so many have fallen for his lies that their hidden agendas are bound to slip up and become visible to all. I am not alone in this either, many have noticed that the enemy knows his time is extremely short. It is easily noticed by watching the way mankind has played the trends as well.
Let me explain... In the 50's we had greasers and Fonzie types as a method of sin exploration. In the 60's we had the beatniks. In the 70's we had the hippies. In the 80's it was the leisure suit clad Disco scene. But look at the 90's. Every single method of the past is back and is playing out all at the same time, including some more decadent trends. It's almost as if the enemy is saying... "I had them dying on a daily basis using these methods in the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's, why not get them to recall the trends of the past in one last hoorah!" It's a fact people! Visit any big city and you will see people emulating trends of the 50's through the 90's all at the same time! These young people (and old alike) are seeking an answer to their inner self in places that are extremely deadly. The devil has convinced them that they have found themselves and need not look to the Bible for the answer. All because so many people refuse to open their God given Bibles!
PROPHECY # 4
THE MOON WILL BE TURNED TO THE APPEARANCE OF BLOOD
Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
We see here that the prophecy states that the moon will not give her light, but I like looking to the book of Joel to further illustrate this prophecy. Joel actually explains why the moon will not give her light and shine in her normal brilliance.
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.
We see why in the book of Joel that the moon will have trouble shining on that day. It will appear to look as if it's covered in blood. This isn't the only reason I went to this particular verse. The reference to the bloody appearance is an important aspect in this prophecy. The Lord knew man would see the moon and comment on its apparent shade of crimson!
The moon was at it's full, and had the appearance of blood. Stone's History of Massachusetts
"There was an appearance of midnight at noonday," and in the evening, although the moon was just past full, "perhaps it was never darker since the children of Israel left the house of bondage." In connection with this extraordinary phenomenon the moon was reported to appear red. (Letter signed "Viator" in the Independent Chronical [Boston], May 25, 1780, p.2; see also the Pennsylvania Evening Post [Philadelphia], June 6, 1780, p. 62)
By the way, not only was the moon full this day, but it was on the inner side of the planet. This means those cunning skeptics out there can't claim a lunar eclipse as the culprit for this prophetic event. Most everyone I know either owns, or knows someone that owns a computer. I suggest you check the lunar charts for the date May 19 1780 to verify this event. Almost every computer comes with a bevy of informational software tidbits when you buy them today. You are bound to have no trouble confirming this fact. PLUS... An eclipse can never last all day and all night. Unless of course the sun stopped dead in its tracks for 24 hours. (This can, and has happened by the way... See Joshua 10:12-14)
Is this not awesome? The prophecy states that the moon will not give her light, and then Joel confirms it by telling us it's because it appears as blood. Then many hundreds of years later we see it recorded as fact in the newspapers and media of the day that the moon had the appearance of blood on a dark and sunless day!
PROPHECY # 5
THE STARS SHALL FALL FROM HEAVEN
Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Documented Records reveal...
An eyewitness reported "This language of the prophet has always been received as metaphorical. Yesterday it was literally fulfilled,... as no man before yesterday had conceived to be possible that it should be fulfilled... Were I to hunt through nature for a simile, I could not find one so apt to illustrate the appearance of the heavens as that which St. John uses in the prophecy... They were what the world understands by the name of "Falling Stars" -Eyewitness account in the New York Journal of Commerce, vol.8, no.534, Saturday, Nov 16,1833 Edition.
"The morning of November 13th, 1833," says an eyewitness, a Yale astronomer, "was rendered memorable by an exhibition of the phenomenon called shooting stars, which was probably more extensive and magnificent than any similar one hitherto recorded... Probably no celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country since its first settlement, which was viewed with so much admiration and delight by one class of spectators, or with so much astonishment and fear by another class." -DENISON OLMSTED in The American Journal of Science and Arts, vol. 25 (1834), pp. 363, 364
"From the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, until daylight with some difficulty put an end to the display, the sky was scored in every direction with shining tracks and illuminated with majestic fireballs. At Boston, the frequency of meteors was estimated to be about half that of flakes of snow in an average snowstorm... Traced backwards, their paths were invariably found to converge to a point in the constellation Leo." -AGNES M. CLEREKE, A Popular History of Astronomy (1885 ed.), pp. 369, 370.
