RAPTURE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
MAJOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FACING CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS
All scripture is from the King James Version of the Bible.
I have answered eighteen questions. The list will continue to grow as time permits.
THIS IS A LIVING MANUSCRIPT CHANGING AND GROWING AS MORE INFORMATION AND INSIGHT BECOMES AVAILABLE.
Chapter 1. The word Rapture does not appear in the Bible. Is there such a thing?
Chapter 2. Some say there is one coming of the Christ as it pertains to the Rapture. They believe the Rapture and the physical return of Christ will be at the same time. Others say there are two comings. One is the Rapture. The second is the physical return. Who is right?
Chapter 3. If there is a Rapture, will it be at the beginning of the seven years written by the prophet Daniel? Will it be in the middle of those seven years? Will it be at the end of those last seven years?
Chapter 4. Does the book of Revelations say anything about the Rapture? If there is, what scriptures support that belief? If there isn't, isn't this a reason why most believe all that the book of Revelations describes will occur during those last seven years? What is right?
Chapter 5. When are the End-Times, the Last Days, to begin? Is it at the beginning of the last seven years? Has it already begun?
Chapter 6. Where did the idea of six thousand years come from?
Chapter 7. Is there a millennial reign of Jesus?
Chapter 8. What will the reign of Christ Jesus be like?
Chapter 9. Will the earth be destroyed by fire? When? Before or after the millennial reign?
Chapter 10. Is the U.S. of A. in Bible prophecy?
Chapter 11. So when might it all be fulfilled?
Chapter 12. Does the book of Revelations apply only to the last seven years?
Chapter 13. What might be expected next?
Chapter 14. Other worlds
Chapter 15. A prophesy from Daniel. What are the four beasts?
Chapter 16. Will there be a Millennial reign of Christ Jesus?
Chapter 17. So long. Why 1970 plus years and counting? Why didn't Christ Jesus return after His crucifixion and resurrection?
Chapter 18. Evolution versus creation.
Chapter 19. The unpardonable sin
Chapter 20. The dividing of the land
Chapter 21. THE OUTLINE
Chapter 22. A final note on America in Prophecy.
Chapter 23. A summation of all that has been written.
The Bible Inspirational or not?
This book is written under this premise. The Bible is true. If the following verse is not true, then no verse in the scripture can be held as true. It is a great mystery how the Spirit of God can influence a person to write the exact words that God wants written. If there are any questions they may arise from the greeting and salutations written in the Apostle Paul's letters. It may be that even these were written under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
If we accept this verse without question, then what we read in scripture will lead us to the truth.
There are many questions about the rapture and Last Days that are constantly being asked. I submit some of them to you for your review.
1. The word Rapture does not appear in the Bible. Is there such a thing?
ANSWER:
Rapture, the word itself is not to be found in any translation of the Protestant Bible. It is in the Catholic Latin Vulgate. The word Rapture is defined as a taking away in a happy, pleasurable, fulfilling event. The base for this belief is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Yet not all Christians believe in the Rapture of the church. There has been so much suffering and persecution in the world that the Rapture too many who has endured it is considered fanciful dreaming. To the non-believing church is considered nothing short of religious huckstering.
In the Old Testament, there is no inkling of a blissful rapture. What is described in the Old Testament is a resurrection from the dead. This is to take place in the last days when Messiah comes to the earth.
The rapture is based only on New Testament scripture. As we read and study the Bible we find something most unusual is being revealed by the written words of the Spirit of God.
In the Hebrew bible, those of faith accepted the resurrection of the saints in the last days. In the New Testament this resurrection is further explained. It is to take place a thousand years after the Messiah comes to the earth. Later we read of a possible second resurrection from the dead. In this second resurrection the deed of those who brought back to life are rewarded. There is even the possibility of a third resurrection.
In the New Testament scripture we find more is added to our understanding of the resurrections. First is will take place a thousand years after the Messiah comes to reign and rule on the earth. There will be a judgement proclaimed by God. This judgement is described as the time of the second death for those who are rejected by God.
Then another mystery is revealed. A time is coming that there will be a snatching away of those who through faith have placed their hope in God's Messiah. They are to be translated from the mortal to the immortal and given new bodies. Those who have died in this faith before that day arrives will not be left behind. This translation of the believers is different from the resurrection described in the Old Testament. Most clearly the resurrection described in the Old Testament is at a later time. The snatching away in the New Testament is very different. This snatching away is during a time of God's wrath before it is poured out on the world. It is also before the physical coming of the Messiah.
The Old Testament resurrection of the dead is at a time after the physical return of the Messiah.
In the New Testament the snatching away of the saints is before a time so terrible that no one in their right mind will want to experience. That time, that snatching away commonly called the rapture is what this book is dedicated to.
First we must go back to the time of Jesus. There were not many Jews who accepted their own scripture telling that the long awaited Messiah would be a suffering Messiah. The scriptures that they wanted desperately to accept is that which described the Messiah as being a ruling God who dwells on earth. Few accepted that the God who created the seen and unseen would appear in two forms. One form being a suffering servant. The second form being the ruling Lion of Judah.
We suspect that few in Israel expected the Messiah to arrive as a suffering servant or as a baby. Yet many in the Hebrew faith expect the coming of the Messiah during their lifetime. The prophecies of Daniel were understood. The number of days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the current time was known. All who believed the prophecies were waiting and expecting the Messiah to appear.
All wanted their God to come and throw off the rule of the Romans. All saw him as the ruling Lion of Judah. Yet there were contradictory prophecies. He was seen as a ruling God who protected and fought for the subjugated nation. He was also seen as a suffering servant. A few saw the Messiah coming in these two forms. First He would come as a baby and a servant. Then he would appear as the Lion of Judah, to rule the world. Only with the luxury of looking through history do we see what really happened.
The early Christian church also expected the suffering servant, Jesus the Christ, to return as king and ruler within their lifetime. Very few expected it to take two thousand years. Though as a side note in the book of Galatians 4:4 we read that John the Baptist predicted that the Messiah would be born exactly 4000 years after the birth of Adam. Those who believed in the six thousand years of man's rule on the earth were not expecting Jesus to come back anytime soon. Yet there was, and is, always that hope.
God appears to be working on a given timetable. If the six thousand years belief is true, time is running out. The Christ was born before Herod the Great died. Herod died in 4BC. Therefore the Christ was born early in 4BC, maybe in the fall of 5BC. There is even some who believe He was born in 6BC. It is also believed that he was crucified somewhere between 27AD to 33AD. When we realize that 173880 days had to pass from the issuing of the Decree to rebuild Jerusalem, by King Darius in 444 BC, 445 BC, or 446 BC, until Messiah entered the city to be "cut off", that placed His entry, before being cut-off, in the year 32 AD, if we use the decree year as being issued in 445 BC.
Most archaeologists accept the year 445 BC as being the year of the decree. A few believe the year is actually 444 BC. And there are some who believe the year should be 446BC. Only time will tell which of these years are correct. Personally I believe that the actual year is 446BC. No other year permits all the events that followed the birth of Jesus to fit mathematically.
There is also reported to be about 4 or 5 years of calendar error built into all the different calendars used in recording the different times. All we can do is use our current Gregorian calendar and relate all the time to that calendar. Therefore we know that the Messiah was born in 4 BC, possibly a year earlier. He had to have been born in 4 BC or earlier since Herod the Great died in December of that year. Jesus lived only 33½ years. If He was born in September of 4 BC as it appears it had been, then He had to have been crucified in 31 AD, and the 446 BC year of the decree has to be correct. If we continue to use 445 BC as the year of the decree, Jesus had to have died in 32 AD. This is the year many Bibles use for the crucifixion. Since Jesus only lived 33 1/2 years He would have been born after Herod the Great died. This is completely unscriptural. The Bible is very accurate in what has been written. All we have to do is connect all the pieces.
Understanding the year of the crucifixion is important to knowing our present time, and it all hinges on when the decree was issued. The year 446 BC has to be correct. Now we can take this as the year King Artaxerxes of Persia decreed for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Then the year of the crucifixion, 31 AD, is correct. As we will see later, the year 31 AD is the only year that allowed the Messiah to be in the grave three days and three nights. Everything is a fulfillment of the 173880 days prophesied in Daniel.
Now we come to the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948. This is followed by the capturing of the city of Jerusalem in 1967 - exactly 2,000 biblical years after Jesus was born. The Israeli nation had not controlled Jerusalem since King Nebucnezzer of Babylon destroyed it in 586BC. Never in the history of the planet had a nation been born in a day after 2,500 plus years of oblivion. The throwing off the yoke of gentile ownership over the city of Jerusalem was ended in 1967. Are we seeing the finger of God and His wishes in this national rebirth? Are we also witnessing the control over the city of Jerusalem a fulfillment of prophecy? Luke 21 verse 24 describes this prophecy. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
This prophecy is clearly the doing of God and an indication of the Last Days. If these doing are not, then we have a coincidence that is beyond any mathematical probability.
Now we see a striking convergence of the year 1967 and the time of Adam.
Using the 360-day Biblical year on the 2000 years that have passed from the birth of Christ Jesus we arrive at an interesting date. Two thousand biblical years works out to 1967. This is computed by taking 2000 years times 360 days and divide the answer by 365.242 (the length of our calendar year) and we come to 1971 years. Subtract 4 years. The Christ child was born in 4 BC, we arrive at the year 1967. This is the year the nation of Israel captured Jerusalem. I think this means that the time of the gentiles has ended. No wonder the Moslem world is frightened. The battle between the God Jehovah and the one called Allah is soon to be completed. Which one is God? I know. Do you? What appears true is that the time is up. Does the year 1967 also imply we have only 40 more Biblical years before all is accomplished? The answer and what is about to happen may turn your hair white, if it isn't already.
There are those who are currently alive who will see a mystery of God completed in their lifetime. They are that last generation when God comes to this earth to reign and rule. This time it will not be the suffering servant. I also believe that it may very well occur during the Jewish New Years – Rosh HaShannah. This day was originally known as the Feast of Trumpets.
Christ Jesus fulfilled the first three God given festival days. Passover was fulfilled when the Passover lamb was slain. This is the day the Christ Jesus, the Messiah, was killed. Then there is a second festival, the days of the First Fruit. This was fulfilled when the Messiah rose from the dead. The third festival occurred on Pentecost - Shavuot. This is when God sent His Holy Spirit onto those who believed.
