LEFT BEHIND AND THE GOSPELOF THE KINGDOM

LEFT BEHIND AND THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM


God's purpose for end time Bible prophecy is not always very clear. That is why a lot of studying is required to get an understanding of the subject. My goal is to explain left behind and the Gospel of the Kingdom in such a simple way that a young child will understand this. If you are a Believer who has that blessed assurance of the very soon to be Rapture of the Church, then you want to do as much for Jesus Christ now but it would be a good idea to leave left behind materials in your home so family, friends, or even strangers can look it over. Then they will have a clear understanding as to where all the Christians went (Heaven) and how they are to look at the coming Tribulation period from a Biblical point of view. There are so many options.You can write a letter to loved ones and leave it out. Five Doves, Hal Lindsey and other end time Bible prophecy web sites have them posted. You could print them out if you feel in your judgment it is Biblical accurate. By leaving a left behind letter or tape out, we are actually showing those that were not a part of the Rapture a lot of courtesy which may go a long way with them. It could be an audio, video, or DVD conveying where the Believers went. I don't think that it is stretching the truth to say that the media will explain away the Rapture. The more Biblical truth that is lying around, the better it will be for that poor left behind soul that very well might be searching for answers. I am sorry if this article is a little lengthy but I want anyone that is left behind to understand how much God really does love them and what they can do to accept this insurmountable love into their very own hearts. For those people that are really searching for answers, I did not think it was my place to say "hey Guys, I'm going to be Raptured soon. Here are a couple of things-good luck." I understand this article is simple yet deep in some areas ; however, the detail is just as important as the simplicity because both speak of God's love and plan for you in this new dispensation that you have entered into. If I were left behind and some of my family members and friends were missing and if I were searching for the truth I would want simplicity, Bible, history, and detail. After all the greatest event in the history of all mankind has just taken place.
I would like to redirect my writing to the people left behind and talk about the subject of fear. Let me just say if parts of this article get a little complicated, hang on with me because I will always bring the precepts back to simplicity, so give yourself a little room and read the whole article. In Revelation 21:8, the Holy Spirit lists eight sins ( strongholds) that could cake up like concrete in the human heart and keep a person from accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts. In essence they have chosen the stronghold/strongholds over Jesus Christ. They made their choice. They unfortunately chose death. Jesus Christ is life. The very first sin ( stronghold) mentioned in this list is fear. We ( the Body of Christ; Church) are living in the closing moments of the age of Grace and mercy and even in this dispensation there is a lot of fear. The news will talk about fear and bad news because it sells. Some Christian leaders talk about fear and they call it the Gospel but it is what the Bible refers to as "another Gospel." Gal. 1:6. When 9/11, the tsunami, the atrocities of War, and a whole host of other bad things happened in the World, fear became the companion of most people but very few people bothered to ask " what is it?" Just because fear is our companion does not mean we understand it. If anything we probably won't because fear is irrational by nature. God put fear into you to be directed back to Him and a holy reverential way. He wants to use it for His glory in your life.You must worship somebody or something in your life because the Bible says " thou shalt have no other gods before me" in Exodus 20:3. In Psalm 145:18,19, the Bible says " He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them." A person will have one or the other (A) Fear in the World or (B) A holy reverential fear for God. There is no in between because fear is already inside of you so you have to make a choice. Of course there are different degrees of fear in the World and there are different degrees of reverential fear for God. There will be much talk of fear after the Rapture of the Church and there will be much reality of fear in the World, so you will have to come to terms with what the Bible says about fear. You will also have to understand that regardless of what cosmetics take place in the World the crux of the matter will be " who will you worship" and this subject will become more animated in the seven year Tribulation period. In much of the World it is rather streamlined at this point, but since the Devil is trying to usurp the throne of God the laissez faire mentality will become more blunt against God. I mentioned that fear is the first sin ( stronghold) in Revelation 21:8 and I would like to say that it is just the opposite of true faith in Jesus Christ. It is also the opposite of God's love. In 1 John 4:18 the Bible says " there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." You will also have to understand that prophecy experts in these closing hours of grace and mercy that adhere to sound doctrine and proper common sense prophetic studies disagree to the timing of Tribulation events and in some cases the place as to where and when it will happen. I don't think it is my place to be dogmatic about the timing in the Tribulation. Questions like when will the Battle of Gog and Magog take place? Ezekiel 38, 39. Is the Battle of Gog and Magog the second seal ( red horse)? Revelation 6: 3,4. When will the second seal (red