The Rapture
ere is the 50 million dollar question – will there be a Rapture of God’s saints before the Tribulation, or will all of God’s people living at that time have to go through the Tribulation and possibly be martyred for their faith?
I am going to go ahead and give you the main verses from Scripture that deal with the possibility of a Rapture. There is major divided opinion in the Body of Christ right now as to whether or not there is going to be a Rapture.
Each one of you will have to come to your own conclusion on this issue per your own interpretation of the Scripture verses I will list below. I will give you my opinion on this subject, along with pointing out key words and phrases in the following verses.
As you will see in the following verses, I believe there is very strong evidence from Scripture that there will be a Rapture – and that it will occur before the Antichrist starts the persecution of God’s saints, and before God starts to pour out His wrath upon the earth during the 7 year Tribulation. In other words, it will be a pre-tribulation Rapture.
1. This first verse is very interesting. You already know that one of the names of the Antichrist is the “lawless one” per the Scripture verse I gave you in my first article. This verse is definitely talking about the Antichrist. Here is the verse:
“And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8)
You know the lawless one is referring to the Antichrist because then the verse says that Jesus will destroy him when He comes back for the second time.
But look very closely at the phrase, “only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed …” The “H” in the word “He” is a capital H in the New King James Version of the Bible. This means “He” is either referring to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit.
Since God and Jesus are in heaven right now, the “He” has to be referring to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has always been referred to as the One who restrains evil from getting out of control on this earth.
It says that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until “He” is taken out of the way. Since we know the Holy Spirit still has to be down here even if there is a Rapture, then who is “He” referring to? If there is a Rapture, there still will be a multitude of people who are going to get saved and then martyred. If they are saved, then they are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which means the Holy Spirit is living on the inside of them like He is with us.
I believe the “He” may be referring to the “Holy Spirit operating through the Church.” This means that the Body of Christ, the Church, will be what is taken out before the Antichrist can be revealed.
Think about this. The Antichrist is going to be very easy to spot once he starts to enter onto the world scene. All of the Scripture verses I gave you on the Antichrist and 7 year Tribulation spell out exactly what is going to occur, and there will be more than enough astute Christians out there who are going to be able to pick up who he is once all of these events start to occur.
With some of the powerful TV ministries that we now have in place, I am sure that the Body of Christ will be shouting from the rooftops once the Antichrist is spotted. The word would be spread very quickly and it would then become very hard for the Antichrist to rise to the kind of power that the Bible is foretelling.
I believe the Church has to be taken out as the above verse is stating before the Antichrist can be revealed to the rest of the world. And the above verse states that the Antichrist will not be revealed until “He” who is restraining him is taken out of the way!
Once the Body of real believers are raptured off the face of the earth, there will nothing left that will be able to stop the Antichrist from rising to full power. The rest of the world is going to be easily duped into believing in this man – especially with all of the false signs and wonders that will be performed on his behalf by the False Prophet.
I believe the above verse alone is very strong Scriptural evidence that there will be a Rapture of God’s saints before the Antichrist actually rises to full power.
2. This next verse talks about those who are “alive” will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the “air.” Here is the verse:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
This verse really seems to be implying that there will be a group of saints who are going to “caught up” or pulled up to meet the Lord in the air while we are still alive! These words spell possible Rapture to me.
3. The next verse tells us of a “mystery” – that not all of God’s saints are going to “sleep” – and that this group is going to be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and that this event will occur at the last trumpet.
I believe the Last Trumpet is God’s last call to His people, and that it implies that whoever is saved and born again when this trumpet sounds off will be raptured and spared from having to go through the horrors of the 7 year Tribulation.
I believe the word “mystery” is being used to let us know that God is keeping the possibility of a Rapture a secret and a mystery to the rest of the world. This is why many of the Scripture verses pertaining to this event do not perfectly spell it out. However, there is enough of a hint in these verses for God’s own people to pick it up, but not the rest of the unbelieving world. Here is the verse:
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” (1 Corinthians 15:51)
I believe the words “last trumpet” tells us this event will occur at the end of times. The words “shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” really do describe what could be a Rapture – the immediate vanishing and disappearance of God’s people from the face of the earth in the snap of a finger.
