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.
Mat 25:2-13 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (3) They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: (4) But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (5) While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. (6) And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. (7) Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ( 8 ) And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. (9) But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. (10) And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. (11) Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. (12) But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. (13) Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Good morning, Reader! How many of you love weddings? I surely do! I especially enjoy reading the history of weddings; and I especially love Jewish weddings from the Scriptures and Jewish historical documents. To get a full blessing, you should study the Jewish wedding as compared to Jesus and His church. If you’re born again, you will be rejoicing as much as I am!
Jesus gave us the parable of the wedding story in the above Scriptures in order to for us to make sure that we are ready for His unknown arriving. Re-read the Scriptures and picture this event in your mind.
I truly believe this is a story about the Rapture of the Church! The act of anointing with oil in the Scriptures usually refers to the Holy Spirit. They would anoint someone to send them out to the mission field. The Christian is anointed with the Holy Spirit upon salvation and He dwells within us never more to leave us, amen?
1 Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
In this parable of the ten virgins, we see that half are ready while the other half is not. The significant detail of why they are not ready is because half of them have oil (the Holy Spirit) for their lamps and the other half do not. The Scriptures refer to them as five foolish virgins and five wise ones. The five that were foolish took their lamps to meet the bridegroom but they didn’t have any oil so they had to leave the five wise virgins to go get oil. These are symbolic of people who call themselves “Christians” but they are Christians in name only: they are the unsaved. They have not been born again and do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them (symbolized by the oil). How do I know that they are not born again? Verse 12 in this parable gives us the answer:
Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Jesus, Himself, says that He does not know these five foolish virgins! Jesus knows those who follow Him and have the Holy Spirit, which are born-again believers!
Now let’s discuss the five wise virgins (the Church) who have their lamps (they are the light of the world) and their oil (the Holy Spirit). At the moment the Bridegroom comes for His Church, the foolish five virgins who didn’t have oil in their lamps (the Holy Spirit dwelling within them as a result of salvation) were not ready for His coming and when they returned from getting oil, the door was shut to them and Jesus said He knew them not. Wow!
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.
Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Can you imagine what it will be like after the Rapture when people go to church and the people who are normally in attendance are no longer there? Can you imagine when a person comes to the realization that he was not truly born again and totally missed the Rapture? That person will have to go through the awful judgments of the Tribulation! That person will have to make a choice of whether or not he will take the mark of the Beast! If that person gets saved, he will have to go through the Tribulation even though he is saved! He will suffer the judgments and may even have to be martyred for Christ or go underground struggling to survive. Why would one delay accepting Christ?
I was raised catholic so I never heard of the Rapture before I was saved; but you can be sure that I was very excited to get saved so I would be included in that blessed event! It is very scary to think that many would rather choose to live in sin like the rest of the world rather than getting to know the Lord personally and accept His free salvation!
To the one who is not saved, this could be your story. 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 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.
Good morning! Today’s post is a bit long and I pray that you will bear with me and read/study it in its entirety. The Book of Revelation used to be a difficult book for me. But as I read and studied it, I learned to interpret it correctly. The Lord promised a blessing to those who read, hear and keep the words written in it. It is the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing if you read it! Therefore, let’s dive in this morning and get blessed!
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Many years ago in my research, I learned that whatever image the Apostle John saw, if it seemed like it was something out of Star Trek and not believable, it should be interpreted symbolically. A good example of this is:
Rev 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
This is definitely a good example, isn’t it? But when other verses seemed to be realistic to me, I should interpret it as literal. A good example of this is:
Rev 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; (11) And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
The star could mean a comet or an asteroid. It is likely that Wormwood will be discovered by NASA at some point in the near future. Or it could be the result of a comet or asteroid’s impact of polluting water at its impact. The word wormwood is defined by Noah Webster as:
WORMWOOD, n. [G.] A plant, the artemisia. It has a bitter nauseous taste;
So we can interpret the verses above literally. A comet will fall to earth and destroy a third part of the rivers and fountains of waters (fresh water) and make the waters bitter and undrinkable. So now we know what to take literally and what to take symbolically.
