Tag: Tribulation

The Rapture – Day 19

On February 21, 2022

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

Good morning! You’ve probably noticed some repetition in my posts. It’s difficult to cover everything in a certain topic and have the post be about five minutes of reading time. Today’s Bible verse is a good example as it deals with the restraining of the Holy Spirit. He not only restrains, but He does so much more. Because of all that His role entails, it helps us to understand the significance of His role during the Tribulation.

I once did a study on the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives and it was such a blessing to me. I’ve listed them below because I believe that it opens our eyes at how significant His role is. For you to interpret 2 Thessalonians 2:7 properly, you need to know what the Holy Spirit does for the Church. Please take a moment to read the bullets and please look up each Bible verse reference:

He is a Helper who teaches (John 14:26)
He convicts us of sin (John 16:7-8)
He dwells within believers (1 Cor. 3:16)
He is the source of wisdom, revelation and power (1 Cor. 2:10-11, Acts 1:8, Eph 1:17-18)
He guides us into all truth and knowledge of what’s to come (John 16:13-15)
He gives spiritual gifts to believers (1 Cor. 12:7-11)
He seals believers unto the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13 and 4:30)
He helps us in weakness and intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26-27)
He makes believers new and gives us eternal life (Rom. 8:10-11)
He sanctifies believers and enables them to bear good fruit (Gal. 5:16-25)

Friend, we can easily see the Holy Spirit at work today in the Church, both in history and currently. He restrains (he who now letteth) the devil from totally taking over the world with his evil influence. But once He is taken out of the way, the devil is no longer restrained. Do you understand this? The Tribulation cannot begin until the Holy Spirit who restrains the power of the evil one “be taken out of the way.” This happens at the Rapture. The Holy Spirit has taken residence in each born-again believer and once His restraint (through every believer) is taken out of the way, those born again believers will be taken out of the way as well. Why do I know this? I know this because Jesus said that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will abide with us FOR EVER.

(Joh 14:16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

That is why we don’t see the Holy Spirit working in the same manner in the New Testament as we do in the Book of Revelation. His role will be just as it was in the Old Testament. He anointed prophets and worked through them, along with priests, judges and kings. He will do the same with the two witnesses (who will perform great miracles) and the 144,000 men from the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 14:4) (who will spread the news of salvation to a wicked world).

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!

The Rapture – Day 18

By Kate Plourde

On February 18, 2022

In Devotionals, End Times, Rapture

Jer 30:7a Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;

What a blessed day it is!! Are you excited? Are you afraid? There is no greater way to start your day than to be in the Word and listen to God as He speaks to you. This series may be an eye opener for some, and a refresher course for others. In my previous post, we touched a bit on the “time of Jacob’s Trouble.” In a few Scripture references, the Bible refers to the Israel’s great tribulation as this time of trouble. This phrase refers to the descendants of Jacob so it stands to reason that it is meant for only the Jews, not the Church. Just as the Church isn’t mentioned in the Old Testament, the Church won’t play a role in the “time of Jacob’s Trouble.” Today’s verse states that this trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save them.

That final week of Daniel’s 70th week hasn’t taken place yet. An angel told Daniel that, “70 weeks are determined upon thy people” (Dan 9:24).

Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

The Bible doesn’t say that the Tribulation is meant as a time of testing and judgment for believers. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and, therefore, our sins have been judged already. They have been washed away once we receive salvation through Christ and eternal life with Him.

However, some proponents of the post-Tribulation viewpoint claim that Christians will be tested during the Tribulation. To make this fit into that viewpoint, they have to “spiritualize” the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God’s protective seal. If the Church was to go through the Tribulation, don’t you think the Apostle John would have used the word “church” here as he did in chapters one through three? The Post-Trib proponents are forgetting the different dispensations. Before the Ecclesiastical Dispensation (the Age of Grace or the Church Age), there was the Legal Dispensation, the Age of Law. After the Church Age, God is dealing with Israel once again and only Israel. That is why references to the Age of Law (i.e., the temple), are made in Revelation. The post-Tribulation view tries to combine these two dispensations of the Law and Grace into the Tribulation. However, Revelation is filled with judgment and the Scriptures tells us that God’s wrath is not upon the church.