4. This next verse is coming direct from Jesus Himself out of the Book of Revelation. Here is the verse:
“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)
This verse could be literal interpretation – that Jesus will keep His Body of believers who are living at this time out of the hands of the Antichrist. He obviously will do it by either rapturing them off the face of the earth, or by providing them with some kind of physical protection if there will be no Rapture. My guess is that He will do this by rapturing them off the face of this earth.
5. Here is another verse from Jesus stating that we watch and pray that we be counted worthy to escape all the things that may be coming our way in the end times.
“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)
This verse really seems to be implying once again that God is going to allow His own to escape or be prevented from having to go through the horrific events of the Tribulation.
6. Now here are some additional verses that are not quite as strong as the above verses, but do suggest the possibility that God will keep us from these horrific events.
“… and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
This verse either means Jesus will deliver us before the wrath comes, which would line up with a Rapture, or it may mean when He comes down for the second time at the battle of Armageddon to put an end to all of the carnage with the Antichrist.
“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
This verse could be implying that His Body will not be appointed or be subject to the events of the Tribulation – or the wrath could simply be pointing to people going to hell for refusing to accept Jesus and His gift of eternal salvation.
Conclusion
If there is going to be a Rapture, I believe that God will rapture His believers off this earth sometime before the start of the 7 year Tribulation. I do not think He will wait to the midpoint of the Tribulation where the Antichrist seats himself in the Temple proclaiming himself to be God and then starts the persecution of God’s saints.
I believe the Antichrist will be fully revealed to the world near the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation when he enters into a peace treaty and covenant with Israel, and then allows them to start rebuilding their Temple so he can eventually get into it at the midpoint of the Tribulation to proclaim himself to be God.
And remember the very first verse above, that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until “He” is taken out of the way. And when “He” is taken out of the way, then the Antichrist can be fully revealed to the rest of the world. And the “He” in my opinion may be the main Body of believers who are living at the time of these events.
The other reason I think the Rapture will occur sometime before the start of the 7 year Tribulation is that the Antichrist is going to need some time to set things up. Once the Church is taken out, he will be free to start operating at full throttle.
The first thing he is going to do is convince and persuade the rest of the world to follow him, and I feel he will first do this by trickery and deception. If he starts the mass persecution too early on those who will not accept and take his mark, he will risk not being able to gain full control of everything.
I believe he will first suck everyone in by peace and diplomacy and the promise of a better world. Then once he has enough of the nations on his side and the Jewish Temple has once more rebuilt, that will be the time he will then go for all of the marbles. He will seat himself up in the Temple at the midpoint of the Tribulation, proclaim himself to be God, kill anyone who will not accept his mark, and will then seek total world domination and control.
Think about this. This one man, through the power of Satan, will get a chance to have more power and more control over the entire world than any other man has ever had during the entire course of our human history. This will be the ultimate ego trip for a power hungry human being.
I believe that the last three and half years of the Tribulation are going to be the last and final history lesson from God to us. With the Church being taken out of the way so Satan and the Antichrist can operate at full throttle, I believe that God is going to show all of us how much terror, death, and destruction humans and demons are capable of committing if given half the chance without God directly intervening.
In three and half years, Satan and the Antichrist are going to cause so much death and destruction on this earth, that Jesus Himself says that had these days not been shortened by God the Father Himself – that no flesh would have been saved! I really feel that Satan, if he knew he had the chance, would set up the entire scenario with the Antichrist to destroy the entire world through nuclear weaponry.
Satan already knows he is defeated. He already knows he will eventually end up in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for all of eternity. He knows that this will be his last chance for mass destruction and terror.
If God would allow Satan anymore time than these three and half years, I really believe Satan would set the world up for mass destruction through nuclear weapons. He would then have the satisfaction that he literally destroyed the entire world before he goes to his final fate.