Now we are waiting for the fall festivals to be fulfilled.
The first of these days is a time I believe refers to the Rapture of those who believe in the Messiah – Christ Jesus.
In Exodus, chapter 19, the third month after the people left Egypt Mosses is telling the people to prepare themselves to meet God. A loud trumpet blast called everyone to the mountain. God came down and the people went up. We are now waiting for the trumpet blast that will call everyone home. I believe that day will be around the Feast of Trumpets – Rosh HaShannah. The trumpet blast is for calling everyone to rejoice or it is a call to arms – war. The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord will be just that. It will be a great day for millions of believers, and it will be a terrible day of war.
In 70 AD, the Roman legions surrounded Jerusalem. Those who believed the God given manuscripts written by Matthew, Mark, and Luke fled from the city. They saved their lives. With all that was happening they expected the eminent return of the Messiah. Little did they know that not all the prophecies had been fulfilled. There were still some that had not come together. Jerusalem was surrounded and under siege. What was missing was the desecration by the Anti-Christ.
The Roman soldiers entered the Holy of Holies around August 1 in 70AD. Against the Roman general's orders, fire was set to get at the gold encrusted walls. On August 4th the temple caught fire and was destroyed. The Temple was desecrated. Unfortunately this happened after the city and temple were taken. The desecration described in the book of Daniel never takes place in the sequence prophesied to happen. There never was the Prince of the people to come who stood in the temple and declared himself to be god.
Earlier, 400 years earlier, Alexander the Great marched toward the city. The city leaders simple accepted Alexander's rule and authority. The temple's senior rabbis went out to Alexander and revealed to him that he, Alexander, was expected, and that he also fulfilled Bible Prophecy. The city was spared and everything went on as usual. The only difference for those in Judea was to whom they paid their tribute too. Instead of the Medo-Persian kings they now paid tribute to a Greek king. Still the Temple was spared, and it was never desecrated. Life went on pretty much as usual
In 175 BC, a Greek king arose who is seen as a foreshadow of the coming Anti-Christ. His hatred of those who rebuffed his commands went so far as to bring about the wholesale killing of the Jews. One of his final acts was the desecration of the temple. That occurred around 143 BC. The Greek King Antiochus Epiphanes ordered the slaughter of a pig within the temple. A later slaughter followed with the killing of men, women and children on a wholesale level. It became so severe that a rebellion followed that eventually overthrew Antiochus.
This was a time in Jewish history so filled with death that one would think the Messiah prophesied in the book of Daniel might have came to save the nation. But He did not. The complete prophecies written by Daniel had yet to be fulfilled. The 69 week of years, also known as the 173880 days, had come to completion.
Scholars now know that the 69 weeks of years meant 69 times 7 days times 360 days. The 360-day year is called the prophetic year. Sometimes it is referred to as a Biblical year. I am sure they understood this 2000 years ago. The prophesied number of days, 173880, had yet to be completed. The trouble and persecution were merely another one of those times of trouble for a nation that did not follow the God Jehovah. When they turned their back on the God of the universe, he permitted the evil in the world to take its toll on them. The curse the Israelites called on themselves after crossing the Jordan River came to pass. Sadly as a nation and people, they have traveled around that mountain too many times. Someday they will finally call out from their hearts, "Blessed Is He Who Comes In The name Of the Lord." Hopefully they will call that out to the one true God and not an imposter.
Throughout scripture there are predictions that the God Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, will save His people who have been stiff neck and rebellious since the time of their ancient Egyptian captivity.
For the Jews in 143 BC, man alone had to perform the act to save a people. Today the wars fought to save the nation of Israel from total destruction has been carried on the backs of the Israeli citizen. But in all those wars, the great God Jehovah controlled events that guaranteed the outcome. This will also be true of all future wars.
In 143 BC the man Mathathias arose to bring the nation together and drive out the heathens. They drove out the Greeks, but the Romans soon arrived. Never in all that time, since the destruction of the nation by the Babylonians in 586BC had Israel ever been an independent nation - that is until AD 1948.
Today it has been inspiration, the leaders, the generals, the intelligence services, the average Israeli, all shedding their blood to keep the nation free and alive.
Or is it only them. Somehow I believe we can see the finger of the Holy One of Israel, the God Jehovah, working within the battles. If the six thousand years belief is true, God is bringing about something miraculous. It is even more miraculous when you realize that most Israelis don't even worship their God.
What we have seen throughout recorded history has always been a partial fulfillment of prophecy. No matter how horrible the time has been. All scriptures and their prophecies have never been fully understood except by a few until the rebirth of Israel. The only exception seems to be in the early years of the first, second and third centuries. Millions saw the power of God either in their lives or the live of others. They may not have known everything, but they knew who God was. Millions did not deny Him even to the point of death. After the Rapture of the believers, this horrible time may be repeated again.
When the Messiah came in the form of a humble servant around 4 BC only a few believed the fulfillment.
Christ entered the city of Jerusalem precisely 173880 days after the decree by Darius in 446 BC. Most of the people did not recognize who had arrived. Of course Jesus had entered the city many times before, but not like this time. They saw a miracle worker, a man who many were proclaiming as the Messiah. Here was a man who was fulfilling all the prophecies about the coming God of Israel. He became someone who they could rally behind. A few days later, after He was crucified, it has been reported that one third of the priesthood finally believed in Him. It is clear that as many as 500 disciples saw Him alive and in a resurrected body at one time. Then everyone believed that He would return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Forty Biblical years later the temple was destroyed. That took place August 4, 70AD. Yet the Messiah did not return to take charge of the world. Religious leaders soon spiritualized away the prophecies. Saint Augustine taught that the book of Revelation could only be understood spiritually as a battle between good and evil. For hundreds of years the future prophesies written in the Bible were spiritualized away. What a difference it might have made to the history of the world had the Jewish leadership believed in their Messiah during His visitation. Yet it was revealed by God that they would not.
After the fall of Rome, the Christian church entered more than a geopolitical/military Dark Ages. The study of prophecy and the scriptures were also spiritualized away. After all none of the prophesied event leading to the return of the Christ had occurred. It wasn't until the advent of the printing press that the study of the written prophesies by millions, that something different than what was being taught by the ruling church developed.
In time, people rediscovered the prophets. The spiritual dark ages was ending. By the twelfth century the Italian monk, Joachim of Fiore, began interpreting the book Revelations as events that were to occur during the End-Times. This had once been known. Now it was rediscovered. Now the End-Times, the Last Days, became a time in the future. Back in 65AD Jerusalem was being attacked by the Roman legions. Those alive during those End-Times, the expected Last Days, were watching it unfold all around them.
Seven hundred years after Joachim of Fiore came the evangelist John Darby. Inspired by the visions by a young girl in his church he understood that the saints of God would not go through the great tribulation foretold in the book of Revelations. He also is credited with connecting scriptures from other books of the Bible to the End-times prophesies in Revelations.
From that time onward there were believers who fully expected the rebirth of the nation of Israel. Those who still taught the spiritualizing of prophesy and those who interpreted the scriptures more literally were on a collision course.
The prophets said that the nation of Israel would be in existence during the Last Days. Yet no such nation existed. One side replaced the nation of Israel with the church. The other side saw that the nation had to exist.
In the year 1948 the nation of Israel was reborn. The prophets also had said that Jerusalem would be captive of the gentiles until their time was finished. Those who spiritualized away the scriptures said it would never happen. The Muslims nations would say that it never happened. Yet that is precisely what happened during the Six-Day War of 1967. The prophets also tell us that a temple will exist in the Last Days. None yet exist on Mount Moriah as of this writing. Still, the Word of God says a temple will exist. Now we wait, watch, and expect. Someday a building program will begin just as predicted.
At this writing there is no formal temple in Jerusalem. Yet there is reported to be a temple of sorts being used to prepare the priesthood for temple worship. There also has been no period of time were a great earthquake darkened the sun or moon turned red, but one is coming. There have always been great volcanic explosions. None have been felt worldwide. The closest in recorded history have been in the 1800s. That year the average temperatures in the United States hovered well below seasonal norms. This was all due to a volcanic explosion in Iceland. Yet that worldwide one forecasted in scripture may be just around the corner. In the Bible Codes there is a reference to a comet striking the earth in the very near future.
If this takes place as many fear, will that be the predicted event? Will seal 6 of the book of Revelations finally be unsealed? Christians are admonished to look for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ at any time. If the Comet does arrive, the sun may be darkened and the moon turned red by the smoke and dust. In Isaiah, chapter 13 it says the earth will be knocked out of orbit and will stagger like a drunkard, and that the antichrist in Daniel 7 will attempt to set the time and seasons. Now thw antichrist is not revealed until the middle of the last seven year, and the believing Christians will not be here at that time, but you can see the glorious yet terrible time we are approaching. Seal seven in the book of Revelations may quickly follow Seal 6. Using your imagination and you can see why you do not want to be on earth when this time get rolling.
No one knows the day or the hour. There is no mention of someone not knowing the year. As a matter of fact the believers who study the scriptures will not be caught unaware when the event happens. A time is coming, and may be now, when a generation of believers will be alive, when the sons and daughters of God will experience the mysterious rapture. Until that day arrives, mankind will grow more and more perverted and evil. The persecution of the saints, wars, murders, famines, earthquakes, pestilence's, disasters of all kind, they will all grow in intensity. If good men do nothing the governments they lived under will become more and more repressive. The Brown-Shirts of Hitler's time will be alive and well doing their best to quell the unrest against their messiah. Coupled with the prophesied evil coming on the world, along with the religious hucksters who go after the gullible, the sharks and wolves will attack the flock and prey on those who do not read the scriptures. Today we have so many viewpoints that there is no one voice that anyone listens too. It has become so bad that many pastors and priests shy away from preaching the total gospel. Then those who do preach the Last days prophesies have different views, interpretation, with a purposeful selection of the scriptures that fit their need, vested interest, and profession.
Yet, in all this confusion, there is hope. In the book of Matthew 24:36-42 Noah had to be safely in the Ark before the destruction began. Job also had to be safely away from the city of Sodom before that destruction began. Now we see a pattern.