horse) be unsealed? Will the Antichrist have power all seven years or will it just be the last three and a half years? When will the Two Witnesses from Heaven come? Revelation 11:3. Will the 144,000 Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel stay in Israel or will they travel around the World and be evangelists? Revelation Chapter 7, 14. When will they be sealed of God in their foreheads? Revelation 7:3. Will they be killed or will they be preserved to go into the 1,000 year millennial reign of Jesus Christ? The Scripture is not really clear on this issue. Will the Two Witnesses personally anoint the 144,000 Jews? Will this select group be young, middle aged, or old? None of these questions are really directly answered. Suppositions, assumed knowledge, and presumptions are impossible for me right now. As I listened to the experts debate on these issues, I would ask the Lord and He would give me the same answer every time, " this is not for you." You see I am a part of the Body of Christ. According to James 1:18, the Body of Christ (Church) is " a kind of first fruits." I believe there are many reasons for the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church but one of the reasons is because the Church is symbolically Raptured in Revelation 4:1,2 ( Rapture) before Revelation 6:2 ( the start of the seven year Tribulation period). We ( the Church;the Body of Christ) are a " kind of first fruits" unto Jesus Christ, not " lastfruits." I believe the 144,000 Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel will probably be converted at the beginning of the Tribulation period because according to Revelation 14:4...they " being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb." If you see and hear the Two Witnesses or somebody from this group (144,000 Jews), I would strongly suggest that you think about listening to what they have to say. Once again we on this side of the fence ( the age of Grace and mercy) have a hard time looking over the fence because we are not in or will operate in this dispensation so when is a question for most of us, but for purposes of this article as I progress you will soon find out that these questions will be answered as you travel through life. The most important thing you can do is place your faith in Jesus Christ. Obviously, as time progresses from the Age of Grace to the Tribulation period, fear will increase. I will get into this a little later. Self-preservation is our number one drive in life. This very much involves fear. Before the "Fall", Adam and Eve were not self-preservationists. When Adam sinned fear became very much a part of our World. During the Tribulation period fear will be at an all time high. Remember faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. Romans 10:17. If you read the Bible with a sincere heart fear will be translated to faith in God; however, you must be earnest, honest, and sincere with a heart that is transparent before God. God will search our heart out. He knows the secrets of our hearts. Psalm 44:21. He knows our hearts frontwards, backwards and sideways. He knows everything. As Believers in Jesus Christ, when we get to Heaven, " and it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24. God knows what is in our hearts. While we are on the subject of the heart, in the Tribulation period there will be a lot of religious deception. 2 Thes. 2, Rev. 13. This is the worst type of deception because it is usually accompanied by pride, apathy, and unbelief. It is very hard to talk to this type of person about the true Gospel of Jesus Christ but whatever you do, don't follow them or do as they say if it does not line up with what the Bible says. Fear always leaves us with the " I don't know" but faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ leaves us with " I know in whom I have trusted." In this time period the Devil will try and set up his Utopia on Earth as he attempts to usurp the throne of God. Some people on Earth will see through this and choose God's Utopia-faith in Jesus Christ. In this dispensation God will still have His message of love and grace-His Son died on the Cross as the perfect sacrificial atonement for man's sins because He never sinned and He rose from the dead on the third day. Luke 24:7. I marvel at God's plan of Salvation because it so simple. All one has to do is accept His Son into their hearts by faith and they will be Saved; however, if one chooses Law God will give them what they want. You know the old saying " they may get what they want but they may not want what they get." If a person chooses Law that will be a very heavy burden to carry, not just in this life but for all eternity. I was talking about the heart earlier. Before anybody gets consigned to Hell God will have total understanding of their heart and the sad truth of the matter is if they rejected Jesus Christ they want nothing to do with God. In fact they will die with a fixed character away from God. Many people say that this prophecy stuff does not make any sense and you should just stop talking about it. God has a plan, it is in motion and He will fulfill it through His Son, Jesus Christ. In Revelation 1:3, there is a special blessing promised to those that study the Book and subject with a sincere heart. Besides we have the " Good News" not the "bad news." The World has the 'bad news." The Gospel of Jesus Christ is "Good News." I am 99% sure that Jesus Christ is just about to Rapture His true children out of the Earth into His home-Heaven. Not only are there all kinds of clues but Israel now has their history back ( the Levitical priests, the Sanhedrin) intact. Once Israel gets their roots back into their country they will be ready for Jacob's Trouble. Jer. 30:7. This is not a report to show you how close we are to the Rapture, this is primarily an article to walk the people " left behind" into Biblical guidance and truth.