Let’s get back on track now and discuss the Pre-Tribulation Rapture as it relates to Revelation. If we are to believe the mid or post tribulation viewpoint, then the Church would have a lot of warning and instruction. The Apostle John would have instructions for the Church specifically. How then does one explain that the church is never mentioned after chapter three??? This is key here! The word “church” is mentioned seven times in chapter two and the word “churches” is mentioned 11 times in chapters one through three. That’s a total of 18 times that “church(es)” appears in just three chapters! The word “church or churches” is not mentioned again until the last chapter, Chapter 22, in verse 16!
Rev 22:16 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.
It is also interesting to note that in Revelation 3:22 (the last verse in this chapter) is the last use of the word churches. Immediately after in Revelation 4:1, “a door is opened in heaven” and Jesus says “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” When the Bible was first written, there were no chapters and verses. The assigning of chapters and verses was finished in the year 1551. How exciting is that? Revelation 3:22 and Revelation 4:1 were originally one verse apart. One is referring to the churches and the very next verse speaks of a door opening. Following Rev. 4:1, there is no other mention of the church. It means a lot more when you look at it like that, doesn’t it?
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Jesus is not coming to earth in Rev. 4:1. However, John is brought up to where Jesus is located. Secondly, Jesus says He will show John what must be hereafter. None of the judgments have begun yet at this point. The rest of chapter 4 and chapter 5 discuss Heaven and events going on there. One of these events is chapter 4:4.
Rev 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Believers earn crowns for their works for the Lord after their salvation and the way they conduct themselves on earth. They receive these crowns in Heaven and cast them at Christ’s feet.
Rev 4:10-11 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
So the Pre-Tribulation viewpoint fits in perfectly: the Church goes up to where Jesus is (as the Apostle John goes to Jesus) and the judgments begin after the Church goes up.
Just as Noah was kept by the ark, the Lord Jesus is our Ark. We are safe with Him in Heaven; safe from judgment that is to come upon the whole earth.
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Just as Noah lived by faith and remained faithful while building the ark, he was protected from the judgment of the flood which would come to the entire earth. Just as Noah returned from the waters onto the mountains of Ararat and a new earth was his home, so will we return with Christ to live on a revitalized earth and Christ will reign in Jerusalem.
No man knows the hour that Jesus will take us up in the Rapture; but we can know the season of His return for us. Just as Noah didn’t know when the rains would come, neither will we know when Jesus will take us away. This is the ONLY version of the Rapture that makes sense. The mid-tribulation viewpoint has its exact days (1260) and the post-tribulation as well. But Pre-Tribulation is imminent and can happen at any time. Once God shuts the door (of our Ark), that’s it!
Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Mat 24:36-42 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (37) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (40) Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (41) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (42) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
It is worth repeating: after Revelation 4:1, the church is no longer mentioned (until Rev. 22:16). That is because we have been raptured and are already with Christ. At the beginning of the Tribulation (which occurs when the Antichrist comes to power), God’s focus goes back to Israel’s judgment. After Revelation 4:1, the Old Testament’s prophecies about the time of Jacob’s Troubles come into play. “Come up hither,” is a beautiful depiction of the rapture of the Church. It is prefaced by the wonderful teaching of the Church age in chapters one through three. After the shout to “come up hither,” the Church is not mentioned during the judgments. If the Church were to go through the Tribulation, it would be mentioned. But the focus from that point on is now on Israel. As Daniel prophesied in chapter 9 about the 70 weeks, we see that sixty-nine weeks passed before Christ’s ascension. After that point, the church age began, and there was a pause placed on the focus around Israel. The focus was then placed on the church. This focus ends with the Rapture of the church. Once the antichrist makes himself known (Daniel 9:27) by signing a peace treaty with Israel, Daniel’s 70th week begins (seven years) the Tribulation. Jeremiah calls it “the time of Jacob’s trouble.”