Couple these scripture with the great snatching away revealed in Thessalonians and we see something very unusual is soon to take place. The Latin word "rapere" is translated in English as "rapture". It describes the violent, euphoric, snatching away, or the catching away that we call the rapture. This rapture experience is totally reserved for the believers in Christ Jesus. How many people who call themselves Christians do not believe in the gospels? We can only guess. Like the ten virgins with oil in their lamps. There were ten more who also expected their Lord to return but they weren't ready. They had let the oil run out in their lamps. The oil today is also referred to as the Holy Spirit. Today there are Christians who have a form of Godliness, but the oil of the Holy Spirit is missing.
In Romans 8:1 we read that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. In Thessalonians, Chapter 4, verses 13 through 18, we read of the great escape, the great violent snatching away of the saints of God.
From the book of 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15:51-52, we read, Behold I tell you a mystery; for we will not all sleep, but we will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed.
Again we read in the book of Matthew. Matthew 24:36-44, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
This is an interesting prophesy that says that no man will know the day or the hour. Isn't it strange that the inspired writing leaves out the year? Maybe God has ordained that knowing the year is permit table. It is a possibility. The best this book can do is develop a possible range of years.
Let us now go to the book of Romans. Paul writes in Romans chapter 8, verse 1; there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And in the same book, chapter 5, verse 9; he writes; much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
In the book of Corinthians, chapter 15, versus 51 and 52, Paul writes;1Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,2In 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.
What we have read in the above scriptures tells us that those who are in Christ Jesus will not experience the wrath of God. We also see that those who are alive at His coming will be mysteriously changed from mortal to immortal.
The scriptures tell us to look to Noah and Lot as examples. Both were saved from certain destruction by the will and power of God. Most of all, the destruction did not begin until they were safely away.
In the book of Luke we read in Chapter 17, versus 26 - 36; And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, and they built. Yet it was that same day that Lot went out of Sodom. It rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed all those in the city. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.1In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
2 Peter 2:4-9 explains a little more. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Now apply these verses to the safety of the Christian believers and a possible rapture of those believers. At some appointed time in the future, the believers in Christ Jesus will be protected from the wrath of God. Once safely away, destruction will fall on all who remain.
This pertains to the rapture of the saints of God, and especially it refers to the rapture of the believers. The sudden destruction that will fall on mankind after the saints are removed from the earth will be horrendous.
In the book of 1 Thessalonians 4:15 - 17 we read again of this changing and taking away.5For 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. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Later in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5:3-9 Paul writing to us a reiteration of what Luke tells us. 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. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again we read of this coming sudden destruction and some people being saved from the destruction. It will happen so quick that few will know it happened.
Now the tone of prophesy changes. The Son of Man, Christ Jesus, is being revealed. This appears to be after the sudden vanishing. It probably is after the universal destruction begins.
In 2 Thessalonians 1:7 we read; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.
Then in the same book we read when this revaluing will occur.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-11 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; 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, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 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: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
These versus tell us that a revealing will take place after someone, a man of sin, is first identified. This man is also sitting in the temple of God. At this writing there is no temple of God on Mount Moriah, but there is a place being used as a temple situated somewhere along the Dead Sea. Could this temple located by the Dead Sea be the temple? Following this temple incident we read of the whole world seeing the coming of the Lord.
In the book of Daniel is such a description.
In Daniel 7:13-14 we read I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed
In the book of Matthew we find the same description.
Matthew 24:30-31 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Again in Matthew we read in chapter 26, verse 64; "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
Finally we read in Mark the same account.
Mark 14:62 Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Clearly there are two separate events being described. One is an event that comes as quick as lightning. The second, everyone who is on earth will see him. One is like a thief in the night. The other event is wide open with everyone watching His approach.
2 Peter 2:5-9 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
In conclusion we have read the scriptures that identify one important thing. There will be a mysterious taking away of the saints in the future. How far away is that day is anyone's guess. We also see that there will be a quickness to this act that will be suddenly. We also have read of the scriptures that indicate a time after the sudden taking away. There will be a time of great tribulation, then all will see something coming upon the earth that will frighten many who are alive.
The Bible tells us this is the arrival of the Messiah, the Lion of Judah, the return of the Christ. This will be a space invasion beyond anything the movie industry can describe. No man can. It will be spectacular, awesome, and fearful. To some it will in the nick of time and a Godsend.
2. Some say there is one coming of the Christ as it pertains to the rapture. They believe the rapture and the physical return of Christ will be at the same time. Others say there are two comings. One is the rapture. The second is the physical return. Who is right?
Answer: The answer is found in many scriptures. In the book of Luke we read in chapter 12, verse 40; You too be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.
This one verse says that no one will know, or see his coming.
Again Luke writes in Chapter 17, verse 20; The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed.
Again Luke writes in chapter 17, verse 24; For just as lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man in His Day.
The Apostle Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is telling us that the coming of the Lord will be fast, unexpected, and He will speed around the world with the speed of light.
Following is almost a repeat of some of the answers given to question 1. These answers are appropriate to the answers to this question.
Again we read about the quickness of His appearing.
Matthew 24:27 For just as the lightning comes from the east, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:36-42 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. As in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.1Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
And again we read in 2 Peter 3:10, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Finally I give as evidence for a rapid, quick, snaching away, appearance of the Lord using Revelation 16:15. BEHOLD, I COME AS A THIEF. BLESSED IS HE THAT WATCHETH, AND KEEPETH HIS GARMENT, LEST HE WALK NAKET, AND THEY SEE HIS SHAME.
With these versus we read of a very quick coming of the LORD. He will come as a thief in the night. No one will see His coming. Few will be expecting Him. It will be suddenly and unless you are expecting Him, no one will no what happened. ________________________
Now comes of a different type of appearance. What follows now is a slower appearing. This time, instead of being like a thief in the night, or at the speed of lightning we have everyone witnessing His approach..
Matt. 24:30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory
Matt. 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mark 13:26 and they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, He commeth with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
The next passage that I quote can be used in both places. It can apply to a fast as lightning appearing or it can be used for a slow moving appearance.
1 Thessalonians 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. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Revelation 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. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
___________________
Clearly, reading all the above versus, we are reading about two separate types of appearances. One has the Lord Jesus Christ coming quick and stealth like a thief. The other has a slower arrival, every eye will see Him as He approaches the earth.
Only in the book of Revelations might there be some questioning. Some take the book of Revelations in strict chronological order. To them it only relates to those infamous last seven years that culminates with the physical return of the Christ. Others believe the book of Revelations describes the time from when it was written to the near future.
What is most interesting is that scripture places the return of Christ in two lights. One is as a thief in the night - quickly. The second is with an army. In all honesty I have to say that Revelations 16:15 may have been added later. The verse is not in every ancient manuscript. Never-the-less we read of Him arriving to the erth slowly and every eye will see Him.
One thing is sure. The later, slower appearance will not be as a thief and it will not be performed quickly. It will be slow and probably take many days for it to complete. The entire world will see Him coming to earth. This will be a classic science-fiction invasion from outer space. Unlike the monsters portrayed in theaters, this will be the coming of a God more powerful than we can imagine. This will be a time that will frighten all that have rejected His loving sacrifice. The world will never again be the same.
3. If there is a Rapture, will it be at the beginning of the seven years written by the prophet Daniel? Will it be in the middle of those seven years? Will it be at the end of those last seven years?
ANSWER: Yes and no. All three views back up their claim through scripture. Yet, there will be one and only one Rapture of the church before the physical return of Jesus the Christ. The answer to this question lies in the arrangement of the seven seals and the seven trumpets. The seven bowls of God's wrath are not greatly disputed.
Let us begin by realizing that the Last-Days, also know as the End-Times, began nearly two thousand years ago with Pentecost. That year appears to be 31 AD. If it was later as many bibles use a 32 AD date, Jesus will have been born after the death of Herod the Great. If it was an earlier date say 30 AD, then we run up against the two-thousand years between the births of Abraham to the birth of the Messiah. Also we are not in compliance with prophecy of Daniel. Specifically it is the seven weeks of years from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah. The first time was the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given. This is the oral giving of the decree followed by the physical giving of the decree in documental form. What is now being referred too is the decree given by Herod the Great not the actual building start year.
The book of Revelations, which is primarily about the Last-Days, was written around 80 AD to 95 AD. So somewhere between the years 31 AD to 95 AD the Last-Days began. With the Lord a thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years. The two days from the death and resurrection of Christ has ended. Now we are in the third day. To God it is as if everything happened yesterday.
All the Apostles that we read about believed that the time of the Lord's physical return was very near. All the physical attributes were in place and in existence at during their lifetime. Before the year 70 AD the temple in Jerusalem existed. When the Roman legions encircled the city of Jerusalem, the Christians expected the rapture at any moment. After the city fell and the temple was destroyed in the year 70 AD some of the scriptures were fulfilled, but not all - for one the temple never desecrated by any Man of Sin proclaiming to be God. Also the two thousand years after the birth of the Christ child had not been completed.
Many knew about there being two thousand years from the birth of Adam to the birth of Abraham. Some even knew about the two thousand years from the birth of Abraham to the birth of the Christ child. A few of the Apostle, Barnabas is a good one to refer to, wrote about the six thousand reign of man.
As for the desecration of the Temple, that incident took on a real meaning around 175 BC. The Greek emperor Antiochus desecrated the second temple. Yet he never fulfilled all the prophecies. He never encircled the city to destroy it with his army. After all he and every king back to the time of Nebecunezzer, had ownership of the region since 586BC.
Over and over again we see partial fulfillment of scripture. Yet neither of these two events (the one in 175 BC and the one in 70 AD) fulfilled all the prophetic events that would end with the return of the Christ. Today, we are still waiting the total fulfillment of one hundred percent of written prophecy.
That time is approaching when a man will rise who will satisfy the prophecies. He will make a peace treaty with Israel for a seven-year period. He will stand in the Temple and desecrate it by word or deed. He will break the seven-year covenant with Israel. A time described as the most terrible day in human history will follow. To date none of the prophecies have been totally fulfilled by one person. The world has certainly not seen the worst day in human history.
Each of the prophecies that came to pass appears to be a foreshadowing of what is to come. It is not a pretty picture. From that period of time, especially after the fall of the Roman government in 476 AD, the prophecies have been conveniently allegorized. Prophecy was not taught as the scriptures were too difficult to interpret. Until the invention of the printing press, the world has been in a spiritual dark ages.
