Edition 236. December 3^rd  2014

The rapture nears!

The rapture nears!

Introduction:

Do you think you will go in the rapture? A huge number of people who think they will - won’t! The reason I wrote the previous edition, “What is a Christian” was for this purpose!

Many ministers of the gospel who reject and downplay eschatology, (the study of end-times) mock, scorn and ridicule those of us who love eschatology. For some reason they particularly like scoffing at the rapture.

In spite of these irritants, the subject of the rapture and where it occurs in relation to the tribulation, has the most intense interest of all subjects among true believers. The enemies of eschatology just can’t make it go away!

Listen, Mr. Post-tribber, this entire issue is very important – but it is not a salvation issue. It is not an issue for division – you guys need to remember that and calm down with your insults!

I would like to share some amazing truths with you on the rapture of the church, most of which I haven’t shared before. We are getting a lot closer my friends!

These truths are irrefutable. I encourage you to take this very seriously and adjust your lives in line with biblical holiness.

This is an unashamedly pre-tribulation rapture position!

Interpretation and logic:

Bible prophecy requires a fair amount of study. We need to get into original words used where necessary. The Bible itself says in a number of places, that “calculations” are needed. Most times Bible prophecy is logical and clearly apparent. But there are a few times when God throws in something really confusing, I think just to humble us!

It is most important to understand that the Holy Spirit is the prime interpreter. You say “well that’s obvious”! Not so fast there.

If you study the history of interpretation of prophecy you will be shocked at the huge mess created by the unholy spirit working in so-called men of God. Much of this mess still prevails in the church today.

For those interested, the monumental 700-page book by Dwight Pentecost, “Things to Come”, is about the best you can get. (Published by Zondervan.)

The so-called church fathers in the pre-Catholic era and into the early Catholic era made an absolute mess of interpretation of prophecy. All of them without exception were anti-Semites and saw prophecy through those eyes. They were NOT of the Spirit of God.

You may be surprised to know that the reformers – all of them - were no different. They were all anti-Semites apart from the Wesley brothers, although the church they formed is an eschatological abortion today.

None of the reformers taught truth relating to eschatology. Is it any wonder that the offshoots of the reformers – the denominational churches - are not only silent on eschatology; they are blind, deceived and the enemy of God in this regard, especially relating to Israel.

Of course I believe that God did use the reformers in some instances, but not in anything to do with eschatology. These reformers created what has become 33,000 ‘Christian’ denominations. God desires unity. They have created division.

As we study the Bible we must be at peace with its author in our hearts. It is the Spirit that speaks and leads and guides. (John 16:13.)

Irrefutable pre-tribulation rapture revelations:

Many of the post-tribulation rapture position claim that the book of Revelation is not in chronological order. It most certainly is. If you read it you will see it! If you count the number of “thens” in the Revelation, logic dictates that it is in chronological order.

Revelation 5:9-11 “They sang a new song saying: You are worthy to take the scroll. And to open its seals; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands.”

If you didn’t read those verses above please do so. Now we are going to see something astounding as we apply basic logic to the verses.

Here we have a company of masses of people “redeemed out of every tribe, tongue and nation”. These are not angels as some critics maintain. Angels are not redeemed out of all the nations! Yes there is an angelic company here also, and there is a company of “heavenly creatures.” We also have the 24 elders here in this company as well.

By the way, its only human beings that are “redeemed by the blood of the Lamb”. Heavenly creatures and angels are not. So, this proves conclusively that these are human believers. The elders are always identified with the Church.

So, this massive congregation in heaven includes living creatures, angels, elders and redeemed believers. Here is the crunch:

This takes place before the opening of the seals and immediately after the messages to the seven churches.  These redeemed in heaven are singing to the Lamb and saying that He is worthy to open the seals. The opening of the seals starts the tribulation!

Do you see that?

At this point in time the tribulation period is just about to start on the earth.

So what are these elders and multitudes of people doing in heaven just as the tribulation starts on earth?

The only way they could be there is by rapture! This is so clear, yet many can’t see it!

Here’s another incredible proof of a pre-tribulation rapture: Let’s presume a post-tribulation rapture for a minute. Let’s also presume that the book of Revelation is not in chronological order. How on earth do you make those verses fit? They don’t fit a post-trib rapture at all. The seals which begin the tribulation are not opened at the end of the tribulation!

