1 Cor. 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Will we be found faithful when You come for us, oh Lord? Or will efforts be on things not worthy of reward? These are my deepest thoughts as I strive to do your will, To glorify your Name and share your precious Word.
The time is near, our heads looking up with eagerness! All our unsaved loved ones will suffer the devil’s reign. Father, give us one more day to share the blessed news! Please remove all those scales to behold Amazing Grace.
Lord please use me in my circle, let them see my joy. Peace, rest, and love ever present for the seeking soul. No greater love than Yours can be shown amongst all men. Selfless love to be found that makes a lost sinner whole!
Despite my conflicted heart, come quickly, Lord Jesus. I so long for the cares of this world behind me. Any crowns or rewards are to be laid at your feet, Your church, bowed, will praise you, throughout eternity.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (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. (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: (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. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Good morning! Could this be the year that the Rapture will occur? If you’re new to this blog and have never heard of this Rapture I write of, we’ll be taking a closer look at its meaning and what it represents to the born-again Christian. It is a message of hope and excitement to all believers who are awaiting the Lord’s return in the clouds for His bride. Read through today’s Bible verses and we’ll take a few days to explain and prove this event can occur at any moment. Today, however, we will just cover what the word means and where it is found in the Scriptures.
We are seeing a great divide in Christian circles about the pre-tribulational Rapture. The topic is being ridiculed by believers. They are calling it a “secret” Rapture or escapism by those who believe it will happen before the Tribulation. I always thought that those who scoffed at Christians would be unbelievers. However, it makes perfect sense that it comes from within the Church itself.
2 Peter 3:3-4 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) 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 fact that these scoffers are referring to the “fathers,” tells us that they are religious. Is it any wonder that people are not turning to the Church in these end times? So let’s get down to business.
Although the word “rapture” doesn’t appear in the English translation of the Bible, it’s a term that describes the removing of born-again believers from the earth. The Latin word “rapturo” is where our English word comes from. The term “caught up” in verse 17 is elsewhere translated “pluck” (John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.) We see another reference to it when Philip was snatched away after he witnessed to the Ethiopian eunuch (Act 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.) If you followed my series on the attitude of mankind during the end times, you saw that we are in a time where the antichrist will come into power. It is a time that no born-again believer will go through and a time that you do not want to experience if you are not born again. Prior to the revealing of the antichrist, this Rapture will occur: it can happen at any moment: it is imminent and you do not want to be caught unaware.
The New Testament was written in Greek and, therefore, we will see what the Greek language has to say about the word “rapture.” Strong’s Concordance states this:
It will help you if you look up each of these verses in your Bible to see the different uses. The Rapture represents being caught up, taken by force, taken away, plucked, and pulled away. The word “rapture” isn’t found in the Bible. But, friend, neither is the word “bible” found in the Bible or the word Trinity. But the concept and description of the rapture is found in the Bible and, therefore, it’s worthy of study, amen?
If you are a born-again Christian, you may have heard of the various beliefs of when the rapture will occur. To understand why it is important, you need to know when the different beliefs occur. There are three popular schools of thought of when the rapture will occur: the pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation and post-tribulation. Pre-tribulation is defined as occurring before the tribulation. Mid-tribulation is defined as occurring in the middle of the tribulation. And finally, the post-tribulation is defined as occurring after the tribulation.
The latter two beliefs claim that the pre-tribulation rapture was only recently “invented” but there is historical proof showing that this was the belief of the Christians as early as third century AD. This is only one example of the writings of that day:
All the saints and elect of God are gathered together before the tribulation, which is to come, and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins.
-Pseudo-Ephraem (c. 374-627)
Please read his quote and let it sink in. Proponents against the pre-tribulation Rapture claim that Darby introduced it in the 1800’s. However, we see in this quote that the pre-tribulation rapture was not invented in the past 150 years but in the third century! As we continue our series, we will dig in deeper and we will see that this was what was intended through the Scriptures! The Apostle Paul spoke a lot about this blessing reunion and we will cover those verses to bring it all together.