After the printing press became common usage everything changed. By the 1600's the followers of Christ began to decipher the scriptures for themselves. Up to that time many theologian simply spiritualized away the Second Coming of Jesus the Christ. The central body of the church became an economic monstrosity in league with the politic of the time. Besides, I'm sure they saw that the nation of Israel did not exist. Eleven of the twelve tribes had been scattered across the earth. Their identities lost forever, except through circumstantial evidence. Only the tribe of Judah managed to keep its identity.
To compound the confusion, eighteenth century scholars interpreted the book of Revelations with its mysterious seals, trumpets, and Bowls of Wrath in a way that developed the current three main schools of thought. The Rapture of the church and the Second Coming of the Christ became a football being thrown between all the different camps.
There were those who saw in the scriptures a Pre-Tribulations rapture of the church. The tribulation period was defined as only those last seven years before the return of Jesus Christ. After all, who could understand the book of Revelations?
Yet scholars tried to put it all together. In the book of Daniel, (chapter 9:27) there are prophases about a seven year period of time. That time is also divided into two parts. The Anti-Christ is to break the seven-year peace treaty in the middle of the seven years. At the end of the seven years Christ Jesus returns to earth.
The book of Revelations gives more information about the last three and one-half years. Two prophets of God plague the people of the earth for 42 months. For three and one-half years they bring trouble to the kingdom of the Anti-Christ.
Now that there was linkage between the book of Daniel and Revelations it became easy to associate the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls to those last seven years time.
To escape these troubled years, especially the last three and one half years, the Rapture of the church had to be before the time of great trouble. Chapter 6 of revelations tells of four horsemen destroying one-forth of the earth. There is also scripture that tells us that the believers will be safely away before the wrath of Christ begins. Now the Rapture had to be before the beginning of those last seven years.
Needless to say this led to the belief that exists today. The last seven years prophesied by Daniel, along with the last three and one-half years of a time call The Great Tribulation, as written in the book of Revelations, the protection of the saints from the wrath of Christ, it all came together to complete the puzzle.
In summary the Pre-Tribulation followers group believes that the rapture of the church must occur before the beginning of those last seven years. They see the seal, the trumpets, the bowls of wrath all happening during those seven years of time.
Coupled with modern weaponry, the Pre-Tribulation followers believe the seven years will be preceded by a major attack on Israel. Nuclear weapons are exploding everywhere. The world is enveloped by a nuclear war. The Rapture occurs before this war.
Graphically they have arraigned the seals, trumpets, and bowls to look like the chart below.
SEALS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TRUMPETS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BOWLS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Each of the seals corresponds one-for-one to the last seven years. The trumpets and bowls all begin with the opening of the seventh seal.
This layout did not satisfy the prophecy that the last 42-month was a terrible time. Also it says nothing about the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. This one day in the middle of the seven years is supposed to be the worst day in human history. Remember they have a nuclear war at the start of the seven years. So the basic layout was modified. Now the length of time for the seven seals was shortened to three and one-half years.
Seals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Trumpets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Bowls 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
----3 1/2 years-- ----- 3 1/2 years--
It has been modified even further to compress the time for the trumpets.
SEALS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TRUMPETS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BOWLS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
-----3 1/2 years-- -------3 1/2 years--------
The layout of the seals, trumpets and bowls has changed numerous times. Each version tries to correct the deficiency in the others.
The scriptures used by Pre-Tribulation followers are listed for your use.
They are arranged in their order of importance.
1 Thess 5:1-9
1 Cor 15
Phil 3:20-21
1 John 3:1-3
John 14
1 Thess 1:10
1 Thess 5:9
Rev 3:10
Matt 25:31-46
Ezekiel 20:33-38
Isaiah 11:10-15
Isaiah 65:9-16
Rev 19:7-9
2 Thess 3:3
Ezekiel 39:9
On the other hand the Mid-Tribulationist believers have scripture that indicates the Rapture will occur in the middle of those last seven years. Their layout of the seals, trumpets, and seals are as follows.
SEALS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TRUMPETS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BOWLS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
-3 1/2 YRS---3 1/2 YRS-
They too believed a war to annihilate Israel begins at the beginning of the seven years. They also tried to fit in the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. This day is in the middle of the seven years.
This too had problems with scripture so it also needed to be modified.
SEALS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TRUMPETS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BOWLS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
---3 1/2 years---- ---3 1/2 years----
The scriptures used by the Mid-Tribulation followers are below.
2 Thess 2
Rev 13
Rev 11:18
Dan 7:25
Dan 9:27
Dan 12:6-7
Dan 12:11
Matt 24:15-42
Rev 11:2
The Post Tribulation believers found scriptures that indicate the Lord will not return until the blowing of the seventh trumpet. They have laid their charts to look as follows.
SEALS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TRUMPETS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BOWLS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
---3 1/2 years---- ---3 1/2 years----
In every instance, in all their modifying of the layout, they have the seventh trumpet near the end of the seven years. There have one arrangement that compresses all the Bowls of wrath into a time after the blowing of the seventh trumpet.
SEALS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TRUMPETS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BOWLS 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
---3 1/2 years---- ---3 1/2 years----
The scriptures used by the Post Tribulation followers are listed below.
Dan 9:26-27
Ezekiel 39:9-29
Rev 20:4-5
Rev 19:11-21
Dan 12:12-13
1 Cor 15:51
2 Cor 5:10
Isaiah 14:1-20
Rev 19
Rev 4:1
Lev 23:33-41
Rev 16:2-15
Matt 24:5-13
Rev 7:14
Dan 7:21-27
Isaiah 11:1-16
Isaiah 65:17-25
One thing the Pre-Mid-Post Tribulation views do agree on is with the seventh trumpet. With the blowing of the seventh trumpet I believe the Lord Jesus Christ will soon physically return to this planet. Of course that time may be a day away of over 1260 days away. This does not answer the question about the Rapture of the church.
They also agree that the book of Revelations, with all its seals, trumpets, and bowls, the earth will be ravaged during the last seven years prophesied by Daniel.
One more item they agree on. There is confusion in the scriptures. When you ask an exponent of one of the three rapture views about the excluded scriptures used by the other views you will probably get a blank look. At worst you may be ignored. Sometime the answer given never approaches the question. I have stopped asking.
All scripture is God breathed, 2 Timothy 3:16. It is dangerous to ignore it. To do so leads us to our current confusion. That is precisely what we have today.
What is needed is some scheme, a better layout, that will let the rapture occur before the tribulation, in the middle of the tribulation, and after the seventh trumpet is blown. If we find that it can use all the scriptures, then we are on the right track.
Believing in one of the three rapture views, if it is the wrong view, may not keep you from the heaven. Your salvation has been paid with a life. That blood drawn from Emanual's veins covers all our confusion. This is the god of all creation who died for your sins. You cannot get a greater sacrifice or any higher than that. This is why rejecting His sacrifice is sealing ones doom.
Understanding the truth has a way of protecting one from the whiplash of current events. It builds faith in gospel as we see event unfold. One hundred years ago few foresaw the birth of Israel. Yet the scriptures proclaimed it will happen. Today we can look back to the time when it did happen. A long time ago it took faith to trust God's words. Today we can buy the national flag. Someday we will be able to hold an Israeli coin stamped with the temple on one side.
Since God is truth, it behooves us to read and accept the truth of God's written words. So let's begin by collecting all the scriptures that pertain to the rapture.
The list below contains all the scriptures most quoted by the followers of the three rapture beliefs.
They are arranged in their order of importance.
PRE-TRIB MID-TRIB POST-TRIB
1 Thess 5:1-9 2 Thess 2 Dan 9:26-27
1 Cor 15 Rev 13 Ezekiel 39:9-29
Phil 3:20-21 Rev 11:18 Rev 20:4-5
1 John 3:1-3 Dan 7:25 Rev 19:11-21
John 14 Dan 9:27 Dan 12:12-13
1 Thess 1:10 Dan 12:6-7 1 Cor 15:51
1 Thess 5:9 Dan 12:11 2 Cor 5:10
Rev 3:10 Matt 24:15-42 Isaiah 14:1-20
Matt 25:31-46 Rev 11:2 Rev 19
Ezekiel 20:33-38 Rev 4:1
Isaiah 11:10-15 Lev 23:33-41
Isaiah 65:9-16 Rev 16:2-15
Rev 19:7-9 Matt 24:5-13
2 Thess 3:3 Rev 7:14
Ezekiel 39:9 Dan 7:21-27
Isaiah 11:1-16
Isaiah 65:17-25
You will readily notice that most of the verses are inclusive only to their particular column. Strangely no one has attempted to combine all the scriptures to form a unified rapture scenario. No one has attempted to use
all the scriptures to develop a clear picture of the rapture of the church.
Today we have a possible solution to the layout of the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls.
Seals 1,2 3,4,5,6,7
Trumpet 1
Trumpet 2
Trumpet 3
Trumpet 4
Trumpet 5
Trumpet 6
Trumpet 7
Bowls of Wrath 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Since trying to fit all the action in a seven year period has been a failure, we have to place the beginning where it may belong.
Next we have to identify when the Last-Days, the End-Times began. If it began at Pentecost we have a starting point.
Let us begin by placing the opening of Seals 1, 2, 3 and 4 at Pentecost, or at the time of writing the book of Revelation. It appears that the book was written soon after 90 AD. Opening them at the time of Pentecost appears to be most correct. From that moment on The Way, as Christianity was called, has been under persecution. First it was by the Jews. Later it came by the government of Rome. From that time until today we have false religions, false teachers of the Word, increasing wars, growing famines, increasing earthquakes, and increasing persecution of the church.
There was time in the past that the church's worst enemy lived within the church. Under the Roman government the world was mostly at peace. With the fall of Roman rule powerful leaders strove to revive the empire. Each time the church leadership and government merged to bring about one calamity after another. The book of Revelation tells us that this will again happen in those final days.
Seal 5 appears to have been opened at the same time as the first four seals. Persecution has grown more intense as we approach the climax of history.
