Get Ready For The Rapture

One area of prophecy that is the most significant for the Christian believer is the expectation of Jesus Christ's return for the Church. The pre-tribulation rapture is the moment when Christ comes in the air to catch away all who are spiritually ready. The rapture is the doorway between two opposite worlds. On earth we have sin, suffering, and strife. In heaven, there is nothing but holiness, happiness, and cries of "hallelujah."

"The dead in Christ will rise, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord" (1 Thes 4:16-17). "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality"(1 Cor 15:51-53).

Because the pre-tribulation rapture is likely to be the next major event on God's calendar, it is all-important to be cognizant of the rapture's nearness. If you should find yourself left behind, you'd suffer a double tragedy of missing out on the splendor of heaven and having to face the various judgments God will be pouring out on the earth. The rapture is clearly something any person with a logical mind would not want to miss. Unfortunately, most people are unprepared to meet the Lord Jesus. One of the biggest reasons for the lack of readiness has to be the fact we are drowning in a sea of warning signs.

"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Mat 24:33-34).

Final Warning Incorporated

Authors of prophecy books have a natural tendency to aim for book titles that imply the most dire scenario. I've run across dozens of books and sermons that have the phrase "final warning" in their titles. I know those words sound catchy, but they imply that you should not expect any more warnings from the author. For the sake of continuity, if not honesty, any subsequent books by the same writer should be given titles such as "Final Warning 2," "Final Warning 3," or "More Final Warnings."
Asahel Nettleton wrote a sermon entitled, "The Final Warning." I was never able to determine when he wrote it, but I do know Nettleleton died in 1844. More than 150 years later, we still have plenty of "final warnings" in publication. Here are a few book titles from the past few years:
Final Warning
The Final Warning
The Final Warning: Your Survival Guide to the New Millennium
God's Trumpet Call: A Final Warning
Jesus' Final Warning
God's Final Warning to America
666: The Final Warning
The Last Day: The Final Warning
Final Warning: Daniel's Prophecies Decoded
A Final Warning to America

I've talked to some of these authors, and most of them seem to believe that it doesn't matter if the passage of time has thrown doubt upon their "final warning" cries. They assert that their main goal in writing the books was to make people aware of the approaching end times.
In the story of the boy who cried "wolf!" the young lad was certainly active in warning the villagers, but we all know he eventually warned them a little too often. A "final warning" title may increase sales of books, but if the Lord Jesus fails to return on cue, everyone who has read these books will become immune to the end-time message.

"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" (2 Pet 3:4).

Jesus Did Say He's Coming Back

When I talk to unsaved people about the rapture and world events, 90% of them agree with the validity of Bible prophecy. Most of them even admit that we are headed towards the tribulation hour. If I try to tell them we might be getting near to the end, that's when I get strong opposition from them. "Not in our lifetime," is the average reply I receive. I always try to reason with them by saying, "You agree Jesus is coming back, and the likelihood of His return only increases each year. Because there is nothing to prevent Him from returning, why not at least be open to the possibility?" A large portion of the population strongly refuses to consider the prospect of prophecy being fulfilled in our generation. In all honesty, many of these people probably have a good reason for not wanting to see the end times: the start of the tribulation would signal their doom.
In most wars in which two main forces are at odds, it's historically common for fighters to realize they're on the losing side and then defect to the side that's winning. This is particularly true in tribal conflicts. If you're not in Jesus' camp, you're on the losing team. For the time being, sinners still have the opportunity to abandon their loyalty to Satan and to realign themselves as soldiers in God's army. Once Jesus returns to earth, it will become too late for someone to change his or her allegiance.

"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev 6:15-17).

Seven-Day Warning

I often wondered what would happen if the Lord supernaturally announced to the world that He was coming back in seven days. Of course, the proclamation would obviously have a profound impact on society:
Global stock markets would close.
Manufacturing would slow to a halt.
Stores would freely distribute their goods.
Livestock would be freed to roam the countryside.
It would be impossible to get an airline ticket to the Holy Land.
Prostitutes would become nuns overnight.
All media outlets would have continuous news coverage from Jerusalem.
A spirit of piety would sweep over the world.

During the Miller Movement of the 1840s, as people looked forward to the predicted return of Christ, a number of people did things they later regretted. When the date failed to produce the Lord Jesus or doomsday, most folks went right back to their previous sinful lifestyles. The fact that people would make phony commitments immediately before a known rapture date is the most likely reason the Bible says we shouldn't expect a warning.

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44).

The Window Of Opportunity

During the tribulation, people will be able to calculate exactly when Jesus is coming back to earth. From the time the Antichrist declares himself to be God, saints will know that the second coming will take place in 42 months (Rev 13:5).
An obvious question some folks might ask: Why is the timing of the rapture a big secret, while the timing of the second coming is known? The answer is simple: For the most part, it currently doesn't cost the average person much to live for Christ.
Once the tribulation starts, all believers will be in a whole new ball game, one in which most will have to suffer martyrdom in order to hold on to their Christian faith. Knowing how bad it is going to be for those left behind, I certainly don't envy their benefit of knowing when the tribulation will end.
Some Bible scholars go to the extreme by promoting the idea that it's impossible for people to find salvation after the rapture. Their general attitude is if you're foolish enough to miss the rapture, you should be out of luck.
Once a person is left behind, his flesh might be in a dreadful state of affairs, but his soul still has a chance at redemption. (An article on the main page of Rapture Ready called Second Chance for Salvation refutes the teaching that there will be no tribulation salvation.)
I have a difficult time understanding where these people get the idea that the tribulation is a time when people will be able to blissfully wait for Jesus to come and rescue them. The tribulation is going to be a time of immense persecution. Few people realize we are living with a window of opportunity that will soon close. Most of the saints who will find salvation after the rapture will not physically live to see Jesus' glorious return.

"And it was given unto him (Antichrist) to make war with the saints, and to OVERCOME THEM: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" ( Rev 13:7). "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" (Rev 13:10).

There's No Such Thing As A Final Warning

If this is the first time you've visited Rapture Ready, I could say, like other people, that this could be the last time you encounter the Gospel. But that would only be speculation on my part. You might be presented with the salvation message 100 times after you read this article. Because man has no control over his destiny, it's impossible for him to know when he'll have the final opportunity to turn his life over to Jesus. Because you have no guarantee you will be here tomorrow, it should be obvious that you need to be ready today.
Because of what we know about the aging process, we know that a 20-year-old man has a greater chance of being around a year from now than does a 90-year-old man. However, unless the older gentleman is in declining health, he's not likely to have a deeper focus on his spiritual state than the man who's still a youngster. If someone is 90 years old, he typically expects to live to see age 91. If he makes it to 99, he generally believes he'll make it to 100.
Death is always a surprise. Because there is no certainty you're going to be here tomorrow, you need to accept Jesus as your eternal Savior today. To do this, you first must ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins.

"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

After you commit yourself in words to Jesus, you then begin to follow Him with your actions. Committing yourself to faith in Jesus Christ is the easy part. Fulfilling that pledge is where the difficulty comes in.
Once a big-time evangelist visited a large city in central Africa. During one crusade service, more than 10,000 people raised a hand to show that they had accepted Jesus into their life. Several months later, a Christian organization did a follow-up study. They found that less than 1% of those people were still practicing their faith. The other 99% had heard the warning message, but they must have assumed that in the future they would yet be offered a final, final warning or possibly a final, final, final warning.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2).

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Jesus Christ: Riding His White Stallion

Only five hundred people saw Him go up into the clouds, but the world will see Him return. He left Jerusalem knowing that the Romans would level the city. He will return to make it His capitol for one thousand years. Since Christ ascended to the Father’s right hand, Satan has spent two thousand years trying to destroy His name. Jesus will return with an even greater name than when He left. They called Him the Risen Lord, but He will soon be called the King of Kings.

Even before His first coming, the Psalmist – speaking by the Holy Ghost – prophesied about His position after He returned to Heaven. The Father said, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6). Jesus Christ occupied the highest possible seat in the majestic temple at the Father’s right hand. David declared, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1). At every moment the Son of God has the Father’s ear while He waits for the Word to come again.

This coming is not the Rapture in which He will come into the mid-air. Notice, John spoke of the Rapture in the fourth chapter of Revelation. He stated, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven” (Revelation 4:1a). When John entered that door, He saw the raptured elders and an innumerable multitude of saints. These righteous and glorified saints are seated on thrones and are worshipping with unrestricted access to the Father, while they are singing of their redemption. It’s impossible to read chapter four and chapter five of Revelation and not see that the saints have been moved from the earth to heaven. They even speak of their future position as kings and priests back on the earth.