This article is called " Left Behind and The Gospel of The Kingdom." What I am going to do is write about what is explicitly stated in Scripture relative to the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom, then I am going to write about what is implied in Scripture with optimistic caution. Obviously, an explicit verse is far easier to understand than a set of verses that are implied. You are left behind, where do you stand? In Matthew 24 and 25 Jesus talks about the seven year Tribulation period. Starting in Matthew 24:4, and going all the way through Matthew 25. Jesus talks about deception, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes and then He says in verse 8 that " these are the beginning of sorrows." Once again Jesus is talking about that future seven year Tribulation period which for all I know may be the present for you. If you witness the Rapture of the Church ( 1 Thes 4: 16- 18) and saw a man confirm a seven year peace covenant in the Middle East ( Daniel 9:27) then you are in this time period. In verse 9, Jesus talks about Israel going through much affliction. Going down the chapter people become very offended in this time period. They obviously are not appropriating fear correctly in their hearts when times get really bad so they are betraying one another, and, of course, hatred rather than love is the overruling emotion. In fact two verses down from verse ten Jesus talks about iniquity abounding and people's love waxing cold. That's what sin does, it always leads to death. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Romans 6:23. Here people have a choice to let sins and strongholds dictate to them how they will think and act ( hatred) or to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts by faith and allow His love to permeate their lives. Love and hate are both powerful emotions but with hatred you have to keep feeding it again and again and it is always hungry and never satisfied. There will never be any real sense of closure with this emotion. On the other hand there is a sense of peace about God's love in our hearts. If you choose Jesus Christ He offers that comfort that will dwell in your heart, your life will radiate the presence of God,and so will your eternity. The Tribulation period is not so much a physical battle as much as it is a struggle for the souls of men and women. Jesus talks about false prophets deceiving one another, the Antichrist, the Jewish people fleeing for their lives, and if all of this were not bad enough Jesus says " 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. Then in verse 22 Jesus actually comes out and takes the reader to the end of the seven year Tribulation and talks about rescuing Israel at the climax of the Battle of Armageddon. This is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Of course the World is a complete mess at this time but the Bible is amazing because that verse just happens to be verse 22 and this number has a Biblical meaning of disorganization and disintegration. Then Jesus backs up and gets a little more specific about the end of the seven year Tribulation period, then going into Matthew 25 He arrives at His Second Advent ( Second Coming) and gets into a lengthy discourse regarding His deliberation of judgment when He arrives. The title of this article is " Left Behind and the Gospel of the Kingdom", so I specifically want to focus my attention on this particular reality that will take place. I shared with you from Scripture most of the bad things in Matthew 24 ( The Tribulation period); however, couched in verse 14 the Bible says " 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." Matthew 24:14. God showed me some amazing things for your edification and encouragement in this very trying time period. Of course there are other chapter numbers and verses regarding this subject but I only have so much time and space. Everything has to be taken in its' proper context. Jesus talks about this subject in other chapters in the Gospels but I don't have the time to go over those numbered contexts.
