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Prophe-Zine Issue 107
PropheZine Newsletter #107
November 15, 2000
Bob Lally Publisher/Senior. Editor
Bob Ippolito Asst. Editor
Zenith Merrill Asst. Editor
To Subscribe, Unsubscribe or Change email addresses see notice at the
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IN THIS ISSUE
----GREETING FROM BOB LALLY
----MINISTRY NEWS
----ARTICLES
Pastor Ron Graff/Lambert Dolphin......Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done
Chapters 3 and 4
----SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
----SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE
----PRIVACY NOTICE
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GREETINGS FROM BOB LALLY
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Hi:
We are going to be doing something a bit different over the next few months
with the Newsletter. PropheZine has been given permission to publish the
entire book Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done by Pastor Ron Graff and
Lambert Dolphin. Included are Chapters 3 and 4.
Hey, how about the presidential election in the United States? What a mess! And the continued / renewed fighting in Israel? I suggest subscribing to the PropheZine News Bites at: http://www.prophezine.com/text/lists.html Lately we have been sending news every 1-2 days as warranted.
As always, God will have His way. (And thank God for that.)
Until we meet in the air, continue steadfast in your walk with the Lord. May you stive to hear the Holy Spirit as he guides and corrects you. Strive to be counted worthy on that glorious Day of the Lord!
Enjoy!
Bob Lally
PropheZine
bob@prophezine.com
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MINISTRY NEWS
by Bob Lally
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Hi:
The number of subscribers to the News Bites email list has increased dramatically - as you would imagine. Sign up to receive endtime related news. News that reflects increased tensions worldwide, increased knowledge, turmoil in government and in society and ever increasing environmental phenomena such as earthquakes, torrential downpours, landslides, tornadoes, hurricanes etc...Sign up today.
http://www.prophezine.com/text/lists.html
Bob Lally
PropheZine
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The Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done
By Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin
Ron Graff
http://www.Bible-prophecy.com
Lambert Dolphin:
http://ldolphin.org/
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Chapter 3
Church History
The Book of Acts tells about the history of the early church. The Epistles give instruction to the church. But it is in the book of the Revelation that a prophetic history of the church is given. The whole book is about prophecy, so it is understandable that the messages to the seven churches of Asia were meant not only for the actual churches of that day, but for seven periods of church history that would describe conditions from the beginning of the Church Age to the end of it.
The Book of the Revelation is unique in that the opening verses tell us that what follows was given to Jesus by His Father. Jesus then passed the contents to His beloved Apostle John (now an old man in exile on the island of Patmos off the coast of Asia, or modern Turkey). John recorded for us in vivid language what he saw and heard. The information was imparted to him partly by means of a series of great visions. Information about events transpiring in heaven are juxtaposed with happenings on earth. The book contains interludes and flashbacks, so understanding the order of events in the Revelation takes thoughtful care.
Genesis, the Book of beginnings, unfolds little by bit. Great themes of human history are introduced to us one by one. These themes branch out and are woven as recurring themes in the rest of the Bible. In the book of Revelation all these themes come back together in a great consummation.
The 404 verses of Revelation contain 800 Old Testament references! Many Jewish symbols and ideas which have not been used in the entire New Testament suddenly reappear in Revelation. Because of this, no one can hope to understand this marvelous last book of the Bible without reading the rest of the book--all that has gone before.
The Revelation gives an outline of its contents in Chapter 1, verse 19. "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later." This verse may be considered the KEY to the Book. The three parts of the Revelation are:
1- What you have seen - The Person of Jesus - 1:1-18
2- The Things that are now - The Presence of Jesus Christ in This Age - 1:19-3:22
3- The things that will take place - The Program of Jesus Christ For The Future - 4:1-22:21
In this section we will only consider the second of these parts.
The Presence of Jesus Christ in This Age
Following the Ascension of Jesus, Acts Chapter 1, we do not again hear directly from the Lord Jesus Christ until we come to the last book of the Bible. There Jesus is depicted for us in priestly robes walking in the midst of, and judging, His church, during the present age. The aged Apostle John records:
On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:10-20)
Insight about the Church: Revelation 1:19-20
These introductory verses portray the seven churches as seven golden lampstands--they were designed to shine the Light (which is God), into the darkness of the world. A message is to be given to each of these seven churches, and the messages to the churches follow a pattern. First, there is a description of Jesus Christ in terms that are especially important to each church. Second, there is affirmation of the good characteristics of the church. Thirdly, there is a warning for each church (except Smyrna, and Philadelphia). Finally, there is a reward promised to those in the church who are overcomers.
Instruction to the Church: Revelation 2:1-3:22
To Ephesus
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:1-7)
Ephesus, the first church, portrays the Apostolic period, from the birth of the church, at the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), until approximately AD 100.
