CONTENTS

Chapter One - Forward

Chapter Two - The Vision of the Things to Come

Chapter Three - Order of Resurrections, Martyrdom’s and Judgements

Chapter Four - The Characteristics of The Antichrist

Chapter Five - The Exploits and Calling of The Two Witnesses

Chapter Six - The Order of Events Before The Tribulation

Chapter Seven - Order of Judgements in the First 42 Months of The Tribulation

Chapter Eight - Order of Judgements in the Second 42 Months of The Tribulation

Chapter Nine - Politics and War — The Exploits of the Antichrist and Rise to Power — Part-1

Chapter Ten - Politics and War — The Exploits of the Antichrist and Rise To Power — Part-2

Chapter Eleven - A Dividing of Times — The Timing of The Tribulation

Chapter Twelve - What Will The Rapture Look Like?

Chapter Thirteen - A Conversation from The King James

Chapter Fourteen - A Message of Warning to the Biblical Scholar

Chapter Fifteen - Matthew 24 and The Rapture

Chapter Sixteen - Scriptural Evidence of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture

Chapter Seventeen - The Great Revealing of the End Times Mysteries

Chapter Eighteen - The Rapture and Overcoming — Am I Ready and Worthy?

Chapter Nineteen - The Final Warning

Chapter Twenty - In Closing — How Can I Be Saved?

Chapter Twenty-One - Addendum 1: Matthew 24, Mark 14, and Luke 21 Combined

Chapter Twenty-Two - Addendum 2: Proof of a Seven Year Tribulation

Chapter Twenty-Three - Addendum 3: Common Sense - The Bride of Christ

Chapter Twenty-Four - Addendum 4: How Much Time is Left?

Chapter Twenty-Five - Addendum 5: Can Christians Celebrate Easter and Christmas?

Chapter Twenty-Six - How The End Came — A Running Narrative on the End of the Age

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Coming Signs — The End Around The Corner

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Final Evacuation Orders to the Overcomer

CHAPTER ONE

Forward

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be – Matthew 24:21

“When Bible prophecy matches modern possibilities you will know the end is near.”  I penned those words less than a year ago as I worked on an article that was the forerunner to this book.  Little did I know just what the Lord had in store for me.

It was not long after that the Lord moved me to “revise” the article – or so I thought.  Turns out my small revision was to take on a life of its own.  By the time I began to write the pages for this book the project had morphed from an article into what you see now.  What started out as a prophecy study article has turned into a post-rapture checklist and confirmation book for those that should find themselves on the wrong side of history.

The purpose of this book is threefold:

First – it is a confirmation to those that miss the rapture that they are indeed in the tribulation – or soon will be. The matter-of-fact checklist style for some of the pages are designed for easy reading and quick answers.  As you read through you will understand the importance of quick answers.  The pages that utilize a narrative style will be fluid in their presentation.

Second – it will serve as a confirmation to those that are receiving revelations from the Lord prior to the rapture.

Third – I cannot emphasize this enough.  This book stands as a final warning to those that refuse to hear and accept the word and will of Christ.  The Lord is giving you one last chance to come to salvation. Your time is just about to expire – literally.

In the final days prior to the rapture the Law of Separation will be completed upon the earth.  It is a time where men are separated according to the abundance of their hearts.  It was not just believer from unbeliever, but believer from believer as well.  Those believers that do not overcome for Christ nor have faith in the promise of his coming are separated from those that do believe and overcome.

This separation serves a singular purpose – to give man over to those things in his heart so that all would truly deserve the judgments that would soon befall him.

Many of the believers that are still seeking answers are given the revelations of God to direct their paths.  This book will serve as a secondary confirmation to the things that the Lord has shown them. With that, let’s discuss the inner workings of this book and how best to utilize the format and information.

Where it all came from.

Biblical scholarship consists of three primary efforts.  These would be the study of the scriptures, the study of the scholarship of others that have been inspired of God in their efforts and the revelations of God given to the individual student to tie together the first two. So it is with my work as well.

You will see all three represented in the pages of this book.  First, the Lord has guided my path as I have delved into the scriptures for many years now.  In particular, he has directed the current efforts for this project very closely and revealed things I had never seen before.  The scriptures literally jumped off the page with fresh insight as I embarked on the task the Lord laid before me.

There has been a great deal of prayer behind this project, especially when considering the works of other scholars.  There are many different interpretations to nearly every subject in the Bible.  There are some tremendous scholars as well, some of which you will recognize as you read through the pages of the book.  While they are far too numerous to name, scholars such as Perry Stone, John Hagee, Ken Ham, Bill Cloud, Mark Biltz, Jack Van Impe, Jonathan Bernis, Chuck Missler and Walid Shoebat are but a few of the resources I considered in the overall study for this project.  I cannot emphasize this enough – with each source considered for study you must go to prayer first.  Your trust is in the Lord above all when considering the validity of a particular scholar.

Third, the Lord provided me with a “rolling revelation” with which to tie the pieces together.  I refer to it as a rolling revelation as it came piece by piece, many times dovetailing with the particular subject I was currently studying.  As with most Christians, the Lord gave me a specific set of revelations that deal with a particular area or specialization of prophecy.  Stated differently, every Christian has particular areas with which they are better suited to study more than other areas.

The rolling revelation can be described as many “minor” revelations that guide my studies and three primary revelations to which the bulk of this work is tied.  Of the three primary revelations the first was a confirmation of revelations that the Lord had delivered to other scholars (the Lightning Revelation).  The second was core revelation given to me to tie together what other scholars had known instinctively, yet had not been given a final voice from the Lord to share (The timing and the Ten Days of Awe).

However, the best and worst day of my spiritual life center upon the third and final primary revelation.  It is what I call “The Final Warning” and it is the last chapter of this book.

What the Lord revealed to me was a first account revelation, meaning I am the first to be shown what the Lord wanted to share.  What came next was a revelation so disturbing that I struggle with it even today.  It is what I refer to as a “final piece” revelation in that it provides a final piece to questions many hold with regards to the end times and the tribulation.  On one hand I was greatly grieved to learn what I learned.  On the other hand I was humbled beyond words that the Lord had chosen me for this.  Usually, such first account revelations go to the “big boys” in the faith.  Yet, for reasons unknown to me the Lord decided I was the proper vessel for this word.

Considering what we just discussed, this does not mean that there are no revelations and understanding in the other areas of prophecy.  To the contrary, all scripture is profitable for study.  It simply means that our particular makeup and design endears us to greater understandings of some things above others.

To the accountant may go an understanding of Biblical economics.  To the military officer may go a deeper understanding of the conquest of Canaan.  To the one time addict may go the understanding of the healing nature of Christ.  Sometimes, we find that our areas of expertise may be completely unrelated to any professional endeavor, yet center on personality traits that suit us to a particular discipline.  You get the picture.

The same fundamental holds true with our individual callings as well.  Many times it is the area of our greatest failures wherein we find the calling of the Lord.  This is based upon the greater understanding of a thing that is gained through trial and adversity.

I have found that my particular strengths revolve around a mixture of personality, professional experience and knowledge.  The professional experience was the greatest surprise.  I never imagined a background in electrical engineering technology would help in the understanding of all thing “tribulation” – least of all the Rapture. But alas, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

How this book works:

Each of the chapters of this book deal with a specific aspect of the tribulation.  These are the most questioned areas of end times prophecy and the subject of many questions.  Taken together, the chapters combine to create an overall picture of the tribulation.  Here are some of the formats you will find here.

Ease of reading organization.  This book is designed to “cut the clutter” that seems to invade many prophecy books.  Either a book seems to have to little scriptural references or they absolutely litter the material with the references in no particular fashion resembling organization.  Understand, this does not mean the information in the book will be wrong.  It simply means that either the book became too heavy and unwieldy to read or lacks enough of the scriptural references to allow the reader to advance their own studies.

As the Lord revealed the format for this project he made it absolutely clear that it must flow and be clean in its presentation.  If a book becomes over bearing or cluttered then it will not get utilized.  It must have the scriptural references for proof of content and scholarship, yet they cannot “obstruct” the flow of the individual chapters and topics.

The material presented must be comprehensive, yet limited in scope.  It must provide a solid understanding of the subject yet cannot take an hour to parse through.  Chapters and topics that take longer than ten minutes to read loose their effectiveness.  To this end each chapter and associated topic has undergone multiple revisions to shorten the content yet maintain the effectiveness of the presentation.

The only chapter with an inordinate amount of scripture is the Final Warning.  This is due primarily to the need to establish the newly revealed doctrine it presents.

Point by point listings.  These are designed to list the individual elements of a particular subject of the tribulation such as the judgments of the first 42 months or the actions of the two witnesses.  The point by point listings are designed as numbered charts that can be laid one on top of another so to speak.  You can literally lay the lists side by side and build the overall picture.

Scriptural references.  The scriptural references for most of the pages are located either at the end of the narrative for easy reading of the content.  Also, while there are detailed evidence pages covering particular subjects such as the rapture, each scriptural evidence section is simply a listing of the consulted scriptures for each subject.

This is critical to understand – most concepts in the Bible are evidenced through the principle of line upon line, precept upon  precept, here a little, there a little.  That is the core concept behind the scriptural references within this book.  There are few concepts in prophecy which are contained in singular scriptures.  To the contrary, more damage has been done at the hands of those that seek and utilize individual scriptures to present a particular doctrine.  The laws of hermeneutics requires that any doctrine established in the Bible must contain at least three different scriptures.  Single verse doctrines are to be discarded as incomplete and unproven.  Furthermore, single verse scriptures are a tactic of false teachers and undisciplined scholars with their own designs.

Stated differently – if someone declares “truth” to you while failing to provide more than a singular scripture you must ask your self why.  This is a premise that also holds true when engaging in debate as well.

Also, to study the scriptures requires word studies and an understanding of the Hebrew heritage of the Christian faith.  It can be difficult to ascertain the meaning of many scriptures without a firm understanding of the historical context of the author in question.

The scriptural references are designed to point you in the right direction for your own study.  They are not – however – designed to spoon feed those that simply desire a quick one scripture proof to justify their own dogmas and approach.  Much of the information within this book will be controversial and some will be heart wrenching to read.

One final note:

Offense is the single greatest evidence that you need to re-examine a particular position in which you ascribe. Stated differently, I know many people that have just as many opinions on Biblical prophecy.  However, there is a difference between holding a position based solely upon study and refusing to abandon a position to which your are personally vested for your own reasons.  Indeed, no major Biblical scholar holds the exact position today as they did when they started their studies.  The question is not the particular position held by a scholar, but whether or not they are willing to revise that position in light of solid evidence to the contrary.

If the knowledge of God is your first priority you will not be offended by a differing position.  You may genuinely disagree but you are not offended that someone may hold a difference of position. However, if you are genuinely offended by the material contained within this book, then I submit it is not the material itself.  Rather, the offense stems from a defensive response of the sin nature in you that cannot let what you read here take hold.  If something in you screams that what you have seen here is heresy, the work of a false teacher, a deception, doctrine of demons – or any other negative connotation that tends to get thrown around by those without the moral fiber to actually consider the material and set about a genuine study and defense of their own positions – then it is time to look at yourself with regards to deception.

One more thing –

This book represents many hours of prayer, research and revelations of God.  Most of all, it represents a great deal of study in the Word of God.  If you want to disagree with what is in here it is your right to do so.  At the very least consider one final statement before you close this book: If all you have to offer in response is a singular verse – without context – then you need to seriously reconsider exactly why you hold that particular position. After all – I have heard just about every feasible one verse response out there.  Most of which are debunked through the natural course of this presentation.  The only position which I do not devote any significant time to is the Margaret MacDonald 1830 rapture deception.  The first time I seriously decided to look into this claim I was able to find no less than seven church Fathers prior to 1830 that taught the rapture going back as early as the second century.  This “discovery” took no more than 15 minutes to accomplish with a basic search on the Internet. Here is a link to a page that can provide some insight:  http://www.raptureready.com/rr-margaret-mcdonald.html

Also, here is a link to Rapture Forums.  It is a tremendous site covering many aspects of the soon return of the Lord.  http://www.raptureforums.com/

Anyway, here is Tribulation Rising.

Yours in Christ,

Richard Kenrick

I also write as Lucius Sulla

Email:  richardkenrick12@gmail.com

CHAPTER TWO

The Vision of the Things to Come

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be – Matthew 24:27

This is the revelation and understanding that the Lord delivered to me concerning the things to come:

The rapture occurs.  It is not the Rapture that we have all envisioned, rather it is an event of such devastation as to embody the sum total of all the judgments we read in the Book of Revelation.

While I do not know the exact point from where this starts, I will make a practical assumption of the northern most corner of the planet as the scriptures contain references to the “north” as being the way to heaven.  Likewise, there is an “opening” of sorts in the northern sky wherein scientists confirm a massive “emptiness” of space devoid of stars, almost as a cone that starts from the earth and moves skyward.  Understand that the starting point makes little difference as the net effect will be the same.  I can also imagine and see Jerusalem as a starting point as well.

Upon the words of the Father, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven to the top of the clouds or the top of the cloud layer.  To the human eye it will be as a bright light, though we were attempting to look upon the sun.  In a singular moment the arms of Jesus will raise, the sound as it were a trumpet shall resonate in the soul of every believer soon to travel home, and from his feet will roll a circular wave of cloud, energy and devastation.  It will hold the net effect of a nuclear blast in appearance – a blast the likes of which have never before been seen by human eyes.

It will radiate out in a circular pattern not unlike the ripples in a pond.  At nearly an unfathomable speed it will run from the point of origin forward until it collapses in on itself on the opposite side of the planet.

As the wave of cloud, lightning, and fire traverses the globe, the effect and experience will be the same.  It will be a two part assault upon humanity.  The leading edge of the storm will call forth the dead in Christ while but mere seconds later those that are alive and remain shall be called up.  In a matter of moments this rolling front traverses the planet and it is done.

As the storm rolls across the planet it will call to believer and unbeliever alike.  To the believer there will be an unmistakable voice – the voice of God and the words “Come Up Here!”  To the believer that is turned from Christ and does not overcome it will be as the sound of thunder and a soul full of foreboding – the sound of angels to their ears and mind.  They will not yet know what has occurred, yet they will not be able to escape the tragedy of the moment.  In the deepest recesses of their souls they will know, yet it will be several days before the totality of the moment sets in.

To the unbeliever it will be as though the very worst of all they have ever imagined has come to pass.  Never shall their ears nor eyes recount such a storm as they now witness.

In the “morning” the full extent of the horror shall slowly come to light.  As the storm raged across the planet its effect was delivered in two stages, each but seconds apart.  The first wave of the assault struck burial grounds, cemeteries, mass graves and the seas.  As believers have been laid to rest in nearly every modern burial ground and ancient resting place there will be no obvious distinction.  To the astute observer it would serve as proof the Gospel of Jesus Christ was indeed capable of traveling to places no one ever thought it traveled.

Likewise, it would finally give testimony to the absolute power of the Gospel and its ability to reach those that should have had no earthly reason to accept nor even inquire after Jesus Christ.  However, this sadly will not be the case.  The abundance of strikes in the places of rest not typically thought of as “Christian” will quickly be embraced by the Godless as proof that this was not the “secret Rapture” foretold by those foolish Christians.

To the believer that did not overcome it is a far different story.  Within a few short days the move of the Holy Spirit will speak to them.  They will not be able to escape a singular thought drawn in two parts.  It was the Rapture and martyrdom is what remains for salvation.  They will look to any justification to ignore the voice raging deep within their souls and there will be plenty to grasp onto. That is, those that survived to regret their failures.

The second stage occurred on the trailing edge of the storm mere seconds after the first stage.  It was the second stage which has set the world for deception – and for war.

The second stage is nothing less than the annihilation of the world as we currently know it.  As the storm rolls across the planet it strikes those nations with the heaviest concentrations of true believers the hardest.  This devastation is made much more manifest by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the days prior to the rapture.  We had all witnessed it.  Those that believed in the promise of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ seemed oddly “urgent” in all they did.  They seemed to dismiss the things of life that were seemingly unimportant when weighed next to salvation.  They all seemed to gel around an unspoken understanding that time was indeed short.  It did not matter who it was or where they were.  Never mind that two such believers could be put into the same room having never before known each other.  Despite this they would both “know” the same thing – the return of the Lord was soon and there was nothing to stop it now.

To the believers that did not overcome it was a mixed story.  They likewise knew something was different with history as it was unfolding, yet there was no real consensus as to what that may ultimately be.  They felt a calling in their spirits, yet there was always some reason to disregard what they knew at the deepest levels.  It was a “government” thing, a “constitution” thing, a “rapture heresy” thing.  It was always a “thing” that would convince them to discard that undeniable voice in favor of something more suitable to them.

After all, is it not far better to get left behind to fight the Antichrist?  Look at what they could do for the Lord if they stay here.  In each of their minds the story was always the same – different players, yet the same narrative.  They would prepare for this – unlike the “escapist” rapture fantasy believers that “always sat on their behinds never doing anything”.  This is a narrative that will steadily reverse itself to the dismay of the believer left behind as they find that indeed the rapture believer had taken steps to prepare – for them.

Rifles, ammunition, emergency food, Bibles, DVD’s, CD’s, gold, silver, medicine – all these things will be found in the homes of many Rapture believers that, sadly, understood exactly why the Lord called them to prepare.  They knew in their heart of hearts who the materials were meant for – and it was not them.

There will be a collective shame when they come to understand that the Lord had led many Rapture believers to prepare for the days to come, yet do so silently.  There will be a collective shame that falls upon those left behind as they begin to understand that what they held was nothing more than an excuse to throw away the warning of God for their own ideas and designs.

All too soon they shall come to understand the folly of thinking that they had any real concept of the tribulation to come.  All too soon they shall understand that if they could not hear and harken to the voice of the Lord when death, doom and destruction was not the order of the day then they truly stand little chance of resisting when the harsh reality of the tribulation is revealed.  All too soon they shall understand that they are not the singular saviors of mankind as they had imagined in their own hearts.  No, they did not say “I shall defeat the Antichrist”.  No, it was much deeper, more insidious than even that.  As they counseled their minds on the subject of the end times there was an ever present understanding that permeated all that they did.  In all of their images they could see the death yet it was disconnected.  It was always someone else that fell.  In every image that played in their minds it was they that would find shelter, store weapons and arms, find or stockpile food, avoid the armies of the Antichrist, refuse the mark and somehow always escape the dread to come.  They would organize resistance and fight.  They would see others fall but never themselves.

For the few that dared to entertain the thought it was always a short lived experience.  They would be captured, refuse the mark and pass into eternity.  Absent was any real grasp of the horror of the moment.  Never came the understanding that to be found in such a state would come a subjection to the greatest horrors never conceived of by the normal human mind.  They never saw that their enemy would truly hate them with a genuine demonic hate.

It is not merely a question of conversion.  It is a question of making their enemies pay for the mere insolence of resisting their god – of daring to even consider themselves as equal.

No, our believers that did not overcome never stopped to imagine how they would respond as they fall upon the ground bound hand and foot just in time to watch as an intentionally dull and rusty blade is dragged upon the neck of their beloved 13 year old daughter that was just forcibly raped by multiple enemies of God.  Never mind the blood curdling screams as the nerves are ripped – not evenly sliced – from the dull pitted blade.  It is a scene that has replayed many times for our non-overcoming believer as they attempted to slice raw steak with the wrong knife.

Now it is their 13 year old daughter – bleeding already from every orifice from the “treatment” at the hands of her captors – that slowly slips into eternity as one final fount of crimson red flows from her soon lifeless body.  Perhaps it is their infant son, trusted husband or their beloved wife as well.  With each rip of the blade, each trek back and forth from a neck that is very slowly diminishing in size, your beloved angel is reduced to the station of a butchered cow.  With each daggered scream the realization becomes more than our non-overcoming believer can endure.  Then soon – silence.

While all must answer for the choices of their own hands the truth of the moment cannot escape our failed believer.  It is because they would not hear the voice of the Lord that this has come to pass.  What they would have said differently if they had only listened!  But instead they scoffed.  There is no rapture!  It’s not in the Bible!  You can’t find the word Rapture!  Christ will not save his church – he will let them be purged so that they are worthy!

How many will find this fate when they realize that you cannot receive from God that which you do not believe?  The harsh reality of their lack of faith drives upon the mind and soul now.  How many times did the Lord send someone before them to declare the rapture as a reward of faith, not of salvation?  How many times did they dismiss the parables of the virgins, the foolish servant, two in the field and every admonition that “to him that looks to the promise of his coming”.  Only now will it make sense.  Only now do they see and understand.  Now, however, it is too late.

If only they had listened when another believer actually offered to show them these things.  But no, to actually listen and consider the evidence was a risk they could not take.  If they had considered the evidence they would have had to acknowledge that the proof was indeed there all the time.  They simply latched on to the excuse that felt best to them and from that point there was no need to listen.

They now understand all too well what the Bible meant when it said that the rapture comes upon them as a snare.  It was not a snare to those that were taken.  It is now a snare to our non-overcomers.  Now they cannot escape.  They now know in their heart of hearts that they must pay the price – a price they have willingly earned and now deserve – for throwing away the voice of the Lord simply because it interfered with their own vision of who they thought they were.

However, the greatest tragedy will occur in the hearts of those that took a nearly romantic pleasure in the simple notion that Christ must somehow allow the church to be purged before it could ever be accepted as “the bride”.  Their hearts will flood with a despair that they could have never conceived of as they come to understand one simple, immutable fact:

The shedding of their blood purifies nothing.  It is the blood of Christ alone that can save a soul.

Yet how many times did they revel in their own hearts at the trials to come?  No, they never spoke aloud of a desire the see the body fall.  Yet it was always there.  In their heart of hearts they secretly imagined a day when they alone would stand vindicated for their “insight” into the true nature of things.  They would glean a secret unspoken pleasure as the many “deceived heretics” of that false rapture doctrine come begging to them for salvation.  It was they that would not be duped into that whole “Margaret McDonald 1830 rapture heresy”.

Then the bitter truth of God’s Word comes roaring as a lion.  They cannot escape the memories of each and every time that one of the deceived heretics offered to show proof that the rapture was taught throughout the history of the church.  Each time an offer of yet another early church father teaching the rapture was presented it was conveniently ignored.

The misery of the soul will be nearly unbearable for them – yet they will live until they face the rugged blade of the executioner.  Then they will decide their fate. Until that day they shall bear an unknowable anguish as the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

No, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit prior to this served to cement men to the desires of their hearts.  Those that held a love for the Lord, a desire to serve and the faith in the promise of his coming were moved in such a direction and seemed concerned more and more with the things of the Lord.  Those that did not look to his coming found themselves pushed to whatever excuse that held their personal attentions.  Now the results are undeniable – the Law of Separation is complete and those believers left behind now face a bitter truth.  It is not just the believer from the unbeliever, the unrighteous from the righteous – it is believer from believer.  Either you overcome and look to the promise of his coming or you do not.  Now, all are separated.

In the wake of the Rapture will remain a devastation never before imagined by the human mind.

As the second wave of the storm rolled across the earth it produced what can only be described as an “electrical storm of Biblical proportions”.  All electrical storms produce massive, ultra-high powered arcs that we know collectively as “lightning”.  However, unlike any electrical storm the world has ever seen nor dared to imagine, this storm garnered its initial charge from a single source high in the heavens.  For the first time in history there exists a single point of electrical potential that holds the capability to pull electrons from all points across the globe.  As any electrical engineer can affirm, it takes nearly unimaginable amounts of potential, voltage or charge to generate an arc of lightning.  Never before has an arc been generated that can cross from one side of the globe to the other.

This “storm” will generate multiplied billions of such arcs across the globe – one for each believer both alive and dead.  From the dust of the ground to the depths of the sea they will come.  Where ever the believer shall be found there shall be an arc of Biblical destruction.

Each arc will react exactly as electricity should act.  Each arc will penetrate any structure that “holds” its assigned believer.  Passenger seat of a car, steel casket in the vault, control rooms of nuclear reactor power plants, co-pilot seats of airplanes, 22nd floor of 104 story skyscrapers and any place else that a believer is to be found.  The arc will continue to ground.  Once it reaches ground it will dissipate per the laws of electricity.  There are no means of defense for this.  Every precaution, every safety measure fails with unimaginable devastation.

Any person caught in close enough of a proximity to each arc will be vaporized.  Those fortunate enough to be just outside the vaporization proximity will remain – if that’s what you want to call it.  What happens to their flesh is nothing less than the very worst of horror movies multiplied by a thousand.  Death will most likely be instantaneous – most likely.  For the few that should survive it will not be much of a life as they suffer from the most horrific of internal and external burns.  What limbs remain most likely will not function.  Those that are unfortunate enough to be caught in the grounding grid that each arc will create will fare little better.  For all that should survive the close encounter of a rapture arc will wish for death.

Only if they should once again seek the Christ they ultimately denied will the failed believer have any hope.  Though they went to church, prayed the prayers and sang the songs, they never found a full faith in the savior.  Only now they understand that half a faith was the same as no faith at all.

How many of our fallen believers shall find themselves upon their knees weeping and pleading to the Christ they never fully trusted – or believed?  Oh but if things could be different now.  If they could just go back, if they could have but one more chance.

Never again will they utter “I have faith in Christ, but. . . ”

What that simple word has cost them.  A simple three letter word is all that stood between them and this fate.  “I have faith in Christ, but he will not come for the church until they are purged”.  “I have faith in Christ, but there is no evidence in the Bible that we will be saved from the tribulation”.  “Christ can save his people, but not until after they have been refined”.  Now, there is one final “but” that they cannot shake.

“I believe in Christ, but not enough to step out in faith”.  “I believe in Christ, but what if I am wrong and he does not come back?”  “I believe in Christ, but what if 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 is wrong?”

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

“I believe in Christ, but what if people mock me for faith in the rapture?”

As each rapture arc rips through the monuments of our civilization these monuments shall fall.  No tall building that endures even one such arc can stand.  The heat alone that rips through the steel and conductive materials of the building will instantly super-heat every metallic surface.  Between the instantaneous melting of the complete steel skeleton of the building and the force of the arc going to ground through every wall, floor and structure in its path the building shall be instantly obliterated – along with anybody still alive inside.

Those in vehicles such as cars, trains and airplanes will be instantly annihilated as the vehicle likewise disintegrates.  Those that should be caught aboard large ships shall suffer a slower fate.  As believers are ripped from the ship it will burst into a cascade of fire and explosions.  If but a single believer should be taken from a ship the scene would be as that of war.  Let your mind harken back to the days of Nazi U-Boats patrolling the Atlantic and the single deadly torpedo strike.

Those that survive unto the sinking of the ship shall not be rescued.  There shall be few vessels of the sea that survive this onslaught – at least vessels that sail under the flag of any nation once deemed Christian.

Every great navy of the Western world shall perish in a single stroke. Every great city of the Western world shall fall.  Some shall be literally wiped from the face of the earth.

To the eye of the unbeliever these things shall resemble every image they ever imagined concerning the hostile advance of an alien civilization.  The single point in all the heavens by which this “assault upon all the earth” emerged will seem as though we have fallen under fury of an advanced intelligence.  Those alive upon the earth in the aftermath will see the dead in both Christian and non-Christian alike.

The abundance of the church that did not overcome and believers that scoffed at the promise of his return shall give weight to the denial of the rapture.  The bodies of dead believers that turned from Christ and lacked the full faith in his salvation confirm this deception.  However, in these days there shall be little that care of such things.  For in these days man will cry out simply to survive.  There shall be little thought of anything else upon the minds of surviving humanity.

Then there is the massive global earthquake.  There has never been a first resurrection of prophetic implication that has occurred absent an earthquake.  Upon the death and resurrection of Christ there was an earthquake.  Every instance of the first resurrection in the Book of Revelation has an earthquake.

This time, there are multiplied billions of believers literally ripped from the ground and from all places that their remains reside.  The release of energy at the atomic level is nearly beyond comprehension.  The force with which the nearly instantaneous release of electrons into the ground, sky and sea will force all the earth to tremble.  The very mountains shall be moved from their places.

The second wave will snatch and transform the living believers with a force of energy that dwarfs the first wave.  The effect will be no less than the total annihilation of the most Christian nations.  The semi-Christian nations of Western Europe will fair somewhat better as they will at least resemble their former selves.  They will be in ruins but they will survive – for now.  Their days are numbered and they shall be called into account soon enough.

The United States of America will cease to exist.  Her military will be virtually extinct due to the high concentrations of believers that fill her ranks.  Those that are not taken will suffer the same fates as the cities – save one exception:  they shall endure the net effect of the rapture arcs upon the many weapons of war in their possession.  That includes the complete and total devastation of the nuclear arsenal from the silo stored missiles to the ballistic missile attack subs.  Every nuclear reactor in the possession of the U.S. Navy shall share its radioactive offerings.  For that matter, nearly every civilian reactor shall do the same as well.

As large swaths of the United States are annihilated, what remains will struggle to restore civilization to the pockets of survivors in the many rural enclaves of the nation.  Those that manage to survive the cities will now rage for food and life.

Mexico, Central America and many parts of heavily Christianized South America will suffer similar fates as the U.S.  Canada will likewise suffer, though not to the degree of the other nations in the New World.  Her vast expanses of lightly populated wilderness will provide a possible short term refuge.

For all intents and purposes the New World is now extinct – from a practical world stage standpoint.  Much of Europe is now fallen.  While the nations of Western Europe suffer similar fates as the U.S., it will not be to the degree of the U.S.  The recent history of denying the Gospel of Christ has left Western Europe devoid of the strong body of believers it once possessed.  When this is combined with the willful disregard of the growing Islamic threat we have a powder keg the likes of which was never imagined.  More on this in a moment.

Russia and China fare far “better”.  While each contains a growing contingent of believers, it has never been to the compliment of Western Europe or the New World.  Both nations will be poised to recover quickly.

The continent of Africa will feel little effect from the rapture storm as the ratio of population to unpopulated areas is quite vast.  The more populous nations of North Africa will be somewhat effected as there are contingents of believers, yet they are not enough to amount to any substantial damage.

The Islamic nations of the Middle East will be virtually untouched by the rapture storm.  They will believe this to be a sign from Allah that their time has come.  They will proclaim the judgment of Allah upon the great Satan and all that stand with her.  Then, they shall turn their attentions to Israel very quickly.

Israel will sustain damage in the rapture.  It will not be the degree of the United States or Europe, but it will be quite enough to cripple them, especially militarily.  This too will be seen as a sign to the nations of Islam.  They will see that Israel is now truly alone.  The United States is no more and Western Europe holds no true military power now.  Russia will agree and China will turn aside from the scene to come.

In one swift stroke the armies of Islam come against an isolated and weakened Israel.  Whether or not this begins with the minor conflicts and prophecies of Isaiah I do not know.  As of this writing these minor conflict have not yet begun.  Damascus still stands, Jordan still possesses her kingdom and Egypt still remains neutral with Israel.  However, whether these are witnessed prior to the rapture or after the result will be the same – Ezekiel 38 and 39.

This conflict shall come very quickly upon Israel.  Very quickly it shall conclude with the supernatural annihilation of the armies of Allah that march on Jerusalem.  What happens next is straight from the pages of the worst horror books ever penned.

Wrought with humiliation for the failure of their beloved Allah to defeat the Jews and filled with a demonic rage, the adherents of Islam shall rise in murderous revolt.  Every nation upon the earth that allowed the tide of extremist Muslim terrorists to flow unchecked now reap the folly of their “tolerance”.

Those that believed in gun control as the policy of the “enlightened” are exterminated by an enemy that favors the blade as the instrument of conversion – though at first any weapon will do.  Across the whole of Western Europe the headless, burned and bullet riddled  corpses of those that did not bow before Allah shall litter the streets.  The blood shall never be washed away by human hands.  Multiplied millions of lifeless, headless bodies shall rot in the streets of the west.  There shall be no road not stained by the blood of those that resisted – not one.

Ironically, the only nation that shall offer any resistance is the shell once known as the United States of America.  The divine gift of the Second Amendment now comes to full blossom.  This shall start the tide of war in the lower 48 that shall run until the bitter end of sorrows.

Then shall the hearts of men fail.

So shall come the Antichrist and he shall offer security.

This is the nature of the things the Lord has shown to me.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

CHAPTER THREE

Order of Resurrections, Martyrdom’s and Judgements

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire – Revelation 20:15

Here is the order of the harvests, resurrections and judgments that will occur before, during and after the tribulation:

BEFORE THE TRIBULATION

1.  The Rapture – Feast of Trumpets / Great Assembly / Bridegroom comes for the Bride.

FIRST 42 MONTHS OF THE TRIBULATION

2.  The Counting of the Omer – the First Fruits of the Barley Harvest.

3.  The First Fruits of the Wheat Harvest – Pentecost.

4.  The BEMA Judgment – the Judgment Seat of Christ

THE SECOND 42 MONTHS OF THE TRIBULATION

5.  The Main Harvest of the Barley and Wheat

6.  The Grape Harvest

THE DAY OF THE LORD – THE SECOND COMING

7.  The Gleaning – Four Corner Harvest

8.  The Day of Atonement – Judgment of Nations

AFTER THE 1,000 YEAR REIGN

9.  The Great White Throne Judgment

In the resurrections, martyrdom’s and judgments are the fulfillment of three separate requirements of the Law of Moses:

1. The seven major feasts of Israel;

2. The appointed days of the feasts and the appointed days between the feasts;

3. The Law of First Fruits and the harvest cycle of Israel – especially the barley, wheat and grape harvests.

All three of these requirements are found in the death and resurrection of Christ.  He literally fulfilled the Feast of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits to the day required in the Law of Moses.  He fulfilled the appointed days between the feasts and fulfilled the first day of the barley harvest with his ascension to heaven on the day of his resurrection after Mary saw him at the tomb.

“Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father.”

This leaves the three fall feasts, the remaining 50 days of First Fruits (the counting of the Omer and the First Fruits of the wheat harvest), the main harvest of barley, wheat and grapes (confirmed in Revelation), the 10 Days of Awe and the gleaning, or the four corner harvest to be fulfilled.

The Rapture – Feast of Trumpets / Great Assembly:

This will be the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the catching away of the overcoming believers that look to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are two primary requirements for the rapture after salvation;

A. The believer must be an overcomer.

B. The believer must have faith in the promise of the coming of the Savior.

It takes no faith to believe in the rapture after the tribulation has begun.  Those believers that do not overcome (known today as backsliding in common conversation) nor believe the promise of his coming will not go in the rapture.  You cannot receive that which you will not believe in.  Even Jesus could perform no mighty miracles in Nazareth where there was no belief.

There is a solemn final warning to the fallen believer found within the pages of the Bible.  Do not forget to read “The Final Warning” – the last chapter of this book.

This is the fulfillment of the Great Assembly in ancient Israel that occurred every seven years.  In this particular assembly, both the High Priest and the King would be present.  The Golden Trump would be sounded once to awaken Israel and then again to call them to the Temple.

Unlike the other assemblies this would include all members of the family and not just the men.  It would include all of the wives and children also.

At this assembly the scroll would be passed from among the priests to the High Priest as they were not worthy to open it.  The High Priest would in turn hand the scroll to the King who alone was worthy.

This is the second day of the first fruits of Christ, as the dead in Christ complete their resurrection on this day and the living join the thief on the cross as those that had faith enough in Christ to trust him when there was no reason to do so.  Christ made the first wave offerings of First Fruits – those for priesthood, when he ascended to heaven on the day he arose from the grave.  He likewise completed the second wave offering – those for the people which started after the offering for the priests – when he presented the Old Testament saints that arose with him (and were seen walking in Jerusalem).  Now, with the rapture, we have the second days’ wave offerings (day two of the counting) made on behalf of the congregation, or the people.

The second day of the Feast of First Fruits is now complete and thus continues the counting of the Omer.

It should be noted that while parallels exist between the rapture and Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles, it will be the Feast of Trumpets that is fulfilled by the Rapture.  The best indication rests not within the picture of the Bridegroom coming for the Bride, rather in Jesus Christ himself convening the Great Assembly as both the High Priest and King.

This does not diminish the Ancient Jewish wedding apparent in the Feast of Trumpets.  Rather, it confirms the wedding aspect of the feast by providing an additional element to Trumpets.

*** Before we detail the coming martyrdom’s for Christ, it should be noted that in the first 42 months of the tribulation martyrdom is not just by beheading.  Martyrdom can come by any means – it must however come as a result of the acceptance of Christ.

Likewise, there is no evidence to suggest that believers are permitted to perish in any manner other than martyrdom during the seven years of the tribulation, or at any time from the rapture forward.  This is confirmed when we witness that God indeed controls the timing and manner of death as evidenced in Revelation 9:5-6 during the times of the tribulation.

It is only during the second 42 months that martyrdom is specifically tied to beheading, and it is done so under the authority and sanction of the Muslim world government of the Antichrist.

Daniel 11:36-39 shows us that the Antichrist will declare himself to be god.  However, we also see that he continues to honor the god that “his fathers knew not” and conquers the mightiest nations with the help of a “foreign god”.  When these four scriptures are analyzed it becomes clear that the Antichrist does not simply declare himself “God” – he declares himself to be Allah himself.

We will detail in a later section how the Antichrist not only stops the Jewish sacrifice at the Temple, but actually restarts them in his own honor.  He will sacrifice every manner of foul beast upon the altar of God.

This is a question that many have and it merited clarification.  All remaining scriptural references are listed at the conclusion of this section.***

The Counting of the Omer:

This is one of the least understood concepts laid out in the Law of Moses.  It requires that the first fruits of the barley harvest be presented for 48 additional days following the first day of the Feast of First Fruits.  Jesus Christ fulfilled the requirements of the Feast of First Fruits when he ascended to heaven between the time Mary saw him risen at the tomb and the next time he was seen at the conclusion of the Feast of Unleavened Bread several days later.  The Rapture is the completion of the second day of First Fruits as the dead in Christ were raised to completion (the process began with Christ and those that were seen walking in Jerusalem) and those that were alive and remain joined the thief on the cross as the embodiment of those that would come to accept Christ while they yet lived.  The Rapture is the continuation of the First Fruits offerings made on behalf of the congregation – which started when Jesus Christ presented the Old Testament saints to God.  It is the second day of the counting of the Omer.

Here is what the counting of the Omer requires for fulfillment:

During the first 42 months of the tribulation there will be many that are martyred by Islam for the witness of Jesus Christ.  It is important to note that these are not the same martyrs that fall for failing to take the mark of the beast.

These are believers that will find salvation during these days or they will be those that did not overcome and those that did not believe in the promise of his coming (believers that did not go in the rapture, and survive the rapture as well).

They will be harvested as part of the counting of the Omer during this time.  That means their spirits will be brought to heaven at the time of their death and they shall find themselves under the altar.  Here they will be given the whites robes made clean by their death.

Three days after they perish they shall be rejoined with their resurrected and perfected bodies and found now before the Throne of God in the company of just men made perfect.

During the counting of the Omer fresh sheathes of barley are brought before to the Temple, counted, prepared and offered before God.  Upon each single sheath the individual grains are counted and prepared, and the prepared offering is presented and waved before God.  Each grain represents a single believer, broken in the name of Christ.  The Israelites would make their way to Jerusalem during this time and the first fruits of their barley harvests would be offered as well.  This was a continuous daily process as millions of sheaths were offered before the Temple of God during the 49 days from First Fruits to Pentecost.

Believers that fall during this period will be harvested as they fall, and will have the benefit of the Holy Spirit to strengthen them at the time of their death.  They will need to give no thought as to what they will say as the Holy Spirit will give them utterance.

Their death as martyrs will serve as their final act of obedience to Jesus Christ.  Indeed, the term martyr actually means “judicial witness” in the original Greek.  Early church Fathers have written on how the martyrdom of born again believers served as the single greatest witness to Christ.

As it once was so shall it be once more.  Through their deaths they will possess a peace that defies all understanding.  Those that witness such things will be left with an indelible understanding that there is indeed something different with these “Christians”.

It should be understood that the resurrections that occur will not be noticed by a world that is dying.  Between the judgments of the Lamb that are being poured out upon the earth, and the absolute desecration of bodies of believers that occur at the hands of Islam it will be the last thing that crosses anybody’s mind.  The judgments of the Lamb will effectively mask the resurrection process of these saints – they will slip quietly from the places they fell into heaven one by one, sacrifice by sacrifice.

Most bodies of believers will be burned, dumped into mass graves or simply discarded into “trash heaps” where any attempts to retrieve them will find friends and family members on the receiving end of a “convert or die” demand.

These martyrdom’s will continue the length of the entire first 42 months of the tribulation.  They will last up until the appointed time, when the total number of saved martyrs are reached.  The last of these shall fall three days before the appointed Feast of Pentecost in the middle of the Tribulation, and presented before God on the day before Pentecost.  This fulfills the final day of the counting of the Omer as laid out in the Old Testament.

The three days from the time of death until the full resurrection and presentation to God, the martyrs undergo the same “process” which the wave offering of the barley would undergo.  To be acceptable as an offering before the Lord, the barley has to be cut down, beaten by a rod, winnowed in the air, subjected to fire (but not burned), run through 13 sifters until refined and pure, mixed with oil and then waved before before the Temple of God.  We can see the parallels here in both the life of believers that are raptured, and in the lives of those that are martyred in the first half of the tribulation.

It should be noted that while the end result is the same between the first fruits of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest – both become “bread” at the Temple to sustain the priesthood, and barley completes it preparation at the Temple of God itself.  Only after it is presented and accepted does the barely take its final form – bread.

However, for the first fruits of the wheat harvest – the 144,000 sealed Jews – they must complete their “processing” into bread before ever arriving at the Temple of God.  This is indicative of the refusal of Israel to accept Messiah (interesting when you stop and consider that this was written into the Law of Moses before Israel even occupied the promised land), and requiring a time of great trouble.  Indeed, even before the 144,000 Jews are sealed they must endure the seven seals first.  Likewise, they ride out the rest of the first half of the tribulation before being redeemed from the earth before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Also, in the section on the timing of the tribulation we get into specifics regarding the overall timing of these things.

One final note about believing the promise of the coming of the Lord.  There are many that believe in a mid-tribulation Rapture and a post-tribulation Rapture.  Unfortunately this is not enough to be accounted worthy for the Rapture.  You see, the Rapture is a reward for faith – not salvation.

The belief in a mid-trib or post-trib Rapture requires no faith as the tribulation itself gives witness and proof of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

It is akin to saying “I believe Jesus is coming, I’ll just believe it more when I see it”.  That is not faith.

“I believe in Jesus, but. . . ”

Faith is the essence of thing hoped for, the things not seen.  It takes faith to speak of the promise of the coming of Christ when everyday continues as it did the day before.  It takes faith to speak of the return of Christ when it seems there is no reason to do so.

“Where is the promise of his coming?  All things are as they were in the days of our fathers”.

If you cannot be trusted to speak of Christ when faith is required then you cannot inherit the reward for faith.  If you cannot bring yourself to speak of the coming of Christ when others think you a fool to do so then you shall be cast to outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.  The outer darkness is a double reference – it speaks of hell as weeping and gnashing of teeth are mentioned.  It also speaks of the darkness of being cast into the tribulation where – knowing what has happened – you shall surely weep and gnash your teeth for your foolishness.  It is a reference to the great celebrations and the ancient Jewish weddings held at night.  It is also a reference to the dungeons and Roman prisons that were also known for their utter darkness, misery and loneliness.

On the appointed Feast of Pentecost the First Fruits of the Wheat Harvest are presented.

Note:  There is circumstantial evidence which shows that the believers taken in the rapture may fulfill part of their role as the kingdom of priests and present the “wave offering” of martyrs for which they are directly connected to as the counting of the Omer progresses.

The First Fruits of the Wheat Harvest – Feast of Pentecost:

This will be the 144,000 sealed Jews.  They will be caught away to heaven either with the two witnesses or shortly before or after.

There is strong evidence to suggest that their “Rapture” may follow a period of 40 days of ministry to Israel.  In this scenario they would remain 40 days after the two witnesses are caught up to heaven which occurs three days after their death.

Their catching away to heaven will occur on the appointed Feast of Pentecost thereby fulfilling the First Fruits of the Wheat Harvest as set forth by the Old Testament.  We discuss the timing for this in greater detail in the section on the timing of the tribulation.

This completes the appointed days of the spring feasts as set down by the Law of Moses.

At this time the Holy Spirit is withdrawn and the Abomination of Desolation comes forth.  The days of salvation through the Holy Spirit are now complete.  There remains not one soul on earth that has found salvation during the dispensation of grace.  So begins the 1,335 days and the 1,290 days of Daniel.

The appointed number of believers has come.  Now shall come the wrath of God and the vengeance of the blood of the slain.

The BEMA – The Judgment Seat of Christ:

Once the two witnesses and the 144,000 sealed Jews are called to heaven the BEMA will occur.

The Judgment Seat of Christ is the primary judgment for those that accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.  It marks the end of the dispensation of grace as now salvation can only be achieved through the gut wrenching efforts to resist the Antichrist.

Present at this judgment will be:

1. The Old Testament saints. — These are those that were born and died under the Old Covenant or the Old Testament.  Upon their deaths they went to a chamber under the earth called Abraham’s Bosom where they were kept from the fires of Hell and resided free from the torment that was found in the fires that burn with brimstone.  They were free from the torment, but they had full knowledge of what awaited those that would not devote every waking day to the keeping of the Law of Moses.

Here they remained, awaiting Christ to come for them.  For three days and three nights Christ came and preached the Gospel of salvation for these saints.  As it is with us so it was with them.

While I cannot say for absolute certainty, I suspect that not one OT saint found in Abraham’s Bosom listened to the words of Christ, glanced over to the fires of hell and decided hell was the better route to go.

It was these saints – or a portion of them – that were seen walking the streets of Jerusalem the day that Jesus rose from the grave and ascended to heaven to complete the cleansing of the heavenly Temple.

2. The dead in Christ – those that died having accepted Christ while they yet lived.

No great mystery here – these are they that came to salvation and passed into eternity under the New Covenant or New Testament.  At the time of their passing they joined the Old Testament saints under the altar (the same altar seen in Revelation 6:9) if all of the OT saints were not raised with Christ and presented before God on First Fruits.

The location of paradise is where the souls of the saved dead reside until their resurrection at the rapture.  They represent the bulk of those that are taken in the rapture and are the primary business of the rapture as the first resurrection, or the resurrection of the First Born.  Under the altar is the location for saved souls.  It is only after you have a resurrected and perfected body that you can come before the Throne of God.  The saved soul is saved, but a perfected state comes only after the resurrection and perfection of the body.

Only then can the saints be seen standing before the Throne of God.

3. Those that are alive and remain.  — These are the living believers that have salvation and overcame for Christ.  Also, these are the believers that had the full faith in salvation – even unto the promise of his coming.  They contended for the faith every day and spoke of Christ and his coming when others mocked them.

They had an understanding that was absent from those that turned their backs and those that would not believe the promise of His coming.  They understood that to have faith in Christ as the Son of God was to have faith enough not to say “but”.  They never uttered the words “I believe in Christ, but. . . ”  To them, Christ is indeed God, with all power in heaven and earth.  As their living Savior, their hearts and minds never filled with the doubt of the scoffers.  Their minds never beheld such a thought as “I know people believe in the rapture and there are scriptures that look that way, but what if they are wrong?”

These Raptured believers never doubted the power and integrity of Jesus Christ.  If He said He would return and save them, then by God’s name that is what He meant.

Ironically, when you read through the scriptures and see the more correct translations from the original Greek, it becomes evident that those living believers are more of a “minor” business when the Rapture occurs.  That is, they are an exception to the resurrections simply by being alive when the time came.  They are not minor business to Christ, rather, the resurrections are the primary order of business.

4. The martyrs for Christ from the first 42 months of the tribulation.  —  This includes any believers that were left behind (and survived the rapture) and turned back to Christ.  While they are martyrs for Christ, they are not the beheaded martyrs that come from refusing the mark of the beast.  Many will have been beheaded, but martyrdom in the first 42 months can come by any means – just that it must be the witness for Christ that brings death.  Given the Islamic fondness for beheading I suspect that most will have been beheaded though.

These martyrs will continue to file into paradise under the altar during the entire first 42 months as they are killed.

5. The 144,000 sealed Jews.  —  Either at the time of the rapture of the two witnesses or shortly thereafter the sealed Jews will likewise be raptured to heaven.

Revelation 14:13 -  And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

At the Judgment Seat of Christ we are given the rewards for the works of our hands for the cause of Christ.  There is no sin judgment as our sins are forgiven, but the evidence of our salvation is our work for the kingdom.  Remember, faith without works is dead.

At the judgment the books of your works are presented before the Throne of Christ.  They are consumed by fire and that which remains determines the rewards you shall receive.  When the fire has ceased your works will have been as either wood, hay and stubble if they were not true, or gold, silver and precious gems if they endure.

Once your works are laid bare they are presented for reward.

Those that received the word of God and it’s preaching are rewarded.

Those that received a righteous man of God are rewarded.

Those that served those in greatest need (a cup of water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, etc.) are rewarded.

Then shall the crowns be awarded for all other works for the Kingdom of Christ:

The Incorruptible Crown – given to those that live each day for Christ and endured to the end.  No matter how small the task the righteous completed it with joy.  When they were tired they prayed, when they hurt they went to the nursing home.  When life was bearing down on them they studied and prepared.

The Crown of Rejoicing – given to those that win souls to Christ.

The Crown of Life – this crown is given to the overcomer, those that overcame the world, the flesh and the devil.  They battled addictions, weaknesses and the assaults of the enemy and moved forward.  those that die the martyrs death receive this crown.  Those that stand faithful in severe persecution receive this crown.

The Crown of Glory – given to those that minister and tend the flock.  Those that are called to ministry and faithfully tend to their congregations receive this crown.

The Crown of Righteousness – given to those that looked to the promise of his coming and lived the appearing of the Lord.  Those that lived everyday in a righteous manner knowing that the master of the house should return at any moment shall receive this crown.

Revelation 3:11 - Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Those that are called by the Lord to serve and do not shall lose their crown for such.  That which was set aside for you shall be given to another that takes up your calling.

The main harvest of the barley and wheat (completed together in ancient Israel):

After the completion of First Fruits the primary harvest of the barley and wheat begins.  During this harvest, the wheat and barley are reaped and gathered for processing at the store house.  Here the grains are processed and prepared for use (barley by winnowing and wheat by threshing).

This occurs throughout the entire harvest season.  In ancient Israel, the barley harvest started before the wheat harvest, but the two came close enough together that they were generally completed at the same time.  Also, it should be noted that the difference between the barley and wheat offered at First Fruits is that those were the first grains to ripen.  The rest of the field was not yet ready and would require more time in the field to be harvest ready.

All but the four corners of the field are harvested.  Those are to remain for the homeless, poor and the hungry to glean from.

In this harvest the barley represents the gentiles (non-Jews) that come to Christ and the wheat represents Jews that come to Christ.

“Blessed is he that dies in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ from now on”.

From the Abomination of Desolation forward there will be no Holy Spirit to strengthen those that would perish for the witness of Jesus Christ.  They must now do so absent any supernatural help.

In other words – they must live for Christ Old Testament style.  They will not be found as believers until the very last day of their lives or until the day that Christ returns.  This is for one reason alone – until that day they can always fail.

Without the Holy Spirit it will be nearly impossible to stand for Christ as your life is being called for.  It was the Holy Spirit that made our first century church such strong witnesses.  It was the Holy Spirit that made the believers from the first 42 months such a strong witnesses.

For this reason their judgment before Christ will not be as it was at the BEMA.  They will have no books of deeds done for Christ as believers.  They will have but a singular determination made on their behalf – to the right or to the left.

As these few believers fall they shall obtain rest but shall not be resurrected until the gleaning at the end.

The Grape Harvest:

This is the great winepress of the wrath of God.  This harvest is simple – to harvest grapes they must be cut from the vine and crushed.  The juice of the grape is called wine while it is still in the grape and it is also the blood of the grape.

The body of the grape is crushed and every last drop of blood runs from the broken corpse.

The overwhelming majority of those still alive at this time will fall to the grape harvest as the Holy Spirit is no longer present to strengthen those that should resist for the name of Christ.

Those harvested during the grape harvest shall remain dead until the time of the Great White Throne Judgment.  Their spirits shall fall into Hell while they await formal sentencing before the Throne of God.  Whatever torment they find in Hell will pale in comparison to what awaits them in the Lake of Fire.

On an interesting note, while the Bible does not call for the first fruits of the grapes to be brought in the Book of Revelation, the first fruits of the fruit of the trees are gathered on the fourth year that the tree bears fruit.  Only after this first fruits harvest can the rest of the fruit be harvested and eaten.  It is at about year four that the grape harvest is called in heaven.

The grape harvest is completed in time for the Day of Atonement.

The Gleaning – Four Corner Harvest:

At the conclusion of the harvest season the four corners are gleaned.

We should make a note of something here.  Part of the coming judgment of the nations will revolve around the reason for the gleaning.

When the Law of Moses commanded that the four corners of the field be left it was for those that were homeless, hungry and poor.  It was for those that had nothing to go and find sustenance.  Indeed we find this very premise in the tribulation.

Revelation 16:15;

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

We have seen this before in Matthew 24 and 25.  We see the same conversation in Mark 13:33-37 also.  In these two conversations we see a specific admonition.  When the Lord Jesus speaks in Revelation 16:15 he is taking us back to a specific conversation that he had with the disciples.  In that conversation he remarks that he is coming as a thief and outlines that there are differences between believers.  This is important as it is a warning for those that would not watch for his coming or believe, but it is something more as well.

In Matthew the Lord then speaks of the coming judgment of nations.  He talks of those that gave food and water in his name.  He speaks of those that were kind to strangers in his name.  Here in Matthew 25 we see a warning for those that should find themselves alive at the judgment of nations:

Though doing so will mean your death do not deny kindness to others during such harsh times.  Furthermore, do not deny Jesus Christ in such kindness or he shall deny you.

The Lord is reminding those that remain that they themselves are the four corners.  They are the harvest for those that hunger.  If a believer in Christ is to withstand unto the end and secure salvation they must be willing to be consumed for the cause of Christ.  Should they turn others away they shall surely perish.  Should they help others yet deny the name of Christ in doing so they shall surely perish.

Upon the return of the Lord the angels of heaven are dispatched to the four corners of the earth to gather the elect – both living and dead (all that died or stood ready to die for the witness of Christ in the second 42 months of the tribulation).  Likewise, all living unrighteous not found at the battle of Armageddon are gathered likewise.

This is the final harvest or the four corner harvest.  It is done for barley, wheat and grapes.  This harvest may hold another “grain of wheat” – the Jew that resisted the Antichrist in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  These Jews would be given the chance to accept Christ as they remained faithful to their covenant with God and were ready to die for it.

The Day of Atonement – Judgment of Nations:

This occurs on the chronological Day of Atonement in the ninth year after the rapture occurs thus fulfilling the 10 Days of Awe, or the eight days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement recorded in the Law of Moses – for the total of ten days from Trumpets to Atonement.  Stated differently, the rapture (Feast of Trumpets) is the first day, or day one.  The Judgment of Nations (Day of Atonement, Second Coming) is the tenth day, or day ten.  The seven years of the tribulation fills in the remaining eight days between the two feasts.

It should be noted that the first day of the Ten Days of Awe occurred prior to, and upon the Rapture.  As it is on earth so shall it be in heaven.  What this tells us is that the seven major feast days are also celebrated in Heaven.  This is further evidenced by the events that occur at the heavenly Temple during the tribulation and the Trump of God being sounded to gather the Assembly.  At the given time on the appointed feast day the first trump would be sounded to awaken Israel and prepare them to assemble.  At the last trump the congregation would assemble and enter the Temple.

The timing of the tribulation is covered in greater detail in the “Time, Times and a Dividing of Times” chapter.

As it is the Trump of God that sounds to announce the Great Assembly it must likewise be sounded according to the Law of God.  It is sounded on the appointed feast day to call the congregation to the Holy Temple of God in Heaven.

After the four corner harvest is complete all shall be gathered in the Valley of Jehoshaphat to the judgment of the nations.  Once there, those that died in Christ during the second 42 months of the tribulation, those that lived yet refused the mark of the beast (by this time the only reason you would have to do so is a healthy fear of the Lord given what it would have cost you) and those that were not destroyed at the battle of Armageddon yet wear the mark shall be judged.

Those that were righteous unto the death or the end of things shall be separated to the right hand of Christ.  Those that were not to the left hand of Christ.

Those on the left are destroyed.  Those on the right enter the 1,000 year reign of Christ.

Those that were martyred during the second 42 months now receive their robes of white and already possess perfected bodies from when they were harvested in the gleaning.  They now take their place with their fellow martyrs and the Bride of Christ to rule and reign for the next 1,000 years.

Those that endured until the end shall walk into the 1,000 year reign as those that should live and die as human beings.  They will repopulate the earth and shall find favor with God.  They shall be strengthened and they shall know true peace.  This generation shall never turn from God.

The Great White Throne Judgment:

This shall be the final judgment upon creation.  It is here that everyone born of the survivors of the tribulation will be judged before God.  It occurs after the 1,000 year reign of Christ.

It is here that the unrighteous dead shall be called forth from Hell to stand judgment and formal sentencing.

All that have not been found to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (BEMA) or the Judgment of Nations shall be judged here.  This will include all of the Angels of Heaven – both fallen and redeemed (not redeemed in the sense that man is redeemed, rather made innocent once more as even the angels that did not rebel against God were subject to the knowledge of sin after Lucifer fell).

For the living that remain their names will most likely be found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life as they are still living and did not fall during the short season that Satan was loosed.

All others will not be found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and will be cast alive into the Lake of Fire.

This concludes the resurrections and judgments.

As we list the scriptures for this study, it is important to understand that this list is by no means conclusive.  The subject of the resurrections, martyrdom’s and judgments are the key to understanding the plan of redemption and the end times.  The entire unfolding of prophecy revolves around the harvest cycles of Israel and their part in the Law of Moses and the feast days.

This subject requires an in depth word study and continuous studies regarding the Jewish roots of our faith.  In the subject of the resurrections, martyrdom’s and judgments resides the last of the mysteries of God.  This is a study that cannot be taken lightly nor explained in one or two scriptures.

If you are to engage in a study of this subject it must be done with unceasing prayer and a willingness to unlearn that which you have learned if necessary.  I approached this subject with a genuine desire in my heart to know the truth – regardless of whether or not I “agreed” with it.  So it must be with you also.  If you undertake this study in an effort to support a preconceived position you will fail in your efforts.

I have endeavored to present most of the scriptures I turned to for this study in the list below.  However, I cannot say with complete surety that I did not unintentionally omit scripture from this list.

The study of the Bible cannot be successful without earnest prayer.  Of all of the subjects contained in the scriptures the resurrections, martyrdom’s and judgments are the key to unlocking everything and among the most rewarding subjects to study.

Outside the plan of salvation there is no greater body of God’s insight than this.

Remember this – line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little.

Here is the listing of scriptural references for the resurrections, martyrdom’s and judgments:

- Leviticus 23:5-6, 10, 16, 24, 27 and 34.

- Deuteronomy 11:14

- Colossians 2:16-17

- Exodus 12:22, 19:10-20, 23:16-17, 34:18 -22 and 24-25

- Psalms 47:5, 81:3, chapter 118

- John 7:37, 14:2

- Matthew chapter 13:30, 17, 24:8 and 31, 29-36, 25:10

- Revelation chapter 2:19, 3:7-11, 4:1 and 4, 6:9-11, 7:1-3, 5-8 and 14-15, 9:20, 11:15 and 18, 12:17, 14:1, 14 and 19, 16:9-11, 19:12, 14-15, 20-21, 20:2-4 and 6

- Acts 2:2

- 1 Corinthians 3:5-8, 4:5, 6:2, 9:24-25, 15:51-52

- 2 Corinthians 5:10

- Romans 2:26, 14:10-12

- 1 Timothy 5:24-25, 6:18-19

- 2 Timothy 4:1, 8, 14

- Ephesians 2:8-9

- Isaiah 13:9-11, 26:17-21, 27:31, 63:3

- 1 Thessalonians 2:9 and 19-20, 4:16

- James 1:12

- 1 Peter 5:4

- Proverbs 6:17

- Genesis 7:16

- Joshua 2:19

- Leviticus 19:10, 23:42-43, 25:3-4

- Numbers 10:4

- Deuteronomy 24:19-21

- Daniel chapter 12 (1-2)

- Zechariah 14:4

- Hosea 6:1-3

- Mark 13:27

- Joel 3:2, 12

- Obediah 1:21

- Micah 4:3

CHAPTER FOUR

The Characteristics of The Antichrist

And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all – Daniel 11:36-37

Here are the primary characteristics of the Antichrist as he rises, assumes and loses power:

1.  He will rise (this does not mean he is born of these ten nations) from a ten nation Islamic alliance.  He will eventually overtake three of the ten leaders including Egypt and Libya.