Let’s view the difference from chapters four, where there is a “door opened in heaven,” to chapter nineteen, where heaven is opened from border to border. At the glorious moment when He comes back to earth, heaven will swing wide its portals so that the sin sick world will see what they rejected for that liar and deceiver, whose name is Satan. One glimpse at the shining city behind the descending multitude and Satan’s army will tremble in despair. We must remember that the great gulf between earth and heaven will have rolled up like a scroll at the Rapture of His saints. Now, that sin is judged and the celestial city is in full view, the previously great distance between heaven and earth will progressively disappear.

The Holy Scripture calls this great moment, “His Second Coming.” He did not come to the earth when He raptured His saints. He called them up to meet Him in the air and then they returned to the Pearly White City together. This is truly His second coming to earth. The first coming was to redeem the fallen family. This coming is to complete the redemption of the earth. I believe the entire earth will return to a pre-flood condition as we read about in Genesis. My first book was entitled, Miracles, My Father’s Delight. The following paragraph is my description of the world before sin dumped its rot on the perfect earth.

“The truth is, as God’s people often forget, He is not just a past-tense Originator; He is a Creator right now! He is a God of creation, and His creative powers underscore His entire universe. As the scripture says, ‘By him all things consist’ (Colossians 1:17). Such creation is an ongoing process. Every time a thorny rosebush reaches down inside its cellular system to produce the dew-splashed, fragrant petals, it is a powerful reminder of God’s creation. Every spring, when the tree buds appear, and when the dingy brownness of winter explodes into a vibrant montage of green grass, buttercups, and rainbow colored foliage — all are results of God’s creative power. He is a God of creative miracles.” (Miracles, My Father’s Delight, Joseph R. Chambers.) He is going to redeem it all back to its original glory and perfection.

Nothing is more breathtaking about His Second Coming than Himself. He comes in the fullness of all His attributes and offices. There are forty-one descriptive words spoken of Him in Revelation chapter one and He comes in the fullness of them all. “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” (Revelation 19:11-13). One of those forty-one titles is “Amen.” He is Amen – finality, fullness, complete perfection, and eternal. All of that is revealed in His person.

To look upon Him in this exceedingly divine and transcending state will be to look at life as stupendous and to know perfect fullness and happiness. The very least of a sad emotion will be impossible in His presence. Even in this state of such divine revelation, His redemptive character will still be present. He will be wearing a vesture dipped in blood.

This is the marvel of the moment. He will have finished His high priestly office of intercession before the Eternal Father. Now, the Antichrist and the False Prophet must be cast into the Lake of Fire and Satan must be bound for a thousand years. The kingdoms of the world will be subjected to His kingship and this earthly kingdom will be governed in righteousness. All of this activity is both divine and redemptive. Before the Son leaves the Pearly White City, He must again enter the temple in His Father’s presence and dip His vesture in His own blood. The Divine Blood has continued its redemptive qualities to this closing moment. He, then, adds this blood-soaked vesture to His kingly attire and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will startle this world.

 

                                  What is the Pretribulation Rapture?

The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. The Apostle Paul gave a clear description of the rapture event in his letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians. "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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess, 4:16-18).
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:51-53).
The timing of the rapture is not known. From the Word of God and from sound reasoning--something Jesus used quite frequently--I hope to prove the reality of the pretribulation rapture.
The word "rapture" comes from Paul's "caught up" remark in verse 17. The words "caught up" are translated from the Greek word harpazo, which means "to carry off," "snatch up," or "grasp hastily." The translation from harpazo to "rapture" involved two steps: first, harpazo became the Latin word raptus; second, raptus became the English word "rapture."

Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture

 
The Unknown Hour
When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus' return, we find verses that tell us we won't know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase "neither the day nor the hour" to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.
 
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it's time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride's house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father's house. This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father's house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev 19:14).
 
What They Didn't Teach You in History Class
Many groups try to discredit the pre-trib rapture by saying most of the end-time events in the Bible have already taken place. A group of people called preterists claims that the Book of Revelation was mostly fulfilled by 70 AD. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I'm at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred.
 
The People of the Millennium
If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly, who would be left to populate the earth during the millennium? Only the pre-trib viewpoint can account for this post-trib problem. The Church is raptured before the tribulation, a vast number of souls are saved during this seven-year time frame, and those who make it through the tribulation go into the millennium while the unsaved are cast into hell.
 
The Saint U-Turn
In the pre-trib scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. Revelation 1:7 states that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. If He's already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?
 
"Come Up Hither"
Many pre-trib writers cite Revelation 4:1, which says, "come up hither," as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church, leaving Revelation chapters 1 through 3 as a description of the Church Age. After the shout to "come up hither," the Church is not mentioned in Scripture at all. The attention of Scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel.
 
Armies in Fine Linen
When Jesus returns (Rev. 19:18), an army follows Him. The army's members are riding on white horses, and they are clothed in fine linen that is white and clean. In Revelation 19:8, we are told that the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. If the saints of God are returning with Christ to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not possible to have a post-trib rapture without us running into ourselves as we are coming and going.
 
The Time of Jacob's Trouble
In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase "Jacob's trouble" pertains to the descendants of Jacob. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel's 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, "70 weeks are determined unto thy people" (Dan 9:24). Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians. However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God's protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation would have to be an exception.
 
"He" That is Taken Out of the Way
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain "He" must be taken out of the way. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the "He" that must be removed is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit. It has been promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church.
 
War or Rapture
(Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. For those who believe in a post-trib rapture, it would be strange to meet your Lord and Savior just as He's rushing into battle. The idea that war and rapture could occur together is difficult to imagine, especially since they transpire at the same moment.
 
The Five Foolish Virgins
The wedding story that Jesus gave in Matthew 25:2-13, I believe, is a parable of the rapture of the Church. It explains how some will not be ready. Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on an event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides, heaven. Although some try to put this parable in a post-trib context, it doesn't fit very well. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the Lord because they'll immediately be confronted by Him and His army of angels.
 
God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God's anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-trib view would make God's promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it's impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died--both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God's promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world.
 
The Salt of the Earth
Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). When the believers are supenly removed, the earth will be plunged into spiritual darkness. When this happens, the Antichrist will then be free to control the world.
 
God Takes an Inventory
In Revelation 7:3, an angel descends to earth and seals the servants of God. Two bits of information about this sealing highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The first item is the number of people sealed: 144,000. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the 12 tribes of Israel. For the events in Revelation 7:3-8 to be true in a post-trib interpretation, either the Church has turned against God or God has turned against the Church. A post-tribber could write a thousand-word commentary about why the Church doesn't need to be sealed. Instead of trying to argue about why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, "We're already in heaven."
 
Noah and Lot as Examples
The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over whether the time frame Jesus was talking about in that passage was pre-trib or post-trib. In doing so, they miss an important point. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved.

Common-Sense Reasons for Believing in the Pretribulation Rapture

The World Test
One way to check the soundness of a doctrine is to see how the world reacts to it. One company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. One of the questions was, "Do you believe in the rapture?" If you answered "yes," your chances of getting hired would not be good. Some internet sites do not allow the topics of Rapture or Second Coming. They do allow topics such as sex, gays, and drugs. The only time the news media mentions the rapture is when someone sets a date and is proven to be wrong.
 
That Old-Time Religion
It used to be a rule of thumb that when one was visiting a church or listening to a preacher, one could assume the preacher believed in repentance, prayer, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost if he taught the rapture doctrine. It was also true that the churches on fire for God worshipped out of storefronts. Today, many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principal doctrines.
 
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end-time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. Some organizations, the Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, teach a false gospel and are heavily into Bible prophecy. Why, then, don't Jehovah's Witnesses teach a false doctrine that would be right up their alley? Could it be that the demonic forces that influence these groups know something that Christians opposed to the rapture don't know? The list of prophetically minded cults that reject the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God and the Moonies, as well as leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.
 
The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist
If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians were praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England outperformed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany. If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. In Revelation 11:3, the two witnesses alone give the Antichrist enough headaches. Millions of Christians who know their Bibles well would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead the whole seven years.