We are now waiting for seal six to be opened. That seal herald the story of a comet or asteroid, or a large something, hitting the earth. Within the Bible Codes there are indications that this might occur between the year 2006 and 2009. No one knows how long it will be after the sixth seal is opened before the seventh is opened. It may be only a matter of days, weeks, or maybe a few years. It may be a hundred of years, but I doubt it. All things must be fulfilled in the generation that sees the rebirth of the nation of Israel. Since everything is accelerating, a short time seems to be closer to reality.
The opening of the seventh seal permits the seven trumpets to blow. If the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord is detailed in the destruction foretold by the seven trumpets, then we see that the seventh seal is opened around the middle of the last seven years. This also indicates that the last seven years begins after the opening of the sixth seal. Scripture helps us to identify what happens during those last seven years.
Everything indicates that the wrath of Christ does not occur until the middle of those last seven years. That day is known as The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord. If the destruction described by the blowing of the trumpets are the worst day in human history, that will place the seven trumpets of the book of Revelation in the middle of the seven years.
Now we have refined those last seven years to look like this.
The OPENING OF
5 SEALS in 31AD 2009AD ??AD
1,2 3,4 5 6 7------3 1/2 years-----
TRUMPET 1
Trumpet 2
Trumpet 3
Trumpet 4
Trumpet 5
Trumpet 6
Trumpet 7
Bowls of God's Wrath 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The time of the seventh seal may be days, weeks, maybe months later after the opening of the sixth seal.
LAST 7 YEARS BEGINS 1,2,3, 4 5 6 7
WITH OR AFTER SEAL 6 THE RAPTURE ALL WILL SEE
IS OPENED. TAKES PLACE THE PHYSICAL
AT SEAL 7 RETURN OF CHRIST
Seals 1,2,3,4, and 5 were unleashed in 31 AD. Seal 6 may be opened in the very near future. It also may be the beginning of the first part of those last seven years. Seal 7 precipitate the Great Tribulation. Just before that moment in time, the rapture of the believers in God and His Christ will take place.
The Rapture of the believers will take place before the Great Tribulation as predicted by Daniel. It will occur around the middle of the last seven years, as expected by the Mid-Tribulation people. It will take place after the blowing of the seventh trumpet. This is what the Post-Tribulationals believe.
The calamity described in the book of Revelations will unfold just as the believers vanish from the face of the earth. It can be thought of as, when the nuclear tipped missiles are rising so will be the believers. It won't matter where you live. You can be under the "X" in the bulls-eye of ground zero. You will be gone before the affects of the seven trumpets are felt.
The seven trumpets blow at the same time. Before any dame is felt, the rapture occurs.
Moments after the rapture, the world will experience the worst day in human history. This is also called the Wrath of the Lamb. Following comes the time of God's wrath. This is the seven bowls poured out on the earth. This will be a time of intense horror, pain, death, privation, and terrible stress. The world will never recover from the disaster. Except for the grace and intervention of Christ Jesus all flesh would die.
When this time of severe tribulation almost run its course the world will see the coming of Jesus the Christ in the clouds of heaven.
There are scriptures that do point to a specific time, though not a specific year. As we get a clearer picture of the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls, we find that all the scriptures used to justify the three current thoughts on the Rapture of the church tightly fit together as a puzzle. The picture that emerges reveals that the rapture will take place before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. It is will be a "Great" day in the sense that the rapture takes place. It will also be a "Terrible" day for those who have rejected the salvation being offered.
2 Timothy 3:16 wraps it all together.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
To ignore God breathed scripture is to ignore a way of life that leads to life. Those who snub their noses at God live in great peril. Those who have been raised to believe in a God created by man or demon live in peril. Those who do not know what to think and dabble in all kinds of beliefs do so at their peril.
Those who have heard the truth and rejected it as unbelievable do so to their detriment. Lucky is the person who has not heard or understood. Who by their own conscience do what is right. The second resurrection may be their only salvation. The question is why take your chances. The way is still open to seal your place with God by accepting His only given way for men to be saved.
It now is the time for salvation. There are at least six Gospels that tell us not to tarry too long.
For all those who believe, and are waiting for the God of all creation to reveal Himself, study the scriptures and the following verses for yourself.
Luke 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luke 17:24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
Luke 17:26-36 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, and they built. The same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.2Remember Lot’s wife.3Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.4I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.5Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:30 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.
Matthew 24:36 - 42 6But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.8For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,9And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.1Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-1715For 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. 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:7Then 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.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Question 4. Does the book of Revelations say anything about the rapture? If there is, what scriptures support that belief? If there isn't, isn't this a reason why most believe all that the book of Revelations describes will occur during those last seven years? What is right?
ANSWER: The answer to the question is, yes. The book of Revelation does indicate the rapture, but it describes it as a reaping.
Revelation chapter 14 tells of two separate reapings. The first reaping is the reaping of Christ and no more is explained I believe this reaping is the taking away of those to Christ, who is the one doing the reaping. An angel is told to hold back the fire so this reaping can be accomplished. Can this be the fire in the trumpets of Revelations?
The second reaping is for the winepress of God's wrath. This reaping is most likely the calamity produced by the blowing of the seven trumpets. The fire that had been held back is released upon the earth. Now come a time of Great Tribulation.
Revelation 14:14-20 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 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. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
It is interesting to know that the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is defined as a lifting up. It appears that the book of Revelation was originally written in Hebrew. The book has twenty-two chapters. The Hebrew alphabet has twenty-two letters. I understand that the definition of each of the twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet corresponds to what occurs in each chapter. Too bad we don't have the original version. Yet, thank God thousands of early Greek copies have been preserved for all to read.
Question 5. When are the End-Times, the Last Days to begin? Is it at the beginning of the last seven years? Has it already began?
Answer: The Last Days most likely began at Pentecost. Scripture points us to the answer.
Peter in the book of Acts, chapter 2 tells as he spoke to the men of Judea, he referred to what was happening at that time. Thousands of men had rushed to where the Apostles were. The men in Jerusalem had heard the sound of a mighty rushing wind coming from the house that 120 men and women were gathered. The Holy Spirit of God had come upon the disciples and baptized them in the Holy Spirit. The people who gathered outside because of the great noise heard the disciples speaking to them in their own native language.
The Apostle Peter stood up and explained to the people gathered around the house that what they were hearing was prophesied by the prophet Joel.
Now Joel's prophecy in chapter 2, verses 28-32, revealed many separate events. The first is that in the Last Days, or End Times, that the God of Creation will pour out His Spirit on all mankind. This began at Pentecost. It is still occurring today. The second part reveals that God will grant wonders in the sky and signs on the earth. The third part says that the sun will be darkened, and the moon will turn blood red before the Great and Glorious Day of the Lord.
The second and third parts are yet to be fulfilled. The question for us is when will this occur? These events may be connected to the sixth seal of the book of Revelation.
We now have a date to give to the beginning of the Last Days. It began at Pentecost around 31 AD give or take two years.
The uncertainty comes about in placing the date of the birth of Jesus. He had to be born before Herod the Great died. That date is now believed to be in 4 BC. Jesus had to be born before his death. It is possible that Jesus was physically born that year of a year earlier. Herod ordered the death of every male baby two years and younger. As a side note the Jews sometimes counted the birth of a child from conception. That will add nine more months to when Jesus began life. In the book of Luke, Chapter 3, verse 23, we find that Jesus began his ministry when he was about 30 years old.
If we begin at 4 BC and add 30 years we come to the date of 26 AD. His ministry lasted for 3 1/2 years. Add 3 1/2 years to 26 AD and we arrive at 30 AD or 31 AD for his crucifixion. A lot depends on what part of His 30th year he started ministering. Pentecost happened soon after. But no one yet knows the exact date. We only know that His ministry lasted just 3 1/2 years. During those years He partook of the Passover three times.
Archaeologists are accustomed to changing the dates for an event, as new data is uncovered. Regardless of future findings, we have a close approximation of about 30 AD give another year. Sadly, today, we still find ourselves two thousand years later living in the Last Days.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time
Joel 2:28 - 32 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
This prophecy by Joel covers a lot of time. If we break Joel 2: 28 - 32 into separate events we find it easier to identify when the events happened or will soon occur.
First we have the spirit of God being poured out on all flesh.
Second come wonders being shown in the heavens.
Third the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon turned red.
Forth come the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
Fifth comes deliverance at Mount Zion and Jerusalem.
The answer to the first part is given in the book of Acts, chapter 2. The apostle Peter is telling the gathering crowd of onlookers. The people standing before him were hearing the believers who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit talking in their own language. This tells us that part one of the last days was begun just after the time of Christ Jesus.
Acts 2:14 - 18 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:5For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.6But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;7And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:8And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit;
The second part about the wonders in the heavens may have occurred just before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The third part appears not to have happened as of yet. The opening of the sixth seal in the book of Revelations may explain when part three will take place. Seal six describes the opening of the sixth seal, a great earthquake and darkness.
The next step is part four. It is called the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. This specific terrible day is described as being the worst day in human history. That day is approaching but has not yet arrived.
The fifth part describes the deliverance of Mount Zion and Jerusalem. This will take place after the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
The apostle Paul tells us more about the Last Days.
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
The Apostle Peter also explains more on the Last Days.
1 Peter 4:17 - 18 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
2 Peter 3:3 - 4 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
The Apostle John also has something to say about the Last Days.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
The Apostle Jude tells us a little about the last time, also know as the Last days or End-Times.
Jude 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
The Apostle Paul in writing to Timothy tells us more in Timothy 3:1 – 5. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
In conclusion we find that the time prophesied by Joel for the Last-Days unfolded at the time of Pentecost. That means we have been living in the Last-Days for nearly 2,000 years. The second and third part of Joel's prophecy seems to dovetail in with the sixth seal in the book of Revelations.
Chapter 6 of the book of Revelation tells of the Lamb, another name for the Christ Jesus, opening the sixth seal. Beginning in verse 12 we read of a great earthquake, the sun becoming black, the moon becoming like blood, the stars falling from the sky, the sky splitting apart like a scroll, and the day of the great day of the wrath of the Lamb becomes a reality.
The question now is, has time run out, or do we have another two thousand years? Most eschatology teachers tell us that the Last Days will begin with the beginning of the last seven years before Christ returns to rule. Yet the scriptures are telling a different story. The time of trouble detailed with the opening of the first five seals of Revelations have been affecting the world since the writing of the book of Revelation. False prophets, false religions, religious wars, persecution, famines, earthquakes, pestilences, all have been increasing for two thousand years.
