Updates in blue.
In the world ye shall have tribulation" John 16:33
"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." John 17:15
"And that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; " Rom. 5:3
" 'Hear my elect,' says the Lord. 'Behold, the days of tribulation are at hand, and I will deliver you from them. Do not fear or doubt, for God is your guide. You who keep my commandments and precepts,' says the Lord God, 'do not let your sins pull you down, or your iniquities prevail over you.' " 2 Esdras 16:74-76
Hello folks. Please get out your bible and read along with me. Before I begin, I wanted to mention that this pre tribulation rapture doctrine (among others) has been allowed by the Lord God Almighty to infiltrate the Church. I personally am thankful for this doctrine. This doctrine opened my eyes to the divisions in the Church. It opened my eyes to see the many different denominations of the Church. This doctrine made me thirsty for the truth and lead me to repentance and to come to Christ. This doctrine was the splinter in my mind that broke the fallowed ground of my heart and shined the light on how lukewarm my walk with Jesus really was. Praise God!
I wish to offer the truth about a doctrine that most all followers of Christ have been told. I must admit that I believed in pre tribulation rapture most of my life. I repented of that ignorance (2 Timothy 3:7). I wish to tell people that the traditions of men has created a lukewarm (Revelation 3:16) church spirit today. Traditions of men has created vain worship of Jesus Christ (Matthew 15:9). After speaking with my family, friends and pastors, I have realized that the evil deception of the pre tribulation rapture has a firm grip on many believers. I pray that I can help fight this evil deception or ear tickling doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3-4) with the sword of truth. We all should do this, but the John 14:17 comforter combined with sincere repentance has not swept the churches today.
Okay, let's begin.
Please ask yourself just one question. How many resurrections are there?
For the record, the answer is two. What did Jesus say?
John 5:29 - "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Since Jesus says there are two resurrections and one is good and the other is bad, this easily proves that the pre tribulation rapture theory is false. Tradition says that there is a rapture of the church prior to tribulation (1st resurrection to life), then all others will be left behind to face the tribulation. Tradition says God's mercy will allow the left behind folks to repent, but they will have to face the antichrist. Tradition says the left behind sinners that repented will be martyred and/or saved during this time. Then Jesus will come again and get those believers at that time (2nd resurrection to life). Really????
If my math is correct, traditon states we have two resurrections to life, not one. Traditon states there is a first resurrection of the living and dead in Christ before tribulation. Traditon states that there is a second resurrection when Jesus returns after the tribulation to resurrect the unchurched repented and martyred saints. This simply can not be true!
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:29-31
Immediately after tribulation, then appears son of man and he sends his angels to gather the elect. Elect are gathered after the tribulation period.
We know Jesus returns at the last trump. The last trumpet may be the seventh trumpet, or perhaps the last trump is the final feast of trumpets or Sukkot in the final jubilee year. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 mentions:.
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
1 Thes 4:15-17 speaks about the catching up or the "rapture" verse.
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Please notice the timing of this. 1 Thes. speaks about the return of Christ, the trump of God, being caught up and gathering together with the Lord. This sounds familiar to what Jesus said in Matthew 24 above. The return of Christ, a great sound of a trumpet and being gathered unto the Lord. Paul says in 1 Corinthians that we are changed (into a spiritual body) and this happens at the last trump. Jesus says that the last trumpet happens immediately AFTER the TRIBULATION. It seems clear, but many will still not see how simple this is.
Please note Revelation 10:7 regarding the seventh trumpet. It is finished for his servants because the mystery of God is finished.
"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
1 Corinthians 15:23 says:
"But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."
Remember 1 Thes 4:15, alive and remain can not prevent those in which are asleep. In other words, if rapture is before tribulation, then those which are alive and remain would prevent those who are asleep when Jesus returns. The rapture and resurrection is the same event that happens when Jesus returns after the tribulation period. Remember, there are two resurrections: one to life and one to damnation in John 5:29. The first resurrection is mentioned in Rev 20:5:
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."
In the previous verse in 20:4, John says:
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
Common sense would suggest that everyone will face the beast and they will have a choice to worship God or to worship the beast and/or take his mark. If you decide to worship God, you will be part of the first resurrection. A catching away or rapture is the first resurrection. If you believe in pre tribulation rapture, you are adding to the prophecies of the Bible.