We should all remember one thing: Knowing the Antichrist's mother's maiden name isn't the primary goal. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and having your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life should be your number-one priority. The jailer asked Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" The answer was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30-31).

Defending The Pre-Trib Rapture (Again)

Some body asked me a great question the other day. “Does Scripture actually promise a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, or is it just an opinion passed along from teacher to student?” Then he challenged me to cite even one Bible verse that would lead a person to believe the Pre-Trib position if they hadn’t already heard about it from some Bible teacher. He said that in all his studies he’s not been able to find one. Let’s see if he’s right.

First, Some General Points

The Rapture is not another name for the Second Coming. As 1 Thes. 4:15-17 and John 14:1-3 explain, the Rapture is an unscheduled secret event where Jesus comes part way to Earth to meet His Church in the air and take us to be with Him where He now is. I say unscheduled and secret because its specific timing will remain unknown until it actually happens. On the other hand, The Second Coming is a scheduled public event where Jesus comes all the way to Earth with His Church to establish a Kingdom here. I say scheduled and public because the general time of His coming will be known on Earth over 3 1/2 years in advance, and public because everyone on Earth will be able to witness His arrival. Matt. 24:29-30 says it will happen shortly after the Great Tribulation has ended and all the nations will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky. Membership in the Church and therefore participation in the Rapture is contingent upon having personally accepted the Lord’s death as payment in full for your sins. While His death actually purchased full pardons for everyone, we each have to personally ask to have ours activated. Everyone who asks for salvation receives an unconditional, irrevocable “Yes!” (Matt. 7:7-8, John 3:16, Ephes. 1:13-14) For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. (2 Corinth. 1:20)

It’s Greek To Me

And finally, although cynics can truthfully say that the word Rapture doesn’t appear in any passage of Scripture, the statement is not correct in its intent. Rapture is a word of Latin origin, not Hebrew or Greek, the languages of the Bible. (One of the earliest translations of the Bible was into Latin, and the word rapture comes from there.) Its Greek equivalent is harpazo, which is found in the Greek text of 1 Thes. 4:17. When they’re translated into English, both words mean “to be caught up, or snatched away.” Harpazo, the word Paul actually used, comes from roots that mean, “to raise from the ground” and” take for oneself” and hints that in doing so the Lord is eagerly claiming us for Himself. So while the Latin word doesn’t appear in our Bibles, the event it describes certainly does. There’s a similar situation with the word Lucifer, also of Latin origin. It doesn’t appear in any of the original texts either, but no one would be naive enough to deny the existence of Satan on such a flimsy basis. With that introduction, let’s go first to the best known of the Rapture passages.
According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thes. 4:15-17)
Most of us are very familiar with these verses. But notice they don’t tell you when the rapture happens, only that it does. Notice also that the Lord doesn’t come all the way to Earth. We meet Him in the clouds and then according to John 14:1-3 go back with Him to where He came from. If this was the 2nd coming, He would be coming here to be where we are, not coming to take us there to be where He is. Paul described the same event in 1 Cor 15:51-52. In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye the dead in Christ will rise and the living will be transformed. There he said that he was disclosing a secret, but the resurrection of the dead was not a secret. It can be found through out the Old Testament. The secret was that some would not die, but would be taken alive into the Lord’s presence following an instantaneous transformation. The rapture happens fast. In one instant we’re walking on Earth and in the very next, we’re in the Kingdom.
By the way, don’t try to use the trumpet reference in verse 52 to pin the timing of the rapture to some other event.  Since both the Corinthian passage and the one from Thessalonians describe the same things, it’s safe to assume that the term last trump refers to the fact that the trumpet call of God from 1 Thes. 4:16 will signal the end of the Church Age, at which time the Church will disappear from Earth. So these two references both say that one generation of humans won’t die but will be suddenly changed from our earthly form to our heavenly one. And since both Matt. 24:31 (they’ll gather His elect from one end of the heavens to the other) and Rev. 17:14 (with Him will be His called, chosen, and faithful followers) say that we’ll be with the Lord when He returns, this has to happen sometime before the 2nd Coming. And it can’t be just the resurrected believers coming back with Him because the Rapture passages above say that we’ll be changed at the same time as the dead are raised.

So When Does This Happen?

In the New Testament, the clearest indication we get in the timing department is found in 1 Thes. 1:9-10. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. The Greek word translated “from” in this passage is “apo.” Taken literally, it means we’re to be rescued from the time, the place, or any relation to God’s wrath. It denotes both departure and separation. This is supported by 1 Thes. 5:9 that declares, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Some folks are fond of pointing out that you can’t use God’s wrath interchangeably with the Great Tribulation. They’re not the same, they say. And they’re right, the two terms are not synonymous. The Great Tribulation is 3 1/2 years long and begins in Rev. 11-13. God’s wrath is much longer, beginning in Rev. 6, as verse 17 explains. Post-trib. and pre-wrath rapture advocates try to deny this but the Scripture is clear. The time of God’s wrath begins with the Seal Judgments. The Bowl Judgments that come later don’t begin the time of His wrath, they conclude it. (Rev. 15:1) Being rescued from the time, the place and any relation to God’s Wrath means the Church has to disappear before Rev. 6, and that’s why we believe the Rapture takes place in Rev. 4 and the Church is the group of believers in view in heaven in Rev.5.

You Be The Judge

Now let’s apply my questioner’s litmus test. Could a believer, sitting alone on the proverbial desert isle with nothing but a Bible and with no pre-conceived ideas, conclude that there’s a pre-trib Rapture just from reading about it, or could he only be led into this position by first hearing someone teach him about it? Well, From Isaiah 13:9-13 and Amos 5:18-20, he would have learned that God is going to judge the Earth for it’s sins in a terrible time called the Day of the Lord when He’ll pour out His wrath on mankind. Reading Matt. 24:21-22 would have told him that this time of judgment would be so bad that if the Lord didn’t put a stop to it no one would survive. But the Lord will put a stop to it by returning in power and glory. Since he would know that the Lord hasn’t returned yet, he would know that God’s wrath is still in the future. When he got to 1 Thes. 1:9-10 he would see a pretty clear statement. Jesus rescues us from the coming wrath. In the “who, what, where, when, and why” methodology of the investigative reporter he would have the Who, (Jesus) the what, (rescues us) and the when (the time of the coming wrath). Reading on he would come to 1 Thes. 4:15:17 and get the where (from Earth to the clouds) and in 1 Thes. 5:9 the why (because we’re not appointed to wrath). From there he would logically conclude that since we’ll be rescued around the time of the coming wrath and since we’re not appointed to wrath, our rescue has to precede it. He could also answer another of the investigative reporter’s questions in 1 Thes. 4:15:17 and that’s how it would happen. The Lord himself will come down from Heaven into our atmosphere and suddenly snatch us away from Earth to join Him there. In chapter 5 he would learn that he would never know the exact timing of this event but only that it would precede the coming wrath. Of course there are many more passages I could reference but I think I’ve made my point and answered the question. In fact I’ll go one step further. I believe that since our hypothetical reader has no one to persuade him differently, he would assume that what he’s reading is to be taken literally. And if that’s the case, then the pre-trib position is the only conclusion he could logically come to, because every other position requires a moderate to massive re-interpretation of Scripture. I contend that left alone to work this out with only the Holy Spirit as his guide he would expect to be raptured before the wrath of God begins in Rev. 6. You see, God didn’t write the Bible to confuse us, but to inform us. It’s mankind that’s gotten everything all mixed up. If you give the Holy Spirit a clear minded student, uncontaminated by man’s opinions and prejudices, He would bring that person to the understanding of the rapture that’s most consistent with a literal interpretation of Scripture. And that requires a pre-trib rapture.