Frederick Douglas, in reminiscing about his early days of slavery, says: "I witnessed this gorgeous spectacle, and was awe-struck. The air seemed filled with bright messengers from the sky... I was not without the suggestion at the moment that it might be the harbringer of the coming of the Son of Man; and in my then state of mind I was prepared to hail Him as my friend and deliverer. I had read that "the stars shall fall from heaven, and they were now falling." -Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1941 ed.), p.117.
The devil has again been very busy hiding these historical facts for very obvious reasons. Had I known of these prophetic events in my youth, I would have been searching the Scriptures a lot sooner than the ripe old age of 27! Did you notice this line from above? "which was viewed with so much admiration and delight by one class of spectators, or with so much astonishment and fear by another class" What an awesome preamble to that great and terrible day of our Lord. Some will embrace the day and proclaim with delight... "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us:..." [Isaiah 25:9] And still others will cry out to the mountains and rocks in fear... "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb" [Revelation 6:16]
There is one more prophecy that is in connection with the previous three...
PROPHECY # 6
THERE MUST BE A GREAT EARTHQUAKE "BEFORE" THE SUN IS DARKENED AND THE MOON BECOMES AS BLOOD
Revelation 6:12
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Did you notice, Revelation 6:12 actually puts it in chronological order. It states that "there was a great earthquake" and then John writes "the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;"
A great earthquake? How great? Greater than San Franciso? Greater than Mexico City? And will it occur before The remarkable Dark Day of May 19, 1780? Well, 25 years BEFORE "the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;" There was an earthquake of the greatest magnitude ever recorded in history!
"The Lisbon Earthquake, which occurred on November 1, 1755, is the most notable earthquake in history." -Nelson's New Loose-leaf Encyclopedia (Book Productions Industries Inc.), art. "Earthquake."
Says Sir Charles Lyell, "A violent shock threw down the greater part of the city. In the course of about six minutes, 60,000 persons perished. The sea first retired and laid the bar dry; it then rolled in, rising 50 feet or more above its ordinary level... The area over which this convulsion extended is very remarkable." -Principles of Geology (11th ed., 1872), vol. 2, pp. 147, 148.
Encyclopedia Britannica (1945) estimates the deaths at a lower figure, but says the effects of the quake were felt from Scotland to Asia Minor and the distinctive feature of the Lisbon Earthquake was the agitation of inland lakes and streams far beyond the disturbed area -For instance, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain, Sweden, and Norway felt the effects. (Articles "Lisbon" and "Earthquakes".)
This earthquake was so intense that it still fascinates Scientists of today. Some have even gone so far as to try and say a black hole hit Lisbon! Can you imagine? To go to such lengths as to try and disprove the Bible with such an outrageous claim as this. Anyone with an ounce of sense that has read even the slightest amount of data on the makeup of a black hole would know that this is impossible. The entire planet would be destroyed if a black hole even came near our orbit, let alone hit us!
YOU CANNOT DISPROVE THE INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD!
WHERE WILL WE BE FOR THE 1000 YEARS?
(Study Outline taken from "Hope Beyond 2000 tape #17" -Kenneth Cox)
Revelation 20:6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
The 1000 years begins with a resurrection of the RIGHTEOUS. this is the FIRST resurrection.
Revelation 20:5, "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished...
The wicked will NOT be alive during this 1000 years. The Bible bluntly says they won't live until the 1000 years are over.
John 5:28-29, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
That's two different resurrections being noted here. Plus, the Bible states these two are separated by 1000 years of time rather bluntly.
So, how does the 1000 years begin according to the Bible?
FIVE SIGNS THAT START THE 1000 YEARS
1. The second coming:
John 14:1-3, "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."
Matthew 24:30-31, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
As most of us know. It starts with the second coming. Even the Worldly preachers know this. Problem is, they misunderstand certain Biblical aspects of what occurs DURING the 1000 years that allows for false prophecies and lies to be embraced by the general population as you will soon see.
2. Resurrection of the righteous:
1 Thessalonians 4:16, "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:"
1 Corinthians 15:51-53, "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."
First the dead Christians are raised. Then...
3. Translation of the righteous living:
1 Thessalonians 4:17, "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."
The righteous LIVING are changed from mortal to immortal as was strated in 1 Corinthians 15:53. And then we go UP in the air with Jesus. Many preachers of today think Jesus will descend to the Earth at this time and set up His kingdom on earth now. However, the Bible doesn't say that at all. In fact, what does happen to those that don't go with Jesus...?