Jer 30:3-7 For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. (4) And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. (5) For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. (6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? (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.
Believers need to realize that there are two groups of people that God especially loves! He loves the whole world but the faithful are close to His heart; He loves Israel and God loves Christians. God dealt with Israel throughout the Old Testament. Because they would not obey nor would they lead others to Him, God opened the door to all mankind to accept salvation. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us all from our sins; this includes non-Jews, the Gentiles. It’s as though God in His mercy took a “break” from dealing with Israel, to open the door to the Gentile, and put Israel’s judgment on hold. This is not to say that Gentiles didn’t come to faith in the Old Testament. They most certainly did! Examples are Rahab and Ruth. Both were in Christ’s lineage!! However, it was their responsibility to share their faith but they kept God to themselves.
The Church Age began with Christ and the Age of Law was put on pause (this ended Daniel’s 69th week). The Rapture of the church takes us out of the picture and God returns His focus to Israel. The Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist makes a pact with Israel. Half-way through the seven years, he will break that pact.
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.
I know today’s post is a lot to absorb but it sure packs a wallop! Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. 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!
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Good morning! What we have covered thus far on this subject of the Rapture has been exciting to me. I can remember the first time I ever heard about it and thought to myself what a wonderful gift the Lord is offering to His children!! He doesn’t offer anything but His wrath to the children of disobedience (the unsaved).
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Colossians 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
The prince of the power of the air is none other than Satan. Unbelievers follow his teachings whether they recognize that or not. We are seeing his influence in our world even more so than times past. Friend, the fact that Fairfax County Virginia is having Transgender day on Easter Sunday (2024) reveals the depravity of man due to Satan’s influence in the world. (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/virginia-county-declares-transgender-day-of-visibility-on-easter-this-year/ar-BB1kzhUW) Christians should be screaming from the housetops declaring their sinful ways. This is most definitely a sign of the times mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:1-9.
So let’s get back on point on the topic of the Rapture. The most prevalent point to the Rapture is its timing. Mid and post tribulation believers have tried to discredit those who believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture for years. But they cannot dispute the timing.
Remember this, the Old Testament revolves around Israel and the judgment that is to come. The Old Testament doesn’t revolve around the church. The church isn’t spoken of in the rest of the Book of Revelation after Revelation 4:1:
Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
When we search the Scriptures which talk about Christ’s return, we find verses that tell us we won’t know the day and hour. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time. But yet we read in Revelation 12:6, there is an exact number of days specifying how long Israelites will be nourished in a place that God prepared for them: God takes care of them in the wilderness for 1260 days. That’s pretty specific, if you ask me.
Revelation 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.
The 1,260 days begin when the Antichrist stands in the Temple and declares himself to be God!
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 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; (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The 1260 days spoken of above are exactly three and a half years, which is in the middle of the Tribulation.
Daniel 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.
The Rapture and the Tribulation are two separate events. Jesus protects His Bride, the Church, from the Tribulation period which is to come for the purpose of opening Israel’s eyes to their Messiah. That is why it is called Daniel’s 70th week. Israel is the central point of all of the Scriptures. A pause during this timeframe was given for the Church age due to Israel’s blindness of their Messiah. No hope or consolation can be given to people who are about to go through seven years of the worse time in history!
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.
How can the Church comfort one another when they have to go through the judgments and martyrdom? (1 Thessalonians 4:18) This period of God’s wrath is on the children of disobedience as we see in the opening verses. And to top it off, the Apostle Paul taught the most on the Rapture as a positive thing in 1 Thessalonians. Each chapter has at least one verse that encourages the believers of his day. Take the time and read – study!!!
Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. 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!