But Wait, There’s More

While we’re on the topic, there’s another issue that points to a pre-trib Rapture and it comes to us in the form of a clue in 1 Thes. 4:15, right at the beginning of the Rapture passage. Verse 15 opens with the phrase “According to the Lord’s own word.” There simply is no place in the New Testament where Jesus speaks of some being resurrected and some others being transformed to meet the Lord in the air. He never said anything like that, nor does he even imply such a thing. Those who believe they see it in Matt. 24:40-41 first have to ignore the fact that Jesus was explaining events on Earth on the actual day of His return, which would place the Rapture after the 2nd Coming, something no one believes. They also have to ignore the fact that in Matt. 24:40-41 both believers and non-believers are sent somewhere, believers being received unto Him, while non-believers are sent away. You have to research the Greek words translated “taken” (paralambano) and “left” (alphiemi) to realize this, but when you do you’ll see that the English is misleading. No Rapture view includes the disposition of non-believers, nor does it even mention them. By the way, this is a great example of why the literal, historical, grammatical interpretation is so important. Our Bible was mostly written in Hebrew and Greek. Every translation relies on the movement of words from one language to another. This process doesn’t always produce a perfect fit, and so learned men have to make allowances for this and exercise their own judgment from time to time. But men are not perfect. We all have our biases. When it’s an important issue where you want an exact meaning it’s always a good idea to double-check their work. Fortunately we have an incredible tool in the Strong’s Concordance. It contains every Hebrew and Greek word in the Bible with their primary and secondary meanings, how often each word appears in the Bible and what meanings are used in each appearance. You can compare these with the meaning the translators used and see if you agree with their treatment of the passage. By doing this with Matt. 24:40-41, you’ll find that the primary meaning of paralambano is to receive and the primary meaning of alphiemi is to send away. People with a post-trib disposition read 1 Thes. 4:15, and then turned to Matt. 24:40-41 where they saw one group being “taken” and another group being “left” after the end of the Great Tribulation. Assuming that these were the Lord’s own words Paul was referring to, they stopped there. They had seen what they wanted to see. In actuality Matt. 24:40-41 is most likely a preview of the Sheep and Goat judgment of Tribulation survivors. The word taken (received) refers to believers going live into the Kingdom, and the word left (sent away) applies to non-believers who are sent to the place prepared for the Devil and his angels. (Matt 25:31-46) Of course none of this pertains to our desert island reader above. The verses I used there are clear enough that they don’t require any research into the original language. So he wouldn’t need a Strong’s Concordance, just his Bible.

What’s Your Point?

So if Jesus never taught about the Rapture, to which of the “Lord’s own words” was Paul referring? Some dismiss the phrase, saying that Paul was speaking of a conversation he had with the Lord that doesn’t appear in Scripture. But I think we deserve a better answer than that. Remember, 1st Thessalonians was probably Paul’s first written communication, undertaken in 51AD. Depending on whose opinion you accept, Matthew’s Gospel was either just being written or was still nearly 10 years away. Those who give it an early date say it was written to the Jews in Jerusalem and may even have been written in Hebrew. In any case neither it nor any other Gospel was yet in wide distribution. (Mark’s Gospel, the other candidate for earliest one written, doesn’t contain an equivalent to Matt 24:40-41.) So if Paul was referring to Scripture, as I believe he was, it had to be the Old Testament. Yes, like everything else in God’s plan, you’ll find hints of the Rapture even in the Old Testament. Look at this passage from Isaiah 26:19-21. But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. Notice how the pronouns change from second person when God speaks of His people to third person when He speaks of the people of the Earth. It means the two groups are different. Those called “my people” are told to “enter your rooms” (the rooms of John 14:1-3?) because the others, called “the people of Earth” are going to be punished for their sins in a period of time called His Wrath. Sound familiar? (Note: the Hebrew word translated “go” in the phrase “Go my people” is translated “come” in some translations, recalling the command to John in Revelation 4, “Come up here!” But the word has another primary meaning and it’s my favorite. It means vanish. “Vanish, my people!” Yes we will.) Not by any stretch of the imagination has this passage been literally fulfilled. It’s an End Times prophecy that promises a resurrection of the dead and hiding of God’s people while God’s Wrath is unleashed on the people of Earth for their sins. And it was written 2750 years ago. The hiding of the Jews in the desert on Earth at the beginning of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 12:14) cannot be considered as a fulfillment of this passage because no resurrection accompanies it. (The resurrection of Old Testament believers takes place at the end of the Great Tribulation. (Daniel 12:2)) Of course, no one knows for sure that this is the passage Paul referred to, but as evidence of its influence on him, let’s compare it with what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4-5. Isaiah : But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Paul: The dead in Christ will rise first . Isaiah : Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. Paul: After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Isaiah : See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. Paul: While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. The wording is a little different, but it sure looks to me like they’re describing the same event.

And Still More

There are other sound theological reasons why the Church will be raptured before the End Times judgments begin. One is that the Lord seems to keep Israel and the Church separate, never dealing with both at the same time (Acts 15: 13-18) If the primary purpose of Daniel’s 70th week is to finish fulfilling the six promises to Israel in Daniel 9:24, then the Church has to disappear. Another is that the Church was purified at the cross at which time all the punishment due us was born by the Lord Himself. From that time forward the Church is considered by God to be as righteous as He is (2 Cor 5:17 & 21) The idea that the Church needs to undergo some discipline to become worthy to dwell with God is unscriptural and denies the Lord’s completed work on the cross. And third, the stated purpose of the Great Tribulation is twofold, to purify Israel and completely destroy the unbelieving nations. (Jeremiah 30:1-11) The Church isn’t destined for either of these outcomes. There are also several subtle clues that on their own can’t be used to support the pre-trib position, but which underscore the validity of the clear passages I’ve just cited. Take for instance the fact that Enoch, who bears a great similarity to the Church, disappeared before the Great Flood, that the angels couldn’t destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot and his family were clear, and that Daniel was missing from the story of the fiery furnace, a model of the Great Tribulation. When the Lord described His coming in Luke 17:26-29 He said that it would be both like the days of Noah (some will be preserved through the accompanying judgments) and the days of Lot (some will taken away before them). And what about the promise He made to the Church in Philadelphia that he would keep us out of the “hour” of trial coming on the whole world. (Rev. 3:10) Is that the same as the “hour” of Babylon’s destruction in Rev. 18? But being asked to cite verses that didn’t require any prior knowledge I picked two that are clearest to me, 1 Thes. 1:9-10 and Isaiah 26: 19-21. And so by the testimony of two witnesses, one in the Old Testament and one in the New, we see the physical separation of believers from non-believers preceding the time of Judgment. And by the testimony of two witnesses a thing shall be established. (Deut. 19:15) Of course some won’t be convinced until we show them a verse that says the rapture will precede the Great Tribulation in those exact words. Obviously, such a verse doesn’t exist. I guess we’ll just have to wait and explain it to them on the way up.

Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming

Commentary by Jack Kelley
9th Annual Update January 2010
There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and currently all of them are in some stage of fulfillment.  As in years past, I’ll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.

1. Israel Will Be In The Land… Ezekiel 36:24, 37:21

For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land .
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.
In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us.   Isaiah 11:11-12,  Ezekiel 36:8-12 and Amos 9:14-15 had also clearly foretold this.  Jesus said that some from the generation being born when this happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).
The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting even more influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 62 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it’s clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel’s enemies, both physical and spiritual, won’t let up until they’ve either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God’s view).
This past year we’ve seen unparalleled efforts by friend and foe alike to diminish both Israel’s influence and its size.  Much of the attack has been focused on the capital city, Jerusalem.  The new leadership in the USA, traditionally one of Israel’s most loyal allies, has caused many to doubt its willingness to stand with Israel by calling East Jerusalem occupied territory and demanding that no more Jewish homes be built there.  At year’s end the European Union called for an official declaration dividing Jerusalem to make way for a future Palestinian State to have part of the city as its capital.  And several Middle Eastern countries are said to be working with the Palestinians to introduce a UN resolution that will unilaterally declare a Palestinian state on Israeli land, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
But try as these nations might to destroy Israel, God has a different outcome in mind for Israel.
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12)
“You, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.  I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,  and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.  I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children. (Ezekiel 36:8-12)
“I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
And the nations who tried to divide Israel?
I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. (Joel 3:2)