But thank our God, He will not allow this scenario to go this far. But God is going to allow it to go far enough to teach all of us a lesson that we will never, ever forget. He is going to show us how quickly humans can be deceived by Satan and his demons, and the only thing that has kept this world in one piece throughout human history has simply been the power and restraining force of God the Father Himself operating through the Holy Spirit.
Bottom line – there is only maximum life with God or maximum death without Him. The last three and half years of the Tribulation will show us what maximum death will really be like when God removes His Church off the face of this earth, and then allows the Devil and the Antichrist to do what they want with the power that will be given to them.
After we watch and see all of these horrific events unfold, we will never, ever want to forsake our God again. We will come to the full realization that without God in our lives – we can never have true happiness, joy, love, peace, or fulfillment in our lives.
Without God in our lives, there is only eventual maximum death – and the last three and half years of this Tribulation is going to prove that point once and for all to all of us. It will be the greatest history lesson that the world will ever receive – and something that we will never, ever forget for the rest of our eternal lives.
Will there be a Rapture? You will each have to decide for yourselves on the way the above Scripture verses are being worded. My own personal conclusion, after putting all the above verses together like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, is that there will be a Rapture, and that it will occur sometime before the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation.
I believe the Rapture is a “mystery” from God and that it is “hidden” in the above verses. God does not want the rest of the unbelieving world to have full access to this mystery, otherwise people will be accepting His gift of eternal salvation for the wrong reasons – to escape the coming horrors of the Tribulation and not with a true, repentant heart to want to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior for the sinners that we all truly are.
Again, you may want to put this article on the shelf in the event that we start to fast approach end time events in our lifetime. This article will make for good debate with other Christians who may not believe in the Rapture.
Next article in this series: “Warning – Do Not Take the Mark of the Beast.”
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Michael Bradley
Bible Teaching and Bible Commentary,
Over 150 Free Bible LessonsScripture taken from New King James Version.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2005-2011 by Michael Bradley.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
Pre-Tribulation Rapture.
My reply: (bear with me)
I would like to put to you a few questions. Do not get me wrong, I love your web site but may be you need to consider a few points about the rapture timing.
The God of the Bible is a God of Order not chaos. The 10 Commandments are a Devine Order.
The Universe is in Order not chaos. The Earth is in Order not chaos which blows away the Evolutionist’s.
Now regarding the Rapture, If you believe in an Imminent Rapture then you believe in a god of Chaos where as the God of the Bible is a God of Order.
The Jewish Festivals are the Festivals of Jesus, the Festivals of the Lord. Festivals of Order.
Jesus was the Passover, He is the Atonement, He will come back in the Feast of Trumpets at the last Trumpet and the Atonement will follow a week later.
Now we can work out the year from Israel, God’s Time Clock.
If you believe in a Pre Tribulation rapture this is deception.
If you believe in a Pre Tribulation rapture and that people can be saved
during the Tribulation period then you will have to discard the Parable of
the 10 virgins where Jesus tells us the door is closed after the Rapture.
There is no second grace period, the grace period ends at the rapture.
After the rapture there is absolute lawlessness on earth as God has removed
people’s conscience.
There are a number of different views on the coming Rapture (taken up to
heaven) of “born again” believers, which one is correct? Time will prove
which one.
Most Christian believers believe in a Pre tribulation rapture, I call them
“escapists” for they hate tribulation in their lives or
hardship/persecution.
They have no Biblical scripture to back there belief.
I believe the Rapture will occur Pre Wrath of God not before Satan’s wrath on the “believer’s.”
Two wars concerning Israel have to occur before a 7 year peace treaty is
signed between Israel and the Antichrist or One World leader (Daniel 9:27).
The 1st war is Psalm 83 with Israel taking out the surrounding nations,
Damascus disappears.
The 2nd war is Ezekiel 38 and leads to WW III where one third of the earth’s
population die.
From the signing of this peace accord the Tribulation period begins.
Half way through this 7 year period the Antichrist breaks the treaty with
Israel and the Great Tribulation period starts (Daniel 7:25).