1 Thess 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thess 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

We have the blessed hope, Christian! This is such a positive and powerful verse. Does it even resemble Paul trying to tell us that we would go through the judgments of the Tribulation? Not to me, it doesn’t! The judgments of Revelation are severe and horrifying! Paul wanted to make sure that his followers were well taught about what was to come so they wouldn’t fall for every wind of doctrine.

(Tit 2:13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

But God is very clear on who will receive that wrath during the Tribulation:

(Joh 3:36) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
(Rom 1:18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
(Eph 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.
(Col 3:6) For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
(Rev 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:
(Rev 14:19) And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
(Rev 15:1) And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
(Rev 15:7) And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
(Rev 16:1) And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

Logically speaking, if the Church is to go through the Tribulation, they would also receive God’s wrath. Why would the Lord do this to His Church if we are not appointed unto wrath?

1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Rapture – Day 11

By Kate Plourde

On February 2, 2022

In Devotionals, End Times, Rapture

Good morning! A beautiful blanket of freshly fallen snow was left overnight and we behold a beautiful scenery. The scenery is quietly left behind. This is exactly how I view the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t speak to my heart with fanfare – He quietly deposits God’s will for me through the His word. Praise the Lord for the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and through the church! I remember when I first was saved and attended my first church service. I’d never been in a church service where people actually enjoyed and loved being there! They had a common goal and that was to love, sing and worship the Lord together! I couldn’t get over the joy in my heart! I’d always attended catholic church and there was never any joy.

So back on point, if you recall, the Old Testament revealed the work of the Holy Spirit at various times when He was needed. He did not reside within those who loved God. He came at a time when God needed to accomplish something. There are many events of His presence but here’s one:

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

However, in the New Testament, Jesus promised to leave His Spirit with the believers. Notice the verse says that the Holy Spirit would abide with us for ever! If we are to go through the Tribulation, and the Holy Spirit goes back to His Old Testament presence, then this verse is not true!

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Come one people! The Scriptures do not contradict each other (John 10:35b): “the scripture cannot be broken”!

I firmly believe that the Spirit’s presence was not only needed to comfort and teach, but was also needed so that the Scriptures could be documented. In Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit was revealed and He has been with the church ever since. It is He who organized the church (Acts 1:8) and endowed them with gifts. It is He who gave us the Scriptures. It is He who restrains sin until it is time to release God’s judgment upon the entire earth.

2Th 2:1-8 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; (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. (5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? (6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Dear reader, all out sin and evil influences are being restrained right now by the Holy Spirit. If He were not within the church, things around us would be far worse. We see the “mystery of iniquity” already at work. Our world appears to have gone crazy. The devil has managed to infiltrate the world with critical race theory, the belief that there are over 100 different genders, and the taking of innocent lives through abortion. This is just to name a few but you can see my point. This sinful influence was not a part of us in the early 1900’s. But the “mystery of iniquity” has crept in and left its influence in the wicked hearts of man.

“Only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way“! From the year 30 AD (when Acts 2 occurred) to today, the Holy Spirit has played an active role in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. The Bible has been translated in 704 languages as of 2020. But not everyone has access as we see below:

According to Ethnologue, there are currently 7,106 living languages in the world. As of 2020 the full Bible has been translated into 704 languages. The New Testament has been translated into 1,551 languages and parts of the Bible have been translated into 1,160 additional languages.
https://www.biblica.com/resources/bible-faqs/how-many-different-languages-has-the-bible-been-translated-into/

The internet has helped greatly in spreading the Gospel across the globe but still lacks in many under privileged countries. The map below gives us a good idea of how much is still needed.

Internet density map — **World connection density map (Source:** Chris Harrison)

Friend, once the Holy Spirit is removed at the Rapture, His influence will go back to the Old Testament way for His work. He will work through the 144,000 men of Israel who are sealed (Rev. 7:4) and the two witnesses (Rev 11:3). Their ministry will save many but more will die. Zechariah 13:8 tells us that two thirds of the population will die during the Tribulation. Praise the Lord that the church will be removed prior to this! Be encouraged my friend! Don’t be dismayed. A true shepherd would not lead his sheep to the slaughter but he would take care of them and remove them from harm’s way. So is our Shepherd going to remove His sheep, the church, before the hour of testing to come upon the entire earth.