He will be great in the lands south and east of Israel, right up to the very borders of Israel.  Initially this will consist of the territory of ancient Babylon.  This includes Iraq and Northern Saudi Arabia.

Eventually it will include all of the Islamic nations of the Middle East.  He will sit atop a revived Babylonian Empire that will consist first of territories of Alexander the Great – then all of Europe and the west will fall. Then the world shall fall to him and the forces of Islam.

2.  He will be a leader of bold action and shall comprehend the nature of the most daunting problems and mysteries that stand before him.  He will possess an acumen that is second to none.  His intellect will be reminiscent of Adolph Hitler in the early years of his rise to power and initial conquest of Europe.

He shall destroy many men of war and many saints of God.  His war of conquest shall begin without warning.  This includes the manipulations and devious designs that occur behind the scenes as he secretly moves the world to war.  He shall ride to the rescue of the world from a war that he alone bears full responsibility.

3.  He shall flatter and conjure his way into the power he seeks.  He will not be of royal birth nor hold station in the lands he seeks to rule, yet he will be acceptable to the lands that fall to him, the lands of Islam.

- He will, however, already hold a station upon the world’s stage that opens the door to his secret designs.

- He will be a contemptible man.

- His initial rise to power is built upon lies.  He does not come “seeking power” – rather he will come to serve.  His power shall be bestowed upon him by the leaders of the Islamic world.

- He shall promise Islam all it desires.  After he manipulates the armies of an Islamic coalition into the failed war of Gog / Magog from behind closed doors he will secretly promise that which they desire most – Jerusalem.

- From the very outset he shall deal lies at every turn.

4.  He gains his power at the hands of radical Muslims – at the hands of the smallest collection of supporters.  Yet they shall seize the reigns of all Islam.

5.  His heart shall know no bounds to its desires.  He shall engage in every activity that his mind conjures.

6.  He shall raise himself above all the gods of this world.

He shall raise himself above the God of gods and sit upon a throne in the Temple.

- He shall honor a “new” god – a god that did not exist in the times of the Bible.  It shall be a god of war and violence.  It shall be a god foreign to Israel at the writing of the Bible.

- It is a god with little regard for women.

- It is a god for which the Antichrist will abandon the God of his “homeland” – the God of his “given” heritage.

- Yet it is a god for which Israel is now all too well acquainted.  It is Allah.

7.  He shall conquer in the name of Allah and by the sword of Islam.  Yet, the day will come that he shall declare himself as Allah incarnate.

- He shall set himself above the Most High God.

- He will become the loathed branch, the false god of an apostate church, an apostate world, serving an apostate religion.

So concludes the core characteristics of the Antichrist.

Scriptural references for the core characteristics of the Antichrist:

- Daniel 2:31-45; 7:23-26; 8:9-13; 8:23-25; 9:26-27; 11:21-45.

- 2 Thessalonians 2:4

- Isaiah 14:24-26

- Zechariah 1:18-21

- Matthew 24:15

- Mark 13:9-14

- 1 Thessalonians 5:3

- 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9

- Revelation 13:1-10; 17:6-13; 16-17

CHAPTER FIVE

The Exploits and Calling of The Two Witnesses

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months – Revelation 11:2

1.  They will appear in Jerusalem on the day that the seven year treaty is signed or shortly thereafter.

2.  They will be given a three part calling from God:

(a) Prophecy against the enemies of God, Israel and Jesus Christ and declare the judgments of Revelation (seals, trumpets, vials and bowls) as they are prepared to be unleashed upon the earth.

(b) Train the sealed 144,000 Jews in the admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(c) Rebuild the Jewish Temple.

3.  They will be granted 1,260 days to accomplish their tasks.

4.  At the end of the 1,260 days the Antichrist will invade Israel, advance on Jerusalem and kill the two witnesses.

5.  The world will rejoice at their deaths.

(a) Their bodies will lay in the streets for three days and shall not be buried.

(b) People will give gifts and celebrate the death of the witnesses as though a holiday.

(c) After the three days are finished the witnesses shall be raised from the dead.

(d) The world will tremble for fear at this.

(e) God shall sound the call “Come Up Here” and the witnesses are raptured to heaven.

(f) An earthquake strikes Jerusalem and a tenth of the city falls.

(g) 7,000 people perish in the earthquake.

It is important to understand why the world rejoices at the death of the two witnesses.  When the seven year treaty is signed Israel effectively gives up the right to build a Jewish Temple and the rights to the Temple Mount.  They do this in exchange for the safety promised by the Antichrist.  They do this to gain seven years of peace from Islamic terrorists that vowed to destroy Israel if it takes every last man, women and child to do so.

The witnesses appear and command the building of the Temple.  They are given the Signet Ring of Zerubbabel and the full authority of God to build the Temple and strike all that rise against them.  This signet grants them the full authority of the King of kings and places them second only to God.

From the start both radical Muslims and secular Jews will come against the two witnesses to stop them.  They will fail and perish to the man.  Here are the plagues that the witnesses have the power and authority to bring during the 1,260 days they are decreed to their calling:

1.  Fire comes from their mouths and consumes all that come against them.  All that should come against them are killed.

2.  They can shut the heavens and take the rain from every land upon the earth.

3.  They can turn the waters to blood.

4.  They can strike the earth with every manner of plague that they so desire.  They can do this as often as they should choose.

These plagues are in addition to those that are released from heaven.  Let there be no misunderstanding – the witnesses exercise their judgments on top of the plagues released from heaven.  They will rain such destruction upon the earth that they shall be hated of all nations.

When their tasks are complete the Third Temple will stand upon the Temple Mount along with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.  The sacrifices will be restored and resume under the command of the two witnesses.

The actions of the two witnesses will completely destabilize the treaty, the region and the world.  The only reason that Israel makes it 42 months without a major war is that the Israeli government will be powerless to stop the witnesses.

The dedication of the Temple and the restoration of the sacrifices becomes the “greatest threat” to global peace – a peace that does not actually exist but serves the purposes of the Antichrist.  He shall use this “crisis” to justify the invasion of Israel.

The Antichrist will invade Jerusalem and do what no one else has been able to do – kill the witnesses.  This will be the first of three miracles that brings the apostate Pope of a dead Roman Catholic Church to declare the Antichrist as God and deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He shall declare Islam as the one true religion and surrender the west to the Antichrist.

Here are the three miracles of the Antichrist:

1.  He kills the two witnesses.

2.  He “raises” the two witness from the dead and “ascends” them to heaven for the “sake of peace” (he does not actually perform this deed – rather he claims the credit and the world shall believe him).

3.  He steps foot inside the Holy of Holies and lives to talk about it.

One final note on the two witnesses.  There have been many discussions as to the identity of the two witnesses.  We know that one of the two witnesses will be Elijah.  We are told in Malachi 4:5 that Elijah would come before the great and awesome day of the Lord.  We know also that he is to restore all things.  We know also that Elijah was raptured by God and has not yet died.

Though John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah he roundly denied that he was the fulfillment of the return of Elijah prophesied 400 years earlier.

The second witness will be Enoch.  Enoch walked with God and was raptured as was Elijah for the purposes of God during the end times.  These are the only two human beings that have never tasted death – a distinction that can fall only to the last remaining generation left when the Lord returns.  All other men must die first before the judgment.

There is another important aspect to Elijah and Enoch – in these two are both Jew and Gentile.  This is important for a myriad of reasons, but I shall mention one reason that gets the least attention it seems.  In the two witnesses are the spirit of Joshua the High Priest and Zerubbabel the Governor of Judah.  In these two reside the Jewish and Gentile authority present at the restoration of the Temple of Solomon and the restoration of Israel.

Here are the scriptural references establishing the two witnesses and their authority:

- Revelation 11:1-14

- Zechariah 4:1-14

- Haggai 2:20-23

- Esther 3:1-2; 8:1-2; 8:7-8, 10, 15; 10:1-3

- Malachi 4:5

- 2 Kings 2:9-12

- Genesis 5:24

- 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

CHAPTER SIX

The Order of Events Before The Tribulation

Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: and I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel – Ezekiel 39:1-2

This is the order of events before the tribulation:

1.  The rapture.

2.  War with Israel.

- The minor conflicts (if they have not occurred prior to the rapture):

- Psalms 83, Isaiah chapters 13 through 21, Zechariah chapters 12 through 14.

Some of these minor conflicts will most likely occur prior to the rapture.  They will most likely set the stage for what transpires after the rapture ravages the earth. The Bible does not set the specific timing, other than these events are end times prophecy.

- War of Gog / Magog:  Ezekiel 38 and 39.

This is a full nuclear, biological and chemical war.  This war will brings the next two plagues.  Israel will experience a miraculous victory.

The Islamic armies suffer an 83 percent casualty rate.  Collapse of what remains of European and western economies.  Russia and China sustain economic damage but to a lesser degree.

This is the opening of the first seal in Revelation 6:1 and the second seal at Revelation 6:3.

3.  The Muslim controlled economies remain strong.

4.  Global famines and food shortages.

Inflation skyrockets across the globe as single meals cost an entire day’s wages.  Crops requiring pollination by bees fail as the bee population falls.  Olive trees and grape vineyards remain unaffected.

This is the opening of the third seal at Revelation 6:5.

5.  After the defeat of Islam at the hands of Israel, Muslims worldwide revolt.  Hundreds of millions of Muslims set upon anyone they deem as enemy.  The death toll in Europe, North America and South America reach levels never before seen in all of world history.  They will force conversion on all that they encounter.  Those that fail to convert are executed.

This is the opening of the fourth seal at Revelation 6:7.

6.   What food supplies that remain fall victim to plague and disease.  The global supply of meat reaches a level of contamination that kills multiplied millions.  This adds to the millions that perish from the outright famine that began with the wars in Israel.

7.  In a matter of a few short months – if not less – one quarter (2.5 billion) of the world’s population has been exterminated from the combined effects of the six prior calamities.

Likewise, this brings the opening of the fifth seal at Revelation 6:9 and the counting of the Omer for the martyrs of Christ.

8.  Emergency meetings are convened to broker peace between Israel and her enemies.

- Israel sits poised to strike the heart of Mecca after retaking her Biblical borders.

- Islamic states vow to terrorize Israel in retaliation for the humiliating defeat.  They vow to strike Israel with every last man, woman and child that bows before Allah.  Secular Jews stand ready to deal to make the conflicts stop.

- They will capitulate to a two-state solution, including Jerusalem.  The Israeli government gives up Temple plans.

- Israel will surrender much of its military power in a show of “faith”.

9.  A seven year peace accord emerges quickly at the hands of a politician that is hailed as the “man that saved the world” and the man that “restored peace”.

- This politician was the secret catalyst for the wars that occurred in the first place.

- It was this politician that manipulated the Muslim nations into war.  It is this politician that now promises these same Muslim nations victory.  For their loyalty he vows to conquer Israel and capture Jerusalem.  Our politician is a secret Muslim.

10.  On what will be hailed as the dawn of a new order the peace accord will be signed.

11.  After the last signature is set to the covenant a great global earthquake erupts.  Also, the sun will darken in an eclipse of Biblical proportions.  There shall be a moon of blood red and stars shall fall in the sky.

12.  The earthquake is so massive that every mountain upon earth and island in the seas shall be moved.

13.  Terror from these events of nature spreads globally.  Across the planet mankind takes to underground shelters and bunkers for fear of the things to come.

This is the opening of the sixth seal at Revelation 6:12.

Up until this point Christians have been warning anybody that would listen.  Left behind Christians realized almost immediately that the rapture had occurred.

They have been denounced at every turn for warnings against the seven year treaty.  They warned of the politician that brought the treaty and the tribulation.  They spoke even as they were hunted down and murdered for their faith.  They warned of the coming wrath of Jesus Christ if the treaty was signed.  They spoke so loudly that none could escape their words.

The death toll and destruction from the combined natural disasters brings mankind to admit that which the Christians spoke – that the wrath of Jesus Christ is now at hand.

It is a revelation that many will turn their backs upon soon enough – to the eternal loss of their souls.

So begins the wrath of the Lamb – the first 42 months of the tribulation.

Here is the listing of scriptural references:

- Matthew 24:36-51 and 25:1-30

- Mark 13:32-37

- Luke 17:24-37

- 1 Corinthians 15:23-26

- 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

- Revelations 4:1 and 6:1-17

- Zechariah 1:7-10, 3:1-8, 6:1-8 and 14:12-15

- Haggai 2:6-9 and 2:21-23

- Joel 2:1-11, 2:15-17, 2:20, 2:30-32 and 3:14-15

- Daniel 2:41-43, 7:20, 23, 8:9, 23-25, 9:27 and 11:21-23

- Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39

- Psalms 83

- Isaiah 2:19-21 and chapters 13 through 21

- Exodus 19:15-20

CHAPTER SEVEN

Order of Judgements in the First 42 Months of The Tribulation

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth – Revelation 6:8

Here is the order of judgments that befall the earth in the first 42 months of the tribulation:

1.  A global storm of hail mixed with fire and blood.  One third of the earth burns.  One third of all vegetation on earth burns up.

2.  A super volcano erupts sending fire and death into the oceans of the world.  One third of all sea life and global shipping is destroyed.

3.  A meteor strike on the largest freshwater supplies on earth contaminates one third of all drinking water.  The casualties are in the multiplied million from the poisoned waters.

4.  Darkness descends upon the sun, moon and stars.  All natural light is dimmed by one third.  The earth loses one third of all daylight hours also.  Night falls a full one third darker to the point that the whole earth descends into total blackness of night absent artificial light sources.

5.  A second meteor strike in the Middle East opens a great crater in the earth.  The smoke rises in such volume as to blot out the sun.

6.  From this pit rises what the Bible describes as locust type creatures.  There is debate on what these creatures actually are, but no debate as to what they do.

They shall torment all upon the earth that does not have the seal of God upon their forehead.  The torment is describes as the torment of the scorpion sting.   This torment will be so grievous that those that suffer will beg for death.  Many will attempt suicide.

Not one shall be permitted to die.  They will be forced to endure this torment for five full months.

Only those that have trusted upon the name of Jesus Christ for salvation shall escape this plague including the 144,000 sealed Jews (more on them later).  Only those having the Holy Spirit dwelling within them can bear the seal of God, and the Holy Spirit comes only by the salvation of Jesus Christ.

*** This is the first of several tactical judgments that will serve to provide freedom of movement to the believers in Christ.  It will present five months of reprieve where believers can replenish their supplies and make preparations for the days to come absent interference. ***

7.  The release of 200,000,000 demonic spirits that exterminate one third of the remaining population of the world through three plagues of smoke, fire and sulfur.

So concludes the plagues of the first 42 months of the tribulation.

These plagues will run the course of the first 42 months of the tribulation.  They will vary in length with the five months of torment being the only specific duration given.

The vast majority of those that survive these plagues do not turn to God – they turn from him.  So much so that the Bible declares that the rest on mankind turns from God and turns to utter wickedness.

These plagues do not include any judgments brought upon the earth by the two witnesses in Jerusalem.  Make no mistake – the judgments released by the witnesses will utterly intensify the net effect of these judgments.

Here are the scriptural references of the plagues of the first 42 months of the tribulation:

- Revelation chapter 8; 9 and concluding in chapter 11.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Order of Judgements in the Second 42 Months of The Tribulation

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six – Revelation 13:18

Order of judgments that befall the earth in the second 42 months of the tribulation:

1.  The destruction of Rome and what remains of the Roman Catholic Church.  The great cathedrals shall be sacked, all that the church possessed shall be plundered and Rome herself shall be burned to the ground.

All that cling to Catholicism shall be forced to fall prostrate before Islam and convert.  This occurs after the Pope denies Christ as the Son of God and converts to Islam.

2.  The capitol of a revived Babylonian Empire shall be annihilated in one day.  This shall be in Iraq in the vicinity of Baghdad.  All economic systems that still exist upon the earth will now fail as they are all tied to this Muslim Empire.  All world commerce shall fall.  All methods of currency and fiscal instruments fail.

The entire world shall wail as their wealth evaporates in an instant.

The world as we know it no longer exists.  It is the very worst nightmare that mankind has ever envisioned.  All the world has descended into the 7th level of hell and the worst is yet to come.  Viable and functioning government no longer exists.  In its place is an existence of death and slavery that threatens to exterminate every last man, woman and child on earth.

The world has become hell on earth.

3.  The entire planet falls under the heel of the Antichrist now indwelt by Satan himself.  All shall be required to wear the mark of Allah upon the foreheads or right hands to simply eat.  Absent this mark there is NO sustenance.  There will be no economic activity in this new world order of death without conversion to Islam and the mark of Allah.

Those that refuse the mark and refuse to convert are beheaded as Muslim forces of the Antichrist scour the four corners of the globe bent upon death.

If you accept the mark of Allah or the government of the Antichrist your will burn in the Lake of Fire for eternity.  There is no forgiveness possible once you wear the mark.  You are forever condemned at that point.

4.  Thus begins the great harvest of death.  From here half of the world’s remaining population will begin to fall to the wrath of God.  While many will also perish at the hands of the Antichrist for failing to accept the mark, it will be minuscule compared to the numbers that are annihilated by the hand of God himself.

By this time most will no longer worship God – rather they will despise him.  Those that do not despise God most likely will not have the strength to stand for Christ without the Holy Spirit to strengthen them.

5.  A great and terrible sore shall fall upon all that wear the mark of the beast, the mark of Allah.  It shall be a pain, torment and death such as mankind has never known.  No disease has ever caused a greater distress upon those that are afflicted.

*** This is the second tactical judgment to the benefit of the few remaining believers. ***

6.  All of the seas of the world shall become blood (not like blood, but actual blood).  All sea life on earth shall perish.

This is a direct judgment for the blood of Christians that has been shed by those that bow before the beast.  For the shedding of the blood of the saints the earth shall have nothing but blood to drink.

There shall be not a single drop of fresh water found.

7.  The sun shall rage and the face of the earth shall be scorched.  There shall fall upon the earth a fierce heat the likes of which are beyond comprehension.

8.  The Muslim Empire that rules the world shall now fall into total darkness.  It will be complete and impenetrable by any artificial light.  Those trapped by the darkness shall literally gnaw on their own tongues for the anguish brought by the darkness.

This will be multiplied by excruciating pain of the sores they already endure for having taken the mark of Allah.

They shall curse God for their sufferings.

*** This is the third tactical judgment to benefit believers – if any are left. ***

9. The Euphrates river shall dry up.  This is in preparation for the coming battle of Armageddon.  The Antichrist will forcibly conscript an army the likes of which has never before been assembled.  They shall be deployed to the Valley of Megiddo in Israel for the coming war.

10.  The single most devastating earthquake to ever strike the earth shall destroy every last city left upon the face of the earth save one – Jerusalem.  Jerusalem herself shall be split into three parts.

1. There shall be not one single mountain upon earth that does not crumble and fall.

2. There shall not be one single island of the seas that does not sink into the abyss never to be seen again.

3. There shall be a global storm of thunder and lightning not seen since the ravages of the rapture storm.

11.  A storm of hail shall come upon the earth that lays waste to all of humanity.  The stones from this hail weigh in excess of one hundred pounds each.  The people will curse God for the severity of the hail storm.

So concludes the plagues of the wrath of God in the second 42 months of the tribulation.

As it was with the first 42 months, these plagues will occur at varying duration over the course of the entire second 42 months of the tribulation.

Here are the scriptural references for the judgments of the second 42 months of the tribulation:

- Daniel 2:40-43; 7:19-26; 8:13-14, 23-26; 9:27; 11:29-39; 12:7-12

- Isaiah 13:1-22

- Revelation 12:6; 12-17; chapter 13; 14:9-20; chapter 16, 17 and 18.

CHAPTER NINE

Politics and War — The Exploits of the Antichrist and Rise to Power — Part-1

And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth – Zechariah 14:12

Of politics and war – the exploits of the Antichrist and his rise to power:

1.  Before his revealing as the Antichrist, this politician will manipulate the world to his designs.  As with so many dictators he will crave war to achieve his ends.  Prior to the tribulation he will be a politician of such contempt that he will exercise his power to manipulate the nations of the Middle East into war with Israel.

He will flatter and deceive his way into influence in the Middle East.  Prior to the rapture, the Antichrist will work behind the scenes to set the stage for the coming war of Gog / Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39.  It will be critical that his involvement is hidden from the rest of the world as he will maintain a “man of peace” persona.

He will play the Islamic nations of the Middle East as chess pieces, moving them into position for his designs when the time comes.  His ultimate goal is the formation of an Islamic Caliphate which will take shape behind the scenes prior to the war against Israel.

It will start as a “quiet confederation” prior to the war, with only the principles holding knowledge to the desired goal – the annihilation of Israel.  This quiet confederation will begin the planning stages for war against Israel.  They will not yet know the extent of the things to come, but they will move with vigor to prepare.

2.  After the rapture and the devastation to the west and the near annihilation of the U.S., the Antichrist whispers into the ears of nations such as Iran, Turkey and Egypt.  With no one to stop them these nations will be rife with desires towards Israel.

It will not take much “whispering” from our politician.  The seeds and means were planted long before the rapture.  Soon, the weakness of Israel will be more than Islam can resist.

Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Libya, the southern Islamic Russian states, Ethiopia and Russia herself will move as lightning against Israel.

The die had already been cast for this invasion prior to the rapture.  The plans are made and the forces stand ready.  It will be likened to Hitler’s buildup prior to the second world war.  Ignored and misunderstood at every turn, the true extent of the cooperation of the invading nations will not become apparent until after the war has come.

3.  The leaders of the crippled Europe will watch helplessly; they are powerless to stop this.  “Are you coming upon Israel to take the lands and the spoil?”  We see this with nearly every act of aggression by dictators in the days prior to the rapture.  As the Islamic coalition rapidly builds up for war the nations of the west will bluster and blow hot air – yet they will do nothing.  They will demand to know the “intentions” of the Muslim nations – yet they shall be disregarded as the heaps of trash they have become.

4.  The armies of Islam advance upon Israel.  They make it as far as the northern and southern mountain ranges.  It seems as though they are but hours from annihilating the Jewish state.  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) Himself will intervene.

5.  First shall come a massive earthquake.  It will engender such fear in its timing and magnitude that terror grips the hearts of every foreign warrior that has set upon Israel.  Even the beasts of the field, birds of the air and fish of the seas shall know the fear of the Lord.  The mountains will crumble, the cliffs will fall and the walls shall topple.

6.  Fear and confusion fall upon the armies of Islam – they turn their weapons upon each other as none shall know enemy from friend.

7.  The Lord lays torrential rains, hailstones, fire and sulfur upon the enemies of Israel.  Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons are described in the Bible with regards to the minor conflicts that come upon Israel also.  For instance, Damascus ceases to exist in one day and has most likely already occurred at this point.

It should also be noted that if the minor conflicts with Israel did not occur prior to the rapture they will most likely occur as a precipitating event to Gog / Magog.  In those conflicts Israel retakes much of her original Biblical territory, Damascus is annihilated and Jordan falls to Israel and is nearly annihilated.

Israel may sit poised to advance upon Saudi Arabia as a result of these minor conflicts thus clearing the way for the war of Gog / Magog.

8.  The devastation of the armies of Islam is nearly total.  They will suffer a causality rate of 86 percent.  The Lord will allow the rest to remain alive as a testimony of the supernatural victory of Israel.

9.  The carnage is so vast that the Lord will bring the beasts of the field and the birds of the air to feast upon the bodies of the fallen.  It takes seven months to find the remains and a full seven years to dispose of the weapons of war.

The bodies shall be buried in a valley east of the sea called the Valley of Hamon-gog.  Those that bury the bodies and cleanse the land will require the use of protective suits from the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

10.  Global nuclear war looms.  Global economic collapse is occurring.  The world is starving.  Radical Muslims are raging across the west and millions are now dying.  The hearts of men fail.

They cry collectively for a savior – any savior – to end the devastation.

A savior they shall get.

11.  From nowhere the savior sweeps in.  In mere days he will present the world with a seven year treaty that will “restore peace and security” in the Middle East.

Facing threats of Islamic terrorists that are humiliated at the devastating loss to Israel, secular Jews are finally willing to cede land to Islam, surrender the bulk of her weapons and trust her security to a peace keeping coalition to be stationed in Iraq.

The secular Israeli government will divide the land at the behest of the Antichrist – including part of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.  To seal the deal they will give up any right to a Jewish Temple.

These particular treaty stipulations will be opposed by the two witnesses and never implemented.

Israel will withdraw her forces from the border of Saudi Arabia and the world cries praise at the Antichrist, savior of the world!

12.  The Antichrist will “oversee” the administration of the treaty and Arab zones of Israel from Baghdad.  The Islamic confederation will accept the oversight of the “international community” and accept the offer of Iraq (which was not involved in the invasion of Israel) to stand as a mediating nation and buffer between Israel, the confederation and Islam.

13.  From the moment the treaty is signed the Antichrist is already working his designs.  Within days of his arrival in Baghdad radical Muslim terrorists will begin to foment sedition in the nations of the Middle East.  The goal is the formation of an Islamic caliphate and it is soon to be realized.

14.  Very quickly the Antichrist is hailed as the coming of the Mahdi.  He is swept to power in Iraq and quickly achieves something unprecedented – the Saudi royal family basically opens the borders of Saudi Arabia and invites the Antichrist in.  They will cede power to the Antichrist and he shall possess the oil wealth of the Saudi’s.

This is the rise of a revived Babylonian Empire.

The land shall once more be called Babylon.  It is the honor of their ancient heritage.

The Islamic confederation moves in historic fashion to “vote” the Antichrist as their new Caliph.  Within days our international observer becomes the most powerful man on earth – siting at the head of a revived Babylonian Empire.

15.  Babylon shall seize power throughout the lands of the east.  The remaining nations of Islam will join this Babylonian Empire in return for the promise of death to Israel.  The Antichrist will shower them with the wealth of Saudi Arabia in preparation for war.  Also, this wealth will be used to enslave the governments of Europe and the west to Allah.  Their banks and economies have collapsed.  Without the wealth of the Middle East they are doomed.

The price for this economic slavery is the unmitigated reign of terror of Islam.  Sharia law spreads through the west and Islam begins its rise.  The governments of the west are forbidden to stop Islam and start to slow bow to Allah.

Multiplied millions will fall for the witness of Christ during these times.  Those that do not convert are executed.  Roving bands of Muslim enforcers shall exterminate millions across the west.

Many smaller nations will outright surrender to Babylon and sit as Protectorates of the Islamic Empire.  Much of what is left of Central and South America will fall to Islam in this manner.

Those nations that resist shall know the fury of Islam soon enough.

16.  The Antichrist begins to formulate his plans for war.  Soon he shall rival Hitler, Caesar and Alexander in his conquests.  In public he cultivates his “savior of world peace” persona.

Behind closed doors he has become Hitler incarnate.  He lusts for death and wallows in a near sexual explosion at the thoughts of death and conquest.  He fantasizes at the thoughts of entire cities burning under his command.

17.  Not everybody is so welcoming of their new overlord.  Egypt has designs of their own though they are a part of the rising Islamic empire.  The Egyptian President has begun his own military build-up.  His armies have grown formidable in their own right.

The Antichrist begins saber rattling towards Egypt, demanding that they submit to his rule.  He begins the buildup of Babylonian forces on the border with Egypt.  This is designed to draw Egypt into a war.

Libya and Ethiopia join a confederation with Egypt in an effort to check the growing power of Babylon.  This brings the rise of a revived Egyptian Empire and a rift in the Islamic Babylonian Empire.

Babylon cannot allow this.  Egypt must be conquered.

18.  The Babylonian military buildup works – Egyptian imperial forces invade Babylon.

19.  The war is fierce and the losses are staggering on both sides.  However, there is treachery in the ranks of the Egyptian high command.  Behind his back the Egyptian President is betrayed by his closest advisers.

They do not want an Egyptian Empire to rival Babylon – they want to remain loyal to Babylon and conquer Israel once and for all.  The lack of desire by their President to war against Israel anymore is more than they can stand.

20.  The Egyptian Empire is forced to the table.  They surrender all gains in the war and are forced to pay tribute to Babylon.  They still exist as an empire, but their power is greatly diminished.

21.  The negotiations are complete, yet both the Antichrist and Egyptian President have designs on each other.  Both begin to plot for the destruction of their enemy from the first meeting to discuss a treaty.

22.  The Antichrist returns to Babylon the clear victor.  Among his spoils from Egypt will be a portion of the Egyptian military power to be annexed to his own.

The time is now right.  He has the power he requires to conquer not just Israel;

Now he can conquer the world.

23.  Egypt immediately begins secret negotiations with Russia.  The Russians are less than enthusiastic with the rise of the Antichrist.  They still remember the behind the scenes manipulating of the Antichrist prior to the failed invasion of Israel.  They are even less appreciative of the southern Islamic provinces of the former Soviet Union and of Russia herself that have been swept up into Babylon.

Following the conclusion of negotiations the Russian navy sets sail for the Mediterranean.  They will take up station off of the Island of Cyprus.

24.  At roughly 42 months after the signing of the treaty, the Antichrist will be ready.  He mobilizes his forces and heads towards Egypt once more.  First he will finish Egypt and then Israel.

As the forces of the Egyptian Empire mobilize for war the Russian navy strikes out from Cyprus.  The combined strength of these two empires is more than the Antichrist wants to engage at this time.  He has other plans and will deal with Egypt and Russia soon enough.

25.  A furious Antichrist (that did not believe Russia would move against him) will withdraw from the Egyptian invasion.  In the midst of his retreat he suddenly changes course and advances upon Israel.

This time there will be no reprieve for the Jewish state.  Disarmed and having divided the land after God himself defended them, the Israeli Defense Forces are no match for the Antichrist this time.  His conquest is swift and merciless.

26.  The Antichrist will come against the two witnesses and kill them.  Shortly thereafter he will stop all sacrifices and burnt offerings at the Temple.   This will begin the 1,335 days and the 1,290 days of Daniel  12:11-12:

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.  Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

The day the decree goes forward from the Antichrist to cease all Jewish sacrifices there will be exactly 1,290 days until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Day of Atonement and the start of the cleansing and re-dedication of the Temple.  It will start a 30 day countdown to the start of the second 42 months of the tribulation, or the Great Tribulation.

*This will be covered in greater detail in Time, Times and a Dividing of Times.  We will also outline the evidence for the 1,335 days, 1,290 days and the 2,300 evenings and mornings shown in Daniel.

Finally, he will enter the Holy of Holies and live to talk about it.

The Pope himself will head immediately to Jerusalem and declare the Antichrist as Allah himself.  Likewise, the Pope will deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and declare that only God can enter the Holy of Holies and live.

He shall raise up an image of the Antichrist in the Temple and it will speak.  The image will decree that all should bow before the Antichrist and worship him for he is God.  As a sign of submission all shall bear the mark of Allah as proof of loyalty.

This concludes the 30 days for the abomination of desolation and the start of the Great Tribulation.  There are now 1,260 days decreed for the Antichrist to rule and for the Jews that flee Jerusalem to find refuge in Petra, Jordan:

Revelation 12:6 - And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Revelation 13:5 - And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

The Pope will declare that no one should be permitted to buy nor sell food lest they prove their loyalty.  Likewise, the mark of Allah shall be the required proof.  Also, the Pope shall declare that all who does not worship the Antichrist and accept the mark should be put to death.

The Antichrist shall divide up Jerusalem and Israel in payment to the nations of Islam as a payment for their loyalty.  He shall decree the Temple to become a Mosque, the symbol of the long awaited, now complete conquest of Israel.

The Antichrist shall now move to conquer the world.  The forces of Islam will rally to him worldwide in additions to the armies of Babylon.  They shall gain his honor and he will secure their loyalties with the institution of sacrifices of blasphemy in the Temple.  Every manner of foul beast shall be sacrificed upon the altar of the Lord to declare the power of Allah and Islam.

The sacrifices shall be ready and instituted 140 days after the initial decree to stop the Jewish sacrifices.  This leaves exactly 1,150 days to the Second Coming of the Lord and the Day of Atonement:

Daniel 8:14 -  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings mornings; then shall the sanctuary be vindicated.

Further scriptural references located at conclusion of part 2.

CHAPTER TEN

Politics and War — The Exploits of the Antichrist and Rise To Power — Part-2

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH – Revelation 17:4-5

For the next 1,260 days the Antichrist shall continue in great success for his efforts.  However, the Lord of Hosts shall recompense the Babylonian Empire for the desecration of Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple.

First, Babylon shall fulfill the will of the Lord.

27.  Babylon begins a reign of terror upon the earth.  As the Pope turns to Islam and the worship of the Antichrist he shall turn from Rome and the Roman Catholic Church.  The forces of the Antichrist invade Rome and burn it to the ground.

The Muslim armies of Babylon now turn their attentions to the rest of the world.  The Antichrist now sets his sights on total global domination.  He dispatches his armies to carry out the enslavement of humanity.  All nations not currently in submission to Islam shall now fall.

The armies of Babylon invade the west officially.  No longer is economic alliance enough.  The armies of Islam sweep across Europe and Asia.  They are unstoppable in their conquest.  The whole of Europe falls within days.  Asia follows soon thereafter.  Only Russia and China are positioned to resist.  However, the forces of the Antichrist sweep deep within these two nations before they are stopped.

The Antichrist will never completely conquer either nation.

The wrath of the Antichrist strikes anything that stands for Christ.  The remains of the Roman Catholic Church are burnt from the memory of humanity as the Antichrist unwittingly fulfills the judgment of God upon Rome for the multiplied billions of lives of the saints that have been shed upon her command over the past 2,000 years.

All traces of the Roman Church are swept from the earth.  All that bear the name of Christ are tortured and exterminated.  Those that refuse to convert to Islam have their heads severed from their bodies in the most gruesome and vile manner possible.  There will be no civilized executions by mechanical means.

Death for Christ means the dulled blade of a pitted and rough sword designed to inflict as much pain as humanly possible.  It is a blade designed to prolong the agony of death well beyond the limits of mercy.  Mercy has indeed slipped from the lexicon of the conquerors’ as the demonic legions of Satan inhabit the souls of those that annihilate upon the orders and name of Allah, indeed, upon the name of the Antichrist himself now worshiped as the God of gods.

28.  As surely as the armies of Allah swept through Europe and Asia they now sweep through the New World.  The Americas likewise fall to the conquering armies of the Antichrist.  The utter devastation wrought by the rapture and constant conflicts that have raged against bands of Islamic hordes have left North America unable to resist in any manner what so ever.  It is overrun in even less time than Europe.

Central and South America soon follow.

29.  At the height of his lightning conquest of the world, the Antichrist is troubled by horrific news.  Shortly after his conquest of Jerusalem and the decree that all shall bow or die, the judgment of God fell upon Babylon.

In the space of one day God annihilated the capital of the Babylonian Empire.

In one day the plagues of God descend upon Babylon; in one day she is burned up and shall be inhabited no more.

The mighty Babylonian Empire is fallen.  All of the world’s finances, commerce and oil are lost.  Baghdad, Iraq and Saudi Arabia are no more.  The capital city of Babylonia is no more.  The center of global economic life is no more.

The last vestiges of civilized world government are now gone.

All that remains are the Antichrist in Jerusalem and his massive armies of demonic oppression spread throughout all the earth.  They are the masters now.  Aside from Russia and China every last national government upon the face of the earth has now fallen.  Only Persia, Egypt, Turkey and the Southern Islamic states of the former Soviet Union possess any semblance of civilization as they are Islamic.

It is the march of death Hitler only dreamed of.

30.  After the fall of Babylon the Antichrist turns a degree of ruthless that has never been seen before.  In every nation upon earth his forces hunt down all that will not submit.  He lavishes anybody that betrays the saints of God.  The closer the betrayal the greater the reward.

He has a fondness for mothers that bring death upon their own children.

Those that do not bear the mark are forced to hide at all costs.  Discovery means torture and death in a manner that is brutality beyond all comprehension.  It becomes a game as those that bear the mark of loyalty lose the last vestiges of humanity.  Their souls are lost for eternity.  They degenerate into walking monstrosities never imagined in even the worst horror movies.

A demonic thirst for blood fills the hearts of man.  There is a cruel and rampant pleasure as friend turns on friend, brother upon brother, and parent upon child.

Many will not only betray the saints of Christ – they will lust after their very blood.  Many of the saints will fall to the blade – a blade swung by their very own blood.  Those that should both betray and slaughter believers of their own blood receive a greater blessing from the Antichrist.

31.  After nearly three and a half years of unmitigated carnage the nations of Egypt, Russia and China shall tire of the Antichrist.  Persia will no longer settle for servitude to an empire that they have historically ruled.  They are ready for their turn in the sun.

The Egyptian Empire strikes from the south as Russia strikes from the north.

Russia will be held off but enjoy some success.  They will take the territory once known as Jordan from the forces of the Antichrist.  This moderate success comes at the hands of a massive ground force and vast naval armada sent against to coast of Israel.

In the south the Egyptian Empire is not so fortunate.  They are roundly defeated as combined empire of Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia disintegrates in vanquish.  The leaders of these three now separated nations are put to the sword.  All of North Africa now comes completely and undeniably under the heel of the Antichrist.

It is a victory to be short lived.

32.  The time has come to finish all things.  Russia regroups and sets out for Israel once more.  China mobilizes all of the armed forces it can muster.  It is estimated that the Chinese army exceeds 200,000,000 men.  Persia (Iran) is now ready to reclaim her ancient dominions.  The Medes and the Persians shall cross the Euphrates River once more.

The Antichrist has already recalled most of his armies and has set camp on the plains of Megiddo.  Soon they shall be joined by the forces of the great armies of the earth now enroute.

All believe they go to strike at the heart of the others.

However, they shall soon face the Son of Man himself and the Host of Heaven.

Post script: At the completion of the 1,260 days the Second Coming of the Lord occurs.  This happens on the Day of Atonement.

The Lord returns alone first, going to Bozrah and defeating the armies of the Antichrist that have pursued the Jewish remnant.  Once this is complete he return to heaven to collect the saints and heads to meet the Antichrist.  At this point he now wears the “vesture dipped in blood” from the destruction and shed blood incurred at the battle of Bozrah.

He will defeat the armies of the Antichrist instantly.  The Antichrist and False Prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire.

He will then step foot on the Mount of Olives and it will split in two.

The Lord will now commence the Judgment of Nations.  Upon completion of the judgment the cleansing of the Temple will begin.  We are now in the millennial reign of Christ.

So concludes the exploits of the Antichrist before and during the tribulation.

Scriptural references:

- Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39

- Daniel 2:40-43; 7:23-28; 8:9-14, 19-26; 9:27-28; 11:21-45

- Isaiah chapters 18, 19, 20, 21

- Matthew 24:9-15

- Mark 13:9-13

- 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10

- Revelation 6:1-8; 2-17; 13:1-18; 14:8; 16:13-16; chapter 17 and 18

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A Dividing of Times — The Timing of The Tribulation

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved – Acts 2:19-21

PLEASE READ “A MESSAGE OF WARNING TO THE BIBLICAL SCHOLAR” FIRST!

Here is the table of times for the tribulation and keys to understanding the timing in general:

With regards to the millennial reign of Christ:

- 1 day = 1,000 years

2 Peter 3:8 – But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Here are some interesting equivalents that come into play with this time equation:

- 1 hour = 83.33 years

- ½ hour = 41.67 years

- ¼ hour = 20.83 years

- 1 minute = 2.77 years

The Day of the Lord is the entire 1,000 years of the millennial reign of Christ.  Also, the entire tribulation is a part of the Day of the Lord.  We can see from the equivalents above that it is the opening seconds of the day, or the introduction.  It would equate to the first three seconds of the Day of the Lord.

Just as Adam sinned in the Garden and died short of 1,000 years of age, it was spoken by God that on the day that they should eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they shalt surely die.  True to God’s word, Adam did indeed die the very same day that he ate of the fruit.

There is another interesting equation that is thrown into the mix when determining prophetic timelines:

John 11:9 – Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

This was given by Jesus as a response to the disciples when they questioned him in regards to returning to Judea to tend to Lazarus, who had died by this time.  However, the implication has prophetic meaning – in the presence of the Light of the World there is only daytime.

For the world enduring the tribulation there is only night.  For those in the presence of Christ there is only day.  There is not both during the tribulation, there is one or the other.  In this simple statement we have a crucial key to understanding the timeline of the tribulation and the millennial reign:

- 1 day = 12 hours

In addition to changing the equations listed above for the millennial reign, this statement of Jesus offers us an additional look into the 7 year tribulation.  Likewise, there is a third equation that comes into play specifically for the tribulation – it is the “day for a year” law that we see in the Old Testament:

Numbers 14:33-34 – And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.  After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

Ezekiel 4:4-6 – Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.  For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

Given these equations offered in the Bible we can see several equivalents emerge:

- 7 days = 7 years

- 1 day = 1 year

- 1 day = 12 hours

- 12 hours = 12 months

- 1 hour = 30 days

- 30 days = 1 month

- 360 days = 12 months

A question arises as to the 360 days per prophetic year.  Bear in mind that Israel operates on a lunar calendar that gives a shorter year than a solar calendar.  However, in modern times the Jewish year is shorter than even 360 days (354 days), requiring the addition of a 13th month (Adar II) every several years.

When the Lord laid out his prophetic plan, he laid it out on a calendar that was averaged primarily on a 360 day year.  Although, there are several considerations that must be understood.  More on these in a minute.  This becomes evidenced by the listing of days of the tribulation in their various forms:

Daniel 9:27 – One week, with the Abomination in the midst

Daniel 8:14 – 1,150 days or 2,300 evenings and mornings depending on the translation.  The interlinear Bible has the original Hebrew as 2,300 evenings mornings.  When taken in the full context of the requirements for the 2,300 evenings and mornings we can see it is 2,300 evenings and mornings total, or 1,150 days.  More on this in a moment.

Daniel 12:7 – A time, times and dividing of times, or three and one half years

- Daniel 12:11 – 1,290 days

- Daniel 12:12 – 1,335 days

- Revelation 11:2 – 42 months

- Revelation 11:3 – 1,260 days

- Revelation 12:6 – 1,260 days

- Revelation 13:5 – 42 months

There is something that must be addressed in the times listed above.  We see several time frames that have garnered many questions over the years.  First, in Daniel 8:14 there are two separate schools of thought regarding the meaning.  Depending upon the particular interpretation of the Bible, this is either 2,300 days or it is 1,150 days (2,300 evenings and mornings together totaling 1,150 days or 2,300 evenings and 2,300 morning for a total of 2,300 days).

Given the subject matter discussed:

Daniel 8:13-14 – Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; (evenings and mornings in other translations such as the ESV) then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

The interlinear Bible has that the sanctuary will be vindicated and that the vision is a separate question, as are the sacrifice, the desolation, the sanctuary and the host being down trodden.  Furthermore, the interlinear Bible reveals something that most seem to have missed.  When speaking of the sacrifice – as a separate subject – we learn this:

“And a host was given with the daily sacrifice through trespass, or transgression.” (8:12)

Translated, a mighty army was given to the Antichrist because of the daily sacrifices offered for them through trespasses against God in direct rebellion to heavenly authority.

In other words, shortly after the second 42 months begins, the Antichrist will resume the sacrifices in the Temple.  However, they will be vile sacrifices of the most foul beasts in direct violation of the Law of Moses.  These sacrifices will be so foul, so contemptible, that hordes and armies of Islam from across the globe will swear undying allegiance to his will for these sacrifices.  These great multitudes will join with the armies of Babylon as Islam spans the globe and annihilates its enemies.

Furthermore, the interlinear Bible defines the time period as 2,300 evenings mornings.  What should be noted is that the original Hebrew did not utilize the word for days in this passage.  Rather,  it utilizes an interesting concept, the evening morning.  Even more than evenings and mornings, the evening morning is a descriptive concept that touches on the setting of night, not just as a time of day, rather as the descending of darkness.  Furthermore, it reverses the concept with the revealing of the light that breaks upon the day.  Evenings mornings is a prophetic reference that Jesus touches on when he declares that “are there not 12 hours in the day?”  This passage tells us that in 1,150 days (or nights to be more precise) the Son of man shall break the darkness and there shall be light.  This is further evidenced by the events that brought such a revelation – the defiled sacrifices of the Temple to the glory of a false god, Allah.

With the concept of the evening day we see a parallel to the watches of the day – specifically the fourth watch from 3:00am to 6:00am.  When the sun sets in the evening at around 8:00pm we are exactly seven hours from the 4th watch.

- It was the 4th watch where Jesus prayed in the garden and accepted the cross.

- It was the 4th watch where he was arrested and destiny was set upon a course that could not be altered.

- It was the 4th watch where Satan was set to defeat.

- It is the 4th watch that follows the darkest three hours of the night.

The 3rd watch is the hour where Satan is the most powerful.  In the 3rd watch – 12:00am to 3:00am – more people fall to sin, destruction and death.  In the 3rd watch comes death.  In the 4th watch comes life.  At the end of the 4th watch comes the dawn.

At the end of the 4th watch comes the Son of Man in the clouds with great glory and ten thousands of the saints.

In the evening morning we have the picture of the tribulation.  The sun begins to set upon the world in the first hour, from 8:00pm to 9:00pm.  From 9:00pm to 12:00am – the 2nd watch – we have the darkness descending as the world falls to the darkest hours before the dawn.  This is the picture of the first four years of the tribulation.  as we transition from the 2nd watch to the 3rd watch we see the picture of the 1,150 days and the darkest three years of the tribulation.  Then breaks the 4th watch – the watch that sin and Satan were defeated by a Passover Lamb that did not pass the cup – He drank from it.  It is very fitting that after this is when the sunrise came.

We can see that the tribulation does not neatly fit into one consecutive period of 2,520 days, or two periods of 1,260 days.  When taken with Daniel 12:11-12, we see that there are multiple periods that overlap or fall short – depending upon the translation.

Many scholars attribute the additional 75 days offered by Daniel 12:11-12 to the end of the tribulation as the time when Christ completes the Judgment of Nations.  However, those assumptions never take into account that the rapture, tribulation, Second Coming and the Judgment of Nations must fall on the appointed days as set out by God himself in the Law of Moses.  More on this in a moment.

There is another school of thought that attributes the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days to separate periods of 30 days and 45 days with both starting at the commencement of the activities of the abomination.  I have seen this discussed from the standpoint of a 30 day interval between the two 1,260 day periods, followed by a 45 day period where the Temple is cleansed and rededicated after the desolation by the Antichrist.  The KJV has this:

Daniel 12:11-12 -  And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.  Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

The ESV has it this way:

Daniel 12:11-12 - And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.  Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.

It really does come down to a comma.  In the KJV the comma separates taking the burnt offering away and the abomination as two events from which it appears that the 1,290 and 1,335 days start at their beginning.  However, the ESV combines the two events and requires there completion before commencing the 1,290 and 1,335 days.

Here is the interpretation from the interlinear Bible:

Daniel 12:11-12 – And from the time the regular sacrifice shall be taken away, and and the abomination that makes desolate set up, a thousand, two hundred and ninety days shall occur.  Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand, three hundred and thirty-five days.

It is interesting to note that “he who waits” is translated from “hakka” in the original language which can mean “hope for, long for” as well as the more traditional meanings we would assign to waiting.  Try this on for size:

“Blessed is he that hopes for, or longs for the 1,335 days and makes it.”

This tells us that something has already occurred and that people will be looking to a day when it shall be undone.  The interlinear translation (as close as you can get to the original language) proves that the events of the abomination are complete and those in the path of the Antichrist know that his days are numbered.  It also tells us that they know the Temple will be restored.  It is a confirmation of the premise that the 45 days will be the cleansing of the Third Temple.

Also, it should be noted that as the Old Testament is written to the Jewish nation, the blessing of the 1,335 days is given specifically to the Jewish people.  It is written to address those Jews that flee to the east to Jordan, taking refugee in the valleys and canyons of Petra.  They are blessed as they are in the position of being completely reliant upon God for protection and sustenance.

As it was in the exodus from Egypt so shall it be again.  The Jews that flee will have to do so without taking any provisions with them.  They literally flee empty handed (the Israelites took provisions from Egypt including the materials to build the Tabernacle, but they had to rely on God for defense and manna for food).  Once in Petra they will have only the supernatural provision of God to keep them.  Not only will there be no natural foods for them to consume, they shall be caught without any natural ability to defend themselves.  They will have no choice but to simply sit back and trust God when every instinct will scream “run”.  They will be in the position of trusting God alone for literal supernatural miracles if they are to survive.  Those that shall deny their sinful nature and trust in God – understand that putting to a flight that would mean certain death for anybody else – shall be blessed to see the completion of the 1,335 days and the restoration of nation, Temple and covenant.

Blessed are they that “wait” upon the Lord.

Furthermore, the interlinear translation appears to substantiate the understanding that the 30 day period in the 1,290 days is indeed the start of the activities known collectively as the abomination of desolation.

There is premise that we will address in greater detail in a moment, and it is touched on in other sections in this book.  From the rapture to the Second Coming there must be a total of eight days, or eight years in order to fulfill the Law of Moses.  More specifically, there must be a minimum total of ten days (Ten Days of Awe) from rapture to judgment with the rapture being the first day (Feast of Trumpets) and the judgment being the tenth day (Day of Atonement).  That leaves a total of eight days, or eight years that must be fulfilled between the rapture and the Second Coming.

There is another premise that must be addressed here.  The Judgment of Nations itself does not requires multiple days upon end to complete.  It is the angels of heaven itself that gather the rest of what remains of the living upon earth and those that perished for Christ in the second 42 months.  Given the speed with which the rapture takes place there is no reason to assume that the gleaning, or the four corner harvest wills take days to complete.

Likewise, the judgment itself is a simple accounting of one question alone – did you choose Christ?  Unlike the believers that were present at the BEMA with books of deeds opened for Christ (deeds performed for Christ in their lives as believers), those living righteous will have no such books as they will have no deeds present to show for their life after they came to Christ.

This is due to the fact that they are not accounted as believers until their lives are actually called for, or they reach the end of the tribulation.  You see, as it was in the Old Testament so it is during the second 42 months of the tribulation.  Salvation does not bring the Holy Spirit and the renewing as a creature in Christ.  Rather, those that should endure to the end must live every day for Christ without fail.  This is the price for rejecting the savior before the rapture, after the rapture before the tribulation, and again during the first 42 months.  Remember, blessed is he that dies in the name of the Lord in the second 42 months.

Absent the strength of the Holy Spirit each of these that endure to the end lived every day on the cusp of failure.  Each and every sunrise saw the risk that they would grow weak and accept the mark.  The mark of the beast is automatic condemnation no matter how many times you pray the sinner’s prayer.  This is why their accounting at the Judgment of Nation is simple and straightforward.

Those that accept the mark of the beast are separated to the left hand of Christ.  Those that endured until the end are separated to the right hand of Christ.  Upon the word of the Lord those on the left are instantly destroyed.  Those on the right enter the millennial reign of Christ.

Understand that the translation of the interlinear Bible regarding both the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days would confirm the requirement of a one day Judgment of Nations as the cleansing and re-dedication of the Temple does indeed require the full 45 days to complete the massive amount of sacrifices and requirements called for in the Law of Moses (Ezekiel makes clear that animal sacrifices will continue the duration of the millennial reign of Christ as a memorial).

Earlier, we spoke of several considerations when it comes to prophetic timing.  There have been many people attempt to calculate the exact start and end dates of the tribulation.  For the record – this is not possible.  In another section, we spoke of not having all of the pieces of the prophetic equation.  This was intentional by the Lord.

First, the Bible never defines the space of a year in the prophecy of the 70 weeks in Daniel.  Most assume a Jewish year, which as it was in the days of Daniel, could have been 12 or 13 months.  However, when you calculate the time frames given in the prophecy from the standpoint of the Gregorian – or solar calender – the years add up perfectly to 483.  The question is “why”?

When you look at the original Hebrew, you see the a “year” is a general time frame.  It gives no cognizance of 12 months, 13 months, 30 day months – or any other variation on a year.  It simply allots for a single understanding in the timing of a year – feast day to feast day.  That would be Passover to Passover, Trumpets to Trumpets and so on.

The second consideration is the defined time period for a month.  In both the original Hebrew and Greek we see the same thing – no definition given to the number of days in a month.  There is a natural assumption of the Jewish calendar being a primary dictator of the “month” in the tribulation.  However, we do not know this for certain.  There are Jewish months, Gregorian months and Islamic months that can all play a part in the schedule of end times events.

Fortunately, the 30 day prophetic month falls right on the average of all of these and gives the proper perspective for determining the general timing of the tribulation and the events therein.

Notice I said “general”.  There is a reason for this.  There is no definition of a “month” that allows for the exact calculation of the start and end of the tribulation.  Here is why – depending on the definition of “month”, you get a variance in the 1,260 days listed in scripture.  If you use the Jewish calendar, you find that this 1,260 day period can either fall short of 42 months, or exceed the 42 months.

In the outdated conventional understanding of the tribulation, where it was exactly 2,520 days, this variance in a “month” did not matter.  However, as the Lord has revealed the importance in understanding the Feasts, harvest cycles and appointed days to prophecy, we have come to understand that the “Greek” – or western – view of prophetic time was incomplete.

When the Days of Awe, the barley and wheat harvests and the counting of the Omer – all commanded in the Law of Moses – are accounted for, the straight seven year calculations no longer work.  We will discuss this in more detail in just a bit.

So the question becomes how to get eight plus days from a seven year tribulation (a full eight years is required with the Judgment of Nations occurring not until the tenth day has begun, or the Day of Atonement).  We have already touched on the additional 30 days which puts the grand total at a minimum of 2,550 days. However, there is one thing that many simply never consider when studying prophecy:

Unless the rapture and the signing of the seven year accord occur on the exact same day, the tribulation begins sometime after the rapture.  Each day that separates the two events puts us one day closer to the eight day requirement.  Also, the 30 days of the 1,290 days are for the abomination itself.  They do not cover the invasion of Israel, the conquest of Jerusalem and the war against the two witnesses.  What this tells us is that the mid-span break in the tribulation is at least 30 days in duration with the likelihood that it will last three to six months – if not longer.

Also, it must be remembered that the Book of Revelation deals with more than the seven years of the tribulation.  It begins with the Rapture and concludes with eternity after the new Jerusalem comes down.  Starting with verse 4:1 (the Rapture) we see the sequence of events that bring the seven year tribulation – the opening of the seven seals and the four horsemen of the apocalypse.  It is not until the sixth seal (6:12) that the seven year treaty is signed and the seven year tribulation actually starts.

If you cross reference the events of the four horsemen with Daniel 11 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 you will see the stunning parallels that most simply read past in their studies.

It should be noted that there are no references to time in the tribulation that specifically require the fulfillment of seven consecutive years.  Rather, when examined closely we see that the tribulation is broken into two 42 month periods.  The closest we ever come to seven consecutive years is the breaking of the treaty by the Antichrist:

Daniel 9:27 – And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

The ESV has it this way – And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

In both instances we see references to the half tribulation perspective.  However, elsewhere in the Bible we can see references such as the “middle of the midst” (Exodus 26:28) which give us a timing perspective that midst can be both a center point and a general descriptor for a central location of something.  That said, it is worth noting that every other timing reference for end times prophecy deals with three and a half year increments, 42 months or 1,260 days respectively.  Even the additional references to 1,290 days and 1,335 days are essentially 42 month periods – with a little extra added on.

Now that we understand that there is effectively a “break” in the middle of the tribulation – of at least 30 days – the question becomes why.  Consider this – though the natural inclination is to assign many days to the Judgment of Nations (the image of multiplied millions standing before Christ literally answering one-by-one), it is for all intents and purposes a supernatural event governed by the supernatural laws of God.  In reality, the judgment can finish in but a split second if God should so determine.  However, we have an opposite tendency when considering the Antichrist.

Stated differently, the armies and action of the Antichrist are not supernatural.  While he does exercise supernatural power of his own accord (through Satan), his armies do not.  It takes time, schedules, logistics, fuel and food to move an army of men.  When you read through Daniel chapter 11 you get a picture of events that require time to unfold.  The Antichrist invades Egypt and is turned back.  He then makes a retreat.  In the midst of that retreat he changes course and advances on Israel.  These are actions that take time.

We have a tendency to view the events of mid-trib as a singular day.  In one swift stroke the Antichrist appears from nowhere, kills the witnesses, enters the Temple, stops the sacrifice, the false prophet throws up the image, it speaks, the Antichrist declares himself God, the mark of the beast is issued and the Antichrist is home in time for supper.  This is a natural thing to do as most of us give this aspect very little thought.  This is not wrong per se, as we still understand the greater picture.

It is a more accurate picture that arises when we keep several things in mind.  First, the time appointed to the two witnesses is a full 1,260 days before they can be overtaken and killed.  Secondly, after the events of mid-trib (called collectively the Abomination of Desolation) there is a full 1,260 days decreed to the Jews to be kept safe after they flee Jerusalem and Israel.  The stopping of the sacrifices, the setting up of the image that declares the mark of the beast and the declaration of the Antichrist that he is God occurs between these days, with the full accounting of the days of the keeping of the Jewish remnant (1,260 days) not occurring until these things are complete:

Daniel 12:11-12 – And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.  Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.  It should be noted that this scripture is given in the perspective of the Jewish remnant that flees Jerusalem.  It is not a verse dictating time frame of the reign of the Antichrist.  Days are given only for the Jewish people.  The Antichrist and the gentile world are only given time frames in the general terms of years, months and “times”.

Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days (1,260 days).

Revelation 12:14 – And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Revelation 13:1-5 – And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Bear in mind that the events of mid-trib are not accomplished in the space of one day.  To accomplish these things the Antichrist must invade Israel and then invade Jerusalem.  He will be resisted by the IDF.  They will fail, yet they shall offer resistance.  Once the invasion of Jerusalem is secured the Antichrist heads to the Temple Mount and wages war against the two witnesses.  He will overcome them and kill them.  Their bodies lay in the streets for three days and then they are resurrected and raptured.  The Antichrist must also stop the sacrifices, enter the Temple and declare himself as God.  Furthermore, he must be joined by an apostate Pope which has remained independent until this time.  The newly minted False Prophet erects what will most likely be a statue, or a graven image (in direct violation of the Law of Moses) and it will speak.  As we stated earlier – all of this takes time.  It does not require years to accomplish but it will require more than the space of a day.  Until the abomination of desolation is complete, the Antichrist will conduct much of his business in a manner of politics that is recognizable to us today – with all requisite time frames that we would recognize as well.

There are several other considerations required when dealing with prophetic time.  We know that the tribulation is two periods of 42 months separated by a short space for a total of seven years.  Likewise, we see the principle of “the short space” demonstrated in the giving of the 70 weeks of Daniel.  There is an undetermined space between week 69 and 70, or between the covenants (the new covenant of Christ rejected and the false covenant of the Antichrist accepted).  Likewise, we know that there must be eight days separating the rapture and the Judgment of Nations.

Furthermore, in looking at the prophecy of the 70 weeks in Daniel, it can be said that it is measured in covenant and decree time.  We already discussed this in relationship to the start of the 70th week.  However, the mid-span break in the tribulation is also accounted in the prophecy of the 70 weeks from this standpoint – the Antichrist breaks the covenant with Israel.  Likewise, he issues a decree after that.  What that tells us is this – the 70th week itself stops with the breaking of the accord with Israel and the invasion.  From the time of the invasion, through the battle with the two witnesses, and the entering of the Temple, the 70th week is not active.  It is not until the global decree – brought about by the image – that all the world shall bear the mark of the name of the Antichrist, that the 70th week resumes.