In Daniel 12: 9 it tells us Daniel was told “Go now, Daniel, for what I have
said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end……”
In 1 Thessalonians 5: It tells us we won’t be in the dark regarding the
rapture or “day of the Lord”.
In 2 Thessalonians 2: “For that day (of the Lord) will not come until there
is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed -
the one who brings destruction….”
Read Matthew 24 slowly and carefully for it spells it all out – Jesus’
return and when.
Matthew 24 in sequence: 1st the Antichrist will be revealed, the One World
leader (24:5).
Then the wars & rumours of wars (24:6)
Then famines & earthquakes (24:7)
Then the hard labour, many Christians will be killed because of Jesus (24:9)
Many Christians will fall away (apostasy) (24:10).
The Gospel will be preached to the world (24:14)
The Elect or true believers will be raptured and God’s wrath will come
(24:14) (Revelations 8:1-7; 14:6-7).
John 6:35-40 tells us who are saved and when the rapture is.
In Matthew 25 there is a parable of the 10 virgins. 5 go in the Rapture to
the wedding feast with the Bridegroom (Jesus) while the other 5 lost their
trust/faith in Jesus (oil = Holy Spirit) and were not allowed in. After the
rapture the door is closed, no one else can get into heaven, there is no 2nd
chance, the “Grace Period” we now live in is finished.
After the Rapture there will be on earth absolute lawlessness unseen in the
history of man. We presume the Holy Spirit has left therefore there is no
restraining power of evil on earth. Madmax movies will look tame compared
to this period.
The surviving Jews will hide in a cave village in Jordan
When a sinner receives or believes in Jesus he has peace with God.
In Matt 24:36 Jesus says “no one knows the day or hour when these things
will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son Himself. Only the
Father knows.”
Jesus did not say we would not know the year or the month. He also said in Matt 16
“You can predict the weather but you do not know how to interpret the signs of the times”
Ask your self if you are an “Elect” of God if not then maybe you need to be reborn. (Mark 13:27). For Jesus returns for His Elect, not the wannabees or luke warm or the believers living in sin.
Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. We expect He would return in a Sabbath
year and He would return during the Feast of Trumpets.
2011 is a Sabbath year but many signs have not been fulfilled, (see Matt 24).
Next Sabbath is 2018 which coincides with a generation or 70 years from 1948
when Israel was reborn (Psalm 90).
The beginning of the next Jubilee year is 2018.
The Feast of Trumpets in 2018 is September.
The 7 Jewish Feasts are about Jesus.
He was crucified on the Passover, He was the First Fruits to God and He is
the Feast of Tabernacles.
I have never seen the Rapture doctrine broken down so eloquently anywhere else. Thank you for this. God bless.
“In Matthew 25 there is a parable of the 10 virgins. 5 go in the Rapture to
the wedding feast with the Bridegroom (Jesus) while the other 5 lost their
trust/faith in Jesus (oil = Holy Spirit) and were not allowed in. After the
rapture the door is closed, no one else can get into heaven, there is no 2nd
chance, the “Grace Period” we now live in is finished.”
In response to the above….”After the door is closed, no one else gets into Heaven IS NOT TRUE!!!
They do have a 2nd chance..only this time its gonna be tougher…….they will have to do it during the last 7 years, of Tribulation like the world has never seen. Also, I take issue with being called an escapist for believing in the Rapture…..The time of “Jacob’s trouble” as so called in Jeremiah is God’s way of completing His part of the Covenant with Israel. The Bride of Christ has been taken and are with Jesus in Heaven, as Jesus said it would be. Not taken were some of the 10 virgins because they were not “ready”. But our God is so patient that He not only will give a 2nd chance during the Tribulation, but even in the 1000 year reign under Christ He will give people an opportunity to “walk away”, and sadly there will be those who do in that final battle (where Satan is loosed once more).