During the Apostolic period there were false apostles. The early church was careful to identify true apostles and reject the false. This explains the need for the Apostle Paul to defend his calling as an apostle in 2 Corinthians, chapters 11-13. In chapter 11, verse 13 he also mentions people who were masquerading as false apostles.
Believers of this period also endured great hardships without giving up their faith. Christianity was considered false by the majority of Jewish people who had been blinded because of their unbelief (Romans 11). Those who followed Christ often had to do so against the wishes of their families. Jesus warned His followers that this would happen (Matthew 10:34-39). Opposition to early Christianity became so strong that believers were scattered and many were imprisoned and even killed. Before he was converted, Paul zealously persecuted the church (Acts 9:1-2, 21).
It is shocking that this early church had lost its "first love" for Christ. It shows that it is possible for any Christian to be distracted from his devotion to the Lord by the cares of the world. Jesus Himself gave the Parable of the Sower which teaches that some new Christians fail to develop deep roots, others are choked by the competing "weeds" that spring up around them, and others grow well and bear good fruit (Matthew 13:3-8).
The good news is that if a person, or even a whole group of people in a church, should lose their first love, they can be restored by repenting. To repent means to turn around and go the other way. Repentance requires honest self-appraisal. One must identify the sins that are separating him from the Lord, and then confess (Greek homologeo --" to say the same"). This means that the person agrees with God about the sin. When a person does this, God is faithful to forgive and cleanse him or her from sin (1 John 1:9).
The church of the Apostolic period hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. This is a Greek word which means "conquerors of the people." This is probably a reference to the false apostles mentioned earlier, and their tendency to establish a ruling class over the rest of the people in the church. The proper Scriptural view is that the church is like a body, and different people in the church have different gifts from God, but all are of equal importance to the well-being of the whole spiritual body. There is no hierarchy in the Body of Chriist, and no distinction between "clergy" and "laity"--all are called to work together in the ministry as one Body headed by Christ (1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4).
The promise to overcomers of this period is that they will eat of the Tree of Life which is said to now be in Paradise. Adam and Eve ate instead from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, thus rebelling against God and entering into sin (Genesis 3). Part of the result of this sin was to be banished from the Garden of Eden so that they would not eat of this tree and live forever in their fallen state (Genesis 3:22-24). Nevertheless, an overcomer will be delivered from this fallen state, and will be permitted to partake of this fruit, thus living forever as a redeemed person.
Who then is an overcomer? John himself explains this:
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (I John 5:4-5)
To Smyrna
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Revelation 2:8-11)
Smyrna was a city, of course, but it's name is derived from "myrrh," a valuable spice used in the process of embalming. Myrrh symbolizes death and yet is a sweet fragrance. This is an appropriate word picture for the period of church history characterized by martyrdom. This period lasted from approximately 100 to 312 AD when Constantine established Christianity as the state religion of the empire. During these two centuries there were ten definable periods of persecution of Christians under ten of the Emperors of Rome. To these believers, Jesus identified Himself as the resurrected one!
There is no warning to this church, since it was a church constantly purified by the rigors of persecution. To put it simply, only a strong, dedicated Christian would be willing to die for Christ. A hypocrite would quit the church long before he would risk losing his life. True believers would be faithful unto death, and they would receive a crown of life. This is one of the special believers' crowns mentioned in the Bible. Faithful believers will be able to lay these at the feet of Christ in the future to prove their love for Him (Revelation 4:10).
Jesus had taught earlier, Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! (Luke 12:2-5)
The promise to overcomers of this period is that, though they might need to die physically, they would not be hurt by the "second death." This subject is revisited in Revelation 20:12-15 where it is equated with eternal punishment and being cast into the Lake of Fire. The Biblical concept of death is not annihilation, but separation. When a person dies physically, the material part (body) is separated from the immaterial (soul and spirit). The person does not cease to exist. Spiritual death is seen in the Scriptures as separation from God (Genesis 3, Ephesians 2:1). Those who are spiritually dead may be brought back to life, that is, be born again. (Ephesians 2:2-10; John 3:3-18).
See the Appendix - Do You Know Christ Personally?
To Pergamum
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.
I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives.
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.
Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. (Revelation 2:12-17)
Pergamum, also known as Pergamos, had a colorful history as a major city of Asia Minor. It was steeped in pagan idolatry, serpent worship, and Caesar worship. See Satan's Throne at Pergamum for a description of the influence of ancient Babylonian mysteries on the city.