By the way, this also refutes a mid-tribulation rapture.

Sorry, post-tribber – there is no way around this. There is no other explanation other than a pre-tribulation rapture.

More pure logic:

Revelation chapters 1-3 contain 16 references to the church. All of these are in association with the seven messages to the churches. Then suddenly in Revelation 4:1 John hears a voice like a trumpet rapturing him into heaven where he receives the Revelation.

 The rest of the book does not contain one reference to the Church, except for some views of the Church in heaven, at the marriage feast and others events in heaven. The only believers seen on earth during the seven years are people that have become known as tribulation saints or those who are saved during this time. Jews are seen fulfilling the work of evangelism on earth. There is no Church on earth during this time. This is such clear proof of a pre-tribulation rapture.

More logic:

The verse below speaks of “escaping all these things.” What things are these? Our Lord has just finished describing many of the events of the tribulation period.

Luke 21:36 “Watch and pray that you may escape all these things...”

Escaping these things is not being protected through them, besides, tribulation saints (those saved in the tribulation) will not be protected at all. They will be martyred en mass.

Okay, now let’s extrapolate the verse into a post-tribulation rapture position. What do you have to “watch and pray” to escape at the end of the tribulation? Why would you want to escape the Millennium?

More logic:

Two very significant statements in the Revelation are worth taking note of. In Revelation 2:22 the Church of Thyatira is promised by God that it will be cast into the great tribulation. The description of this church makes it pretty clear that it is referring to the orthodox churches like the Catholics. But the language implies that if these go into the tribulation others won’t.

In Revelation 3:10 the Church of Philadelphia is promised by God that it will be kept from the tribulation. Again the language implies that if these don’t go into the tribulation, others do. Many believers will not go through the tribulation. Many professing Christians will go into the tribulation!

A problem verse, or is it?

2 Thessalonians 2:3-7 “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition...and now you know what is restraining, that he might be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”

People often get the above verses wrong. They say, “You see, the rapture can’t happen until the falling away occurs, and the antichrist is revealed.” What this verse actually says is that the Day of the Lord, which a term for the whole tribulation period, can’t begin until falling away occurs, the antichrist is revealed and the restrainer of evil is removed.

The original words used for “the falling away” could also be translated, “the departure” which refers to the rapture and not the apostasy of the church, although both will occur.

Now, let’s extrapolate the verses into a post-tribulation rapture position.

That would mean that the rapture, the revealing of the antichrist and the restrainer being removed all have to happen at the end of the tribulation. Why would the antichrist be revealed at the end of the tribulation? Why would the true Church indwelt by the Holy Spirit (the restrainer) be removed as we go into the Millennium?

Do you see that it just doesn’t fit!

The Lot example:

We know the story of Lot and his wife being removed from the evil city, Sodom, before the judgement of fire fell upon it. This is a type of a pre-tribulation rapture. Lot was not protected through the fiery judgement but removed completely to another town called Zoar.

Now look at these two astounding verses below. Note that God says He can’t even begin the judgement while Lot is still there in Sodom.

Genesis 19:22-23 “Hurry, escape there (from Sodom). For I can’t do anything until you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen when Lot entered Zoar.”

Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?”

Do you see the powerful typology here?

The Jericho type:

Many use this story to prove a post-tribulation rapture. But if we look a little deeper into what actually happened there is no argument.

In Joshua 2 we see the story of the Gentile, Rahab, hiding two Israeli spies from the Jericho’s Gentile army who wanted to kill them. She rescues them and is told by the two spies to put a scarlet thread in her window so the invading Israeli army would spare her and her family from destruction when Jericho falls and is consumed by the fire of judgement.

Joshua 6:4-5 “Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram’s horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times and the priests shall blow the trumpets. Then it shall come to pass when they make a long blast on the ram’s horns, and when you hear the sound of the trumpets, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city shall fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

Rahab, is a type of the church. She and her family were removed from the city before it fell to the ground in judgment. Here it is:

Joshua 6:22-24 “But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, ‘Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.’ The young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. Then they burned the city and all that was in it with fire...”

In verse 23 we see Rahab being brought out of Jericho and left outside the camp of Israel.  This was so that they could be purified.