A main point for me…..Satan does not know when the “7 year” Trib begins..oh He knows exactly how long after that he has until the coming of the Lord…..7 years. Revelation is very specific about that. We all are told that no one knows the date or time when Jesus will return. well,if I am here, once the anti-Christ makes that deal with Israel and the world to begin rebuilding the Temple…..all I have to do is look at the time when the “abomination of desolation” in the Temple takes place and the Bible will tell me the exact day Jesus is coming. Might want to think on that one for a bit. That is the date that is known, the date that is unknown is..’when the 7 year clock starts ticking..and that cannot be known until He who restrains (many believe, as I do, the Holy Spirit throught the Church is He who restrains) is taken out so that the lawless one (anti-Christ) can be known…..(this event is the Rapture as many of us believe
God Bless
Very Good Thanks!Allen, it didn’t happen on 10-23-11 so that blows everything you believe out the window! Anyway please pray for me and my family,that we draw near Him and He to us.I need to be refilled with the Holy Spirit along with my family.I pray for people who hate me because I don’t want any one to suffer and burn.Even if they deserve it,Nobody should have to suffer like that.All they have to do is believe and be saved.I don’t want any one to miss the chance,not my worst enemy!! Please Pray for me!! Your brother in the Lord.–P.S. If you have anything for me fill free to send it to me at anytime.
Hey uhm, i din’t know how it happend but Jesus came to my heart just a couple months back.. Did he choose me for a reason? I mean i am a TOTALY different person now. Please pray for me, i pray for each and every soul on this planet and i believe Obama is the antichrist
+++
Excellent Article by “bible-knowledge” … confirms what I have believed since I was ‘born-again’ decades ago that GOD will take His Chosen ‘in a twinkling of an eye’!
The word rapture (in Greek harpazo, in Latin rapere) means to be caught up or taken away suddenly. The rapture refers to the sudden removal of all of God’s people on the earth. In the twinkling of an eye, born again Christians will suddenly be transformed out of our human bodies and will rise up into the air to join Jesus Christ.
Many Christians are afraid to talk about the rapture of the Church. Deep down they feel an excitement about the prospect of being snatched away in the twinkling of an eye to be with the Lord and Savior they love, worship, and have given their lives to. However, they fear being labeled or criticized for a hope that many through the ages have had; a hope that God fully intended for us to have. God warned us against ignoring the hope that end-times prophecy gives us in I Thessalonians 5:19 when he said “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”
There is a reason Christ warned his end-times followers 13 times in the New Testament to not be deceived, and to watch and be ready. He wanted us to be excited about His glorious appearing.
Satan, on the other hand, does not want us to be excited. He is the master deceiver and wants us to believe his deception rather than the signs of Christ’s return given to us by Jesus himself. He will send many to deceive us and to rob us of the joy of living every day in anticipation of Christ’s return.
For those who believe that the Bible is the truth and is the very word of God, it’s easy to believe in and rejoice in the prophecies that tell of the rapture of God’s Church. The Bible tells us of others who have been taken up into heaven in very much the same way that we will be at the time of the rapture. Elijah was taken up into heaven like a whirlwind.
II Kings 2:11-12 “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel! And Elisha saw him no more.”
Enoch was also taken from this life so that he would not experience death.
Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because god had taken him away. for before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. and without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
So, when will the church be raptured? We know there is more evidence today that He is coming for His Church soon, than at any other time in history. As these signs intensify, all of us who know Christ as our savior will be looking toward heaven and awaiting the coming of our Lord.
Many biblical scholars feel that the rapture will occur prior to the Tribulation Period, or a pre-tribulation rapture. Thus God will spare his Church from the persecutions of the Antichrist and the wrath of God that will fall upon the inhabitants of the Earth during the end times. Those who come to Christ following the rapture will live through the persecution of Christians by the Antichrist and even martyrdom for their faith. There are several other views of the timing for the rapture of the Church, however, here we will examine the pre-tribulation view and the biblical support for it.
One of the best supporting verses from the Bible for the rapture of the Church is found in Revelation 3:10.
“Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.”
This verse is a promise made by Christ to one of His seven churches, the church of Philadelphia. The hour of trial Jesus speaks of in this verse is the period of time that our Lord calls the “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).