During the first part of the last seven years everything may get worst. After the rapture everything will be a disaster. No flesh will survive if not for the intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ. If those days are not shortened, all human life on earth will end. But that time of troble will end. The earth and its people will have a glorious new beginning. God will reign on this planet. Why? Only God knows the answer to that question. He will reign on this planet and the universe. Minus the spirit of rebellion fostered by the Devil life will be utopian.
Question 6. Where does the idea of six thousand years come from?
Answer: It comes from Biblical sources that tell us, there was 2,000 years from Adam to Abraham. There was another 2,000 years from Abraham to Jesus. Now we have 2,000 years from the birth of Jesus to the present time. We may soon know what all does this means.
The book of Barnabas, though not a book that is a part of the inspired scriptures, refers to a six-thousand year plan of God. Mankind has been given six-thousand years to prove that he cannot succeed without the God who created him. The six thousand years will end to be followed by a seventh. This seventh thousand years span of time will have the creator God physically ruling on the planet. During that time He will prove that only through Him can man actually live in peace and safety.
Since we are at the end of this six-thousand years, those scholars who believe in the Bible are awaiting a great event. Could this be the opening of the sixth seal of Revelation and those final seven years before the rule of Christ Jesus begins?
A interesting item is to calculate the 2,000 years from the birth of Christ Jesus (4 BC) to the current time. If we use two-thousand 365.242 day calendar years, the time ended in 1996. Nothing special happened in that year that I am aware of. But if we calculate the span of time in the 360 day Biblical year we come to the year 1967. That year the Jews regained control over the city of Jerusalem. This is the first time they controlled the city since 586 BC. There was one short time interval during the time of the Maccabees that the Jews held the city, but the Persians and then the Romans soon arrived.
| | | |
|2,000 years from |2,000 years from |2,000 years from |
|Adam to Abraham |Abraham to Jesus |Jesus to the Jews regaining |
| | |Jerusalem |
In conclusion, it appears that the time of gentiles control over the city of Jerusalem has ended. Luke 21 is a chapter on the End-Times. It tells of this time of the Gentile ending. Luke also tells us of signs in the heavens appearing, the powers of the heavens being shaken, and the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Question 7. Will there be a millennial reign of Jesus?
Answer: There are any views on this subject. There is a Post-Millennial view that believes man will first bring about peace on the earth. Once peace has been established on earth, Christ Jesus will return to rule for a thousand years.
There are other who hold to a A-millennial view. Those who believe this view subscribe to symbolic interpretation of Bible prophecy. The devil has already been bound. The church age is already in the thousand year reign of glory. The Christian have been given the power to bind Satan. The nation of Israel has been replaced by the church, and that the 1,000 years mentioned in the book of Revelations is merely symbolic.
A third view is Pre-millenial. This view is held by most fundamental believers in scripture. They subscribe to a most literal interpretation of scripture. The 1,000 years described in the book of Revelations are actual years, and that will keep his promises to Israel. Finally, Satan will be bound for a thousand years. During that time the earth will live without wars as the Christ reigns on earth from Jerusalem.
Revelation 20:1-5 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 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. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
In conclusion we see three main views on the thousand years foretold in the book of Revelations.
Question 8. What will the reign of Christ Jesus be like?
Answer: The view here is clearly Premillennial. If this is spiritualized away then nothing can be held on to. The spirit of the Lord inspired the prophet Isaiah to reveal this subject to all those who will listen.
Isaiah 2:1-4 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isaiah 11:4-15 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Isaiah 35:4-10 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 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. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 60:1-22 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
Isaiah 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Isaiah 65:16-25 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 65:16-25 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 66:18-24 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah what will happen to the whole house of Israel in the future.
Jeremiah 31:33-34 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
The prophet Ezekiel was given great insight into what the Lord had planed for Jerusalem and the temple of The Lord in the future.
Ezekiel 47:1-12 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
The prophet Hosea was inspired to write what the Lord had planned for Israel in the future.
Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
Hosea 14:4-8 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
The prophet Zephaniah was given more insite from the Holy One of Israel about a future time.
Zephaniah 3:8-20 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.
Haggai was give more insight into a day of reckoning that will come upon the earth.
Haggai 2:6-9 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
The prophet Zechariah had much revealed to him by the God of Israel. Everything he wrote about relates to the city of Jerusalem.
Zechariah 8:3-8 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
Zechariah 14:14-21 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
In the book of Revelations John has revealed to him that Jesus Christ will rule and reign on this planet with power and great authority. That Satan, the Devil, will be bound for a thousand years. This book has much to say about a time even further out than the thousand years reign of the Holy One of Israel.
Revelation 19:15-16 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 20:1-15 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 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. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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. 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. 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. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 22:1-5 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 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: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 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.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Revelation 21:1-27 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. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 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. 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. 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. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 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. And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 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.
In conclusion we find a lot has been revealed about the time leading up to the thousand years rule of Christ and the time during His reign. When we place the related scriptures together we read about the conditions during His reign. There will be peace and safety and long life. From below the temple in Jerusalem will flow a river of water that has special properties. All the trees growing along its river banks will have fruit and leaves that will possess healing properties. Around the city of Jerusalem will be angels who will guard the gates. This implies that angels will be on this planet. God will be on this planet, and man will be on this planet. This will be a time stranger than fiction. Even the city will be change. It will be a city of canals. That does not exist today. Obviously the topography of the area will be drastically changed.
Yet before all that is good comes upon this city, nation, there will be great calamity on Judah and Jerusalem.
Later, a thousand years later, we read that Satan will be released for a short while. The great deceiver will again marshal millions of people. There will always be people who have a hatred for the God of the universe. The city of Jerusalem will again be attacked. But this time, Jesus the Christ of God will personally destroy the armies that come against Him. Satan's lot is complete. He will be cast into a lake of fire, and the earth will be renewed.
Today the city of Jerusalem is not all that beautiful. It is just another city. Yet God has purposed in His heart to make it the crown jewel of the earth. Someday it will be glorious. The earth will be glorious. Those who have accepted the Christ of God will have a glorious future.
They will be like Jesus. And what did He do? He was able to appear in locked rooms. He was able to walk on water. He was able to vanish, heal people, bring peace, heal souls that have been scared; he gave direction and hope, and raised the dead.
If we are to be like Him, then we also will do the same thing. We will put down wars, heal the dying, cleanse the sick, restore lost limbs, bring peace, vanish in the twinkle of an eye, materialize were needed. Everything will be done under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We will be alive without an ounce of blood in our veins. We will be immortal through the power of God's Spirit.
God is majestic and a lover of diversity of life. That can be seen by the genome that holds the billions of genes within a man. God has tweaked the spiral of life and produced a million different life forms. The difference between n a man and an elephant is estimated to be about three percent of the basic genome. Yet what a difference it has made.
There is scripture in the book of Deuteronomy that may point to a diversity of life beyond our imagination.
Deuteronomy 4:29-34 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
All that is said in these passages are a direct result of the faith in Abraham. They also indicate something strange. Is it possible that God is telling Mosses and us about the galaxy. There may be other nations out there on other planets. That God has created a diversity of life throughout the universe.
True, to think like this one has to take God out of a box. We also have to say that the Earth populated by the nation of Man is only one of many nations.
Abraham through his faith in the living God became very unique. He was the only one on all the planets that God created life to believe God. Of all the nations that God created, Abraham stands out by himself, and God came to this planet.
If this interpretation is true, then the future of this planet and the believers in God is also unique. The nation of man is also unique.
What may be reality is that God will be using the nation of man to restore the universe from the destruction wrought by Satan. There may be a million planets scattered among a billion galaxies. Man will have a role in bringing to them the gospel of God. The possibilities and future for those who have accepted God and His Christ is endless.
Man will have a perfect mind and a perfect body. If the average intellect of man is between 90 and 110 on the IQ scale, what will it be after it is made perfect? It may increase 10 to 20 times. Someone who is barely able to function, but has accepted Jesus as Lord in their life, may now possess an IQ light years beyond genius.
Question 9. Will the earth be destroyed by fire? When? Before or after the millennial reign of Jesus?
Answer: To some degree, this will occur during the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. In the book of Revelations we read in Chapter 8 of such destruction. Not everyone accepts the blowing of these seven trumpets as being on the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, but there is nothing else in scripture that fits. Therefore it will be before the millennial reign of God on earth.
Revelation 8:1 - 13 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thundering, and lightning, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 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; 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. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitors of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
The destruction described in this chapter of Revelations is before the millennium reign. As you read it is apparent that only one-third of the earth is destroyed by fire. As huge and as terrible as that will be, it will not be the whole earth. In the book of Isaiah it is written that the light from the sun will be seven times brighter. That seems to indicate that the sun will increase its heat. What that means to the earth seems apparent. The additional heat may kill off much of the life on the planet. Seven times the light may not translate to seven times the heat. Just a doubling of the heat will be severe. There is a possibility that the sun may hick-up and become a red giant for forty days. Even in this short period of time, all life on this planet may cease to exist.
In the book of Revelation there are the two prophets of God who plague the earth during the last three and one-half years. One of the plagues, bowls of wrath, is a plague of heat from the sun to scorch men. Might this be what Isaiah wrote about in Isaiah 30:25-26 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
has written about?
Now we read of a possible destruction by fire after the millennium reign. This fire destroys the whole earth. Actually it may be a fire used in the renewal of the earth.
Revelation 21:1-4 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. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 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.
The Lord has also told us in the book of Isaiah that all things will be made new.
Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
But there is nothing that directly says the whole earth will be destroyed by fire . It is implied but not directly stated. When it is talked about it is always in the context of the Last-Days. Men will still be alive on this earth. Yet when the earth is made new as written by Isaiah we can only guess what the God of the universe is revealing to us.
In conclusion we read that the one-third of the earth will be burnt by fire. This can be related to the blowing of the seven trumpets in Revelations. It also can be linked to the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. This unusual day is placed in the middle of the final seven years before the coming of Messiah to rule and reign.