4. Wicked living are slain:
Jeremiah 25:33, "And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground."
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"
Revelation 6:14-17, "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Revelation 19:11-18, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."
Do some of you remember this verse we discussed many times before where Jesus tells the Apostles were the wicked will be when the Christians leave with Him at what the world calls the Rapture?
Luke 17:37, "And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together."
We will get back to this one later. The final sign that signifies the beginning of the 1000 years?
5. Satan bound:
Revelation 20:2-3, "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."
Bound = the same as you saying "I'm all tied up, I can't go with you." It's circumstances that will bound the Devil for the 1000 years, and what are these circumstances?
Isaiah 24:1,3 "Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word."
Jeremiah 25:33, "And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground."
He can't tempt anyone because they are all DEAD! They are BIRD FOOD!
Remember what this angel said earlier?
Revelation 19:17-18, "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."
By the way... Will the birds be done eating?
Jeremiah 4:23-27, "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end."
What will we be doing for those 1000 years?
Revelation 20:6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
Revelation 20:4, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:.."
1 Corinthians 6:2-3, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?"
We will be reigning with Christ and doing the work of the judgment. But, why do you suppose the saints judge the world? Some may proclaim, "I thought Jesus did the judgment?" I say, CORRECT, and we are REIGNING with Him right now aren't we? Picture yourself in Heaven looking for someone you thought was a Christian, and finally realizing they are not there. Will you now go through eternity thinking about why your loved one isn't there? This judgment work we do is two fold...
(1.) It vindicates the Lord IN OUR HEARTS, exposing the lies of hell.
(2.) It proves the Lord gave your loved one EVERY opportunity to join Him and you in Heaven.
You ARE reading their book aren't you? You have all the proof before you. You now know that Jesus DID do as He said He would, and your loved one denied Him DAILY! The Lord opens the books so you can see with your own eyes that they did in fact ignore Him. And then finally you come to the conclusion, it is NOT His fault. they chose Hell on their own!
So, what happens at the end of the 1000 years?
FIVE SIGNS THAT END THE 1000 YEARS
1. The wicked are raised:
Jude 1:14-15, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
Revelation 20:5, "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."
That's ALL the wicked! From Cain to the last sinner! BILLIONS upon billions the world over! Think of it! It's not going to be a fun place by any means. PLUS, they will not be in glorified bodies as you will soon see. So if they died deaf, dumb or blind, they awaken deaf, dumb and blind as well.
2. Satan is set free:
Revelation 20:7, "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,"
3. New Jerusalem comes to earth:
Revelation 21:2, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
Revelation 21:3, "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."
Want to know where it will settle down?
Zechariah 14:4-6, "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee."
4. All the wicked are destroyed:
Revelation 20:9, "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."
Why did the wicked surround the city? Why not just leave us be? Why not leave and go someplace else away from the city? In this resurrection the Bible does not say they are resurrected "whole" or with "immortality." In the first resurrection, those Christians that die blind, awaken with sight, those that die deaf, awaken hearing, those that died lame, awaken walking. The second resurrection doesn't have these wondrous miracles because these wicked are not righteous, nor are they IN the city where there is something that heals the nations!
Genesis 3:22-24, "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
Fact is, the "tree of life" is in the midst of New Jerusalem.
Revelation 22:2, "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
How can they be healed when the tree is inside the city? Could it be they seek the tree of life so as to continue living forever in sin? However, it is written...
Nahum 1:9, "What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time."
Instead, theirs is the Great White Throne Executive judgment. When they come against the city to try and destroy it obviously for that tree of life We read this...
Revelation 20:11-12, "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
In front of every single human that ever lived. ALL the righteous in the city, and before all the wicked outside the city will be a grand view of the plan of salvation as the Great God stands before them. The righteous will not have to deal with the judgment of the wicked for it is written...
1 Corinthians 11:31-32, "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."
But the wicked trusted in their works alone to gain Heaven. they had no faith in Jesus to save them, so it is by their works they will be judged because they proclaimed themselves unworthy of a Saviour. HOWEVER, regardless of the outcome...