There are many verses in the Bible that describe the rapture. Christians in the first century church were so driven by the coming of their Lord and savior in the end-times that they shared their faith everywhere. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church in I Thessalonians 1:6-10
And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and 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, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
This belief in being taken up to meet Christ is the essence of hope. A hope that Satan will fight and challenge with all of his might.
We also read the following in I Thessalonians 4:16-18
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
The Lord will shout a loud command as he descends from heaven, and we will hear the voice of the archangel, perhaps to lead Israel during the seven years of tribulation as he did in the Old Testament. It should be an encouragement to all of us in these times of lust, greed, corruption, self-centeredness and resistance to all things that are of God.
I Corinthians 15:51-53 says, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” The Greek word here is harpadso, meaning “snatched up” to be with Christ. When Christ comes to set up his earthly kingdom at the end of the tribulation, he will come with power and the holy angels to bind Satan, and to deal with the earthly Kings who are gathered at Jerusalem to oppose Him. When He comes for his Church at the time of the rapture, He will leave his Father’s house and come in the clouds to call the dead in Christ and then the living church to “come up hither,” where they will join with each other in the clouds to live with Him in His Father’s house. Belief in this kind of resurrection was common among the Jews of that day. Martha believed Jesus when he challenged her to understand the coming resurrection of the dead. She responded to Jesus, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last days.”
When the rapture does occur, billions of people will be left behind full of surprise and shock at the disappearances of their loved ones, friends, and acquaintances.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Who knows what explanation the Antichrist will use to explain away the disappearances of millions of believers. But, one thing is for certain, with the main obstacle to his plan for the world removed, the way will be clear for the Antichrist to implement his evil plan for the world as is prophesied in the Bible. With the followers of Christ gone, few would stand in the way of a world religion that deifies man, and a world government that criminalizes belief in God.
II Thessalonians 2:3, 6-7 “Let no one in any way deceive you for it (the Day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. And you know what restrains him now, so that in this time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.”
The word Apostasy may have 2 different meanings. The first is to fall away from the faith. In our world today, many are turning to a new age faith that vilifies belief in salvation through Christ, and changes the Word of God to fit an inclusive, creedless, self-gratifying religion that requires nothing and promises everything, including godhood. A belief that releases us from any responsibility, accountability or consequences in life, is becoming more popular in our humanist society and will gain in popularity as the end times progress.
The second meaning for apostasy in this verse is to depart, and may be a reference to the rapture. The forces of the Antichrist are restrained on Earth until the Holy Spirit which dwells within God’s Church is removed by the rapture. With Christ’s followers removed from the scene, the Antichrist will be released to usher in the world’s new age religion with all of its evils.
However, as this depressing time descends upon us, we can rejoice. God promised us that he would deliver his Church from the persecutions of the Antichrist and the wrath of God that will follow his rise to power. The rapture is the fulfillment of that promise.
I Thessalonians 5:4,9-10 “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.”
Christ will return for those who have died and those who are still living and deliver us from the wrath and tribulation that will be suffered by those who follow the Antichrist.
Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”
I Thessalonians 1:10 “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
God will come for his Church suddenly at a time when we least expect it. For this reason, He instructs us to be ready, always prepared, and on guard for his coming. As those around us turn their backs on God, worshipping themselves, other gods, or false prophets instead, we should be looking up. We should have our spiritual lives in order, so that we might escape what is to come. Especially as we are now witnessing the beginnings of birth pains, God reminds us that we need to be in prayer constantly so that we will not be led down the other path and miss His coming.
Luke 21:34-36 “Be on guard, that your heart may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon the face of the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
God felt it was so important for us to be alert and watchful for his coming that he reminded us several times to be ready.
Matthew 24:42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
Matthew 24:44 “For the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”
Matthew 25:13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”
It is to our benefit that God didn’t tell us the hour of His coming. It encourages us to live righteously as Christ may return any time, and it encourages believers to work diligently for the souls of friends, family and the lost of this world. It reminds us that we have much work to do and may not have much time to do it. If there was ever a time to be an example, share your faith, and make sure that everyone you know has heard the name Jesus, it is now.