We then find that one-third of the world will be burnt by fire. But then Isaiah says there will also be a time when the sun will increase in brightness seven fold. In Revelations there is a time when men are scorched by a great heat. In chapter 16, versus 8-9 we read; And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
This revelation may be pointing to the time of seven fold increase in light written in Isaiah. Yet there seems to be coming a time when all things are made new. Now the only men on the earth will come from the heavenly city of God; called the New Jerusalem. It may be that at that time a great heat will cleanse the earth of all the pollution produced by the earlier industries and civilization.
10. Is the U.S. of A. in Bible prophecy?
Answer: There are some who believe they have found the United States of America in the Bible. They have pointed to the geography and the power of a distant nation. With these attributes the feel they have found the U.S. of A. in Bible prophecy. If the symbols used to describe animals and their representation of nations are correct, then the answer is clearly “YES”. They also may be wrong. No one knows for sure, but the representations are uncanningly accurate.
There is a possibility that in the book of Daniel we might have an answer. We read in Chapter 7, beginning in verse 3 of four great beast coming out of the sea. I believe the sea represented the sea of humanity. Verse 4 tells us of a lion beast with the wings of an eagle. The eagle’s wings were plucked. Originally this represented the Babylonian empire and their winged lion.
Since the vision ended with the return of the “ANCIENT OF DAYS” coming to earth, I can only conclude that the vision is describing the MESSIAH of God coming to earth. This is clearly an END-Time prophecy, and the vision is an END-Times vision.
In the LATTER-DAYS which we are now in we can relate these animals to the modern nations that exist today. The lion represents the British Empire. The eagle’s wings represent the American off-shoot of this empire. The bear represented in that time the Medo-Persian empire. Today it would represent the Russian bear, the third beast in times past represented the Greek, Alexander the Great, empire. Today it would be represented by the European common market. They now sometimes use a bull to represent the configuration of nations but earlier they used the leopard. The forth best, different than all the rest had iron teeth and stood for the old Roman Empire. Today we await this forth beast, in modern times, as it comes out of the European Empire.
But, let us go back to the first beast. It is a lion and the lion is symbolic of a nation. So what nation has always had as its symbol a lion. The foremost nation with the lion is the British nation and the wings on its back would be the American nation who has the eagle as its national symbol. We also see that the wings are plucked. This amazing feat took place with the American Revolutionary War in 1776.
Today America is losing its strength and Chaos is filling the world. After what I see is coming upon the world, specifically a comet - or some such thing from space - and a very probable Third World War using Nuclear weaponry, the eagle will be hurt. Yet the eagle is still dangerous. Until it gets its strength back, it has lost its ability to do much else but wait to regain its power. This really describes the United States of America. Its economic strength is being depleted by many means and will soon be powerless to fly. It is powerless but it is still very dangerous. It will become lean and mean from lack of resources (food) but you don’t want to get too close to an injured animal.
What is for sure is that this all began in earnest in the year 1948. This is the year Israel became a nation again.
The United States Supreme Court rejected two hundred years of previous court rulings. In the year 1964 by decree separated the government of the United States from religion that the nation was founded upon. In that year they simply rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and by edict began to degrade the American conscience from Christianity. Christianity was slowly being dethroned as the religion of America. Pluralism became the way of the future. All religions now became equal.
For two hundred years the Supreme Court confirmed that the reason this nation was founded was for the soul purpose of freely worshipping Jesus Christ. All we have to do is read the state constitutions to confirm this statement.
Following the decree by the United States Supreme Court, what follows reads as if it came out of the gospel of Paul, in the book of Romans. It is a sobering thought to think that this nation has lost its way in one generation. I refuse to believe that the nation is that lost. There must be still hope. But looking at the nation's track record does not lead to optimism.
It all began with the removal of God from public life and the removal of God from the official conscienceless of the citizens. This officially began in the 40's. This has been building since the late 1800's. The movement took forces during the Second World War. Judges whose philosophies were secular, humanism, and/or agnostic slowly filled the Supreme Court and other Federal court vacancies. None, or very few, were purposely placed in that esteem position who were know followers of the tenants of the Judo-Christian religions. In the year 1948 the United States Supreme Court rejected two hundred years of previous rulings. From that moment we see the growth of a large percentage of people not knowing right from wrong.
Romans 1:21-23 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things
You may say where have we made images of animals to worship? I say that there are those among us who place the welfare of an animal ahead of the welfare of a man. These have made a god of the animals, the trees, the earth. Then there are those who actually worship the goddess of the earth.
The sexual revolution that quickly followed is uncanny in that the next verses in Romans describe us to a tee. This revolution began in the 60's and 70's. It still continues to this day. People do not want to be held accountable for their foolishness.
Romans 1:24-25 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen
The homosexual revolution quickly followed and got going in the 80's and 90's.
Romans 1:26-27 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
The next step for the United States, if it continues down the path it is traveling, will be one of national self-destruction. There is a possibility that God may help us along on the path of destruction. I suspect we will see contradictory laws being passed and enforced. No one will know what is right or wrong. In the Federal and State courts the greatest liars will be declared the winners. Chaos will reign. Political fractionalization will sweep across the land. As for the average people we will see the horror brought by people overcome by madness. The senseless killings and wanton disregard for human life will grow out of control.
In nations around the world we see destructive riots. Violent protesting groups wag battle for control of the economy or better treatment from the hands of the rich and powerful. Million of citizens will be duped into believing that the flag waving, justice-preaching politician has the nation’s best interest in his heart. They will find years latter that the speeches given are only a product of Hollywood's best speechwriter. Most will not care that greed, power, and the reshaping of America into their elected leaders image has broken the nation. All that matters will be the amount of the slice of the pie, economic or influential, that they can get for themselves. The American Constitution and Declarations of Independence will be shredded and relegated to scrap heap of irrelevant documents.
For those who believe in the Bible Code, there is a frightening prophecy. Soon a comet will strike the earth and fall on their dwellings. It does not tell whose dwellings will be hit. If it is the USofA the economic collapse that may follow may just drop this nation to a second class world power.
Read what God says will be the next step for those who continue to reject Him.
Romans 1:28-32 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whispers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
In Conclusion, the U.S. of A. is not directly seen in prophecy accept by the relating of symbolic animals and their representation of current nations. What is seen is what will befall any nation that removes Him from the nation's life. The U.S. of A. has fallen far from what it used to be.
Today we have outsourcing of good paying jobs to other nations. Millions have been reduced to working for paychecks one-third of what they once enjoyed. We have major companies within the nation defrauding tens of thousands of their retirements and life savings. We find national politicians who place election results ahead of the national interest. Drug abuse is beyond epidemic. Schools and colleges have professors that teach their students half-truths about the history of the nation. There is outright hostility to Christian standards and beliefs. We have sign international treaties that have eroded the American culture that once made it strong. The nation is spiraling down the road to self-destruction and rich and powerful political and economic forces are propelling it along.
The slaughter of tens of millions of defenseless unborn babies and the rise of homosexuality are all symptoms of a nation removing the blessings it once enjoyed and is separating itself from the lord and god it once dedicated itself and served. Day by day the nation is allowing the curse of following other gods to manifest itself within that nation.
Four thousand plus years ago, mankind also cursed itself. Murder and homosexuality were rampant on the earth. Even though God had initially blessed mankind, the human race slowly turned its back on God. Satan had a field day with mankind and God pulled back His protection. The curse came in the form of a universal flood. Only Noah was considered righteous. He alone was able to save his family.
Two thousand years later the story was repeated again. Abraham's nephew, Lot, was saved from his surroundings of abject immorality. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, along with the surrounding towns, fell under the curse of God. Where man was once blessed, they had opened the door for Satan. God had no choice but to bring a curse down upon the people.
Another two thousand years goes by and the story is repeated. The nation of Judah rejected God through legalism and a hard heart. They rejected their Messiah. Forty Biblical years later (360-day years) their nation was totally destroyed. Only those who headed the warnings of the prophets escaped.
Now, two thousand years later, we find the whole world in chaos. The United State once stood for law, order, freedom, good versus evil, and once was a Christian nation. All has been severely damaged. Where once the nation had that mysterious blessing from the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, Satan has now been able to move the nation partially out from under God's protection.
Once again God is forced to remove His hand from protecting a nation that once believed in Him. The nation as a whole is forcing God to let the curse to run its course, and the nation’s military and moral will diminish to such a point that there will be chaos and disorder in the armed forces. The military will no longer be in a good position to defend the nation.
Fortunately the cities of the nation are also sprinkled with the people of God. The people of the land are split, Many have followed the way of the heathen. Many have moved closer to Christ Jesus. Today the United Nations has rated the religion of the United States as a "Pagan nation".
Satan has once again forced God to remove his hands of blessings. This time we may have reached and end. Now the whole world has once again fallen under the influence of the primary evil spirit. Cleansing a local or a nation will have no lasting affect. All that is left is a repeat of the time of Noah. What happened to Lot is also used an example of what is to come.
The history of Israel shows us that a nation can fall out of God's grace and protection within one generation. Slowly but surely America has followed its own path to self destruction. Is it possible that the visions self destruction as it reject Jesus and the God of the Bible. During the revolutionary war the fate of the United States of America was seen by George Washington in visions. All have or are soon coming to pass.
His first vision saw the nation expanding across the continent. This was at a time when the colonials were still fighting for independence from England.
The second vision saw the nation in great turmoil as it fought with itself. This took place during the Civil War.
His last vision showed the nation once again embroiled with internal conflict. This time it was at war with itself against the influence of European domination. The question asks, when will this final war within the America take place? The answer is that the war is already being fought. It has begun with a cultural war that pits the nation against itself. The nation is increasingly dividing. On one side are the people of the Book, as the Moslem like to call Christian and Jews. On the other side is the minority godless secular society. Two societies exist. One is growing closer to God. The other group is in total opposition to anything of God.
For the near future, the course America is following does not bode well for the nation. The thought of bloodshed and armed struggle in the defense of freedom is distasteful. Yet this future seems to be rushing upon us.
There is one scenario to this drama that might be closer to reality. This supposes that the Rapture of the believers in Christ Jesus will occur first.
The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord may be the key. This day is to take place during the middle of the last seven years. The Rapture takes place just moments before the destruction foretold by the Trumpets in the book of Revelations. Once the believers are taken away, the wrath of Christ will fall upon those who are left behind.