The Rapture – Day 6

By Kate Plourde

On January 6, 2022

In Devotionals, End Times, Rapture, Salvation

Rev 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, reader! 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.

Rev 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.

Rev 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.

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. (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:

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.

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’re not a Christian, 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!

Are We in the End Times? Day 30

By Kate Plourde

On December 19, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

Good morning! This is the last day of the end times devotional. I have been praying that the Lord would use it for His glory and draw a soul to Him. Have you been saved by the Scriptures used in this devotional? Please let me know by leaving a comment and I will be happy to point you to a discipleship study that will help you to grow!

For our last day, I would like to share what the next events on the prophetic calendar are. The Christian is awaiting the Rapture of the Church. This is an event where God calls all born again believers to Heaven. Jesus Christ meets them in the clouds and takes them where He has prepared a place for them.

(1Th 4:13) 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. (Paul is referring to those who have died before the Rapture.)
(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 4:15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
(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:
(1Th 4:17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
(1Th 4:18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

You may have heard people say that word “rapture” isn’t in the Bible. Well, the word “bible” isn’t in the Bible either but that doesn’t mean it’s not called by another name. In the Greek, the word used for “caught up” is:

ἁρπάζω
harpazō
har-pad’-zo
From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): – catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

The Apostle Paul tells the believers to comfort themselves with this information! The Tribulation won’t happen until after the Rapture of the Church.

He goes on to tell believers what will come after the Rapture. If you are not born again, I pray that these last Scriptures that I share with you will shake you to the core and that you will get saved:

(2Th 2:1-12) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,: This is the Rapture.
(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. People were misled by wrong doctrine, even in Paul’s day! He was writing the church at Thessalonica to hold fast to what he had written to them in the past and not be deceived by false doctrine.
(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; This great falling away is what we are experiencing today. We are not sure how long this will last but it will end with the man of sin (the antichrist) revealing himself. The antichrist will be none other than Satan.
(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 antichrist will exalt himself above God and will sit in the temple in Jerusalem deceiving people into thinking he is God.
(5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he had already taught them these things. Some believed the Rapture had already occurred but he’s showing them that the antichrist was not yet revealed.
(6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. What stops this prophetic clock from starting is the restraint of the Holy Spirit on this earth. At this time, He dwells within every born again believer.
(8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Once the Rapture occurs, those born again believers are removed from the earth and so is the Holy Spirit. His work will be accomplished just as it was in the Old Testament where He empowers certain people for special missions.
(9) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, Satan will have great power during the Tribulation and will deceive many by signs and wonders; but notice Scripture says “lying wonders.”
(10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Satan will deceive mankind because they didn’t believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ while they had a chance.
(11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: Because mankind didn’t accept salvation and the truth, God will send strong delusion (errors and mistakes proceeding from false views) and they will believe Satan’s lies.
(12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Self explanatory.

Dear reader, please, I beg you. You do not want to be alive when this happens. It is a time like no other – worse than the Holocaust – worse than Nero’s reign. Please don’t let religion stand in the way of you making a decision. This is not about religion – it is a personal relationship with your Creator. It is a personal relationship with the One who died for you to be the price for your sins. 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!

Question of the Day

By Kate Plourde

On October 30, 2021

In Question of the Day

This one-month devotional was written in 2012 to cover popular questions posed by those who are seeking for truth. The world today is being bombarded with distractions. Social media and the internet are popular ways to distract. If the devil can distract a person enough, he succeeds in keeping that person from seeking the One true God and Savior of mankind, Jesus Christ. Please give this devotional a chance to encourage your heart and if you find the truth and receive Christ’s wonderful free gift of salvation, please comment and let me know. I would love to rejoice with you!

For the Master’s Use

By Kate Plourde

On October 8, 2021

In For the Master's Use

Are you a Christian ready for the Master to use? Do you allow yourself to be used of Him? So many are aching and in need of a tender touch or kind word in today’s world. This is a two-week devotional originally written 2008 in hopes that a Christian would come across it and find it helpful!