It is important to note that the decree to stop the sacrifices is not the decree that restarts the 70th week.  We know this as the Bible declares this act as part and parcel to the completion of the Abomination of Desolation.  In other words, it is the Abomination of Desolation that is the key, or the trigger for the time of Jacobs Trouble as shown in Matthew 24, Luke 13 and Mark 21.  The decree to stop the sacrifices is but one singular part that brings the Abomination of Desolation.  It is the Abomination that brings the image of the beast.  In fact – the image of the Beast and the decree that all should be marked are the combined Desolation as they issue forth from the Temple.

Now, the short space and the overall timing of the end is confirmed when we understand the process of the High Priest during the Ten Days of Awe.  After the Feast of Trumpets, the High Priest secludes himself for seven days to remain pure for the upcoming Day of Atonement.  On the eighth day he emerges (this would be day nine) and prepares for the following days events.  He gathers with the other priests and dines with them and makes preparations and practices.  On the following day (day ten) – the Day of Atonement he returns to public and commences the sacrifices.  This gives a grand total of ten days.

Although we do not cover it here, the Rapture and the Tribulation are the fulfillment of the consecration and initiation of the new priests in the Temple.  That is a process that requires seven days, with the requisite 8th day as well.  In the new priests we have the new name, the white stone, a special meal and other images we see in the Book of Revelation.

We also see this principle demonstrated in the ancient Jewish wedding.  When the Bridegroom came for the Bride she would be snatched away (at night) and taken to the Father’s house.  Once there the Bridegroom and Bride would enter the bridal chamber for seven days.  The first order of business would be the consummation of the wedding.  After that the husband and wife would enjoy each other’s company never emerging from the chamber.  On the eighth day they would emerge and the wedding supper would commence.  On the following day the Bride and Groom would return publicly in the same streets they had left secretly nine days before.

Understand that when the Bride was snatched away it was “secret” and she was veiled that no one should know who she was or that she had gone.  The return was quite the opposite.  Upon returning everybody would witness the Bride and there would be no doubts as to who she was and what had happened eight days prior.  Once they arrived at their new home the Bride and Groom would spend the next year at Sabbath rest with each other before commencing with the rest of their existence together.

There are many that have understood this in the depths of their souls, yet struggled to give words to describe this.  Every time I would hear a preacher speak of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb occurring for an entire year or the last year of the tribulation I could see this working in their hearts and minds.  For the record both assertions are correct:

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb will last a year and it will be the last year of the tribulation.  It will also occur in the 8th year after the Rapture.  Remember – what is a year on earth is effectively a day in heaven.  The Rapture starts the seven days of the seclusion of the High Priest and the seclusion of the Bridegroom and Bride.  The Tribulation (which does not begin officially until the seven year treaty is signed) begins somewhere between the first and second day (or somewhere in the first year – or day – in heaven).  Given that the Ezekiel 38-39 war must start, conclude and we see enough time for the determinations of seven years for weapons disposal (not to mention seven months to search for bodies) it is a strong bet that a minimum of six to nine months will pass between the Rapture and the treaty signing.

For the sake of simplicity let’s assume a nine month interval between the Rapture and the treaty.  This gives us another 90 days to complete one year or one day.  Remember the additional 30 days in Daniel?  Here is where those days come into play.  At mid-trib we get the 30 day interval for the collective completion of the Abomination of Desolation (all of the events that go with it).  That leaves the space of 60 days for the retreat from Egypt, the invasion of Israel, the conquest of Jerusalem and the overcoming of the two witnesses. Once the 1,260 days officially commences we have closed the gap in time.

Stated differently, we started with nearly a year lag between the rapture and the tribulation.  The mid-span break between the two halves of the Tribulation now brings us to three and a half years of Tribulation, but four and a half years since the Rapture.  In heaven we are on day five while on earth we are in day four of the Tribulation.  An additional two years of Tribulation brings us to day seven in heaven, but day six on earth.  The following day would be the final day or year of the Tribulation (day seven) but would be the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (day eight) in heaven.  You get the point now.

The next day brings the Day of Atonement – day ten of the Ten Days of Awe.  That gives us seven days of tribulation, seven days of the seclusion of the High Priest, seven honeymoon days of the Bride and Groom, the eighth day for the High Priest to dine with the other priests and prepare, the eighth day for the marriage supper and the final day for the High Priest to return to public to exercise the Day of Atonement and Bride and Groom to return publicly.

Also, this commences the Day of Atonement – or judgment – where the nations are judged followed by the 1,000 year reign of Christ – or the one year of the Husband and wife to tend to their new home together and for the order of priests to prepare and bring in the Feast of Sukkot – or Tabernacles – which will be in perpetual fulfillment during the entire millennial reign of Christ.  So much so that any nation that does not travel to Jerusalem every year during the 1,000 years will have no rain for the following year as a judgment for failing to celebrate Sukkot.

One final note before we discuss other prophetic times for Israel.  We see the fulfilling of the Ten Days of Awe with the Tribulation.  However, we also see perfection of the Lord in yet another aspect of the timing of the Tribulation.

The Rapture is the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets, the Great Assembly and the gathering together (ancient Jewish wedding also).  The Second Coming of Christ is the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement.  Again, we see the perfection of God when we stop and consider the equivalents of time offered in the Bible.  Consider this – from the Rapture to the Second Coming is eight years and nine days.  Remember, the Rapture is the Feast of trumpets, or day one.  days two through nine are the eight years between Trumpets and Atonement.  Day ten is the Judgment of nations, or the Day of Atonement.

The equivalents come into play with the nine days after the eighth anniversary of the Rapture – occurring on the last Feast of Trumpets before the Second Coming.  Considering that the eight years prior are as eight days, the last nine days become the last nine hours before the Second Coming.  That puts the actual Second Coming at dawn over the Valley of Megeddo on the Day of Atonement.

Now, we have spoken in great length of the appointed days and their relevance to prophecy.  The appointed days are those days given in the Law of Moses both for the celebration of the feasts – the High Holy days – and the days between them.  The appointed days must be fulfilled as well as the feasts themselves.  Part of this fulfillment is the counting of the Omer, or the 49 days that begins of the Feast of First Fruits and ends on Shavuot, or Pentecost.

It must be understood that there are parts of the feasts days that are not fulfilled by Messiah.  These are those days and functions that specifically require the congregation to complete.  The Rapture is one such example.  The 7th year Great Assembly of Israel cannot be fulfilled without the congregation, as it is specifically given for them to fulfill.  The High Priest and the King are there, but without the congregation there would simply be no assembly!  The same principle is found in the counting of the Omer.

We discussed the counting in the section on the resurrections and martyrdom’s.  Understand that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Feast of First Fruits and the first day of the count when he arose just after the Sabbath had passed and the first day of the week had started.  He ascended to the Father in heaven this same day as the High Priest to cleanse the Temple of God from the uncleanness of the sins that occurred with the rebellion of Satan.  After presenting Himself as the First of the First Fruits before the Father (the wave offering of the High Priest on the feast day), he then completed the process when he presented the arisen saints before the Father that were seen walking the streets of Jerusalem after his resurrection.  Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the first wave offering that occurred at the Temple that day.  The resurrected Old Testament saints where the fulfillment of the second offering that would occur that same day.

On the Feast of First Fruits, there was a wave offering that occurred first by the High Priest.  After this occurred, then the active shift of Temple priests would commence with the First Fruits offerings for the people.  Those closest to the Temple would have their sacrifices and offering at the head of the line.  Those that were further from the Temple – and God – would be towards to end of the line.  Once the first day’s offerings were complete the process would continue as many days as necessary until all of the first fruits of the people had been offered before the Lord.  This is an aspect of the appointed days that must be fulfilled by the church, or the congregation.  It – by definition – cannot be fulfilled by Messiah.

This is where the timing issue comes into play.  In order to fulfill the counting of the Omer, there must be a total of 49 days of barley offerings before the Temple of God in heaven – followed by one day of the presenting of the First Fruits of the wheat harvest.  In the outdated understanding of the straight seven years, this was not possible.  Either you had 49 actual days of martyrs – which did not agree with scripture – or you had 49 months, which likewise did not agree as it put the rapture of the 144,000 witnesses well past mid-trib and the Judgment Seat of Christ.

However, when we finally began to understand the requirement of eight days from the rapture to the Second Coming, we began to understand how the counting of the Omer was to be fulfilled.  Understand that the eight years runs from Trumpets to Trumpets.  We discussed earlier that the definition of the year given in Daniel gives no regard to how the year is calculated.  Furthermore, we can ascribe the overall keeping of the year to current conventions, as even the Jewish calendar allots for the feast days to stay consistent throughout the years.  Likewise, we saw that Jesus kept and fulfilled the feast days as they arrived by the chronological conventions of the day in which he lived.

There is something interesting that happens here.  Using the current conventions of time (the Gregorian calendar, or solar years) we see that eight years consists of 96 months.  Half of 96 is 48.  Now, remember that Jesus fulfilled the first day of the count.  Likewise, the final day – day 50 is Pentecost, and it will be fulfilled by the rapture of the 144,000 sealed Jews.  That leaves us with 48 “days” in which martyrs are “cut down, taken to the Temple, prepared and presented” before the Lord.  This understanding of the 48 remaining days of the count lines up perfectly with the scriptures showing the martyrs in heaven in chapters six and seven, the Bema at the 7th trumpet, and the confirmation that the 144,000 have already been redeemed from the earth.  We can find additional confirmation in the story of Ruth as well.

However, it gets even more interesting when you start to look at how Pentecost lines up with the Feast of Trumpets.  Under the Gregorian calendar, 48 months from the Feast of Trumpets when the Rapture occurs will put us at the Feast of Trumpets almost exactly four years later (this is true regardless of which feast sees the Rapture).  However, when you count the 48 “days” on the Jewish calendar, it puts you a little over two months behind the Gregorian calendar – right about at Pentecost!  But wait, there’s more.

When you remember that the Rapture is a singular event – occurring in the space of a day, that takes the needed time frame down to 47 months on the Jewish calendar.  That would be Pentecost exactly.  The Rapture is the fulfillment of day two of the counting of the Omer.   After the Rapture occurs, the world will find itself in a state where the first fruits of the barley harvest for the people are literally presented on a continuous basis from then on out – as it was in the days of the Jewish Temple.  This occurs as newly repentant saints die continuously for Christ, starting a few days after the Rapture, and concluding just before Pentecost three and a half years later.

This brings up an obvious question.  Does this prove that the Jewish calendar is indeed the calendar for God’s prophetic timing?  The answer is no.  Here is why.  We find scripture that speaks of the Antichrist changing times and laws.  No, this is not moving the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.  However, it may just be the act of moving the Sabbath to Friday – the Islamic day of worship.  Remember, there are three primary calendars in use today – the Gregorian, the Jewish and the Islamic calendars.  When the Islamic Antichrist comes to power in the Great Tribulation, it is a foregone conclusion that the entire world that sits under his domination will likewise sit under the Islamic calendar – which includes the Islamic holy days.

Here is the interesting part about this.  The Islamic calendar is close to the Gregorian calendar in length – just a bit shorter.  It is still longer than the 360 day prophetic year – and longer than the Jewish calendar.  Under the Islamic calendar, the 1,260 days prophesied to the Jewish remnant to be nourished is less than the given three and a half years.  Likewise, the 42 months that Satan already knows he is allotted in scripture comes up short on the Islamic calendar.  Stated differently – an Islamic Antichrist which has command of Israel, hates the Jews and has changed the calendar will be expecting the full 42 months prophesied to his rule.  He will get it – only, it will most likely be 42 Jewish months or prophetic months- not Islamic months.

Both of which will “shorten the days” of his rule.  Both of which do so in perfect harmony with the scriptures.  There is a reason why the only definite periods of time are ascribed to the Jewish people alone in prophecy.  For the Antichrist and the rest of the world, it’s months, years or a time, times and half a time – which also has no definite period ascribed to it either.

Matthew 24:22 - And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

We see in Daniel that tidings from the east and north trouble the Antichrist as the time of his end approaches.  As we said before, Satan expects a full 42 months to rule.  Likewise, the Antichrist will expect a full 42 months to rule.  However, they are so blinded by their hate of Israel that they cannot even conceive of anything Jewish impacting their actions – let alone the God of Israel setting prophecy to any other schedule than the Islamic calendar.  The surprise of the Antichrist stems from the expectation that he has more time than current events are dictating.  Stated differently, he is not expecting the armies to gather at Armageddon yet.

Daniel 11:44-45 - But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

As we stated earlier, we cannot calculate the exact days from the start of the Tribulation to the end.  Likewise, we cannot calculate the exact start of mid-Tribulation period either, as the 1,260 days given to the two witnesses fall well inside the four years, or the first four days of the eight days between Trumpets and Atonement.  The same thing occurs with the 1,260 days in the great tribulation period.  Also, we do not know whether the two witnesses and the 144,000 are Raptured at the same time, or whether one precedes the other.  This also prevents us from knowing the exact day of the signing of the treaty that starts the Tribulation.  The only thing we can do is look at the 70th week as a whole, in light of the ten days of awe and the appointed days.  We can get a general timeline that fits with the times and seasons – and likewise fits with certain coming signs in the heavens.  However, we will simply have to wait until certain things occur to be able to tick off exact days.

We will not know that the 1,260 days of the witnesses have begun until they actually show up and start their work.  Likewise, we will not know that the second 1,260 days decreed to the Jewish remnant have begun until they have safely entered their refugee in the east – in Jordan.  However, using prophetic months, we can see the general overall timeline once the Rapture occurs.  Likewise, we can apply this general timeline to various feast days for Trumpets.  We can see how these things line up to the signs in the heaven and the other feast days.

On an additional note, the signs in the heavens in Revelation 12 showing the women and the dragon – this does not occur at mid-tribulation.  It occurs shortly before.  It is the announcement that Satan has been cast to the earth and that he has begun to prepare the Antichrist and the nearly completed Islamic Beast kingdom for its final reign of terror on the earth.  When you compare the first part of Revelation 12 with the second half of the chapter, chapter 13 and Daniel chapter 11, you can see the parallels that line up the sign of the women and the dragon.

On a side note, we see the resurrection on the first day of the week as a fulfillment of the 8th day principle.  The 8th day principle – which we see demonstrated in the 8th additional day of Sukkot – tells us that there is work for six days, and Sabbath rest on the seventh.  However, then comes the 8th day – the day when the new life commences.

We saw this in the Garden of Eden and see it again after the millennial reign of Christ.  Simply put, after the rest of the seventh day, we see the 8th day where the work done on the first six days final goes into effect.  Adam and Eve did not engage in the fullness of what God gave them until after all things were done.  Likewise, it is not until the 7,000 years – or the seven days of all things – are complete that we enter into the first day of eternity.

It should be noted that when sin in the Garden ruined the 8th day for humanity, it was the 8th day of Christ that set all things right once more.  It was the 8th day of Christ that restored the final 8th day – the 8th day that comes when the new heavens and new earth become the final home for God the Father and the Saints around him.

The 8th day becomes the first day of eternity.

- It was supposed to be the first day of eternity in the garden.

- It became the first day of eternity once more when Jesus Christ arose from the grave and redeemed all of creation.

- This will be manifested in the final 8th day – the new heavens and the new earth when eternity commences once more, never to be corrupted again.

We should take a minute and discuss some other dates and times of prophetic significance to Israel that come into play during the tribulation:

The 9th of Av is the day of the year that both Temples fell.  It is considered the worst day of the year.  It follows what is known as the three weeks of Sorrow.  Jews, especially in Israel refrain from making any important decisions during these days and especially on the 9th of Av.  Prophetically, the 9th keeps resurfacing as a terrible day for Israel.

Purim – This is the happiest day in all of Judaism.  It was the day that the Jews were delivered from extermination from Haman and his ten sons.  Likewise, Purim has held many prophetic occurrences for Israel as well as the 9th of Av.

I expect to see these as the signature dates in the tribulation.  Purim will most likely be the date that the seven year treaty is signed with Israel – the day that Israel is “saved”.  While I see the 9th of AV as a strong contender for the final desecration of the Temple that starts the second 1,260 day span, the fact that it is never officially destroyed may negate the link to the 9th of Av.  However, never one to miss a sense of irony and defiling the holy days of Israel I half expect the see Satan attempt a reversal of these dates.

Imagine the 9th of Av as the day that the “savior of the world” restores peace with the historic signing of the seven year peace accord.  Likewise, the Jews putting to flight on Purim.

Did you know that the 1st Gulf war ended on Purim?  The second Gulf war started on Purim as well.  Did you know that before he fell into the eight year coma that took his life, Arial Sharon pulled the Jewish settlers from Gaza on the 9th of Av?  Christopher Columbus set sail for the new world on the 10th of Av – one day after the 9th.  He was most likely Jewish (secretly in those days due to persecution) and had several prominent Jews that traveled with him.  A specific decision was made not to sail on the 9th of Av for good reason.  They arrived at the new world on the final day of Sukkot – the day the Jews sing “he has brought me through the waters”.

There is a special emphasis on the number 21 (goes back to Daniel praying for 21 days and was delivered by Michael the Archangel), 39 as the number of chastisement, 40 as the number of testing and 41 as the number of victory.  All of these numbers may bear special significance as the days of the tribulation progress.

Did you know that 21 days after the invasion of Iraq in the second gulf war is when we pulled down the statue of Saddam Hussein?  It is significant in that only the feet of the statue remained.  This is a direct prophetic reference to the statue of Daniel wherein the final world empire – the ten toes of iron and clay – would rise from Islamic Babylon.  Indeed, only the ten toes of the statue remained.  Remember – it was also Babylon where the Lord revealed this to Daniel as well.  Baghdad is the same region where the capital city of Babylon stood as well.

One final note on the times of the Tribulation.  There are many that do not accept that the tribulation runs an entire seven years.  While I think that we have covered this beyond satisfaction, it bears mentioning that it was enough that the Lord declared the tribulation as a week, or seven years:

Daniel 9:24-27 – “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

However, just in case you are not satisfied with the words of the Lord nor the mountains of evidence presented here I will offer one final proof.

The Book of Revelation tells of three woes in verse 8:13.  It then lays out the completion of the three woes as they are finished.  In Revelation 9:12 we have the passing of the first woe:

Revelation 9:12 – One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

Watch this carefully – the first woe is completed after the fifth trumpet judgment, or the locust judgment.

After this we see the 6th trumpet judgment, chapter 10, and then we come to chapter 11 and the two witnesses.  Remember, only one woe has passed so far.  In chapter 11 the calling and exploits of the witnesses are laid out.  We are told of the entire breadth of their time on earth and the establishment of 1,260 days for them to complete their assigned tasks.

In Revelation 11:12-13 we see the Rapture of the witnesses AFTER their 1,260 days, as well as the great earthquake that falls upon Jerusalem and the 7,000 that die as a result.

This is listed in Revelation 11:14 as the second woe.

Did you catch that?  The Bible chronologically dates the time of the two witnesses to 1,260 days – the first 1,260 days of the tribulation.  Through the three woes God dates their start to the beginning of the tribulation and their death, resurrection and Rapture to mid-trib.

How do we know for certain that this dates the second woe to mid-trib?  The next five verses establish the BEMA, or Judgment Seat of Christ and the third woe is delivered in Revelation 12:12 after Satan is cast from the second heaven and makes war on the saints.

Revelation Chapter 12 is also a solid evidence for a short space in the midst of the Tribulation as well.  In Revelation chapter 12 we see the signs in the stars which precede the war between Satan and Michael the Archangel.  It is followed by Satan being cast to the earth and pursuing the woman as she flees into the wilderness.  The rest of Revelation chapter 12 and Revelation chapter 13 bears out in greater detail that which transpires in the first part of Revelation chapter 12, verses 1-6.

It is important to note that when taken with the rest of Revelation chapter 12 and all of Revelation chapter 13 we see that both the signs in the stars and the war in the heavens occur shortly before mid-trib begins.  These two events occur and then Satan is cast to the earth and commences the final rise of the beast.   This puts Daniel 11:29-31 as the primary contender for the time when Satan has fallen to earth, prepared the Antichrist and stands ready to pursue the woman and devour the child:

Daniel 11:29-31 - At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.  For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.  And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

You can read “Addendum 2: Proof of a Seven Year Tribulation” for greater detail on the three woes and other evidence for the seven years.

These are the times and timing of the tribulation.

There is a direct relationship between the signs in the heavens and prophetic fulfillment.  While we did not cover this subject here, it merits study given the emphasis on the signs spoken in the Bible.

CHAPTER TWELVE

What Will The Rapture Look Like?

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be – Matthew 24:27

A pile of clothes and some memories are all that remain.

There have been many opinions offered over the years as to what the Rapture would look like and the effect it would have on the world.  Most of us are familiar with the standard narrative of believers disappearing, leaving behind a pile of clothes and a confused world.  Furthermore, the imagery of airplanes suddenly becoming “pilot-less” and cars without drivers have filled the minds and materials of believers trying to reach a lost world with the Gospel of Christ.  There have been a number of interpretations over the years of a similar stripe and most of us have simply accepted them as they made the best sense given the subject.

However, in the last few years a steadily darkening picture has begun to emerge on the Rapture.  With each new revelation it seems the Lord has begun to remove the blinders to the reality of the Rapture and what it will bring.

Understand that this does not cast doubt on any believer that still sees the more “traditional” view of the Rapture as it has only been of late that the Lord has moved to reveal this final piece of the prophetic puzzle.  Indeed, even the more traditional picture of believers simply disappearing provides a frightening post Rapture picture as planes fall from the sky, cars crash into each other, ships run aground, nuclear reactors sit unattended and an entire litany of other impending disasters that result.

With that said, what must be remembered is that the Rapture is no different than any other area of end times prophecy.  It too is to be subject to the outpouring and increase of understanding spoken of in Daniel:

Daniel 12:4, 9-10 – But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Indeed, as goes the “revived Roman Empire” goes the understanding of the Rapture.  Prior interpretations were not wrong – they were incomplete.  With good reason the Lord has withheld the final understanding of certain things until the very end as to protect the body of believers and the mission of spreading the Gospel.

How different would Islam have developed if it was understood that the beast kingdom was an actual Islamic Babylonian Empire?  How much greater would the persecution of believers in those nations be if it had been understood that Islam becomes the greatest enemy to humanity ever known – born directly of Satan himself?  Indeed, if John the Revelator had actually written the words “Rome” in Revelation chapter 17 what are the chances that the Roman officials would have ever permitted the scrolls to leave the island of Patmos?

So it is with the understanding of the Rapture as well.  It is only now, at the times of the end that we must understand the full weight of the devastation to come with the Rapture.  Now, as this day approaches there must be a renewed understanding, not just for a world in need of salvation before the Rapture comes – but rather, a confirmation for those that are left and survive.  They must have an accurate telling of what is to occur so that they can know the truth and find confirmation.  There will be narratives going forward that serve to hide the truth and trap what remains of a fearful world – a world fearful not from the sudden disappearance of multiplied millions of believers.

A world fearful from the aftermath of a Rapture that looked nothing like the imagery imagined for several thousand years of church history.  A world fearful from the aftermath of a Rapture that will appear as the very end of the world where believers are gone, but so are many unbelievers as millions more perish from the effects of what we are now coming to understand in the pages of the Bible.

I must give credit where it is due.  To my knowledge, Perry Stone is the first to receive the revelation of the lightning Rapture.  There may have been others since, but near as I can tell Perry was the first.  Perry certainly would not be the last as the Lord never reveals such things to just one believer.  There is always a first revelation, but it will be followed by additional revelations as evidenced even by this very writing.

It was a Perry Stone message on this topic where the Lord began to deliver my revelatory contribution on the Rapture.  First, we need to establish an understanding.  Biblical scholarship is the same as any other area of academic study and pursuit.  As the Bible is the inspired word of God it covers every facet of life on earth.  This said, it is not uncommon to see revelations arise and subjects emerge that delve into others areas of scientific research and understanding.  After all, engineers and scientists are notoriously one sided to their particular area and doctrines of study.  That is why so few from these fields double as Bible scholars.

Over the years it has been a common practice for Biblical scholars to seek information and opinions from experts in the areas that emerge from their particular study of the scriptures.  It has also become a practice of late for the Lord to bring an expert in various scientific fields into Biblical scholarship.  They will be called to refute the deceptions of the world through the twisting of science.  Creation science and global warming are two such fields where the Lord has raised up believers to counter Satan.  Today, more and more in the scientific community have renounced what they have come to recognize as corrupt and improbably religious doctrines disguised as science in evolution and global warming.  As more and more evidence – not just in contradiction to these two fields, but in direct support of Biblical accounts – arises it becomes clear to a greater daily degree that the Bible is indeed inspired of the one, true living God.

Perry spoke of this concerning the Rapture and the revelations he received.  He took his concerns to scientific experts that indeed confirmed that what he was seeing was possible.  Here is the thing – as I was listening to that first message on the lightning revelation of the Rapture an interesting dynamic presented itself.  You see, it just so happened that this time I was one of the individuals I would ask the questions of.

On an interesting side note, I have since heard Perry teach on this subject several more times.  This would include the revelation that the Lord gave to him as to what the Rapture will look like.  It is amazing how the Lord works.  With the Lord as my witness, the revelations that Perry received literally interlock with those that the Lord delivered to me.  The Lord does this more than most people realize.  I have found examples elsewhere were the Lord will give two or three different visions or revelations to complete strangers.  The visions will be related and very similar.

Here is the interesting part – the differences in the visions will interlock with the other visions.  They will literally fit together like a giant puzzle.  For that matter, some of the material in the section on the timing of the tribulation was revealed this way as well.  There was my particular revelatory contributions, but the Lord also brought me to the individual works of several other scholars.  When I took their separate revelations and locked them together with mine a perfect picture emerged.

As I was saying, if you have looked through other sections of this book you have seen that my professional background is electrical engineering technology.  I have worked for years in the electric utility industry and deal specifically with fault current, arc flash and distribution controls.

It is my job to test and troubleshoot the devices that protect the distribution system from faults and arcs – or “short circuits” that damage the system and cause outages.  Likewise, I deal with all of the devices on the distribution circuits that keep the lights on, from reclosers, voltage regulators, capacitors banks, VFI’s, throwover switches, overcurrent relays and devices that promote power quality.  A large percentage of my work centers on fault current, arc flash and mitigating the damage that they cause.  For the laymen, arc flash and fault current manifest in nature as lightning.  More on this in a moment.

Understand that the Lord gives us a certain calling for a reason.  I never understood why I ended up in the electric utility industry.  I hated math and science in high school.  All I ever wanted to be was a police officer – and I was for about five years.  Then, out of the blue I was presented with an opportunity – a lower paying opportunity at the time – to get my foot in the door to a profession that I had never even considered a single day in my life.  Yet, something seemed to be calling to me.  Turns out God knew what he was doing.  Everything clicked for me.  Where I barely survived high school I was now an honor student in college.  Every mathematics class and engineering theory class just made me hungry for more.

Anyway, as I listened to Perry speak (this occurred after hearing “The Rapture Revelation” for the first time) my mind was flooded with the practical implications of what he was saying – the kind of implications that can only come from first-hand knowledge and experience with the subject matter being addressed.  Perry opened the door, but the Lord turned on the faucet.  As I listened the spirit of the Lord came upon me and began connecting the dots.  Not just with scripture mind you – but scripture side-by-side with science.  There was no mistaking what the Lord was showing me.

Here is the problem – I had a practical understanding of the revelations the Lord was giving to me.  He saw to that over the last 15 years.  I was so grieved in my spirit that I had to pray on this for the next three days.  But alas the confirmations came.

So anyway, here we are.  This is the back story behind the lightning revelation of the Rapture.  I have taken time to make this an easy to understand resource and to keep it simple.  With the blessings of the Lord you will be able to glean valuable insight from the material presented here.

A conversation from the King James – the effects of the Rapture:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

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.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

His countenance was like lightning, and His raiment white as snow: And for fear of Him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

In the order of their appearing:

John 14:3, Acts 1:9-11, Revelation 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Matthew 24:27, 2 Peter 3:9-12, Revelation 11:12-13, Matthew 28:2-4, Ezekiel 1:13-14

Here are several more scriptures for good measure:

Job 37:2-4 – Hear attentively the noise of His voice, and the sound that goeth out of His mouth.

He directeth it under the whole heaven, and His lightning unto the ends of the earth.

After it a voice roareth: He thundereth with the voice of His excellency; and He will not stay them when his voice is heard.

Isaiah 14:13 -  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Psalms 48:2 -  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Ezekiel 1:4 - And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

Psalms 8:14 – Yea, He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and He shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

Zechariah 9:14 – And the Lord shall be seen over them, and His arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

Revelation 8:5 – And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

In the scriptures presented we see a picture emerge that is present with every instance of resurrection and ascension in the Bible.  I have highlighted the more salient points to our conversation.  From these scriptures we can ascertain certain facts about the Rapture emerge:

1. Lightning not only describes the speed with which the Rapture occurs – it describes the manner.  Lightning will be the medium by which the saints of God are collected.

2. Lightning will behave as it is meant to behave.  It will occur according to the God given laws of nature – to the woe of the earth.

3. There shall be a changing of the saints – both living and dead – at the atomic level.  Such a conversion of energy has not happened upon the face of the earth since men have existed.

4. Given the catastrophic release and conversion of energy, as well as the law of nature concerning electricity and lightning this will be the most catastrophic event in the history of mankind.  Only the intervention of the Lord prevents the Rapture from becoming an extinction level event.

The massive charge involved will render all grounding and protection systems useless as they will be overwhelmed.  Unfortunately, such protection systems will only intensify the net effect of the storm.

5. The sheer destructiveness of the Rapture centers around the single point of formation for the initial charge that sparks the global cascade of the storm.  It will require an initial charge of such high potential that it cannot be produced by any means known to man.  The arc that results from the meeting of a leader stroke and return stroke that literally stretch from one side of the planet to the other will contain a heat and energy that are beyond description.

All that should be in the vicinity of a Raptured saint likely will not survive the encounter.

6.  There will be a lightning strike for every saint (living and dead) that is called in the Rapture.  This will result in multiplied billions of lightning strikes simultaneously across the globe.  The result will produce what can only be described as an “EMP on steroids”.

Most national electric grids will instantly fail.

Nations with the heaviest concentrations of believers will immediately descend into a pre-industrial state; If they survive at all.

7. The force generated first by the grounding of the charge for each arc of lightning (strong enough to travel the distance of the globe) and second by the energy conversion required to raise 2,000 years worth of deceased saints (from every condition of decay and from every possible grave whether it is the ground, the sea or the air) will nearly rip the earth apart.  There will be a cascade of earthquakes that destroy city after city in whatever nation holds a significant body of believers.

That is the good news.

This same effect will be reproduced by conversion of the living saints.  Whatever energy is released by the dead saints will be dwarfed by that released from the living saints.

8. The earth and sky will burn and millions will perish.

9. The Rapture will originate in the northern skies, over the northern most part of the planet.

When we think back to the many scientific discoveries that were foreshadowed in the Bible (the earth is round, it contains four corners, it hangs on nothing, the northern sky contains an emptiness of stars in space and the innumerability of the stars in heavens to name a few) it is little wonder that we should finally learn the meaning behind the scriptures detailing the Rapture.  It turns out that the description of the Rapture can be placed in any modern science textbook dealing with the formation of lightning:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – 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.

Here is the nickel tour of how lightning is actually formed.

The upper atmosphere and the upper clouds are heavy with positive charges.  The ground is likewise heavy with positive charges.

Between these two regions of positive charges is the base of the clouds.  This base is heavy with negative charges.

A spark generates in the positively charged upper atmosphere and invades the negatively charged base of the clouds heading towards the earth.

The initial spark, or the stepped leader, rips the positively charged particles from the ground and calls them to the clouds.  This is the return stroke.

When the leader and the return meet in the clouds an arc is formed that we know as lightning.

Unfortunately, this is not where the “discoveries” end:

2 Peter 3:9-12 – The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

*** These verses from 2 Peter 3 are generally assumed to be the Second Coming.  However, with a careful examination of the chapter, and reading each verse one at a time we see that it is actually the Rapture.  Most assume the Second Coming as the destruction of the armies of the Antichrist fits a similar mold.  However, the destruction befalling the Antichrist and his armies is not global.  What we read in 2 Peter 3 goes beyond the scope of a single battlefield. ***

Now for the rest of the science textbook:

When the lightning is formed the storm can now discharge to ground.  As the mass of electrons now flow through the air they produce a heat and light that literally burns the air and all that interferes with its path to ground.

Anything it contacts that offers resistance will literally “burn itself in the clear”.

When the arc grounds out its charge will dissipate in a fashion similar to waves in a pond.  Anybody or anything within the grounding grid of this discharge will likewise be “burned in the clear”.

Anything within a certain approach distance of the arc of lightning will risk becoming part of the path to ground.  This means any grounding and protection system found within airplanes, sky scrapers, electrical substations, power plants and even houses.

That would also include people.

There are no grounding and protection systems in existence that have the required ampacity to safely funnel the staggering amounts of current that will be generated by the Rapture.  The copper grounding rods and wires will simply disintegrate and fail in what can only be described as a catastrophic fashion.

This failure will be instantaneous.  The fault current is beyond comprehension.

That is the long and short of the Rapture.  I speak to this more in the revelation that the Lord gave to me on this.  It is the second chapter in this book.

It should be noted that Satan has been preparing the world for the Rapture for the last 200 years.  With every scientific discovery that proves the validity of the Bible comes a monumental deception.  It is no surprise that the Rapture would capture the lions share of his attention.  While it takes little imagination to guess the nature of the deception prepared for the Rapture, it is still worth addressing.

The single point from the heavens where Christ will return lends itself the the deception of UFO’s and aliens.  A single point from which a massive attack upon the planet is launched will be the narrative that follows the Rapture – at least in nations that still have an ability to present a national media presence.

This is the deception that shall come upon the world after the Rapture.

Understand that there are word studies and other evidences that come into play here as well.  We can spend more time discussing the involvement of clouds in the Rapture, or how the Greek word describing the changing in a twinkling of an eye is atomos, or “an atom of time”.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A Conversation from The King James

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not – Matthew 25:6-12

Let me share with you the word of the Lord:

Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this 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.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

However,

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Regarding those that scoff,

With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Of his coming,

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.

Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Understand, brethren:

For as the lightning, that lights out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in His day.

And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

Remember Lot’s wife.  Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over His household, to give them meat in due season?

Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing.

Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all His goods.  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord delays his coming;

And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  But the wise answered, saying, not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the promise of the coming of the Son of Man.  In order of their appearing:

- 1 Corinthians 15:50-52

- 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

- 2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-9

- 1 Corinthians 15:20-24, 51-53, 57

- 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

- Hebrews 11:1; 5-8; 12:22-25

- Luke 17:24; 26-36; 21:34-36

- Matthew 24:45-51

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A Message of Warning to the Biblical Scholar

For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book – Revelation 22:19-20

In these days there seems to be rising a disturbing trend in the study of the Bible.  For the record – Gematria only works with the Torah.  It does not work for the 66 books of the Bible nor anyplace else.  It has other applications, but pure numerical study is contained within the Torah alone.  Attempts to delve beyond these constraints fall into Kabbalah, numerology, mysticism and occultism.  More on this in a bit.

Any attempts to mathematically calculate exact prophecy dates in the Bible are errant at best – and outright deception at worst.  Theomatics or any other “code” revelation that runs contrary to the plain text of the scripture must be avoided.  I have watched such practices literally deceive people into accepting and believing things which – by common sense – cannot be true.  I have seen the utter destructiveness as these teachings rip people apart on the inside as they fail to ascertain the truth apparent to their own eyes.  I have seen people run from God as they believe they have been abandoned by him for their failures.

No matter which way you attempt to lay out the Book of Revelation the same conclusion still holds true – we are not in the tribulation – as of February 2014.  We are close, but we are not there.  Consider the actual judgments listed in Revelation.  For instance, the fourth rider in Revelation 6 brings the extermination of one quarter of the world’s population.  That would be the death of nearly two billion souls with the efforts of one rider.  There is no figurative interpretation possible as the given judgment is very specific in its destructive description.

Consider the plagues that bring bitter waters and death to one third of all sea life.  Whether or not you ascribe this to the entire world as the Bible states, or you chalk it up to the known word at the time of John it will make no difference.  One third of the sea life in either circumstance brings you to the same place – hundreds of millions of dead and floating carcasses in every body of water effected.  That is multiplied millions of dead fish, crabs, lobsters, sharks, whales and everything else that comes with the waters.

Also, remember that with either premise – a seven year tribulation or a three and a half year tribulation – you still end up at the same place.  These judgments are not allegorical for man made events that occur over many years.  You have two choices – seven years or three and one half years.

Now, I am a proponent of seven years for two simple reasons.  First, the Bible lays out the agenda and actions of the Antichrist before the Abomination of Desolation.  Many people fail to realize this.  In the Book of Daniel we actually see the actions of the Antichrist before be marches on Jerusalem and the Temple.  There is a tremendous amount of detail given in Daniel 8:23-27, 9:21-31 (9:32-45 details events from the Abomination of Desolation forward) concerning the efforts of the Antichrist to secure power.

Secondly, the Book of Revelation actually provides timing indicators that show the two witnesses are ascribed to the first 42 months and that they are responsible for rebuilding the Temple.  When you look at the chronological markers (the three woes, the seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, etc.) you can literally build the seven year timeline with no re-interpreting, no allegorical references or hidden “mystical” clues.  Literally, the first woe comes before the second, the second woe comes before the third – and so on.  These chronological markers also allow you to distinguish between the outlining of events and the chapters that explain what has just occurred.

Mystery Babylon is one such example.  In Revelation chapter 17 and 18 we see the description of what happens to Mystery Babylon.  In chapter 17 we see the judgment against the apostate Roman system that effectively sells out what remains of Christian Europe to the rising tide of a Babylonian Islamic empire.  In Revelation chapter 18 we see the judgment against the capital of the Islamic empire fall on one day through an act of massive and total judgment.  We see that this occurs, however, after the Antichrist has already invaded Jerusalem and captured the Temple.  Now, many people see these verses and simply assume that this is the chronological fulfillment of these scriptures.  However, with careful reading comprehension we can easily determine that chapters 17 and 18 are the explanations of events that occurred back in chapter 14.

Revelation 14:8 – And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

There are multiple examples of this type of chronology in the Book of Revelation.  Many times these markers – or key lock verses as I call them – are missed simply because we read right over them.  Not only do these key lock verses exist in Revelation, but they also exist in the other prophetic books of the Bible – Old and New Testament.  They are the key to proper placement of the different verses of prophecy in scripture.

Now, a word of warning; anytime somebody wants you to discard the given, plain or obvious meaning of the scripture it is a red flag.  Here are a few more things to watch for:

Anybody that does not rely on God to open the eyes of the person they are trying to “teach”.  Anytime there seems to be a heavy emphasis on the teacher instead of God it is a red flag.

Is the teacher able to “teach” you where you are (again, trusting that God can open the eyes and ears of anybody He so chooses), or do they insist that the only way to “open your eyes” is to effectively isolate you from others.  Again, God gives a voice to those He calls to teach.  A teacher that cannot reach his students at their level is a teacher that has the wrong message.  If the Lord will not give them a voice then there is a reason.  Remember also this – God is capable of giving the exact words that each of us must hear to know the truth.  If you are struggling to understand then prayer is in order.  The righteous teacher knows that it is not by their hands that learning is accomplished – it is by the Lord’s hand.

If it seems as though there is too little emphasis on prayer and a bit too much emphasis on the teacher then you have a red flag.

Does the teacher offer something that will show the “perfection” of God even beyond what God is doing himself?  I worked with a gentleman once that was Hindu.  After one particular conversation where he effectively acknowledged all that I said, yet he offered one “nugget” concerning his beliefs:

“If I can show you something that can help you get closer to God than why wouldn’t you be interested?”

Remember this – the Lord Jesus Christ already offers a personal relationship where he will provide all the answers you could ever hope for.  He already listens to you personally and will literally answer your prayers.  I’m not sure what Dave thought he could offer as you can’t get much closer to God than a personal relationship where you talk to Him directly.

Beware of “enlightened” questions that are designed to show the wisdom of the teacher, yet unknowable to the student.  Remember, any answers the teacher provides MUST be scripturally founded.

Never forget this – when the Lord provides a revelation to a believer He ALWAYS confirms it with scripture.  The Lord may take you to the scripture the next time you study, or move you to turn on the TV and flip to the local Christian station – or even cover it in church on next Sunday – all completely by surprise to you.  Two things are assured when this happens – you will know the Lord has provided proof and that it was done in such a way that there can be no mistake that it was God.

Also, when the Lord provides prophetic revelation he will always provide the scriptural basis for the revelation.  Stated differently, the “new” idea floating around in your head can ALWAYS be found somewhere in the scripture.  Everything that occurs in the New Testament can be found in the Old Testament.

If the teacher that is trying to sell you on their “revelation” cannot provide clear scriptural evidence then they are a false teacher by the definition of the Bible.  If a teacher ever attempts to convince you that you must “forget” something you learned to grasp their “concept” then it is a red flag as well.  No revelation from God EVER requires you to forget or put down the plain meaning of the text.  Also, revelations from God will never contradict the rest of the Bible.

Remember this – everything in the Bible meets the litmus test of common sense.  If a teacher attempts to teach you something that runs contrary to what you can plainly see then you have a red flag.  The example of the tribulation applies here.  When you read through the scripture you can see that we are not in the tribulation.  Common sense dictates that in no manner have we seen the devastation caused by any of the judgments.  There is no allegory that can replace one third of the sun being darkened, the people of the earth collectively hiding in underground shelters during an earthquake that moves every island and mountain upon the earth or two billion people dying from famine, bad food and beheading.

Now, I mentioned something at the start of this article.  Why Gematria can work in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) is that unlike the rest of the Bible the Torah was directly dictated by God to Moses.  What that means is this – God literally spoke to Moses and said “write this down”.  Every letter, every character – every word is specifically placed.  The Rabbis are so careful of this that should even one mark be out of place when a new Torah scroll is written it will void that entire section of the scroll – which must be rewritten to insure perfection and thus, the integrity of the scroll.

The rest of the Bible was inspired of God, given to the men that wrote it – but done so according to their common understanding.  When Daniel looked upon the visions God gave him he was to record the words and scenes, yet he was permitted to do so in his understanding.

This is why Gematria works and most attempts at “Bible codes” do not.  Now, there is a Bible code that was found in the 1990’s that holds promise (shown in the famous book of the same name “The Bible Code”), but even this was researched under the efforts of Rabbis that were highly educated in the Torah, the Talmud and Gematria.

Other efforts such as Theomatics are blatantly false doctrines which rely on the adherent to discard obvious reality in favor of justifying their “findings” as they work their codes.  Such systems of occultism can be recognized by their reliance on finding “perfect numbers of God” such as 111, 222, 333, 444, 555, etc. through various forms of division and other mathematical formulas.  For the record, such systems will go by different names, but they are forms of numerology and mathematical divination.  In some forms they border on outright witchcraft.

Many practitioners of such occultism will claim to use their “science” to predict the future – going so far as to provide evidence of correct predictions that they have made.  Of course, all such proof is always provided after the fact – including the prediction itself.  There are a few such practitioners that do publish vague predictions on the internet before the fact.  Yet, their “work” is no more specific than a carnival psychic that plays a fool a minute.  You can find greater accuracy in predictions from the common fortune cookie.

The practitioners of such systems and doctrines are very secretive as well.  Most teaching occurs away from normal modes of communications.  There is always a tease and an agreement with what you hold – they simply want to take you just “a bit further”.

On a side note – All timing “equations” given in the Bible are for confirmation after the fact – not for predicting the future.  We are to watch the signs of the times and to know the seasons.  We can even know that the coming of the Lord is “at the door”.  We can look to the Bible for the giving of days that we may know that the soon return of the Lord is, well – soon.  We can look to upcoming events and signs in the stars and know that they are the best possibility to match prophecy.

We can even know that the events of the end times must chronologically fulfill the feast days and know which feast days are the best match.  We cannot, however, know which Feast of Trumpets will see the return of the Lord for the church.  Even when a particular feast day becomes the strongest possible candidate we still cannot know the day nor hour due to reasons covered in this article.  We can strongly suspect – we simply cannot know.

This is further complicated by the fact that another feast day can be a strong second possibility thereby giving a second set of date possibilities.  Even if the possibility is a distant possibility it must still be taken into consideration.

So that there is no misunderstanding – there are many scholars that see the patterns of the Lord throughout the Bible.  They study these patterns to understand prophecy on a greater level.  You can know the intentions of God on a deeper level when you know his patterns:

Malachi 3:6 – For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 – The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

These patterns can even enhance your understanding of Biblical prophecy and the times of the end.

They cannot, however, give you the keys to predicting the exact date on the calendar for which something will occur until AFTER the rapture and the signing of the seven year treaty with Israel.  After that we will know exact dates as they are clearly given in the Bible.  As we mentioned earlier, we can know that the Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled with the rapture.  We can even suspect that a particular Feast of Trumpets is the best likely candidate.  We simply cannot know for sure until after the rapture has occurred.  Even the signing of the seven year treaty is an unknown until it is actually signed.

After that it is open season on dates for prophecy.

As we were saying, the emphasis of such code systems will be the “proof” that God is real, or showing the “perfection” of God.  These are very lofty claims which serve to silence criticism as “proving” God is surely a righteous task.  Yet, these claims never seem to address the fact that God is quite capable of showing each of us His perfection in the most personal way possible.

Also, there is another problem with such codes – they are based on the premise that mankind has every variable of the given equations of God.  The 70 weeks of Daniel is a prime example of this.  I have seen nearly every possible attempt to stretch the 70 weeks into 70 consecutive weeks that lasts 2,000 years.  I have seen it calculated on the 360 day calendar, the 365 day calendar, the current Jewish 354 day calendar – and every calendar in between.  However, with a bit of careful reading comprehension we can see that the 70 weeks are not consecutive weeks – at least not between week 69 and 70.  When you start to look at the 70 weeks carefully you can see that they are counted in covenant time.  That is, they are based on the making and breaking of covenants and decrees concerning Israel.

The 70 weeks stopped at the new covenant of Christ and resumes with the coming covenant with the Antichrist.  It stopped with a rejected covenant and resumes with an accepted covenant.  We see examples of covenant time with the keeping of what seems to be incomplete generation’s lists also.  Furthermore, we can see that God keeps time in Jubilee cycles and sabbatical cycles as well.  Here is where the equation reference comes in.

To calculate the prophetic times of God requires the knowledge of certain things.  First of all, exactly which method of time is God currently using?  We know that the 70th week of Daniel starts with the accepted covenant, yet what about until then?  While it is a solid bet that God is using either sabbatical time or Jubilee cycles, we do not know which – nor do we know the actual date we are on.  We can estimate fairly closely, yet absent a single continuous timekeeping effort we simply cannot know where we sit in world history absent only the signs of the times of the seasons.  Did you know that you can currently go online and find at least four major Jewish calendars – each with a different date?  Some of them are as much as 400 years in difference!

There are other considerations to the setting of dates as well.  There are rabbinical differences in the placement of the harvest cycles and the feast days.  There is a school of thought that the fall feasts should actually occur after the start of fall on the calendar and likewise for the spring feasts (each occurring after the equinox for both spring and fall).  There is also a school of thought that the first barley harvest determines the spring feasts as well.  Now, the point is not to endorse one view over another – only to acknowledge that differences exist.  As we stated in the prior paragraph you can go online and find no less than four prominent Jewish calendars that range from two months difference to the aforementioned 400 years difference.

Bringing this point back to the rapture I have been able to calculate a potential “bandwidth” of possible dates for the Feast of Trumpets that can go as much as 1.5 prophetic months (45 days) before and after the recognized date on most Jewish calendars – including those used officially in Jerusalem!  That is a possible swing of up to 90 days for the Feast of Trumpets.  When you figure in the Feast of Pentecost as a secondary possibility for the rapture then it provides a six month window spread over the spring and fall for the rapture (which ever feast day is fulfilled by the rapture of the church, the other feast day will be fulfilled by the rapture of the 144,000 Jews – for the record we cover how Trumpets is the rapture of the church, but the Pentecost fulfillment must be mentioned here for intellectual honesty).

Talk about no man knows the day nor hour!

My point is simply this – watch carefully the things that take you in when it comes to scripture.  There are many differences in the Body of Christ, yet most really do agree with each other on major issues.  Beware any message that claims truth, yet strives to avoid the light of public scrutiny.  That will always be a red flag.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Matthew 24 and The Rapture

But of that day and hour, no man knows, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only – Matthew 24:36

There is a block of scripture that pre-tribulation Rapture critics turn to more than any other as proof that the pre-tribulation Rapture is a heresy:

Matthew chapter 24.

I have mounted a defense of the Rapture from the text of this chapter on multiple occasions and from different perspectives – depending on the particular conversation.  However, when it comes to scripture simplicity always reigns supreme.  The next time you question the pre-tribulation Rapture with Matthew 24 as your evidence do yourself a favor and answer this question:

Did Jesus lie?

I will be brief – let’s examine verse 24:36 – But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Did Jesus lie when he uttered these words?

Here is why I ask.  If Matthew 24 is evidence of a post-tribulation Rapture then Jesus clearly lied in 24:36.  How do we know this?  There are no less than 35 verses given prior  in this chapter that clearly define the times of the end – including these particular scriptures that are trumpeted by supporters of the post-tribulation Rapture more than any other:

Matthew 24:29-31 – 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.

To be clear – there are only two events in all of the Bible that Matthew 24:29-31 can be referring to – the Rapture or the Second Coming.  There are no other possibilities as these are the only two events that involve Christ leaving heaven for the earth.  In one He does not step foot on the earth.  In the other He does.  This is critical to understand as we lay out the evidence.  It must be one or the other.

Seems cut and dry, right?  Not so fast – verse 36 says that no man knows the day or hour.  Proponents of the post-tribulation Rapture are quick to exclaim that “we don’t know the exact hour or day, so this is still correct”.  Also, we see another problem with 29-31 as proof of a post-tribulation Rapture.

Angels are not a part of the Rapture in any form aside from a shout and announcement – and that is an archangel only.  No great multitudes of angels nor any references to multitudes of angels assisting the Lord in any scriptures directly related to the Rapture.  It is the Lord alone that descends with a shout:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – 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.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – Behold, I show 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.

The closest we ever get to an angel is the voice of the archangel.  However, in case you’re not convinced we can look at a second problem with the logic of a post-tribulation Rapture in Matthew 24:29-31.

We know exactly the day that Second Coming will occur.  It occurs exactly 1,260 days after the Abomination of Desolation.  It occurs exactly 1,290 days after the Antichrist issues the decree to stop the Jewish sacrifices at the Temple.  If the events in Matthew 24:29-31 are the Second Coming then they occur exactly eight 360 day years and ten days after the Rapture occurs.  However, if they are not the Rapture – but the Second Coming then Jesus lied.  We know that He must have lied as the events described in 29-31 tie directly to other scriptures in the Bible that we know to be the Second Coming.  Whereas, the verses of 24:36 tie directly to verses that we know relate directly to the Rapture.

Stated differently, there are enough additional scriptures for both the Second Coming and the Rapture to confirm which is which in Matthew 24.  We will address some of these throughout this section.  Also, there is more on the timing of the Rapture and tribulation in the “A Dividing of Times” chapter.

What we don’t know is when the Rapture occurs.  Hence, no man knows the day or hour.

We can find proof that Matthew 24:29-31 is the Second Coming from the Old Testament as well.  This is important in that while pictures of the Rapture exist in the Old Testament, they are just that.  The prophets such as Daniel, Ezekiel and Isaiah never knew of the Rapture.  They could see the pictures and speak what was to them an unknown event, yet they had no frame of reference for what they saw and spoke.  We will discuss this more in a moment.  For now, let us consider the words of the Prophet Joel:

Joel 2:10-11 - The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

And the Lord shall utter His voice before His army: for His camp is very great: for He is strong that executeth His word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Likewise Joel 2:30-32 - And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

And Joel 3:10-17 - Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about thither; cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, My Holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be Holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

These passages from Joel are interesting.  We see multiple references that tie his prophecies to Matthew 24, as well as the Book of Revelation.  When Jesus Christ taught He quoted the Old Testament.  We can see references in Matthew 24 to the Prophet Joel.  In Joel, we see the references to the grape harvest at mid-tribulation as well as the Judgment of Nations and the Second Coming.  However, as we stated earlier, no Old Testament saint ever spoke directly of the Rapture as it was still a mystery.  The words and imagery of Joel directly match the imagery presented in Matthew 24:29-31.  They do not match the imagery presented in Matthew 24:36 however.

For those that still are not convinced that 29 – 31 are not the Rapture I offer you this.  Every word in the Bible is specifically placed and there are no errant words.  Every word in the Bible is correct with no exceptions.  We detail this in the section on the Final Warning as well.  This is the biggest problem for post-tribulation Rapture supporters that cite Matthew 24.  Understand, that even if you wanted to argue the specific hour of the Rapture, you cannot argue the day as the Book of Daniel and Revelation give the days for the tribulation – once they start.  The issue is in the “day” portion of verse 36.  Think of it this way:

Jesus gives 35 verses detailing the events and times of the tribulation, including the timing of verses 29-31.  That would include 24:15 – When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

With verse 15 Jesus clearly sets the timing of Matthew 24 to the Book of Daniel and the Abomination of Desolation.  That would be 1,260 days from the abomination to the Second Coming.

Only after all of these scriptures and references to exact days does He tell us that no man knows the day or hour.  For the record, prior to no man knows, Jesus lays out no less than eight specific references to when the tribulation and end times would come – not including the scriptures detailing the times and season just before the tribulation.  Yet, “no man knows the day or hour” follows all of these?

Context is key when looking at Matthew 24.  This chapter is a conversation that is broken into separate and distinct parts.  Verses 4 through 8 are precursors to the tribulation.  Verses 9 through 14 tell of a time when Israel and the righteous Jews will endure betrayal into the hands of the Antichrist (another direct reference to the Book of Daniel).  Verses 15 through 22 speak directly to the Abomination of Desolation and the flight of Israel from the Antichrist (the third direct reference to the Book of Daniel).  Verses 23 through 26 again touch on the conditions before the tribulation where false doctrines and false teachers are the greatest and most terrible signs of the end.

Understand, wars are indeed terrible.  But in the grand scheme of things those that lose their salvation on account of false doctrines are a far greater tragedy.  As we will detail later on another page, this becomes the single greatest heartbreak that will befall believers as the world heads into the tribulation.

Now we come to verses 29 through 31.  These are the verses that detail the Second Coming – not the Rapture.  There are several clues that confirm this.  First, the signs in the heavens are a direct indicator that something is soon to occur – in stark contrast to no man knows the day or hour.  Second, all the earth will see the Lord return with power and great glory.  This is in direct violation of scripture that speaks specifically of the Rapture.

1 Corinthians 15:52 - 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 Thessalonians 4:17 – 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.

In these two scriptures we see that the Rapture is sudden in its advent, and sudden in its conclusion.  Also, we see in Matthew 24 that the nations mourn as the Savior returns in great power, as opposed to the Rapture where the Lord does not set foot upon the earth.

Let me ask you a common sense question.  If the event detailed in Matthew 24:29-31 is the Rapture then why the u-turn?  What is the purpose of bringing believers up simply to turn them around?  We see that the nations tremble for the power and the army of saints coming with the Lord (according to 29-31 the saints are already with Christ).  Likewise, the nations would have no need to tremble if the Lord indeed was not going to finish the return.

You may be puzzled by the last statement.  Here is the thing – you may remember this particular block of scripture:

John 14:1-3 – Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

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

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Here is why I asked the last question.  Those that quote 29-31 as proof of the Rapture run into a problem with these three scriptures.  Look at what the Lord promises: He goes to the Father’s house to prepare a place – for us.  The Father’s house is Mt. Sion (with an “S”) denoting heaven.  Also, He will come again and receive us to Himself.  He then takes us to the house of His Father as that is precisely the point of the scripture.  He does not prepare a place for us and decide not to take us there.

This becomes important as post-tribulation Rapture supporters have struggled to find a method with which to avoid questions about the U-turn in the sky.  I have seen efforts to use the timing of Daniel to justify a week in heaven, 30 days in heaven and even 45 days in heaven (all utilizing 24 hour earth days).  However, when you look at the scriptures of Daniel it becomes clear that they do not match the efforts to justify the post-tribulation Rapture.  That is without word studies even.  Once you turn to word studies of the original language the argument of the post-tribulation Rapture falls apart.

This is why I have never found a serious Biblical scholar use Daniel for the timing of a post-tribulation Rapture – not even scholars that actively support a post-tribulation Rapture.  I cannot show you a single “part-time” Biblical scholar that has attempted it either.  There may be one or two, but there is a good reason why nobody has heard of them.

However, of all of the indications given in 29-31, the greatest clue resides in the gathering of the elect from the four corners of the earth in verse 31.  This is a direct reference to the gleaning, or the four corner harvest commanded in the Law of Moses.  It is also a direct reference to Matthew 25:34-46 and confirmed in Revelation 16:15-16 where in the last days of the tribulation those few remaining believers will be called to be the gleaning, or the four corner harvest.

Consider first, the gleaning or the four corner harvest fulfills the Law of Moses.  However, to do so it must be preceded by the rest of the harvest cycle – also commanded in the Law of Moses.  That tells us that by the time the gleaning is fulfilled at the end of the tribulation it must – by direct command of God given in the Law of Moses – be preceded by the first fruits of the harvest and the main harvest.  While the harvest cycles are covered on another page, it is a good time to list the stages of the harvest cycle here for easy reference.

At Passover we have the First Fruits of the barley harvest.  This feast lasts for seven days.  Also, on day two of the Feast of First Fruits begins the counting of the Omer.  This starts a 49 day cycle where first fruits of barley are cut down, harvested and brought as an offering to the Temple.  On day 50, or Pentecost we have the First Fruits of the wheat harvest.  These first fruits are presented only once, whereas the first fruits of barely are presented for 49 days.  After Pentecost and the presenting of the first fruits of wheat we enter the main harvest for the barley and wheat.  This also begins the main grape harvest.  The harvest of the fruit of a new tree or vine can only occur after it’s first fruits offering in the fourth year of its life (corresponding to the fourth year of the tribulation when the grape harvest begins).  Doubtless, those that are familiar with Revelation 14: 14-20 will understand the significance of the main harvest of barley and wheat – or the grape harvest.

It is only at the end of the complete harvest cycle that we have the four corner harvest, or the gleaning.  The last of the grains left in the four far flung corners of the field are harvested only after all other fruit (the grains are also referred to as the fruit of the field) has been taken.

In the Law of Moses, the four corners of the harvest are to be left for the poor, indigent, hungry and homeless that they should find sustenance.  In Matthew 24:31 we have a warning from the Lord – though it will mean certain death, do not turn any away those that hunger in the final 42 months.  Furthermore, tend to them in my name or you shall be lost.  It is important that we remember that it is not just about feeding the hungry and tending to the poor.  It is about doing so in the name of Jesus Christ during a time when this will require you to expose yourself to the armies of the Antichrist.  Likewise, we find that the Book of Daniel tells us that our own blood shall betray us.

Think of Nazi Germany when anything that remotely connected people to anything Jewish meant a certain and horrific death.

This is why, at the height of the great tribulation in the Book of Revelation, Jesus reminds us of this very conversation from Matthew 24 – all the way in Revelation 16:15-16.  This reminder comes seemingly out of the blue.  There are no other references or indications to the Rapture, Second Coming or judgments here (for the one person that tried to justify this as the time of the Rapture, before the battle of Armageddon) – just this single statement.  We find the answer in Matthew 25 and the discussion of the Judgment of Nations.

When Christ offers this lone warning it is at the end of the last judgments of God.  We see in the following verse that the nations are beginning to gather for the battle of Armageddon.  This follows what has been the very worst three years in the history of the planet.  Look at the things that have befallen the earth in this time.

1.  Sores of unspeakable torment have fallen on those bearing the mark of the beast.

2.  Every sea upon the face of the earth has become blood.  Likewise the rivers of the earth.  All water born life has perished.