Pergamum means "thoroughly married." It represents the period of church history when the church became married to the world. Constantine, the Emperor of the Roman Empire probably meant well when he issued a decree that all his subjects should become Christians, but it actually did much damage to the church. The majority of people became Christian in name only, bringing their pagan practices and lifestyles into a compromised church. This merger of the church and state took place with the Edict of Milan in AD 313. This period lasted until about AD 500. During this time the Bishop of Rome assumed the title, Pontifex Maximus.
To this church Jesus revealed Himself as the one with the sharp double-edged sword proceeding from His mouth. Hebrews 4:12 calls God's Word a double-edged sword, able to divide even between soul and spirit. In the same book Jesus is considered God's ultimate Word (Hebrews 1:1-2). In John's own writings Jesus is called The Word (John 1:1,14). If the church would follow Jesus and His Word, they would be able to separate the truth from the pagan influences which had come in like a flood.
The warning to this church is about those who allowed the teaching of Balaam. This refers to a fascinating story from the Old Testament book of Numbers, chapters 22 through 24, where the prophet Balaam was hired by Balak, king of the Moabites, to curse Israel. He tried repeatedly, but God would not allow him to utter a curse against His people. However, he evidently advised Balak to involve the Israelites in worldliness and immorality (Numbers 31:16). Thus Israel could be corrupted from within. This, of course, is exactly what happened to the church during this period of time. They were corrupted by worldliness.
This church was also corrupted by the teaching of the Nicolaitans. These church clerics who lorded it over the people were first encountered above during the period of the church at Ephesus. They had now entrenched their position by their doctrine.
Overcomers are promised hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written upon it. The hidden manna might be the truth of Scripture which was in the process of being hidden by the worldly church. The white stone is a symbol taken from the ancient custom of giving a black stone to one judged guilty, and a white stone to one who is acquitted.
To Thyatira
To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations- 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'--just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:18-29)
Thyatira stands for a dark period of the church from about AD 1000 until the time of the Reformation which began in 1517. During this time such unfortunate historical events, as the inquisitions and the Crusades demonstrated the deepening lack of spirituality of the church. It was also the time when indulgences were sold, whereby people could pay money to supposedly have their sins removed. This led to the posting of Luther's 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church and the beginning of the Reformation.
Even this church received at least a mild commendation for doing some things right, but it also was given a stern warning about the toleration of Jezebel whose practices included false prophecy, immorality, and eating food offered to idols. It seems unlikely that Jezebel was an actual person during this period of time. This is more likely another of the many symbols in the book. Jezebel, an Old Testament queen, was an incredibly wicked person who was known for her idolatry, immorality, and hatred of the true prophets (1 Kings chapters 18 through 21 and 2 Kings 9). This would then symbolize the church hierarchy with its growing spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry which eventually caused the splitting of the church at the Reformation. It also prefigures the specter of the Woman Riding the Beast in Revelation 17.
The promise to overcomers is to give authority over the nations. This stands in contrast to the deep secrets of Satan which may be a reference to the unholy alliance between the church and various governments. God was not pleased with Papal influence over the nations, but He will be pleased to allow His righteous followers to rule and reign with Christ when He returns as King of Kings (Revelation 19:11-16).
The overcomer will also receive the morning star. Jesus calls Himself the morning star in Revelation 22:16.
To Sardis
To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:1-6)
The Sardis church represents the Reformation church from 1517 until the mid-1700's when the great revivals and modern missions movement began. This was a time when the church had a reputation for being alive, but, as God saw it, they were really dying. History reveals that, though the churches of the Reformation did break away from problems in the Roman Catholic Church, they still did not return to thoroughly Biblical practices, and had many problems of their own, including the union of church and state and the persecution of other reformers such as the Anabaptists who practiced believer's baptism and were pacifists. The Reformation churches did not in general deal with the faulty eschatology held by the Roman Church since early times.
Jesus reveals Himself to this church as the one who holds the Seven Spirits (The Holy Spirit - see Introduction to Revelation), and the seven stars, identified earlier as the angels of the seven churches. These images indicate His sovereignty and His right to tell them to repent and change their ways.
The overcomer will be given white garments and his name will not be blotted out of the Book of Life. It seems that each person's name is already in the Book of Life, but those who are not true believers will have their names blotted out. This book is also mentioned in Revelation 20:12 where those not found in it are cast into the Lake of Fire.
To Philadelphia
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:7-13)
Philadelphia is the missionary church. It began in the mid 1700's with the great revivals and the modern missions movement and it gradually lost its power during the early years of the 1900's. Philadelphia means brotherly love. It is this love that causes the desire to evangelize others (Romans 5:5). Jesus is seen as having the keys of David. He was of the line of David, and thus eligible for the throne of Israel. The key is for opening the door of opportunity for missions. No one can close what He has opened. No one can open what He has closed.