Let me just give you a little history as to what the numbers 24 and 25 mean.Jesus is talking about this seven year Tribulation period in these two chapters in Matthew. The number 24 is talking about heavenly government and worship. The Biblical meaning of the number 25 is shown in 5x5. This number is emphasizing the number 5. Obviously the number means grace enlarged to a higher degree. So Jesus is talking about the worst time period in the history of all mankind but it is under the chapter headings ( 24, 25) of heavenly government and grace even though in this dispensation the world is going back to law and it is taking place on the planet. I had a hard time understanding this until God spoke to my heart and told me that He is in perfect control even in difficult times. When I started to put the numbered verses together under the chapter headings that is when the Holy Spirit really started putting this together. Since I am God's child I can claim this promise " and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. There will be people accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts in this dispensation and for purposes of explaining how much God really does care for you I will explain to you what the Lord showed me regarding the number 7 and how much He cares about getting the Gospel of the Kingdom around the World. God really does care and I was really surprised at what the Holy Spirit showed me. I will also explain a little more about the Gospel of the Kingdom but keep this simple. In Revelation 14:12 the people that are coming to know the Lord, Jesus Christ are accepting Him by faith. It says the same thing in Revelation 13:10. The Kingdom ( Gospel of the Kingdom) is referring to the 1,000 year millennial reign of Jesus Christ. We in this Age of Grace beckon people to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts so they will be a part of the Rapture of the Church. If you have not accepted the Lord into your heart and you are on this side of the Rapture by all means today is the day of Salvation. It would not be wise to tarry on that all important eternal decision. If the great airlift (Rapture) has already taken place you are in a different dispensation according to the Bible. After the seven year Tribulation period the 1,000 year millennial reign of Jesus Christ will take place. The Bible says Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom in Matthew 4:23. It is also mentioned in Mark 1:14,15. Fourteen-now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Fifteen-and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel. The Jewish people had an opportunity to accept the Kingdom when Jesus Christ walked the planet but they ended up rejecting His visitation. He was eventually Crucified and rose from the dead on the third day. Of course nothing takes God by surprise because He sees the future so He then enacted a time period called the Age of Grace. The Gospel of the Kingdom was postponed for approximately 2,000 years so "...that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." Romans 11:25. I will in a very simple way explain to you (A) why the Rapture of the Church has/had to take place when the fullness of the Gentiles comes/came in, (B) why the Gospel of the Kingdom has to be preached around the World. Jesus knew all along that He was going to be rejected because He said in John 16:7 " nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you." Jesus Christ died on the Cross, rose from the dead, and showed Himself alive after His Resurrection for 40 days talking about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). The Bible says in Acts 1:9 " and when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight." When Jesus left according to Acts, Chapter 2 this is when John 16:7 came true. I quoted John 16:7 a few lines ago. Jesus was saying I must go away because if I don't I won't be able to send you the Holy Spirit to live inside of you. For approximately 2,000 years God has sent His servants out into the World to preach and teach verses like John 3:16. For God so loved the World, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Or verses like Romans 10: 9,10. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be Saved. (10) for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. Or they may have quoted Ephesians 2:8,9. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) not of works, lest any man should boast. I am writing this article at the end of the Age of Grace before the Rapture. At this very moment the Holy Spirit's restraining power is keeping the whole World from the seven year Tribulation period. And now ye know what withholdeth that He might be revealed in His time (7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way. 2 Thes. 2:6,7. The Church (Body of Christ) will be removed with the Restrainer ( Holy Spirit) and we will go to Heaven. On Earth a new dispensation will start but what I want to focus on is not the bad news but the good news of Jesus Christ and His wonderful message of the Gospel of the Kingdom for this dispensation. I would recommend that you read the Book of Revelation and other books of the Bible but relative to this message of the Gospel of the Kingdom let me show you how much God really does care for you.