3.  The sun has literally scorched men to within an inch of their lives.

4.  Great darkness has fallen upon the earth.  There is no light to be found.

5.  The river Euphrates has dried up and the world heads to final war.

The misery and suffering upon the earth are beyond compare.  Food, water, shelter are now effectively gone or worthless.  Mankind has descended into madness for their lot.  Any offer by the beast of food or relief will mean destruction for any believer that should dare to show their face.  The ransom upon their heads will be untold wealth and sustenance.

Yet Christ will expect every last believer that should seek salvation to do exactly that – expose themselves.  Whether it is to those that starve and risk exposure to the Antichrist or even to others that hunger with risk that many should come against them.  The Lord is warning believers that if they should hide for fear and let another perish they are lost.  Likewise, if they should help another, yet hide from the name of Christ they are lost.

We can see this from the words that Christ utters in Revelation 16:15 - Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

This statement is meant to take the believer back to Matthew 24 and 25.  In Revelation 16:15 we see the different elements (highlighted above) that tie directly into and refer us back to Matthew 24 and 25.  From Matthew 24:36 through 25:30 we have the detailing of the Rapture and the requirements to overcome and the starting point for what Christ is warning.  The Lord then takes those requirements into Matthew 25:31-46 in order to make his point.

It is the Judgment of the nations that Christ is alluding to in Revelation 16:15.  When he delivers this verse it is just before the Second Coming when things are at their worst.  He is giving us a reminder from Matthew 25.  He is telling us that if our robes are to be found clean and kept clean we must become the four corner harvest.  Look at the examples given in the detailing of the Judgment of Nations.  Look at what we are expected to do if we should endeavor to find ourselves to the right hand of Christ.

The message is simple and straight forward  - sacrifice yourself to the harvest in My name lest you be lost forever!

Let’s continue examining the subject of the various blocks of scripture in Matthew.  Verses 32 through 35 are the closing words on everything discussed so far – including another timing reference to the generation that is alive when these things begin.

It is only after all of this that we get to the Rapture – or the illusion of the Rapture.  It is an allusion to, or illustration of the Rapture, but yet still a mystery.  This is a good time to discuss a little understood premise about the Rapture and the mysteries of God.

The mysteries of God are those things that we see illustrated in the Old Testament, yet to the Israelites there would be no clear reason as to why.  Typically, the mysteries are revealed in three pieces.  They are shown as a picture.  Secondly, they are given a context, or a frame from which we can see that something is emerging.  They are still mysteries at this point, but now we can see them surfacing and can glean knowledge from them.  Third, the final piece of the puzzle, or the “key” is given.  We will discuss the mysteries of God and Revelation 10:6-7 more in the section on scriptural evidences for the Rapture.

We see this demonstrated in the Exodus chapter 19 where the Lord gives the first picture of the Rapture when Israel is camped at Mt. Sinai.  We also see the picture of the Rapture of both the church and the righteous Jews in the imagery of the Book of Ruth through the story of the Kinsmen Redeemer, the gentile bride and the regrafting of Israel into covenant with God.  It is again pictured in the appointed feasts, the harvest cycles, the Law of First Fruits, Noah and the flood just to name a few.

Also, if you start at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 and work “backwards” through to chapter one, verse one – “In the beginning. . .” you can see the end times, tribulation, 1,000 year reign of Christ, new heaven and new earth and the pre-tribulation Rapture.  You can literally chart the end times from the attack on September 11th, 2001 through the invasion of Iraq, the rebuilding of the soon to rise Babylonian Empire, the rise of the waters, massive earthquakes, the days of Noah, the pre-tribulation Rapture with Enoch, the seven year tribulation, the mark of the beast and death, the return of Christ to rule the earth and finally the new heavens and the new earth.

With all of these examples the ancient Israelites would not have understood the grand picture they present, only that they were ordered of God for reasons unknown to them.  The prophets would have spoken the scriptures but not understood the greater context.  It is only in the New Testament the Rapture is revealed to the point that we can discuss it as a doctrine in its own right.  The Old Testament saints could discuss the scriptures, but would have done so absent the same understanding.

Now, in the four Gospels Christ provides the second piece of these mysteries of God – the context.  That is what we see in Matthew chapter 24 concerning the end times and the Rapture.  Specifically, Matthew 24 is both context and key for several prophetic mysteries.  It is the key to unlocking the Book of Daniel, specifically in regards to the Abomination of Desolation, the timing of “Jacob’s trouble” and the judgments that befall Israel when the tribulation comes.  This is the reason why the Disciples never hone in on the Rapture and why Christ addresses the other aspects in such great detail.  He was providing the key to scriptures concerning Israel that they all knew yet held questions on.  They were receiving a direct revelation from God on mysteries that they had grown up studying.

However, it was the context for the Rapture also.  As we discussed earlier, the context is the first “tool” that allows us to learn and apply previously hidden pictures.  When Christ begins to address the Rapture in verse 36 he is providing the context to understand pictures that are throughout the Old Testament – yet never made sense.  It would not be until the church itself had come, that the final piece of the puzzle – the key – would be given by Christ to the Apostle Paul after his conversion, at Mt. Sinai of all places!

The context of the Rapture given in Matthew 24 is evident in the scriptures that follow verse 36.  We see verses 37 – 39 as a perfect example of the context that Jesus is providing:

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Understand that nowhere in the scriptures are the days of the tribulation ever likened to days where mankind is moving along, concerned only with the cares of normal life.  In the tribulation we are not eating, drinking and merry making.  In the tribulation we are not marrying and giving in marriage – at least not as a condition of society.  No – in the tribulation people are being annihilated, either through judgments from God or for the witness of Christ.  However, the single biggest clue is something that Jesus would specifically address with John the Revelator in the second and third chapters of Revelation when he addresses the church – the overcomer and specifically faith.  That is, we can only overcome if we have faith in the Lord that he shall deliver us from the judgments to come.

This is a point we see driven home again in Luke 17:26-27:

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

In these scriptures we get the added bonus of the days of Lot as well – who also had the faith to trust the Lord when faith was all that you could have.  We see the confirmation of what the Lord was saying and the faith required in other scriptures as well:

Hebrews 11:1-7 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Let us stop and examine this verse for just a moment.

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

There is something here that few notice or think about.  The lower case “he” in “he condemned the world” is not God – it’s Noah.  This is another quiet reference to what happens with the Rapture.

Try this – “by which Noah condemned the world when he got on the boat and left.”

That is the secret of the verse.  Just as the world was condemned when Noah left, it will be condemned by our leaving.  It is a prophetic reference in a chapter discussing the faith required to secure that reference.  It is another example of the mysteries of God concealed in the Old Testament, yet revealed in the New Testament.

It all ties back to the removing of the great restrainer.

This is also a double reference.  It refers to both the Rapture at the beginning of the tribulation and the Rapture of the 144,000 Jews at the middle of the tribulation.  With the first removal of the restrainer the tribulation comes (remember, the 144,000 Jews are not sealed as believers just yet).  With the final removal the true Antichrist comes.

Once we go there is nothing left to hold back the end times and the tribulation.  Those that remain will have to repent find Christ again, as they have given up their first love.  The 144,000 Jews are the only reason that the Holy Spirit is still here.  Those that turn to Christ in the first 42 months simply “benefit” from their presence and receives the Holy Spirit because of them.

Indeed, the entire 11th chapter is riddled with the same exact phrase – “by faith”.  The very last verse – verse 11:40 – is an entire lesson on the Rapture itself:

“God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

At this point we must ask ourselves a question.  What would have happened if any one of these had not the faith required to overcome?

What if Noah had not built the ark?  Where would we be if he did not have faith to believe though everyone scoffed at him?

Likewise, we see faith confirmed in 2 Peter 2:4-7 – For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.

And likewise in 2 Peter 2:3-7 – Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

You get the point.  There is no faith in Christ unless there is full faith in Christ.  If you believe in the salvation of Christ, yet possess no faith in His power as God then there can be no salvation.  Either Christ is God or he is not.  Either He has the power to keep His promises or He does not.  It cannot be both.  You cannot say “Jesus Christ can save me from death, hell and the grave – yet He cannot keep the promise of his coming”.  Likewise, if a risen Christ claims the power to save yet you should not believe then you shall not be saved in anywise.

Now, the declaration of the days of Noah and Lot are likewise followed by examples that would also provide the context needed to understand the Rapture when it is fully revealed to Paul.  We notice that examples are given of those that are taken and those that are left.  We are told of two men in the field and two women grinding at the mill.  Jesus then follows these examples with warnings about those that do not watch for the coming of the Lord and fall into the cares of this life.  Again, the descriptions given in 45-51 are not examples of those that find themselves in the tribulation and surrounded by destruction.  They are examples of those in the cares of normal life yet again.

It should be noted that verse 51 is a double reference to both hell and the tribulation.  This is covered in the section detailing the resurrections, martyrdom’s and judgments of the tribulation as well as the Final Warning.  It is the most dire warning offered to those that should reject the promise of the coming of the Lord.

I have often wondered if those that deny the pre-tribulation Rapture on the basis of Matthew 24 have the entire book of Matthew or if their Bibles have been ripped apart and pages stolen.  It seems that Rapture critics never make it to Matthew chapter 25.

Chapter 25 is irrefutable proof of the pre-tribulation Rapture.  There is a reason why no conversation with the Rapture critic ever goes into chapter 25 – no position other than a pre-tribulation Rapture can be sustained when it is understood.

For those that are familiar with the Jewish origins of our faith there can be few things that bring greater joy (and sense of dread when they think of those believers that fail) than chapter 25.  Likewise, those with a solid command of the symbolism in the Bible.  When terms such as oil, lamps, bridegroom, bride, virgins and marriage feast are utilized there can be no mistaking the meaning.

Likewise, as the chapter progresses we see phrases such as “and the door was shut”, “watch therefore, for you know not the day nor the hour”, “like a man going on a journey”, “enter into the joy of your master”, “you wicked and slothful servant” and the ever revealing “cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

It should be noted that Matthew chapter 25 also questions the validity of those that hold the doctrine of “once saved, always saved” in the most frightening terms imaginable.

Every example offered in verses 1 through 30 are rooted in the Old Testament prophecies concerning the promise of the coming of the Messiah.  Not just the redemptive work upon the cross, but prophecies that cannot be completely understood without the doctrine of the pre-tribulation Rapture.  The Book of Psalms (various chapters), the Song of Solomon, Joel 2:12-32 (complete picture of the tribulation from the Rapture to the Second Coming), the vision of Joshua the High Priest in Zechariah chapter 3 (from 3:1 through to 6:8 are also a picture of the tribulation from the Rapture to the fall of Babylon the Great) and Malachi 3:13-18 are just some of the Old Testament scriptures referenced in Matthew chapter 25 requiring an understanding of the pre-tribulation Rapture.

As Christ draws the conversation in Matthew to a close He transitions to the Judgment of Nations and provides both key and context – key to the Jews regarding scriptures on the Day of the Lord such as those spoken by Enoch – and to context for the believer regarding the gleaning and a stark warning:

Deny me in the tribulation and I shall deny you.

Again, this references back to Revelation 16:15 as we discussed in detail earlier.  If you have ever wondered what Jesus was trying to get across in this verse you have but to read Matthew 25:34-46.  The meaning here is quite unmistakable.

There are any number of additional evidences that we can address from Matthew chapter 24 such as the sounding of trumpets when the Second Coming occurs.  However, the arguments that the last trump of the Rapture is the same of the seventh trumpet in Revelation has been refuted to the point that the only people that still cling to this erroneous doctrine are those that simply refuse to accept the pre-tribulation Rapture on any basis.  Likewise, most other evidences for the pre-tribulation Rapture are well documented and some of them are addressed in another section of this book.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Scriptural Evidence of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter – Revelation 4:1

Here is a collection of evidences for the pre-tribulation Rapture (presented in no particular order):

One of the original arguments against a pre-tribulation Rapture (though it occurs to a much lesser degree these days) is the quoting of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

For many this always seemed as case closed.  In their minds there was no need to look any further as this said everything they needed to hear.  How many Biblical scholars have wanted to absolutely pull their hair out every time they heard this same argument?

Here is the thing – this single quote would literally shut down the discussion.  Even well studied scholars that actively considered all sides to the Rapture debate understood unequivocally that this was an erroneous position.  What irritated most of us was not some “great hidden mystery” that had to be gleaned from these two scriptures and bent to fit the pre-tribulation Rapture.

It was that simple reading comprehension skills were enough to set these two scriptures into the proper context.  Every time we heard this same argument we would cringe, knowing that the individual that proffered this particular proof was either lazy in their studies, lacked genuine understanding or practicing outright deception.

For the record – that “day” mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is not the Rapture – it is the Day of the Lord.  If you doubt me on this I would offer verse 2 as proof.  In fact, let’s examine all three together – along with verses 1 and 5 – to establish context:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5:

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

I highlighted and italicized several key points to illustrate once and for all what is being said here.  First of all, a false letter had arrived at the church in Thessaloniki that claimed to be from Paul, and that the Rapture had already occurred and the tribulation (the Day of the Lord) had begun.  The church was fearful that they had missed the Rapture.

Let us discuss for a moment something that is missed by Rapture critics that declare the Rapture as a modern invention.  Understand that the Bible was assembled during the Council of Nicea in 325AD, with the final version containing the 66 books we now read emerging in 367AD.  By the end of the century the current form was the accepted and ratified form utilized by the official church of Rome.

During that council (and the councils that followed), 318 Bishops of the church met, prayed and assembled the Bible according to the move of the Holy Spirit.  What is important to understand is that the first and second letters from Paul to the Thessalonians were among the texts to be considered.  What this means is profound in its implication – the early church Fathers (some of whom sat under the Disciples of Paul himself) had to consider the matter of the Rapture.  It would not only be discussed and considered by the first council, but it would be accepted, confirmed and verified by the various dioceses that comprised of the official church over the next 50 or so years.

If the Rapture was a modern invention it would not be found in the Bible.  Likewise, First Thessalonians is one of the first letters that Paul wrote to the church after he returned from Arabia.  Many scholars date the letter to be the first written by Paul.  It is interesting – the Rapture is a landmark doctrine.  How appropriate that the first thing Paul should teach is the single most revolutionary doctrine ever revealed (outside salvation) – delivered to him by Jesus Christ himself.

On a critical note, while other translations list this as the day of the Lord – and it is –  the KJV introduces a second distinction, one that is confirmed by what Paul says here in 2 Thessalonians.  The KJV translates it as the “Day of Christ”.  While Christ is indeed the Lord, this distinction serves the purpose of separating the Day of the Lord into two distinct categories:

The overall Day of the Lord which begins with the Rapture and runs through the millennial reign and the Day of Christ which bears witness to the time after the events of the tribulation when he has already returned in the Second Coming.  This is why we see the events of mid-trib – the Abomination of Desolation – offered as the evidence.

Also, the Rapture itself is never referred to in the Bible as a “day”.  This is a distinction that is reserved for events that actually define and run the course of day.  The day of the Lord, the day of wrath, the day of Christ and the feast days are all such examples of a “day”.  All of these events last a mandatory minimum of one day – whether it be the 1,000 year day or the one year day.  In the context of the primary distinction of the “day” – the 1,000 year day – the Rapture lasts but a fraction of a second.  Indeed, the entire time period of the tribulation equates only to about three seconds total of the Day of the Lord.  In the context of the one year day, the Rapture will last but a mere few moments.

Now, what we see in the scriptures above can be spoken as;

“Look, I already told you this – the tribulation comes after the gathering together.  If the gathering had occurred we would be in the tribulation.  If we were in the tribulation and Christ had already came back the Abomination of Desolation would have occurred.  The last time I checked the Antichrist had not shown up.  Remember, it is not possible for these to have happened as we are still here.  The Abomination cannot show up until after we are already gone, so relax already”.

If you read through these scriptures a few more times you will see it.  Sometimes it helps to rewrite these scriptures line by line to decipher the conversation.  When he admonishes the Thessalonians you can see that he goes above their original concerns.  You can almost see him shaking his head as he hears what has occurred.  It must have been like a parent aggravated that their children have not listened.

One of the challenges we face is understanding the conversational tones that were common in those days.  However, there is additional proof that Paul was indeed speaking of the Day of the Lord and not the Rapture in verse 3.  We find it back in the original conversation regarding the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians – as evidenced by verse 5.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:

1. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

2. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

3. 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.

4. 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:

5. 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.

6. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

When these verses are taken with the rest of chapter 4 and combined with chapter 5 for context we can see that – as in Matthew 24:36 – that the Rapture occurs prior to ANY events that trigger alarm, aside from the warnings of the times and the seasons.  Unlike the Second Coming which will have the events of the entire tribulation to foreshadow it, the gathering together will have no advanced warning.  Only the signs of the season bear witness that the day is close.  Yet we are further admonished to be vigilant as we cannot know the day that this will occur – only that it is close:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5, 6-7, 8-11:  But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

The words “peace and safety” are not a declaration that peace and safety have indeed come.  Rather, they are the theme of the day and the calling of the times.  Peace and safety are important prophetic clues to discerning the seasons and the soon return to the Lord.

When the world speaks of peace and safety above all things – as it does this very day (even now U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is working to secure a treaty with Israel to divide the lands for “peace and safety” – this is covered in greater detail in several prior chapters of this book) you shall know the end is near.  No, this does not declare that peace and safety have come – rather, that the world has reached a point where it will sell its soul just to stop the conflict.

The ESV has a unique perspective that becomes evident in verse 15:

For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

How many of us went for years attributing “those who are alive and remain” simply to the collection of living believers?  While that premise holds true, there is a deeper prophetic reference here.  Those that are alive and remain are not simply the collection of the living.  Rather, they are the remaining roadblock.  Stated differently, this is a confirmation that the Rapture is the completion of the First Fruits of the resurrection in Christ, and that the living overcomers are but a tiny remnant of what is occurring.  It tells us that the living overcomers are the exception to the rule that it is appointed unto man once to die, then to judgment.

In reality, it declares the living overcomers as a “minor” piece of business that must be handled before the tribulation – or time of wrath can begin.  Stated differently, it tells us that those who are alive and remain get a pass on “once to die, then to judgment” simply by being alive when the time of the first resurrection arrives.  We discuss this more in a moment.

Also, it should be noted that we are told that in this promise we have both hope and comfort.  We do not find comfort in enduring the tribulation (not if we are normal, anyhow).  Where then do we find hope and comfort?

Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 - For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

However, the two scriptures before verse 36 raise a few eyebrows as well:

Luke 21:34-35 - And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

It is not a snare to those taken from the earth – but to those that dwell on the earth.  A snare is a trap from which there can be no escape.  Indeed to those left behind there is no escaping the tribulation.

Remember the words of Jesus Christ when he addressed the Rapture and those that do not overcome in Matthew 25:30:

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

A snare indeed!

Now we find ourselves full circle back to 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

No, my friends – 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 are not proof of a post-tribulation Rapture.  Ironically, this conversation gives way to another area of contention – the pre-wrath Rapture, or the mid-trib Rapture.

On a personal note, for everyone that has convinced themselves that the first half of the tribulation is not a time of wrath answer me this – exactly when is one quarter of the world’s population dying from supernatural plagues of God not wrath?  I still have not found a single example in the Bible where declared plagues (not even in the same universe as terms of scale with those in the Book of Revelation) were not  just that – declared plagues.  Even the 144,000 Jews have to watch the run of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.  Though they are destined to be sealed and protected, until then they can still feel the effects of the disease, hunger and loss that comes with the horsemen, and are not sealed until chapter 5.

While we are on the subject, the sealing of the 144,000 Jews is yet another evidence that the tribulation starts officially at the sixth seal in chapter 6.  They are sealed at the beginning of the seven years and continue the 1,260 days of the two witnesses.

When discussing the subject of wrath, most folks key in on the Wrath of God which is generally agreed to be the second half of the Tribulation.  We see the Wrath of God mentioned in Revelation 15:1.  This becomes a source of controversy when discussing the timing of the Rapture.  Are believers destined to suffer wrath or will they be spared?

The Bible clearly shows that the body of overcoming believers shall be delivered from the wrath to come.  Here is a collection of scriptures from both the Old and New Testament that outlines the Lord’s principle of escape from wrath:

Luke 21:36 – also alludes to the Bema Judgment (standing before the Son of Man) in:

- Revelation 11:18-19

- 1 Thessalonians 1:10,

- Nahum 1:2,

- 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10,

- Matthew 3:7,

- John 3:36,

- Romans 1:18,

- Ephesians 5:6.

The entire seven years of the tribulation is a time of wrath.  The second half is the wrath of God.  This is one of the few points most scholars have always agreed upon.  This is further evidenced by scriptures such as Revelation 15:1.  What about the first half of the tribulation?  Is it a time of wrath?  Most will instinctively say “no”.  The question becomes “what does the Bible say”?

Revelation 6:16-17 is very revealing:

“And said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of THE LAMB: For the great day of his wrath Is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

Did you catch that?  The first 42 months are the wrath of the Lamb.  The second 42 months are the wrath of God.

Did you know that the Bible gives no less than eight examples of the principle of escape, and clearly demonstrates the doctrine of the pre-tribulation Rapture by proving that God does indeed spare his children?  We see the principle clearly demonstrated in the example of:

- The days of Noah, confirmed in Hebrews 11:7

- The days of Lot, Genesis 18:25, 19:22, 19:29, confirmed in 2 Peter 2:9

- The escape from Egypt (Israel), Exodus 12:23, 12:13, 11:6-7

- The deliverance of Rahab in Jericho, confirmed in Hebrews 11:31

- The escape of the remnant before the destruction of Jerusalem, confirmed in Luke 12:21

- Jordan and escape during the Tribulation, Daniel 11:41

- The protection of the Jewish people during the Tribulation, Revelation 7:3

And a particular favorite as well as being one of the most clearly spoken is the book of Ezekiel.  In Ezekiel the Lord leaves no question as to the nature of the principle of escape for those that remain faithful.  Also, it establishes the doctrine of escape as clearly written from the earliest days of the Bible.  We can see this demonstrated in Ezekiel 14:13-14, 20.

13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.

14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.

20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”

Now, we need to discuss the mysteries of God and specifically Revelation 10:6-7:

And swear by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

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.

This covers a great deal of ground so we will leave it at a basic explanation.  This is a reference to the Book of Ezekiel and the Book of Zechariah.  First, to consume the scroll is to hear, digest and share the prophecies of God concerning Israel.  Second, the Book of Revelation tells us that the mystery of God is completed.  We discussed the mysteries of God briefly in the section covering Matthew 24.  The mysteries of God are those things revealed in the Old Testament in pictures, explained through context in the four Gospels and unlocked by key in the New Testament.

Essentially, when you read both Ezekiel and Zechariah you see the prophetic future of Israel -both before Christ and after.  Both books present a picture of Israel during the time of Christ and during the tribulation.  In both we see the promise of the coming of Messiah and the events that follow.  This is important – in both books a specific sequence is outlined.  First the Lord comes for the saints.  Second, a time of tribulation arises.  Third, the desolation’s fall upon the Temple.  Fourth, Israel is judged for her iniquities.  Fifth, Israel is restored through the redemptive work of Messiah.

Revelation 11:17-18 - Saying, we give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

When you read Ezekiel 2:18-21, 4:9-17, chapters 5 through 10 followed by Zechariah chapters 2 through 6 you get the entire picture of the Ten days of Awe as they relate to the time of the tribulation with Ezekiel 4:9-17 and Zechariah chapter 3 specifically speaking to the Rapture of the saints (both the barley and the wheat or the church and the Jews).

However, the heart of the Rapture of both the church and the 144,000 Jews – as well as the BEMA at the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11 can be found in Ezekiel 3:16-21.  When it comes down to brass tacks we can see the mystery of God revealed in these five scriptures.  When we see that the mystery of God is to be finished with the seventh trumpet we see that all of the saints will be completed and called home, followed by the final devastating judgment of Israel in the Great Tribulation.  There is one final warning given by God when He declares that the mystery is finished – a final warning that we shall cover in greater detail later on.

Ezekiel 3:20 - Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Stated differently, the completion of the mystery of God is the declaration that at the seventh trumpet the last piece of the puzzle shall fall into place.  The last of the righteous shall be called home to stand before Christ (this is completed when the First Fruits of the wheat harvest are presented at the Temple of God with the Rapture of both the 144,000 Jews and the two witnesses).

The Holy Spirit is brought home (this is why angels now announce warnings upon the earth and not the Holy Spirit), darkness descends fully upon the earth (again, no Holy Spirit or church) and Israel comes full circle into her final phase of prophecy – final judgment.

After the seventh trumpet there are no more mysteries of God.  Those that remain on the earth are now truly alone.  No aid from the Holy Spirit, no miracles of God (aside from devastating judgments) – nothing but vile darkness and death.  Those that remain are left to their own devices and for the first time in the history of mankind salvation becomes an issue of works.

You will have to work and struggle every second of every waking day to accept the Gospel of Christ – let alone follow it.  At any moment your life may be called of you through the judgments or martyrdom.  So long as you push through the madness and keep your mind constantly upon Christ – and I mean constantly – you will be held alive until you can be martyred or make it to the end.  However, one slip, just one moment of weakness and their will be no stopping you from perishing at the hands of the judgments.  If this happens you lose.

Saints (what few are left and stand firm) die through the martyrdom alone – or they do not die.  Any other fate and you are lost forever.

Moving forward, one of the more confusing aspects to the New Testament and the Book of Revelation is the use of the word “saints”.  This word is plastered throughout Revelation leading to a natural assumption that the church must indeed endure the tribulation.  However, a closer examination reveals that the word saints is applied to the church, the Old Testament prophets and those that will have their robes washed white during the tribulation for the testimony of Christ.  We see this demonstrated in the two Hebrew words used for saints in the Bible – “kodesh” and “hagios”.

That brings up another interesting distinction in Revelation.  Have you ever noticed the difference in the clothing of those that stand before the Throne of God in Revelation?  Whenever we see those that are martyred in the Tribulation they are clothed in white robes that had to be washed before they could stand before the Throne.  However, there is a second group of people, present from the very beginning of chapter 4 that wear the white raiment of the priesthood of heaven.  This is the very same raiment worn by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The martyrs are clothed in white robes which are STOLE in Greek, Revelation 6:11, 7:9-14.  The Church and the elders are clothed in the white linen raiment of the priesthood which are HIMATION in Greek, Revelation 3:5, 3:18, 4:4.  Exodus chapter 28 outlines and confirms the white linen raiment of the priesthood.  Revelation 3:5 – in the letters to the seven churches – confirms the white linen raiment to be given to the church.

This is a good time to point out a tidbit that gets overlooked.  It is generally accepted that the Book of Revelation is a three part revelation.  It is divided into the things that were (chapter 1), the things that are (chapters 2 and 3) and the things to come.  The Lord covers a great deal of ground starting in chapter 4.  However, there is one thing that is glaringly absent once we start chapter 4.

There are no direct references to the church after chapter 3 (in the Greek “ecclesia” or “ekklesia”).  There are references to the saints that must have their robes washed through martyrdom, yet no mention of the church as a body on earth.  It is clear that the church on earth is an understood concept as there are two entire chapters in Revelation devoted to the church (chapters 2 and 3).  The question becomes “why”?

The answers rest in the appearance of the 24 elders in chapter 4.  Have you ever wondered about the elders?  Most simply pass these references over.  The natural assumption is angel or “some kind of elder” with no cognizance of where they came from.  We see their appearance in Revelation 4:4.

Here are a few interesting tidbits regarding the 24 elders:

They are described with the Greek word “presbuteros” which translates as “a senior in the church”.  It is also the root for presbyter, a term many are already familiar with, see Acts 14:23

They are dressed in the white raiment of the priesthood, Revelation 3:5, 3:18, 6:11, and 7:9

They are wearing the “stephanos”, or Greek for victor’s crowns, Revelation 4:4, 10 – set upon their heads from the very beginning.  As we detailed in the sections regarding the judgments, there is a crown awarded to those that love the appearing of the Lord.  It is likewise set upon the heads of those that live a righteous life upon the earth.

This crown of righteousness is awarded at the BEMA, yet here we see that those that held fast to the promise of the coming of the Lord walk through the gates of heaven wearing the white raiment and the crown of righteousness for their faith in the promise of His coming.  It is the only crown of the overcomers that is granted prior to the BEMA.

Nowhere in the Bible are angels ever addressed as, or considered elders – this is a term applied only to human beings.

The elders clearly identify themselves as redeemed by Christ, Galatians 3:13, Revelation 5:9

Matthew 19:28 clearly identifies the 12 Apostles as the 12 new covenant elders that shall sit upon 12 thrones and judging the 12 tribes of Israel.  We also know that the 12 sons of Israel shall likewise sit as twelve elders and judges.  The 12 sons of Israel judge the nation born of the old covenant and the 12 Apostles judge the nation born of the new covenant.

We have a final confirmation of this in Revelation 21:12, 14 as we see that the names of the twelve sons of Israel and the twelve apostles have their names carved upon the foundations of the New Jerusalem and the twelve gates.

There is a reason why the church is never again specifically mentioned after chapter 3.  Beginning in chapter 4 the church is now present in heaven – no longer as the church, but as the bride.  This is further evidenced by the commencement of the Bema (Revelation 11:18) at the beginning of the mid-point of the tribulation and the appearing of the seven sealed books in chapter 5 (more on this in a moment).

There is another point in chapter 4 that either gets overlooked or it gets downplayed as applying only to John the Revelator:

Revelation 4:1 - After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

As I said, this is either overlooked or downplayed.  However, when taken with the other scriptures regarding the Rapture, or the gathering together it becomes clear that this is a key lock verse that establishes the timing of the tribulation and the Book of Revelation.

However, never one to leave us to wonder about such things, God establishes a confirmation later in the Book of Revelation to solidify the Rapture in verse 4:1.  We see this confirmation in Revelation 11:11-12 –  And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Did you catch that?  We know that the same terminology in verse 4:1 does not refer to the witnesses as chapter 11 establishes the Rapture of the witnesses as the second woe upon mankind.

Furthermore, we see additional evidence in verse 18 in the same chapter with the BEMA, or the judgment seat of Christ for which all believers must be present:

And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

We receive yet a third confirmation Revelation 14:1-5:

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads.

And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Notice that the 144,000 witnesses are already redeemed from the earth – past tense.  We have iron clad evidence that they were also Raptured as these scriptures declare them as First Fruits to God and the Lamb.

To recap – verse 4:1 is the Rapture of the overcoming believers as the church is never again mentioned in the Book of Revelation, though they are clearly addressed in two complete chapters of Revelation prior to 4:1.  Second, we see the Rapture of the two witnesses in chapter 11 with a clear chronological establishment that their Rapture occurs after the first woe upon mankind, and gives us the second woe.  Third, we see the 144,000 witnesses in chapter 14, which follows immediately after the BEMA judgment at the end of chapter 11.  Chronologically, chapter 14 picks up where chapter 11 leaves off.  While the exact timing of the Rapture of the 144,000 is not given, we see that immediately following the BEMA they are already in heaven.  Also, the 144,000 are not separated and sealed until chapter 7 – well after verse 4:1.

There is yet another evidence that we must address as proof of the pre-tribulation Rapture.  The seven sealed book is the testament of John delivered to the seven churches as commanded by the Lord and we see an application of this in Jeremiah 32.  We see further similarities in the scrolls in Ezekiel 2:9-10.

Here is the critical piece of the puzzle – in the Law of Moses the seven seals can only be broken in the presence of those that sealed them.  Likewise, in Roman law this was a requirement.  In the days of Jesus Christ all legally binding contracts were sealed.  Only those that sealed the scroll could break the seal, or by someone that legally bore the seal used for the scroll.  In such a case the breaking of the seals must be witnessed  by those present when the seals were applied.

This was the seven pastors of the seven churches that John was commanded to present the Book of Revelation to.  While the Bible declares seven angels of seven seals, we know that angels are a designation that is also used to denote a human messenger.  We know that these seven angels are indeed human messengers as they correct John in later chapters of Revelation for bowing to worship them.  They admonish him for bowing and confirm that they are redeemed servant of Christ the same as John.

Revelation 19:10 -  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, see thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Revelation 22:8-9 - And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

Also, never forget the wearing of the white raiment.  This is the garment of the priesthood, now seen on the church which are a kingdom of priests unto Christ.  The difference between the white raiment worn by the church, the elders and Christ, and the white robes are an irrefutable proof of the pre-tribulation Rapture.  Remember, there are no misplaced or errant words in the Bible.  Every word is completely accurate and correct.  The fact that God clearly distinguishes between the two sets of garments can not be ignored.  They are different for a reason.

Now, here are three scriptures that are almost always missed when discussing the Rapture:

Hebrews 12:22-23 – But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Understand first that there is a difference between Mt. Zion and Mt. Sion.  Mt. Zion is Jerusalem on earth.  However, Mt. Sion is the heavenly Temple of God.  Whenever any reference is made to Mt. Sion it is a reference to Heaven and the Throne Room of God.

Here we see the general assembly, the church of the first born or the first fruits, the company of angels and the spirits of just men made perfect.  This perfection occurs ONLY after the resurrection of the dead in Christ.  We can know that these scriptures indeed speak of the promise of the coming of Jesus Christ as it was established in the first two scriptures in this chapter:

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God.

Also, it should be noted once more that faith in Christ and His promises are indeed central to overcoming as shown here.

Now, did you know that there are eight different Greek words found in the New Testament that point to the pre-tribulation Rapture?

1. Paralambano – “To receive to oneself” or “to take to” – John 14:3

2. Parousia – “A coming, arrival, or being alongside of” – Philippians 1:26, 2 Thessalonians 2:9, James 5:7

3. Apokalupsis – “An uncovering, a laying bare, a revelation or revealing” – Colossians 3:4, Luke 17:30, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Peter 4:13

4. Epiphaneia – “To bring forth to light, to cause to shine forth”, “daybreak or dawn” – 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 1 Timothy 6:14, 2 Timothy 1:10, 4:1

5. Rhuomai – “To draw to oneself”, “to rescue and deliver” – 1 Thessalonians 1:10

6. Harpazo – “Caught up, seize upon with force, snatch up” – 1 Thessalonians 4:17

7. Episunagoge – “Gathering together”, “assembly” – 2 Thessalonians 2:1

8. Allasso – “To change, to transform, to exchange” – 1 Corinthians 15:51

If you go to the scriptures listed above and apply the meaning of the original language you get an indisputable picture of the pre-tribulation Rapture.

This is a good time to revisit the subject of deliverance from wrath.  Here is a listing of various scriptures that prove an escape from the wrath to come – both the wrath of the Lamb and the wrath of God:

Revelation 6:16-17 – And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Revelation 15:1 – And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Here are scriptures that confirm deliverance from wrath for the overcomer:

- Isaiah 13:9

- Nahum 1:2

- Matthew 3:7

- John 3:36

- Romans 1:18

- Ephesians 5:6

- Romans 2:5-10

- Luke 21:36

- 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9-10

- Romans 5:9

With this I think we have covered enough ground for now.  While we have discussed many evidences for the pre-tribulation Rapture on this page and the discussion page on Matthew 24 – as well as the lightning revelation – this is by no means the end of the discussion.

We could publish several more pages of greater length then these three with additional Rapture evidences.  Not the least would be an in depth study of the Book of Remembrance, the Passover Feast, the Ancient Jewish Wedding, the complete breakdown of the harvest cycles, the rain seasons and more pictures of the Rapture in the Old Testament.  Some of these things are touched on in the other pages, but the lions share of the really awe inspiring details have not been covered.

Let there be no mistaking the evidence – there is a Rapture and it is pre-tribulation.  If you do not have faith in the promise of the coming of Christ – the pre-trib Rapture (belief in the mid-trib Rapture or post-trib Rapture is the same thing as no belief in the Rapture as it strips Christ of faith in His coming and power as God) – then you do not go in the Rapture.

To miss the Rapture is to risk eternal damnation.  If you could not find it to overcome for Christ, or find faith in His promises then you stand little chance of doing so when your life is required for admission to heaven.

That’s only if you survive the Rapture.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The Great Revealing of the End Times Mysteries

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased – Daniel 12:4

From the prospect of Biblical prophecy these are truly exciting times.

It is important that everybody understands why the landscape of Biblical prophecy teaching seems to be shifting.  Many long held assertions are being seen from the light of new revelations from the Lord and a new understanding of scriptures that we have read many times over the years.  More and more we are finding that we have overlooked what can only be described as patently obvious scriptures.

They did not become “obvious” until the Lord removed the blinders.

The Bible long ago foretold of a time of great understanding as the end approached.  Indeed we are seeing this manifest today.  Here is the thing – it is not just one or two scholars here and there that see these changes.  It is becoming a body wide occurrence that has manifested in believers of every denomination, orthodoxy and sect.  There is no single or individual tie between the many believers that are coming to renewed understanding of scripture save one – the salvation of Christ.

Daniel 12:4, 8-9 – But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?  And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Indeed, this revelatory outpouring has transcended traditional lines that would draw calls of “heresy” from one denomination to another.  That is the key difference here.  There is no particular bend in the body of believers that has escaped this outpouring.  From the charismatic movement to the Holiness movement – from Baptists to Lutherans – from Pentecostal to Presbyterian it is the same.  Old divisions that once stood in stark contrast to one another have begun to share an understanding – absent cooperation – that cannot be attributed to the heresy of a particular doctrine or denomination.

From these revelations there have emerged four narratives that seem to denominate the prophecy spectrum across the doctrinal divide:

Israel is the key to end times prophecy.  All study must be grounded in roots of our common Jewish heritage in order to glean the full meaning of the scriptures.  Understand, this is not a call to join the Hebrew Roots Movement.  Rather, it is a nearly universal acknowledgement from all sectors of the body of Christ that we have been missing something – something that cannot be provided absent a better understand of the Orthodox Jewish history of the church.  After all, Jesus was an orthodox Jew.

Secondly – The narrative of the revived Roman Empire is incorrect as many of us have held it.  It is becoming clear that while there will be a revived Roman Empire, it will be an empire that willingly and without any struggle surrenders to a greater, more vicious power that strikes forth to subdue the greater parts of the earth.

Here is the short description of the statue of Daniel and the “revived Roman Empire”:

The standard of the revived Roman Empire made a great deal of sense for many years until Islam truly hit its current iteration in the last 25 years or so.  Once this happened it became possible to understand Daniels vision regarding the statue of world empires.

For those reading that are unsure how the revived Roman Empire ideology came about here it is. The two legs of iron seemed to naturally fit Rome and its division into the east and west empires.  Also, there has been a school of thought that the western empire may have been representative of the two legs and ten toes as ten barbarian cultures eventually ended the Western Roman Empire.  However, this theory never seemed to accurately account for the clear division of Rome into two separate and autonomous entities.

While the revived Roman Empire understanding still holds, history has cleared the clutter and now many can now see how Rome did indeed spawn the two legs.  Indeed, the two legs did become the east and west empires; it went beyond that though.

The west empire became the Catholic Church, the Holy Roman Empire and the nations of European Christendom.  The east empire became Byzantium, then the Ottoman Empire and finally the current collection of nations in the Middle East that bow before Allah.  We can see that the western nations have become the 7th empire that will continue for a short space as the EU has formed in the last few years.  The reference to the short space tells us that soon the EU will bow down to a greater power.

We now know through additional scripture – such as the two chapters describing the religious and political empires comprising of Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17 details the coming religious Babylon while Revelation 18 details the coming political Babylon) – that an apostate church will bow low before Islam, deny the nature of Christ as the only begotten Son of God and succeed in surrendering the whole of the western empire to Allah.  It will do so while yet millions are executed (by different means at first, then exclusively through beheading) by Islamic hordes (for the testimony of Christ) that have embarked on a soft, silent invasion that has lasted for 20 years.  Their armies are now complete.  We shall speak more on Islam in a moment.

Third – While there are many that argue against a pre-tribulation Rapture, the advent of the increased study of Jewish tradition has made any other conclusion nearly untenable.  While the arguments against a pre-tribulation Rapture have remained stagnant and unchanging, the amount of renewed revelation and understanding for the pre-tribulation Rapture are beyond what any could have imagined even 50 years ago.

Among these inescapable understandings are the ancient traditional Jewish wedding, the seven Feasts of the Lord, the harvest cycles and seasons and the Book of Remembrance to name a few.

Fourth, the common denominator is, and has always been Islam.  This has become the single greatest piece of the revelatory shift that has occurred.  More and more Biblical scholars can see with clearing eyes the full weight of Islam bearing down on the earth.

From the Arabic name of Allah being equal to the Greek number six hundred, sixty and six to the colors of Islam seen in the four horseman of the apocalypse there is no escaping it.  Even the directions of the earth for which the riders of the horses are dispatched gives a chilling indication of where the devastation they herald shall be released – and it all points to Islam and the surrender of Europe.  We have watched in the last year alone as the players for the battles against Israel line up and begin to prepare.  We have watched as current world history literally offers a remarkable lesson on ancient Biblical geography – especially in the Middle East.  It has become unnerving for those with knowledge of Biblical prophecy to watch the last pieces of the puzzle line up.

For the new prophecy scholar this is doubtless a confusing time.  It becomes difficult to read, study and research with so many changes being introduced nearly as fast as the next version of Windows or Apple Iphone.  Here is what must be remembered – there has been but one man to walk the earth that was capable of knowing and understanding the entire revelation of God.

You and I are not Him.

You see, the Lord delivers revelation and understanding to each of us as we are built, or ready to understand it.  There are some that are naturally better at understanding economics.  To them the Lord may concentrate revelations and understanding on the mark of the beast and the coming global economic system.  To the retired military officer may go revelations concerning the prophecies of Ezekiel 38 and 39.  To the doctor may fall a greater understanding of plagues and pestilence.

There are some that are called to be seekers.  A seeker is a natural academic.  By default they will have a well-rounded understanding of many things.  The seeker is a digger by design.  They can find the things that most will miss.  The seeker has an ability to speak, yet this is not their first calling.  Their powers of speech are such that others that are called first to speech will be able to understand their efforts and run with the results.

That would be the speaker.  The speaker is likewise a natural academic, though not to the degree of the seeker.  They too hold a well-rounded understanding of the things around them.  However, their understanding is based on the need to interpret what the seeker finds into a language that is easily digested by the masses.

It is important that you understand this dynamic of revelation as you go forward in your studies of prophecy.  It will be critical in maintaining perspective as you interpret the things you hear and build your own base line for prophetic understanding.  Also, you must never forget that learning in the Lord is a lifelong process.  I cannot name a single biblical scholar of renown that holds the exact beliefs that were present when they started their journey with the Lord.  This does not mean that their views and beliefs were wrong.  Rather, they held what is best described as incomplete understandings of the complete picture.

Remember, there is only One that ever mastered the whole equation.

In my own life I have a background in math, science and electrical engineering.  I have completed many years of training, experience and education.  Yet, I still endeavor to understand the nature of electricity.  So simple in its construct yet so powerful in its application.  Electricity is energy at the atomic level.  The fact that mankind can both harness and manipulate this force of nature is a true testament to all we have achieved.  Yet, like my colleagues and brethren in the industry I continue to search for an even greater understanding that will open additional avenues of possibility.

It is an understanding that does indeed grow.  Likewise, the more we learn – such as in the study of electricity given as example – the more we are able to find an increasing bed of knowledge.  This is what has occurred, and is occurring in the study of prophecy and especially the study of the pre-tribulation Rapture.

What each of you can take from this is the simple concept laid out in the pages of the Bible.  Line upon line, precept upon precept – with prayer and faith the Lord will help you to build the understanding that He has set aside for you.  I cannot state this enough – trust that the Lord reveals things as He sees fit.  Be equally thankful for what He withholds as He is perfect and surely holds a perfect reason for keeping something from you.

That is how it is with all of us.  That is how it will be with you as well.

Blessings to all in the name of our blessed Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The Rapture and Overcoming — Am I Ready and Worthy?

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels – Revelation 3:5

I was asked how a believer can know that they are worthy of the Rapture.

There is a great deal of scripture that offers the answer.  However, sometimes what we need is the simple, straight forward answer with which to gauge our lives and seek the will of God.

The following answer finds its basis in

- Daniel 12;

- Malachi 3 and 4;

- Revelation 2 and 3;

- Matthew 8, 22, 24 and 25;

- Philippians 4;

- Numbers 10;

- Leviticus 23;

- Job 14;

- Luke 13;

- Hebrews 10;

- 2 Timothy 2

– just to name a few.  Everything you will read in this list can be found in the scriptures that we just listed.

For those that seek a straightforward answer – absent the confusion that can so often accompany such lofty Biblical discussions – here are the requirements to be found worthy of the Rapture:

As with all things salvation must come first.  Once you have salvation the real work begins.

1.  You must fear God.  The fear of God is the understanding that He is ALWAYS there.  Every decision you make, every sunrise you see – every moment you open your eyes.  The fear of God keeps us conscious that He sees and knows everything.  The fear of God holds us accountable for each and every work of our hands.

2.  You must pray to God.  Through constant prayer we have a relationship with our creator.  Indeed, we shall “know” Him for it – and He shall “know” us!

3.  You must give of the tithes and offerings.  This is the hardest of things it seems.  Remember Cornelius the Centurion – it was his unceasing prayer and his giving of the tithes and offerings that made him a memorial – a remembrance – before God. To fail to do so will see us cast out as the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing, and the gnashing of teeth.

4.  You must seek and obey the will of Christ for your life.  If you seek his will in your life and your heart truly desires His counsel He shall come!  You will know his will for your life as surely as you need oxygen to breath.

5.  You must be watchful and look to the promise of His coming – not the Second Coming, but rather to the promise of the Rapture of the saints.  All believers hold fast the Second Coming – it requires little faith as there will be an entire seven years of Tribulation to announce His return upon the Day of Atonement.  The Second Coming of Christ is not a mystery.  It requires no faith to believe as the Tribulation will make it obvious.

Those that do not believe in the rapture shall have no part in it.  Understand that the rapture is not a reward for salvation – it is a reward for faithfulness.  It is a reward for overcoming the constant specter of doubt and scoffers that mock you at every turn.  When doubt creeps into your mind and invades your heart, an overcoming faith will keep you looking to the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ for the overcoming saints.

Also, belief in the mid-tribulation rapture or the post-tribulation rapture (the U-turn) is the same as no belief in the rapture!  Half a faith is the same as no faith.  It is the same as saying “I believe in Christ, but. . . ”

Those that have believed upon the name of Christ Jesus for salvation, yet have not believed in His rapture, or promised return are in danger of being lost.  Should they miss the rapture and somehow survive, they shall have their part among the martyrs where they shall stand as a judicial witness for the majesty of Christ – if they confess the sin of unbelief and seek the salvation of Christ once more.  This is as it was in the first century of the church.  More came to salvation through the witness of the execution of spirit filled believers than by any other testimony.

The word martyr is from a root that means “judicial witness”.  It is a statement of the true power and strength that came upon the soon to be murdered believers in the first century church.  The Holy Spirit came upon them and they knew a supernatural faith that allowed them to stand with a strength that mankind had never known before.

They were filled with joy and peace as their deaths approached.  For all that looked upon them could not mistake what they had witnessed.  These “followers of Christ” had something that was beyond words.  The way that they faced death was an irrefutable witness to the power and majesty of a risen Lord that sits at the right hand of God the Father.

They were a witness that could stand before the very courts of heaven!

If you are diligent and seek these things you shall have your part in the Book of Remembrance.  You will be a memorial before God as an overcomer and have a part in the blessing for those that overcome.

These are the things that shall give you a part in the gathering of the overcomers, the Great Assembly or the Rapture of the believing saints.

Now, I want to share some insight on overcoming –  it helps to lay out the true meaning of the overcomer.  The New Testament speaks often of the overcomer, and the letters to the seven churches in Asia emphasize the importance of not just salvation – but to overcome as well.

“To him that overcomes” is the refrain uttered by Jesus Christ to John on the Isle of Patmos in the book of Revelation.

Still, many wonder what this means to them?  Hopefully this will help to answer that very question that so many have in the back of their minds.

What separates the body of the church is the requirement that we overcome. Many folks get confused as to what that means. Simply stated – overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. Those that overcome are those that have the desire to live for Christ and seek Him every day. They pray for His will in their lives, they look to the promise of his coming (when Peter said that in the last days there would come scoffers, he said it was the promise of His coming that they would deny). They will strive in the tithes and offerings, and they are willing to change everything in their lives at the word of the Lord.

What gets most people is that they think faithfulness requires perfection in their efforts. It does not. For instance, the Lord may be reaching to somebody to pay their tithes. Now, the Lord can clearly provide any needed resource for the church. However, the tithe was about more than money. It was about the faithfulness to trust that the Lord can provide all that he promises. It is the faith to set aside an appointed portion to the Lord first and foremost. 10 percent is the number we garner from the requirement of the Old Testament, yet if someone has not been used to giving the tithes then perhaps it starts with just a dollar or two. The faithfulness comes in when you make it a point that no matter what, you will give this single dollar – even if it means a bill goes unpaid.  From there the Lord will build you to a greater giving according to His will.  That is the heart of faithful tithing.

Remember the widow that gave her last two mites? As Jesus said, she gave more than all the wealthy combined. It was her heart and faithfulness that matter.

Perhaps the Lord places a burden of prayer on you for somebody else. One night while asleep, the Lord awakens you in the fourth watch to pray. Do you roll over and go back to sleep – placing your comfort above the calling of the Lord? Or do you spend the next 3 hours in prayer for him that the Lord has brought before you. That too is the heart of faithfulness and overcoming.

However, overcoming is about the voices inside you that tell you that you are too tired to pray, or that you will be mocked if you speak, or that your efforts will be worthless. It is the greatest enemy to the believer. It is that force within that always seems to throw up a roadblock to the work of Christ. How many times have we dreaded getting on Facebook for the fear that somebody that is fighting you at every turn will be waiting to pounce. How about that wonderful share of the Lord that brings out the worst in every non-believer? You saw the words of the post and it was truth with a clarity rarely seen. You shared it expecting that people would see what came naturally to you.

Instead, it openly challenged the false fronts that people were hiding behind and now they are fighting for their spiritual lives of sin as they cannot escape the truth you saw in the post. You will know the ones I speak of – it is the post that continues to draw attacks from the enemy three days later.

That is where true overcoming occurs. We can escape many things in this life – this voice inside us is not one of them. It is always there and it never surrenders. He whispers to you, convinces you – “you can miss prayer just once, you can take just one drink, you can talk to her – after all, talking isn’t cheating is it?”

As the addict knows all too well – all it takes is once.

That is overcoming. That is faithfulness. The rapture is not the reward for salvation (salvation is the reward for salvation) – it is the blessing for those that overcome.  Those that had no reason whatsoever to serve Christ. Their finances were strong, they had jobs – serving Christ just wasn’t fun, yet still they served.  They sacrificed their own desires for the will of Christ and the cause of salvation.

It is serving Him when you don’t have to. It is not about getting it right all the time. In fact, it’s not even about getting it right the first time.

It’s not about perfection and being perfect with every step.

It is simply desiring the will of Christ in your life to be better for Him today then you were yesterday. To seek His perfection – never attaining it in this life – that you may be better for him tomorrow than you are today.

Overcoming is not a matter of having much to give of yourself for Christ – it is a matter of giving all of the little that you do possess, willingly, gratefully and thankfully.

Ever thankful that you had something for the Lord.

That something may be little in your eyes.  I promise that when the Lord himself personally forges a victors crown with His own two nail pierced hands and places it upon your head you shall know one thing for all eternity…

That one small overcoming sacrifice was more than all the oceans of the world, the sands of the sea and there exists no level of gratitude than can ever supplant the true and amazing gratitude of a Savior that looks upon the ripple effect of souls saved.

And every last one will be traced for eternity to your one insignificant offering.

That, my friends, is the nature of the overcomer.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The Final Warning

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth – Matthew 24:50-51

Did you ever notice how the Rapture is the one subject in the faith that many absolutely refuse to accept?  Obviously there are theological differences on many areas from speaking in tongues to tithing.  These differences always bring their own     fireworks to the table.  But top to bottom, the single most divisive issue in the body of Christ is the Rapture – or should I say the pre-tribulation Rapture.  Have you ever wondered why this is?

You see, while the other theological differences do indeed get hotly debated, ultimately they do not separate the body of Christ as much as the pre-tribulation Rapture.  Even mid-tribulation and post-tribulation Rapture supporters are more tolerant of each other, and no-Rapture supporters are given credibility above the pre-tribulation supporters.

This has always puzzled me.  After all, the Rapture is not a salvation breaker.  Aren’t we all destined to end up in heaven, just laughing about who got it wrong and who got it right?

Not so fast.

Something hit me a while back when I was looking into the origins of the opposition to the Rapture as a whole.  I was looking through any number of the endless prophecy charts that you can find online.  I came across several charts by the late Charles Larkin.  The name may not ring a bell, but the charts and the artistry will.  Charles Larkin created some of the most iconic charts in the history of the modern church.  There are few Christians that have not seen at least one or two examples of his work.  All of his work has the same flavor and format.

I was looking through his charts and had a chance to review some of the work he had included in a book that he wrote many years ago.  As I was parsing through the online pages I came across something that really struck me.  In the depths of one of his books, Larkin goes into the details of the current climate of those that were critical of the pre-tribulation Rapture.  Bear in mind that this is the 1920’s.  The arguments were somewhat different against a pre-tribulation Rapture than we see today, and there was something that occurred to me:

The pre-tribulation Rapture has always been taught in the church, yet there is always a new argument against it.  The arguments come and go, but the pre-tribulation Rapture remains.

What I had discovered is that every one of the seven church ages has seen Satan oppose the pre-tribulation Rapture.  Turns out this goes all the way back to the early church when Satan sent a letter to the church at Thessaloniki and claimed that the Rapture was past, Christ had returned and the church had missed it.  As I asked before – have you ever wondered “why?”

It turns out that there is a very good reason.  Satan wants as many believers as possible to turn from the faith to believe that Christ will indeed return for His bride, at least before the tribulation.  As I would come to learn, it seems that Satan really does understand scripture better than many believers today.  The deep dark secret as to why the pre-tribulation Rapture is the single greatest focus of Satan’s attacks centers on a simple premise:

Half a faith in Christ is the same as no faith at all.

Faith is the very heart of our relationship with Christ.  Let me ask you something.  When was the last time you noticed – I mean, really noticed – the giving of any real revelations by God to those that have no faith in the return of the Lord?

When was the last time you found anything in a Rapture critic (pre-tribulation or otherwise) that ever truly resembled joy?  Never mind joy unspeakable and full of glory.  Over the last several years I have witnessed what can only be described as a growing bitterness in the Rapture critic as we approach the tribulation.

When was the last time you found a Rapture critic with anything that resembled real hope?  When was the last time a pre-tribulation Rapture critic was content enough in their beliefs to accept that others do indeed believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture?

When was the last time you witnessed real evidence of the move of the Lord in the lives of the pre-tribulation Rapture critic?  I’m not talking about their spoken claims.  Rather, I am speaking of those undeniable evidences that cannot be imitated, imagined or falsified.  Anybody can say that they have the move of God in their life.  Only those that truly possess such a move of God can prove it.  The move of God itself will be the evidence as it will be unmistakable.

These are the things I had noticed.  Here lately it has gotten much worse as the tribulation has passed from prophetic speculation to impending truth.  It seems that as we have gotten closer to the tribulation Satan has had himself a whale of a time playing on the fears of those that never quite held the faith to believe Jesus Christ when he said:

“For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” – Luke 21:35-36.

You see, it really does come down to faith.  Do you have faith enough to believe Jesus Christ when He says that those accounted worthy will escape these things?  Here is the problem – anybody can front a false faith when the signs do not point to the end.  However, what has happened is that as each day closes and we can all see where we sit in history, it takes more and more faith to trust in Jesus that He will indeed return, just as He said he would.

Unfortunately, we are finding that many do not have such faith.  They still hold a faith in the things that occur on the other side of eternity.  That is the easy part as there is no danger in finding out that you are wrong (at least not while we yet live).  The tribulation is a far different matter however.

As the evening news plays out events in the Middle East, the collapsing global economy and the march to totalitarianism in the United States, it becomes a hard thing to send your money to the missions fields instead of the purchasing of weapons, ammunition, gold, silver and emergency food.  As we now sit at the door step of the end times, more and more “believers” have betrayed their genuine lack of full faith and begun to hedge their bets on whether or not the Rapture will actually occur.

Many believers have a secret desire to see a pre-tribulation Rapture, yet hold an increasing fear that it will not come.  It turns out that this presents the most tragic of circumstances.

1. Many believers that are left behind will not survive the Rapture to repent of their lack of faith.  In the waning seconds of the Rapture they will pass into eternity – not as a Raptured saint – but as a lost soul that died never fully trusting in Jesus Christ.

2. The number of believers that perish or enter the tribulation will be no less than half.

Of this number, one third fall from hiding their faith and abilities for the Lord in fear, or they fail in the tithes and offerings – with heavy emphasis on the tithes and offerings.

Nearly all of these believers will be active in the faith.  They are those that work for the kingdom, yet will be found as filthy rags.  They do not believe that they can be lost.

3. Those that do survive will know an anguish that cannot be put into words.

This is what Satan has been banking on.  Each believer that turns from full faith in Christ ultimately turns from faith in the salvation of Christ.  It is no mistake that the Bible uses the word salvation itself when it speaks of the Rapture.  They are one in the same.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5, 6-7, 8-11:  But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

We will detail this revelation in a moment.

I know this is a hard truth to grasp.  When the Lord revealed it to me I was floored.  It took three days of prayer just to recover from the initial shock.  As the days progressed I began to understand the implications of such a revelation.  As hard as it is for you to read this, it was even harder to be the one the Lord decided to reveal this to.

This was both the greatest and the worst day of my walk with the Lord.  I mean that with a great deal of genuine thanksgiving as I would never trade that moment for anything.  You see, on one hand I had just been delivered the worst news this side of hell that a believer can receive.  However, the very fact that my relationship with the Lord was such that he saw fit to choose me for a new revelation was humbling in ways I cannot express.

I have had an active and fulfilling relationship with Jesus Christ for many years now.  I have trusted Him to guide me and He certainly has.  I enjoy a relationship where He answers most of my questions almost in real time.  I suspect that this comes from my desire to know the things of God simply for the pure joy of knowing.  Years ago I reached a point where I did not care what the Lord decided to show me.  I was thankful no matter what answers He provided.  In fact, I was just as grateful for unanswered prayers as the God of all creation must surely have a perfect reason not to reveal something to me.  After all, is He not God?

It turns out that this was the key.  It was all downhill from there.  The more He showed me the more grateful I felt.  The more I valued even the unanswered prayers.

The simple truth behind the satanic opposition to the pre-tribulation Rapture is no different.  After the Lord allowed me time to compose myself He began the confirmation process.  That is another facet of my walk with the Lord.  Every revelation He delivers will always come with multiple scriptures for confirmation.  So it was with this.  Likewise, as the Lord guided my writing He began to reveal the method for introducing this principle of lost faith, or as He calls it – the Final Warning.

Most of you will know the truth of what I say after you read what comes next.  You will not even make it to the scriptural evidences for this revelation without enduring the most profound sense of heartbreak that most of you will ever know.  As you read the following words the Lord will speak to you.  You will feel the Holy Spirit move in your heart even though you will search your soul for a reason – any reason – to discard what you can never “unknow”.

Only prayer can help to heal the hurt.  It took me days and I am still not over it.

Well, we might as well get on with it.

As you have moved through the pages of this book, you have gained a new perspective for the Rapture and the things to come in the tribulation.  The nearly romantic notion of the tribulation that many hold will certainly be the source of numerous surprises to those that never quite grasped the concept of “wrath”.  The devastation of the Rapture will be nothing less than Biblical in its occurrence.  However, for the purposes of the final warning let’s take a step back for a minute and adopt a “simple is better” premise.

For the moment, let us center in on a more traditional view of the Rapture.  We can illustrate the final warning with the following exercise.

You are sitting on an airplane at the moment the Rapture occurs.  Suddenly, millions of believers disappear leaving only a pile of clothes behind.   Here is the thing, you thought you would go in the Rapture or that you knew when it would come , yet here you are.  This presents a problem.