Job 14:12 says: "So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
If pre tribulation tradition holds true, then the earth has no more heavens during the tribulation period.
Please read Revelation 12. Please note that the woman (church) was given wings of a great eagle to be nourished in the wilderness for a 3.5 years. The dragon was wrought with the woman and began to make war with the remnant of her seed. Here again, it would appear that the true church and the remnant will be on the earth during the tribulation period.
Also note Revelation 13:7:
"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."
John is speaking about the beast of the sea making war with the saints. The beast of the sea (which appears to be the United Nations and their leader) rises during the last 3.5 years. That clearly shows that the saints will be on the earth at that time.
Jesus said in John 6:40,44 that he would raise us up on the last day. Be honest, is the last day seven years before the last day? The last day appears to be the Day of the Lord. This day is the harvest of the saints and the harvest of the wicked. Please note the parable of the tares and wheat.
The parable of the tares and wheat in Matt 13 is told and later explained by Jesus. The DAY of harvest is the same time for both tares (wicked) and wheat (righteous). Tares are taken first and bundled TO BE burned and wheat goes into the barn. Matthew 13:37-43 explains this.
Please note, Daniel was not raptured from the lion's den. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego were not raptured from the fire. They were delivered by the Creator that they served through their tribulation period.
The tribulation period is not the wrath of God as many falsely say. This is really the wrath of Satan because he has been thrown down to us and he knows he has but a short time (Rev 12:12). The beast kingdom makes war with the saints and forces all to worship him and to receive his mark. If they do not, they will be killed.
Popular pre tribulation rapture position is 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says:
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."
Well, what is the wrath of God? The wrath of God is in the vials.
Revelation 15:7 - "And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever."
Revelation 16:1 - "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of wrath of God upon the earth."
We all will experience seals and trumpets, but rapture/resurrection occurs after tribulation period during the year long day of the Lord. Isaiah 34:8 says:
"For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion."
You can call this a pre wrath rapture if you wish, but this is when Jesus returns to meet up and has the angels gather the elect before the last seven vials are poured out.
Please note Daniel 12:11-12 regarding 1290 days left after abomination of desolation. I believe the abomination is the mark of the beast (on a spiritual level). This abomination that make the temple desolate is receiving the mark of the beast. If one receives the mark, God will leave that person desolate and reprobated. This can not be a building with hands. Jesus left the Jewish temple desolate in His day. The abomination that makes desolate in our day is the mark of the beast that defiles the temple (body).
Matt 23:37-38 says:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate."
The new temple is the individual believer.
1 Cor 3:16: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Daniel mentions "blessed is he who attains 1335 days." This is 45 days after the tribulation period or 40 days lunar period. The blessed actually live long enough to see some of God's wrath poured out on the wicked just like Noah. They will experience the Psalms 91 passover.
Noah's ark did not bear up until 40 days after the floods came upon the earth per Gen 7:17. What is cool is that God's number seven is completeness and the number 17 is preservation. Wow! In other words, Noah and his family watched the destruction of the wicked during the flood during this time. History will repeat according to 1 Cor 10:11 and Ecclesiaste 1:9. Also, God told Noah 7 days before the flood was going to come. We should know when the next period of judgment is to come. That time is very close.
Most of God's people are asleep and lukewarm because of lies such as pre tribulation rapture. People do not receive the spirit of truth and prophecy from the Father unless they show a love for the truth as to be saved. God uses tribulations or storms to wake up His people. God will grow up His crop during the tribulation period. God will restore what the palmer worm, canker worm, caterpillar and locust destroyed on His crop. Tribulation period will be an awesome time of trying our faith and watching the Father's deliverance. We must continue searching for the truth and watching for the signs of Jesus' coming. We must watch and pray.
1 Peter 1:7.
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."
Update: Matthew 24:19 - :And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days."
Per the pre trib liars, they say that children will be taken out because of their innocence and they are not
accountable. So, why is having a child a woe in those days if the children get wings before the woe? Maybe just another hint from Jesus.