There is no warning to this church, but many promises including these: "I am coming soon.", and a promise to keep them from the hour of trial that is coming on the world. These are definite allusions to the Rapture and to its timing: before the trials of The Tribulation. There is also a warning not to let anyone take their crown. This refers to one of the believers' crowns: possibly the crown of life which was promised to the overcomers of the Smyrna church above.
To the overcomers of this period there is a promise of a new name and permanent residence in the New Jerusalem.
To Laodicea
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:14-22)
The Laodicean church is the last church of the seven, and stands for the last of the church periods. The name Laodicea means "rule of the people." It is a picture of a church controlled by the people instead of being controlled by God. It is the church of the Apostasy, or the great "falling away" of believers.
Jesus reveals Himself as ruler of all creation, and as the faithful and true one in contrast to the unfaithfulness of the Laodiceans. He says they are neither spiritually hot or cold, but lukewarm, and that He will spit them out of His mouth. This is shocking news to a people who have a very good feeling about themselves. They say they are rich, but they are poor and wretched and blind. If they were spiritually "hot" they would be like the flaming evangelists of the Philadelphia church. If they were "cold" perhaps they would recognize their spiritual plight. But they are active in their church work, doing what they want instead of what God wants. They are like those about whom Jesus warned--they call Him Lord, but He never knew them (Matthew 7:21-23).
Jesus counsels them to buy gold, symbolic of faith (1 Peter 1:7), white garments, which are like the linen of imputed righteousness with which the Bride of Christ is dressed (Revelation 19:7-8), and eye salve, showing dependence on God's spiritual healing for their blinded eyes.
To this church Jesus says He is standing outside the door, knocking. If they will open the door, He will come in. This is a church full of unsaved people. Since it comes at the end of the church age, it is easy to see that there will still be many who call themselves Christians left behind when the Rapture takes place.
Still, there are overcomers even from this church. Those who will open the door to Christ will be overcomers. To them, Jesus will grant the right to sit with Him on His throne. This is undoubtedly a reference to the future privilege of believers to reign with Christ.
Many Bible commentators note that the Seven churches are representative of various congregations that can be found on the earth at any one time during the entire 2000 year history of the church. These distinctively different congregations each has strengths and weaknesses, and each has a core of faithful believers within them--designated by the word "overcomers." Also, each of the Seven churches has enjoyed its season of prominence as the dominant church during a given period of time. Most scholars who hold to this view believe we are now moving, or have already moved, out of the Philadelphian age into the final stage of church history before the rapture, that of Laodicea.
Chapter 4
The Rapture of the Church
The Next Major Biblical Event in History: The Rapture of the Church
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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 shall 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Meaning of "Rapture"
What follows is a summary discussion of a very important event in Bible prophecy. The Appendix goes into more detail for the benefit of the serious student.
"Rapture" comes from the words "caught up" in I Thessalonians 4:17. In the Greek the word is harpazo - "to seize upon by force", "to snatch up." The Latin translators used the word rapturo. Some people claim that "rapture" is not a Biblical term. This is untrue, unless they want to say that "God" and "Jesus" are not Biblical Terms. Almost all words in our English Bible are translations of Greek or Hebrew expressions, and are, therefore, not in the Bible in the form we know them. "God" is a proper and meaningful translation of certain words in the original languages, and "Jesus" is a good translation for us of His name (Yeshua, "Joshua," "The Lord Saves," in Hebrew). In the same way, the English word "rapture" which means "to be caught up" is an excellent translation for the Greek harpazo.
Three Events That Happen at The Rapture
The scriptures of First Thessalonians 4 and 5 are familiar to most Christians as a description of the so-called "rapture of the church." The rapture can be thought of as a point in eternity which will protrude into our historical time frame at some fixed point on God's calendar. However, as we have seen, God has not given us the date.
Three specific events take place at the time Jesus calls his church out of the world:
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven
(a) with a cry of command,
(b) with the archangel's call,
(c) and with the sound of the trumpet of God.
The "cry of command" from the lips of Jesus is to awake the dead in Christ and to call them forth from their graves as God called his friend Lazarus forth (John 11:43).
Only one archangel is called by name in Scripture. He is Michael whose specific jurisdiction is over the people of Israel. At the time of the Rapture, the archangel will signal to Israel that God has returned the focus of his attention at last to the final redemption of his chosen nation. This event was spoken of by Daniel:
"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered." (Daniel 12:1)
The trumpet call, not to be confused with the last of the seven trumpets in Revelation, is a trumpet call associated with the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. It will be used to call the living saints at the time of the Rapture to be caught up and transformed together with the just-raised saints of the past. This is described also in 1 Corinthians 15,
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
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. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)
When an individual dies he or she leaves time and enters eternity. Some scholars think that all believers travel through eternity immediately, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," to arrive at the Rapture the next instant in his or her personal experience. If that is the case, all believers arrive in heaven at the same "time." Thus, "to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8) We may have difficulty picturing this if we do not realize that eternity runs according to an entirely different time than the one-dimensional time frame in which we are constrained to live while in our mortal bodies. For more on the issue of Time, see Appendix: The Complexities Of Time, toward the end of the book.