You are sitting on an airplane that is now seconds from fiery destruction as the pilot is now gone.  Likewise, you could be in an automobile running 65 mph down the road watching a now driver-less car head straight for you – with only a second or two before a fatal front end crash.  However, let’s stick with the airplane as this is the most recognized example of the vanishing operator.

It is two seconds since the Rapture and five seconds before your plane deposits your corpse into the ground at its next “stop”.  Here is where you stand:

1.  You cannot be a part of “the dead in Christ” – they were the first to be Raptured.  That ship has sailed and you missed it.

2.  You were not in the “alive and remain” group either.  You always thought you would be part of this group, but it turns out you misjudged a few things in your life and missed that boat too.

3.  There is always the last group of righteous dead – the “martyrs for Christ”.  Just one small problem – you’re not bowing before the blade.

You’re on an airplane that is but seconds from an express trip to hell.  Unfortunately, that leaves only one option now:  the unrighteous dead.

That’s right, I said the unrighteous dead as in Great White Throne Judgment unrighteous dead.  You did not make the Rapture and you will not survive to be a martyr.  That leaves only one possibility – you are lost for eternity.

Your first response to my words will most likely be that I am wrong.  Am I?  Let’s look at this logically.

1.  Obviously you were alive when the Rapture occurred so it was not possible to be resurrected with the dead in Christ.  Scratch them off the list.

2.  However, you clearly did not qualify to be Raptured with the living saints.  This means that when Jesus Christ came back for His sheep He did not count you among them.  Scratch them off the list also.

3.  There was always the backup route of martyr.  Here is the thing – five seconds from now you will die in a fiery crash that will vaporize you instantly.

The airplane cannot demand that you turn from Christ as a condition to live.  It would not matter how many times you attempted to renounce Allah or plead to Christ.

You’re not going to be a martyr when you die.

That brings us back to the inevitable, terrible truth – you will perish and suffer the fate of the non-believer.  If you had enough in the tank to qualify as an overcomer you would be gone already.

But you’re not because you didn’t.

It doesn’t get any plainer than that.

It is interesting how the Lord reveals such things to men.  After receiving the lightning revelation concerning the Rapture and tying it together with the overall picture of the resurrections,  martyrdom’s and judgments I was left with a nagging question.

With that level of death and destruction how do you avoid losing any non-overcoming believers?  How do you not lose believers that don’t believe in the Rapture?  It did not take long to formulate an answer – clearly God controls the timing and nature of death in the tribulation.  After all, every scripture that speaks of the death of a believer always shows martyrdom as the cause.  Besides, when the plague of locusts comes upon those that are not sealed with the seal of God they are tormented for five months and wishing for a death that does not come.  As far as I was concerned this was the answer.  I went about my research and prayer for this project and looked to other subjects.

Then one night out of the blue the Lord laid a thought into my head.  “What about all of the believers that don’t go in the Rapture?  Does God really supernaturally spare millions of left behind believers?”  I thought this was settled.  However, I had learned over the years to recognize when the Lord was getting ready to show me something.  You see, I was not even thinking about the Rapture or anything related.  I cannot remember what part of the project I was working on, but I will never forget how suddenly this came over me.  This time, however, I had an uneasiness about the subject.

I started to run the scenarios through my head asking the Lord of each.  “What about this and what about that?”  I played this out for a bit and settled into a logical train of thought.

“Well, we know that those left behind are not the dead in Christ so that is not part of it.”

“If they are left behind they must die as martyrs.  Bible says so. . .”

“I know millions die during the Rapture, but they will die as. . .”

I felt sick and wanted to weep.  As most of you know that have an active relationship with the Lord, there is NO mistaking when He speaks to you.  There is no mistaking when He gives you a revelation.  There is no mistaking that instantaneous confirmation that rolls over your entire body as the Holy Spirit moves to cement the concept on your heart.

It was as though I was hit by lightning.  All I could do is lay there in stunned silence.  For the next several hours all I could get from my lips is “Lord, no – it can’t be. . .”

After a few moments my mind began to search for scripture – any scripture – to counter what I had just learned.  I guess the Lord saw that coming because what I received were scriptures that confirmed what He had just shown me.

It was as though the lock had been turned.  So many things made sense now.  I finally had the crucial missing piece to the puzzle.  It was about faith.  All of it came down to true faith in Christ.  Did you have the faith to be ridiculed for a belief that there was absolutely no reason to believe?  After all, there would be no proof of the Rapture until after it came and went.  Unlike the Second Coming or even a belief in a mid-tribulation or post-tribulation Rapture – which would have the “benefit” of three and a half to seven years of tribulation to prove itself.

Now it seems I understand the harsh truth behind “But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Really puts that whole “weeping and gnashing of teeth” into perspective.

Now, figure in the true impact of the Rapture.  Unlike most of humanity that has had to wait until the times of the end to finally understand the deeper things of the tribulation (Daniel chapter 12), Satan has known from the beginning what the Rapture would consist of.  As we found when we put all of the scriptures together, angels likewise travel and move as lightning.  Likewise, the move of the Lord – and even his voice – are as lightning and thunder.  Ezekiel received a firsthand education in this and now so have we.  Now for the really bad news.

The true nature of the Rapture is that it will cause millions of those left behind to perish.  We spoke of this in both the revelation of the things to come and in the chapter on what the Rapture will look like.  The bitter truth is that millions of believers that never held full faith in Christ will walk through the Rapture into hell as they never fully turned their life to Christ.  Every time they would speak with others regarding the times of the end and the Rapture, the conversation would become an exercise in “I have faith in Christ, but. . .”

It seems that the Rapture always brought a “but” to the party.

The Bible is absolutely clear on one simple premise – you cannot have that which you do not believe.  The natural response comes quickly – “but I believe in the salvation of Christ”.  Do you?  Tell me something – can you find a single scripture in the Bible that ever says it is OK not to have full faith in Christ?

Me neither.

I can – and will – present many scriptures that clearly show that any lack of faith in the person of Christ is not acceptable.  The person of Christ – what an interesting subject it is.  How many times do we speak of the attributes of Christ and how they show us who He is?  How many times have we admonished those that would twist His attributes for their own agenda?  How many times have we sprang to the defense of Christ when others would diminish Him for their own designs?

What makes the pre-tribulation Rapture critic any different than the leftist that silences Christians with “thou shalt not judge” and the homosexual movement with refrains of “Jesus Christ is love and we love each other so we are right”?  There is an entire section of the Old Testament that is absolutely riddled with “thou shalt not”.  How many Rapture critics are quick to point this out to those that seek to pervert the Bible and the words of Christ?

Where does that leave the Rapture critic on this:

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.

Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power – 1 Corinthians 15:23-24.

By now you get the point.

There is one final premise that needs to be addressed before we delve into the scriptural evidence for the doctrine of the Final Warning. There is something that must be understood regarding the Rapture and faith in Christ:

Your particular position on the Rapture is not relevant if you were born in an age when there was no danger of it actually occurring.  To those that died in the faith prior to the Rapture it was simply a doctrinal difference to which they would never be a party to – not from the “alive and remain” perspective anyway.  They would be a part of the dead in Christ.  As such, the only faith required to please God is faith in the first resurrection and salvation.  As they would already be dead in the times before the end it simply did not matter when the first resurrection came.  They needed only to know that it would come.  This is why the Rapture was never a central tenant of any church or body in ages past.  It was taught, but never occupied a primary place in the theology of the day.

It is only now – in the end – that the Lord has opened an understanding to the Rapture through the eyes of the Jewish Feasts, the Law of First Fruits and the harvest cycles of Israel.  Simply stated, it was not critical to fully understand the Rapture until the current age and times.

The Rapture doctrine is only critical to those in a position to experience it firsthand.  The promise of his coming is a promise to those that are alive and remain, not to those that are the dead in Christ.  If you remove those that are alive and remain from the equation you the have the first resurrection alone.  It does not matter chronologically when the dead in Christ are resurrected – they’re dead.  Their souls already sit under the altar in paradise.  It makes no difference to them when they are resurrected and they have a different perspective on time as well.

The dead in Christ have run their race.  Only now, in the times of the end does an understanding of the Rapture become absolutely critical to the running of our races.

Hebrews 12:1-3 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

At this point there is nothing left to do but present the listing of scriptural evidences, not that most of you will need them.  However, since we are effectively establishing a “new” doctrine we must present the scriptural evidence to do so.

Establishing the doctrine of the Final Warning:

Since this is effectively a newly revealed doctrine, we will break it into its various parts and utilize the three scripture method (at least three) for establishing each component according to the laws of interpretation and hermeneutics.  It is a revealed doctrine as all doctrines in the Bible are at least 2,000 years old.  We simply have not seen the doctrine as the Lord has blinded us until the times of the end.

This is a requirement of serious Bible scholarship.  For those that are seeking a single verse proof either for or against this doctrine you will not find it here.  Rather, the scriptural evidence will be laid line upon line and precept upon precept to establish the case for the Final Warning.

We will start with the most difficult piece of the picture:

A. Believers can and will perish in the Rapture.

Matthew 24:50-51 – The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:10-12 – And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Matthew 25:30 – And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For good measure we can add another block of scripture that confirms that the Lord will indeed cast away believers that do not measure up to His standards:

Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Luke 13:27-29 – But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from Me, all you evildoers!’

“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.  People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

If you doubt the reasoning presented for these scriptures you can go and read the context from each.  All four examples are from a direct accounting of what occurs with the unfaithful believer.

- Matthew 6:1 through 7:27.

- Matthew 24:36 through 25:30.

- Luke 13:22-28.

There are three points evidenced in these five blocks of scriptures.

1. Each of these deal with the moment the Lord returns.

2. The believer is cast into outer darkness.

Outer darkness is a reference to the ancient Jewish wedding and the supper which were commonly held at night.  There would be light in the celebration, but outside it would be utterly dark.  Also, it is a reference to the dungeons and prisons of the time.  They were typically underground where there was no outside light.  They were in utter darkness until the master came with his light.  When the master of the house left there would be a profound sense of anguish as the prisoners would have known the light for but a moment and then they were cast again into darkness.

This is a clear reference not just to the tribulation – it is a reference to hell as well.  We see this established in the next point.

3. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This is a double reference.  First, for the believer that survives the Rapture there will be a profound sense of anguish, regret and indignation that shall follow them all the days of their remaining life.  They will weep and gnash their teeth in indignation.

However, in Matthew 25:30 we see an additional key to understanding the double reference.  In 25:30, the weeping and gnashing of teeth occurs in what is referred to as “that place”.

Here are additional proofs of the double reference in “weeping and gnashing of teeth” as an indication of death and hell:

Revelation 2:23 – Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead.

Here in Revelation 2:23 we see a reference to both occurring at the return of the Lord – the tribulation and hell.

Matthew 13:40-43 – As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Matthew 13:49-51 – So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,  And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

You can clearly see that “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is a direct reference to hell.  Anytime the Bible makes such a direct reference to something it cannot be disregarded.  It can have an additional meaning as it does here.  However, the plain meaning is the first meaning.  Believers will be cast from the person of the Lord when He returns and some will find themselves in the literal hell.

Fortunately – if you can use that word here – we can see the additional reference to the tribulation.  It tells us that not all left behind believers will be cast into hell.  Some will be cast into the tribulation, or outer darkness only.

B. We know that these are believers – not unbelievers.

Luke 17:30, 34-36 – Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Mark 13:33-36 – Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

Matthew 24:40-42 – Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

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

Matthew 24:46-50 – Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What we see in these scriptures is that each of these are together, paired to the same calling and task.  They are laying in the same bed or working in the same field – each sharing the same task and house.  They are not strangers to each other and they have the same master.  Likewise, we can see that they are to be prepared as they know not when their master will return.

That is the key – they each have the same master – the master of the house.

These points are confirmed with additional scriptures:

Matthew 25:1-4 – Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Notice that all ten were virgins.  Also, that each had lamps lit with the light.  However, the five wise kept an extra portion of the Holy Spirit while the five foolish let the Holy Spirit fade away and their flame was extinguished.  Also, it should be noted that this parable begins with a clear indication that these virgins are representative of the Kingdom of God and therefore the virgins are the body of Christ – also likened elsewhere in the scripture to virgins.

Matthew 25:10 – And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Here we see that the Bridegroom came and took the wise virgins filled with the Holy Spirit and the light of the world.  They entered together into the marriage of the Lamb and the door was shut.

The foolish virgins (again, all ten were virgins, or believers) were left to the outer darkness.

We also learn that only those seeking the will of the Father shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is the most critical point that the scriptures make concerning the believer that is lost.  Many set about the work of the Kingdom, yet they do so according to their own understanding and desires.  If we as believers are not willing to seek the will of God first – and discard EVERYTHING that we hold as Holy – then we shall perish.

How many times have you encountered a believer that absolutely derides another believer for a lack of holiness that they perceive?  There is an unfortunate tendency for believers to open only one half of the Bible to justify what they see as holiness and the Kingdom of God.

To the believer that revels in a holiness that they alone achieve there is only the Old Testament.  Every scripture they quote to support their position comes only from the Law of Moses.  They will literally disregard the Gospels and the writings of the Apostles – including Paul!  I even had one lady remark that it does not matter if I pray concerning the will of God.  If what the believer did was not 100 percent from the Old Testament then they were lost.

On the other side of the coin are those believers that no longer give any credence to the Old Testament.   In their thinking it is a return to works and the law.  Likewise, they go through their studies of the scripture devoid of any desire to understand the Jewish roots of the faith.  Unfortunately, most of the current false doctrines stem from this tendency.  These believers will deny the Rapture based on the scriptures concerning the last trump – never understanding the beauty and perfection of the Feasts of Israel and what they mean prophetically:

Colossians 2:16-17 – Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Sometimes you get both wrapped in one.  These believers will brandish their own version of holiness as a baseball bat.  Everyday is an exercise in crushing the joy of the Holy Spirit and the hope of salvation in Christ.  In their thinking it is simply not possible that Jesus Christ would ever permit the church to escape the tribulation.  If Christ had to be scourged and put to death then why should we ever expect anything different?  After all, it only makes sense that the church should be purged of their unworthiness.  The Bride must be purified!

What a sad existence to live.  The entire Bible is based on the premise of justice tempered through mercy.  Does it really make common sense that an 80 year old grandmother who prayed three hours a day for her family, friends and loved ones should suffer the same “purification” as a backslidden believer that sits every day on the computer immersed in pornography?

How do you explain to this same 80 year old grandmother that knelt before God every day with a contrite heart, faithfully seeking His will for her life and contending for the faith. . .

Even as her beloved husband lay dying of cancer;

As her adoring grandson was brought home in a flag draped coffin;

As the treatments for her terminal condition were denied by insurance due to her age.

How do you explain to her that 60 years of blood, sweat and tears for the Gospel of Christ – given freely, with gratitude that she had something to give – merits the same treatment as the unfaithful believer that refuses to give for the Kingdom. . .

Refuses to give up an hour a week (let alone an hour a day) for earnest prayer;

Cannot be troubled to attend church once a week – or a Bible study – or a fellowship meeting – or an online church;

Cannot find their Bible as it is buried under three inches of dust and four sports magazines.

How do you explain to her that while she has crowns waiting in heaven based on the degree to which she served, there shall be no such distinction on earth?  How do you explain to her that while the blood of Christ alone can save, atone and make white – her blood will still be required.

Not because she failed the Father – but because somebody else did.

No, these are the beliefs of those that justify their own failures in the faith.  These are the beliefs of those that seek not the will of God first – rather, they seek the will of God to fit there own perceptions.

We can evidence this even further:

Matthew 25:14 – For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.

Matthew 25:19 – Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

However, the tragedy of this tale and the confirmation can be found in the following scriptures:

Matthew 25:23-27 – His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

Never underestimate the meaning of “I was afraid” mentioned here.  Indeed is that not the very heart of those that refuse to accept a pre-tribulation Rapture?  The fear of ridicule, mock and scorn?

“You can’t prove the Rapture from the Bible.”

“The word Rapture isn’t in the Bible.”

“What if the Lord doesn’t come back for the church?”

Now we find the fateful result of the actions of the unprofitable servant:

Matthew 25:28-30 – So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

I will be brief – all were servants of the same master.  If you read the all of Matthew 25 you find that the wise and profitable servants invest their time and money in the Kingdom of God.  The unwise and unprofitable servants do not.

The rewards of the unwise are taken from them and given to those that were faithful.   The unfaithful servants – which horded the money and buried their salvation – were cast from the master into the outer darkness.

Also, did you notice this: “But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

There can be no mistaking the meaning.  As with all of the examples cited here we find that all were either virgins or servants with an appointed reward before the Savior.  However, we see here that even the salvation of the servant is taken from him.

“In that place there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

As we mentioned earlier, the last verse, 25:30 is the final key to confirm that the outer darkness is not just the tribulation, but that it is hell also.  We see the reference to “in that place”.  Remember, that while we can think of the tribulation as a place absent from God, verse 30 is not a general or allegorical reference.  It is offering the tense and position of an actual place:

Matthew 25:30 – And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

C. One half of all believers will perish or enter the tribulation.

There is yet another dire warning in the parables of the virgins, servants and the two in the bed, field and grinding.  We can see that many believers will attempt to return to the Holy Spirit at the final moment when it is now too late.  When Jesus Christ returns is not the time to figure out you were wrong.  The Bible tells us that today is the acceptable day of salvation.  The implication in Matthew 24 and 25 is clear – wait until the end to figure it out and you may pay for your failure with your soul.

I want to address something else in the parables of the ten virgins and the servants.  We should learn from the numbers that the Lord presents to the Disciples.  In the case of the virgins there are ten.  In the servants there are three.  Likewise, when we also consider the examples of two in the bed, two grinding and two in the field we see a disturbing pattern emerge.

Of the virgins half perish, or are lost to the tribulation.  Of the servants the number is one out of three.  The example of two in the field, two grinding and two in the bed brings us back to half.  The reasons make this observation even more disturbing.

The virgins tell us that half of all believers do not make it.  They are without the anointing and the Holy Spirit – which they once had.  The servants tell us that of the half, one third perish for unfaithfulness in the tithes and offering and an unwillingness to expose their faith to the ridicule of others.

The examples of two in the bed and two in the field or grinding is more disturbing still.

Half of all believers actively engaged in the work of the kingdom are not right with Christ.  They go through the motions, yet Christ is not their first love.  They wear the garments of the faith, but those garments are no longer white.  They are soiled and spotted.

Matthew 7:21-23 – Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Revelation 3:4-5 - Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels.

Exodus 32:33 -  And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of my book.

Psalms 69:27-28 - Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into Thy righteousness.  Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

In these scriptures we again see the final verdict for these virgins and servants that soiled their garments;

Their names are blotted from the Book of Life.  There is no reprieve for those not found written in the Book of Life – they are lost forever.

Now, how do we know that the numbers given by the Lord in the parables are a direct indication of the numbers of believers that miss the Rapture?  We know this as the Bible has numerous scriptures that confirm that every word we utter is accounted by God.  Stated differently, the Bible requires that we speak no useless or vain words.  As the Lord is perfect we can understand that He did indeed utter no accidental or unimportant words.  As such, the Lord did not chose a random number of virgins or servants.  Each number presented in the parables is profitable for understanding.  Here are scriptural proofs of the critical nature of every word spoken in the Bible:

Proverbs 18-21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Matthew 12:36-37 - I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Luke 6:45 - The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Proverbs 10:31-32 - The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

D. There is direct confirmation that the church and believers can and will lose their salvation and place with Christ.

Revelation 2:4-5 – But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

The lampstand is that which holds the oil and the flame.  Without the lampstand there can be no anointing or Holy Spirit within the believer.

Revelation 3:1-3 – I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Do not miss the implication of the words “you are dead”.  Remember, death is defined as separation from God.  They thought they had the Lord in their lives, yet they did not.  Likewise, this is a somber warning that death is the state these believers are in.  A state of death not repented of before the Rapture becomes the state in which you enter eternity during the Rapture.

Understand the implication of “wake up” as well.  You were alive, then dead.  Wake up once more, and you shall live once more!

Revelation 3:15-17 – I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

In these three blocks of scripture there can be no doubt.  All had the Gospel of Christ and all were the churches and Body of Christ.  However, all had left their first love behind and were not faithful unto Christ in all things.  We can further evidence these things in the following scriptures:

Revelation 2:20-23 – But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead.

Revelation 3:5 – The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels.

In these two blocks of scripture we see three very disturbing points, but part and parcel to the final warning:

1. Those believers that partake of a sinful life will be cast into the tribulation.

Not just sexual sin, though this is becoming the single greatest stumbling block to the church today.  The full emphasis on a sinful lifestyle is found in the reference to foods sacrificed to idols.  Understand that there is not an abundance of “food sacrificed to idols” these days, but the greater truth is that we consume all manner of foulness in the worship of other gods.  Think about just how many things pull us from the worship of Jesus Christ and into the worship of other things.  That is why the reference is given to the food of idols.  It is a direct correlation between today and what was occurring in the times of Christ and Rome.

2.  Also, as believers become the children of such wickedness they will be killed.

3.  Our names can be removed from the Book of Life.

We touched on this a moment ago, but see it now once more.

There is additional reference which must be considered:

Matthew 22:11-14 – And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For many are called, but few are chosen.

This is perhaps the most damning of the scriptures presented so far.  It leaves no doubt as to who the Lord is referring to.  It is the sum total of everything we have discussed so far.

In this passage the king refers to the man as “friend” – a direct reference to Jesus Christ as the friend that sticks closer than a brother.  However, it is the reference to the wedding garment that seals the deal.

Revelation 19:7-9 – Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

It is the garments of white that the saints of God are adorned in.  Whether it be the white raiment of the overcomers or the robes of white upon the martyred saints, both are the required attire for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  It is important to see the implication in Matthew 22:11-14.  There are many called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but few are chosen to enter.

Likewise, we see the implication for those that thought they would be granted entry into the feast, yet did not come adorned in their wedding garment.  They indeed try to enter the rest of the Lord by their own devices, yet when the Lord comes they shall be bound hand and foot and cast into outer darkness.

Also, the binding of the man both hand and foot is another direct reference to hell, as opposed to the tribulation also.  It is an indication to the imprisonment of hell and the lower chambers of the earth.  We see on numerous occasions that the bottomless pit and the binding of Satan involves the use of such bindings as chains.  Likewise, the spirits we see being released from the pit are also bound and held.  Indeed, the very imagery of hell is that of being bound.

2 Peter 2:4-7 – For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.

In reality, this should be the end of the discussion.  Everything the Lord revealed in the Final Warning is contained completely in the scriptures we have covered.  However, as this is a newly revealed doctrine we must endeavor in the role of scholar exercising due diligence.

E.  There are four categories of death before, during and after the tribulation.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 – But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

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.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:23-26 – But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.

Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under his feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Revelation 4:1 – After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Revelation 6:9-11 – And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Revelation 7:9-17 – After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in his temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation 12:17 – And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 13:15 – And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Revelation 14:18-19 – And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Revelation 20:4-6 – 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.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

F. Faith is the heart and soul of salvation.  Without full faith in God and Christ you have NO faith in Christ.

Let us start by establishing that faith is one of the most covered subjects in the Bible.  How do we know?  Consider this:

Faith is spoken no less than 246 times in the Bible, either as the word faith, faithful, faithfully, faithfulness, faithless and unfaithful.  Of those variations faithful occupies 82 references, faithfully has eight references, faithfulness has 19 references and faithless has four references.

You may be noticing a pattern.

The subject of faith in all its forms are beyond the scope of this page.  These are but a select few scriptures which show the elements of faith in Christ.

These are just the start.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Hebrews 10:26-27 – For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Hebrews 10:29-31 -  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

For we know Him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 10:36-38 – For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Matthew 13:57-58 – And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

1 Timothy 6:12-14 – Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.  I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Timothy 5:10-11 – But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

Hebrews 6:4-6 – For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Hebrews 6:7-8 – For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Hebrews 10:19-23 – Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)

There are many scriptures that point to faith as the first requirement for salvation and the pleasing of God.  Likewise, nearly every scripture shown as evidence for the Final Warning shows a clear pattern of believers denying full faith in Christ.  Consider once more the weight of the words we have presented:

“And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

“But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”

Can there be any more terrible verses in the Bible?  How many should believe that they have salvation, only to find that they have heard only their own voices?  There are only two verses more terrible in this context:

John 10:27-28 – My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

I know it seems strange to declare these scriptures as terrible.  However, there are many who argue that these two verses alone show that we cannot be lost.  I would offer you this – indeed nobody can take salvation from you.  You can, however, give it back.  That should be painfully obvious by now.  Remember, salvation is a gift – not a forced station of slavery.  We are free to choose salvation and can do so by our actions.

Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

As we close the evidences and the delivery of the Final Warning, I want to leave you once more with the words delivered by Jesus Christ concerning the church and their salvation:

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of His place, except thou repent.”

“Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

“And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels.”

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in his throne.”

I will complete the evidence for the doctrine of the Final Warning by sharing a section on the full faith in Christ that I wrote for the page dealing with Matthew 24 and the Rapture.

Here is the section from Matthew 24 and the Rapture:

The context on the Rapture given in Matthew 24 is evident in the scriptures that follow verse 36.  We see verses 37 – 39 as a perfect example of the context that Jesus is providing:

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Understand that nowhere in the scriptures are the days of the tribulation ever likened to days where mankind is moving along, concerned only with the cares of normal life.  In the tribulation we are not eating, drinking and merry making.  In the tribulation we are not marrying and giving in marriage – at least not as a condition of society.  No – in the tribulation people are being annihilated, either through judgments from God or for the witness of Christ.  However, the single biggest clue is something that Jesus would specifically address with John the Revelator in the second and third chapters of Revelation when he addresses the church – the overcomer and specifically faith.  That is, we can only overcome if we have faith in the Lord that he shall deliver us from the judgments to come.

This is a point we see driven home again in Luke 17:26-27:

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

In these scriptures we get the added bonus of the days of Lot as well – who also had the faith to trust the Lord when faith was all that you could have.  We see the confirmation of what the Lord was saying and the faith required in other scriptures as well:

Hebrews 11:1-7 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Let us stop and examine this verse for just a moment.

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

There is something here that few notice or think about.  The lower case “he” in “he condemned the world” is not God – it’s Noah.  This is another quiet reference to what happens with the Rapture.

Try this – “by which Noah condemned the world when he got on the boat and left.”

That is the secret of the verse.  Just as the world was condemned when Noah left, it will be condemned by our leaving.  It is a prophetic reference in a chapter discussing the faith required to secure that reference.  It is another example of the mysteries of God concealed in the Old Testament, yet revealed in the New Testament.

It all ties back to the removing of the great restrainer.

This is also a double reference.  It refers to both the Rapture at the beginning of the tribulation and the Rapture of the 144,000 Jews at the middle of the tribulation.  With the first removal of the restrainer the tribulation comes (remember, the 144,000 Jews are not sealed as believers just yet).  With the final removal the true Antichrist comes.

Once we go there is nothing left to hold back the end times and the tribulation.  Those that remain will have to repent and find Christ again, as they have given up their first love.  The 144,000 Jews are the only reason that the Holy Spirit is still here.  Those that turn to Christ in the first 42 months simply “benefit” from their presence and receives the Holy Spirit because of them.

Indeed, the entire 11th chapter is riddled with the same exact phrase – “by faith”.  The very last verse – verse 40 – is an entire lesson on the Rapture itself:

God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

At this point we must ask ourselves a question.  What would have happened if any one of these had not the faith required to overcome?

What if Noah had not built the ark?  Where would we be if he did not have faith to believe though everyone scoffed at him?

Likewise, we see faith confirmed in 2 Peter 2:4-7 – For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an exsample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.

And likewise in 2 Peter 2:3-7 – Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

You get the point.  There is no faith in Christ unless there is full faith in Christ.  If you believe in the salvation of Christ, yet possess no faith in His power as God then there can be no salvation.  Either Christ is God or He is not.  Either He has the power to keep His promises or He does not.  It cannot be both.  You cannot say “Jesus Christ can save me from death, hell and the grave – yet He cannot keep the promise of His coming”.  Likewise, if a risen Christ claims the power to save yet you should not believe then you shall not be saved in anywise.

There is little more that requires to be spoken.

CHAPTER TWENTY

In Closing — How Can I Be Saved?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. Whosoever should believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life – John 3:16

As I finished this project I was aware that there was no section on salvation, or more specifically how to find salvation – whether you are a returning sheep or fresh to the flock.  Likewise, I had questions arise as to this and the giving of hope.  I can say that I had to agree with them.

Here is the thing – the Lord delivered the pages of the project according to His timing.  Understanding this, I knew there was possibility that I would be adding content.  I also knew it would be according to his timing.

So it seems that the Lord knew what he was doing.  The site which formed the basis for this book benefited a number of returning believers the way it was designed when the Lord brought them here.  It seems that there are those among us that need a strong message.  The original format of the site was for their benefit.

I trusted that the Lord would provide the needed revelation when the time came.

At any rate, this morning that very thing happened.  Out of the blue He gave me an understanding of what He wanted said and guided my work.

Throughout this book we discuss the possibility of believers losing their salvation for unfaithfulness and an outright lack of faith.  Now, we must discuss the other side of the coin – those that find Christ for the first time, and those that are returning to him.

It is the very heart of the blessed hope we have in Christ.

Without any further delay let us consider the following question and all it entails:

How do I find salvation?

First, you must understand that we are all sinners.  That means you, me, your neighbors, your coworkers and everybody that has ever walked the earth.

Except for one – Jesus Christ.

He was perfect in life and death, yet He was also tempted of the devil as we are.  In those temptations He held fast to the Word of God.

He then went to the cross and died for our sins.  Understand that though he was arrested and condemned to death, it was by His choice alone that He was crucified.  It was the will of God the Father that all should be saved, yet Christ had to accept that calling.

He did accept it indeed!  He did not have to, but He did anyway – for you.  He knew your very name when He went to the cross.  He was there from the foundation of the world when your name was breathed into the books of heaven and when you became a living soul.

He died so that salvation would be possible.  It is His gift to you.  Here is the thing – it cannot be forced on you.  You have to accept the gift of salvation.  Once you accept it, the gift is yours to keep.  Once you have accepted this gift it can never be taken from you so long as you still want it.

However, just as you were free to accept the gift you are free to give it back.  You will have free will and free moral agency until the day you pass into eternity.

If you turn your back on Christ after you find salvation you give back this gift.  It is not taken away – it is given back.  You must remember this as Satan will try to convince you that you are covered if you venture down a road that you do not belong.

“You got saved and your sins are forgiven – so relax and enjoy yourself a bit.”

Indeed Satan is right – your sins are forgiven.  Likewise, faith in Christ does not mean that you will not make any mistakes and stumble.  To the contrary, it becomes a far easier thing to sin once you are saved.  It is easier because you are now more aware of right and wrong.

However, there is a difference between a genuine mistake and intentionally engaging in sin after salvation.  The Bible is clear on this.  We have covered it in great detail in this book.

It is when you start to justify your sins with your salvation that you effectively begin to turn over the gift you once accepted.  Does this mean you are unsaved the very first time you do this?  Not necessarily – however, it is different for each of us.  It depends upon the heart of the believer.  If your heart is such that you can be brought back from the edge then the Lord will try to reach you.  You are not lost yet but you are in mortal danger.

Understand that there is a point of no return.

This is true of both your salvation now and salvation for eternity.  Here is what I mean.  When you begin to engage in justifying sins with salvation you head down the road of giving back the gift.  There is a point of no return where you have fully and finally travelled that road.  You have given it back.  This is what salvation now means.

The Lord will try to reach you and bring you back to the path of salvation.  So long as your heart has not hardened to the point that you cannot hear the Holy Spirit you can be saved again.  It gets harder than before as you have damaged your heart and your “hearing”.

Unfortunately, this is like everything else in our lives.  You can grow accustomed to things.  You can drown out the Holy Spirit after enough time and he will depart from you – for good.  We have all been around loud noises that startle us, annoy us, and hurt our ears to hear.  However, if we are exposed to the noise long enough we become oblivious to it.  It becomes background noise.

Soon we no longer care that it is there.  That is the point of no return.  Once your hearing for the Lord is lost it never comes back.  There is nothing that can be done.

With that said, chances are that you are reading this because you have a real concern for your soul.  The Lord has reached you and you are responding.  That is wonderful news!

As long as you still search for him then you are not lost!  Understand that you must still repent of your sins and seek the will of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in your life.  You must seek him every day.  When you stumble you must repent.  This is not because you lose salvation with every mistake.  No, it is so that you build an honest and repentant heart.

That is what allows you to eventually discard the cares of the world that sit upon your heart and seek Him first, above all things.  It allows you to grow and to learn from your mistakes.  It makes you a resource to others that will experience the same trials you went through.  It builds an honesty in prayer that will show you the true meaning of “personal Lord and Savior” and “friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

You will find out very quickly that the hardest thing in your walk with Christ is absolute honesty.

We all have things that hold us back and drag us down.  We go to prayer and seek to repent of the sins in our life.  If we had a bad day we confess the bad day.  We confess that we are indeed sinners and repent.

That is the easy part.  It is easy to say we have sinned.  We are supposed to do this as there are far too many sins in our lives to ever recount them all.  This, however, is just the start.

There are some things in our lives that must be confessed specifically and categorically.

“Father, I keep talking to the neighbor’s wife.  I do it in hopes that she is interested in more than words.  I need help.”

“Father, I know we are supposed to be kind, but I have enjoyed running Joe down.  I don’t like a thing about him and it is creeping into my soul.”

“Father, I know Jesus is coming soon, but I just can’t shake the feeling that it’s not going to happen.  I keep wondering if I am wrong.  I know what the Bible says, but. . .”

“Father, you keep telling me that there is no reason for me to go to the casino, but I just can’t stop.  Oh, if you could just let me win I could be such a blessing with the money.”

“Father, I know I need to tithe.  I know I need to give.  But the bills, I just don’t have enough.  But I manage to find money for the beer.  I know I should have helped the guy that asked for food. . .”

By now you get the picture.

There are many ideas about holiness and living right, but more and more we see less conversation about honesty with the Lord.  We must admit to him the things that terrify us to speak.  There will be a voice deep inside you that will attempt to convince you that if you dare speak of your specific and horrific sin that you shall at once be required by God to submit to damnable judgments and sacrifice all that you are.

It convinces you that all hell will break loose if you dare to speak the words.

Remember – God already knows.  Your confession isn’t for his benefit.  It’s for yours.  You are not revealing some deep hidden secret that shall cast you from his sight.

You are coming clean so that the roadblock of that sin can be removed.

This is where holiness starts.  This is where your walk with Christ starts.  This is where your salvation starts.

The world will not implode when you accept Christ.  Many different ideas will run through your head.  Most will center on “what I need to do”.  This is natural.  However, most of the voices are your own and not God’s.  He will step back and let the clutter clear before he approaches you and presents the path forward.  You will feel the urge to rush forward and push.  He will hold you back.  You will have the need to “feel” his presence.  Yet, he will quite your spirit.  You will wonder what you have done wrong.  He will allow you to decompress before he starts your journey.

Remember – Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither shall you be.

Whether you are new to the love of Christ or a lost sheep that is finally understanding that he really is God and is truly faithful – each day will be different.  Some will be wonderful, while others not so much.  You will fall down.  You will make mistakes.  You will sin.

However, you will get back up.

The biggest difference in your life will not be your clothes, your family life, your holiday celebrations, your job or any of the other things that the Lord does change – according to His will.  These things will come.  They will come as he strengthens you and gives you understanding.  They will come in the manner and order that the Lord sets.  They will come in the manner and order that is best for you, and according to his will for your life.  They will come differently for you than for any other as you are different from any other.  They will come not because a teacher has told you that you must do “this, that or the other” or you will be lost.  They will come not because I have said they would.

They will come because you have sought the will of the Lord in your life.  You have sought His will because he has spoken to you.  He has spoken to you because you can still hear Him.  He has spoken to you because he still sees value in you.  Never forget this – no matter how many times you fall and Satan whispers “you have failed”.

During your walk you will hear many voices that offer their “insight”.  Most will be genuine, others not so much.  Some will speak as the Holy Spirit gives them the words that are meant for you.  Likewise, you will know as the Holy Spirit will impress the understanding that the words are truth.  You won’t realize at first how you know this – you will simply “know” that those words were truth.  In time you will understand and recognize the voice of the Lord.

Likewise, when all of the voices become confusing, the Lord will give you guidance on those that speak truth and those that are nothing more than dry bones.  These are the voices that speak the right things outwardly, yet you simply know something is missing on the inside.

Know this – your walk with Christ is never finished while you walk this earth.  There will always be room to grow.  This becomes important as Satan will work your flesh to convince you that you are not worthy.  Here is the thing:

You will never be worthy.  None of us will.  There is no drop of your own blood that can change this.  Christ alone is worthy.  All you can do is accept His gift, seek His will and decide that you will serve him no matter how many times you fall down.

Should the Lord return and find you seeking Him you shall know the promise of His coming.  You will have his blessed hope so long as He is truly your first love.  This is a marriage.  He is perfect – you are not.  He knows that you have struggles.  He knows that you have bad days.  He also knows that you seek Him in prayer every night – even the nights when your heart is broken and you hurt.  When Satan softly whispers “let the prayers go tonight.  It’s OK – He knows you are tired”, the Lord hears when you decide that Christ means more than sleep.

It may not be an earth shattering prayer in your eyes.  Yet, you offer it anyway.

To the bloody and beaten believer that finds a miracle, or the single mother that receives a miracle of healing for her infant child it will mean everything.

It will be more than all the stars of the sky.  It will be a sacrifice before the Lord that shall be a remembrance of you for all eternity.  It is a memorial forged in eternity the moment you pushed your heartbreak aside and spoke before the Lord;

“Lord, though I hurt tonight I know I am blessed.  Send the blessing You have given to me to my brothers and sisters in Iran.  They are the ones that truly suffer.  Also Lord, I pass by the homeless shelter every day.  Father, I know they have needs that are far greater than I know.  I will give what I can on payday, but until then I can pray for them.  Send the Holy Spirit and grant whatever needs that are there tonight.”

You will have given more than all others in that moment.

There is something that you will want to remember.

Take everything to the Lord in prayer.  Even those things that He tells you.  This is what we are expected to do.  Prayer and the Bible are your first stop on anything that comes down your path.  From the unknown teacher to the mightiest pastors – and everyone in between.  Submit all they say to the understanding of the Lord and he shall guide you.

Including those voices that are well meaning, yet lack truth.

With this I shall close these words and offer a prayer for those that seek to be redeemed back to the Lord and to find the joy and freedom of salvation.  Join me in this prayer and you shall breathe free this very day:

Father,

In the name of your Son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I bow before You.

I confess that I am lost in sin and will perish for eternity without You.  I confess that I am a sinner and repent of my wrongs.

I confess that Jesus Christ alone can bring salvation.  There are no other means by which I can be saved.  There is no other god, nor any other name under heaven.

I confess that the shed blood of Christ is the payment for my sins.  Father, I accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for me on the cross.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ I ask forgiveness of all my sins.

I ask that you come into my heart and make me a new creature in Christ.  I want the promise of eternal life and the hope of His coming.

I no longer want to live in fear, unsure of tomorrow and never knowing when my life shall be required of me.

I have but one life Father – and it is a gift from You.  I offer it back as a sacrifice to You and graciously accept the new life offered by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Father, guide me from this day forward and I shall seek You with a whole heart, trusting in You for all things.

In the blessed name of my Personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Amen.

Matthew 19:25-26 – When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 – That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Philippians 3:4-11 – Though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.  But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Luke 3:8 – Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Hebrews 7:25 – Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Addendum 1: Matthew 24, Mark 14, and Luke 21 Combined

Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Matthew 24:1-2

Did you know that the conversation in Matthew 24 is also recorded in Mark 13 and Luke 21?

When most discussions regarding end times prophecy occur, it is always Matthew 24 that gets the limelight.  This is understandable.  Matthew 24 – along with Matthew 25 – are considered part of the big three of prophecy.  The big three are the Book of Daniel, Matthew 24 and 25, and the Book of Revelation.  Here is the question:  are Mark 13 and Luke 21 simple repeats of Matthew 24?

The answer is both yes and no.

Mark 13 is very similar to Matthew 24.  Likewise, Luke 21 is also very similar, yet a bit smaller.  All three books likewise contain a few differences as well.  The differences are not contradictory differences.  Rather, they are deeper explanations of critical pieces of prophecy.

Unfortunately, the differences have a tendency to get overlooked sometimes.  What most never consider is the intended purpose of these three sections of the same conversation.  Stated simply – they are a three section puzzle that we are meant to assemble.

What that means is this.  We are supposed to put the three pieces together to see the entire conversation.  We can use Matthew 24 as the spine of the puzzle.  From there we insert the differences from Mark 13 and Luke 21.

So, how exactly do we know where to insert the additional pieces?

A moment ago we talked about the similarities of the three sections.  It turns out that enough of the similarities are word for word identical, and the identical verses are throughout each section.  This allows us to see exactly where the different scriptures are supposed to fit.  The exact fit scriptures are quite literally chronological markers for the entire conversation.  Using the identical scriptures, it allows us to build an entire conversation.

Now, that does not mean we read the exact same thing three different times.  Let’s use Matthew 24:35 as an example.  “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”  This is the same scripture found in Mark 13:31 and Luke 21:32 also.  In fact, it is word for word the same.  We simply need one reading of the scripture to get the idea conveyed.  However, the triple use of identical scriptures is critical to the placement of each different scripture from Mark and Luke.  Also, this allows for several theories concerning the timing of certain events in prophecy to become much clearer.

I will allow you to discover that for yourself.

Indeed, once you combine the three chapters you gain a better understanding and appreciation for the totality of the message that Jesus is trying to convey.

Now, I have taken the liberty of doing this for you.  What you will see first is the cleaned up conversation.  I have combined the scriptures and removed the chapter numbers for ease of reading.  This allows the conversation to flow – as a conversation.

After the cleaned up text, I have included the numbered listing of the scriptures to show the process.  This will allow you to “check my work” for yourself.  However, I recommend that you go a step further – complete this process for yourself.  It is easy to do.

You can get a printer ready version of each chapter at Biblegateway.com.  Start with Matthew 24 and Mark 13.  Simply list the scriptures from Mark 13 where they match up in Matthew 24.  You will also find the additional scriptures in Mark.  The chronological placement of the scriptures both before and behind the additional scriptures will tell you exactly where the new verses go.  Complete this process with Luke 21 as well.  The only thing to note is that several of the last scriptures in Mark 13 are found in Matthew 25.  They are easy to place as well.

When you are done, you will have a greater appreciation for the conversation that occurred that day.  Here is the completed text of the joined chapters of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21:

The Conversation.

And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.  And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.  He said, of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.  And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, and Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.  And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.   And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

But there shall not an hair of your head perish.  In your patience possess ye your souls.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.  Behold, I have told you before.  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

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.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This completes the combined conversation.

Here is the rough draft for your inspection:

Matthew 24 (King James Version)

*21 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. (Luke 21)

*2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. (Luke 21)

*3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: (Luke 21)

*4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. (Luke 21)

24 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

*5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, (Luke 21)

2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

*12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.  (Luke 21)

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

*9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. (Mark 13)

*13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.  (Luke 21)

*14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:  (Luke 21)

*15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. (Luke 21)

*16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. (Luke 21)

*17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. (Luke 21)

*18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. (Luke 21)

*19 In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21)

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

*11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. (Mark 13)

*12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. (Mark 13)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

*22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. (Luke 21)

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

*23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.  (Luke 21)

*24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.  (Luke 21)

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 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:

30 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.

31 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.

*28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21)

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

*34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. (Luke 21)

*35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.  (Luke 21)

*36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21)

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

*33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. (Mark 13)

43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

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

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49 And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Addendum 2: Proof of a Seven Year Tribulation

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate – Daniel 9:27

How exactly do we know that the tribulation is indeed seven years?

There are many different ideas and theories as to the proper method to calculate the times of the tribulation.  There is two schools of thought on this.  The first school believes that the tribulation runs three and a half years in length.  The second believes that the tribulation runs an entire seven years.

Make no mistake – your position on this is a direct reflection of the faith you hold in God.  More on this in a moment.

We will demonstrate that God directly ordered a full seven year tribulation.  The belief that it lasts only three and a half years is a doctrine of men that rely upon their own efforts to interpret scripture.

Daniel 9:24-27:

24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This block of scripture – known as the prophecy of 70 weeks, Daniel’s 70 weeks, or as the prophecy of the 70th week if we are looking primarily at the last of the 70 weeks for insight on the end times.

This block of scripture breaks the 70 weeks into three periods of seven weeks, 62 weeks and a final week, for a total of seventy weeks.  The first two blocks of time, which total 69 weeks are set to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the Second Temple and the crucifixion of Christ.  This is also the prophecy which stands as the back story to something we see in the Gospels.  In Luke, chapter two we learn of a priest named Simeon.  We find that Simeon had the Holy Spirit with him, and that Simeon would not die until after he had seen the Messiah.

What should be understood in this is that Simeon was not simply hoping that the Messiah would come in his day.  Rather, the nation of Israel knew that this was about the time their Messiah was to come.  They had the prophecy of Daniel’s 70 weeks as a guide.  They did not know the exact time that Messiah would come to earth, only that it would be about this certain time.

They knew the times and the seasons, yet only the Father knew exactly when Messiah would come.

This is why Simeon sought to witness the Messiah before he passed.  He was faithful in all things and found favor with God.  The Holy Spirit descended upon him and gave him a promise.  Indeed, that promise was fulfilled when Jesus was presented on the 8th day of his life for purification at the Temple.

After the death and resurrection of Christ and the destruction of the Temple, 69 of the 70 weeks are complete.  This leaves one final week – the 70th week – unfulfilled.  A cursory examination of the scripture shows us that the final week is fulfilled in the end times, during what is commonly called the tribulation.

To answer a common question, the time between the 69th and 70th week is measured in covenant and decree time.  That means the prophetic calendar starts and stops with covenants and decrees.  In this case it stopped when Israel rejected the new covenant offered by Christ.  It will restart when Israel accepts the false covenant offered by the Antichrist.  Israel rejected Christ and destruction followed.  They will accept the Antichrist and destruction will follow once again.

Now, we get to the heart of the matter – how long is the tribulation?  Is it seven years or is it three and a half years?  The first, best indicator of the timing of the tribulation is found in the three scriptures above.

We know that the total time period is 70 prophetic weeks.  We know that 69 of the 70 prophetic weeks were fulfilled by the time the Temple was destroyed.  However, the most important piece of the puzzle is the start of the 70th week.  Let’s look again at the scripture:

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

We see that the 70th week starts with the treaty with Israel.  This is one of the few points that most Biblical scholars agree upon, regardless of whether or not they hold to seven years or three and a half years.  However, this is where some make a critical mistake in their studies.

“and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

There are many that point to this piece of scripture as proof that the tribulation is only three and a half years in length.  They take this assumption and pair it with the rest of the timing scriptures that also indicate three and a half year increments.  From this they conclude that the tribulation is indeed only three and a half years, and thus the Book of Revelation delivers all of its judgments in just three and a half years.

Here is the critical mistake:

While the Antichrist does indeed break a seven year treaty in three and a half years, the total prophecy still calls for a full 70th week.  Even though the treaty is broken at its midpoint, it does not cancel out the rest of the week.  Remember this – it is not the prophecy of 69 and a half weeks:

It is the prophecy of 70 weeks.  That is 70 full weeks.

The single most important reason that the tribulation runs a full seven years is that God told Daniel that the 70th week is indeed a full week.  Also, when we examine the original language we see that the wording used in the original Hebrew is indeed a week of years.  Also, there are no scriptures in the Bible that assigns a different definition or timing value to the 70th week.  It is, and always has been, a week or collection of seven years.

There are other proofs that the tribulation does indeed run the seven years, and not three and a half years.  When you carefully examine the different time frames given for the various elements of the tribulation, you find that they apply to the subject at hand.  Stated differently, those individual time elements apply specifically to the events described.  For instance, when Daniel 9:27 tells us that the Antichrist breaks the treaty in three and a half years. That time frame is applicable to that event alone.  It does not cut the tribulation by half – only the life of the treaty.

We see this demonstrated in Daniel, chapter 11.  At verse 11:21 we see the rise of the Antichrist.  In verse 22 we see what will be the battle outlined in Ezekiel 38 and 39.  Then, in verse 23 we have the point in time where the treaty is signed.  As we know from Daniel 9:24-27, this is what starts the tribulation, or the 70th week.

Now, from Daniel 11:24 to 11:30 we see the exploits of the Antichrist as be brings the beast kingdom to fruition.  It is not until Daniel 11:31 that we see the Abomination of Desolation occur.  We know from the Book of Revelation that there is yet another 1,260 days set to occur after the abomination.  Logic dictates that the events detailed in Daniel 11:21-30 must occur over an extended period of time.  Once complete, there is at least an additional 1,260 days yet to go.

Let us examine a third proof that the tribulation is indeed a minimum of seven years.

The Book of Revelation is littered with chronological markers and pictures of events that are designed to give the proper sequence of the timing.  Let us look at one set of these markers – the three woes.

The three woes in the Book of Revelation are truly underappreciated, and as such they are generally overlooked.  Most confine their study to the seals, trumpets and bowls.  However, every word uttered in the Bible has significance and must be studied.  The three woes are no different.  To the contrary – it is the three woes that set the chronology of the tribulation.

Let us start with the first woe.  In Rev. 9:12 we see that the first woe is complete.  Officially, the three woes begin at Rev. 8:13.  From 8:13 to 9:12 we find terrible judgments that strike not just the planet in general – but these judgments fall upon men specifically.  This is why they are called the “woes”.  Other judgments that are general in nature can be compensated for, and survived.  The woes cannot be avoided – they are people specific.

So, in Rev. 9:12 we see that the first woe is complete, or passed.  It is critical to note the timing.  The first woe is tied to the completion of the fifth trumpet.  More on this in a moment.

Now, let us look at the second woe.  We find the second woe in Rev. 11:13.

In Rev. 11:13 we find that 7,000 people have died as the result of an earthquake in Jerusalem.  Likewise, the rest of the city fears God for this and gives him glory.  As it was with the first woe, the second woe likewise fell upon specific people for a specific purpose.

Here is the critical part of the equation.

The second woe is tied to the two witness revealed in chapter 11.  In chapter 11 we see that the rebuilding of the Temple, announcing the judgments of God and striking down those that come against the Temple are a part of the two witnesses and their calling.  Also, they are decreed to stand for 1,260 days.  This is important to understand.  Many simply assume that the 1,260 day extends from chapter 11 forward.  It does not.  The 1,260 days end at Rev. 11:7.

The second woe comes at the end of the 1,260 days of the two witnesses.  They are overtaken by the Antichrist – who has just invaded Israel.  They are killed and lay dead in the streets for three days.  After the three days they are resurrected and raptured back to heaven.  This results in an earthquake that brings the second woe to pass.

What must be remembered is that the second woes FOLLOWS the 1,260 days of the two witnesses.  This is a direct designation by the Bible.  This means that 1,260 days have progressed since the signing of the treaty with Israel – and BEFORE the second woe.

The second woe is then followed by the start of the third woe – which runs the entire length of the second 42 months of the tribulation, which begins after the abomination of desolation.  We see the commencement of the third woe in chapter 12, at verses 12 and 17.  This tells us that the third woe – like the first and second – is people specific.  We find that the third woe commences after the remnant of Israel flees Jerusalem, and the Antichrist is stopped from harming them.  It is now that he turns his attention to the rest of the saints.  It is now that he heaps woe upon any that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Also, the second woe is completed BEFORE the seventh trumpet.  This is extremely critical.

We can sum up the chronology of the three woes in this manner:

The first woe is complete at fifth trumpet in Rev. 9:12.

The third woe starts after the abomination of desolation, in Rev. 12:17 – and runs the length of the 1,260 of the second half of the tribulation.

The second woe comes at the end of the 1,260 days of the two witnesses.  It also comes after the sixth trumpet – just before the seventh trumpet.

That tells us that a minimum of 1, 263 days have progressed BEFORE the 7th trumpet is sounded.

This is only possible if the tribulation runs the entire length of seven years – or the full 70th week.

I think it bears repeating.  We have presented three separate evidences for the full seven years.  However, evidence two and three should be unnecessary.  You see, God gave Daniel a vision of 70 weeks of prophecy.  God broke it into three parts – seven weeks, 62 weeks, and a final week.

That is the key – God declared a full 70 weeks.  Not 69 and a half weeks.

This alone should be enough.  If you find yourself still doubting the full seven years after you read this, then it is your faith – not God’s timing that is the issue.  Maybe God declaring a full 70 weeks is not enough for you.

I assure you – it IS enough for me.

As it was stated earlier – the belief in a three and a half year tribulation is a direct indication of your faith in the God of the Bible.  If you are seeking your own understanding to these things then you are not seeking his.  As such, you have been blinded.  The three woes and their chronology are hidden in plain sight.  Likewise, the requirement that the 70th week is indeed a full week is also hidden in plain sight.

They are unavoidable.  They have been there the entire time.  That leaves only one conclusion – if you cannot see them it is that God has blinded you.  God does not blind those that seek him with a whole heart.  God does not blind those that are seeking his will and understanding.  He does not blind those that seek to replace their understanding with his own.

He blinds only those that seek their own will, and seek the will of God for one purpose alone – to prove themselves right.

The God I serve does not lie.

The tribulation IS a full seven years.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Addendum 3: Common Sense - The Bride of Christ

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish – Ephesians 5:25-31

We must always remember that every last scripture in the Bible is truth and perfect.

As such, it is not possible to use one scripture to denounce another.  There are no contradictions in the Bible.  If you hold a doctrine or belief that cannot agree with the rest of the Bible – that is, every last verse – then you hold a false doctrine.

If you believe that you have a contradiction then you are missing part of the picture.

Likewise, if you present a doctrine as truth – yet another can provide scripture that does not agree with your doctrine, and it is confirmed by the full context of the presented scripture – then your doctrine has been proven false.  Also, if two present different doctrines, yet a third provides scripture that conflicts with one doctrine, yet agrees with the other doctrine – then the doctrine proven wrong is indeed wrong.

Understand that every doctrine in the Bible must have a minimum of three scriptures that completely – with full context – agree with that doctrine.  Likewise, the three scriptures taken both separately and together must also agree 100 percent with the rest of the Bible.  Absent three separate and distinct scriptures a doctrine cannot be truth.

With that said, here are three blocks of scripture that present an undeniable picture of the end times.  Yet, they are either unknown to those that argue certain points, or If they are known then it is worse – they are ignored and discarded.

Each of these blocks of scripture deal with the return of the Lord.  There are many questions as to the timing of his return.  However, in addition to the normal run of verses typically thrown out in the “three verse scripture wars”, these three blocks of scripture must also be considered.  They are central to every conversation regarding the return of the Lord.

They are the undeniable proof that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, with all power in heaven and earth.  You see, only God is capable of the promises of each of these.  To deny them is to deny that he is who he says he is – or that he can do what he said he can do.

Luke 21:34-36 – And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Revelation 3:10-11 – Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

1 Corinthians 15:23-24 – But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

Consider this also from the same chapter, 1 Corinthians 15:

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

It is no accident that Paul speaks of both the order of things in verses 23-24, followed by the rapture in verses 51-52.  Both are a part of the same conversation.

There is another aspect to the return of the Lord which nobody ever considers.  We are in fact the wife of Jesus Christ.  He offered the wedding contract and paid the price on the cross.  During the long absence, when the Bridegroom leaves the Bride, the Bride is legally a wife.  It is a long process to complete.  As the Bridegroom finishes the bridal chamber, where he and his wife will reside for seven days alone, his wife is already legally bound to him.  It takes a bill of divorcement to break the contract.  Also, if the wife defiles herself with another man then she is already guilty of adultery.  This is a capital offense in the Law of Moses.  It is a capital offense in the Law of God to this very day.

Why is this important?  Simply put, once you accepted the new covenant promise that was offered and paid for by Christ you became his wife – legally.  That means that Jesus Christ is now bound to the same marriage laws given by God that we are all party to in our lives in earth.

There is a reason Jesus reminds us that he came not to do away with the law – he came to fulfill it.  There are several important pieces of the Law of Moses that remain to be completed, or fulfilled.

He will be tending to this very shortly.

Ask yourself this – which views of the return of the Lord violates the Laws of God?  Which views of the return of the Lord complete and fulfill the Laws of God?

This alone will answer any questions you may have had on the subject.

Remember this always – Jesus Christ is perfect.  As such, he has never – nor will ever – break a single Law of God.

There are many scriptures concerning the expected treatment of wives by their husbands.  The Bible shows us that our wives are to be cherished and protected.  We are to defend our wives, even unto our very own deaths.  Christ died that his wife could live.  She was never worthy to live.  Nothing she could ever do would make her perfect or worthy.

It was death of her husband alone that could save her.  Save her he did.  Soon, the bridal chamber will be complete and he will snatch her away to the house of his Father.  There, they remain for seven days.  There the Bride will enter the Joy of her Lord.

Soon, the Father will call for the Bride to come to the wedding – according to his own Laws.

Here are several blocks of scripture concerning the honor with which the bride is held:

Ephesians 5:25-31 – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Now, consider the weight of the very next verse if you do not believe that the Bride of Christ is held in the same honor that God commands a husband to honor his wife:

Ephesians 5:32 – This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

1 Peter 3:7-9 – Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Colossians 3:18-19 – Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Now, consider the next block of scripture – but do so from the perspective of the wife of Jesus Christ.  After all, is that not what we are?

Matthew 19:3-9 – The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

It really is no more complicated than this.  There are many views on the timing of the return of the Lord.  People throw out many scriptures to justify their position.  Yet, it is much more than and simple return.  It is the full promise of Christ.

It is the fulfillment of the marriage contract.  It is the keeping of the Laws of God.

How would God judge you if you treated your own wife in the same manner that you expect Jesus to treat his own wife?

Would you be honored for how you treated your wife?

Would you be condemned by God for how you treated your wife?

Are you truly willing to accuse Jesus Christ of the abuse of his wife?

Would you want to stand before God if you threw your own wife into the darkened streets, to be beaten and murdered?  Would you want to stand before God if you sacrificed your own wife because you felt that she was somehow unworthy and needed to be purged to meet your standards?

How would God judge you, if you destroyed the gift he gave to you?

Proverbs 19:14 – House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Do you really need anything more to understand this truth?

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Addendum 4: How Much Time is Left?

And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?Revelation 6:16-17

About a week or so ago, I was walking in my upstairs hallway when a distinct thought occurred to me. The words “marrying, and giving in marriage” ran through my mind as though somebody had spoken them. I was thinking on things of prophecy at the time. I do not recall what exactly I was pondering as this happened. As it is with us all, I had been lost in random, undefined thoughts with no real purpose beyond simply thinking.

Within a moment or so, the words “days of Noah” also rolled through my mind. As it was the first time, it was as though somebody had clearly and intentionally spoke the words to me. By this point I was aware the Lord was showing me something. I have been down this road numerous times. Likewise, I also knew that such things come in pieces, as the Lord see fit to give them. This seemed to be the end of the matter and I continued about my business.

Several days later I found myself with the next piece of the puzzle. I had seen a piece on the gay marriage movement and yet another victory for them. It was the usual hit piece, designed to demonize anyone that should dare to challenge this brave and daring initiative. As quickly as it had happened the week prior, I once again found myself “hearing” the words of the Lord.

“This is what I meant when I said the days of Noah.”

I think it goes without saying – I understood that immediately. It cannot be missed. Still, I found myself contemplating what this meant. It did not take long to truly take stock of where the world currently sits with relationship to the gay rights movement, and especially the gay marriage movement. When I say world, I mean world. Aside from Muslim nations, the gay rights movement has entrenched itself in every other corner of the world. It has been the forward edge of a drive to normalize homosexuality, and every possible sexual perversion and deviation that the minds of man can imagine. When I really looked at the power they have achieved I understood.

They have become the giants of the western world. They have silenced the majority.

You know, when you really look at the gay rights movement and the militant Islamic nations – there really is very little difference between them now.

It did not take long for the next piece of the puzzle to come in. The word “Genesis” was the next word front and center in my mind.