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; (10) And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Good morning! As I look at today’s picture, I can almost see the Lord at the sunrise, behind the cloud, eagerly awaiting the go ahead from the Father to meet us there! Can’t you? I look for the Rapture daily in eager anticipation that our earthly trials will one day be over! I think of spending eternity with Christ and being able to worship at His feet!
Are you as excited as I am? Please go ahead and leave a comment so we can anticipate His return together! Many, however, don’t believe that the Church will be spared from the Tribulation. How sad for them! I joke around and reply, “Well, won’t they be pleasantly surprised when we are”! But what is there for the believer to look forward to or encourage one another with if all there is is seven years of the horrible judgment of God’s wrath? Why would Jesus say what He did in Luke 21:36? If the Church is to go through the Tribulation period, there is no escaping!
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
We believe that the Rapture is imminent. This word means literally means hanging over, impending, threatening. It can happen at any time. The Apostle Paul taught it in AD 51, reader! So go ahead and re-read todays two verses and imagine Paul’s motivation when he wrote about the Rapture. The Thessalonians were side tracked by deceivers by those who were saying that the Rapture had already happened and that they had entered the Tribulation period. When Paul heard this, he wrote to them:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (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;
Paul had taught them properly and they were being deceived; much like today! The belief in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is being attacked today. People scoff exactly like the Apostle Peter warned of in:
2 Peter 3:4 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 Tribulation cannot start until a great falling away first comes and the Antichrist is revealed. The Antichrist is revealed at the signing of a peace treaty with Israel, as we see in Daniel 9:27. All these things have a timing. The Rapture does not. God did not have Noah build the ark when it first started raining. No! It took Noah about 55-75 years to build it. The ark kept the judgment waters from Noah and his family. That same ark didn’t have a stern, helm or bow. Noah didn’t know when the rain was coming until it began to rain! Remember, it had never rained until then; this is why the people mocked Noah! (See Genesis 2:5-6) All these things were totally under God’s control. In fact, God Himself shut the door to the ark, locking the eight survivors inside safe and sound. After the waters abated, Noah and his family were left to populate the earth.
Now look at how our Ark, Jesus, provides for His Church. Once we are saved, we enter into His protection. His payment on the cross for our sins gives us the entrance into His ark and He will protect us from the wrath to come. He takes us in the Rapture, (Revelation 3:10, 4:1) and shelters us until it is time to return to earth at His Second Coming. Christ judges the earth and we enter the millennial period into His earthly Kingdom! Tribulation saints who are alive at His coming, will populate the earth!
The imminence of the Rapture can only be seen using the pre-Tribulation view. There is no timing, as we’ve seen with the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2. But if you have a different view, there is a definite time. If you think the Rapture will occur in mid tribulation times, then you have a definite timing because the Tribulation will be seven years. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that half of seven years is three and a half years. As well, if you think the Rapture will occur post Tribulation, you see that seven years of judgment have occurred and it’s time for the Rapture. Why then would the Thessalonians be afraid that it had already occurred?
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
We are told by Christ Himself that we should watch because we don’t know the hour that He will come. If we don’t know when He will return for us, it keeps us watching. However, if we know it’s mid or post Tribulation, we don’t have to be watching because we know the day. What stops a person from saying, “I will live how I want and the week before the Rapture, I will get right with God?” With a pre-Tribulation Rapture view, the believer is watching and living for the Lord so he is not caught of guard!
So we see that the Thessalonians were living in expectation of Christ’s return. The Apostle Paul instructed the believers at Thessalonica that they did not need to heed signs and times, because the New Testament believer has been promised redemption from the “day of darkness” that shall overcome the whole world (1 Thess. 5:1-9).
1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 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,
The church is not waiting for the appearing of the Antichrist, but for the redemption of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. 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!