Other Important Terms
As you probably know, there are many different ways of looking at Biblical prophecy. Here are a few other terms you will hear in discussions about the future.
Millennium - 1000 years of history during which Christ will reign as King of Kings (Rev. 20:2-7).
Premillennialism - The belief that Christ returns visibly and bodily at the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. He will rule the nations from Jerusalem.
Postmillennialism - The belief that Christ will return at the end of the present age to take over the earth. Meantime, He is assumed to reign on earth through the church now. Postmillenialists do not necessarily believe in a literal millennial age. Satan was defeated at the cross and is now bound, hence the final triumph of the church in history is assured.
Amillennialism - The belief that there will no literal 1000 year reign of Christ. Thus Revelation 20 is taken symbolically, not literally, by adherents of this view. Amillennialists generally believe that Israel has been permanently set aside for all time and that God's current plan of salvation involves only the church.
(See also: Definition of common terms found in Eschatology, Appendix)
The authors' understanding of future things is firmly premillennial. A literal interpretation of Scripture requires belief in an actual thousand year period of time during which Christ will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The book of Revelation describes these periods of time clearly: The Church Age (chapters 1-3), The Tribulation (chapters 4-19), The Millennium (chapter 20), and then The New Heaven and Earth (chapters 21-22).
Most of the Bible teachers who write and speak about prophecy are also premillennial. Among them there are various viewpoints about the timing of The Rapture. Here is a brief summary of these positions:
Pre-Tribulation Rapture - That Christ will rapture the church before the Tribulation begins
Mid-Tribulation Rapture - That Christ will rapture the church at the Mid-point of The Tribulation
Post Tribulation Rapture - That Christ will rapture the church at the end of the Tribulation
Pre-Wrath Rapture - That Christ will rapture the church just before the Battle of Armageddon
Partial Rapture - That Christ will rapture those who are ready and leave the rest to go through the Tribulation
Multiple Rapture - That there are more than one raptures, during which Christ receives those who are ready
"Pan-Trib" Position - No clue about future events, but think it will "all pan out in the end"
The last term is not really funny. There are too many people who just claim ignorance of this vital subject. When one pastor was asked recently what his views of prophecy were, he said, "I just don't handle it." Can you imagine? A pastor, who has the responsibility of teaching the whole counsel of God's Word, refusing to "handle" nearly one third of Scripture?!
Those who are "in Christ"
Returning to the rapture passage in 1 Thessalonians 4, the last part of verse 16 and first part of verse 17 say,
"...the dead in Christ shall 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 so we shall ever be with the Lord."
This event is only for those "in Christ." It does not, therefore, include Old Testament Saints. We will study the time of their resurrection later. The point here is that all believers of the church age, and only believers of this age are included--those who have died "in Christ," and those believers who are alive at the time. It should be added that the Rapture does include all Jewish people during this present time who have placed their faith in Jesus as Messiah. They too are part of the church, though they have not lost their identity as descendants of Israel.
Why the Rapture will take place before the Tribulation
We believe that, by far, the strongest Biblical evidence is in favor of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position. There are many reasons for this. Here are some of the most obvious ones.
Any-moment expectation (Imminence)
In every age Christians have been expecting the return of Our Lord. Twice in the last chapter of the Revelation He tells us, "I am coming quickly." (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20)
Paul referred to this ever-present possibility of Christ's return as "the blessed hope." (Titus 2:13) He also taught that His coming will be like a thief in the night.
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. (1Thessalonians 5:1-6)
John also spoke often of Christ's appearing:
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)
The pre-Tribulation position is the best from this point of view. If the Rapture takes place before the Tribulation, we can truly expect it "any day." If it is delayed to the middle or end of the Tribulation, we could not honestly have that expectation now.