The United States, as well as all the other nations of the world, will experience a time of horrendous hardship and privation. During that time the Anti-Christ will offer a plan of hope. The distribution of food and raw materials will be severely curtailed. Tens of millions will starve as food become non-existent. Warming ones home will be nearly impossible. Every region of the world will offer him their allegiance in hope of securing the supplies necessary to survive. In affect, he will now control the world.
The U.S. of A has always had the ability to stand on its own feet. Natural supply of raw elements has always existed within its borders. The independent spirit within its people will be tested. One part will fight to give allegiance to a foreign power. The other part will fight to keep the nation free. The cultural war that is being fought today will take on a new meaning.
The coupling of the original foundations of this nation with independence will fulfill the vision seen by our first president.
The Great and terrible Day of the Lord will almost destroy the nation. It will also lead to a war to drive out all foreign influences. This civil war may dwarf the first civil war in casualties. The Judo-Christian culture is a Judo-Christian religious and relational one that boils just below the surface of secular humanism that works to smother America's religious tradition. Once enraged, the Judo-Christian heritage will rise to neutralize the foolishness of the political left.
We see evidence of their fear with calamities like the Columbine shooting and the tragedy of 9/11. They simple melted away until six moths passes before they broadcast their anti-Christian voices.
The enemy may be influential, but the vision seen by George Washington will be reality. The nation will be free. It will remain strong. Somehow the Anti-Christ and his forces will still fear the nation even during the final three and one-half years before God comes to this planet. America may well be the reason the Jews will have a place of safety within the nation of Jordan. There has to be a force strong enough to prevent the rule of the Anti-Christ from pursuing the fleeing Jews. It appears that the United States military may be that very blocking force.
This also implies that the war to free America from the tyranny of the Anti-Christ will be successful. This nation will cheerfully bring its offering to the Lord Jesus every year during the Feast of Tabernacles.
There is one more piece of tantalizing data gleamed from the scriptures. This has to do with the prophecies about the House of Israel and the house of Judah. The prophet Ezekiel was commanded top lay on his side to bare the sins of the House of Israel. For the House of Israel, now know as the lost ten tribes, Ezekiel laid on his side for 390 days. Each day represented a year that they would be dispersed. In Leviticus the prophecy given to Moses tells us that if Israel did not repent that their judgement would be increased seven fold.
The Assyrians took Israel into captivity in the year 723 BC. If we multiply the 390 days given by Ezekiel times 360 days (biblical year), times the seven-fold increase in judgement we arrive at 982800 days. Divide 982800 days by 365.242 (Gregorian calendar days) we arrive at 2690.8 calendar years. The House of Israel went into captivity in 723 BC, possibly a few years later.
Here is something interesting. If we subtract the year 723 from the total years for the judgment (2690.8) years, we come to the year 1967. If the year for captivity actually completed in the year 721 BC, and we subtract the two years required for going from BC to AD, we again arrive at the year 1967.
The year 1967 is more than just another year. It is a very important date in God's time-clock.
The House of Judah had been assigned 40 days for their judgement. Forty days times 360 days comes to 14400 days. If they did not repent the prophecy in Leviticus tells us the judgement will be increased 7 fold. That works out to 275.98 calendar years. But some in Judah did repent after the 70 years of captivity. So from the time Ezekiel prophesied the judgement on Judah, between 592 BC and 570 BC, we come to a time between
586BC - 70 = 516BC
40 days X 360 days = 14400 days.
14400 days times 7 = 100800 days.
100800 days / 365.242 days = 275.98 calendar years.
Subtract 275.98 years from the year of the return (516 BC) and we arrive at 240 BC.
What happened in 240 BC?
It is a time when the Seleucid's took over the nation of Israel. Alexander the Great annexed the land of Judah somewhere around 336 BC to 323 BC. After his death, the Seleucid Greeks under Antiochus ruled with a iron hand. It ended with Antiochus the Forth putting a statue of Zeus in the Hebrew temple. From there we have the Maccabees leading a revolt against the Greeks. Maybe for a short year or two the Jews lived free until the Romans arrived to rule the land.
Now to bring an item to the forefront is with our current President. During his acceptance speech he had a Roman looking platform built for the occasion. That platform was a duplicate of what Hitler stood on when he gave many of his speeches to his enamored German citizens.
To make it even more interesting, that platform is a duplicate of the entrance to the temple of Zeus located in the Berlin Museum. This entrance originally stood at the front of the temple of Zeus in the city of Pergamos.
Now this is really strange.
The "Man of Sin", commonly called the biblical Anti-Christ is noted that he will not follow the god of his father. The President's father was a Muslim yet the President is clearly secular. Is it possible we are witnessing a man who worships the Greek/Roman god Zeus? He clearly has his followers enamored by his amazing presence. On the other hand this might all be a coincidence.
The Devil Satin may have a dozen such charismatic men throughout the world that he might use. The one he selects to give his power to may be picked from this so-called dirty dozen. As well as being interesting it is also frightening. The time of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord may be closer than we think.
So in a lengthy conclusion, for those who are looking for America in the bible, I have somewhat good news and I have somewhat bad news. In the book of Revelation we read in chapter 13 about the kingdom of the Anti-Christ. There is a description of animals that represent nations and kingdoms. These nations will exist in the last days. As I understand it, the last days can be reinterpreted as the end of the end.
We read in the book of Daniel, chapter 7 of a vision for the latter years. This too, the latter days, can be rewritten as the end of the end of days. The vision also uses animals to represent nations. Starting with verse four, there is a lion that had the wings of an eagle. The wings are plucked up. That easily represents Great Britain, and the wings of the eagle represent the United States of America which broke away from Great Britain. The lion has and is the symbol for Great Britain. Walk around London and the lion is everywhere. The eagle has always been the symbol for the United States.
In verse 5 we have a nation that is represented by a bear. It does not take much searching to see that the bear represents Russia. It was also the symbol for the Medes who joined with Persia to overthrow Babylon of old.
In verse 6 we read of a leopard with four heads and had the wings of a foul. Since Alexander the Great the leopard has symbolized the nation of Greece. In the beginning of the United States of Europe, commonly called the European Union, The leopard was for a short time used as a symbol for that confederation. Now, today, it can more refer to the German republic than any other nation. Think of the 1st Reich, the 2nd Reich, the 3rd Reich, and a soon coming 4th Reich. When we add the wings of the fouls to the leopard, we now see a symbol for the Franco-German alliance. These feathers easily represent the nation of France since they seem to use the Gallic Rooster as an unofficial emblem of the nation.
In verse 7 we read of the ten nations that are personally ruled by a strange beast. These nations may be regions of the world or may simply represent ten other nations of Europe.
Now in the book of Revelation we have a slightly different image of these same four beasts - nations. In chapter 13 versus 1 and 2 the beast, or should I say, the kingdom of the beast is represented by a four headed beast, horns representing ten nations or power centers. The leopard, the bear, and the lion are also there. I interpret this kingdom of the beast as being composed of all of Europe and Russia. Now we have Great Britain, Germany, Russia and the ten nations or power centers all ruled by the man known as the beast. The wings of the foul, France, are not present, but I do not see how they can escape when all around them is the kingdom of the beast.
Happily for America I do not see the United States being a part of this coming massive empire. Even more interesting the wings of the eagle are used to fly the woman, most likely Israel, to a place of safety in chapter 12. In that chapter, verse 14, it tells of two wings of the great Eagle being used to save many of the children of woman. The woman as I said may represent Israel. So the United States, not being part of the kingdom of the Anti-Christ will fly aircraft into Israel to save many from the war with the Anti-Christ.
So who and what will keep us, America, out of the Beast’s kingdom? Especially when many powerful people want us to be part of that vast empire.
I think the judgments that have been Witten by Isaiah in chapter 9 and 10 will devastate the U.S. Also I believe a comet, or something from space, will devastate the nation and the world. The United States may have to withdraw from the rest of the world just to attend to its own problems. Unfortunately that also means the rest of the world may suffer greatly.
Couple this with the judgment of something falling to earth in Seal six of Revelation, and we have a proverbial double dose of serious problems affecting the world and America in particular.
Couple this again with the curse in the book of Romans, chapter one, versus 21 through 28 and now the world and America goes even deeper into despair. Here we find the nation, along with everyone else, drifting in a population filled with some who have become more and more depraved. You can rewrite that as some of the people become mad and insane. In the United States we have senseless mass shootings. In China we have senseless mass killing of school children, and the rest of the world may even be in worst shape with senseless mass killing of people who don't believe like the killers.
The future does not look bright unless you hold onto the Lord Jesus and His Father. Glory to the great God Yahweh.
11. So when might it all be fulfilled?
Answer: This is the fun stuff, predicting when the rapture of the church will take place. It also can give you a headache and an upset stomach. It is also a minefield filled with corpse of those who predict such a thing. If anyone gives a specific date and hour for the return of Christ, or the rapture of the church, take it with a grain of salt. Someday someone will be correct, but until it happens, be careful. As you will shortly see, there are plenty of dates to choose from. What you will also see is that the moment for the rapture is rapidly approaching.
I begin with the prophecy written in the book of Daniel. In chapter 9, beginning with verse 25, we read that from the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. In verse 26 we read that it will be at the completion of those 69 weeks of years that Messiah will be cut off. That accounts for 69 weeks with that strange break for 7 weeks. There is also one more week prophesied by Daniel that is used by prophecy teachers.
For now let's stay with the 69 weeks. Those 69-weeks represent weeks of years, and the years are 360-day years. As a side note you are beginning to see that our compass of 360 degrees equates to the 360-day year. Something happened to the orbit of the earth to change it to 365.242 days. But that is another story.
If we take 69 weeks of years and multiply it by 360 days (69X7X360), we arrive at 173880 days. The Persian king Artaxerxes in 445BC, on the first of Nissan (March 14), handed his decree to permit the Jews to rebuild the city of Jerusalem to the prophet Ezra. Jesus of Nazareth entered Jerusalem and was proclaimed by some as king exactly 173880 days later, on April 6, 31AD. Soon he was arrested and crucified.
As a side note we must understand that there is no zero "0" year between 1 BC and 1 AD. Each year still consist of 365.242 days. That has not changed for a very long time. An example of 1BC and 1AD follows.
2 1 2
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