2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands… Luke 21:24

They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end (Luke 21:24). Fulfillment of this prophecy began in 1967, and scholars saw it as another major sign that the End of the Age had begun.  The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills.  Nearly every Israeli leader has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel’s capital, but the unbelieving leaders of the world are just as resolutely determined to divide it.  Behind all this of course is a spiritual battle of massive proportions.  While there’s no doubt as to the out come, the battle will be a fierce one.
I’ve come to believe that Jerusalem won’t really be free of Gentile “trampling” until the Lord returns.  Daniel’s prophecy that Gentile Dominion would not end until the Lord establishes His kingdom (Daniel 2:36-45), Zechariah’s prophecy of the city being captured and divided just before the Lord’s return (Zech. 14:2), and John’s observations in Rev. 11:1-2 of the gentiles trampling the outer court of the Temple during the Great Tribulation all confirm this.
The ongoing fulfillment of these major prophecies concerning Israel has caused confusion in the minds of some commentators. It centers around an incorrect interpretation of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years, of Israel’s re-gathering in 1948. That error made 1988 seem like the likely time for the End. But when 1988 came and went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date, 1967, and began adding 40 years to that, advancing their predictions to 2007. The rationale for this is that the timing of the First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 keyed off the rebuilt city, not off the return to the Land.  But that date proved wrong as well.
The problem is, the Lord didn’t promise that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation of their beginning, only that the generation being born at the time of the first of the signs would still be alive to see their completion. According to Psalm 90:10 an average Biblical life span is 70 years, so predicting the approximate time of the End requires the addition of 70 years to 1948, not 40.
As it draws nearer, the approximate timing of the 2nd Coming will become more and more obvious. Those people around when a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews to build their Temple in Israel will know that it’s about seven years away. (Daniel 9:27) Those who witness the anti Christ standing in that Temple proclaiming himself to be God will know there are only 1260 days left until the end of the Great Tribulation, and the 2nd Coming happens shortly after that. (Matt. 24:15,21 & 2 Thes. 2:4)  But even so, the Lord did state quite clearly that those alive on Earth at the end of the Great Tribulation would not know the exact day or hour of His coming until He actually appeared.  (Matt. 24:42 & 44, 25:13)

3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia Will Attack The Holy Land… Ezek. 38:2-6

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army–your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops–the many nations with you.”
Over 130 historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.)  Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor.  A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most radical Islamic groups.  (For a detailed explanation of the modern nations to which these Biblical names refer, read “An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38)
The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia’s barely disguised policy of becoming the major outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord’s hands. Iran and Russia are well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they’ll be used to build bombs, too. Some experts claim that Iran will become a nuclear power this coming year, but others think a bomb is still a year or two off.  Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but don’t be surprised if the US continues to back away from its similar promise, even though at year end the language coming out of Washington seems to be getting tougher again.  I read recently that Pres. Obama and PM Netanyahu have agreed on delaying talk of military action until the spring of 2010 to give the next round of sanctions a chance.  Netanyahu had previously announced a Dec. 2009 deadline for evidence of diplomatic progress.
Russia has also formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, and has become Turkey’s 2nd largest trading partner after Germany.  They’ve sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and are building a major military seaport in northern Syria, in preparation for moving components of their Black Sea fleet there.  In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria.   Iran has taken delivery of a Russian air defense system too, to protect its Bushier reactor site, first in the series Russia has promised to build.
The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when Israel is “a peaceful and unsuspecting people” (Ezekiel 38:11).  This certainly is not the case today, but in Psalm 83 there’s a yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy that appears to involve all of Israel’s next door neighbors in another unsuccessful attempt to wipe the Jewish nation off the map. The psalmist pleads with the Lord to intervene and defeat Israel’s attackers. If this happens, it will help explain why none of them are named in Ezekiel’s list of antagonists, and how Israel could be living in a perceived state of safety as Ezekiel 38:11 requires.  Two of Israel’s neighbors, Hamas and Hizbollah are making frantic preparations for war and are on record as saying they expect one soon.  Not surprisingly, these preparations are being bought and paid for by Iran.
But two other pre-requisites for Ezekiel’s battle are clearly being met.  The Gaza war strained Israel’s relationship with Turkey to the breaking point, and as I’ve shown Turkey will be on the Moslem side in Ezekiel’s battle.  Public support in Turkey for membership in the EU is also declining, another sign that attitudes toward the West are changing.  Turkey’s Prime minister Erdogan believes Turkey’s destiny is to rebuild the Ottoman Empire into the new Middle Eastern powerhouse. He’s getting cozy with Iran and Syria to accomplish this.  It won’t be long before Turkey lands solidly in the camp of the Moslem coalition.  Israel’s recent offshore natural gas discovery, said to be of  “historic” proportions, could create the wealth necessary to make Israel an attractive target, fulfilling the prophecy of  Ezekiel 38:13 that Russia will be looking for plunder.  Till now Israel really hasn’t had any wealth to speak of, but the natural gas discovery is worth billions, and in the past few weeks oil has been found near Tel Aviv as well. There’s no specific information yet on how big the strike might be, but it could be significant and it already has people excited.
I believe that the removal of the US as Israel’s powerful ally is also necessary to pave the way for Ezekiel’s battle, because I don’t think the Moslem coalition will attack until they’re sure the US won’t retaliate.  Any one of several scenarios currently being played out could accomplish this, especially since our national policy toward Israel is already changing.  A deepening recession could turn the nation inward again and cause us to lose interest in defending Israel.  Further decline of the dollar on world markets could even render us financially unable to do so.  The funds would have to be borrowed, and our ability to repay current debt is already being questioned.  The threat or actual occurrence of a major terrorist attack could cause us to stand down.   And finally, the Rapture of the Church could deprive the US of both the leadership and manpower to respond.  Any one of these would mean serious trouble for the US and all of them have a better than average probability of coming to pass in the coming years.  In summary, it’s a whole lot easier to see the US abandoning its commitment to Israel than it was just a short time ago.
When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will go on fast forward.

4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will Re-Emerge As A Political Force… Rev 17:9-10

“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.” (This one is a little obscure if you don’t know your history. When John was writing this, about 95AD, there had been five great world powers; Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All were conquered and absorbed. The current power was Rome, which was never really conquered and will re-emerge at the end of the age, according to Daniel 9:26.)
Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion from Daniel’s time forward (Egypt and Assyria had already fallen) in the form of a giant statue representing the four remaining Kingdoms.  Babylon was the head of gold. Persia was the chest and arms of silver.  Greece was the belly and thighs of bronze, followed by the two appearances of Rome, two legs of iron (Biblical Rome) and two feet of iron mixed with clay (the revived Roman Empire).  Read it carefully and you’ll find some interesting things in the description of the two feet upon which the statue stands.  In the first place iron and clay don’t mix. We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue sticking pieces of iron together, but the language describes a clay that’s made of dust and already baked … hard and brittle like shards of pottery. You can’t make random pieces of iron and pottery adhere.
The two iron legs of the statue describe the two divisions of the Roman Empire of Biblical times, Western and Eastern. Today the territory of the Western division is occupied by Europe, while the Eastern territory holds the Islamic countries of the Middle East.  They’re the two feet of iron mixed with clay.  Both divisions are steadily becoming more and more powerful.   Some experts insist that the combined defeats spoken of in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 will render the Eastern (Islamic) leg incapable of becoming part of the World Empire of the End Times.  But rough estimates indicate that as little as 15% of the Islamic world will be represented by the forces aligned against Israel, and remember it’s only their soldiers who die in battle, not their total populations.  And besides, Daniel had both the statue’s feet in view in chapter 2 so both divisions of the Roman Empire have to be present at the End of the Age.  The next step will be an uneasy alliance between these two divisions.  Daniel’s use of iron and pottery in their makeup speaks to the difficulty the Western and Eastern cultures will have in remaining united.  But the fact that Daniel only identified four empires means the last one can only be some form of ancient Rome.  (I find it interesting that with the inroads Islam has already made in western Europe, some commentators have begun calling it “Eurabia”.)

5. The World Will Embrace A Single Religion… Rev 13:8

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
Make no mistake about it. Islam is the major religious force in the world today and their goal is nothing less than world domination, by any means necessary. It’s the world’s fastest growing religion and is second only to Christianity in number of adherents. Already nearly one out of every four inhabitants of the world is Moslem, and like most Christians and Jews they don’t really know what they believe or why.  I’m no prophet, but as I look into the future, it’s much easier for me to see Islam riding its current wave of momentum to fill the void left by the departure of the Church than it is to imagine some watered  down mix of apostate Christianity and New Age Mysticism doing so.
Much has been written recently about al Mahdi, a figure out of Moslem prophecies that are strikingly similar to Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. Both show a leader coming on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth.  Both depict him as man of peace who will have a seven year reign, head up a one world religion and one world government, and claim supernatural origins.  Both prophecies culminate in a battle between good and evil that brings about Earth’s final judgment.  It’s as they’re pointing to the same person. The difference is that in Islam he’s a good guy, while the Bible calls him evil.
Take this charismatic political and religious leader with his supernatural power, add the widely held but incorrect belief that God and Allah are the same, and that Islam is a religion of peace, and then subtract the spirit of discernment that will disappear with the Church and you can see how he could be the straw that a world on the brink of disaster grasps for survival.