After the rapture of the Church, the tribulation will fall upon the Earth. For those of us who received Christ and were prepared for His coming, we can shout for Joy. The Lord has prepared a place for us and we will be with him always.
Isaiah 26:19-21 “Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust awake and shout for joy. For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. Come, my people, enter into your rooms, And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while, Until indignation runs its course. For behold, the Lord is about to come out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth will reveal her bloodshed, and will no longer cover her slain.”
Many Christians will read about the rapture of the Church which will occur before the tribulation and respond with “It’s too good to be true!” or “I don’t deserve to be saved from the wrath to come.” We often overlook, however, that trials and tribulations are a standard part of everyday life in a fallen world. But our Lord specifically informed us that the tribulation is a special judgment of God. It is for our sake that these days will be shortened for us. This escape from wrath is not based on merit, but on what the Bible says. God deals with us on a basis of grace when we accept him as our savior, and this basis extends itself to the tribulation. We should celebrate the saving grace of Christ. Let the joy that fills your soul at the mention of His return show in your life. Let it be an example that draws others in. Then tell everyone you know the reason for the hope that is within you so that they too may look to the future with excitement, hope and confidence, and you will see them in your Fathers house at that great time of reunion and rejoicing.
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FYI – You FAILED, Allan, of attempting to tear-down GOD’s promise to His chosen that are written in the Book of Life. (I Thessalonians 5:4,9-10)
Be Ready, Be Prepared, Be Joyful in LORD CHRIST JESUS!
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DO NOT TRY TO WORK OUT GOD,ALL OF US COME FROM DUST AND WILL GO BACK TO DUST,IF YOU ARE SAVED IN CHRIST YOU WILL HAVE THE ASSDURANCE OF HEAVEN 100%.
WE CAN DO NOTHING WITHOUT JESUS,GOD BLESS YOU I STAND FIRM BY CHRIST MERCY,AMEN AMEN AMEN.
2Thessalonians2-7
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed,…
HE means to me when I read these scriptures says that HE is either Yeshua(Jesus) or an Angel who is restraining the lawless one and until Yeshua or an Angel is taken out of the way then the lawless one will be released to come to earth to take up war with the saints who keep Gods commandments.
I found your website by accident a few month ago. I have been a born again christian for 40 years with baptism of the HOLY GHOST for 40 years. I was not raised in a christian home but a community with a lot of christian influences, which I thank JESUS. I praise GOD every day of my saved life for the baptism of the HOLY GHOST and in 40 years I have seen him work in such powerful ways. GOD is real JESUS is real and the HOLY GHOST is real.It is simply letting the HOLY GHOST work in our lives thru the Blood Love and Devotion of GODS word to us. I found your article on Spiritual warfare extremely powerful and have use the advice and the word of GOD has worked thru these teachings.The last days we as christians will spend on earth no matter how long each of us have here will include more intense spiritual warfare and we must prepare for it. I agree with your teachings on the rapture. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your devotion to the HOLY TRINITY and your desire to get the true word of GOD to the world.
@mild bill. You dont need to be refilled with the Holy Spirit. Once you have the Holy Spirit its there to stay. just simply ask God to forgive you and start being a one day Christian. In other words wake up each day and offer yourself to GOD and work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Bring all thoughts into captivty and the next day you start all over again till it becomes a pattern in your life. Smiles. I would love to pray for you and your family. Oh yes and read your bible every day.