No other Tribulation viewpoint can explain away these four verses:
Joh 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) 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. (4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
After Jesus’ Second Coming, the Millennial Kingdom begins. If the Rapture happens at the end of the Tribulation, how will the Church go to Heaven where Jesus went to prepare a place and THEN go into the Millennium? They will never go to Heaven? That makes no sense at all. Jesus says in verse 2 that He was going to prepare a place for us. Then verse 3 says that He will come again and receive us unto himself so that where He is, we will be also!
If you are a born-again Christian and have never studied this out, I hope you are blessed by it and encouraged in your heart. If you are not born again, I urge you to settle the matter right now! Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 4:1-2 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (2) And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Good morning! As we open our eyes in the morning to a brand new day, let us remember that we are living in exciting times. We will be the ones who experience the Rapture before we die! We must be busy with the Lord’s work in leading as many as we can to Him. Christians have no need to fear what is happening around the world. Why? Because we know that these things must happen in order for Christ to come again. The Rapture is not waiting for a specific event before it can happen. However, for Christ to come as conquering King at the Second Coming, these disturbing times must come to past.
In Revelation 1:19, we see an outline of what the entire Book of Revelation is all about. The Apostle John explained to us those things which he saw (chapter 1) when Jesus spoke to Him. He told us about the things “which are” in chapters 2 and 3. Now we will look at the things which shall be hereafter (chapters 4 through 22).
Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
The Greek word for hereafter is “meta taut” which starts us here in chapter 4. It is found again in today’s verses, Revelation 4:1. We see that the Apostle John, in his early 90’s and while he was on the island of Patmos, writes: “he looked and a door was opened in heaven.” He was taken by the Lord to heaven where he would behold many terrifying things which would happen in the future.
We see John as a “picture or type” of the church that is raptured prior to chapter 6. I realize many don’t believe in the rapture and their defense is that the word rapture doesn’t appear in the Bible. However, neither does the word “Trinity” but it is a fundamental belief in the foundations of Christianity, amen? Neither is the word “bacon” but we enjoy it with breakfast! We must remember that the New Testament Scriptures were not written in English, but in Greek. The word “harpazo” means to snatch away and when it was translated into Latin, the word “rapturo” was used; this is where the word “rapture” comes from. It is these first two verses of chapter 4 that describes the rapture beautifully.
One notices that a door was opened in heaven in verse 1 and Jesus says, “Come up hither.” Do you recall the letter to Philadelphia? A promise was made to this church:
Rev 3:8-10 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (9) Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. (10) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
“Come up here” appears only twice in the New Testament and both times are in the Book of Revelation. It is used again when the Two Witnesses in chapter 11 are raised after being dead in the streets for three days. Jesus tells John to “come up here” so He can show John things which must happen “hereafter.” John was immediately in the spirit and he beheld one sitting on the throne. Can you imagine how John felt as he was looking at what was going on in heaven around the throne???
Why is it believed that this is an indication of the Rapture? We must look at it according to the Scriptures.
The church is not mentioned once after Revelation chapter 3. The word church appears 80 times in the New Testament, seven in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. The word churches is found 37 times in the New Testament, 11 times in chapters 2 and 3 and once in chapter 22. It is nowhere to be found in chapters 4 through 21. The Tribulation is a time period where God deals with Israel and His efforts to draw them back to Him. The church age is over at this point because we are raptured and now the focus is on Israel.
The open door in heaven only appears twice: once here in chapter 4 and then again when the two witnesses are caught up into Heaven in 19:11.
The sound of a trumpet is consistent with: 1 Co 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1Th 4:15-16 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. (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: This is not the sound of angels’ trumpets but the trumpet of God!
Invitation to “come up here” appears only twice in the New Testament, both in Revelation, here and Revelation 11:12, when the two witnesses are raptured.
Lastly, the return of the Saints with Christ is found at the end, in chapter 19. The Scriptures which talk about the Saints being with Jesus at the Second Coming are many:
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Jude 14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (15) 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.