Let me just start by saying that the Biblical meaning of the number 7 is spiritual perfection. So if you were to take the number 7x2=14. This would be a double measure of spiritual perfection. I'm going to explain where I am going with this but let me just say even though the Holy Spirit's restraining power was removed at the Rapture of the Church the Holy Spirit will still have the function of drawing individuals to the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ ( Yeshua) ; however, He will operate the same way He did in Old Testament times. His restraining power left the Earth; however, He will not leave the Earth because the Holy Spirit's attributes are omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. OK, let me show you some encouraging Scriptures and numbers. In Matthew 24:14, I shared with you that God is going to get the Gospel of the Kingdom around the World in the midst of all the chaos. Notice it is in verse 14. Remember 7x2=14. A double measure of spiritual perfection under the canopy of Matthew 24 (emphasis 24) heavenly government. God is very much involved in getting the Gospel of the Kingdom out around the World because not only did the Holy Spirit say it in verse 14 but He juxtapositioned it in verse 14. When a person accepts Jesus Christ into their hearts the Bible says that God does something to that person. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor. 5:17. When a person accepts Jesus into their hearts God PERFECTS that individuals' spirit because..."all things become new" ( 2 Cor. 5:17). You see Salvation in Jesus Christ is a work of God through that individual's profession of faith. He makes us spiritually perfect ( the very meaning of the number 7). The number 7x2=14 ( a double measure of spiritual perfection). Another way to look at this is in the midst of the Tribulation it is almost as if God is trying to say this is My perfect message of Salvation in My Son and I am putting emphasis on this by putting My promise in my Word to get the Gospel of the Kingdom around the whole World. I hope it is becoming more evident that God cares and loves you very much. So people might be saying " oh you're reading into this"-am I, well let's find out. If parts of this are complicated all I ask is that you just hang with the whole article so you will understand the basic idea of what God is trying to convey to you as an individual to personally see His message of love for you through His Son. Most people are of the same belief that I adhere to relative to the 144,000 Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel having a key pivotal role in winning souls for Jesus Christ in the seven year Tribulation period that study and follow prophecy. In Revelation 7, the 144,000 are sealed of God in their foreheads/all twelve tribes are introduced and then a vision is giving that the Apostle John could not number. I am not going to talk about this IMPLIED vision just yet because I am at the EXPLICIT part of the article, but one thing to me is clear the progression of this Chapter is (1) 144,000 sealed (2) introduction from twelve tribes and (3) converts to Jesus Christ. Seems to me from this progression that the 144,000 had something to do with their conversion, and what Chapter is this in-SEVEN. In verse 12 there is angelic worship probably regarding the Salvation of God through Jesus Christ because of the context this is in and they give SEVEN praises (1) blessing (2) glory (3) wisdom (4) thanksgiving (5) honor (6) power (7) might. Revelation Chapter FOURTEEN is a parenthetical Chapter talking about several things regarding redemption ( this always involves being Saved by Jesus Christ through their faith) because in verse 3 the 144,000 were singing a song which no man could sing of joy because they were redeemed ( Salvation) from the Earth. I have to explain here or drift a little because the Bible says these 144,000 Jews were redeemed from the Earth. In the Book of Revelation starting from the beginning of the Tribulation to the end, off and on the people of the Earth are referred to as Earth dwellers. In 1 Peter 2:11 " Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims"...In 2 Cor. 5:20 we are referred to as ambassadors for Christ, in Heb. 11:13 the Body of Christ; Church is referred to as strangers and pilgrims on the Earth, but the Church is never referred to as Earth dwellers. This is another piece of evidence that the Church is Raptured before the Tribulation period. This terminology is not associated with the Body of Christ. The 144,000 were singing a song of praise because they were redeemed and this is in Rev., Chapter FOURTEEN. In this same chapter ( fourteen) three angels literally preach a message of Salvation from Heaven at different points and times when conditions get really horrible on Earth. The first angel in Rev. 14:7 ( notice I am in verse SEVEN) " saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made Heaven, and Earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." What a Salvation message! Fear God-I was talking about fear earlier in this article-worship Him-I was saying earlier in the article that you were programmed inside to worship somebody or something. The second angel talks about Babylon fallen and the third angel warns the inhabitants of the Earth not to take the Mark of the Beast in their right hand or forehead, so nobody is going to take this Mark by accident. This could be somewhere in the middle of the seven year Tribulation period. Obviously there are many drastic changes from the age of Grace and mercy to this dispensation but I am going to continue in the main theme of my message to prove to you that in the midst of all this chaos