Isa 13:6-13 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. (7) Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: ( 8 ) And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. (9) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. (10) For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (11) And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (12) I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. (13) Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
Good morning! Today’s topic is frightening, to say the least. According to Isaiah, the Great Tribulation is referred to as the day of God’s wrath. Those who believe in the Rapture occurring in the middle of the Tribulation or after the Tribulation, believe that Christians will go through part or all of God’s wrath. But we have learned that this cannot be possible as we covered in previous posts. God did not appoint born again believers to wrath.
1 Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Jesus referred to both Noah and Lot when He spoke of the Tribulation. In both instances, Noah and Lot were removed from the coming judgment on the unbelieving world. This is not possible when one believes in the mid or post Tribulation Rapture, amen?
Luk 17:26-37 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (27) 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. (28) Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (31) 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. (32) Remember Lot’s wife. (33) Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. (34) 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. (35) Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (36) Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (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.
The last time the Book of Revelation refers to the church is in Revelation 3:22. The very next verse, Revelation 4:1, calls the church up: “Come up hither”! The word “church” does not appear again. Why is this? It is because we are not on earth but have been removed from the wrath that is to come on the whole earth. We have been given an opportunity to escape this wrath because of our Groom, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Does this excite you, reader? 😃 It surely does me But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. 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!
Revelation 6:16-17 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: (17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Good morning! Do today’s verses disturb you? If you’re born again, they should cause you to be praying for the salvation of your family, friends and those in your circle of acquaintances. If you’re not born again, I pray that you will be disturbed by what you read and that it stirs your heart to be saved.
So today’s verses talk about the wrath of the Lamb that is to come. What is this wrath? Who is going to suffer this wrath? The Lamb is Jesus Christ and when His judgment upon this earth begins, there will be no turning back. Each judgment will be worse than the one before. The Rapture of the church will have already happened and those who remain will be involved in a horrific time on this earth like no other, the Tribulation. This is called the time of God’s wrath upon the earth. It has been prophecized from the Old Testament all through way through to the last book in the New Testament in the Book of Revelation.
You may be saying that there has always been persecution throughout the ages so this is nothing new. But these seven years will be a time where the people who get saved will be persecuted like no other age and it will occur all over the world, not just a specific location and not for a specific people. It will be for all people, all over the world.
Revelation 14:10 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:
Mid-Tribulation and Post Tribulation believers say that Christians will go through half or all of the Tribulation. However, this doesn’t jive with the Scriptures because the Tribulation saints won’t be delivered from the wrath but will be overcome by it.
Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
We are told in the Scriptures that, just as in Noah’s day when God shut the door to the ark, that God will shut the door after the Rapture and no one will be able to escape the Tribulation.
Revelation 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. (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.
Those who are alive at the time appointed by God to rapture His church, will be kept from the hour of temptation that will come upon the whole earth. All other times of persecution during history did not occur upon the whole earth, but just parts of it. The antichrist will be in power in order to cause havoc upon the entire earth. The church has been taken up in the Rapture. The word “church” occurs 80 times in 79 verses in the King James Bible. It is found only seven times in the Book of Revelation and only in chapters 2 and 3. It is not mentioned once after that. Chapter 4 begins with:
Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
The Apostle John was given the opportunity to see and hear what would happen during the Tribulation. God called him up through an opened door. This is indicative of the Rapture of the church. Why? We see that the church is not even found once in Chapters 4-22. These chapters now refer to the Jews. The Jews rejected Christ at His first coming and the Gospel of Christ was entrusted to the Church until Christ came to Rapture the church. After this event, the Jews will come back into the picture and will see their Messiah is: Jesus Christ!
But for today, we can see that He has yet to be revealed or come into power. Christians will be kept from these seven years of Tribulation and they will be removed beforehand. Praise the Lord!! \o/ Are you ready, Christian?
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!
Psa 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
The word “testimony(ies) in this verse is very poignant. The Treasury of David has an interesting comment – I’ve added it below. David was the apple of God’s eye. One would think that he kept his heart focused on the Lord. But being human, I’m certain that he had tendencies to lean toward the opposite direction, as shown below.