1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 5:1-11 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (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. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (8) 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. (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (10) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
So dear reader, we see that the pre-tribulation Rapture view holds to the test of events. Our next post will continue with John’s visions of what goes on in Heaven before the Tribulation begins: they are exciting times!!! 😃
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
We have now reached the end of our study about the Rapture versus the Second Coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! King Jesus will reign through the Millennium in Jerusalem. After the unsaved are cast into the Lake of Fire, Jesus will create a new Heaven and a new earth! How exciting!
Rev 21:1-8 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. (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. (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. (4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (5) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (6) And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
My last post covered the second death. But at the creation of the new Heaven and the new earth, there will no longer be unbelievers and sinners. All things will be made new and perfect! A new Jerusalem will also be created and only those who were found in the Lamb’s book of life will be able to enter in.
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
What a glorious event this will be if you are born again!
Rev 22:3-5 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: (4) And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. (5) And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
So dear reader, will you be present at this event? If you’re not 100% sure, please (I beg you) make sure before it’s too late! You don’t know when you will die! You could be commuting home from work and be involved in a deadly car crash. You just don’t know!
Rev 22:11-20 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. (12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (13) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (14) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (15) For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (18) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: (19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (20) He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
We have reached the conclusion of this series. The next series will be a condensed version of the Book of Revelation! My desire is that if this blog is still online during the great Tribulation, eyes will be drawn to these devotional series and will be an encouragement to all who read it.
Good morning, precious readers and friends! Today’s topic is alarming to me. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to go to Hell when they die. These same people will be brought up from Hell to experience the Great White Throne Judgment and then be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity. It’s like being burned so severely and then going to a place where you will burn forever!!! Please, if anyone reads this and is not saved, please don’t make fun of it. Search your heart and come to Christ as your Saviour. If you are reading this and the Rapture has already happened, don’t delay as your time on this earth is very limited! Please, I plead with you, get saved now before it’s eternally too late. Just click here and a new tab will open up that will show you how to be saved. Then come back here so we can continue with today’s post.
Now back to our topic… After the Millennium is finished, Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire and all unbelieving souls since the beginning of time will be judged before the Great White Throne.
Rev 20:11-14 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. (12) 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. (13) 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. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Can you imagine how this will go down? All those who have been in hell all those years since the beginning of time, will be released and will have to appear before the Lord Jesus Christ to be judged according to their works. Why works? They will be judged by their works because they did not accept Christ as their Saviour. Therefore, they will learn quickly that everything they did in life, by deeds or words, will be judged at this point. There will be nothing in their lives that will be equivalent to what Christ did on the cross for them. They chose to deny Him on this earth and He will deny them before the Father in Heaven. I picture it just as the tract called This Was Your Life depicts it. Take a moment to read it before continuing. It will open in a new tab so once you’re finished, come back here.
Once they are judged, Christ will look at the book of life and point out that their name is not written in it. Only those who were born again and accepted Christ as their Saviour have names written in that book. Christ promised these believers that their name would never be blotted out of the book.
Philippians 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
I can’t even begin to imagine that “good” person at this point. If you are one of those good people, stop now and think of what this means! You cannot be good enough. Even if you lived an honest life but didn’t believe in God, your name will not be found in the Lamb’s book of life. It doesn’t matter if you believed in God or not. I would not want to find out I was wrong all along when my time comes to die. It’s not too late to be saved at this point in time. But once you die, that’s it. Your time has run out and it’s too late to accept Jesus Christ as Saviour.
Heb 9:27-28 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (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.
You don’t want to be part of the Great White Throne judgment, friend. You want to be part of those who will not experience the second death.
Rev 20:14-15 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Here’s a good quote to remember:
Those who won’t accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour are those who are born once, but they will die twice. Once upon their physical death and they go to Hell; then their second death is after the Great White Throne judgment when they are cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. 😥 Those who have accepted Christ as their Saviour are born twice: once at their physical birth and the second birth is their spiritual birth when they are “born again.” This person will only die once (their physical death). After their death, they are present with the Lord in Heaven and live with Him for eternity.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning, dear reader! We have just a couple more posts on this series! It seems as though I just started it yesterday! As you’re reading these devotional posts, do you feel anxiety or do you feel excited? I’ve always felt excited but I know people who are apprehensive about what is about to happen. One must ask oneself, am I anxious because I’m not 100% I’m going to Heaven or because I love life and am not ready to give it up? Only you can answer this. Are you 100% certain that if you were to die in your sleep tonight, that you would go to Heaven? If you are not 100% certain, please go here and read through it. It will open in a new tab. Then come back to this tab and let’s continue.