God has an overwhelming love for you and He has inscribed it in Scripture. If you are reading this as a left behind participant you may want to refer to this article several times to reaffirm God's love for you. In Rev. 17:14 ( fourteen-7x2=14) Jesus Christ is referred to as Lord of Lords, and King of Kings and then the Holy Spirit is talking about his called, chosen, and faithful ( His redeemed children). Once again in a verse numbered as double spiritual perfection. Remember God makes us perfect through His Son Jesus Christ though His simple message of Salvation. If you decide to accept Jesus into your heart then God will see you as perfect because He will be looking at you through His Son Jesus Christ. God the Father will look at the Cross and through the empty Resurrection Tomb and see you as if you never even sinned, but for this to be a reality in your life you have to make a decision to accept Him into your heart. If an individual is sincerely accepting Jesus into their heart obviously there is true repentance of sin in their spirit. Salvation is a work of God, and just think it is just one simple prayer of accepting the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart. Are you getting a numerical picture of how much God really does care for you? Do you see that God wants you to spend eternity with Him because He has such overwhelming love for you. In Rev. 21:7..." and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." This is in verse SEVEN and it is picturing that close personal relationship that Jesus Christ will have with His children ( they were redeemed, saved from their sin and Hell). Can you just see Jesus Christ Himself walking side by side with one of His children? What a picture of a close personal relationship with His children that we will have for all eternity. I want to end with my final example of the explicit sevens for Salvation. I think we have to ask a very basic question. Why is this seven year Tribulation going to be enacted by God? It is to bring Israel back to their true Messiah, Jesus Christ (Yeshua). The verse I am about to quote is for Israel and it involves their Salvation. Alas! For that day is great so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's Trouble; but He shall be SAVED ( emphasis mine) out of it. Jer. 30:7. Jacob's name was changed to Israel. This is in Jer. 30:7 (SEVEN). By the way the number 30 means marking the right time and moment. Jesus started His ministry at age 30. This chapter is in Jer. 30:7 (THIRTY). Thirty is also a number which Biblically means the Blood of Christ or redemption. In whom we have redemption through His Blood. Eph. 1:7. At the right moment in history God is going to enact a time period called Jacob's Trouble for Israel's redemption so they will come to know their true Messiah Jesus Christ ( Yeshua). It is couched in verse SEVEN ( spiritual perfection). Wherever you are in life as you are reading this I hope you are starting to be convinced with conviction that Jesus Christ wants to come into your life and commune with you. The Devil will throw roadblock after roadblock of deceptions to convolute God's simple plan of Salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. According to the Bible Jesus Christ will be worshipped for all eternity, not the Devil. Isaiah 66:22 to 24, Rev. 21,22. The Devil will fail in his attempt to usurp the throne of God and ultimately be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity. Rev. 21:10. Do you see why I started this article with the subject of fear and worship?
Let me just say a couple of things about the explicit part of this article relative to the Gospel of the Kingdom. In this age of Grace and mercy no evangelist that bears fruit for the Kingdom of God preaches the Gospel of the Kingdom because that message is for the dispensation after the age of Grace. The Book of Revelation is surrounded by SEVENS. To understand this you would just have to read the Book. If God is juxtapositioning Salvation verses in SEVEN then understand His unconditional love for you is incomprehensible. He cares very deeply for you. Once again I don't know if I am talking to people on this side of the fence ( the age of Grace and mercy) or the other side of the fence after the Rapture ( the dispensation of the Kingdom) but know that God freely gives Salvation to a person's heart through simple faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Talking about prophecy is like taking a small glass and putting it into a ocean. All of God's prophetic program will be instituted,not just the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached around the world, but I believe this is the best news because people's eternity destinies are being changed from death to life. They will spend eternity with Jesus Christ in Heaven. I can't imagine spending eternity without Him. I will do my best to walk you through parts of Revelation Chapter 7 to show you what is implied and who I believe this group is and is not. 