This is where I started to get a nervous. I was seeing a pattern to what was being revealed. It started back when the words “days of Noah” ran through my mind. When I heard the word Genesis I just knew. This was not merely a confirmation of how far we have fallen. It was more. It was a warning – a timeline warning. It was a final warning. I knew that I would have to pull out the Bible to be sure. I had a strange feeling that I already knew where we were prophetically. So, that is what I did. Out with the Bible and away I went. It did not take long to confirm what I suspected. A confirmation that was also accompanied by a single word that shot through my mind – “abomination.” This time, an instantaneous understanding also filled my mind. I know knew exactly what the Lord was trying to tell me.

This is a good place to give you a couple back stories that go with what I have found.

First, let’s start with the Genesis timeline. I have spoken of this several times. It is a study of the Book of Genesis. You start at chapter 11 and go in reverse until you reach chapter one. We think of it as reverse – it is more akin to reading the Bible in a Jewish format. It is more of a “right to left reading”, much the way the Jews would read the Torah.

What you get when you do this is the history of the world, starting with the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. As you read through chapter 11 from “right to left’, you see the towers fall, men from the east, multitudes speaking the same language and other “strange” coincidences. As you read through the lower chapters you gain a growing picture of the world around us. The several chapters that contain the story of Noah and the Ark could have been written specifically about the last 15 years. You have everything from the recent increases in earthquakes to the floods and tsunamis. Katrina to Indonesia – and everything in between – can be found in the story of Noah:

Right down to the major moves of the Holy Spirit in the three white doves and the spirit of prophecy that has descended on the body of believers in the imagery of the raven. We even have a remarkable telling of the seven year tribulation in chapter four.

Though it goes without saying, I will say it none the less. If you know exactly where you are on the reverse Genesis timeline, then you will have some idea of how much time is left. More on this in a minute.

Now, for the second back story. Some of you are familiar with the story of the giants in the Bible. Some of you are not. In Genesis chapter six, the Bible tells us that a group called the Sons of God found the daughters of men to be appealing. These “sons” took these women and had relations with them. What they produced is a race of “mighty men of renown”, or the giants. Here is the nickel tour on what this was about.

From the creation of Adam until the giving of the Torah to Moses, there was approximately 2,500 years that passed – give or take. During this time there was no written record of God, His laws or even his name. The Lord would send rank and file angels to walk on the earth as men. Their task was straight forward. They were the teachers of righteousness to mankind. Since the advent of sin in the Garden of Eden, God himself could no longer walk with man to do this.

As time progresses, mankind grows and more children are born. This would include many daughters – daughters that being only two or three generations removed from perfection were quite something to look at. Look is exactly what some of these angels did. Likewise, Satan had plenty to say about it as well. It did not take long after this. Some of the angels (who were already in human form) fell into sin and into the daughters of men. Nine months later you have babies that are literally half human and half angel. They would grow to become the giants spoken of in the Bible.

The angels took these “daughters of men” as wives. Apparently, they did not believe in stopping at just one. They took their pick and away they went. Soon, there were more wives of angels and their children than there were pure human beings upon the earth.

This is what Satan was attempting to achieve as he whispered to these fallen angels. His desire was to breed out the lineage of Adam and the plan of salvation. He used two tools at his disposal in this plan – sex and children. His plan nearly succeeded.

Satan had such success that by the time Noah was born, the Lord had nearly decided that the only recourse was to annihilate the earth – and every last thing on it. By the time that Noah boarded the Ark, most of humanity was corrupted. When Noah left the Ark the world was cleansed.

Humanity had reached the point of no return. The corruption had reached such a point that humanity could not be saved from extinction. Left to its own devices there would be no more men – or men as God had made them. When Genesis 6:13 tells us that “that the end of all flesh is come before me”, this is what it means. This was not the declaration that God would destroy man. It was the declaration that mankind had now destroyed itself, and that there was nothing that could be done to stop it. This is why God chose to destroy the earth. It was already dead. This will become critical to the discussion of the Genesis timeline in the next few moments.

This story would play out yet again after the flood – though to a much lesser degree. By now, the rebellious angels where in chains, and the giants were dead. On an interesting note – what exactly happens to the spirits of the giants when they die, as they did in the flood? Did you know that there are no mentions in the Bible of evil spirits until after the flood? Also, remember that the giants are both human and angel. More on this in a second.

After the flood, the Lord still used angels to walk as men, but to a much lesser degree. Likewise, though a few did fall during this time – it never reached the pre-flood level. Noah spread the word of the Lord through his lineage – which included Abraham. When David took his first steps onto the pages of history, it was one of these remaining giants – Goliath – that David took down. During his reign, David would finish off the brothers of Goliath and end the line of the giants.

Also, it was the lineage of Noah – through his son Ham – that gave us Nimrod and the Tower of Babel. By the time of the tower, Nimrod had become mighty in his own right and despised God. Some of you already know that every false religion on earth can trace its roots to the Tower of Babel. Likewise, the knowledge of tools and warfare also trace their origins to Babel. When the History Channel runs programs detailing the possibility that “aliens” gave mankind “secret knowledge” – well, there is some “truth” to that.

Only, these “aliens” hail from a slightly different origin than Mars. When they show images of ancient civilizations that depict giants and “alien masters”, what they are showing is the influence of the giants – both while they lived, and after they died. Being half angel put them in a unique position. Remember, hell was not created for men – it was created for the angels that rebelled against God. Man was a later “addition” after the fall in the Garden. It was not until the flood that the unrighteous dead became an “issue” to be dealt with.

As the Lord confused the tongues at the tower, each newly minted “people” took their own collection of evil spirits, special knowledge and false religions that worshiped their new “gods”. These gods have spent nearly 4,000 years undoing what happened that day on the plains of Shinar. They have nearly succeeded. They have turned to the same tools that secured the fall of their fathers in the first place.

In an interesting turn of events, you may remember the story of Noah lying drunk and naked in his tent. His son Ham comes into the tent and sees his father’s nakedness. Did you know that when you break down the Hebrew word studies, the original language gives the distinct impression that there was a sense of “longing” conveyed in the way that Ham looked on his father? It was a longing that is associated with lust. This becomes important when understanding the Genesis timeline as a whole. It likewise adds back story to why the line of Ham would bring every false religion, idolatry and perversion into the world. It sets the scene for what would occur at the Tower of Babel and beyond.

By the time of the flood, what the fallen angels had done – and the offspring they produced – was the most affronted abomination before God. Abomination is a description that is reserved for one grievance alone.

To be called an abomination, a particular sin or thing must exist for the sole purpose of defiling God’s plan of redemption. If you create or participate in something that has – as its sole reason for existence – the undoing of God’s work in salvation, then you have an abomination on your hands. By definition, death is the only penalty suitable for an abomination. Some of you are already making the connection on this.

Now that we have covered a bit of the back story, what I am going to share will make a bit more sense.

When I went to confirm what the Lord had showed me, it made sense that I needed to start with the days of Noah. This brought me to chapter six in Genesis. There is something that must be understood here. For a warning of the Lord to take us automatically to chapter six is disturbing in itself. The Genesis timeline study starts at chapter 11. While it takes us back to 2001 for the start – chapter six does not leave much real estate in the Book of Genesis. It’s not hard to figure out that by the time you reach chapter three you are looking at the fall of Satan. Chapter three establishes judgment on the Antichrist and the binding of Satan. Likewise, chapter five is primarily lineage – though there are several key scriptures that are part of this warning. We will discuss those in a moment also.

At this point it is best to give a running narrative of what the Lord showed me. I looked at this twice. The first time the Lord gave me an understanding of what he had encoded in Genesis. The second time I looked at it I saw things I never imagined I would see. It was as though he opened my eyes. I started reading the Bible – in reverse – and the picture emerged.

Here is the narrative that the Lord showed me.

6:13 – I will judge the earth, says the Lord. It is filled with the violence of man. There is no turning back now. There is nothing that can be done. Man has reached to point of no return. “The end of all flesh is before me now”.

6:12 – All flesh is corrupt – nothing has escaped this corruption.

6:11 – This corruption has brought violence.

6:10 – There is, however, a righteous remnant from among the nations – the Jew, the Gentile and all others.

6:09 – This righteous remnant worships the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They turn and walk with God.

6:08 – They now find grace in the sight of the Lord.

6:07 – The Lord is full of sorrow for all that he has made upon the earth. Evil touches everything now – nothing escapes. Not the birds of the air nor the beasts of the field. No, not mankind either.

6:06 – The Lord is full of sorrow for having made man.

6:05 – The hearts and minds of men are now evil. Their imaginations and thoughts are of vileness and evil alone. Man is now the greatest evil upon the earth.

6:04 – Homosexuality has become the mightiest force upon the earth. Its perversion knows no bounds. It has sought after children and devoured them. It has rained perversion upon the daughters of men and they have fallen into the most vulgar of lusts. Those that wallow in the most abominable of sexual perversion, homosexuality and lust have become giants upon the earth. There is none that escape their grasp.

6:03 – I have poured out my spirit upon the earth for the last 120 years. The time of my presence has ended. Soon, I shall withdraw from the earth – and from man. I can do no more for man now.

6:02 – Now, mankind marries any that it so desires. There are no bounds that restrain them. They marry after their own kind. They are given even to the beasts of the field.

Not just the marrying of women.

This corruption has come now, even unto the men of God and the House of the Lord.

6:01 – At last, born from this corruption is great corruption. Great corruption now fills the earth. This corruption has spread unto the innocent, the soon born. Even our children are consumed.

All are now born of this corruption. There are none that can escape it now.

The two backs stories doubtless make sense now, especially if you have followed along in the Bible as you were reading the verses here. As the gay rights movement has advanced, they have devoured our children. They have embedded their ideology at every level of society. Now, their perversions have grown brand new generations that know not the God of their fathers.

However, the gay marriage movement is the final nail in the coffin. Understand that the plan of redemption is interwoven in God’s Laws of marriage. It was the marriage of God the Father to Israel that birthed Messiah. It is Messiah’s marriage to church that brings redemption. Marriage is the Holiest of all covenants. It is the covenant that brings life.

The gay marriage movement brings the covenant of death. It is an unholy abomination. Truly, man has reached the point of no return.

There is nothing which can stop what must shortly come to pass. I am asked if there is anything that we can do. No, there is not. It is unavoidable now.

At this point it seems cut and dry. We can clearly see that we are verse 6:1, right? Not so fast. The Lord then took me into chapter five. Given that this is a genealogy chapter I was puzzled as to what would be there. Turns out there are several verses that we really need to pay attention to in chapter five.

5:32 – The righteous remnant is called out from among the world and man. These are they that worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

5:31 – This righteous remnant is sealed with the Holy Spirit, and the times and seasons are confirmed upon their hearts.

5:29 – They have been given a great comfort. For they toil in the labors of their Lord, and minister to the cursed world.

5:24 – The time is come. God took the righteous remnant, and they walked with God. They received their new names and their royal titles.

5:22 – They walk with the Lord now.

5:03 – They were in the likeness of Adam.

5:02 – They are now perfected, male and female.

5:01 – They are once again created in the image of God, for they are created anew. They are in the image of God once more.

They are those that were found written in the books.

At this point, there are those that will doubt what this all means. Still, others will feel a fear in the deepest recesses of their souls at what they have been reading. Understand, the Lord is not the author of confusion. He took me just a bit further into Genesis. This is his confirmation at what he revealed to me. Let us look now at chapter four.

4:26 – After these things, man shall now cry upon the name of the Lord.

It was when I came to 4:26 that the Lord uttered another block of scripture to me.

Revelation 6:15-17 – And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

This speaks for itself. Continuing on:

4:25 – The Antichrist shall slay those that call on the keeper of the sheep. He shall have the spirit of Cain upon him.

4:24 – Let this be a sign, a confirmation that the 70th week of Daniel is now come. Let the 490 years be complete!

Let the 70th week begin!

Let the vengeance of Cain fall upon men seven times!

4:23 – Let all men fall that shall offend the spirit of Cain! Let all men fall that shall wound the spirit of Cain!

4:22 – Now, let the rod of iron fall upon men! Let the judgments of God falls upon the brass of mankind! Let the brass be beaten by the rod of iron!

4:21 – Let man wail as the harp and organ!

4:20 – Let it fall upon beast and home – let none escape the wrath!

4:17 – Let an empire rise. Let her children rise. Let Cain rise in his lands.

4:16 – Let him rise in the lands of Allah!

4:15 – Let every man die that should not bear the mark – the mark of Cain.

4:14 – Let all that should not possess the mark of Cain wander as vagabonds. Let them be fugitive, driven from all the earth and from every place. Let all that should not have the mark fall slain.

4:13 – Heap upon them more than they can bear.

4:12 – Let them without the mark starve. Let them find not a single fruit of the ground.

4:11-10 – Let brother betray brother, should that brother not bear the mark.

4:09 – Let no man keep such a brother.

4:08 – Cain shall rise against the righteous and slay them – wherever they are found. Moreover, he shall rise likewise against his own brother. He shall rise against the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He shall rise against Israel.

4:07 – And Cain shall rise above all men – indeed, above the entire earth.

By now you get the point. The rest of the Genesis timeline rolls on from here. It advances all the way back to the ages past, where sin did not exist. In essence, the Genesis timeline shows us that as it was in the beginning, so shall it be at the end.

Here is the thing. When the Lord showed me this, it was not that Genesis 6:1 is where we were at. Rather, 6:1 was the marker in time, showing what had already occurred. To put it differently, we have passed 6:1 and now sit at 5:29.

How do we sit at 5:29? It is quite simple, really. Over the past year, myself and many of my overcoming brethren have felt something deep in our spirits. We have seen the differences between ourselves and everybody else become more pronounced. Our conversations have changed, and so has the way he have seen the world. In the past year our hearts have come front and center, and we have been given over to them.

We have experienced a love and desire for the Lord that is beyond anything we ever imagined. The Lord has cared for us, shown us the world around us and spoken to us. We have lost all real desire to even look upon sin and our minds rest constantly upon the things of God. Our jobs are nothing more than obedience to God. We work as the Lord commanded us to do so, that our families are provided for, and we strive to do our very best. Even that is about the Lord now, and not about the task.

We have understood for a while now that we were being separated. The Lord has closed up loose ends in our lives and called us to areas that were less than he wanted. We have tithed more, witnessed more and loved more. We can no longer think of any task absent the will and wonder of God. We have looked to the skies. That is not accurate. Rather, we cannot keep from looking to the skies. Our faith in the promise of the soon return of our Lord and King shouts within our very souls. It is more than faith now. We know his return is imminent and we have begun to long for it. He is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords – with all power in heaven and earth. He is faithful and just to keep that which he promised.

However, there is more. How do we know that we are at 5:29? It is simple, really. A peace has begun to descend upon the overcomer. There is no fear of the future for us. There is no apprehension. Each day that passes we watch, as more and more prophecy pushes against that invisible “wall” that restrains it, and keeps it from busting through. We listen as the world around us falls into deeper fear – wondering when everything will finally break loose. The world sits and wonders in amazement. How much more can the we take? How much more before everything breaks loose and the world dies?

The overcomer knows the answer to this. We know it in our souls. We are at peace now. Soon our Lord shall come and the restrainer shall be lifted. Every man will reap that which they have earned. They shall have no one to blame but themselves.

I want to ask you a question as we close. Do you know Jesus Christ? Do you have faith in his promises and his coming? Here is why I ask.

Through the entire Bible, there is a singular theme that resonates. It is faith and belief in Christ that can save. There are many that do not believe in Jesus Christ. Still, there are those that believe – yet they do not have a heart full of oil. Doubt and unbelief fights the Holy Spirit at every turn. To find the salvation of Christ and the promise to his bride takes a full faith. This comes from a heart that is full of oil.

Any doubt and unbelief in your heart displaces your oil. Two things cannot occupy the same space. Either you will have faith in your heart – full faith. Or, you will have doubt.

Remember the ten virgins. Five had a heart full of oil to make the trip. Five did not. All ten had their lamps lit. However, when the Bridegroom came, the five with their hearts only half full of oil watched as their flames went out.

They went out at the final moment, when no lamp must ever go out.

Is there doubt and unbelief in your heart that fights the Holy Spirit at every turn? Will you run out of oil and extinguish your flame as the Bridegroom comes?

After all, if there is one thing clear in the Bible – you cannot have what you don’t believe. There are no exceptions to this.

I know that there are many reasons that are given as to why the Lord will not return first for his bride. You may have many reasons yourself. You believe the bride must be purged. You believe that we must undergo tribulations – just as Jesus did. It matters little the reason. Let me ask you this – are you willing to take this to the Lord?

There have been more arguments on this subject than any of us can remember. However, have you sought the Lord on this – willing to find out that you are wrong?

Right now, you have voices in your head telling you that you already know the answer, that the Lord has already shown this to you – that you can find the answer in scripture. If that is the case then surely there is no harm in going to the Lord one more time.

After all, is prayer a bad thing?

Listen carefully – is there something in you that seems to be opposed to this? Do all sorts of reasons keep popping in your head, trying to tell you that you are covered?

Why?

I implore you to hear my words. Be willing, just one more time, to take this to the Lord.

This time, don’t half mean it – don’t go to prayer with the intentions of simply asking the Lord to “show you that you are right”. Rather, be willing to hear what the Lord is really saying – even if you don’t like the answer you get.

Be willing to find out that you may have gotten some things wrong. It may just save your eternal soul.

Ask the Lord to show you if you are wrong – and truly want to know the answer.

I have done this myself many times. That is how I ended up here.

If you seek the Lord on this – with a whole and a longing heart – he will answer.

However, if you should decide that you already know the answer – if you should decide that there is nothing more you can learn, then so be it. You will get no arguments from me.

It is your choice, and your choice alone to make. If you have decided the matter then it is done. I will not try to convince you otherwise. Your reasons are your own and your decision is made.

At this point there is little left to say. The Lord will continue to move his Overcomers to the work at hand – what remains of it.

Over the next few months I suspect the world will begin to look a bit different. More and more trouble will be heaped upon the wall. The fear will continue to grow, and the uncertainty.

I myself will continue to “broadcast” for whatever time is left. We all will. As we all watch these days come to a head, the overcomer will have the peace of the Holy Spirit to guide us.

We will be here as long as we can, doing what we can.

Soon, that first trump shall sound – and we will all hear it.

In the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Here are a couple links that are fitting – truly fitting.

- http://shoebat.com/2014/04/02/homosexuals-throw-human-excrement-christians-wipe-anuses-pages-bible/

- http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/04/04/mozilla-chief-learns-if-dont-support-gay-marriage-dont-deserve-job/

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Addendum 5: Can Christians Celebrate Easter and Christmas?

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.Hebrews 9:11-14

I originally wrote this in response to the sudden rise of believers questioning the celebrations of Easter and Christmas.  It was more for Easter since that is when I wrote this, but the principles apply for Christmas as well.

On face value this is an odd subject for a publication dealing with the tribulation.  However, at its heart, the celebration of Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Christ is the essence of the Blessed Hope – the promise of the soon return of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It is part and parcel to understanding the martyrdom’s that will occur during the tribulation and why the rapture actually occurs.

Here is the original article:

It seems that in the last couple of years, there has been an effort to stop Christians from celebrating Easter and Christmas.  We have all seen the posts that get shared.  They will list the various pagan origins behind each of the two holidays, and usually present questions as to whether or not God would be pleased with us for doing so.

This Easter, it seems that this has turned up a quite a bit.

There are two primary groups of believers that share these posts.  The first group seems to have a genuine interest in getting the word out.  They share the posts, yet they do not condemn.

The second group, however, takes the issue just a bit further.

Can we as believers celebrate these holidays?  Or do we face the judgment of God for doing so?  Let’s look at this issue from the standpoint of Easter since this is where we find ourselves now.  Likewise, much of what we are going to cover is applicable to Christmas also.  You will understand the differences as well.

Before we get into the heart of this, we need to address the first group for just a moment.  Many of you share these posts, and you have made personal decisions not to engage in the traditions of Easter.  You have forgone the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs, and your celebration is the resurrection alone.  When you speak of the origins of the holiday, you do so with a whole heart.  Your intentions are true, and you trust the Lord to work with each believer according to his will for their life.

In this vein, your heart makes your decision pleasing to God.  As we will see a bit later, scripture tells us that the heart is where our worship rests.  It is the heart that sins, and the heart that seeks the Lord.  The acceptable sacrifice before the Lord resides not in the turning from a once pagan holiday – rather, it resides in the decision to do something to honor the Lord – with no expectation of praise.

Those of you that have given up the Easter celebration under these auspices have done so with a pure heart.  You have not sought to enslave others to your own wisdom and law.

The things in this article do not pertain to you.

Romans 8:27-28 – And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

First, let’s have a common sense conversation.  Before we get into the scriptural case for what we are discussing, let me ask you something:

Is the Easter Bunny more powerful than our God?  Yes, this is a serious question.  Does our God have no power over Easter eggs?  Here is why I ask.

In the more aggressive efforts to stamp out what has literally been described as an offense so egregious to God, we are told that the celebration of Easter is sure to bring his most dire judgments.  I have seen believers literally describe the celebration of Easter as an offense on par – and far greater – with those committed in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Is it?  Sodom and Gomorrah were annihilated for their offenses.  What about other judgments of God?

Egypt fell to ten plagues, including the death of the first born of both man and beast.

Herod was killed by God for murdering young children to get to Jesus.

Israel was carried into captivity for her sins.

The Temple itself was destroyed twice for the sins of Israel.

In 70 AD, the Roman Tenth Legion was sent to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, with 6,000 dying on the Temple Mount.

The people on the plains of Shinar were struck with different tongues and separated for their willful disobedience to the Lord.

The Lord took the son of King David – a man after his own heart – for his adultery with Bathsheba.

Cain was marked and set to wander for killing Able.

Samson was struck with blindness, weakness and chains for falling to the wiles of Delilah.

Israel was broken into two nations for her rebellion.

Israel wandered for 40 years for their disbelief.

Thousands of Hebrews perished when Moses came down from Mount Sinai to the golden calf.

Many Canaanite kingdoms fell before Israel as they marched into the Promised Land.

This is but a sample of the many times the Lord has exercised his power as the Living God.  Not to be left out, there is a time of Jacob’s trouble coming on Israel for their unbelief.  It is a described as a time of trouble that has not been since the foundations of the world, nor shall ever be.

So, I ask again – is the Easter Bunny more powerful than our God?  Here is why I ask.

With all of these examples of the judgment of God, and the many more we have not even touched on – including those that strike individuals for disobeying God – the Easter Bunny has walked through nearly 4,000 years of history untouched by our God.  Nearly 2,000 years of that has been spent disguised as a Christian holiday.

So, here is the question – if the Lord has been so quick to strike down everything else that is truly an affront to him, why has Peter Cottontail gotten off the hook?

Look at our own nation.  Look at how we have started to slide.  We can track the decline of our nation literally to events such as the legalization of abortion and the removal of the Ten Commandments.  We can see the entire western world literally slide into increasing judgments of God as homosexuality has gained the upper hand and sexual sin abounds.  Offenses for which the Lord wiped several nations off the face of the earth.

Yet, the greatest of all offenses – the Easter Bunny – continues to march through history, thumbing his nose at the one true living God – and he gets away with it!

If Peter Cotton tail is the direct abomination to God that some say he is, then why has God allowed him to stand unchallenged longer than any other abomination?  Clearly, the Lord has some power as he has brought judgment on every other thing that offends him.

He even wiped out the entire earth in a flood to end evil and abominations.

Never mind that the flood was the end of the fathers, and the fathers of the fathers of the Easter Bunny.  With the flood, the Lord wiped out the giants – the mighty men of renown – and put their fathers in chains (the “sons of God”, or the fallen angels that fathered them) in the lower chambers of the earth.  These were the direct creators of every false religion that has ever existed upon the earth.

In the last 2,000 years, the Lord supernaturally assembled the Bible, raised up his church, spread the Gospel to the four corners of the earth, brought a prosperity to the west that has never been seen upon the earth, translated the Bible into every known language, blessed the lives of individual believers, moved the march of human history according to the pages of his Holy Word, re-birthed the nation of Israel, lined up the player for end times prophecy – and yet the Easter Bunny has remained the one obstacle that our God cannot strike down?  Yet, the Easter Bunny lives!

Why has the Lord not bothered with so great an abomination?  He has touched every single aspect of our lives.  How many of you see the direct hand of the Lord in your lives.  How many times has the Lord brought you under conviction for sin in your life?  How many times has the Lord directly and undeniably chastised you for something you were getting wrong?

It has happened more times in my life than I can count.

Why do some want to discount the power of God to move in the lives of believers as he calls them to his will?  Why do they seek to force believers to abandon the guidance of the Lord, and start deciding for themselves what is and is not acceptable before God.  Why do they seem to have no understanding that the Lord works on us a piece at a time, in the order of things that he so determines?

It’s not as though this is a new end time’s deception.  Easter has existed for nearly 4,000 years – with nearly 2,000 of those years as a Christian Holiday.  However, what is new about all of this is the sudden push to enslave other believers, stealing their salvation if they should not fall in line with the chorus of those declaring death to any that should dare to offend God!

A God that is apparently powerless to stop the Easter Bunny.

Ask these folks if you will burn in hell for celebrating Easter.  Make them prove it scripturally – from the New Testament as well.  Make them show you were the death of Jesus Christ was not sufficient for all sins – especially the celebration of Easter.  Make them prove that Christ could not overcome the power of the Easter Bunny.

While we are on this subject – let me ask you another question.  How many times have you seen the Lord strike down devout, spirit filled believers for celebrating Easter?  I’m not talking about your average, run of the mill believer.  I’m talking mighty men and women of God, clearly filled with the spirit of God.  Come to think of it, how is it even possible to be filled with the spirit of God while falling into such an abomination?  You know the believers I am talking about.  Your heart is filled with joy at their mere presence.  You can clearly see the blessing of the Lord on their lives in all that they do.  How many of us know believers for which there can be no doubt of their relationship with God – yet they practice the damnable heresy of Easter?

How many of you enjoy an active and vibrant life with the Lord, yet celebrate this greatest of all abominations?  Why has the Lord not struck you down yet?  There are some that will declare your eminent downfall.  Yet, just how many have actually ever fallen because of Easter?  How many do we know that dare to utter the word “Easter” – yet they clearly have the Lord and his blessing in their lives?

Let me ask you this – what evidence is there that the Lord is active in the lives of those that proclaim death, doom and destruction upon all the damnable heretics that fall into the deception of Easter?  When you read their words, is there any hope in Christ?  Is there any joy?  Is there any peace of the Lord?  Would you ask these folks about the meaning of joy unspeakable and full of glory?

Or have they slipped from your top ten list of folks to seek for the move of the spirit of God in the lives of believers?  For that matter, when was the last time you can recall seeing evidence whatsoever of the Lord in their lives – aside from them informing you of this.  We all know truly spirit filled believers – the fruits of the Holy Spirit are obvious without anybody ever pointing them out.  When was the last time you ever saw anything that resembled a victory of the Lord in their lives?

Or do they serve a false god?

Here is what I mean.  Do they serve a god with no power to stand up and strike such abominations?  Is the god they serve simply relegated to the corner – bitter and angry over something they have no power to stop?  Does the god they serve have no choice but to wait until the tribulation, then force his followers to be purged and punished for not listening?  Is revenge all their god is capable of?

Have these people taken power from the one true God, and given it to the pagan gods of old?

Here is the danger in their view of God – it changes the nature of who God actually is.  It builds a false picture of a God that has no power over false gods.  When your perception of God is altered to the point that he is powerless, you effectively have a false god.  When you claim that your “god” finds Easter to be an affront and abomination of the highest order – yet he can do nothing (over 2,000 years) but wait until the tribulation to exact revenge on the only creatures he has power over now. . .

You take from the one, true living God his power and attributes.  You leave him diminished and unable to strike a 4,000 year old abomination.  You hand that power to a pagan god that Christ destroyed on the cross.  Yes, it clearly – and without question – spells this out exactly in the Bible.  The Apostle Paul covered this in great detail.  We will cover this a little later in the article.

When you diminish God the Father, you diminish God the Son.  If you relegate Jesus Christ to the station of vengeful master that has no power over pagan gods, you effectively replace the Lord of Glory in your life with a false Christ that does not exist.  That is open idolatry.  Once you start to worship this false Christ, there is no longer salvation of sins for you.  Only the real Christ can bring the forgiveness of sins.

That is why there is such a push to bind believers in such a legalistic slavery.  The more believers that fall into this deception, the more believers that find their salvation falling away.  As we will show later – this is also directly tied to the soon return of the Lord and those that will be accounted worthy.  This form of legalism goes hand and hand with denying the promise of the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Read “The Final Warning” if you doubt that believers can surrender their salvation.  You will find it in the tabs to the left hand side of this page.

From 1 Timothy, chapter 1:

Warning Against False Teachers

3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship[a] from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Likewise, that is why these folks never bear any evidence of the move of God in their lives.  Simply stated – he’s not there.  There is only a vengeful spirit of self-righteousness, which is quick to condemn any believer that should dare to speak against their “doctrine”.  This also is covered in irrefutable terms in the Bible.  We shall likewise show this as well.

If you watch their words, and pay close attention to what they present, you will find that these “lawgivers” wallow in their own self-righteousness.  It literally becomes their identity.  It is all that they have.  As believers, we are called to speak against those thing that are wrong.  We are called to speak against sin.  However, there is more to salvation that the practice of Easter.  There is the mercy of God.  There is the power of God to overcome anything.  There is faith in the Lord to stand upon his promises.  There are fruits of the spirit that add a joy to life and an undeniable joy to living it.

Yet, these lawgivers become a broken record, always replaying the same song.

“Either you bow to what I say and become righteous like me, or the plagues of God shall fall upon you!  For I hath declared it!”

Never do they speak to any detail of mercy.  They will mention the forgiveness of sins from time to time, but there is no life in their words.  No, the only life they display is the pronouncement of death, doom and destruction that shall come if you should dare to defy them!  Yes, I said “them”.  It’s clear that God himself is not quite so concerned with the Easter Bunny.  We will show this scripturally in a bit.  For our lawgivers, they desire to see capitulation to them – not to the Holy Spirit.  They want the declaration of surrender upon the field of battle.

There is a reason the lawgiver is so quick to deny that the heart is the source for relationship to God.  It is the reason that they refuse to acknowledge that your heart is at the center of this very question.  If it is your heart that keeps you from guilt in this matter – then it is their hearts that judge them guilty in the same manner.  It is their hearts that show the true station of their salvation.

From Hebrews, chapter 3:

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

See now, that the heart is indeed central to who a man is, and by his heart he is forgiven or condemned:

From Acts, chapter 8:

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

From Romans, chapter 10:

The Message of Salvation to All

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

From Romans, chapter 6:

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.  15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,[c] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Now, everything that the lawgivers present seems very sound.  After all, the origins of Easter were pagan.  It was a Romanized holiday that was used to adjust a pagan populace to the new Christian doctrines.  Given its origins, how could it not be offensive to God?  It even makes sense to our minds.  It even had me doubting God himself every time I asked about this.  The Lord would answer, but this still sounded so powerful.  I mean, how could God not be offended?  Surely, the words of the lawgivers are sound.

I know of one such lawgiver that has recently remarked that it matters not what excuse a believer makes, for these things are still an affront to God.  However, in the minds of men are the words of God made small.  His implication is that we cannot change the understanding of God.  It is ironic – it is the lawgiver that seeks to supplant the understanding with their own.  Strangely enough, it is an understanding that just happens to place them far above all other believers.  It is an understanding that deposits the knowledge of God firmly in their hands alone.

Question – when you see these things floating around that declare the absolute abomination of celebrating Easter (and Christmas for that matter) – how many have laid out the case in scripture?  I mean an actual doctrinal case, with multiple scriptures – including the New Testament.  How many of these posts show where Christ himself dealt with this very thing?

There is a reason that none of them do.  You will get one from time to time with an Old Testament scripture (or two) concerning eating foods sacrificed to idols, or Israel turning its back on the Lord, but that is it – and even these are rare.  Indeed, there are any number of scriptures that show Israel falling into idolatry, eating things sacrificed to idols, and declaring the worship the abomination of false gods in the Law of Moses.  Yet, everything I just mentioned – and every single Old Testament scripture I have seen used to defend the lawgiver position – has a direct answer in the New Testament.  Every last one has been answered in light of the cross of Christ.

“This should be obvious, so why do we even need scripture?”  How many have died under the same logic?

That said, this was something I took to the Lord on a number of different occasions.  Each time I would ask about celebrating Christmas (Easter is in the same boat), and the Lord would reassure me that it is the heart that determines the truth of these days.

The last time I asked about this, I kid you not – the Lord literally, with a direct voice stated – and I quote – “I have to tell you this again?”

It was a voice akin to one with slight aggravation.  The rub is that for some reason I just could not seem to get past this.  Especially given that I was not new to hearing his voice and trusting his answers.

The next day, while I was involved in something else, he literally guided my fingers in the Bible to the scriptures that deal with this.  As my eyes glanced down, his voice echoed in my head “here is your answer”.

Sure enough, it was.  We will share that scripture in a bit so you can settle this once and for all in your hearts.

Paul dealt with this same issue – both from the pagan and Hebrew side.  In the churches with a strong Jewish influence, there were many efforts to combine the faith with Judaism.  Where paganism was strong the same thing occurred.  Finally, after several of the letters dealing with various aspects of this, he finally wraps this up and puts it to bed.

There is something else that needs to be addressed in all of this.  When the lawgivers speak of the origins of Easter, it always stem from the same premise – that the pagan gods of old declared certain days and certain things as their own.  As such, because these belong to pagan gods, they can never belong to the Lord.  There is just one small problem with their logic:

Before any pagan god ever chose any day to celebrate anything, was it not God himself that made the days and nights in the first place?  Where they not his in the first place?

Was it not God himself that declared the days from the foundation of the earth?  Did not God himself form the rabbit from his very words?  Is not everything defiled from sin – including us?  Does this sin not already carry the penalty of death?

In truth, is not all of creation defiled in all that it does?  Yet the Lord God still looks upon all these things and loved them.   He loved us, and the things of creation so much that he sent his only begotten Son to die for all of creation – not just us.

It was not just humanity and the earth that fell into corruption from sin.  It was all of creation, right up to the very throne of God.  Even heaven itself has witnessed the defiling of sin.  There is NOTHING which did not contain the abomination of sin on it.  An Easter egg does not make one “more the sinner”.  The Easter egg does not bring “the greater death”, for all death is death.

On that Easter Sunday, Christ redeemed the whole of creation back to God – including the very Temple of God himself.

There is a reason why he could not rise on any other day of the week – save one:

It was written into the Torah long before Christ ever came to earth as a man.

If you are reading this, then you most likely have an idea of what happened on the day the Passover meal is prepared.  On that day, the 14th of the month, Jesus Christ was captured, tried and crucified on the cross.  He was nailed to the cross and died at the same hour the Passover Lamb was slain in the Temple.  The blood of his body, from the crown of thorns on his head and the nails that pierced his hands, were set upon the cross in the place of the blood on the two door posts and lentil.

The death of Jesus occurred at approximately 3:00PM.  At the moment of his death, the veil in the Temple was torn in two.  This was the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple.  It was the veil that separated man from God.  Upon the death of Jesus the veil was no longer required.  There would be no more separation of God from men.

From the cross, Jesus was taken by Joseph of Arimethia to a freshly hewn tomb, wherein no man had laid before.  Jesus was placed in the tomb, dressed only in a loin cloth.  Then, he was wrapped in the burial linens and the burial napkin for his head.  This was the custom for burying the Jews.  Once this was complete, the two Mary’s and Joseph departed the tomb and stood witness that Jesus was indeed sealed inside.  Upon completion, they departed the tomb for the observance of the Passover Seder, or meal.

This is the part of the story that most are familiar with.  It is what happened after the tomb was sealed that sets the stage for all eternity.

The process to secure Jesus in the tomb had to be completed before the start of the First Day of Unleavened Bread.  Likewise, it must be complete in enough time for the three witnesses to return to the place wherein they would celebrate the Passover.  They could not be found in violation of the law, lest their testimony regarding Jesus sealed in the tomb be made of no effect.  This puts Jesus in the sealed tomb most likely at about 7:00PM – several hours before the start of the 15th – the first day of Unleavened Bread.

At this point we must address something.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the seven major feasts of Israel.  There is a reason that Passover is the first of these seven feasts.  The process to fulfill each feast is specific.

On the day that the Passover lamb is slain, Jesus Christ became the last and final blood sacrifice.  Once and for all, every sin offering and blood sacrifice required in the Law of Moses as fulfilled.  Here is what that means.  From Passover forward, there would be no more blood sacrifices required.  They were all done at the cross.  That would include the sacrifices of bulls and goats as well.  However, there are still other requirements for each of the feast days that would likewise be fulfilled.

On Passover, the requirements of the meal, such as the hyssop and bitter herbs were fulfilled during the process of the actual crucifixion.

The next day – the first day of Unleavened Bread required a food offering to the Lord.  This was done with the unleavened bread.  Likewise, the unleavened bread was wrapped in linen and hidden away.  As Jesus was the perfect unleavened bread, he likewise fulfilled the seven days of the eating of the unleavened bread when he was wrapped in linen and hidden in the heart of the earth.  He would complete this fulfillment when he was “found” at the end of the seven days of Unleavened Bread.

Now we come to the heart of the matter – the resurrection.  The resurrection of the Lord occurred in the first day of the week, the day after the weekly Sabbath.  This was the Feast of First Fruits.  Now, there is something that we must address here.

When you look at a modern Jewish calendar, you will see that First Fruits begins on the second day of Unleavened Bread, and likewise the counting of the omer.  However, there have long been disputes about this in rabbinical circles.  Here is the text of the Torah with regards to when the Feast of First Fruits was to occur:

Leviticus 23:9-14 – And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. 14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

There are additional scriptures that likewise establish the 49 days of the counting of the Omer.  These are established in the law regarding the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost.

According to the Law of Moses, the feast was to be the day after the Sabbath.  The question becomes “which Sabbath”, to which modern Judaism ascribes that this means the annual Sabbath, or the Sabbath of the Passover.  That is currently what we see displayed on the Jewish calendar.  However, this presents a problem.

When you go back to the original Hebrew text, the word Sabbath here is “Sabbat”, which literally means “7th day of the week, with an emphasis on worship”.  Likewise, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) are not declared in the Law of Moses as Sabbath days.  They are declared days where no work (laborious work in the original Hebrew) is to be done, but not as a Sabbath.  This is further evidenced by the declaring of the 7th day Sabbath, or “Sabbat” in the same chapter of Leviticus – which shows that the 7th day Sabbath is clearly understood and not forgotten.  Likewise, when we get to the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles, we see that these feast days are specifically declared either a Sabbath (Sabbat), or they are declared a “Sabbath Rest” – or Sabbaton – which is Sabbat by extension.  So, this leaves a question – how was Unleavened Bread determined to be the Sabbath by which the Feast of First Fruits was to follow?

As it is even in our day, mankind has a habit of redefining the law as the year’s progress.  So it was by the time Jesus was born.  Given that the Sabbath and the High Holy Days both required a period of rest to celebrate, the “Sabbath Rest”, or Sabbaton came into existence.  Now, this does make sense to a degree.  After all, the Feast Days are the Holiest days of the year, worthy of a yearly – or annual – Sabbath status.  However, this would lead to the difficulties in determining the proper date for the celebration of First Fruits.  This was a problem that was further complicated by the Greek writing of the New Testament.  By the time the Gospels were written, there was one word in the Greek for Sabbath – sabbaton (pronounced the same as the Hebrew word sabbaton).  However, in the Greek, Sabbaton is used for the weekly Sabbath, the annual Sabbath, the Sabbath rest and the Sabbath days.  It requires the context of the passage to determine which version of Sabbaton we are looking at.

Now, you should understand something.  Everything I just shared here really bothered me.  Here is why.  I am a great respecter of academic knowledge, and for those that dedicate their lives to their given professions.  The same holds true of the rabbinical scholars that have determined that the Sabbath day which starts the Feast of First Fruits is in fact the high day of Unleavened Bread – just one day after the Passover lamb is slain, or the second day of Unleavened Bread.  Understand, that when I began my own research, I could clearly see – with no difficulty – that the Sabbath day written in the Law of Moses for setting the Feast of First Fruits was in fact the Sabbat, or the 7th day Sabbath.  I will be honest- this grieved me.  How could genuine Rabbinical Scholars miss what I could clearly see?  Likewise, what many Christian scholars could also clearly see (along with many Messianic Rabbinical scholars)?

Then the Lord impressed something upon my heart very clearly:

2 Corinthians 3:14-16 – But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

On a side note, we see yet one more time that the heart is the key piece of your worship of God.

The Apostle Paul tells us that the Jews have been blinded.  There are several other scriptures that confirm this as well.  Though many rabbinical scholars are well meaning in their research, they are never the less operating at a disadvantage.  Then something else I had discovered made sense.  During my research on this, I found where the disputes over the meaning of Sabbath stemmed from modern Jewish scholars declaring corruption of the Pharisees, and that it was their corrupt interpretation that declared the Sabbath in the Feast of First Fruits as the weekly Sabbath, not the first day of Unleavened Bread.  This corruption is given as the reason why modern Judaism accepts the Passover Sabbath as the Sabbath that sets the timing of First Fruits, and not the weekly Sabbath.

All of this made sense now.  If the Feast of First Fruits is acknowledged by modern Judaism as beginning the day after the 7th day Sabbath, then it has no choice but acknowledge what I am going to share with you.  Understand, there are ultra-orthodox Jewish Rabbis that spend the bulk of their scholarship in an effort to deny that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.  As such, there can be no connection to the events of his death and resurrection and the fulfilling of prophecy and the feasts.

Mark 16:9 – Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

When rabbinical scholars research the claims of Jesus and Messiah, there are a few things from the text of the four Gospels that would stick out to them, which many Christians will miss.  It is in these details that we find the proof the Jesus was the Messiah, and why the celebration of the Sunday after Passover is a far more necessary celebration than we realize.  Indeed, it is what happened that Sunday that sets the stage for all eternity.

John 20:14-17 – And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.  Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.  Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. ~

I have seen any number of commentaries which speak to the meaning of “touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father”.  Most expound on an allegorical meaning, saying this speaks to Mary not being able to let Jesus go.  However, with careful examination of the scripture, we see a few things which put this passage in a whole new light – and prove the divinity of Jesus Christ.

We see in verse 14 that Mary did not recognize Jesus.  Furthermore, we can see that she mistook him for the gardener.  Have you ever wondered why the gardener?  Why not somebody else?  Did Jesus look like the gardener of the garden where the tomb was found?  Would Mary have known this gardener?

Here is a critical question to what happened on the resurrection morning.  Was Jesus naked?  Remember, he was wrapped in burial linens and the burial napkin.  He would have had only a loin cloth on him.  The burial linens were still folded in the tomb.  So the question remains – what would Jesus have worn?  As a Jew and a perfect human being he would not have run around nearly naked.

Now, given that Mary entered the tomb and found two angels siting there, it is no stretch of the imagination to declare that the angels provided clothing to Jesus.  By this time, such a thing would hardly seem a miracle, and more of a given.

Now, the question remains – why did Mary mistake Jesus for the gardener?  Jesus had only been from her sight for three days and nights.

Today, as it was in the days of Jesus, gardeners dress much as they always have.  Given the climate, heat and arid conditions, their choice of attire is less “choice” and more of a necessity.  There would have been four garments warn by the gardener – a linen coat, linen pants, linen belt and a linen headdress.  Sometimes these would have been white garments, sometime other light colors.  The linen would be a cotton linen, designed to protect them from long hours in the sun and the Mediterranean climate.

You may recall earlier that we spoke of Jesus fulfilling the seven feast of Israel.  So far, he has fulfilled all of the blood sacrifices for the seven feasts, and he fulfilled the food offering of unleavened bread when he was wrapped in the burial linens and hidden away for three days and three nights.  Now, this leaves the Feast of First Fruits to be fulfilled.  The blood sacrifices have been satisfied.  However, there remains three aspects of First Fruits left to be accomplished.  These would be the First Fruits of the barley harvest for the Priesthood and Israel, the first day of the First Fruits offering for the congregation closest to Jerusalem, followed by the remaining 48 days were the rest of the congregation of Israel makes their way to Jerusalem and offers the First Fruits of their barley harvests.

Remember when Jesus told Mary to “touch me not”?  Has it ever occurred to you that the language here is very specific?  Likewise, short of some allegorical meaning that only partially fits the language, Jesus was indeed touched before the ascension 40 days after he arose.  Why is that?

Did you know that on the Day of Atonement, before the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies for the one time that year to sprinkle the blood on the Ark of the Covenant and complete the incense offering, they cannot be touched as they are ritually clean?  On the night before the Day of Atonement and the morning of, the High Priest would complete a process to finish purifying himself and dress in the outfit required for the ritual of Atonement.  Once complete and dressed, the High Priest could not be touched until after he emerged from the Holy of Holies.

When the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies, he would not be wearing the breastplate, headdress, ephod or colored belt.  His uniform – for this task alone – was the basic uniform of the regular priest:

A white linen coat, a white linen belt, white linen pants and a white linen headdress.

The exact same uniform Mary saw Jesus wearing that morning at the tomb.  The same outfit she would have expected to see the gardener wearing.  The same uniform of the High Priest that is getting ready to enter the Holy Chamber of God.  The same uniform that the angels brought the night before, when the Sabbath ended and the first day of the week began.  The same uniform that Jesus ritually dressed in after he rose in the hour just past the start of the Feast of First Fruits, which started about 9:00PM on Saturday night.  The same uniform alone that could be worn in order for Jesus to enter the Holy Chamber of the Heavenly Temple to cleanse the furniture.  The same uniform required for him to sprinkle the blood first, so that the wave offering for the royal priesthood of heaven could be offered – a wave offering that could not be presented until the heavenly Temple was cleansed.

A heavenly Temple that was defiled with sin when Lucifer rebelled against God, and took one third of the angels with him.  A rebellion that was likewise witnessed by the remaining two thirds of the angels.  They had been innocent until this point.  After original sin that innocence was gone.  Sin had manifested before the Throne of God himself.  Indeed, all of creation had now fallen.  Indeed, all of creation would now need redeemed back to God.

It was this same sin that manifested itself when angels came to earth to teach the righteousness of God to men, and found the daughters of men to be desirable.  It was this same sin that brought the birth of the giants.  It was the death of these giants which gave us the evil spirits – the spirits of dead giants, half man and half angel – that would roam the earth and birth every false and vile religion.  It was this same sin the Jesus Christ would ascend to heaven on the Feast of First Fruits – enter the Holy Chamber of the Temple of God – and sprinkle his blood upon the furniture to cleanse and purify heaven itself from all uncleanness.

You may be making the connection as to why the Easter Bunny is not quite the abomination that many make him out to be.  Likewise, those familiar with the attempts of Satan to pervert the things of God will doubtless recognize the irony in using the Easter Bunny to trap believers.

Only then, with the Temple cleansed, could the offering of the First Fruits of the barley harvest be presented before God.  We saw this with the Old Testament Saints that rose from the dead and were seen in Jerusalem.  They were the First Fruits of Israel that were offered by the priests – after they presented their own First Fruits offering.

That first offering – offered by the hand of the High Priest himself in Israel – is the offering fulfilled by Jesus Christ himself.

It was the Old Testament Saints that were presented before the cleansed Holy Temple of God that fulfilled the First Fruits of the barley harvest for Israel and the people.  They were the second of the two wave offerings that would be required on the Feast of First Fruits, the first of the 49 total days of barley.

All of this had to be completed on the Feast of First Fruits, that this Holy day should be fulfilled.

This leaves one final set of 48 separate First fruits offerings to be fulfilled for the completion of the remaining 48 days.  The offering for the congregation and the great assembly – the Holy Convocation called by the sounding of the shofars.  These would be the offerings of the people.  They would occur first for those closest to the Temple of God – those closest to God – those camped outside the city walls, having already made the journey to the House of God.

The first of these final offerings has not been made yet.  It will not be made until the Great Assembly of the King is called, with the blowing of both the first and last trumps of Gold.  An assembly that will be repeated seven years later.

We mentioned earlier that this ties directly to the promise of the soon return of the Lord.  Now you can see the connection, and why the heart of the lawgiver cannot accept the promise of his return.  This connection is further evidenced by the scriptures you will now read.

Hebrews 9:11-14, 23-28:

~ Redemption through the Blood of Christ;

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. ~

This is why, after nearly 2,000 years believers are led by a calling in our hearts to reverence the first day of the week.  It is the day that the Lord Jesus Christ defeated not only sin, but every power and principality that has ever dared to challenge the will of God.  This is a process that started on Passover, yet the redemptive work would not be complete until all of creation had been purchased with the price of the blood of Christ.  On Sunday, the task would be finished.  On Sunday, the plan of redemption was complete.

The question becomes whether or not the believer can celebrate Easter.  Is the very mention of Easter the abomination that others claim it to be?

Or has Ishtar been defeated once and for all?  Is there any power or principality that can stand against the shed blood of Christ?  Has Jesus Christ taken back what Satan attempted to steal from the hand of God in the first place?

The following scriptures close the case on this question forever.  They answer every Old Testament scripture that lawgivers use to justify their claims.  They do not discard those scriptures – they fulfill them.  Likewise, they are the completion of the several New Testament scriptures where Paul dealt with this same issue piece by piece.  Can the believer celebrate Easter?  Can we celebrate the resurrection Sunday – even over the celebration of the Passover?

Consider the words of the Apostle Paul on this very matter.  These are the scriptures that I mentioned earlier – these were the direct answer from the Lord when I asked of him these very same questions:

Colossians 2:6-23 ~

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.  In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.

These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—  “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”  (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?

These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. ~

Why can we now celebrate Easter, Christmas – or any other day to the glory of Christ – no matter which false god has attempted to set their name upon the day?

“This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

That is a power that can only come from a risen Savior.

The next time someone tries to steal your salvation and joy, condemning you to hell for such a thing – remember this:

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

In the name of the Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

How The End Came — A Running Narrative on the End of the Age

This chapter is designed to chronicle the world events that were directly responsible for the advent of the Rapture and the start of the tribulation.  It will be a collection of notable articles, my posts, links and images that will bear witness to the things that brought the end of the age.

The purpose for this page is straight forward.  It will serve as a confirmation to those that are desperately digging for answers after the Rapture.  There are hundred’s of pages and sites that speak on prophecy.  Many are wrong in the information they present.  Others are tremendous in their value.  Rapture Forums and Rapture Ready are examples of the better sites out there.  There are links to both on the first page of this project.

By detailing and dating the events that bring the end, you will be able to confirm the accuracy of the information in this book, and know that this book as a whole can be trusted.  This will allow you to move forward, understanding that this book provides a solid general outline of the days to come.

This chapter has grown as more events are added to the running narrative.  Updates are posted to the site here: http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com

Here are the events that brought the end of the age:

5/8/2014 - Be sure to read the page “Coming Signs: Is the End Really Right Around the Corner”.

5/8/2014 –  Now that we are in the midst of the feast day’s tetrad, are there any other potential prophetic indicators for Israel?

Here are a few numbers that are worth watching.

The number 40 is the number of testing for Israel. Where this might come into play would be 40 days after the first blood moon that occurred on April 15th. Sunday, May 25th would be a good prophetic candidate for hostilities to start involving Israel. These would not be run of the mill hostilities – rather, they would be hostilities on the level of genuine escalation.

Sunday, June 15th would be another example of a number to watch. That would be 21 days after the hostilities start on May 25th. 21 is a number related to deliverance to the Jewish nation. Daniel was delivered by the archangel Michael after 21 burdened days of prayer. Likewise, it was exactly 21 days after the second Gulf war started that the statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down in Baghdad. Only the feet were left which was significant. That was a prophetic reference to the ten toes of the statue of Daniel, which announced the rise of the 8th and final world empire – a revived Babylonian Islamic Empire.

Ironically, Baghdad is also the region that held the capital of the Babylonian Empire of the Bible. It was the second Gulf war that stands directly responsible for the current rise of the elements required for this final empire to rise.

The number 41 is the number of victory for Israel. Saturday, July 5th could likewise be a day that witnesses prophetic victory in any conflict that arises on May 25th.

The 9th of Av falls on August 5th of this year. This is the worst day of the year on the Jewish calendar. Historically, this is the date that both Temples were destroyed. It is a day that Jews typically avoid major decisions. As Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon made the decision to remove a Jewish settlement from the disputed territories on the 9th of Av. He fell into an eight year coma that ended last year when his life expired. Orthodox Jews denounced his decision, declaring that he would fall cursed for this decision. It seems their words proved prophetic.

The 9th of Av stands as a strong contender for the initial fulfillment of part of Isaiah 17. This is the prophecy known as the burden of Damascus. It is the prophecy that tells us that Damascus will be annihilated. However, this prophecy also tells us that Israel will also get hit in an attack that is either nuclear, chemical or biological. It is not difficult to imagine why Israel would hit Damascus if they were the target of a backpack bomb or car bomb originating from Syria.

In the 9th of Av scenario, we can count 40 days in reverse to a date of June 26th as a strong contender for the conflicts of another prophecy to start. Psalms 83 is a solid possibility for this. In the battles for Israeli territory in Jordan, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza, we have a solid fire starter that could lead to Isaiah 17.

Another date of potential note would be Saturday, August 16th. This date runs 40 days prior to the Feast of Trumpets on September 25th. Trumpets is a day of great interest to those that study the Jewish roots of our faith. In depth study has shown the Feast of Trumpets to be the strongest contender for the Great Assembly of the church, or the rapture. A prophetic conflict erupting 40 days prior to any Feast of Trumpets would make any bible scholar stand up and take note.

There are different combinations of the above discussed numbers with which we could speculate. Understand, this article is not about setting dates and predictions. It is about understanding prophetic issues and factors. It is another prospective source of research that can provide greater insight into the future by illuminating the prophetic past.

These numbers provide another perspective for watching the times and seasons, which Jesus Christ commanded that we are to do. Remaining watchful keeps our gaze fixed firmly on the Son of Man. Likewise, it sets the scene for a growing faith in Jesus Christ, and it strengthens the blessed hope we have in our Savior.

In the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

5/8/2014 - A week or so ago, I shared other numbers of prophetic significance to the Jewish people and Israel. These are numbers that rabbinical scholars watch and study in Israel to see what different dates may bring.  One of the numbers I shared was 40.

40 is the number of testing for Israel. You can go out 40 days from the start of the seven feasts, 40 days after the a feast, 40 days both before and after Purim and the 9th of Av and you good days to keep a watch on.

Then there is this.

Exactly 40 days after both Passover and the first blood moon of the feast days tetrad we have the coming election in Ukraine. This is the election that may secure Russia as the full and undisputed King of the North.

Couple this with the stories of violence against Jews and the evacuations that are being prepared and you have a unique prophetic cocktail.

Just a reminder, Ukraine is the last nation north of Israel that is not ruled by Russia. Both Turkey and Syria are Russian client states, with Putin being the only reason that Erdogan and Assad still hold power.

Also, the flight of the Jews from Ukraine can be a second direct fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the return of the Israelites from the north country.

I also shared an article today that NATO is threatening to deploy troops if Russia does not cease her actions in Ukraine.  It is shaping up to be a summer for the ages.

Or should I say the end of the age?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/5/with-eye-on-ukraines-may-25-elections-us-warns-rus/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

5/8/2014 - Well now, isn’t this a surprise.

Why Jordan, why now?  Guess what – Jordan is part of prophecy!

Jordan, the West bank, Gaza and Southern Syria are all a part of Psalms 83.

Edom, Moab, Ammon are all part of what we now call Jordan. Philistia is Gaza, Tyre is in Lebanon, Gebal and Asshur is in Southern Syria, and Amalek bringing up the rear in Northern Egypt.

Here is why this is critical. Jordan is the last prophetic territory that needed to come into play. The Isaiah 17 assault on Israel cannot happen without Jordan being under the influence of radical Muslim militants. It is no accident that Ma’an is the region under assault.

Ma’an is the gateway to Petra and Sela.

In Psalms 83, each of these ancient territories are defeated and retaken by Israel. What must be remembered is that each of these were part of the Kingdom of Israel during the height of her power. Also, during the second 42 months of the tribulation, it is Sela and Petra where the Jewish remnant flees to when escaping the Antichrist.

Here is how Psalms 83 and Isaiah 17 potentially fit together:

Islamic extremists gain control of the Ma’an region of Jordan. They work in secret with Assad in Syria, who has the blessing of Putin and the Russians.

A backpack bomb (nuclear, dirty or chemical – most likely nuclear) is transported from Syria, south to Ma’an through Islamist held territories in Jordan.

The backpack bomb is smuggled across the Israeli-Jordanian border, through one of the checkpoints or gaps typically used for tourists to Petra from Israel.

The bomb makes it past the Dead Sea, around the southern end of the West Bank, and rolls straight into the Beersheba region of Israel. The bomb is detonated. Also, Beersheba is worth a solid Google search. It is a center of industry and the IDF Air Force. It is a target of vital strategic importance to Israel.

Israel retaliates immediately. Within hours, the IDF has actionable intelligence of where the bomb came from. Israeli armored units move into Jordan and begin to conquest of the rest of their ancient Kingdom. Lebanon, Syria and Egypt all move against Israel in retaliation for the invasion.

The IDF moves quickly against Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. Their armies are pushed back and Israel fully occupies their entire ancient inheritance.

However, things move very quickly at this point. Intelligence comes in from Southern Syria and Western Jordan that Syria was responsible for the nuke attack on Israel.

Within 24 hours of discovering the complicity of Syria, Damascus is wiped from the face of the earth, never to rise again.

Now, there are several possible variations to this scenario, but this is the general understanding of what will occur. Only the particular order of events may change. It may be that Israel learns of Syria’s responsibility for the attack first and nukes Damascus. This would be followed by invasion from Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon.

Either way, the result is still the same. Damascus ceases to exist, Israel occupies her ancient borders and Islam is now ready to annihilate Israel, or die trying.

That would bring us to the set-up for Ezekiel 38 and 39. It is the war of Gog and Magog that brings the seven year treaty negotiated by the Antichrist.

As we said earlier – Jordan is the last piece of the puzzle that needed to come into play to make all of this possible. Everything else is already moving to the inevitable prophetic conclusion.

Now, so is Jordan.

http://pamelageller.com/2014/05/jordanian-jihadists-call-holy-war-government.html/

5/8/2014 - While this is from a few days ago (as are most of the initial posts to this page), it merits being included.

The woman in the link decided to film her abortion as proof that it is a positive experience, and show that abortions can be a good thing.

Here is the original post:

The judgments of God will soon fall. There is no turning back now.

All shall die as they have lived.

Repent and call upon the name of the Lord while there is yet time! The hour grows late. Soon, destruction shall fall.

Call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ or you shall be destroyed.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/05/horror-far-left-activist-films-her-own-abortion-video/

http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/05/07/this-is-my-positive-abortion-story/#Ykq45wXzuOWAFm6x.01

While not abortion, this link shows the culture of death that has come to the world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03MZG9vK0W8

5/8/2014 – Here are two additional links to stories that will prove to be part of the coming prophetic landscape.

The placement of NATO troops in response to Russian actions in Ukraine:

http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/world-news/around-the-globe/nato-threatens-russia-soldiers-will-be-placed-in-eastern-europe-5176

U.S. Official states Israel will divide the land – either through peace of violence.  They no longer have a choice:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-officials-even-if-israel-doesnt-like-it-palestinians-will-get-state/

5/8/2014 - If Putin studied Biblical prophecy, he would understand that Russia would be better served conducting nuclear attack emergency response drills.

After Gog and Magog he is going to need them.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_MILITARY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-05-08-06-40-46

5/9/2014 - Uh, yeah.

When the Director of Libyan Intelligence gets assassinated – the same as Ambassador Chris Stevens – you can take it to the bank. . .

Benghazi was about far more than an election.

5/11/2014 –  Thought I would offer a few words on the 1,500 year old “Bible” that is supposed to prove that Jesus Christ was not crucified.