“The only way to cure a wrong leaning is to have the soul bent in the opposite direction. Holiness of heart is the cure for covetousness.“
The Treasury of David
The only way to deal with sin is to be focused and centered on the Lord and His Word. Jesus quoted scripture to Satan when He was tempted by him in the desert. Jesus Christ took on human form and, therefore, could have succumbed to sin after 40 days of no eating. What human being wouldn’t? When the body is in pain and weak, it is harder to ward off the devil. Job is a good example of this. However, Jesus quoted His words from the Old Testament back at the devil. Is that what we do when we have fallen into temptation? Being tempted is not sin but giving into temptation is. The Lord promises to help us out of these situations.
James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
It is not until the temptation has been “conceived” in our heart that it brings forth sin. Therefore, do not let yourself get to that point. We have a choice as born-again believers! We do not have to sin. We can stay focused on God’s Word and quote it back to the devil when we are tempted. Be encouraged, Christian… it won’t be long now before the Rapture occurs. Our troubles here on earth will be gone and we will be forever with the Lord for all eternity! Oh joy! I love this hymn! It becomes sweeter to me as I see the day of Christ’s return to get His Bride in the Rapture of the Church! (1 Corinthians 15:50-55, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 2 Timothy 4:8, Titus 2:13, James 5:7-8, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 4:1) Be encouraged, believer!
WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE
There’s coming a day when no heartaches shall come No more clouds in the sky No more tears to dim the eye All is peace forever more On that happy golden shore What a day, glorious day that will be
What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see When I look upon His face the one who saved my by His grace When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land What a day, glorious day that will be
There will be no sorrows there And no more burdens to bear No more sickness and, no more pain No more parting over there And forever I will be with the one who died for me What a day, glorious day that will be
What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see When I look upon His face the one who saved my by His grace When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land What a day, glorious day that will be
What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see When I look upon His face the one who saved my by His grace When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land What a day, glorious day that will be
But for the one who is not authentically born again, it is not so. The unbeliever is not looking forward to the Rapture, if he even knows anything about it. The bottom line is salvation. This determines where a person will spend eternity: forever burning in the Lake of Fire or in Heaven with the 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. 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 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.
Good morning!😀 Today’s post is a bit long and I pray that you will bear with me and read/study it in its entirety.
The Book of Revelation used to be a difficult book for me. But as I read it, I learned to interpret it correctly. The Lord promised a blessing to those who read, hear and keep the words written in it. It is the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing! Therefore, let’s dive in this morning and get blessed! 😀
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Many years ago in my researching, I learned that whatever image the Apostle John saw, if it seemed like it was something out of Star Trek and not believable, it should be interpreted as a symbol. A good example of this is:
Rev 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
This is definitely a good example, isn’t it? But when other verses seemed to be realistic to me, I should interpret it as literal. A good example of this is:
Rev 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; (11) And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
The star could mean a comet or an asteroid. A few years after I was saved and before the internet, I read an actual news article which stated that a comet had been spotted which was named Wormwood. Unfortunately, I can’t find that article online – it was one read in the newspaper. It could be likely that Wormwood will be discovered by NASA at some point in the near future. The word wormwood is defined by Noah Webster as:
WORMWOOD, n. [G.] A plant, the artemisia. It has a bitter nauseous taste;
So we can interpret the verses above literally. A comet will fall to earth and destroy a third part of the rivers and fountains of waters (fresh water) and make the waters bitter and undrinkable. So now we know what to take literally and what to take symbolically.
Let’s get back on track now and discuss the Pre-Tribulation Rapture as it relates to Revelation. If we are to believe the mid or post tribulation viewpoint, then the Church would have a lot of warning and instruction. The Apostle John would have instructions for the Church. How then does one explain that the church is never mentioned after chapter three??? This is key here! The word “church” is mentioned seven times in chapter two and the word “churches” is mentioned 11 times in chapters one through three. That’s a total of 18 times that “church” appears in just three chapters! The word “church or churches” is not mentioned again until the last chapter, Chapter 22, in verse 16!