6. The World Will Accept A Single Government… Rev 13:3

The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
The last US presidential election showed how quickly a fearful and disillusioned people will get behind someone who promises to change things.  When you look at the shape of the world it doesn’t take much to imagine circumstances getting to a point where the whole world will agree to follow a leader who will promise to bring order out of chaos.   Whether it’s Global Warming (now called Climate Change) or the decline of the US dollar,  the one solution everyone is talking about is some form of one world government. With the things that already threaten world stability getting worse by the day, how much more frantic will people be after millions of their neighbors suddenly disappear without warning or explanation, and there’s been a nuclear exchange that brings destruction from Europe through the Middle East and into Russia? All it will take is a leader who can persuade people he can fix things to bring this prophecy to fulfillment.

7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A Prominent City In World Affairs… Rev 18:2-3

With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
You may not know it, but Babylon is being made ready to accept its destiny as a city of power in the end times.  It’s just a ceremonial city right now, but 20 years ago nobody even knew it existed at all. One of the shocks of Gulf War 1 was the discovery of Babylon standing there on the banks of the Euphrates again.  Now there’s a concerted effort underway to complete what Saddam Hussein began and  return Babylon to world prominence.  The government of Iraq has decided that making Babylon an international tourist destination is in the country’s best interest, and the US has agreed to underwrite a feasibility study to see how this could be accomplished.
You may think that being little more than a tourist attraction  is a far cry from being a center of world power, but not too long ago some of Iraq’s new political leaders were calling for their nation’s capital to be moved to Babylon, too. The logic behind this is that Baghdad was Saddam’s capital, and the new Iraq needs a new capital, more consistent with its heritage. Babylon fills the bill, and becoming the capital of Iraq would be a giant step toward achieving its transformation into a center of power.
Because of Babylon’s current lack of importance in the world, some students of prophecy search for an allegorical fulfillment of its destruction in Rev. 18, and of course many see the USA or some city therein as a logical candidate.  But remember, even though in Revelation 17:9 John describes “mystery Babylon” as seated on seven hills (meaning Rome), a prophecy in Zechariah 5:5-11 shows it being moved “to the plains of Shinar” a reference to ancient Mesopotamia called Iraq today. We can’t switch from literal to allegorical interpretations of Scripture without clear direction, and where Babylon is concerned no such direction exists. In fact the opposite is true.

Birth Pains

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matt. 24:6-8)
Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)
WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS … According to intelligence reports that include all our current wars as well as conflicts where a cease fire exists but are still unresolved, 47 wars are currently being fought around the world.  But some reports say there may be as many as 200 additional disputes threatening to erupt into armed conflict.
THE INCREASE OF NATURAL DISASTERS … More frequent and more severe hurricanes, more frequent and more intense earthquakes continue to dot the news.  According to the USGS there were 73 “significant” earthquakes around the world in 2009.   This compares with 58 in 2008 and 55 in 2007. (Source: www.earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews)
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS … The Magnetic Polar Reversal, predicted by computer model for 2012 is gaining more attention since its likelihood was first announced.  While the effects of a Magnetic Polar Reversal have never been observed by mankind, it has apparently happened in the distant past.  What’s unique this time is that the Sun is due for a polar reversal at the same time. What this means is that while the Sun will be experiencing its most intense radioactive storms, Earth’s magnetic field (that protects us from these Sun storms) will be at its weakest and may even be non-existent in some parts of the world.  No one knows the extent of the damage this could cause, but based on expert opinion I’ve speculated that the combined effects of the 2 polar reversals could fulfill the 6th Seal judgment of Revelation 6 and if the projected time of 2012 is correct, it fits into the early stages of Daniel’s 70th Week that I believe will begin sometime in 2011.
PESTILENCE… Not only new diseases like HIV and SARS, but also the return of old ones like Whooping cough. The big news this year was the swine flu which has so far failed to materialize into the pandemic experts were predicting.
THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD … 3500 people die every day in defense of the Christian faith. Run away crime, children being abused and murdered by their parents, children killing children. Murder trials as public entertainment soon to be followed by televised executions. Ethnic cleansing, rape and forced pregnancy, pedophilia, random shootings, the incidence of disrespect is enough to make you sick.
THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL NATIONS … Looking at the state of the world, it’s hard to be encouraged. But as world news gets worse and worse, more people are turning to the Lord for solace. According to some reports as many as 175,000 new believers are born again every day, mostly in Africa, China, and India. Reports of these conversions are accompanied by accounts of miracles, people receiving supernatural healings and even being raised from the dead. It appears that Just as He did at the beginning of the church Age the Holy Spirit is moving mightily at its End. I believe the Lord is issuing a giant “last call” before He suddenly takes the church out of here to begin the End Times judgments.
As you know these signs from the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) are progressive and all are described as beginning well before the end. Their main interest to us is found in the phrase “beginning of birth pangs.” Natural disasters, the tendency toward war as a tool of diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000 children die each day of starvation and related diseases) and pestilence are described as being common to the era but increasing in frequency and intensity as the end approaches.
It’s true that for over 100 years folks have been saying, “how much worse can it get?” Sadly, the answer now as it was then is, “Much!” It seems man’s depravity knows no limits. But take heart. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We don’t belong here, being citizens of heaven. And one day soon our long awaited King will return to take us there. Maranatha!

THREE ETERNAL DWELLING

THREE ETERNAL DWELLING

  

  THREE ETERNAL DWELLINGS FOR THE SAVED!

Much has been the subject of eternity. The deal that many have often been in conflict with biblical truth.  What the Bible reveals it is delightfully appreciated.  For others the issue of eternity do not care. . For fall into false doctrine, or believe the things they have said their ancestors. This time I want to reveal what the Bible says about eternal dwellings for the saved. Much has been made of the "New Jerusalem" and this causes joy to our lives knowing that happen to us in the future is coming.  I always thought that all the saved should live in one place or the New Jerusalem.  But the reality is different!  How can a person who has dedicated his life to the Lord to live in the same place as those who ignored him and eventually gave up their lives? How can we live in the same place taken away and those who die in the Apocalypse?  How can we have the same rewards?

 

God is a God of justice and pay as set out in his word. Let us see the three eternal dwellings for the saved.  I know many may not agree with this study.The truth is that I just want to discover with me the reality in the light of scripture.  I advise you to take a Bible at hand to corroborate the biblical quotes given. Also, YOU can print this study and take it to your church, website, radio shows etc.  I know you will enjoy it.  

Let's start ...

1. 1.         HEAVENLY RESIDENCE

           

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also. RV60. 

   Jesus was ready to be sacrificed. All his disciples were sad because it would remove that for which they yearned. Perhaps they thought that he would never  be seen again.  Jesus calms their anxiety with good news (see verses above).

This place known as "THE HOUSE OF MY FATHER" is the eternal place of the bride of Christ (soon to be His wife). It is a permanent place in heaven. Exclusive to all who will be caught up into heaven when Christ comes for his beloved. Not the place for Israel or for those who die during the Apocalypse.  For them there are two different places in which we will consider shortly. Let me explain this.  My Father's house is a place where there are many mansions. Christ himself said so! Now, the Jews when one of his sons married ordered them to build a house on their property. The child then returned and lived in the house of his father. The house that His Father commanded them to build before the wedding.  It's a private place where only the newlyweds had input. Put it this way.  Remember the vicinity of the guy?  It was a private place where there were several houses within the site.  Each family had their house and lived with their children in it. He was known as the vicinity of the guy (although the owner was Mr. Tummy).  Today in some places the custom is preserved.  Here's another biblical text ... Mat 26:29 And I say that will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.

  Here are referring to the day of the wedding of the Lamb (Christ). These weddings will be after the millennium of Christ on earth.  After the Rapture we will receive awards for seven years.  I mean, this is known as the tribunal of Christ. A trial that lasted seven years is a trial of rewards not condemnation.  Because if we were caught up means that we have been approved by God for this event. These halls of heaven is unfathomable to humans. The Bible says: 1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into orazón of man, which God hath prepared for them that love him. ^(B)It also says: Php 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, where we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

We have the description in the book of Revelation of the New Jerusalem, and later we will show the verses. Speaks that is beautiful and gives an account of the material of which it is built. When we read this we are filled with joy and gladness.  Now, how much more beautiful will our heavenly home be?  Eye hath not seen!  There are people who claim to have had revelations from God, who has shown the heavens! Others have described briefly the experience of having seen the heavenly city. The Bible describes very well the heavenly city in Revelation 21:2. It is here where the church will spend eternity!  Will talk about this later.