Deliverance of the Saints from wrath
Here are some of the passages which indicate that believers of this Church Age will not be left to suffer the outpouring of God's wrath:
"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." (Luke 21:36)
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, (1Thessalonians 5:9)
And if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment... (2 Peter 2:6-9)
In the message to the Church of Philadelphia (Missions Period), God said:
Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
Please keep in mind that the Bible does not teach that Christians are delivered from persecution, trials and temptations. In fact, the opposite is true. In 2 Timothy 3:12 we are told, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (KJV) The books of James and 1 Peter were written to encourage Christians when they are called upon to go through trials. Paul himself spoke about his "thorn in the flesh" as a trial allowed by God in order that God's strength could be shown through him. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
Belief in the pre-Tribulation Rapture has nothing to do with a cowardly desire to escape persecution. Scriptural examples and history itself teach us that, when called upon to suffer for the name of Christ, it is actually a privilege to die for Him. In fact, we are being reminded today that more Christians have been persecuted and even put to death in our own generation than in all other periods of church history combined. For two thousand years God has allowed his people to suffer trials and persecution and even martyrdom. Why, however, should He ask only the final generation of the church to endure an unprecedented time of terrible destruction which is not intended for the church, but as a judgment of unbelieving world?
The belief that the church will be delivered from the Tribulation is based in part on the Biblical pattern that when God pours out His wrath He always gives opportunity for the righteous to escape it. This was true of Noah and his family, of Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Lot, and even of the pagan Ninevites to whom Jonah was sent.
The church is the Bride of Christ. God intends that she join her Bridegroom for a great wedding feast and after that share with Him in ruling the nations. Allowing His bride to suffer through the tribulation is inconsistent with the specific purposes for which He has called out the church from the world, why He has rescued her "from the coming wrath." (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
Some recent teaching about the Tribulation tries to make a distinction between Satan's wrath, which they say characterizes most of the book of Revelation, and God's wrath which is poured out at the Battle of Armageddon. From their point of view, the church could then be subjected to most of the Tribulation, but delivered from the last part. The problem with this position is that it ascribes to Satan the powers of nature: weather conditions, earthquakes, asteroid collisions, and other "terrors in the heavens." Satan, however, has no power to do anything that has not been appointed for him by God. This theory also fails to notice that the church is missing from the Tribulation, as explained toward the end of this chapter. See
Appendix: Pretribulation or Prewrath?
Antichrist not revealed until hindering force removed
In 2 Thessalonians we are told that the "man of sin (or lawlessness)" will not be revealed until "He who now restrains" is taken out of the way.
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his 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. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (II Thessalonians 2:1-8)
In John 16:7-8 we are told that it is The Holy Spirit who will "convict the world concerning sin..." God The Holy Spirit can never be removed from the earth, but, in the sense that He is effectively restraining sin through Christians in whom He dwells, the time will come, once those Christians are gone, that wickedness will abound. Today Christians are everywhere: in their occupations, in the market place, in the schools, even in government halls. But during the Tribulation, true believers will be persecuted and either killed or driven underground, so that their godly influence will not be felt in the world. When the church is taken in the Rapture, the world will be ripe for Antichrist to step forth with his ungodly plans. True, multitudes of people will turn to Christ and will become true believers in the tribulation period. They will also be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but they will not be permitted to take the place of the missing Christians in society. They will be outcasts, and therefore the Holy Spirit will not have the same restraining influence on the world that He now has. Most, or even all of them, will be quickly put to death by the man of sin.
The Death of the Believer: Time and Eternity
The Apostle Paul adds further to our understanding of what happens when an individual Christian dies:
Because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Now we know that if the earthly tent [skenos, the present body is a temporary tent] we live in is destroyed, we have a building [oikodome, a permanent house] from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. (2 Corinthians 4:14-5:9)
There is no hint here of an intermediate state between dying and going into the presence of the Lord. Indeed the Apostle tells us that our resurrection bodies are already prepared for us, they are waiting for us to "put on" exactly as one would put on a new set of clothes over the old!
Events between The Rapture and Christ's Return
There are certain future events which evidently will take place between the Rapture and Christ's glorious return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Two of them are The Bema Seat Judgment, and The Marriage of the Lamb.
The Bema Seat Judgment
According to 2 Corinthians 5:10, all believers of this age must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Information about this event is also found in Romans 14:10; in 1 Corinthians. 3:10-15; and in 1 Corinthians 4:2-5. This evaluation of every believer is not for the purpose of dealing with sin --which was fully dealt with on the cross by the Lord Jesus. Rather it is a reviewing stand where quality of our Christian performance can be evaluated and rewarded. The motives of the heart will be made known, and most importantly, only the works the believer has undertaken by faith "in the Spirit"--by faith in the indwelling presence of God, will survive. The "works of the flesh" (our self-efforts to serve God) will be taken away and only what God has built into our lives since we came to know Him will go with us into the next life. See Appendix, The Judgment Seat of Christ, <append.html > for further details.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb - Revelation 19:7-9
During his lifetime on earth, Jesus did not marry. For a man not to marry was very rare in Israel (then as now). Following the typology in the story of Abraham's servant going to a far country to select a bride (Rebekah) for the patriarchs beloved son Isaac, (Genesis 24) we could say that God the Father dispatched the Holy Spirit into the world to call out and prepare a people who would be a suitable bride. The Spirit would also give the church a suitable wedding dowry that she might be a fitting love-gift from the Father to His beloved Son, Jesus. All sorts of people are welcome to be part of Christ's wife, the invitation is open to everyone, Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'
"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'
"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'
"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'
"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
"'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'" (Luke 14:16-24)
The church can be thought of as the "Second Eve." But whereas the original Eve was one woman, the Bride of Christ consists of millions of men and children! When we are all brought together as a family following the rapture we shall join with our Lord is a great marriage feast.