Turkish officials are calling this a “Bible”, yet they will not permit any outside source to examine the book, date the text or verify the contents to show it is indeed a copy of the Bible. Given that the Muslim Turkish Government – the same government that is prophesied to be in the forefront of the Ezekiel 38 and 39 war to exterminate Israel – claims that this book (it calls itself a “book”, which is consistent with Muslim terminology for Jews and Christians, and inconsistent with any translation of the Bible ever found) contains the Gospel of “Barnabas”, it must allow outside sources to verify exactly what else is in the book.

After all, what they are hanging their hats on is a direct contradiction to the four Gospels. Are any of these four Gospels contained in this book? What about Paul? How about Peter and Timothy?

I am interested to see how this particular version of “the Bible” deals with the Torah and the Prophets. After all, they specifically tell us that the Jewish Messiah would be crucified, and that he would do so at about 33 AD (the prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel specifically places the time of Messiah to precisely when he actually showed up – this is why Simeon the Priest was waiting and wanting to see the Messiah before he died, and why the three wise men of the east knew of the coming King of the Jews).

Maybe it’s just a collection of stories that amount to nothing more than Muslim propaganda.

However, everything I have said here is a moot point when weighed next to what I am going to say. When you read the articles that jump all over this book as final proof that Christianity is a lie – make no mistake, that is the premise – they all present the same premise in justifying their assertions.

The Roman Catholic Church handpicked the contents of the Bible to suit their designs.

Apparently, God had no say in the assembling of his Holy Word. Never mind the divine inspiration that led to the writing of the Books of the Bible in the first place. Never mind that what everybody pictures as the Roman Catholic Church today did not exist when the Bible was assembled.

For those that are unfamiliar, when the first Council of Nicea met to take up this task, it was the Emperor Constantine himself that called the council and presided over it. The RCC as we know it did not exist yet, and the final authority for all religious matters was still the Emperor of Rome himself – not the Pope, as the Pope did not yet exist as we know him today. The conspiracies that decry the RCC for institutionalizing their power in the Bible always seem to miss one point.

Rome was already the undisputed master of the known world. They already held the power of the gods long before Constantine and the Battle at Milvian Bridge that cemented Christianity as the primary religion of the empire. What exactly were the Romans supposedly trying to do?

Apparently, they couldn’t take “yes” for an answer. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

No, this “Bible” does more than deny the divinity of Christ – it denies the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It sets the formation of the Holy Bible to the work of flawed men alone, absent any divine inspiration or direction. When you hear claims that the church personally handpicked some books, and “banned” others, it removes the power of God almighty from the process, effectively rendering him nonexistent.

Perhaps there is a more insidious reason why Muslims refuse to expose this “book” to outside scrutiny.

Besides, it’s not like the actual Holy Bible offers prophecy as proof of its divine origins, or that Jesus Christ – the crucified, raised from the dead, ascended to heaven, promised the Holy Spirit Jesus Christ – doesn’t offer a real relationship where he lives in the hearts of believers.

All of those supernatural miracles, such as healing, revealing things that only God could know, and then confirming them are just a figment of our imaginations.

Hey – when was the last time any of us ever saw Mohammed or Allah heal anybody?

Here are a few links to help put this in perspective.

http://www.timothymichaellaw.com/not-a-1500-year-old-bible-in-turkey/

http://www.aina.org/news/2012022916569.html

http://evangelicaltextualcriticism.blogspot.de/2012/02/antique-syriac-bible.html

http://69422.weblog.leidenuniv.nl/2012/03/07/a-1500-year-old-aramaic-bible-in-ankara/

5/14/2014 - When you open up this link, you will see the story.

This is part and parcel to Psalms 83, Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 39 and 39. This is a story to watch.

I will be adding this link to the running narrative on the project site that is located here:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/wap/Item.aspx?type=0&item=180594

5/15/2014 - It will be interesting to see where these protests go.

Turkey will be front and center for the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Russia is the power behind Erdogan.

http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/middle-east/israel-and-the-middle-east/erdogans-adviser-caught-personally-beating-protester-5306

5/19/2015 - I am at a loss for words on this.

Here is the headline for what happened:

~ The King of Pop was resurrected from the dead in hologram form to perform the new hit off his posthumous album ‘Xscape.’ ~

Revelation 13:14-15 KJV – And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Shaking my head.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/michael-jackson-hologram-performs-billboard-music-awards-article-1.1797327#ixzz32AO3WfNU

6/6/2014 – No words for this.  If you do not yet understand the link between Islam and the Antichrist, this should help.

http://weaselzippers.us/188794-no-joke-for-first-time-islamic-prayers-to-be-held-in-the-vatican/

6/8/2014 – Pentecost - The High Holy days are a prophetic barometer of the end times.

Never underestimate the relevance of this occurring on Pentecost. It was the birth of God’s covenant with Israel on Mt. Sinai. It was the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ in the upper room.

Now, it is the birth of the endtimes abomination.

This is just the start.

In the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

http://beforeitsnews.com/prophecy/2014/06/things-are-heating-up-fast-one-world-religion-forms-on-pentecost-as-asteroid-and-cross-signs-appear-in-space-judgment-is-coming-2461862.html?utm_medium=facebook-share&utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fb4in.info%2FdYdf&utm_content=awesm-publisher&utm_campaign

6/8/2014 – Pentecost - If memory serves, this makes 27 states that now recognize gay marriage.

That would be a majority.

That would be game over. When the majority cement an abomination into law, there is no more reprieve for that nation.

There is no more reprieve under God’s law because there are not enough of us left to turn the tide.

http://www.worthynews.com/14776-federal-judge-strikes-down-wisconsins-ban-on-same-sex-marriage

6/8/2014 – Pentecost- Here are several headlines straight from Joel chapter two:

http://endtimeheadlines.org/volcanoes/ground-rips-open-in-northern-india-new-volcano-like-eruption-reported/

http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/volcanic-eruptions-from-ubinas-in-southern-peru-to-continue-next-week/

6/8/2014 – Pentecost - It is amazing just what the Lord will show us, if we will just look.

There are a couple of signs in the heavens occurring that you are going to want to know about.  First, a solar flare occurred which generated the sign of the cross in the heavens.  We will have the link below.

Also, on Pentecost – June 8th, 2014 – the huge asteroid “Beast” will pass the earth.  What makes this remarkable is that is occurring on Pentecost.  Not just any Pentecost mind you, but the very same Pentecost which was chosen by the Pope to bring in Jewish and Muslim authorities for combined prayers to call for a unified religion.

It was actually the Israeli and Palestinian Presidents to be precise.  Likewise, it is the day that Islamic prayers will be heard from the Vatican for the first time in history.

Ode the Revelation 17 and 18.

For those keeping score at home:

Passover – the first blood moon of a prophetic feast day’s tetrad.

Three days before Pentecost – the sign of the cross forms in the heaven by the sun.

Pentecost – The “beast” will pass by the earth.

There is one more piece to the equation here.  It is the four year prophetic sign of comets and asteroids.  It tells us that such signs are prophetic for Israel, and for war to come.  That puts the “beast” as a prophetic omen the exact day that the 47 “days” of First Fruits ends in Israel.  It is not until this time that the 70 years of Israel are complete, and that the 490 years of Daniel can conclude.  The due date on this sign is June 8th, 2018.

They conclude with the times of Jacob’s trouble, or the great tribulation – the last three and a half years of the seven year tribulation.

Here is a link to the “Coming Signs” article that covers these signs in greater detail.  Be sure to add the date of June 8th, 2018 to your prophetic calendar:

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/youre-not-going-to-believe-this/#.U5Sa5_ldWSo

Here are several other links to stories detailing these events:

The cross in the sky:

http://beforeitsnews.com/religion/2014/06/mind-boggling-cross-appears-in-space-could-this-be-a-signs-in-the-heavens-video-2471860.html?utm_medium=facebook-share&utm_content=awesm-publisher&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fb4in.in

The “beast” to pass earth on Pentecost:

http://www.space.com/19195-night-sky-planets-asteroids-webcasts.html

The combination of these two events and the Vatican call for unified religion:

http://beforeitsnews.com/prophecy/2014/06/things-are-heating-up-fast-one-world-religion-forms-on-pentecost-as-asteroid-and-cross-signs-appear-in-space-judgment-is-coming-2461862.html?utm_medium=facebook-share&utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fb4in.info%2FdYdf&utm_content=awesm-publisher&utm_campaign

In the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

6/11/2014 - This is going to get worse.

As it was with the false gods of old, so it is with slenderman and the demonic powers that dominate the world today.  It is the same story every time.

Satan finds a willing mind, and impresses an “idea” upon them.  In this case, it was the creation of slenderman.

Set upon the people an enticing image.

This is exactly what has happened.  As slenderman has been venerated, Satan has used to open door to find willing accomplices to establish a new god upon the earth.

With the first blood sacrifice, slenderman became more than a cult idea – he became a false god, complete with his own demonic chief prince and host of unclean spirits.

The terms of worship are now set as well.  Nothing short of a human sacrifice is acceptable.

I cannot express my distress over this.  This is the first time since the raising of Allah that we have seen a genuine false god rise.  To this point, it has been the same false gods recycled.  For example, abortion is nothing more than Molech repackaged.

Slenderman will be the final extension of this.  Under his alter, there are none that cannot be sacrificed.

Slenderman will be the impetus to entice the weakest among us to strike out and gain a personal power over those they deem as oppressors.  They will start out as the oppressed.  They will become the oppressors.  Slenderman will give them that which their heart desires most:

All it will require is a small offering:

Slenderman will see that it flows.

This is truly a prophetic moment.

http://www.mommypage.com/2014/06/second-knife-attack-by-child-connected-to-slender-man-meme/

6/11/2014 - There are implications to this that are beyond comprehension.

This is not just the President of the last providential nation on earth openly declaring that we are now an enemy of God.

It is an outright abomination that this was done in Israel.

It’s one thing to invite the judgment of God upon the nation by embracing abominations here at home.  However, to openly mock the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the land he calls the apple of His eye.

It’s one thing to throw away the Bible.  It’s another thing to try and rub it in God’s face.

Hear me, and hear me very clearly. . .

We are done.  Not just as a nation, but the world in general.  The judgments of God will soon fall on all the world.

Don’t believe this?  You will do so at your own risk.

There is not 10 years left.  There is not five years left.

There is not two years left.

The judgment of God Almighty is at the door, and the soon return of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is imminent.  Heed his words and repent!

Or you too shall be lost!

In the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=22572

Also, here is a link to LGBT indoctrination videos being shown in grade school:

http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=22580

6/11/2014 - “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds”.

I shared this before, but I think it’s important to share again.

The issue here is that we have reached a point where somebody can actually imagine such a “prank” or “statement”.

When the hearts of men grow this cold, dark and vile, it is proof that the end has come. Not coming – but is already come.

http://www.strangmail.com/sendstudio/display.php?M=5809509&C=eb8038e7d74263ccc5b3d1e539eb3d88&S=27027&L=951&N=17459

6/11/2014 - That’s 118 degrees to all of you fine folks keeping track of all the signs of the end that just keep right on rolling off the assembly line.

File this under “Signs in the earth” and “nature under revolt”.

Acts 2:17-21 KJV – And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/temperatures-in-new-delhi-hit-47-8-c-the-highest-in-62-years/

6/11/2014 - It’s one thing right after another.  If you don’t believe the Bible yet, then you REALLY need to start paying closer attention.

First, Mosul – now Tikrit.

Iraq is the heart of the Babylonian Empire.  It will be the only Middle East nation not involved in the coming war of Gog – Magog.  Likewise, it will not be involved in Psalms 83 or Isaiah 17.  No, along with Saudi Arabia, it has a much bigger role to fulfill:

The seat of the coming Islamic Antichrist and capital of the coming Beast Kingdom.  That is until the invasion and conquest of Israel.

Iraq will ease into its new role, starting first as the provisional headquarters for the Antichrist to “oversee” the new seven year treaty between Israel and her now defeated enemies from Gog – Magog.  From there, it will snowball into a full Babylonian Empire.

The Islamic nations surrounding Israel will rush to swear allegiance to the new King of Babylon after he is swept into power by Muslim extremists.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2654861/Escape-Mosul-150-000-Iraqis-overnight-refugees-flee-terror-al-Qaeda-splinter-group-taken-countrys-second-biggest-city.html#ixzz34NLyMyAr

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Coming Signs — The End Around The Corner

What you are going to read here is the most amazing thing the Lord has ever shown me.  It is an iron clad proof that the Lord has indeed been true to his word, and is actively pouring out his revelations upon all flesh.  No longer the domain of the “big boys” alone, Overcomers across the globe have begun to see the revelations of the Lord.

This project is an example of how the Lord gives his grand revelations to different believers, to be assembled as a puzzle to reveal the whole truth.  There are revelations in the following article from eight different believers – four of which are “big names”, and four are the “little guys”.  However, when you see the totality of all eight brought together, it is clear that the hand of the Lord is orchestrating the world around us, and He is speaking to anybody that will listen.

Here are three links to Mark Biltz, John Hagee and Perry Stone regarding the blood moons.  Mark Biltz was the scholar that the Lord originally gave the revelation of the feast day’s tetrad.  John Hagee continued the work, and Perry Stone brings the rest of the revelation from Joel chapter two.

1. http://www.elshaddaiministries.us/

2. http://www.jhm.org/Catalog/Product/K575/Four%20Blood%20Moons%20Poster

3. http://www.voe.org/store/dv158-blood-moons-rising-and-the-passover-patterns

Here is a link to “The Harbinger” by Jonathan Cahn: http://www.theharbinger-jonathancahn.com/

There is a great deal of information to cover, so let’s proceed with the task at hand.

THE SIGNS BEFORE THE SIGNS

One of the things I have come to realize is that the Lord bases all prophecy not just in the past, but also in the context of the time in which it occurs.  The signs in the sun, moon and stars are one such example.  We know that there are celestial signs which will occur at times of different prophetic occurrences.  However, I have come to realize something more.

The Lord also knew that we would reach a point where we can see these signs before they actually occur.

What exactly does this mean?  Simply put, the Lord knew that we would have the ability to predict the exact occurrence of certain signs in the heavens.  The phases of the moon are one such example.  We now have the technical understanding and computing capability to accurately predict when the new moon will occur, and when the following phases will likewise occur.  Our predictions have reached the point of unimaginable accuracy as well.  There have always been attempts to do this, and with some degree of proximity.  However, what we can accomplish today is truly remarkable.

This presents an interesting dynamic that has never existed before.  We now have the ability to see signs before the signs.  The current run of blood moons are an example of this.  When Mark Biltz originally found the tetrad patterns, we were several years away from the next feast day’s tetrad.  Yet, Mark was able to hear the call of the Lord and complete his work.  He was able to utilize data from the NASA lunar eclipse site to determine when this tetrad would occur.  True to the technological capability, the first of the four blood moons occurred exactly when and where it was predicted to occur.

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved – Act 2:19-21

What Mark found were signs before the signs.  He found the tetrad well in advance.  He was able to speak what the Lord had shown him, and as a result, many Biblical scholars and believers of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ were able to study the tetrads before they occurred.  Until modern history, astronOmers would have to wait until after each blood moon occurred to know for certain the scope of the sign.  Likewise, solar eclipses, comets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena are discovered and charted before they actually manifest.

It occurred to me one day that this is also part of God’s prophetic plan.  The ability to chart the signs in the heavens well in advance offers a unique proof to the world that our God is indeed sovereign.  It allows us to know the timing and occurrence of his signs.  It does something else as well. It allows us to know in advance that He is indeed capable of exactly what the Holy Bible declares shall come.  When we can know years in advance that certain signs are going to occur within a close proximity, we learn that scriptures such as Revelation 6:12-13 are prophetically possible.  Also, it gives us an ability to see the prophetic links to these predicted signs.  The tetrad again is the best example of this.  Not only was Mark able to locate the next prophetic tetrad, he was able to reverse the process and see where these tetrads had occurred in the past.  This provided the prophetic link to confirm the nature of the tetrads.  Likewise, we can compare the predicted signs with current world events, predicted judgments and wars and know that we are indeed at the door of the soon return of the Lord.

It is this combination of research, both to the future and the past, which is the subject of this project.  Using the modern capabilities, it is possible now to see certain Biblical signs line up.  We can also know that we sit at the conjunction of signs and times that have never before existed.  We already have confirmed accuracy and history to bear out what you will learn in this presentation.  We are at the end of the age, and now we can see the final signs aligning to confirm this very premise.

What you are about to learn will be stunning in ways I cannot describe.  If you are not yet convinced of the imminent return of the Lord, do not worry.

You will be.

THE THREE HERALDS OF THE END OF THE AGE

We need to start the revelatory process with what I am calling the three heralds of the end of the age.

her•ald (ˈhɛr əld) – n.  1. a royal or official messenger, esp. one representing a monarch in an ambassadorial capacity during wartime.  2. a person or thing that precedes or comes before; forerunner; harbinger: the swallows, heralds of spring.  3. a person or thing that proclaims or announces.  4. (in the Middle Ages) an officer who arranged tournaments and other functions, announced challenges, marshaled combatants, etc.  5. an officer of a body concerned with armorial bearings, genealogies, etc., esp. an officer ranking between a king-of-arms and a pursuivant.  6. to give tidings of; proclaim; publicize.  7. to signal the coming of; usher in.

The Lord originally started me on this path with a simple requirement.  I was to look and see which of the blood moons in the three modern tetrads were actually visible over Israel.  This was just the start.  It led to the discovery of a tetrad pattern, and the realization that the Lord was delivering revelations on this project to others as well.  I already knew of Mark Biltz, Perry Stone and John Hagee.  However, I did not realize that the first of the three heralds was to be revealed to a friend of mine, Stew Sutton.  It was then that I began to understand just how far this project would take me.

The three heralds consist of a set of signs – one past (still occurring), one current and one future.  Here are the three heralds that the Lord has revealed.

1.  The mysterious global “sky trumpets” that have been heard and recorded around the world.

2.  The current blood moon tetrad, and specifically a pattern found in the last three tetrads.

3.  The coming signs in the sun, moon and stars.

~ Joel 2:1 ESV – Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near.

Joel 2:10 ESV – The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble.  The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

Joel 2:28-31 ESV – And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.  Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ~

There are two additional confirmations of the three heralds in the prophecies from Joel:

1.  Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

2.  The pouring out of the Holy Spirit and revelations of the Lord upon all flesh.

These two confirmations cement the work of the three heralds as an active part of current prophetic outpouring.  There has been an overwhelming explosion of the revelations that have been poured out on Overcomers the world over.  What makes these outpourings different from anything we have ever seen before is the compatible nature of them all.  Stated differently, you can literally take a large room full of Overcomers – every last one a stranger to the rest – and yet, they will all hold the same general understanding on the times of the end.  We are not speaking about knowledge from Biblical study.  Rather, we are talking about the voice of the Holy Spirit that has been speaking directly to the hearts of the Overcomers.  There is a body wide understanding that time is up.

There has likewise been a supernatural removal of all fear and apprehension for the future.  The overcOmer no longer holds any fear of the days to come.  What makes this so remarkable is that this has occurred simultaneously with an overwhelming understanding of the realities of the things that must shortly come.  This includes a growing common sense understanding of the absolutely devastating nature of the rapture, the inexplicable rise of apocalyptic Islam (inexplicable to those without an understanding of the Bible and end times’ prophecy) and the brutality that has already arisen in the hearts of mankind.  Yet, despite a growing understanding of what will face those that miss the rapture (and live to talk about it), all fear has vanished.  It has been replaced with a peace that is beyond all human explanation.  Still further, the heart of the overcOmer is being filled with a growing joy that defies all human explanation and ability.  All of this has occurred while the rest of the world – both non-believers and non-overcoming believers – have fallen into an increasing state of uncertainty and fear.

In addition to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh, we see that there is a prophetic requirement for signs in the earth, consisting of blood, fire and smoke.  Without belaboring the point, this translates into volcanic activity.  The sign of blood is the same as the blood in the blood moon.  It is literally the lake of magma, with fire and smoke being self-explanatory.   The earth is effectively “bleeding” in the very real sense of the word.  Just as it is with us, if the earth opens up enough “wounds”, it can literally “bleed to death”.  This cannot occur with oil, water or any other liquid found in the earth.

Joel calls this a sign of blood from the earth for a reason.

It is only the blood red magma running through the heart of the earth that can bring final death to the planet.  On an interesting side note – there is an irony to this when we consider that this is also the location of the lower chambers of hell, and of the lake of fire – a lake that burns with fire and brimstone.  Ever wonder why it is called the “lake of fire”?  Watch the Discovery and Science channel sometime when they are detailing the geology of the planet.

Remember that the Bible gave the exact description of the core of the earth over 3,000 years ago.

This is the same location where those without salvation will experience their eternal death as well.  Remember, there are no coincidences in the Bible.

It happens that in the month prior to the first blood moon on Passover, there was volcanic activity in both Costa Rica and Indonesia.  By the end of March there was volcanic activity at five volcano’s across the planet.  Likewise, the shifting of the tectonic plates for these volcanic events caused tremors and earthquakes at no less than 20 locations around the planet.  Again, all of this occurred in the month before the blood moon.  We witnessed a rash of tsunami warnings as a result also.  There are even now volcanic eruption warnings being issued for Yellowstone National Park, and for the fault lines in California.

It should be noted that the volcanic activity is a direct sign of the days of Lot, and the tsunamis are a direct sign of the days of Noah.  Archaeologists have found evidence that it was a massive volcanic eruption that brought the end of Sodom and Gomorrah.  This evidence concurs with the Biblical description of the plague sent by the Lord.  The tsunami warnings are triggered by the same geologic events that cause the earthquakes and tremors.  Here is the kicker – when we read the account of the great flood, we see that it was not just rain that brought the waters.  It was the deep itself that opened up.  In other words, the flood came from above and below.  As the rain was falling, the floor of the seas opened up and released trapped water from underground springs.  It is this very same process that brings the specter of tsunamis.

Here are links to track global volcanic and geologic activity:

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/home.html

Here is a link to the USGS Earthquake listing:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/

~ Matthew 24:37-39 KJV – But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Luke 17:26-30 KJV – And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. ~

THE TRUMPET BLOWN IN ZION

This brings us to the three heralds of the end of the age.  The first of the heralds are the mysterious trumpets sounds that have been occurring globally.  Here is a link to a Youtube video if you are not sure of what we are talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNVOnGGbaFU

As you can imagine, there has been speculation of every possible variety that mankind can dream up.  There are claims that these sounds are everything from hoaxes to HAARP.  However, from the standpoint of a hoax, the problem becomes that they have occurred with enough frequency, in enough locations across the planet, that if you do not know someone personally that has experienced this – then you likely know of someone that has a personal connection.  One thing has become abundantly clear – they are not normal, nor is there a single definitive explanation for them all – save one.  More on that in a moment.

These trumpets have been heard from Russia to Jerusalem – and all points in between.  They have been heard in the United States and in South America.  However, it is the trumpets in Jerusalem that brought these signs to an entirely different level.

To tell you the truth, I had not given the trumpets much thought until recently.  I had watched some of the videos out there, and thought the same as many of you – the Lord is trying to get our attention.  However, a month or so ago, I was reading something posted by a friend – Stew Sutton.  Stew had posted a piece on the trumpets and posed an interesting question:

Is it possible that these trumpets were actually the trumpets prophesied in Joel 2:1?

It only took a minute for the Lord to speak something to me.  I asked Stew how he came to figure this out, and that I could not escape the understanding that he had received a revelation.  Turns out that the Lord had hit him with this, and he had this weighing on him for an entire day.  I knew then that the Lord had indeed revealed this to Stew.  Here is the thing – it went hand in hand with what the Lord was showing me at the same time on the other two heralds.  I knew then that there were three of them.

~ Joel 2:1 ESV – Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near. ~

So then, the question becomes “when did they start?”

While the vast majority of these trumpets picked up in 2011, the first known case I could find mention of is September, 2008.  This is prophetic for two reasons.  First, this was the start of the Jewish civil year, with the Feast of Trumpets falling on September 30th.  We will discuss this date later in the presentation.  The second reason falls to the prophetic parallel that exist between Israel and the United States.  Rather, it falls to the lesser known parallel between the United States and Egypt at the time of the 10 plagues that preceded the Exodus.  September 2008 was a time of hope for the United States and the world.  There was change coming, though most had no idea just what that actually meant.

Here is a link to Pharaoh Rising, a message from Perry Stone.  It will help you to understand the other prophetic link between Israel and America, and why 2008 was the beginning of the end for the United States, and ultimately the world:

http://www.voe.org/store/cd056-america-2010-pharaoh-rising-multitudes-selective-judgement

~ Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 KJV – The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.  Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 KJV – That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. ~

Why are these scriptures important?  They reveal a crucial Biblical doctrine essential to understanding prophecy.  Everything that will happen, has happened.  Indeed, even the Book of Revelation is rooted completely in the Law of Moses, from the seven sealed scroll to the placement of the furniture of the heavenly Temple of God.  That begs the question – was there something occurring in September 2008 that would signal the end of the age and the passing of the point of no return?

~ Exodus 1:8 ESV – Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. ~

When you study the story of Moses and the Exodus, you find that America now sits in direct parallel to Egypt when the plagues came.  We have embraced everything from abortion (Moses in the reed basket) and high taxation (a detailed word study shows that the taskmasters over the Hebrew slaves were effectively tax collectors for the state, and taxation was the primary means of slavery) to the bailout of the corrupt banking system (the building of the Egyptian treasure houses).  However, the six years since his initial election, our new “Pharaoh” has indeed shown that he knows not Joseph, or the children of Israel.

Stated differently, the failure of President Obama to support Israel, while engaging in active policies (not passive – but active and with a set purpose) to arm the enemies of Israel are now to be the undoing of America – and ultimately the world.  We will cover this in greater detail when we discuss the Harbinger later in this presentation.

The trumpets that started in September 2008 are the first of the prophetic heralds that we were approaching the point of no return as a planet.  They are the first prophetic fulfillment of Joel 2:1.  The second fulfillment will come when Joel 2:15-16 comes to pass:

~ Joel 2:15-16 KJV – Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. ~

Do you still doubt that these trumpets are supernatural?

~ Romans 8:22 KJV – For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. ~

THE PATTERN IN THE TETRADS

You may recall that what started this project was the Lord telling me to look at which blood moons were actually visible over Israel in the current tetrads.  When I did this, I found a prophetic pattern that will have a profound impact on the world in the coming months.

Signs in the heavens are given to narrate God’s plan for mankind.  However, they are given from the perspective of Israel.  Here are a few things to remember when examining signs in the heavens:

The blood moon itself usually does not mean anything unless it is visible over Israel. The feast day’s tetrad is different. Every time this has occurred in history, it has been significant for Israel and the Jews, or the Jews alone when Israel was not a nation.  The blood moon is a harbinger of trouble for Israel. Usually, it means war, or the completion of those things required to bring a prophetic fulfillment. The solar eclipse is the harbinger of trouble for the whole world when seen over Israel. However, the solar eclipse during the tetrad likewise has implications no matter where it is viewed.

There have been questions regarding who these signs are for. Typically, they are for Israel. However, we as believers are admonished to watch these things to discern the times and seasons. Noticing the tetrad is an example of discerning the times. We can see these things and understand that they are occurring at a time when the Middle East is perfectly aligned to bring several prophecies of war and Israel to fruition. Isaiah 17, Psalms 83 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 come to mind.

Also, it is worth noting for the sake of the discussion that comets are also a sign in the heaven.  Typically, when a comet is viewed in Israel it is an indication that war is coming also.  However, it has a prophetic life of four years before coming to fruition.  For example, the recent comet Ison would stand as a harbinger of war to Israel after November and December, 2017.  Meteor showers and shooting stars likewise have prophetic impact, denoting that something major is upon the door.  There were reports of a “great sword in the sky” just before the destruction of the Great Temple in Jerusalem.

As we were saying, there is a pattern present in the two prior tetrads:

There is a 0, 1, 2 pattern that is prophetic.  It tells us that prophetic events are coming to Israel between the first and second blood moons of the tetrad.  That would be April 2014 until September 2014.  Also, it tells us that these signs do not have to occur over Israel to be prophetic – rather, the signs over Israel reveal the pattern.

In the 1949-50 tetrad, peace from the war of independence came in the midst of the tetrad, with all four blood moons visible over Israel.  There was no separation, hence the “0” part of the pattern.  Final ratification of peace came in July, 1949 – between the first and second blood moons.  Again, all four were visible in Israel.

In the 1967-68 tetrad, there was a +1 difference between the prophetic peace and the blood moon visible over Israel.  The recapture of Jerusalem occurred in June, 1948.  That meant there was one blood moon separating this peace and the blood moon that was visible in Israel.

- Jerusalem captured June 1968.

- Blood Moon – Feast of Tabernacles, 1968 – not visible in Israel.    (+1)

- Blood Moon – Passover, 1969 – Visible in Israel.

Now, in the 2014-15 tetrad, we are looking at a +2 pattern.  If the Bible is accurate that the Lord changes not, and current world events are an indication, then we are looking at the coming fulfillment of prophecy, or the alignment of prophecy concerning Israel sometime in the next few months.  I tend to listen when the Lord tells me to “look at which blood moons were actually visible in Israel.”  This is fairly significant – especially when taken with the other two signs we are speaking about.

Isaiah 17 and Psalms 83 would be two such possible fulfillment’s.  Neither of which are required to happen after the rapture.  Likewise, we could see the final alignment of nations and circumstances that directly bring about these prophecies.  What needs to be understood is that even the final alignment will be such that it is undeniable.  It will not be a “somewhat” alignment that can be attributed to anything but God trying to capture our attention.  No, if an actual prophecy is not fulfilled in the next six months, then we will see events that literally have the world trembling on the brink of war.

I am of the opinion that the prophecy of the days of Noah and Lot tell us that it will be the final alignments that we see during this period, and not the actual conflicts.  Of course, we could also see both – the final prophetic alignment and perhaps one of the conflicts.  However, even the minor conflicts would bring substantial strain to the premise of “continuing on our daily business” that we see occurring right up to the time that Noah entered the Ark and Lot fled the city.  As we said earlier, even the final alignment absent the actual conflicts will be nothing less than prophetic.  It will be an undeniable sign from the Lord that time is up.

It will be October 25, 1962 all over again.  There will be no mistaking that we are on the edge of the tribulation.

Here is the +2 alignment for the current tetrad:

- Blood Moon – Passover, 2014 – not visible in Israel.

- *April 2014 – September 2015 – block of time in question.

- Blood Moon – Tabernacles, 2014 – not visible in Israel.   (+1)

- Blood Moon – Passover, 2015 – not visible in Israel.   (+2)

- Blood Moon – Tabernacles, 2015 – Visible in Israel.

Only time will tell as to what exactly must transpire.  Already, we see possible scenarios lining up, such as the vote that occurred on May 25th, 2014 to see if Ukraine will once again fall under Russian rule through a puppet or weak Ukrainian President.  Make no mistake, Russia will become the undisputed (and only) King of the North.  This is a direct prelude to the events that must come to pass for the fulfillment of the battle of Gog and Magog – which brings the final collapse of the world and the seven year treaty with the Antichrist.  It is worth noting that the vote occurred exactly 40 days from the Passover blood moon.  40 is the number of testing and trial for Israel.  Given Russia’s prophetic involvement with Israel in the near future, it is a number the rabbi’s in Israel watch with great interest.

(In the days since I wrote this piece of the article, it is as though every abomination of the Bible has sprung to new life.  We are now seeing three and four headlines a day detailing the greatest apostasy the world has ever seen.)

Now, to this point it is understandable to be cynical.  Indeed, if these alone were the results of my research I would not be presenting them.  They would be an interesting note in other conversations, but not worthy of their own publishing.

However, this is just the start.

THE COMING SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS

What you are about to see was the most shocking thing that I had found for this project.  I say “had” as this would eventually be paled by something I never saw coming – which we will also detail later.

Have you ever wondered if the Bible was actually telling us that the sun would be darkened, and the moon fail to give its light – that these could occur on the same day?  I have thought about this for a while.  Then, one day out of the blue it hit me – yes, signs in the sun and moon can occur on the same day.

Not just in the same sky, but on opposite sides of the planet as well.

I remembered a critical piece of the equation – John was seeing the whole earth when he looked on the scene in Revelation.  Likewise, it turns out that solar eclipses only occur during the new moon – when the moon does not give its light.  John would not have known what he was witnessing.  He was not an astronOmer, nor did anybody in those days possess the understanding of the sun, moon and stars that we now possess today.  John would not have known that new moons and solar eclipses occur in the same day.  He would not have known that the new moon continues to orbit the entire planet.  He would only know what he was seeing – the sun turning black as sackcloth and the moon not giving its light.

~ Revelation 6:12-13 KJV – And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

Matthew 24:29 – 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. ~

Now, when you have a blood moon, solar eclipse and stars falling from the sky – well, that is when you know you are about to have a really bad day.  If you add these three together with the feast days. . .

We don’t know what will happen – only that it has never occurred before in history.  However, given Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation, it’s a safe bet that many will not make it out alive.

That brings us to the next subject – occurrences of all four of these events together.

There are only a couple of instances where all three of these things (sun, moon and stars) happen at the same time recorded in the Bible.  We see this in Joel 2:10 and 30, Joel 3:15, Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:24-25, Luke 21:25-26, Acts 2:20, and Revelation 6:12-13.  There are several other scriptures in Revelation detailing events in the heavens, such as one third of the sun, moon and stars being darkened – these are the primary scriptures that put the blood moon, solar eclipse and the falling stars together as a primary prophetic sign.

In all of these instances, we are given the distinct impression that all three happen in a very close proximity to each other.  There have been discussions as to whether they all occur at the same time, or they occur in the same time frame.  There are good arguments for both.  However, given the conversational tones found in the Bible (where conversations slip from one perspective to another seamlessly, sometimes appearing as though the author is on the same topic), and the fact the that the sun and moon are not usually in the same sky at the same time (except for the occasional dawn and dusk scenario and a solar eclipse), it stands to reason that these events occur in close proximity to each other as opposed to occurring on the same day.

It is a good time to note that there is nothing in the scriptures that prevents a complete and total supernatural fulfillment of these scriptures, such as the solar eclipse and the blood moon being visible in the same sky at the exact same time.  However, what we are seeing in the signs before the signs are showing more and more that this simply won’t be necessary.

That brings us to the accounts of the same event found in Matthew, Mark and Luke.  In all three instances, we have the blood moon, solar eclipse and falling stars given as the primary sign of the rise of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  However, when compared to the Book of Revelation, we see no such signs to declare the Second Coming.  Rather, we see these signs in chapter 6, at the breaking of the 6th seal.  This leaves us with one conclusion – these signs occur at both the Second Coming and the signing of the treaty to start the tribulation period.  They effectively “book end” the tribulation period itself.

This brings us to a discussion of the events surrounding Revelation 6:12-13:

~ And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. ~

Most Biblical scholars hold the opinion that this is the verse that denotes the actual start of the tribulation and the seven year treaty with Israel.  Understanding that the Book of Revelation covers a time period of roughly 1,010 years plus eternity, Revelation 6:12-13 best fits the time, events and description of the treaty signing.  In the four riders of the first four seals, we see the death and destruction that will follow the devastation of the earth when the Ezekiel 38 – 39 war starts and concludes.  We see the natural progression of economic collapse, famine, pestilence and death that results from a massive nuclear war and Islam that runs roughshod over every western nation they have infiltrated.

There is a deeper prophetic fulfillment also in these scriptures that we will discuss later in the presentation.

In Revelation 6:14-16, we see a world that has just realized a terrible mistake in accepting the offer of the man that would become Antichrist, the judgments of God falling as a result – and the realization that the wrath of God himself is about to fall on the earth.  Immediately after this we see the sealing of the 144,000 Jews – which corresponds with the coming 1,260 days that the Two Witnesses complete their assigned tasks of rebuilding the Temple, training the 144,000 witnesses and literally narrating the judgments of God – as they happen.

Now that we have covered this ground, what I found will make a bit more sense.

As I said earlier, the Lord impressed upon me to study the blood moon tetrads in more detail.  I thought I was headed down one road, yet he pulled me in another direction.  As I was wrapping up the work I had completed, the Lord started to impress upon me the need to research which of the blood moons would actually be visible over Israel.  I went a few day with this floating in my head as I worked on several other pieces he had given me.

Finally, I had the time to start digging into the actual visibility ranges of the blood moons.  For good measure I added in the solar eclipses, and other stellar signs that might occur during this time.  I then applied all of this to the Jewish calendar for 2014 and 2015.  Shock does not even describe what I experienced.

I have seen parts of what I found discussed elsewhere, but as far as I know, nobody else has put together what I am about to show you.  First, the remaining blood moon in 2014, and the Passover 2015 blood moon will not be visible in Israel either.

In 2015, the March 20th solar eclipse and the September 28th blood moon will be visible from Israel.  Likewise, this is the final blood moon of the tetrad.  There is a partial solar eclipse on September 14th also.

The Orionids meteor shower runs from October 2nd through November 7th.  Its best viewing days are October 21st and 22nd.  The Draconids meteor shower runs from October 6th through the 10th.  The best viewing days are October 8th and 9th.

I know, you are really underwhelmed at this point.  So was I.  Then I took this to the Jewish calendar and looked at the feast days.  Here is what I found:

On September 14th, 2015 – the Feast of Trumpets – we start with a solar eclipse.

That is followed by a fully visible blood moon on September 28th – the Feast of Tabernacles.

On October 6th we have the appearance of the Draconids meteor shower, which will be at its best viewing just two days later.  However, October 6th is the first day following the conclusion of Sukkot.  Not just the seventh day of Sukkot – but the 8th day.

There is an 8th day principle that is also prophetic.  More on this in a moment.

Also, on the 5th day of Sukkot, we have the Orionid meteor shower – just for good measure.  That would be two meteor showers occurring at the same time when Sukkot ends.

What does this all mean?

Well, it comes down to this – we see a total solar eclipse in Israel on March 20th.  This is a prophetic sign of war and distress to the world.  Following this, we have the solar eclipse on Trumpets – which means woe to the world again, the blood moon on Tabernacles – which means woe to the Israel, and falling stars on the day after Tabernacles ends – which also means woe to Israel.

For those keeping score at home, following a global omen to the world on Passover, we have all three elements of Revelation 6:12-13 – the sun is darkened, the moon turns to blood and the stars falling – in that order.  However, there is also the element of the new moon, or the moon not giving its light.  Let’s add it in as well, and see where we stand:

- Feast of Trumpets – September 14th, 2015 – Solar Eclipse – “the sun turned black as sackcloth”.

- Feast of Trumpets – September 14th, 2015 – New Moon – “the moon shall not give its light”.

- Feast of Sukkot – September 28th, 2015 – Blood Moon – “the moon turned to blood”.

- Fifth Day of Sukkot – October 2nd, 2015 – Start of Orionids Meteor Shower – “stars fell from the heavens”.

- First Day after Sukkot – October 6th, 2015 – Start of Draconids Meteor Shower – “stars fell from the heavens”.

This is significant as it starts the day after the “8th day of Sukkot”.  The 8th day principle is the demonstrating principle of eternity.  It is the reason we celebrate Easter Sunday, even above Passover.  The fact that it is the “dragon” shower is just an added bonus – also, it is the “8th day” that Satan brought the fall to sin in the garden – and on the “8th day” the Christ arose and redeemed all of creation from that fall.

Here is the shocking part – all but the solar eclipse are visible in Israel.  The solar eclipse, however, will be visible in South Africa – not   far from Israel.  However, as we see from the two prior tetrads, it does not have to be visible in Israel to be prophetic.

In the space of 19 days, we have every required sign in the heavens for Revelation 6:12 – all on the fall feast days of Israel.

Does this mean that the tribulation starts during the fall feast days in 2015?  No.

It doesn’t mean that it won’t, either.  Revelation 6:12 occurs with the opening of the 6th seal – which occurs with the signing of the treaty and starts the tribulation.  If these signs are prophetic for the start of the tribulation, then it means that the seven year treaty is signed prior to September 14th, 2015.

As we said earlier, we are seeing “the signs before the signs” – warning signs that the Lord knew we would be able to detect before they happened.  They are the Lord’s way of using all of the “greatly increased knowledge” of Daniel 12 to get our attention – while there is yet time.  It is his way of saying “Look, you can see for yourself that every one of these predicted signs are possible.  Stop doubting me and get ready.  You won’t have forever to figure this out.”

We have covered a great deal of ground so far.  The three heralds alone merit their own presentation and consideration.  When you figure in the totality of the three, especially the coming signs in the heavens during the fall feasts of 2015, there can be no doubt that the Lord is trying to reach us.  These three heralds are disturbing in their own right.  However, it is when they are combined with what we will detail next that you will be left absolutely speechless.

THE HARBINGER

Jonathan Cahn has really taken the prophecy world by storm.  His 2011 book, The Harbinger, is one of the most stunning revelations that the Lord has delivered to humanity since Israel became a nation in 1948.  For those that have not done so, you will most likely want to read this book when you finish reading this presentation.  What we are going to lay out fits precisely with what the Lord revealed to Jonathan Cahn.

If you are not familiar with The Harbinger, it is a book that details the 3,000 year old prophecy found in Isaiah chapter 9.  It was a prophecy that would come to pass in Israel, and likewise come to pass in America.  With this prophecy, the judgments of the Lord would fall on America and the rest of the world.

Without going into much detail (the book is 253 pages long), there are several points that must be made concerning The Harbinger, which were not made – or revealed yet – when the book was written.  These are points that are critical to what we are revealing in this presentation.

1. The prophecy of Isaiah chapter 9 had to come to pass.

2. The Shemitah is likewise prophetic – it reveals a critical piece of God’s time table.

Here is a brief textual summary for The Harbinger that includes annotations for the “name” of the Harbinger, the “relationship to ancient Israel”, the relationship to “modern America”, and “supporting scripture” or “supporting notes” for the Harbinger.

1. The Breach

1. Israel - 732 BC Attack of Israel by the Assyrians

2. America - September 11, 2001 World Trade Center Attack

3. Scripture - 2 Kings 16:7-9   —  Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”  And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.  The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.

2. The Terrorist

1. Israel - Assyrians would draw Israel into a war on terror

2. America - Al-Qaeda would draw USA into a war on terror

3. Notes - In April 2003 American soldiers enter the Iraqi city of Mosul near to mounds of earth called Kouyunjik and Nabi Yunus.  Hidden in these mounds is the ruins of the ancient city of Nineveh, the final graveyard of the Assyrian Empire. The nation under judgement is drawn into conflict with the land of Assyria, ancient Israel, now America.

3. The Fallen Bricks

1. Israel - The clay bricks and buildings of ancient Israel

2. America - The sudden collapse of the World Trade Center Towers

3. Scripture - Isaiah 9:10  The bricks have fallen down,...

4. The Tower

1. Israel -  Rebuilding the clay buildings of ancient Israel

2. America -“We will rebuild” (taller, stronger on place of destruction) stated by the Governor, the junior senator, the city mayor, and the U.S. President with the same defiance proclaimed thousands of years before by the leaders of ancient Israel “A new icon will soon rise above the Lower Manhattan skyline… the Freedom Tower!”

3. Scripture - Isaiah 9:10…but we will rebuild...

5. The Gazit Stone

1. Israel - Israel rebuilt with hewn stones

2. America - Unveiling of the CORNERSTONE for rebuilding the new World Trade Center Towers

3. Scripture - Isaiah 9:10 ...we will build with hewn stones

6. The Sycamore

1. Israel - Assyrians uprooted and killed the trees as they attacked Israel

2. America - As Tower 2 collapsed it sent debris flying in every direction, including a steel beam that was throw toward a church, but it struck a sycamore tree standing in the church cemetery.  The tree collapsed and died.

3. Scripture - Isaiah 9:10 ...the sycamores are cut down

7. The Erez Tree

1. Israel - Israel in response to a strike by Assyria on the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali chooses to replace the trees with stronger cedars.

2. America - An evergreen conifer tree (a pinacea) is lowered in St. Paul's Chapel courtyard to replace the fallen sycamore.

3. Scripture - Isaiah 9:10 …we will change them into cedars

8. The Utterance

1. Israel - The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

2. America - Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and  U.S. senator John Edwards both read Isaiah 9:10 on separate occasions.

3. Notes - The ancient and the modern were bound together just as in the time of ancient Israel.  The utterance is a public speaking of the ancient vow of defiance.  For this harbinger to manifest, the vow would have to be spoken in the nation’s capital by a national leader, as it had been in ancient Israel.

9. The Prophecy

1. Israel - Following the initial Assyrian attack in 732 BC, Israel did not repent but instead defied God by vowing to rebuild in its declaration of the words spoken by Isaiah.

2. America - On Sept 12, 2001, the day after 9/11,  America issues its official response to the attack.   The one in charge of issuing the response was Tom Daschle, Senate Majority Leader.  As he closes his speech he makes a declaration – he proclaims the ancient vow of defiance, word for word, to the world.  By doing so he prophesies the nation’s future course, all of which comes to pass.

3. Scripture - Isaiah 9:10 - “The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.”

Let us speak first on the premise that Isaiah chapter 9 had to come to pass.  For those familiar with the book and what it says, you are likely remarking that “I already know this”, as it was covered in great detail.  Indeed, the words uttered before the joint session of Congress on September 12th, 2001 did set into motion a terrible chain of events.  However, there is something more that must be understood about Biblical prophecy.

Every prophecy in the New Testament – especially those in the Book of Revelation – are rooted in the Old Testament (yes, I said the New Testament and Revelation).  Stated differently, every prophecy that will happen, has happened.  The prophecy of Isaiah chapter 9 was no different.  To be completely accurate, we should say the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 9 IS no different.

~ Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 KJV – The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.  Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 KJV – That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. ~

The Harbinger was set in motion when it occurred in Israel 3,000 years ago.  It’s not just that our own leaders uttered the fateful words.  It’s that they were ALWAYS going to utter those words.  You see, the Old Testament is filled with double reference events.

In other words – the events of September 11th, 2001 were ALWAYS going to happen, and they were always going to happen on September 11th, 2001.  We will speak more on this in a moment.

Here is just a few examples of how the Old Testament tells of the things to come:

The story of Esther tells of the coming seven year tribulation, complete with the Antichrist, 10 kings, and the King and His Bride returning to save Israel.

The story of Gideon tells of the coming tribulation, complete with Armageddon and the defeat of the Antichrist and the False Prophet.

Ruth tells the story of the rapture and the Second Coming, complete with the restoration of Israel through the Gentile Bride of Christ.

Exodus chapter 19 reveals the exact nature and occurrence of the rapture.

There is another example that I will give that is critical to understanding that Isaiah chapter 9 was prophesied to happen, long after Israel ceased to be a nation, and long before the fateful day of September 11th, 2001.  We find this in what I call the reverse Genesis timeline.

The timeline is a study of the Book of Genesis. You start at chapter 11 and go in reverse until you reach chapter one. We think of it as reverse – it is more akin to reading the Bible in a Jewish format. It is more of a “right to left reading”, much the way the Jews would read the Torah.

What you get when you do this is the history of the world, starting with the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 and moving forward in time.  As you read through chapter 11 from “right to left’, you see the towers fall, men from the east, multitudes speaking the same language and other “strange” coincidences. As you read through the lower chapters you gain a growing picture of the world around us. The several chapters that contain the story of Noah and the Ark could have been written specifically about the last 15 years. You have everything from the recent increases in earthquakes to the floods and tsunamis. Katrina to Indonesia – and everything in between – can be found in the story of Noah:

Right down to the major moves of the Holy Spirit in the three white doves and the spirit of prophecy that has descended on the body of believers in the imagery of the raven. We even have a remarkable telling of the seven year tribulation in chapter four.

Though it goes without saying, I will say it none the less. If you know exactly where you are on the reverse Genesis timeline, then you will have some idea of how much time is left.

I had wondered why the Lord would choose Genesis 11 as the starting point for this revelation, and the terror attacks on September 11th as the starting point for the Genesis timeline.  It was reading The Harbinger that the Lord provided critical pieces of the puzzle.  September 11th, 2001 was the moment that the world officially entered the last days of the age of grace.  Everything that would be required to bring the final pieces of prophecy into place started with this fateful day.

How many of you remember that sinking feeling that everything would be different from that moment forward?  How many of you actually verbalized that the attack would be the start of the end times?

If you study the types, shadows and patterns of the Lord long enough, you begin to see prophetic parallels in nearly every story recorded in the Bible.  For instance, it was not lost on me that the Genesis timeline began with the fall of the two towers (11), on September 11th and was prophesied in the 11th chapter of Genesis.  For all of the numbers code folks, that would be 11-11-11.  Let’s take it a step further.  September 11, 2001 is also exactly 11 years before the Benghazi attack on September 11, 2012 in Libya – an attack that is directly connected to the coming war against Israel, and was set in motion by the events of September 11th, 2001.

We said a moment ago that the Isaiah chapter 9 prophecy is no different than any other Old Testament prophecy in that is must come to pass twice.  It is the Genesis timeline that confirms not only that it had to come to pass, but that it had to occur exactly as it did, when it did – with two towers falling at the hands of men from the east.  The first time (1) it was a single tower (1) that fell.  The second time (11) it was two (11) towers: 11 – 11 – 11.

The Genesis timeline also confirms something else for us.  It confirms that the United States will not turn and heed the warning.  To the contrary, something incredible has occurred:

The United States of America has doubled down on stupid – and we have convinced the rest of the world to come along for the ride.

The seven years following the attacks on September 11th saw America harden its heart to God.  In 2008, the Lord began to sound his trumpets in Zion, as we single-handedly doomed the world when we brought forth our new King that “knew not Joseph”.  From that time until this, we have watched as America and the rest of the world has taken its hatred of God from the shadows to the mainstream, and soon he shall bring his judgment upon us for this.

Have you ever glanced at what comes next in the Isaiah prophecy?

~ Isaiah 9:16-21 ESV- for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.

Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly.

For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.  Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares another.

They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah.

For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. ~

For those of you thinking that this seems familiar – you would be right.  It is an Old Testament type and shadow of the rapture and the breaking of the first four seals in Revelation chapter 6.

The reverse Genesis timeline is likewise confirmed itself in the second critical point that must be addressed – the Shemitah.

THE SHEMITAH – THE SABBATH CYCLE

We should start with a quick introduction to the Sabbath cycle in the Law of Moses.  Simply put, there is a time of rest commanded by God to the nation of Israel.  It is to fall every seventh day and every seventh year.  There are also Sabbath rests commanded for the High Holy Days, but the Sabbath year cycle is the concern for this discussion.  The Sabbath cycle is one of the methods that God himself keeps time as well.  More on this in a moment.

The Shemitah is a requirement given in the Law of Moses that requires Israel to grant a time of rest – or release to the land every seven years.  Likewise, it requires a release of all debts.  If Israel failed to keep the Shemitah, or the Sabbath rest for the land, the Lord would “impose the Shemitah” and bring the rest to the land.  He would ensure that Israel was prevented from farming the land – one year for each Sabbath year they disobeyed the law of the Sabbath cycle.

When Israel was carried into the Babylonian captivity, the Lord declared that they would remain in Babylon for 70 years.  This was to be one year for each Shemitah, or yearly Sabbath rest that they disregarded.  Israel had failed to observe the past 70 Shemitahs, which meant that for 490 years prior to being carried off into captivity, they had farmed the land non-stop.  It likewise meant that they had failed to discharge all of the nation’s financial debts during this time as well.  During the 7th year, or Sabbath year, all debts would be wiped out, with the final act of total forgiveness occurring on the last day of the 7th year – the 29th of Elul.  We will also see a reversing of this 70 year judgment into a 70 year period of prosperity in the times of the end.  More on that in a bit.

There will doubtless be some of you that noticed something else about the timing of the Babylonian captivity.  Those of you that are familiar with the prophecy of 70 weeks – given to Daniel during the same Babylonian captivity – also matches the Shemitah judgment that fell upon Israel.  This was no accident.  It is yet another prophetic parallel to the end times.  It is also serves as another confirmation that we sit at the cusp of the tribulation.  You see, the reverse Genesis timeline also uses the 490 years as a confirmation in the telling of Lamech in Genesis 5:31 – which details his age at death as 777 years old (we will see this again in a moment) and again in 4:24 – where Lamech is used as a prophetic confirmation that the seven year tribulation begins after the rapture in 5:24.  It confirms this through a double reference – Lamech declares that the 490 years are soon to be complete with the beginning of the final seven years of the prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel.

The Genesis timeline is covered in greater detail in the section on “How Much Time is Left?”

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/addendum-4-how-much-time-is-left/#.U4CU8vldWSo

During the Sabbath year, the ground was to lie fallow and remain undisturbed.  Israel would eat of any crop that grew naturally, and the poor and indigent would likewise be allowed to partake of any and all fields in Israel.  However, the forgiving of the debts became an issue for Israel.  All economies function on debt.  You exchange something of value to receive the goods that you need.  If you have likewise provided goods to another, yet now the debt owed to you is erased, on the surface it appears as though you are out the resource you provided to the other party.  That creates a potential disaster in the minds of many economists.  It creates a state of loss that most would argue as unrecoverable.  The priests of Israel devised methods to avoid the mass forgiveness of debts for this very reason.

What this did, however, was show a complete lack of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  It was a direct challenge to the power of God himself.  It said that God’s power was not sufficient to see Israel through the time of release.  If Israel would have stayed true to the laws of God and honored the Sabbath rest, they would have seen an outpouring of the blessing and power of God that would have far surpassed anything that occurred when Israel was led to the wilderness from Egypt.  Alas, as it always happens – man loses the ability to trust the Lord for increase and sustenance.  Indeed, the Lord told Israel that he would provide three times the required quantity of crops before the Shemitah year.  The provision would be so great that Israel would still be eating the old crops three years later.

~ Deuteronomy 15:1-5 KJV – At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord’s release.  Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

Leviticus 26:31-35 KJV – And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.  And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.  And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.  As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. ~

IT IS GETTING INTERESTING...

As we see from Jonathan Cahn’s work in The Harbinger, America experienced the judgment of the Shemitah.  This was evidenced most profoundly by the two greatest stock market crashes in history – September 17th, 2001 (direct result of the terror attack) and September 29th, 2008 (also a direct result of the 2001 terror attack).  Likewise, as The Harbinger brought to light, both of these final nails in the financial coffin occurred on the 29th of Elul, or the final day of the discharging of debts.  Indeed, that is exactly what the stock market crashed did.

As The Harbinger points out, America found itself in the Shemitah, or Sabbath cycle.  It was exactly 7 years to the day on the Jewish calendar when these two crashes occurred.  However, there is something else here that must be understood.  The Shemitah that America found itself under reveals a critical piece of the prophetic puzzle that was unknown prior to that time.

Earlier we discussed the nature of the judgments of the Old Testament, and how they are shadows of judgments to come.  We were able to bring to light that Isaiah chapter 9 was going to happen twice, and that the Genesis timeline reveals that the two towers were going to fall.  In fact, the clock was started for the two towers the day that the first tower fell on the plains of Shinar.  This understanding is critical to what I am going to present next.

One of the great mysteries in end time’s prophecy is the timing of God.  During the life of ancient Israel, the Israelites kept a continuous calendar that God gave to them.  Even during the Babylonian captivity they kept the calendar.  We know that it matched God’s calendar as Christ came exactly when the prophecy of 70 weeks of Daniel said he would.  Likewise, during the death, burial and resurrection, Christ fulfilled the appointed days of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits to the calendar day they were celebrated.  However, when the Roman Tenth Legion destroyed Jerusalem and scattered the Jewish people, all formal time keeping efforts ceased.  While we can still know the general date as we know when Rome advanced on Israel, the differences in the Jewish calendar and the Gregorian calendar make the exact date an unknown.  Simply stated, we can know the approximate Jewish year (there is debate about this in rabbinical circles to this day), but we cannot be certain of where we are on God’s calendar.

There are efforts, of course, to track the current Sabbath cycle.  Many of which also agree with the Sabbath year releases we have spoken about so far.  However, absent a direct revelation from the Lord, we are still in the dark to exactly when the Sabbath year occurs.  Even the birth and death of Jesus are not known one hundred percent.  Most accounts place the birth at 1 or 2 BC.  Likewise, the death of Christ is placed at 32 or 33 AD.  Never underestimate the difference a year makes.

Even if we know the proper year on the Jewish calendar (I have seen differences that run as great as 450 years), all records as to exactly which year the Sabbath – or Shemitah – falls on are unverifiable for confirming the Sabbath cycles.  They are educated guesses at best.  Given that the Lord has intentionally blinded Israel and the Jewish people, we must remember that they may be operating in that delusion with any of their scholarship efforts.  So, it seems that we cannot be 100 percent sure of the current Sabbath cycle.  At least that’s what we thought.

Malachi 3:6 speaks a timeless truth – “I am the Lord, I change not”.  Many have uttered this verse, yet never truly grasped the implication.  It means exactly what it says.  What you see from the Lord today is the same as it was yesterday – and tomorrow.  The same applies to God’s calendar.  Even though Israel ceased to function as a nation for over 1,900 years and her calendar was never completely kept through any official methods, God’s calendar was kept.  The Harbinger revealed something that none of us ever expected:

It revealed the actual Sabbath cycle God is operating on.

Stated differently, the seven year cycle from September 2001 to September 2008 was not a one shot deal.  It was the revealing of the exact calendar cycle where God currently sits.  It served to synchronize God’s calendar to man’s calendar.  What exactly does this mean?  It tells us one simple, immutable fact – now that we know the Sabbath cycle, we know when the Sabbath will come from here on out.  It is no longer educated speculation.  It is now an iron clad fact.

As we said earlier, most Jewish calendars have presented these years as the Shemitah, but we still lacked that final confirmation from God himself.  Prior to the Sabbath cycle from 2001 to 2008, we did not know if the current Jewish timekeeping efforts were correct.  We assumed they were, but now we know for certain.

That in and of itself is not a bad thing.  In a world where God is honored it becomes a non-issue – except for Israel of course, which is commanded to keep the Sabbath cycle.  For the rest of the world it matters little by itself as long as the world remains primarily godly in its pursuits.  This was indeed the case as the western world has been primarily Christian, and the dominate force on the earth during the bulk of the church age.  Unfortunately, as we learned in The Harbinger, this has not remained the case.  Hence, the judgments that fell in September 2001 and September 2008.

Likewise, during the age of grace there was no need for the Sabbath cycle to be revealed.  The faith of Christ spread quickly, and it was the standard for the western world.  It was not until the 1960′s that the west began to fully turn away from God.  It was the 1990′s that witnessed the rise of what would become most of today’s greatest abominations.  While the Clinton Administration was tame by today’s standards, it was the Administration that oversaw the first real attempts to redefine the culture of the United States.  Likewise, the rest of the Western world also underwent a radical transformation.  By  the time 2001 came, the United States and the rest of the world was on a collision course with prophecy.

The time had come to reveal the final prophetic timeline of the Lord.  I wonder, would we have reacted differently if we had realized what was truly occurring?

Instead, what we now have is the setting of God’s prophetic clock.  We now know where we sit on God’s Sabbath clock.  We also know that America has not learned from her mistakes.  Likewise, we know that the world has followed our lead and that the God of the Holy Bible is now public enemy number one.  In other words, the world has turned its back on God and ignored the warnings – the harbingers of coming judgment – and moved full steam towards final judgment.  This presents a slight problem. . .

The next Shemitah starts Thursday, September 25th, 2014.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

It’s about to get very interesting around the world.  Understand, what you are about to read is not a series of predictions.  Rather, it is simply a telling of what the Shemitah means to the world.  We do not know the exact instruments by which these occur, just as we don’t know the exact instruments of the Book of Revelation.  For example, we know the ancient nations, but we will not know the current names of the kings (Presidents) until their time actually comes.  That said, we know the net effect of what they bring.  The same holds true for the Shemitah.

First, it can be said with no leap of the imagination that we have not turned back to God.  To the contrary, the world now delights in specifically mocking and dishonoring him.  This will not work.  The Shemitah was revealed on much, much less.  Now, we have reveled in the behaviors that brought the judgments in the first place.

Second, now that we have the historical reference to see what happened both before and during the completion of the last Shemitah cycle, it is likewise no stretch to say that the world should be shaking in its boots.  Of course it is not.  This is a mistake that will prove to be fatal.  We may be getting ready to end the second Shemitah cycle, but it will represent the third such judgment.  What is the adage in baseball?