Once the Millennium comes to an end, Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit for a short period. He will once again come against Israel only to be defeated once and for all. Those who have died without Christ from the beginning of time will not rise just yet. Their time will come to be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Rev 20:1-10 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (3) 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. (4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (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. (7) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (8) And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. (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. (10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Satan’s army will be destroyed one and for all – forever! He will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever and ever. As you can see by the Bible verses above, Satan and his minions will be tormented day and night! His time is coming and those who love the Lord long for the day when there is finally peace and King Jesus is reigning!!
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning! ☕ I’m sitting here with my coffee and excited to share today’s post with you. Nothing gets my spiritual self excited and motivated than writing about the Lord and His coming! We are nearing the end of our Rapture versus the Second Coming series. I praise Him for keeping us safe in Him and giving His Church a blessed opportunity! I pray for souls to be won to Christ and to give me boldness to share the beautiful Gospel of Jesus!!! King Jesus will be reigning on this earth soon – what a glorious day that will be!
Today’s post concentrates on the Second Coming and what happens after. If you recall from previous posts, the Church has already been raptured. But what happens to those saints who died during the Tribulation? The verses below explain:
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
We also see that Jesus will come with judgment for all who are still alive. He will judge the Jews and the nations. This is also known as the sheep/goat judgment.
Eze 20:33-38 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: (34) And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. (35) And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. (36) Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. (37) And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: (38) And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Mat 25:31-46 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (32) And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: (33) And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (34) Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35) For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: (36) Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. (37) Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? (38) When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? (39) Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? (40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (42) For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: (43) I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. (44) Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? (45) Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (46) And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. 2Th 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, (8) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (9) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
After all the judgments are finished, the Millennium is ready to begin. The curse which had been placed on the earth after Adam and Eve sinned, is now lifted. The earth will again be perfect as it was in the Garden of Eden. Can you imagine petting a lion or playing with a boa constrictor??? I can’t wait!
Rev 22:3-5 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: (4) And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. (5) And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. Isa 11:6-9 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (7) And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. (8) And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. (9) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Isa 35:1-2 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. (2) It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Isa 35:5-6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. (6) Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Jesus deals with Satan, the false prophet and the antichrist and binds them for 1,000 years. Can you imagine what life will be like during this time? 😃 I see the believers blessing His holy name and praising Him!
Rev 20:1-3 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (3) 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.
Can you imagine King Jesus reigning over the earth from Jerusalem? What an event that will be! The saints will rule with Jesus during that 1,000 years. Not having the devil’s influence over the hearts of man is something we have never experienced! At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed for a short time to deceive the nations yet again. Another battle will occur that will be a great one. Satan and all the nations involved will go against the saints and Israel, particularly Jerusalem. But God will send down fire which will kill them all! Satan will then be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Once the millennium is finished, God will create a new Heaven and a new earth. As well, all those souls and those who have died from the very beginning through the end of the Millennium will be raised and judged. This is called the Great White Throne.
Rev 20:12-15 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. (13) 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. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The next post will be about the new Heaven and the new earth. Oh what beauty we will behold. It is truly something to look forward to!
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
It’s a brand new day and we have the Lord to thank for our eyes opening this morning, Amen? We have another day to share the Gospel, discuss the upcoming events on God’s prophetic calendar, and to encourage one another as these days get darker! Paul exhorts us not to live in darkness because we have the light of the Word of God abiding in us! Thank You, Lord!!! So what’s next on this topic? Let’s take a look at what the Bible says will happen after the Rapture and the Second Coming. Today’s post will cover what comes after the Rapture.
As we saw in previous posts, the Rapture is a snatching away of the Church before the Tribulation begins. What does it involve? The Church (consisting of born-again saints) will instantaneously be changed from the physical body we have here on earth to a new resurrected body just as Jesus had at His resurrection. This event happens so quickly that Scripture says it happens in the “twinkling of an eye!”