Christ's Bride is in Heaven before He returns in glory to the earth!
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. And he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God." (Revelation 19:7-9)
Our return with Christ
To understand the events which take place after the Rapture, we need to bear in mind that there is a sequence of events taking place which occurs "in heaven" and there is a parallel sequence of events occurring "on earth." In the book of Revelation note is made of those who "dwell in heaven" and those who dwell on earth" during the tribulation period. The former group "dwelling in heaven" is the church. We who comprise the church will have been given our resurrection bodies and will walk in the company of the Lamb and His holy angels. Those who are (during this same time period) dwelling on earth--include non-believers, but also God's 144,000 Jewish evangelists. (they are regenerated men but do not yet have resurrection bodies), and likewise their converts, who are the saints of the Tribulation period. Many of these saints will become martyrs during the tribulation period, but they will not be given their resurrection bodies until the tribulation ends. (Revelation 20:4)
Appendix L helps to understand better the return of Christ as having two aspects. His silent return for His church at the Rapture is described by the use of the Greek word parousia which means "coming alongside and remaining with" someone. We should think of the Rapture as the first phase of the second coming of Christ. He will come for His church, and He will remain with them forever after. But He will also come to be with the 144,000 and with the Tribulation Saints as well during the final seven years of world evangelism, and of Israel's judgment and restoration. After the seven years of the Tribulation has run its course Jesus will step out of hiding, and appears in the sky, bringing us with Him. This event, described by the Greek word epiphaneia, which means "shining forth," is the open public unveiling of Jesus--the second coming in power and glory.
All this careful reading of scripture this tells us that heaven is not far away. It is in fact merely another dimension of reality. Earthly, material realities occupy only a small localized region of the realm the Bible calls the heavenly places. The material world is embedded in the spiritual. Therefore Jesus is never far away from any of us. The old notion that when Jesus takes us to heaven we are somehow far removed to a golden land beyond the furthest star is not a Biblical view of heaven at all! We need to adjust our thinking to the view that Jesus will be on the earth during the entire tribulation period, invisible, but probably appearing and disappearing in the same mysterious manner He did during the 40 days following his resurrection and His ascension. On earth, but unseen by unbelievers, Jesus will be the Commander and Chief of the armies of the Lord. He will also direct the 144,000 and their strategic work. Jesus will apparently involve Himself personally in the shepherding of His faithful remnant hidden at Petra during the last half of the Tribulation period. When Jesus returns, He will come not from "outer space," but simply step back into our space-time frame once again, bringing His church with Him.
The title of this book is drawn from the model prayer Jesus gave His disciples. This prayer assures us that Jesus now rules the entire universe. All authority has been given to Him. However, He does not yet reign on the earth. For two thousand years the saints of God have prayed that He might soon come and reign on earth as He already does reign in heaven. In Revelation Chapter 4, a great scroll, which we may think of as the title deed to the earth, is handed to Jesus by His Father. Jesus is called to begin His long awaited reign on earth. He will accomplishe this in stages, by first coming for His church, and then by strategically directing and orchestrating all of the events of the end time. Evidently He will establish a beachhead on the planet, a command center for those military operations which will culminate in His final appearance in public as earth's legal King of kings and Lord of lords. His activities during the Tribulation will not be detected by unbelievers, though there will be rumors He has returned. Many events occurring on earth, due to the clandestine operations of the 144,000, will cause earth's inhabitants to be nervous.
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-- and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-- if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.
"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
"Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:21-30)
If we consider all the parallel events the book of Revelation describes, including the throwing -down of Satan and His hosts to earth during this last three and a half years, then it makes sense that our Commander-and-Chief should establish His battle headquarters for the end time right here on earth. This is where the final conflict will be fought, including the Seed of the Woman winning a final victory over the Seed of the Serpent.
But the church is the Body of Christ and the Head can not be separated from the Body! So we must begin to think of ourselves as present on earth with Jesus during the Tribulation period. Our resurrection bodies will make us invulnerable to sin and death. Furthermore, like our Lord, we will be invisible to the inhabitants of the earth.