 When the church is taken to heaven begins for her a permanent state of eternity with Christ!  Wherever Christ is, there is also the church. Consider this passage: 1Th 4:17 Then we who are alive, who 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. ^(A)    Note the phrase "forever with the Lord" means that the Church accompanies Jesus wherever he goes, but their eternal home is heaven with the Father.  The dwellings that Jesus spoke in John 14:2, are dwellings that are not moved from its place, are set in heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:1 says we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have from God a building, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Paul writes to the Corinthians bringing them into a living hope of eternal glory.  This verse is very important and it would just explain in a few words.  

But I want you dear reader or student of the scriptures note is that Paul clearly says that they are eternal dwelling in heaven, not on earth to come.  Paul speaks to a group of people or brothers who complete the body of the church of Christ. It is the church that gives us life in heaven for eternity next to the triune God wonderful! This building which Paul referred to "should not be" confused with "The New Jerusalem.Since the latter have their eternal rest in the new land that will emerge after the trial of God to the nations.  This building is what is known as "the house of my Father."  However, only live in that place right now are the fabulous "Triune God" and the four living creatures of which speaks Rev. 4.  Soon the church will be taken to heaven but not dwell on it until they meet the following incidents.

1. 1. Judgment of the court of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:10. Disclaimer: This trial should not be confused with the White Throne Judgement.  They are two entirely different trials. Only the saved will appear before the tribunal of Christ or the church. Those who remained in the great tribulation will have to wait, the view of God.  That's why John hears when they are told:

. Rev 6:11 And white robes were given, and were told to wait a little while, until the completion of the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they. They must be brought the trial of white throne where Jesus confess his name before his Father, their names will be enshrined in golden letters in the book of life. To this Jesus promised: Rev 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and will not erase his name from the book of life, ^(B) I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ^{(C )}

The church does not go through this trial as white throne next to Jesus is to judge those who denied the gospel and the angels which kept not their home and became demons. 1 Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we judge angels?  How much more the things of this life? And also:

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and seated on them were given authority to judge that ... These, dear, are the church of Jesus Christ.

2. 2.The millennium. . Immediately after the tribulation will begin the millennium. What is this? It is a period of a thousand year reign of Christ on earth with his church and those who died in the tribulation. This is the only award they will receive those who die in the Apocalypse, for they shall reign with Christ and the church one thousand years. It is recorded in the Bible as well: Rev 20:4 b. .. And I saw the souls of those beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark upon their foreheads or their hands, and lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  After a thousand years they will live forever in the eternal abode, We'll mention this a little later.

3. 3.       The White Throne Judgement. In this trial will be prosecuted all those who were not part of the church of Christ.  Will be there all those who died in the O.T saints and not saints, there are also those who died in the tribulation.  All of them are there because they have not been tried yet. The church has already been tried in the cross of Calvary.  ROMANS:

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath.

Rom 5:10 For if they were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

What does this mean?  Means that there will be no trial for the church!Haleluya!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by the things that were written in the books, according to their works. ^(D)

Satan will not be there: for and was cast into the lake of fire where the antichrist and false prophet  waited. Which will suffer for all eternity, with those who were not enrolled in the book of life.

This is the eternal place of the church, in the Father's house.  Although nothing in the Bible describe this place, we can be sure it will be much more beautiful than the New Jerusalem.  Remember, wherever Jesus goes, goes the church because it is the wife. But, stay vigilant, waiting for the Lord.  There are important requirements and rules to follow that will make us candidates for the entrance of heaven.  And soon we will have this study for you.  Meanwhile, we continue with this one.

2. 2.  NEW HEAVEN & NEW EARTH

  What is this place? To begin we need to seek some prophecy prophecy had not yet compliance.  Are you talking about Willis? God made promises to Abraham that have not met yet.  These are reserved for eternity.  This heaven and this earth will soon pass.  Will be completely destroyed.  God promised Abraham:

Gen 48:4 and said, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and give thee a multitude of people, and give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. ^(A)

Exo 6:8 And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and I will give as an inheritance. . I JEHOVAH.

^(E) Exo 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, thy servants, whom you have sworn yourself, and I've said, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, ^(D) and give to your descendants all this land that I have spoken, and shall inherit it forever. ^(E)

  Here are some of the many promises which are in the Bible according to what the Lord promised to Abraham. The phrase "this land" does not speak precisely of this planet but the earth to come. God used this term because the limits of intelligence Abraham only allowed to see what was in front of him.  Note well that then says "for an everlasting possession."  What does this mean?  To understand the key exposed this word "perpetual" we have to find a dictionary. This is the explanation given by the dictionary.  Perpetual imperishable, immortal, perennial, fixed, eternal, lasting, enduring, among other explanations.  Given this clear, we deduce that closely relates to this world but to come.  Ap. Why?  21:1 b ... for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea was no more. If there was no more, then the promises given to Abraham were incomplete.  Notice also that God says in addition "forever." If something is destroyed means that it was forever.  This land will be destroyed very soon.  I do not know if you understand me!  I hope so! Who will live here?  Live here all those OT saints descendants of Abraham or the Jews.  It isto Abraham who was given this promise.

It will be a land without sin, no sickness, no worries, no deaths. Be nothing more and nothing less "paradise" The place that God created for us at first. The natural idea of a insatiable Creator!

There in that place worked well.  Oh what a nuisance!  No, not so!  As he said?  See something first before giving an explanation.

Rev 21:24 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

Rev 21:25 Its gates will never be shut by day: for there shall be no night.

ev 21:26 And bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. ^(O)

Rev 21:27 Do not enter into it anything unclean, ^(P) causes an abomination or a lie: but they which are written in the book of life of the Lamb.

This is referring to the new Jerusalem.   . Note that brought about the glory and honor of nations.  I will explain! Refers to the work of nations, its fruits, gifts, were brought to the New Jerusalem.  Does this mean that there will be fatigue. No! No!  What causes fatigue and illness today is the sin of man.  Sin, sickness, hatred etc. Sin will be destroyed forever!  So the work will not be tedious or tired. When God created Adam in the Garden put to work on.  Although there was no sin when God said he gave instructions to work. Consider this verse: Took Gen 2:15 And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  This was before God formed Eve from Adam's rib.  You see! A tip to the conscience: "If anyone would live in the new land ... so then God created it? Just to make it a wonderful city? I think not!  Is for the living God's chosen people.  Adam was erected in the destiny of man. When Adam was created and God put him in the garden, Adam was mortal or immortal. What Are you talking about Willis? To Adam was given the choice to live forever or die . In Him Was deposited our hope.  He; unfortunately failed.  In this new land we will not have to worry about that.  Adam himself will also have an eternal home in the new land.

  Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, ^(E) and God himself will be with them as their God.

  Rev 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no ^(F) be no more mourning or crying or pain; ^(G) for the former things have passed away.

  Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.  And I said, 'Write, for these words are faithful and true.

  Rev 21:6 And he said: It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To him who is thirsty I will give ^(H) of the source water of life.

  Rev 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. ^(I)

  In the same way in the beginning when God spoke with Adam and had a father and son relationship, the same relationship will be restored to the inhabitants of the earth. Does not mean that God will make his abode on earth, but she strolled on as before. God will wipe away those tears are not tears of sorrow but of joy and rejoicing. This source of water of life is Christ Himself. See a passage that sheds more light on this issue.

  Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said, "Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again;

  Joh 4:14 but whoever drinks the water I shall give him shall never thirst but the water I give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. In verse 27 of Revelation 21 is made finally delivered to Abraham the promised inheritance over the scripts, but it is a small change. It will not be only the descendants of Abraham but to all who won. Wow how beautiful! . Be called sons of God. John tells it like this: 1 John 3:1 See what love for the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God ... Paul tells the Romans:

  Rom 8:17 And if sons, heirs also, ^(A) heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, to be glorified with him. (Referring to the church). Those who live on earth can not see the halls of heaven. In the same way that Adam could only be visited by God, but God could not visit. But those who inherit heaven if you can visit the land where Jesus visit. Remember that wherever the man (Jesus) is, the wife (the church) is going after.