1 Co 15:50-55 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Php 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
So how fast is the “twinkling of an eye”? According to policedriver.com:
When you are driving 60 mph, literally in a blink of an eye, you move 17.6 feet.
I’m assuming we will be traveling upwards faster than 60 mph because the world will not see what is happening. I merely gave you this example so you could “see with your mind’s eye” how fast the twinkling of an eye can be. In fact, the word twinkling only appears once in the entire Bible (King James Version). I find that interesting, don’t you?
Some mistaken the “last trump” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 to be the one spoken of in Revelation 11. However, that cannot be the case as all the seals, trumpets and bowls are horrible judgments, not something to encourage the believer. The last trumpet is God’s trump, not angels.
(1Th 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:
After we are taken to be with Jesus in Heaven, He will be waiting to hand out (or withhold) rewards to believers for their work here on earth while waiting for His coming. This is called the “Bema Seat” judgment. It is not judgment for our sins because Christ paid the price for those sins. It is to judge what we did for the Kingdom. Will the works we did be works that we took credit for or will they be for Christ? That will depend on whether they are burned (works for one’s own glory) or whether they will bring rewards (works done for Christ’s glory).
1 Co 3:12-15 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (14) If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 2 Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Tim 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
While the Tribulation happens, the earth will suffer, as well as the people living on it. The world will dive into total lawlessness and Satan will take advantage of this. After the Rapture, the restraint of the Holy Spirit will be gone because He resides within every born-again believer. His role will return to that of the Old Testament where He empowered specific people. Without His restraint, the earth will not have all those Christians to bear witness of Christ and to object to the evils of this world. Instead, the devil will use his wicked power to guide the world into a one world church and one world government, where he will reign for seven years. If you think things are bad now, it will be hundreds of times worse during his reign.
The whole point of this series is to encourage the believers but it is also to alert those who are lost of what is to come! It will be the worse time to come upon the entire earth. There will be no escape unless the warnings from this blog lead you to Christ. You must heed this warning and settle where you will spend eternity today before it is too late. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning! It’s time to shake off the sleepiness and drink that morning cup of coffee or tea. I must admit that I wouldn’t mind waking up to the view above, wouldn’t you? 😃 On my last post, we covered God’s timing for the Tribulation period and why we believe the Rapture will occur before that great judgment. To sum that up, no man knows the day or the hour of the Rapture, but we can know the signs of the coming of the Tribulation. Christ’s return for the church is imminent: that means it can happen any time. Today, we will look at the Second Coming of Christ and when the Scriptures say that will happen according to the prophecies from the Old Testament.
The prophet Daniel, of the Old Testament, prophesied about this very thing.
Dan 9:24-27 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.
Daniel prophesied that the antichrist would sign a peace treaty with Israel for one week, which is equal to seven years (he breaks that treaty half way through). It stands to reason that there has to be a reason for the need for a peace treaty; there must be wars and conflicts so bad that Israel longs for peace and will give anything to achieve that peace. Remember, Daniel’s 70th week revolves around Israel. From that point on, the Tribulation begins and God’s prophetic clock starts to tick for the seven years. This tells us that the Second Coming of Jesus won’t happen until those seven years are finished. Therefore, the date of the Second Coming will be known to believers during those seven years! God is very specific and when He says seven biblical years, He means it. A biblical year is 360 days, not 365 as we know it in the West. So all one has to do is to multiply 360 x 7 and you get 2,520 days. Half way through is 1,260.
The Bible continues to tell us that more signs will appear before Christ comes to end the Battle of Armageddon. Read on:
Dan 9:27 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. Dan 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Dan 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Half way through the Tribulation, the antichrist will break that treaty with Israel and he will remove Israel’s ability to do sacrificing in their temple. Therefore, we know the Tribulation has not started yet for two reasons: (1) there hasn’t been a need for a peace treaty yet, and (2) Israel does not have a temple in Jerusalem. Once Israel realizes that the antichrist is not their Messiah, they will flee to the wilderness:
Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
It is not until these seven years of judgment upon Israel (see Daniel 9:24 above) are over that their true Messiah, King Jesus, will come. Those who fled to the wilderness will be cared for by God and they will recognize their true Messiah when He returns!