Rev 22:16 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.
It is also interesting to note that in Revelation 3:22 (the last verse in this chapter) is the last use of the word churches. Immediately right after in Revelation 4:1, “a door is opened in heaven” and Jesus says “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” When the Bible was first written, there were no chapters and verses. The assigning of chapters and verses was finished in the year 1551. How exciting is that? Revelation 3:22 and Revelation 4:1 were originally one verse apart. One is referring to the churches and the very next verse speaks of a door opening. Following Rev. 4:1, there is no other mention of the church. It means a lot more when you look at it like that, doesn’t it?
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Jesus is not coming to earth in Rev. 4:1. However, John is brought up to where Jesus is located. Secondly, Jesus says He will show John what must be hereafter. None of the judgments have begun yet at this point. The rest of chapter 4 and chapter 5 discuss Heaven and events going on there. One of these events is chapter 4:4
Rev 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Believers earn crowns for their salvation and the way they conduct themselves on earth. They receive these crowns in Heaven and cast them at Christ’s feet.
Rev 4:10-11 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
So the Pre-Tribulation viewpoint fits in perfectly: the Church goes up to where Jesus is (in the clouds as the Apostle John goes to Jesus) and the judgments begin after the Church goes up.
Just as Noah was kept by the ark, Jesus is our Ark. We are safe in Him from judgment that is to come upon the whole earth.
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Just as Noah lived by faith and remained faithful while building the ark, he was protected from the judgment of the flood which would come to the entire earth. Just as Noah returned from the waters onto the mountains of Ararat and a new earth was his home, so will we return with Christ to live on a revitalized earth and Christ will reign in Jerusalem.
No man knows the hour that Jesus will take us up in the Rapture. Just as Noah didn’t know when the rains would come, neither will we know when Jesus will take us away. This is the ONLY version of the Rapture that makes sense. Mid-trib has its exact days (1260) and Post-trib as well. But Pre-Tribulation is imminent and can happen at any time. Once God shuts the door (of our Ark), that’s it!
Mat 24:36-42 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (37) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (40) Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (41) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (42) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
It is worth repeating: after Revelation 4:1, the church is no longer mentioned (until Rev. 22:16). That is because we have been raptured and are already with Christ. At the beginning of the Tribulation (which occurs when the Antichrist comes to power), God’s focus goes back to Israel’s judgment. After Revelation 4:1, the Old Testament’s prophecies about the time of Jacob’s Troubles come into play. “Come up hither,” is a beautiful depiction of the rapture of the Church. It is prefaced by the wonderful teaching of the Church age in chapters one through three. After the shout to “come up hither,” the Church is not mentioned during the judgments. If the Church were to go through the Tribulation, it would be mentioned. But the focus from that point on is now on Israel.
Jer 30:3-7 For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. (4) And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. (5) For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. (6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? (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.
Believers need to realize that there are two groups of people that God especially loves! He loves the whole world but the faithful are close to His heart. God loves Israel and God loves Christians. God dealt with Israel throughout the Old Testament. Because they would not obey, God opened the door to all mankind to accept salvation. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us all from our sins; this includes non-Jews, the Gentiles. It’s as though God in His mercy took a “break” from dealing with Israel, to open the door to the Gentile, and put Israel’s judgment on hold. The Church Age began with Christ and the Age of Law was paused (this ended Daniel’s 69th week and began Daniel’s 70th week). The Rapture of the church takes us out of the picture and God returns His focus to Israel, Daniel’s 70th week. During this time, called the Tribulation, the Antichrist will make a pact with Israel and half-way through the seven years will break that pact.
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.
I know today’s post is a lot to absorb but it sure packs a wallop! Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. 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!