When Christ returns, it is with "armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."
And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11-14)
This is undoubtedly a picture of the His redeemed (Revelation 3:18) with glorified, immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-50), able to descend from the heavens without the aid of a spacecraft!
We are told in Colossians 3:4, "When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. And 1 Thessalonians talks about the "coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."
The book of Revelation tells what we will do, once we have returned with Christ:
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
The Centrality of Israel and Jewish People During The Tribulation
A great body of converted people from all the nations are mentioned several times in the book of the Revelation--after the Rapture of the church. Usually they are called the "Saints." They are believers in Christ--Jews and Gentiles alike, but they are not referred to as the church, nor are any of the usual descriptions of the church attached to them. The apostate church of the period will be corrupt, and will give its influence to Antichrist (Revelation 18), so these Tribulation Saints will not in any way be associated with this apostate church, the great harlot of Revelation 17.
The theme of Israel's place during the tribulation period will be expanded in the third section of the book, but here are some of the key points which illustrate the centrality of Israel and Jewish people during this period of time:
It is synonymous with Daniel's 70th Week - Daniel 9:27; Revelation 13
The 144,000 Sealed from the 12 Tribes of Israel - Revelation 7:1-8
The Two Witnesses - probably Old Testament leaders - Moses and Elijah (or, as some think, Enoch and Elijah) - Revelation 11:1-12
Flight of Israel - Revelation 12
Treaty with Israel, Defilement of the Temple - Revelation 13
Dr. Renald Showers explains the significance of viewing the Tribulation as a period of Israel's history.
"All other views of the Rapture have the church going through at least part of the 70th week, meaning that all other views mix God's 70-weeks program for Israel and Jerusalem together with His program for the church."
Population of The Millennium by mortal believers
The pre-Tribulation Rapture interpretation best explains this important feature of God's future plan. According to Jesus' teaching on the Mount of Olives, there will be a judgment of the nations (Sheep and Goats - Matthew 25:31-46) just before the Millennium, just prior to the commencement of the thousand-year reign of Chris
t (Revelation 20:1-6). This taking of some and leaving of others is not the Rapture, but it corresponds to the Parable of The Wheat and The Tares (Matthew 13:24-30). In that parable, the tares are collected FIRST, and tied into bundles to be burned (later - The Great White Throne judgment), then the wheat is gathered into the barn. The wheat represents true believers who have survived the Tribulation period, and are thus permitted to enter the Millennial Age.
If the Rapture took place at, or near the end of the Tribulation, all believers would have glorified bodies, and there would be no righteous mortals left to enter the Millennium!
Differences between The Rapture and The 2nd Coming
We believe that much of the confusion about the Rapture is caused by a lack of understanding that Christ comes first for believers, and then comes later in what is properly called the Second Coming, or His Glorious Return as King of Kings. Here are some of the differences between these two events.
The Rapture
1. Christ comes for His own 1 Thessalonians4:13-18
2. Believers taken to Father's House John 14:3
3. Seen only by believers 1 Corinthians 15:52 Revelation 1:7; 19:11-16;
4. No reference to Satan
5. Earth not judged
6. A Mystery 1 Corinthians 15:51
The 2nd Coming
1. Christ return with His own Revelation 19:14
2. Believers come to Earth Matthew 24:30
3. Every eye will see Him Matthew 24:30
4. Satan bound Revelation 20:1-3
5. Earth judged Revelation 20:4-5
6. Foretold in Old Testament Dan. 12:1-3; Zech. 12:10; 14:4
One way to better understand the clear distinction between The Rapture and the Second Coming in glory can be see by carefully considering the different Greek words used for these two events.
Absence of the Church
Finally, and probably most significant of all, is this fact:
The Church is Missing From The Tribulation - Revelation 4-19
In the first three chapters of Revelation, there are constant references to the church and to the Seven Churches. However, starting at chapter 4, verse 1, where John is told to "come up here," the church is obviously absent throughout the Tribulation period. The expression "come up here" does mean leaving the earth in Revelation 11:12 where the translation of the Two Witnesses takes place. (We are not suggesting that the Rapture takes place in chapter 11, only that the same expression, used there, does mean virtually the same thing for the Two Witnesses that the Rapture does to the church.)
There are numerous references to believers in these chapters, but they are not called the church. What might be called the church on the earth during this time is the apostate shell of nominal Christianity, which has lost its true believers, and has joined with other religions of the world to become a "United Religion," which, in turn will give its power to Antichrist. This apostate church is pictured as a prostitute riding the beast in Revelation 18.
Finally, the absence of the church will undoubtedly account for the lawlessness spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
END OF CHAPTER 4
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