Three strikes and you are out.

The first strike came September 2001.  The second strike came September 2008.  Guess where that leaves us?

Here is what is going to transpire:

The Shemitah begins September 25th, 2014.  It will end September 13th, 2015.  If that date is ringing a bell it’s for a good reason.  We discussed it earlier in the three heralds.  More on this in a moment.

Over the course of the coming Shemitah year, there will come an economic and agricultural devastation the world has never seen before.  It will proceed in stages.  It will be accompanied by massive and terrible wars.  The wars are inevitable when you throw into the mix the current state of global unrest.  Massive unrest on the heels of starvation and destroyed economies will always bring war.

We know that these will be Biblical in scale as judgments are a purification of the people.  They are designed to return the earth to a state of perfection.  Such things always run in threes.  Two are past, the third is soon to come.

Each stage will be progressively worse than the last.  The death toll will rise to astronomical levels.

The final and most terrible day of the Shemitah will occur on Sunday, September 13th, 2015.  On this day most of the world’s economies (especially the western world) will meet their full and final demise.  It may come in the form of a signed agreement, or perhaps an attack on a major financial institution that was the only thing holding the monetary system together.

Come Monday, September 14th, 2015 there will be nothing left to hold together.

As it was with both 2001 and 2008, the economic and agricultural disasters wrought by the Shemitah will likewise start with a singular event.

We have covered a lot of ground so far.  There is more than enough here to open the eyes of the most cynical person.  Right now you are most likely sitting in stunned silence, especially if you have been reading The Harbinger.  I have bad news for you – we are not done yet.

It gets worse.

REVELATION AND THE COMING SHEMITAH

The natural question is whether the Shemitah fits any of the things we see in the Book of Revelation.  The short answer is yes – it does.  It’s how closely they match that is the frightening thing.  When you begin to look at the coming judgments, especially the seven sealed scroll, you can see exactly where the Sabbath cycle might just fall into place.

Let’s start with a basic understanding of the overall timing of the Book of Revelation, with regards to the start of the actual time known as the tribulation.  It must be remembered that the Book of Revelation deals with more than the seven years of the tribulation.  It begins with the rapture and concludes with eternity when the New Jerusalem comes down.  Starting with verse 4:1 (the rapture) we see the sequence of events that bring the seven year tribulation – the opening of the seven seals and the four horsemen of the apocalypse.  It is not until the sixth seal (6:12) that the seven year treaty is signed and the seven year tribulation actually starts.  If you cross reference the events of the four horsemen with Daniel 11 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 you will see the stunning parallels that most simply read past in their studies.

Here are the seals that occur between the time of the rapture and the start of the tribulation:

~ Revelation 6 ESV – Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart[a] of wheat for a denarius,[b] and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”

7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants[c] and their brothers[d] should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave[e] and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” ~

I thought it was best to simply list out all of Revelation 6 for this discussion.  Now, read through these verses with the Shemitah in mind.  What you will see is going to floor you.  Let us put aside the individual colors of the horses for a moment, and concentrate solely on what comes with each seal.

The first seal brings the Antichrist, but not yet the Antichrist.  He conquers with a bow, but no arrows.  We see from Daniel chapter 11 that he manipulates the world into war against Israel.  His actions behind the scenes will bring the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39 – the nuclear war known as Gog and Magog.

This will devastate the world economies and food supply – or what is left after the devastation of the rapture in Revelation 4:1.  Check off the first seal in Shemitah sequence – it fits the requirements.

The second seal brings the confirmation that the manipulations of the Antichrist were successful.  As it was with the first seal, the second seal likewise fits.

The third seal is the direct implementation of the Shemitah.  In the third seal we see that 75 percent of the world’s economic power has vanished.  We also know that this is based upon food shortages as the oil and wine are part and parcel to this judgment.  While it is beyond the scope of this discussion, it is well worth looking into the shortages of bees that have been occurring without explanation.  If the current rate of disappearance continues, we will have a massive shortage of world food, and it will occur very quickly.  It is estimated that we could lose one fourth of the global food supply within days.  Olives and grapes (oil and wine) would be immune to the disappearance of bees as they are pollinated by the wind.  This is exactly how you can get the effect recorded with the second seal.

Also, it bears mentioning that there was an eerie lack of flowering plants this spring.  No flowers and no bees equals no food.

The fourth seal is the net effect of the first three, and brings the totality of the Shemitah effect on the fields and finances.

The fifth seal brings the mass martyrdom’s of those that come to Christ after missing the rapture.  It is not just beheading during the first 42 months, but martyrdom through any means at hand.

The net effect of the fourth and fifth seals further intensify the Shemitah on the earth.

The sixth seal occurs as a result of the seven year treaty signed between Israel and her enemies in the Gog – Magog war, negotiated by the Antichrist.  It begins with a massive global earthquake that literally sends everybody with access to underground emergency bunkers into hiding (shelters and basements also fit the description in Revelation 6 – there would have been no real equivalent in John’s day when he saw these things).  The entire economic and power structure of the world will cease to exist (what’s left of it) when world government, finance and industry leaders run and hide from the coming judgments.

The sixth seal effectively shuts down what remains of the world.  For global food and the global economy – that would be checkmate.

The seventh seal brings the sealing of the 144,000 Jews in chapter 7, also an indication that the tribulation has officially begun.

We can see that the first six seals in Revelation bear an uncanny resemblance to the Shemitah, and our present history bears out the uncanny similarities for us.  So the question becomes whether or not it is just a coincidence, or are we seeing the unfolding of the Shemitah in the first six seals.  We will explore this possibility in just a moment.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

This is a good time to recap what we have learned so far.  A quick review will help to keep the proper perspective on the information, and help us to remember that it is all connected.  Here is the order of events so far:

Three heralds of the end of the age started in September 2008, with the rise of a king that knew not Israel.

The trumpets of Joel 2:1 began to sound across the globe, including in Jerusalem.

The feast day’s tetrad began, and a pattern of prophetic fulfillment was revealed.

The signs in the heavens are coming to the fall feast days starting in September 2015.

A.  The sun will be darkened

B.  The moon will not give its light

C.  The moon will be turned to blood

D.  The stars will fall from the heavens

The three heralds are compatible with the prophecy of Joel chapter 2.  This is evidenced by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh that is occurring across the globe.  It is also evidenced by the unusually high incidence rate of volcanic activity, earthquakes and tsunami’s.

All three of these confirmations likewise fit perfectly with the days of Lot and Noah – also an end time’s prophecy given by Jesus Christ himself.

The three heralds will cease with the final of the three heralds in September 2015.

The judgments of God revealed that we are in the midst of a Shemitah, or Sabbath cycle.  The first cycle was from September 2001 to September 2008.  It was in September 2008 that the first of the three heralds began, and it was a foregone conclusion who would rise to power in the United States.

The warnings of The Harbinger have not been heeded, which now requires judgment to fall yet again on America and the world.

However, this will not be the second judgment to fall – it will be the third.  The first judgment fell in September 2001 – which was likewise an end to a Shemitah cycle (though, not declared as the nine Harbingers had not yet manifested).  The second judgment fell in September 2008.  The first two judgments were progressive in their severity.  The third judgment will be nothing less than cataclysmic.

The first judgment of September 2001 was the judgment of the day of release alone.

The second judgment of September 2008 was the judgment of the day of release – and it included the full Sabbath year where the world experienced collective judgments that led to the final release on 29 Elul.  It was tremendously more severe than the judgment of 2001.

Neither of these judgments have captured our attention and brought us to repentance. That leaves us in a third and final terrible predicament.

The third judgment begins September 25th, 2014 and will reach its climax on the 29th of Elul – September 13th, 2015.  On this day the final hammer stroke will fall.  The planet will be plunged into the very worst of economic circumstances ever known.

True to the pattern of three – the number of God’s perfection – we will complete the second declared Sabbath cycle in September 2015.  We know that the Sabbath cycles never cease.  For 1,900 years we had no verifiable record of where we were at in the calendar of cycles.  This changed on September 11th, 2001, when God himself confirmed exactly where we sat on his Sabbath calendar.

This means that after the financial disasters of the coming Shemitah, starting September 2014, we will begin a new Sabbath cycle that will likewise run for seven years.

The new Sabbath cycle will begin on September 14th, 2015.  This is the day that the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give it light.  It is the start of the signs of the third herald.

It is also the start of the third declared Sabbath cycle since we were given God’s prophetic calendar on September 11th, 2001.  That would give us the number of God’s perfection in the current Sabbath cycles: 777.

The prophetic significance of these Sabbath cycles, and the completion of the 777 is confirmed in the reverse Genesis timeline.  We see first the confirmation of the 777 of the three Sabbath cycles with Lamech in Genesis 5:31.  In the reverse process, we see this confirmation come just before the rapture in verse 5:24.  True to this prophetic confirmation, we can see now the 777 before the rapture has occurred.

In Genesis 4:24, we have the confirmation through Lamech again that the tribulation is beginning.  We have the confirming of the 70 weeks of Daniel.  This is followed in the same verse by the confirming that the seven years of the tribulation has begun.

THE SABBATH CYCLE AND THE END TIMES FULFILLMENT

There is one remaining evidence that must be examined.  We must determine if the Shemitah cycle really does shepherd the start of the tribulation.  Is the Shemitah what we are seeing with the opening of the first six seals in Revelation chapter 6?  The very best way to judge this possibility is to verify if the Shemitah fits with the other fulfillment’s of the Old Testament that we find in the Book of Revelation.

If the Shemitah does indeed fit, then it will strengthen the other fulfillment’s.  Likewise, it will leave certain natural conclusions to be decided by everyone that considers the evidence discussed here.  However, if the Shemitah is not compatible with the other fulfillment’s, and the things that we have discussed here, it could provide evidence that we are not as close to the tribulation as most now believe we are.

To complete this process, we must first define the other fulfillment’s of the Old Testament that occur in the Book of Revelation.  To do this, we must understand something.  The Book of revelation is full of events and imagery that are rooted in the Old Testament.  These are the proofs to many things in prophecy, first of which is the timing of the rapture or the Great Assembly.

Among these proofs are the opening and closing of the Temple doors.  The doors show us the start of both the morning and evening services at the Temple.  Also, the silence in heaven lasting for the space of half an hour.  This occurs also in the earthly Temple on the Day of Atonement.  The half hour of silence occurred when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies.  The silence was linked to respect and the need to listen for the telltale ringing of the bell, which would indicate if the High Priest was successful in his efforts – or if the Lord struck him dead for being less than properly prepared.  We see additional proofs in the white stone, the new name, the secret manna, the white raiment and the white robes as well.  These are proofs of three different fulfillment’s from the Law of Moses – the seclusion of the High Priest in the days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.  Likewise, they also show the course of priests coming on duty in the Temple, and the initiation of the new order of priests as well.

There is a premise that we need to address, and it is touched on in other sections in this book.  From the rapture to the Second Coming there must be a total of eight days, or eight years in order to fulfill the Law of Moses.  More specifically, there must be a minimum total of ten days (Ten Days of Awe) from rapture to judgment with the rapture being the first day (Feast of Trumpets) and the judgment being the tenth day (Day of Atonement).  That leaves a total of eight days, or eight years that must be fulfilled between the rapture and the Second Coming.

So the question becomes how to get eight plus days from a seven year tribulation (a full eight years is required with the Judgment of Nations occurring not until the tenth day has begun, or the Day of Atonement).  We have already touched on the additional 30 days at mid-tribulation in the section on the timing of the tribulation, which puts the grand total at a minimum of 2,550 days. However, there is one thing that many simply never consider when studying prophecy:

Unless the rapture and the signing of the seven-year treaty occur on the exact same day, the tribulation begins sometime after the rapture.  Each day that separates the two events – combined with the separation at the mid-tribulation point – puts us one day closer to the eight-day requirement.

Here is a link to the page detailing the timing of the tribulation:

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/the-timing-of-the-tribulation/#.U4Uo-vldWSo

Here is a link providing a Message of Warning to Biblical Scholars:

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/a-message-of-warning-to-the-biblical-scholar/#.U5fVXsZ4B76

So, does the Shemitah – or yearly Sabbath cycle – fit the other fulfillments of the tribulation?

The last thing that must be understood – and the most enlightening of them all – is that when we look at the Sabbath cycles in relation to the other fulfillment’s that occur with the rapture and the tribulation, we see that they not only fit – they are absolutely critical to those fulfillment’s.

Stated differently, when we apply the current Sabbath cycle to the coming years, we see that they complete a perfect prophetic alignment for the prophecies detailed in Daniel and Revelation.  Let’s take a look at these additional fulfillment’s and an overall timeline for the period from the rapture to the Second Coming.

Here is the first of two timelines of the fall feasts declared in the Law of Moses:

T = Feast of Trumpets    A = Day of Atonement  T = Feast of Tabernacles

This timeline shows just the Biblical requirements for the appointed days for each feast.  It also shows the singular distinction of the Day of Atonement as a “Sabbath of rest”.  That makes Atonement the only feast day to have the same designation as the weekly, or seventh day Sabbath.  This is a prophetic reference to the future significance of the feast.

It tells us that the Day of Atonement was set as the day of the Second Coming when the Lord declared it to Moses.

It is the Second Coming which begins the seventh and final day of creation, or the last 1,000 years.  That would be the final Sabbath, served in perpetuity throughout the whole of the millennial reign of Christ.  Likewise, this goes hand in hand with the perpetual celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, or the feast of the coming Kingdom.

T = Feast of Trumpets A = Day of Atonement

The second graph shows the imposition of the 10 days of awe, and how the two Sabbaths, the eight days from the rapture to the Second Coming, and the Day of the Lord fit into the days of the fall feasts.

The two Sabbath days in the final week of the age also stand as a memorial to what once was is that which shall be.  It represents how the world started from a state of rest in the beginning, and how it will be returned to a state of rest in the end.  It likewise shows God’s full and final power, even during the darkest times in the history of humanity.  It is a declaration to the world that no matter how bad the days become, there is a rest in the Lord coming.

The following two graphs demonstrates ten separate fulfillment’s that match perfectly with the Sabbath years falling on the first and eighth days between the rapture and the Second Coming.  It shows that the Sabbath cycle is the last piece of the puzzle for understanding God’s final timing on the coming tribulation.

It must be remembered that all parts of the Law of Moses must be fulfilled.  Most are fulfilled with Messiah.  However, there are parts that cannot be fulfilled by Messiah.  These include the appointed days of the feasts, to include the days between the feasts, the parts of the Law that specifically require the congregation to fulfill, and the Sabbath cycle which was given in the Law of Moses before any of the seven major feasts were established, save Passover.

It should be noted that what you are about to see is also ironclad proof of the pre-tribulation rapture.  In fact, none of these fulfillment’s are possible without it.

T = Feast of Trumpets. A = Day of Atonement

Here are the ten separate fulfillments’ that coincide with the coming Sabbath cycle.  Remember, this speaks only to the Sabbath cycle, and as such, what you will see in the graph is possible every seven years.  The following graph does not take into account the other issues that have been brought forth in this article:

The Sabbath Cycle

The first timeline is simply showing the coming Sabbath cycle, starting with the final year of the current Sabbath cycle.  This timeline replays every seven years.  It shows the Sabbath on the seventh year of the prior cycle, followed by the seventh year of the future cycle.

It also shows the Sabbaths falling on the first and eighth days of the eight years from the rapture to the Second Coming.  This is also a prophetic reference to the coming perpetual fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, which also declares a Sabbath on the first and eighth days.

Also, it should be noted that the fulfillment of the Sabbath requires two things.  It requires the ceasing of all work and a Holy Convocation, or a Holy Assembly.  We will see that several of the fulfillment’s of the tribulation provide that both requirements are met.  In fact, it is the Sabbath requirements for Holy Convocation which show us prophetically that the first and eighth years from the rapture to the Second Coming MUST be Sabbath years on earth, and Sabbath days in heaven.

Great Assembly of Israel

The second timeline shows the Great Assembly.  The GA was convened every seven years.  It was a declared Sabbath of Rest, making it a perfect fit with the coming Sabbath cycle.  It was a one day assembly.

What made the Great Assembly different from the Assembly in the other six years was the attendance of the King, as well as the attendance of the women and children.  In the Assembly that occurred the other six years, it was the men alone that were required to attend.  In the Great Assembly, however, it was the entire congregation that was called to the Temple.

As we said, the King himself attended the Great Assembly.  It was the King that actually sounded the call of the two trumpets as well.  He would blow two gold trumpets – the first to raise the camp, or “awaken the dead” (actually called “awakening the dead” in ancient Israel) – and the last trump to order the camp to “come up” to the Holy Temple.  There would be a very short space between the two trumps – just enough time to throw on your coat and head for the door.

Once assembled, the scroll of the Law would be passed among the priests and the Assembly, with none being worthy to open it.  It would then be handed to the High Priest, which handed it to the King.

It was the King alone that was worthy to loose the seal thereof.

The Active Course of the Priesthood

In the days of the Temple, there were 24 courses (or shifts) of priests that traded duty in the Temple.  Each course would serve the official functions of presenting the offerings and sacrifices during their tour of duty.  Each course was on station for a week, and would be called twice a year to serve.  They would serve the other functions of the priesthood, such as the Sanhedrin, during the remainder of the year.

The course of priests that were next to serve would be summoned to the Temple, arriving hours before the Sabbath would commence.  They would prepare and purify themselves, and dress in the white raiment of their office.

In the early hours of the Sabbath they would relieve the current course of priests and start their tour.  They would remain in the Temple for the next seven days, meticulously attending the requirements of the Lord in His Holy Temple.

The Following Sabbath, in the early morning hours, they would be relieved by the oncoming course.  Once relieved, they would gather on the eighth and final day of their tour (the Sabbath Day that they were relieved) and sit together for a final meal at the Temple.

After this final day they would depart the Temple for home.

The High Priest and the seclusion for Atonement

After the Feast of Trumpets, the High Priest would need to prepare for the upcoming Day of Atonement.  This was the feast of the judgment, and it was the most solemn of all the feasts.  It was the day where all of the sins of Israel would be atoned for the following year.

If the High Priest was less than deadly serious, or ritually unclean in ANY way, the Lord would strike him dead when he entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement.  This is the only day of the year that any human was permitted to enter the presence of God.

When the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, there would be complete silence throughout the entire Temple, lasting the space of half an hour – the length of time required for the process in the Holy of Holies.  The silence was more than an issue of respect – it was practical.  The priests and Jews were listening for the telltale sounds of small bells worn by the High Priest.

If the bell was sounded the priests would know that he had fallen.  Likewise, they would know to pull on the rope also attached to the High Priest.  If he died in the Holy of Holies, the other priests could not – under any circumstances – go in and get him.  They had to pull him out.  If they entered the Holy of Holies for ANY reason they would also be struck dead.

If the High Priest was ritually unclean, or if he missed any part of the process (or performed it out of order) he was finished.  It is understandable that the current High Priest would be interested in getting the process exactly right.  Likewise, even if he got the process exactly right, and remained pure – if his heart was not exactly right then the sins of Israel would not be atoned.  He would emerge from the Holy of Holies – and Israel would be set for a really bad year.

So, to prepare for this most important day, the High Priest would go into seven days of seclusion after the Feast of Trumpets.  While in seclusion he would read the Law and remain clean.  On the eighth day he would emerge.  He would gather with the rest of the priests for a meal, and then prepare for the following days activities.

On the 9th day (day 10 of the 10 days of Awe) – the Day of Atonement – he would emerge publically before the Assembly.  He could not be touched as he had not yet ascended to the heavenly chamber – and before the presence of God.

Once the process was complete he could be touched.  Likewise, the High Priest would now depart the Temple and begin the administration of the coming year which he had just atoned for.

Initiation of the New Order of Priests

The process to become a priest was not an easy one in ancient Israel.  There were nearly 200 hundred issues that could disqualify you from serving in the office.

Upon the acceptance for service, the new initiates would be summoned to the Temple in the hours before the Sabbath.  As it was with the active course of priests, the new initiates would be prepared to start a process that lasted seven days, or Sabbath to Sabbath.

They would ritually clean and dress in the white raiment of the priesthood, being given a white robe made ritually clean.  Likewise, they would be given a white stone and a new name.  They would go “on duty” with the active course of priests and complete the process.

At the conclusion of the week, on the following Sabbath, they would likewise be relieved.

If all was right and acceptable, they would record their new names of the priest hood in the Temple register and the city register of Jerusalem.  If not, they would be stripped of their white stone, have their name stricken from the books and their white robe would be taken.  They would be dressed in a black – or “dirty” robe – and cast from both the Temple and Jerusalem into the outer darkness.  The gates would be shut and locked behind them.

The successful candidates would then join the course of priests for the same eighth day meal in the Temple.  Following the meal they would depart the Temple and begin their new lives in the service of God – now a part of the “kingdom of priests” in His service.

Jewish Wedding

This is perhaps the most known and understood of the fulfillment’s of the Law of Moses present in the rapture and tribulation period.

After the long wait, the Father tells the Son that the preparations are complete.  The Son has used his learned skills – such as carpentry – to build the bridal chamber at the house of his Father.  It is the room – translated “mansion” many times in the English – where the Bride and Bridegroom will hide away for seven days.

The Bridegroom sets out to retrieve his Bride.  Usually occurring at night, the bridal party (friends of the Bridegroom) announce shortly in advance of his arrival “the Bridegroom comes!”

Very shortly is a more accurate description.  There would be just enough time to throw on the wedding garment, light the lamps and go.  As the Bridegroom arrives the last announcement goes out that proclaims “come out!”

In ancient Israel this was done with trumpets and shofars.  Today, it is done with car horns.

At this time the Bride would be snatched up and carried away – literally.  She would not walk as the others would do.  She would ride in the Israelite equivalent of a litter.

Upon arriving at the Father’s house, the Bride and Bridegroom would enter the house, followed by the massive wedding party.  With the Assembly present on the first day of the wedding, the Bride and Bridegroom would enter the bridal chamber while the friends of the Father would commence to celebration that ran for the entire seven days that the couple was secluded in the chamber.

On the eighth day the married couple would emerge.  Now, the entire assembly would gather once more for the marriage supper.

The following day, the couple would return very publically to the house that had likewise been prepared for the newlyweds.  Unlike the catching away of the bride which occurred “in secret” and at night – with the bride veiled, the return occurred in the daylight down the very same streets where they had left.

This time every eye would see the Bridegroom and the Bride, knowing exactly what had happened eight days prior.

Once the couple arrives at their new home, they would remain in Sabbath rest for the next year.  They would enjoy each the company of each other during this time.  After this Sabbath rest, they would start the rest of their lives together.

The Counting of the Omer

This is the least understood of the required fulfillment’s of the coming tribulation.  The Law of Moses requires the counting of 49 days – from First Fruits to the day before Pentecost.  During this time, the Omer, or measurements of barley are counted.  Also, the presentation of the First Fruits of barley for the congregation are completed.

On the Feast of First Fruits, there are two wave offerings made at the Temple.  The first of these wave offerings are made for the High Priest and the priesthood itself.  This was done so that the priests themselves were compliant with the law and acceptable to offer the remaining First fruits.

The second offering – or offerings – were made on behalf of the congregation.  In other words, the First fruits offerings that the people brought to Jerusalem were to be offered.  Those closest to Jerusalem (and God) would have their offerings presented on the first day.  It should be noted that the first day’s offerings were completed when Christ ascended to heaven after he arose on First Fruits and cleansed the Temple.  He was the fulfillment of the wave offering of the High Priest, and presented the Old testament saints seen walking in Jerusalem as the first days offerings of the congregation.

This leaves 48 “days” of barley first fruits yet to be fulfilled.  This fulfillment occurs during the 48 months (first four years after the rapture).  However, this will be 48 months on the Jewish calendar, which will be approximately three months shy of 48 months on the Gregorian calendar that the rest of the world will be operating under at this time.

Remember that the rapture fulfills the second day of the Omer, or the second day of barley offerings for the congregation.  That leaves us with 47 days left to fulfill.  This adds a fourth month between the Jewish and Gregorian completion of 48 months.  That puts the completion of the final 47 “days” of the barley Omer at the start of Pentecost, with Pentecost occurring in the midst of the 47th, or final day.  More on this in a moment.

Pentecost is the 50th day of First Fruits, or the day that the First Fruits of the wheat harvest are presented at the Temple.  On Pentecost, the 144,000 sealed Jews are raptured as the First Fruits of the wheat harvest.

This accompanies the short break at mid-tribulation where the Abomination of Desolation occurs, which then starts the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble and the main harvest of the fields.

There is more detail on the timing and requirements for the counting of the Omer in the section on the timing of the tribulation, and the order of resurrections and martyrdom’s during the tribulation period.

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/order-of-resurrections-martyrdoms-and-judgments/#.U4UuSfldWSo

The Seven Year Tribulation

This timeline shows how the Sabbath year release of debts and farm fields match the timing of the first six seals to start the tribulation.  Likewise, it shows that it is the seventh seal that starts the final seven years of the age, and the final seven year Sabbath cycle.  Again, this is a prophetic replay of the perfection of 777.

It also shows the space from the rapture to the signing of the treaty – a requirement in order to fulfill the 10 days of Awe.  Likewise, it shows where the six seals are completed just before the Sabbath year concludes, allowing for the short space between the two halves of the tribulation as shown in Daniel.

The 10 Days of Awe

This timeline shows the fulfillment of the 10 days of Awe.  It shows the Feast of Trumpets as the first day, and the Day of Atonement as the 10th day – as required by the Law of Moses.  It then counts out the remaining eight days (years) between the two feast days.

The Heavenly Assembly

This timeline shows the calling of the Great Assembly in heaven, starting with the calling of the first assembly at the rapture.

It also shows the seven seal scroll, which is the model for the scroll of the law on earth.  As the Great Assembly in Jerusalem starts with the passing of the scroll to the King to open, the heavenly assembly likewise starts with the passing of the seven sealed scroll to the King of kings.

We see the calling of the Great Assembly yet again seven years later, when the call is given to the host of heaven to assemble once more – this time for the great marriage feast.

There is one final observation that must be made concerning the Shemitah year itself.  When you see the sequence of events in the Book of Revelation, from 4:1 to 6:12, you see a natural space where the Sabbath year release can occur.  Here is what I mean.  From verse 6:12 forward, we are in the declared time of the tribulation.  However, we have never seen any indication that the events from 4:1 to 6:12 were ever declared a specific time of “anything”.

Here are a few examples of how the Bible defines different occurrences:

• The Tribulation.

• The Great Tribulation.

• The time of Jacob’s Trouble.

• The days of Noah.

• The days of Lot.

• The times of the Gentiles.

• The Exodus.

• The winepress of the wrath of God.

• The Day of the Lord.

• The 70 weeks of Daniel.

You get the point.  The problem with this is that the Bible officially declares every such time of judgment.  Given what occurs with the first four seals it simply is not possible that the Lord would suddenly change from his established pattern – especially since Revelation 4:1 to 6:11 are critical to the final fulfillment’s of the Law of Moses.  In fact, as we have already detailed, the Lord changes not.

When the Shemitah cycle was revealed to the world in 2001, we also received an answer to this problem.  The reason that 4:1 to 6:12 is not specifically called “anything” is that it was always destined to be a Sabbath year release – a release that would bring judgment on the world.

In other words, 4:1 to 6:12 was not just declared a Shemitah release:

It is the final prophetic fulfillment of the Sabbath year release.  Just as Messiah fulfilled the blood sacrifices required in the Law of Moses, the rapture fulfills the Great Assembly and the martyrdom’s in the first half of the tribulation fulfill the counting of the Omer, the events from 4:1 to 6:12 are the final fulfillment of the Shemitah release.

As it is with the rest of the Law of Moses, so must the the Shemitah be fulfilled.

CONCLUSION

We have discussed a tremendous volume of information in this project.  It does not begin to scratch the surface however.  A good way to close this report is with a few additional pieces of information that add to the overall picture.

On September 23rd, 2017 there will be a fulfillment of the signs in the heaven given in Revelation 12:1-5.  However, contrary to conventional wisdom, these signs do not occur at the mid-point of the tribulation period.  They happen before the midway point (close enough that they can still be considered mid-trib, but separate enough to allow the fulfillment of the events found at mid-trib).  It is the signs in the heaven which herald the war in the second heaven between Michael the Archangel and Satan.  Once defeated, Satan is cast to the earth.  It is at this time that Satan begins the final, rage filled preparations for the full rise of the beast kingdom that will rule for the final 42 months.

Revelation chapter 13 is the key to understanding that this war between Satan and Michael occurs before the mid-tribulation period.  Verse 13:5 is the point where the signs in the heavens catch up to the mid-tribulation period, and the rise of the beast kingdom.  The same principle applies to verse 13:14 for the False Prophet.

That means that the four separate pieces found in chapter 12 and 13 sync up at 12:6, 12:14, 13:5 and 13:14 to launch the events that bring the second 42 months of the tribulation.  That leaves 12:1-5, 12:7-13, 13:1-4 and 13:11-13 as the set up to the events at mid-trib, all occurring before mid-trib.

When trying to understand what exactly constitutes the period of time known as “mid-trib”, it helps to think of it in these terms:

The middle of the tribulation begins when the Antichrist enters Jerusalem.  It ends when the Jews leave Jerusalem.

The Antichrist enters Jerusalem and kills the two witnesses after their 1,260 days are complete.  The Jews flee Jerusalem to start their 1, 260 days of protection.  The events known collectively as the Abomination of Desolation occur between the “coming and going” of Jerusalem.  The signs in the heavens detailed in Revelation 12 occur shortly before the Antichrist starts the campaign that brings him to Israel.

~ Daniel 11:29-30 KJV – At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.

For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. ~

It will start with an assault on the Egyptian Empire.  It will quickly become an invasion of Israel.  This is what happens immediately after the heavenly signs in Revelation 12.  It is only after the successful invasion of Israel that the Antichrist can enter Jerusalem and kill the two witnesses.

This goes hand in hand with the next consideration.  On May 14th, 2018, it will be 70 years since Israel became a nation in a day.  Now, there are many discussions as to the length of a Biblical generation, but there are other issues that must be taken into consideration.

During the Babylonian captivity, Israel sat in 70 years of judgment for her disobedience to God.  Israel was forced into 70 years of exile in Babylon.  The prophecy of Daniel’s 70 weeks tells us that Israel would cut off and deny the Messiah 483 years after the order to restore Jerusalem and the Temple went forward.  This was an offense for which Israel must still endure judgment.

In 2018, we will see the reverse occur.  Stated differently, Israel will now face judgment for denying Messiah after 70 years of growing prosperity.  The 70 years of exile followed 49 missed Shemitahs, or Sabbath years, or 490 years of missed Sabbath rests.  Likewise, it will be the final Shemitah cycle that will see Israel brought into her final judgment – the time of Jacob’s Trouble.  In short, after 70 years of growing prosperity, Israel will be judged – which will complete 490 years prophesied by Daniel.

490 years of disobedience to the Lord brought 70 years of judgment.  That judgment brought the prophecy of Daniel’s 490 years.  Now, 70 years of prophetic end times prosperity shall bring the completion of the prophesied 490 years.  Again, for those that study the numbers, this gives us 490, 7, 7, 490, 7.  That is 490 years of sin, followed by 70 years of judgment, followed by 70 years of restoration, which completes the 490 years of prophecy – with the last 7 years of the age.

Also, the four year prophetic sign of comet Ison comes due in December 2017.  This tells us that war falls on Israel after this date.  This prophetic omen comes due just five months before the 70 year judgment cycle completes and the required judgment falls.  If this judgment is the coming time of Jacob’s Trouble, then it tells us that the tribulation starts somewhere between September 2014 and September 2015.  The time of Jacob’s Trouble comes after the Antichrist wages war on Israel and wins.  This possibility is strengthened by the coming signs discussed in this article.

There is one more piece to the overall equation that must be discussed.  There are two primary parts to the signs in the heavens that occur on September 23, 2017.  There is the original sign in the stars that show the women, the dragon and the birth of the child.  However, there are also the signs of the war in heaven between Michael the Archangel and Satan, the serpent.  These signs are found in Revelation 12:7-9.

In addition to the stars in the heavens playing out the September 23rd sign, they also play out the war between Michael and Satan.  This occurs with Saturn, Mercury, Serpens and Sagittarius.  On December 6th, 2017, we see Michael and Satan converge (conjunction, appearing as one) on each other in the heavens.  This is represented by Mercury (Michael) and Saturn (Satan).  This convergence, or battle occurs directly between Sagittarius (the Antichrist) and Serpens (the Serpent constellation representing the dragon).

This battle is broken off quickly and the two separate.  The fight is rejoined on January 11th, 2018. This time, Saturn (Satan) is cast into Sagittarius (the Antichrist and beast kingdom).  This is followed by the completion of being cast down into the beast on February 12th, 2018.

It is significant that this concludes with Satan entering the Antichrist and beast kingdom just 15 days before Purim, which is the Old Testament type and shadow of the Antichrist moving to destroy the Jews.  This representation is found in Haman, his ten sons, and the gallows that were built to kill the Jews – also at the neck.  These signs in the heavens conclude at the very same time where Haman launched his plot to annihilate the Jews.

Purim was the date when the Jews were delivered.

Likewise, these signs in the heavens conclude just three months before the 70 years of prosperity end in Israel on May 14th, 2018.  It is after this date that the time of judgment, or Jacob’s Trouble can begin.  The second 42 months of the tribulation are the time of Jacob’s trouble.

In one final prophetic twist, May 14th occur exactly seven days before Pentecost.  That would be the exact same Pentecost we discussed earlier regarding the First Fruits of the wheat harvest.  To refresh your memory, after the rapture there will remain 47 “days” of the counting of the Omer to fulfill.  This 47 days will run the 47 Jewish months after the rapture occurs.  They conclude at Pentecost, when the First Fruits of the wheat harvest – the 144,000 sealed Jews are raptured to heaven for presentation at the Holy Temple of God.

As it happens, there are exactly 46 Jewish months between the start of the Shemitah in September, 2014 and the conclusion of the 70 years of prosperity in May, 2018 – seven days before Pentecost.  The 46 “days” end exactly on May 14th, 2018 – the day that Israel’s 70 years end.  The 47th and final day starts, with Pentecost (the 50th day of the First Fruits cycle) occurring in the midst of this final day.  Midst is not the correct word to use.  Pentecost occurs one final, full Sabbath cycle after the 47th day commences.  The day of Pentecost itself is the 50th and final day of First Fruits.

The final 42 months of the tribulation do not start until the 144,000 sealed Jews are called home and Israel’s 70 years are complete.  To answer the next question, it puts the end of the tribulation exactly three and a half years later – at the fall feast days.  Just in case you forgot – the Second Coming occurs on the Day of Atonement.  This is also when the Judgment of Nations occurs – the final fulfillment of that particular feast day.

ANY QUESTIONS?

There is a great deal of information presented here.  However, there is one glaring question that has not been addressed.  Does this mean that the rapture will occur in the next year?

That’s the real question, isn’t it?

No man knows the day, nor hour.  We can, however, know that the soon return of the Lord is close, even at the door.  In fact, the Apostle Paul reminds us to stay alert, focused and watchful, so that the return of the Lord does not catch us unaware.  It is the words of the Lord Jesus Christ that says it best.

Mark 13:37 – And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

While the 10 fulfillment’s of the tribulation and the Shemitah cycle can occur together every seven years, it is the addition of the three heralds, the coming third Shemitah cycle, the 70 years of Israel, and the additional signs of Revelation 12 that make the entire picture undeniable.

Take what you have seen here and pray.  Seek the Lord for guidance, that you should understand the implication of these things.  Turn to the Lord for answers as to the times and seasons, and to the soon return of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Ask the Father the meaning of these things, believing upon the name of Jesus Christ and he shall reveal his truth to you.

Know this – what you have been reading here is a final warning.  Time is short, do not put off salvation and overcoming another day.

For today may be your last.

In the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

-- Richard Kenrick

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Final Evacuation Orders to the Overcomer

I was rather surprised when this revelation came into my understanding.  This is not the kind of revelation that any of us expects to get.

Exodus 19:19-20 KJV – And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

Notwithstanding, it did not take long for me to see the magnitude of what the Lord was sharing with me.

What you are about to read can best be described as “final orders”, or even “pre-invasion orders”.  They are akin to the orders issued before any military operation, delivered to the operation forces as they move onto station – awaiting the final word to advance.  To that point, what you are going to read here may best be described as “pre-evac orders”.

You will understand why shortly.

I can’t remember exactly what I was doing when the Lord came to me with this.  However, I do remember what came after.  The thoughts of the days of Noah came across my mind.  Not an uncommon subject these days, especially given all of the signs and prophecies that are lining up now.  This was not what I was pondering at the time – it simply “came” to me.  So, as I started to quickly run the thoughts of Noah through my head, I was hit with a sudden understanding that there was something that the Lord was trying to tell me.

Then I “remembered” something about Noah.  It was when the orders actually came down to board the boat.  This is a block of scripture that takes a few readings to ensure that you are getting the right story.  It is simply a matter of how it was written.  So, that is what I did.  Sure enough, there it was. . .

The most amazing thing we have never seen when looking at Noah!

It’s been there the entire time.

After that, the rest of the revelation came fairly quickly.  I was stunned, and I have been saying this quite a bit lately.  None the less, there I was.  I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

The Lord revealed something else during this process.  He revealed that this revelation will serve as a confirmation to what he has laid in the hearts of many overcomers.  Chances are that if you are an overcomer, you will soon feel the move of the Holy Spirit as you read these words.  When you are finished, you will have the same confirming that now rests in my heart also.

With that, here are the “pre-evac orders” that the Lord revealed, found in the days of Noah and Lot:

In the days before the return of the Lord, a word of the Lord shall be revealed to the heart of the overcomer that the time of the end has come, and that the age of grace is ended.  Overcomers will know the truth of this revelation, and the world shall bear out the words of the Lord.  Likewise, the Lord shall deliver revelations and instructions to the overcomer, and call them into His service for these final days.

When the preparations are complete, the time of the end will come.

Genesis 6:11-14 KJV – The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

It comes as no surprise to any overcomer when I say that this has already come to pass.  In fact, many overcomers were commissioned into end time’s service in November 2012, when the United States made the final, fateful decision that set the world on the path of no return.

However, these days are closing.  The time has come for the Lord to speak his final revelations to the world, starting with his overcomers.

Here are the standing orders.

A.  Seven days from the appointed Feast of Trumpets, the Lord will call all overcomers to prepare to depart.  This will be the call to Noah and his family to “enter the Ark”, and the call to Lot to take his family and head for the city gates.

The Lord will supernaturally remove all remaining vestiges of doubt from the hearts of the overcomer.  The Lord will then place a full confirmation in our hearts that it is time to go.  Suddenly, and without warning, the “light bulb” will turn on, and all of us will know without even speaking the words.

The primary task at this time will be for overcomers to speak.  We will be called to social media to announce that the return of the Lord is soon at hand, and that the last chance to seek salvation is at hand.  Likewise, the Lord will individually guide efforts to witness to those closest to us.

However, these seven days of final warning will not be for the unbeliever, as their appointed time of salvation must now come in the tribulation.  These seven days of warning are for the family of God, believers that are in danger of being left and possibly perishing.  It will be one last chance for them to open the parts of their hearts that they have withheld from the Lord, thus preventing the full filling of the anointing, or oil of the Holy Spirit.  It will be their last chance to gather enough oil to make the journey.

B.  At the close of the 7 days, the time of warning will cease.  At that time, the Holy Spirit will deliver the revelation to overcomers that it is time to go.

All overcomers will be led to “rise and dress” for the journey.  This will be different for every overcomer.  For some it will be an intense call to final prayers for those that will be left, or for those that will not survive the Rapture should they not repent in the hours that remain.

Still, others will be led to speak one last time to those closest to them.

C.  At the appointed time, the first gold trump of God will sound to awaken the congregation.

Overcomers will hear the trumpet, and know that the Bridegroom is coming.  They will know to rise, put on their “coats and shoes, fill the lamps with extra oil, light the lamp” and head to the door, ready to depart.

Overcomers will be led of the Holy Spirit to speak together in one accord, on any medium possible.  They will declare to each other what they have heard, and likewise confirm the meaning with each other.  The time of this declaration will be extremely short.  It may last a few minutes, or it may last an hour.  It will not last beyond this however.

The world at large will see overcomers declaring the coming Rapture in a sudden flurry of activity, with the biggest impact on social media.  However, very few will make the connection, nor come to terms with this unprecedented outpouring of declarations for the coming of the Lord.

It will be the “car wreck” phenomena – “did I just see what I think I saw?”  Most will not connect the dots in time to seek the Savior and repent.

Those that are believers, yet do not overcome nor believe in the Blessed Hope, will also hear the trump.  However, they will be in confusion – and even denial – as to the meaning.

Likewise, “strangers” in the congregation will also hear the trump, yet it will be as anything but the trump of God to their mind.

Those accounted as unbeliever will not hear anything.

D.  Shortly after the first trump sounds, the last trump will likewise sound.  With the taking of the congregation the destruction will fall on the world.

Those without a full portion of oil will be left to the tribulation, or to perish.  Likewise, those believers that love their old life more than their life for the Savior shall likewise perish.

There are several things that must be established before we examine the individual elements to these orders.  First, the Lord is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Second, everything that will happen in prophecy, has happened already.  Third, when the Lord Jesus Christ warned of the days of Noah and Lot, he wasn’t just talking about the suddenness of his coming, and the utter surprise to those left behind.  The Lord specifically included the falling of the judgments as well.  If there is one thing we have learned, there are no accidental words in the Bible, and especially from the mouth of the Lord.

Also, this says to us that when the Bible declares everything that will occur, has occurred – it means that as the Lord changes not, it tells us this applies to every prophecy in the Bible.  That includes the scripture and prophecies covering the orders of the Lord to the overcomer, for the final moments of the age.

If he declared the judgments themselves as a part of the days of Noah and Lot, that means there are judgments likewise coming in the manner of the days of Noah and Lot.  As we have thoroughly documented in this book, the Rapture will be the single most devastating event to hit the earth since the flood of Noah.

Malachi 3:6 KJV – For I am the Lord, I change not.

Matthew 24:37-39 ESV – For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

And they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Luke 17:28-33 ESV – Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,

But on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.

Remember Lot’s wife.  Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 KJV – The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.  Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 KJV – That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

With this being said, let’s examine the individual pieces of the orders, and the commentary, that the Lord has now issued to overcomers for the days that are soon to follow, and the scriptures that reveal them:

A.  Seven days from the appointed Feast of Trumpets, the Lord will call all overcomers to prepare to depart.  This will be the call to Noah and his family to “enter the Ark”, and the call to Lot to take his family and head for the city gates.

The Lord will supernaturally remove all remaining vestiges of doubt from the hearts of the overcomer.  The Lord will then place a full confirmation in our hearts that it is time to go.  Suddenly, and without warning, the “light bulb” will turn on, and all of us will know without even speaking the words.

The primary task at this time will be for overcomers to speak.  We will be called to social media to announce that the return of the Lord is soon at hand, and that the last chance to seek salvation is at hand.  Likewise, the Lord will individually guide efforts to witness to those closest to us.

However, these seven days of final warning will not before the unbeliever, as their appointed time of salvation must now come in the tribulation.  These seven days of warning are for the family of God, believers that are in danger of being left and possibly perishing.  It will be one last chance for them to open the parts of their hearts that they have withheld from the Lord, thus preventing the full filling of the oil of the Holy Spirit.  It will be there last chance to gather enough oil to make the journey.

Matthew 25:6-8, 10-12 ESV – But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’  But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

Sadly, many will not listen.  At least half of all those that are believers will not be taken.

Genesis 7:1 ESV – Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.

Genesis 7:4 ESV -  For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.”

Genesis 7:10 ESV – And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

Genesis 19:12-14 ESV – Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.”

But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. ~

Lot had two daughters, and they were to both marry.  In the end, only the daughters heeded the warning, while the sons-in-law did not.  As we see from the parable of the ten virgins, half of those in the family of the Lord would not keep their lamps filled with oil.  As such, they were left to the judgment.  This is also revealed when Lot and his wife are figured in, and his wife likewise perishes.

B.  At the close of the 7 days, the time of warning will cease.  At that time, the Holy Spirit will deliver the revelation to overcomers that it is time to go.

All overcomers will be led to “rise and dress” for the journey.  This will be different for every overcomer.  For some it will be an intense call to final prayers for those that will be left, or for those that will not survive the Rapture should they not repent in the hours that are left.

Still, others will be led to speak one last time to those closest to them.

Revelation 3:4-5 ESV – Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.

Genesis 19:15-16 ESV – As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.”  But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

C.  At the appointed time, the first gold trump of God will sound to waken the congregation.

Overcomers will hear the trumpet, and know that the Bridegroom is coming.  They will know to rise, put on their “coats and shoes, fill the lamps with extra oil, light the wick” and head to the door, ready to depart.

Overcomers will be led of the Holy Spirit to speak together in one accord, on any medium possible.  They will declare to each other what they have heard, and likewise confirm the meaning with each other.  The time of this declaration will be extremely short.  It may last a few minutes, or it may last an hour.  It will not last beyond this however.

The world at large will see overcomers declaring the coming Rapture in a sudden flurry of activity, with the biggest impact on social media.  However, very few will make the connection, nor come to terms with this unprecedented outpouring of declarations for the coming of the Lord.

It will be the “car wreck” phenomena – “did I just see what I think I saw?”  Most will not connect the dots in time to seek the Savior and repent.

Those that are believers, yet do not overcome nor believe in the Blessed Hope, will also hear the trump.  However, they will be in confusion – and even denial – as to the meaning.

Likewise, “strangers” in the congregation will also hear the trump, yet it will be as anything but the trump of God to their mind.

Those accounted as unbeliever will not hear anything.

It is at this point that we need to stop and address the trumps that sound to announce the Rapture.  There is some confusion as to what exactly these trumpets are.  The common refrain from those that do not believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture is that the last trump spoken of by Paul is the last of the seven trumpets sounded in Revelation 11:15.

However, this is not correct.  The last trump that calls the Rapture is not the seventh trumpet – it is the last of the two trumpets given in the Law of Moses to call the congregation.  There are several ways that we know this.

First, the Bible defines every new concept it introduces.  There are any number of examples to this.  When Daniel declared the dream of the statue of empires to King Nebuchadnezzar, he likewise gave the interpretation.  When Zechariah saw the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, they were likewise defined immediately.  Also, when he saw the image of the two candlesticks, the Lord immediately provided the meaning.

We see this play out in the parables of Jesus and the Book of Revelation as well.  When we see the elders and creatures of heaven in chapter four, we are not left to wonder of their meaning.  It is given in chapter five.  Likewise, the 24 elders are also defined later in Revelation, and earlier in the New Testament – a point which is critical to what we will say in a moment.  Yet another example is that of the beast rising from the sea with seven heads.  Even the angels that pour out the judgments are made known to us as redeemed servants of God – just as John is.

We can sum all of this up into a simple statement regarding the things we see in the Bible.  Every concept in the Bible is either explained when it is given, or it was explained in prior scripture.  This is true for every scripture without exception.  If you find something in a scripture that is confusing to you, yet there is no explanation given, it means that is was already defined.

Let’s examine the two prominent scriptures on the Rapture and trumpets:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV – For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ESV – Behold! I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

Here is the issue with declaring that these are the seventh trumpet of Revelation.  Nowhere in 1 Thessalonians or 1 Corinthians does Paul ever define what the last trump is.  Understand, the Book of Revelation will not be written for another 40 years or so.  Paul does not know of the seven trumpet judgments as they have not been revealed to any man, nor are they found anywhere in the Old Testament.

They are part of the remaining mystery of God, the mystery that is revealed with John, and fulfilled with the sounding of the seventh trumpet.  The mysteries of God finished at the seventh trumpet are those things which were not revealed in either the Old or New Testament (until Revelation – which rules out the last trump as the seventh trumpet), and as such, will not be fully understood until they are brought to pass.  This is why the seventh trumpet is the final mystery of God.  However, Paul clearly tells us that he is the one revealing the mystery of the last trump, and not the Book of Revelation.

Likewise, when you read through Revelation chapter 11, the seventh trump is not defined as the last trump to sound the Rapture.  There is no definition given to the seven trumpets anywhere in Revelation – save one – they are the trumps of angels, not of God.

Is it possible that God would not define such a critical foundation to prophetic scripture?  No, it is not.  As we have established at the outset, God changes not.  If he has defined every other concept in the Bible, then he also defined the last trump that Christ revealed to Paul on Mt. Sinai.  That leaves only one possibility.  The reason that Paul did not define the last trump is that he did not need too.  It was already well known in Israel, and it never had anything to do with seven trumpets of judgment (also a key to understanding this – the Rapture is not a judgment for those called to heaven).

Stated differently, the last trump was already defined by God in the Bible.  It is found in the Torah – the Law of Moses.

Remember, the Apostle Paul was a member of the Jewish ruling class.  He was highly educated in the law, and knew the exact meaning behind the last trump as it was already an active part of religious life in ancient Israel.  Likewise, every Jew that heard Paul speak on the Rapture also knew exactly what the last trump was, as they all abided by it through the religious and civil year.

Number 10:1-10 ESV – The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.

And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.

When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out.  And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.

But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.

And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations.

And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.

On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

For the record, the tent of the meeting was the Tabernacle of God.  Later, this would transfer to the Temple of God.  There is more, however.  When Paul reveals the mystery of the Rapture and the last trump, he gives us the key to understanding exactly what he is referring to.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV – For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

The trumpet of God is what tells us that the Rapture does not occur with the sounding of the seventh trumpet of Revelation.  Rather, it tells us that the answer to this question lies in the exodus from Egypt.  We find the answers to the last trump, and the trump of God in Exodus chapter 19.

Exodus 19:9-11, 13-20 ESV – When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.  Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.

And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

In the interest of time, I am providing a link to a fantastic article that details the gold trumpet of God.  It is one of the critical points to understand in relationship to the message in the article.  However, there is another critical aspect that must be addressed.  It is on this point that we shall labor.  Here is the link to the additional article:

http://amos37.com/2011/07/27/a-golden-trumpet/

As the article will mention, we see that the voice of God himself is as a trumpet, and also as the sounding of thunder.  Likewise, we see several times throughout the Bible that God Speaks, only those that are meant to hear his words will actually hear his words.  To all others it is as the sound of confusion, still to others it is the sounds of lightning, thunder and terror.  Ironically, it was Paul himself that experienced this first hand, and those that traveled with him on the road to Damascus.  When the Lord came to Paul and knocked him of his horse, it was Paul alone that could understand the words spoken by the Lord.

Still, some in the group believed the sounds to be those of angels.  Still others could not discern the meaning of the sounds, discerning only the sound itself.  Likewise, when we read the account of Moses and the ascension upon the mount of God, we also see the fear and trembling from the sound of the trump of God – which may in fact be the very voice of God himself!

The primary principle of what we are discussing is also found in Exodus chapter 24.  In 24, we see the congregation of Israel which is restricted to the base of the mountain.  This is the same congregation that turned to the worship of the Egyptian bull god when Moses was gone for 40 days.  They are the type and shadow of the body of Christ that has turned from God and sought their own ways.  They heard the lightnings and thunders of God, and they trembled for this was a fearsome sound!

Also in 24 we see Aaron and the elders of Israel.  Unlike the congregation, they heard the words of the Lord and were called to the mountain.  They were permitted to ascend the mountain and look upon God from a distance.  Likewise, they did eat and drink that day on the mountain.

Aaron and the elders are the type and shadow of the believer that is seeking God, yet something still remains from them.  They see God from afar, and even consume the bread of life and blood of Christ.  They are the picture of the three quarter Christian.  They seek Christ, yet something still keeps them from the full presence of God.  They have heard the voice of God, yet they have not the access to the Throne of God.  They can only look from afar as the next event takes place.

Lastly, we have Moses and Joshua, the type and shadow of those that seek God with a whole heart.  Unlike the elders of the congregation that could only hear God speak from afar, yet never truly approach him, it is Moses and Joshua alone that can proceed any further.  Furthermore, in Moses and Joshua, we see the type and shadow of the calling of the elect to the mountain of God, Mt. Sion.

First to be called to fellowship before the Lord was Moses, the type and shadow of the church.  It was Moses that was allowed to commune with God 40 days.  It was Moses that received the revelation of the Word of God, directly from God himself – just as the Apostles communed with Christ 40 days after his full revelation as the risen Son of God.  It was the Apostles that received the Word of God directly from the Holy Spirit in the second fulfillment of the High, Holy place – the upper room.

Second to be called was Joshua, the type and shadow of Israel, as it was Joshua – not Moses – that was permitted to cross over the river Jordan into the Promised Land.  Moses would stand afar, looking upon the Promised Land, knowing it was not to be his possession – yet desiring to be grafted in.  It would be the Gentile that would likewise stand afar off, finally being grafted into the covenant of God with Israel.  Joshua alone would lead Israel – himself also a type and shadow of the coming Jewish Messiah, and also the tribulations that would await Israel as they looked to coming of their future Messiah, and the moving to their promised possession.

This dynamic of Moses and Joshua would also be the type and shadow of the coming Rapture of the church before the time of tribulation, and of the Rapture of the sealed Jews before the time of Jacobs’s trouble.  As Moses ascended the mount of God first, and would lead Israel into the wilderness first, it would be Joshua that likewise ascended the mount after Moses, and would lead Israel, after Moses, into the tribulations that befell Israel enroute to her promises.

There is another dynamic here that directly relates to the final orders that the Lord has now issued to the overcomers.  It is the dynamic of proximity.  Simply stated, the closer you are to God, the more you can hear his voice.  This is not a surprise to Christians, and makes logical sense to most. However, this holds true for EVERYTHING that the Lord says.

That includes the calling of the Great Assembly.  That means the gold trumpet of God.  That means both the first and last trumps.  That means the very voice of God that calls out “the Bridegroom cometh, go out to meet him!”

Some of you are getting the picture now.

In ancient Israel, at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (they were likewise sounded for all the feasts), the two silver trumpets would be sounded to call the congregation to the Temple of God.  The first trump would sound to waken the congregation, and tell them to get ready and assembled at the door.  The last trump would sound, declaring that the time had come to leave the camp and head for the Temple.

However, there were several things worth noting here.  First of all, during the feast, all of Israel was to come to Jerusalem to celebrate.  That meant millions of tents and shelters spread all across the Judean countryside.  Now, if you were among the first to arrive, you pitched your tents right in front of the City of David, as close to the Temple Mount as possible.  Likewise, the later you arrived (usually from living further from Jerusalem, or further from God if you please), the further away your tent was pitched.

On the day of the feast, the first trump would sound.  Those closest to the Temple would have no problems hearing the blast.  Likewise, they would hear the clear and distinct tones of the different calls.  They would know what was being said to the congregation by the notes that were being played.  Notes that they could hear clearly, and with no issues.

It was a different story for those that had arrived later than they should have.

The further from Jerusalem that you camped, the less you could hear the blast of the trumpets.  This made distinguishing the notes much more difficult as well.  If you could not distinguish the notes, then you would not know what was being commanded.  You might just miss the last trump declaring that it was time to go.

This presented another problem.  Not only did the distance from the Temple (god) affect your hearing the blasts of the trumpets, it affected your ability to get to the Temple in time.  If you were delayed enough to miss the calling of the assembly, you were in direct violation of the Law of God.  However, there was a specific time for all of the ceremonies that would occur.  If you did not arrive at the appointed time – you were locked out!

There was yet another dynamic at play here.  Even amongst the congregation that was closest to the Temple there were strangers and foreigners.  Many would also be here for the feast days, seeking out business opportunities or whatever else caught their fancy.  These strangers to the land of Israel would hear the trumpets as clearly as the Jews heard them.  However, they would not understand what they meant.  They would not understand the notes or commands.  They would certainly inquire as to what they were hearing.  They could even attempt to gain some understanding.

In the end they were still strangers in a strange land.  They could be told what the trumpets were for, yet there would be no personal connection.  They would not understand the notes themselves, only what someone told them.  Likewise, they would not journey to the Temple.  Instead, they would simply watch as the congregation of Israel moved to the presence of God, leaving them behind.  Though they inquired of the meaning, though they would seek to understand, it did not change the fact that they were not part of the elect.  They could have converted to the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Doing so would have ensured that they too would depart with the body.

It should also be understood that at a certain distance it would no longer be possible to hear the trump of God.  Those in Edom, Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Egypt would neither hear the sound, nor have any knowledge that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was calling His children to the Holy Temple.

From this background we can see several prophetic meanings to the scriptures.  First, only those closest to God are going to clearly hear and understand the blowing of the first and last trumpets.  Second, there are many strangers among the Holy, and though they may have some understanding – they are still strangers.  They may even look the part, as was the custom in the ancient lands.  None the less, they will be left for they have not joined the congregation.

There will be many that believe, and hear the trumpets, yet they are further from God than they have the time required to travel.  Still, there will be those that are far enough from the Temple that they are not sure that they even heard the trumpets.  They may remain unconvinced that the first trump has blown.  They may not realize what has happened until they see the congregation off in the distance, departing for the Temple.  However, they are not ready.  They scoffed at the first trump and did not dress.  They scoffed at the first trump and did not fill their lamps.  They scoffed at the first trump and had not their shoes.

Now, it will take the shedding of blood to atone for their transgression as they have missed the feast.  They have realized their error, and tried to make the assembly.  But alas, the door was shut and locked when they arrived.  Now, the must repent before God for their failure.

Lastly, there are a great many foreigners in many different nations that do not know of the God of Israel.  They do not believe and do not hear the trumpets blown so far from them.

The trump of God – both first and last – will be a proximity event.  Stated differently, if you are far from God you will not make it in time.  If you are a stranger in the land you will not understand what you have heard.  If you are part of the congregation, yet far in distance from God, you may not believe the sounding of the trumpet.  If you should find yourself at too great a distance from God, or know not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you simply will not hear anything.

D.  Shortly after the first trump sounds, the last trump will likewise sound.  With the taking of the congregation the destruction will fall on the world.

Those without a full portion of oil will be left to the tribulation, or to perish.  Likewise, those believers that love their old life more than their life for the Savior shall likewise perish.

Genesis 19:17 ESV – And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”

Genesis 19:21-22 ESV – He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.  Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Luke 17:26-27 ESV – Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Luke 17:28-30 ESV – Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Genesis 19:24-25 ESV – Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

Genesis 17:26 ESV – But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

2 Peter 3:9-12 ESV – The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

What must be understood by the text in 2 Peter 3 is that this does NOT speak to the Second Coming – it never has.  We simply assumed that it did.  However, with careful examination, we can see that it does not line up with any of the additional scriptures detailing the Second Coming.  It is similar, but not the same.  It does, however, exactly match the scriptures declaring the Rapture, including the warnings from the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ regarding the days of Noah and Lot – especially Lot.

As we close, let’s recap the core orders without the commentary to keep the understanding fresh:

A.  Seven days from the appointed Feast of Trumpets, the Lord will call all overcomers to prepare to depart.  This will be the call to Noah and his family to “enter the Ark”, and the call to Lot to take his family and head for the city gates.

B.  At the close of the 7 days, the time of warning will cease.  At that time, the Holy Spirit will deliver the revelation to overcomers that it is time to go.

C.  At the appointed time, the first gold trump of God will sound to waken the congregation.

D.  Shortly after the first trump sounds, the last trump will likewise sound.  With the taking of the congregation the destruction will fall on the world.

There is little left to offer at this point, save this:

There is little time left.  Do not delay seeking the salvation of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As we stated from the outset, many overcomers will read these words and the Holy Spirit will confirm the truth deep in their hearts.  These are not words that were going to come for no reason.  These scriptures have been present with us for several thousand years.  Yet, the Lord has not chosen until now to reveal the greater truth of what they hold.

This follows the pattern of so many revelations now.  From the rise of Islam, to the blood moons and the Shemitah – the Lord has reserved many mysteries for the end times.  The seal upon the book that Daniel affixed has clearly been removed.

However, the Prophet Joel says it best:

Joel 2:28-31 KJV – And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

All of these have come to pass.

In the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.