3. THE NEW JERUSALEM

  The description of this place is extremely awesome! Since my childhood, I always thought that  this is the place prepared for all the saved. In fact, even in the churches today is taught as well. We must return to the Word and watch carefully that it is not. That's why this study aims to clarify once and for all those mistakes. Great preachers teach without a careful examination that will be living in the New Jerusalem forever. As we have seen throughout this study, it will not. We have seen so far (with biblical basis) two of the three eternal dwellings. Although there are many more verses that test and prove this study, we have only limited to a few. Because if we took all the texts and explain them, will never end. Take the task loved, searching and analyzing the texts as they are found. But I do not know all that I know so far I have left to study.  I beg make me reach for those who are later to make another more detailed study and grow and all!

  Who will live in the New Jerusalem? So far we have given them eternal home to the church and the Jewish people. Whose missing? Those who remained missing in the Apocalypse. Let us see then!

   Rev 7:13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These who are clothed in white robes, who are they and where did they come?

. Rev 7:14 And I answered, "Sir, you know. And he said, "These are they which came out of great tribulation, ^(C) and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The rapture of the church is imminent and no one can stop it!  But unfortunately they have left behind many (Christians).  People have been really undefined.  Those who want to live two lives to please themselves.  People who once accepted the sacrifice of the cross, but along the way were tired and did not finish the race.  Paul said:

1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize?   So run that ye may obtain. Faulty love for others that did not look to God but to their own needs.  Some who were themselves amazed by the things they did (for God).  People gave more authority to (they will say) that what God thought of them. People who believed in their own way they did things their own way, living lives (see).  They know and recognize that there is a God who will judge, but think, they have time to spend on his pleasures.  People who were left stuck ministries of those who wanted to influence his ministry. People that when God spoke in his ear, thought it was just their imagination.  Cold in love and brotherly relations.  After the rapture, they finally opened their eyes and as a result will give his life for Jesus. To those I am talking ...

Let us briefly explain the above verses.  He says one of the elders asked him a question to John: Who are they and where did they come?  John does not know who they were (even the elderly) and coming back to Jesus and he replied: "Lord, you know.   John is not calling Lord, the old man spoke to him. . But turns his eyes to Jesus and said: Lord, you know. Jesus sees that John does not have the slightest interest in the elderly that is answered (if they knew the answer), but Lord of the universe, tells John the answer.  These are they which came out of great tribulation, ^(C) and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  What controversy?  Do not assume that if their clothes washed in the blood are taken from blood and non-white?  Note that not talking about the clothes that were given but the garments of their hearts.  Jesus forgave all the sins they had committed. While in the Apocalypse they acknowledged their sins and were forgiven.  Although they had to pay a price, their own lives. The garments were given bear no rewards nor decorations.  Their rewards are only live forever in the new Jerusalem.  They do not have the same honor as the church. These are known as (the guests at the wedding of the Lamb).  How? I was told that the marriage of the lamb are over the seven year of the Great Tribulation? That`s What They said but it is not.  During the great tribulation the church will be receiving awards at the tribunal of Christ.  Weddings are until after the great tribulation that ends in chapter 19 of Rev. These awards are the result of faithfulness to God.

The New Jerusalem is a display of beauty.  That's why it`s beauty draws our attention. Others are content with being part of or a citizen of it.  We saw that it will not. Let these verses that reveal such magnificence.

           

Rev 21:10 And the Spirit took me to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem, ^(J) coming down out of heaven from God,

Rev 21:11 having the glory of God.  And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

Rev 21:12 I had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the twelve tribes of the children of Israel;

Rev 21:13 On the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, on the west three gates. ^(K)

Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Rev 21:15 And he that talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ^(L)

Rev 21:16 The city lies foursquare, its length is equal to its width, and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length, height and width are equal.

Rev 21:17 And he measured its wall: one hundred forty-four cubits, the measure of man, which the angel.

Rev 21:18 And the building of the wall was jasper, but the city was pure gold, like clear glass

Rev 21:19 And the foundations of the city wall were adorned with every precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,

Rev 21:20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh, hyacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

Rev 21:21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls; ^(M) each of the gates was a pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb.

Rev 21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated ^(N) and the Lamb is its lamp.

Rev 21:24 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

Rev 21:25 Its gates will never be shut by day: for there shall be no night.

Rev 21:26 And bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. ^(O)

. Rev 21:27 Do not enter into it anything unclean, ^(P) causes an abomination or a lie: but they which are written in the book of life of the Lamb.

These extracts are in harmony with the Cap of Revelation 7:10-17.  Let's take these verses of chapter 21 and try to break down.  Dare?

21:10. Not described here the name or location of this mountain. I think it is my opinion that trick of the highest mountain surrounding Jerusalem today known as Sinai also known as Mount Hermon. The majestic architecture of this city is unparalleled. Has Anyone  seen such beauty? A wall with 12 gates.  That is three for each side. The materials with which this built this city are precious materials of great value.  Here on earth we can see many of them, with specialty, gold, diamond, pearl etc. Quantities are limited but we gather all the gold, pearls, do not reach all of them to finish a piece of this city.  She measures are the same length, width and height.  In measure of a man is about 1500 miles in length, height and width. It is as if we were talking about from one extreme to another in the U.S. Its height exceeds the atmosphere. So A plane flies approximately 30 thousand to 40 thousand miles high.  That's high!  If we do not use oxygen to live up to 10 thousand miles humans die.  Each aircraft is survival mode for passengers, oxygen in the cabin.  Without it, no one would survive such a height. Now imagine that height Fivefold.  At first glance, we lose sight of the top of this majestic architecture.  Abraham was able to see the city before leaving this world.  Imagine the more beautiful are the mansions in our Father's house! They are much more spectacular. Bible says: 1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man, which God hath prepared for them that love him. . Can you imagine as a mystery for us in the heavenly places. Church only enjoy when you become the bride of Christ!

He says that this city does not need the sun Rev 21:23. Because Jesus is the light thereof. But come here a minute. Didn` you say that Jesus wont live in it?  So how is that this verse says that Jesus is the light thereof? Knew you`ll ask!  Well, this is the answer.  Perhaps the sun shines on earth?  Well, it is not on earth.  In the same way the sun lights the earth from a height, also the radiance of Jesus light the new land.  Although cleared, Jesus will visit earth with church  But if there is a city and a new earth. Someone should handle all this, is not it?  Sure.  This is where I say "theologians" have a challenge. I do not see it.  Well let's see. God made a promise to David.  What is that promise? 2Sa 22:51 The gloriously saved his king, and uses of mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants to s lways. And also, will 2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom always in front of your face and your throne shall be established forever. "This promise was not fulfilled yet. King David was not forever a king, he died. What Do you understand that means forever or always? Means it  will never end!  David will be king of the new world but under the authority of Jesus.  David will be like a sub-king.

  What some theologians say is that this city will not be anchored to the ground but remain suspended in the air.  I personally do not think so.  This city eternally rest on the floor of the new land. How do you know?  Because it says that its doors remain open and take the glory of the nations into it (see 25 and 26). This means that there will be people coming and going.  Can do it for a ladder? No.   Why not? Because John did not see any step or not described at all.

             The twelve gates were named after the sons of Jacob (Israel) who are the twelve patriarchs.  The foundation of this city carry the names of the twelve apostles of the Lord.  What does this mean?  For they were in charge of promoting the gospel, the gospel is the foundation or base where Christians are a refugee, the city is home to those who live in it.  How beautiful is the glow that emanated from this exciting city!   But you know, if the city is just as resplendent ... the more it will be our heavenly mansions?  With that you're going to want?  I do not know about you, but I want to see what no eye has seen and live there.  Direct access to the Father.  Look him in the face and say, let me contemplate, let me touch your face. There is a hymn that says: I don't know what I do when I get in front of you.  Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feels.  Be standing or kneeling do not know.  Another singer says: Just let me look at you face to face and fall as a child and without words.  From the ground trembling and breathless. Porque estoy viendo al maestro. Because I watch the master. I say: I have many questions to ask, but I know looking at him  I wont dare to ask him anything. Well, the answer he can give me, perhaps not hear, because I will be watching him quietly.  No my dear if you've ever doubted his greatness and power. Not if you thought about going back.  For what? There is nothing that I want that this world have. I'm only waiting for that day!

I invite you my friend to come along! Jesus wont wait for ever. Blessings.