Rev 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Rev 19:11-16 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. (12) 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. (13) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) 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. (16) And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Jesus and the Church will return at the end of the Tribulation after God has released His wrath upon the disobedient world. We know for a fact that the Church has been in Heaven because of the following verses in Matthew. Jesus said:
Mat 24:29-31 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: (30) 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. (31) 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.
This is not the gathering of saints on earth as some post Tribulation believers say. This is the gathering of the saints already in Heaven! Verse 31 doesn’t say from under heaven; no it is from one endof heaven to the other. Let God’s Word reveal to you the truth, reader.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
How excited are you about the Lord’s return for His Church – His Bride? Oh dear reader, I pray with all my heart that this blog has excited you and solidified why you hold to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture! I have to admit that this series has stirred the embers in my heart and started a fire within me to share this blessing for the Church! If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, I pray that you will find His peace here and now. I am amazed that there are churches out there that don’t even hear about the Rapture or the end times. It saddens me because we are to encourage one another with this knowledge that we will soon be with Christ!
The last post was about the “when” of the Rapture and this is a continuation of that post, although this post deals more on why we hold to that timing. The entire Bible revolves around God’s chosen people, Israel. I heard a message from a Jewish believer and evangelist, Amir Tsarfati, recently and he said that Jesus was a Jew (like we needed to be reminded, LOL), the Apostles were all Jews, AND none of them quoted the New Testament! I never thought of it that way before. Although there is no where in the Old Testament that speaks specifically about the Rapture, we can know the times of Christ’s return because of the prophecies. Jesus expounded on those prophecies during His time here.
The first of these prophecies that had to come to past to usher in the “end times” was:
Isa 43:5-6 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; (6) I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Jer 16:14-15 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; (15) But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Jer 23:3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. Jer 23:7-8 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; (8) But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. Jer 29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. Jer 31:7-8 For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. (8) Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. Eze 28:25-26 Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. (26) And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God. Amo 9:14-15 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. (15) And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.
The Old Testament prophets spoke about a time when Israel would finally become a nation. That prophecy was fulfilled in our time, reader! In 1867, Mark Twain visited Zion (Israel) and had this to say about the land in his publication Innocents Abroad:
“….. A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds… a silent mournful expanse…. a desolation…. we never saw a human being on the whole route…. hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”
God had a job to do to prepare the land for the return of the Jews so they could inhabit that land. One can Google pictures of that land during any time period from Twain’s visit to 1948 (even today) and you see a miraculous change from desolation to a lush, vibrant land. This is most certainly fulfillment of Bible prophecy, friend.
This is no big thing for God since He created everything in six days! May 1948 was a day of great joy for the Jews. They came from all over the world to inhabit their land, which God had prepared for them. Israel was known as the “fig tree” according to Jesus. He taught us to learn from the parable of the Fig Tree:
Mat 24:32-33 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: (33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
So what does this have to do with knowing we are close to Christ’s return? Jesus said in the very next verse. He said that the generation who would see that blessed event would not pass away before His return!
Mat 24:34-35 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. (35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Friend, we are that generation! Rejoice! We can take this to the bank because Jesus said that Heaven and earth shall pass away, but His words shall NOT pass away. That means you can believe His promise! From May 1948, anyone who was born would have the opportunity to witness His return, if death didn’t come first.
I want to give you one more golden nugget for you to get excited about and that can be found in:
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
According to Strong’s Concordance, the word “from” in this verse is “ek” in Greek. Ek means “out of.” Therefore, Jesus will keep the Church “out of” the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world! I have this note in my Bible: “Encourage one another – there is hope, not doom and gloom”! This verse cannot be referring to the Church when John was speaking of the church at Philadelphia because during that time no judgment since the Great Flood had come upon the entire earth to try them; and neither to date. We’ve seen flooding, pestilence, earthquakes, etc., but not a severe judgment (as in Noah’s day) upon the entire earth.
If you never learned about the Rapture and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that these devotionals have been a blessing to you. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