Romans 14:11, "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
The problem is, the wicked will get up off their knees and try to take the city by force so as to gain eternal life, but as it is written... "... and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." -Revelation 20:9
Revelation 20:13-14, "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
There is no resurrection from this death. Only those that took part in the "first" resurrection shall live on. It is this death that is permanent. It is here the saying "God of the living" is realized in reality. For the righteous WILL be living for eternity, and the wicked shall be dead for eternity. And after their bodies turn to ash, and the fire burns out, and all the wicked, Satan, his angels, death, and hell are burned to ashes. What do the righteous do that day?
Malachi 4:1,3 "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts."
5. Earth made brand new:
2 Peter 3:10-13, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
Revelation 21:1, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."
Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
Earth will then be the home of the Almighty Godhead. His children will be about Him. And Heaven will be on earth.
A FEW POINTS TO PONDER AS TO THE NEARNESS OF HIS COMING...
- Leviticus 25:4, "But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard."
A Sabbath for the LAND is commanded by the Lord. It is declared that six years you may work the land, and the seventh year we must allow the land to rest.
- Leviticus 26:34, "Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths."
Is this a prophetic similarity? Is not the earth to be desolate 1000 years? And was it not ruled by our enemies, the wicked? Jeremiah speaks of a time when Israel did not keep the Sabbath of the Lord, and so it was written...
- 2 Chronicles 36:21, "To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years."
The planet WILL lay desolate because it MUST! We have just about finished 6000 years in this land. We are approaching the seventh thousandth year of the planets age. And by the way, you can see that Revelation uses the number seven over 50 times. It speaks of...
7 Churches... 7 Seals... 7 Trumpets... 7 Woes... 7 Spirits etc
In Scripture 7 = completeness.
Ever notice this?
Jewish custom was one that when a man courted a woman to wife. He would approach her. IF she agreed to marriage, he would leave to make ready his wealth necessary to provide for her and return in 2YEARS. Students of prophecy see this as a custom Jesus will match when looking to take His bride the Church.
PLUS... Have you ever noticed that the "Good Samaritan" has been seen as Jesus returning 2000 years after His first arrival?
- Luke 10:30-35, "And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee."
- The "certain man from Jericho" is us, the Church
- The "priests & Levites" that passed him by are the worldly preachers / Christians of today
- The certain Samaritan of course is Jesus
- The "Oil & Wine" that Jesus uses to HEAL his wounds = Holy Spirit & Jesus blood of atonement
- The "inn" is the Church
- The "two pence" was what Jesus "Paid in full" at Calvary
- The "two pence" are also actually "two days" payment for lodging
- The "Two days" = 2000 years, for it is written...
- 2 Peter 3:8, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
(To better Understanding Prophetic symbols click here.)
Final point...
- 2000 years from Creation to Abraham
- 2000 years from Abraham to Christ
And as this parable declares...
- 2000 years from Christ to OUR DAY
One more thing. Note the prophetic facts laid out here...
- Hosea 6:2-3, "After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth."
After 2000yrs He will "revive" those that have died as well as those that are blessed with the Latter Rain. When the 2000 years end, He will return and in the "third day" the dead in Christ will rise as will those of us that are "caught up to meet Him in the air"
So, I ask, with all this Biblical, Prophetic, and Historical PROOF that the great tribulation has already occurred. WHY is everyone still belieivng all those lying preachers and teachers out there when their very own Bible prove them wrong?
- Amos 8:11, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:"
As we all know, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." -Romans 10:17. If the people refuse to open their Bibles and VERIFY what their pastors are preaching to them, they would NOT fall for such lies! The Bible is an invaluable tool. Especially in our day, for we have been chosen by God Almighty to live in the LAST DAYS!
Are you REALLY one who proclaims, "whatsoever saith the Lord?"
Old Testament Prophecies of the Second Coming
And Habakkuk, rapt in holy vision, beheld His appearing. "God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light." "He stood, and measured the earth: He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hill did bow: His ways are everlasting." "Thou didst ride upon Thine horses and Thy chariots of salvation." "The mountains saw Thee, and they trembled: . . . the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of Thine arrows they went, and at the shining of Thy glittering spear." "Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, even for salvation with Thine anointed." Habakkuk 3:3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13.
There are more of course. I used these two to prove even the Old Testament destroys the "secret" rapture theory.
This lie of a "secret rapture" can be used to make Christians sit back during all the government wickedness we see on a daily basis simply because they truly believe they won't have to deal with any of it seeing how they will be "raptured' out before it gets out of hand anyway. What a rude awakening so many are about to be slapped with.
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