By faith she was made clean and delivered from God’s wrath seven days before judgment. This is a powerful type of the pre-tribulation rapture of the church.

There is another very powerful example in this story that believers would do well to take heed of. Rahab was a Gentile who helped Israel fulfil her calling. She hid the spies in her home thereby facilitating the God-inspired journey of the Jews to the Promised Land. This simple act brought God’s favour to her and her family.

Today we are in a similar situation. Do you want God’s blessing or cursing on your life?

I’ve wandered around the ruins of Jericho, not far from the modern town. I had an eerie feeling alright!

The Enoch type:

Enoch is a type of the Church. He was a Gentile, being born before the official formation of the Jews. He was the seventh from Adam.

Enoch was born on the day of Pentecost. He was rapured alive on the day of Pentecost. Some believe that this means the Church will raptured on the day of Pentecost.

I believe that the typology refers to the entire church age or dispensation, encapsulated between two days of Pentecost. It is stretching things a bit saying that the rapture has to occur on Pentecost, although it is possible. Remember we are dealing with types and shadows here.

Enoch born and ratured on Pentecost associates him with the church which is associated strongly with Pentecost in many ways.

Enoch was taken by rapture before the flood of Noah. He was not protected through it, but raptured to heaven. His rapture is consistent with the other types I have referred to in this edition and numerous others that you’ll find in other editions.

If Enoch is a type of the rapture of the Church, isn’t this interesting: Jude 14 “Now Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied about these men also saying, Behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints...” When does this occur? It is right at the end of the tribulation period – the Second Coming. And note who it is coming back with our Lord. It is a great company of “His saints.”

The Joseph type:

Genesis 41:45-57 reveals the story of Joseph and the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine. Joseph, a type of our Lord, takes a Gentile bride before the seven years of famine. Israel and the whole world suffered the famine. The famine is a type of the tribulation.

Proof in Contraposition:

One of the great proofs of a pre-tribulation rapture lies with almost all denominational churches as well as the Catholics. Their ministers universally reject the baptism of the Spirit. They have created a world of division, while God’s Spirit leads into unity. They are almost universally great friends of the devil in a million areas. Many of their doctrines are of hosts of demons. They are almost universally anti-Semitic, pro-Palestinian, against God’s work in and with Israel, Jerusalem and the Jews.

They are universally of the post-tribulation rapture position. That means that the truth lies in the opposite view.

Another powerful proof of a pre-tribulation rapture lies amongst the Messianic Judaisers. This is a group within the Messianic movement, who insist on trying to bring people under the law. They reject dispensations, and the age of grace. They are universally post-tribulation rapture adherents.

The truth would be in the opposite view that they hold, which is the pre-trib rapture.

Understanding wrath:

God does not pour His wrath out on His own people.  The tribulation period includes the wrath of God.

Romans 1:18 “The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth.”

Colossians 3:6 “Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.”

Proverbs 11:23 “The expectation of the wicked is wrath.”

Isaiah 13:9 “Behold the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it.”

Ephesians 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

Romans 5:9 “Having being justified by His blood we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God did not appoint us to wrath...”

Revelation 6:15-17 “The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall upon us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand.’”

Luke 21:36 “Watch and pray that you may escape all these things...”

The rapture in the Old Covenant:

Here are three verses from the Old Covenant that imply a pre-tribulation rapture:

Isaiah 26:20-21 “Come my people enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past, for behold the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”

Zephaniah 2:1-3 “Gather together O undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, before the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord all the meek of the earth, which have upheld His justice, seek righteousness, seek humility, it may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Psalm 27:5 “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.”

Final thoughts:

As said right up front, the post -trib / pre-trib debate is not an issue for division. But as you see there is strong powerful evidence for the pre-trib position. It is also a powerful tool of evangelism. The post-trib position is not.

If you look at the other rapture editions (grouped in the “Editions by subject” index) you will see that there is a lot more evidence. Putting it all together paints a compelling picture.

Proverbs 3:13-17 “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding...All her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her and retain her.”

Psalm 52:8 “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.”

Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

I took the lion picture in the wilds of Botswana and my red setter puppy in the wilds of my garden! And why this picture? Well, you know our Lord is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and heaven is full of animals and creatures! Okay, okay I know it’s corny, but its fun!

Shalom and grow in grace!