Take care
PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD SEEM TO THINK THE RAPTURE IS ALMOST UPON US, YET THERE IS STILL THE BUILDING OF BABYLON AND HER RISE TO PROMINANCE WHICH MUST STILL OCCUR BEFORE WE ARE RAPTURED. OH HOW I SO WISH THE RAPTURE WOULD BE TODAY BUT I HAVE TO OCCUPY AND THIS I DO WITH LONG TEETH. IT WAS ARGUED THAT BABYLON COULD BE BUILDT ONCE WE HAVE GONE BUT I DONT SEE IT BEEN DONE IN 3.5 YEARS AND STILL HAVE THE MERCHANTS THINKING SHE IS THE BEST THING NEXT TO BREAD AND BUTTER. IN ADDITION THERE WILL BE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DYING FROM WAR, DISEASE ETC SO WHO WILL THEN BUILD HER. I WAS TOLD THE FALLEN ANGELS WILL BUILD HER AND THIS DOES MAKE SENSE. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
THEN WE HAVE THOSE BLOOD MOONS WHICH NEVER OCCUR AGAIN FOR THE NEXT 300 YEARS AND I KNOW THE MOON IS THERE FOR SEASONS AND SIGNS, SO THE BABYLON ISSUE JUST WONT GO AWAY FOR ME, COS WHAT A GREAT TIME FOR GOD TO USE THE BLOOD MOONS AS A SIGN FOR THE JEWS. AS YOU MAY KNOW THE SUN IS A SIGN FOR THE WORLD AND THE MOON FOR THE JEWS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS SITE. I GET EXCITED ABOUT GOD AND HIS WORD AND THE RAPTURE
The rapture will be taking place VERY SOON everyone! Literally any day now! REPENT! REPENT! REPENT!
We are WATCHMAN, and the Job of a Watchman is to Watch for the Signs of the Lords return.
And as a Watchman it is our Job to report findings or evidence that may have some stock or value to the timing of the LORDs return.
Below are Videos and web sites that explain why Biblically it strongly appears that the Rapture will be in 2012 Rosh Hashanah- Feast of Trumpets. The day no man knoweth the day or the hour.
Please examine the evidence and see for yourself if you don’t come up with the same conclusions.
If you do, will you Join the Watchman team and sound the Alert by sharing this information with others?
God Bless and Thank you for your time and interest.
The Watchman
Below is a video me and my Friend recorded on our findings. Please Watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKzWG4agiaw&context=C36aa6f7ADOEgsToPDskLm2M8E3K6nKhlQn9oFyK2g
Here is the sites and video that supports our conclusions that the Rapture is 2012 Rosh Hashanah.
Video Part 1 – Jack van impe 2012 8:44 mins – end mins
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Jack+Van+Impe+2012+Prediction&view=detail&mid=59AED62985D6352B730A59AED62985D6352B730A&first=0&FORM=LKVR
Video Part 2 – Jack van impe 2012 0 sec – 4:00 mIns
December 21 2012: History”s Final Day? Part 11 of 11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu9lFDp56ak
Video – Part -1 Rosh Hashanah Rapture
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=+rashashana+2012+rapture&view=detail&mid=FF29646B0E5496BB7562FF29646B0E5496BB7562&first=0&FORM=LKVR
Video – Part – 2 Rosh Hashanah Rapture
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=+rashashana+2012+rapture&view=detail&mid=FF29646B0E5496BB7562FF29646B0E5496BB7562&first=0&FORM=LKVR
Video – Part – 3 Rosh Hashanah Rapture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k0Hed2Bt_A&feature=player_embedded
Below is supporting evidence in writing
Rosh Hashanah Rapture
http://watch.pair.com/rosh-hashana.html
Rosh Hashanah Rapture
http://www.heavenquestions.com/Rapture_Rosh_Hashanah.html
Rosh Hashanah Rapture
http://web.mac.com/weaman/iWeb/Watchmen/Rapture-Rosh%20Hashanah.html
And Extra Bonus feature Prince William is the Anti Christ
VERY IMPORTANT *** BEST SITE TO PROVE ANTI- CHRIST IS PRINCE WILLIAM.
Has so much Information and videos.
http://grailcode.net/
MORE COOL INFO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTHEd14q5dM
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45063968/ns/today-today_people/t/prince-charles-claims-vlad-impaler-ancestor/
http://news.yahoo.com/prince-charles-claims-vlad-impaler-ancestor-112850101.html