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 (10) and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Rev. 7:9,10. I have heard and read many commentaries on who this group is. Before I start, this has got to be overwhelmingly obvious to you that this is a scene in Heaven not on Earth. They are before the throne, they are clothed with white robes, they have palm branches in their hands ( celebration and joy) and they together in one place are singing a song of praise to God for His Salvation through Jesus Christ. This second point I am about to make may not be so obvious. The Apostle John was placed in the Spirit in Revelation 1:10, and Revelation 4:1,2. By the time the Holy Spirit took him to this multitude in Heaven the Bible says he could not number this crowd. In fact he said " which no man could number" but if any man could it would have been John because he could somehow number the army of the horsemen in Revelation 9:16 which was 200,000,000 people. In Revelation 7:9 he did not even try and number this group. The tone of verse nine seems to be Gentile because " and kindreds and people, and tongues." This does not mean that Jewish people will not be in this group. There will be Jewish people accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts as their Messiah (Yeshua). Romans, Chapter 11. God also relative to the Gospel of the Kingdom will have another purpose for Israel. God talks about the Jewish people and their role in the Tribulation period as a country ( Israel) and who will survive to the end and see the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, sayeth the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. (9) And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name and I will hear them: I will say, it is my people: and they shall say, the Lord is my God. Zechariah 13:8,9. When I read " that in the land" I am not sure if that is the whole Earth or just Israel. One third will go into the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ because at the end of verse 9 it says " and they shall say the Lord is my God." According to Isaiah 6:13 " but yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return"....In looking at this context I do believe this particular passage is talking about the country of Israel ( perhaps a portion of Israel). The vision that the Apostle John saw in Heaven that I quoted in Revelation 7 are a great multitude in Heaven. This is a different group in a different place with a different function.
Who is this group? Is it the Saved of all ages? In 1 Cor. 15: 52-54 the Apostle Paul is talking about the Church being Raptured and getting their new resurrected bodies. Paul is talking about this in the context of the Body of Christ. In 1 Thes. 4: 16-18 Paul is saying the Christians that already died will get their resurrected bodies first and then the Rapture will take place. For example Bill Bright who just recently passed on to be with the Lord does not have his resurrected body. He was living in the Age of Grace and he is in the Body of Christ. He will get his body first and then the living Christians will be Raptured and get their resurrected bodies. If you are left behind you witnessed this event in the sense that you see evidence of missing people around the world.The Church seems to be getting their resurrected bodies at a different time than the Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints are getting their resurrected bodies in Heaven. Besides this group in Revelation 7:14 " came out of great tribulation." Is it the Church? The Church was symbolically Raptured in Revelation 4: 1,2. Besides this passage is in a seven year Tribulation context ( Revelation, Chapter 7) and according to Revelation 7:14 John did not recognize this group. John would have observed and known the Church. Was it the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation saints? I believe it is quite possible that these two groups will get their newly resurrected bodies together; however, the part that I can't get by in the immediate context is Revelation 7:14..." these are they which came out of great tribulation." Not every Old Testament saint came out of great tribulation or even tribulation for that matter. All I can simply say is I believe the most popular interpretation of this passage in that there will be a great Gentile revival in the Tribulation period probably from the 144,000 Jews of the twelve tribes of Israel is true. I can't be 100% sure that my interpretation is correct because it is an implied vision. I tried to be as objective as I could but this is also my hearts' desire. It is good news if many people around the World from " kindreds and people, and tongues" are responding to God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ. According to Revelation 7:9 they have white robes because they accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts. In verse 14, they are only white because they were washed in the Blood of the Lamb. They were holding palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7:9. This is not only celebration but it sounds like a coronation process. In John 12:13 when Jesus Christ had His earthly ministry (13) " Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried "Hosanna: blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." They were trying to prematurely coronate Jesus Christ as King but it was not His time yet. They did not realize what they were doing but they were prophetically and symbolically laying those palm branches down as a future prophecy. And He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:16.
It is fantastic if you have or will accept Jesus Christ into your hearts. The Scripture ( Hebrew Prophets) mention this time period thirty nine times. It is not only a seven year time period that will try Israel but it will involve the whole World. As I read the Book of Revelation the only people that end up winning are God's people through His Son. Every time people in the Tribulation period reject Jesus Christ or strike their fist against God they get judgment from Heaven . There is nothing but misery in this. Then it even gets worse when they die because they go into a Christ-less eternity void of God's love, under law and in misery. God is only going to tolerate so much rebellion and sin, otherwise He would be mocked. God is not going to allow this to happen. Regardless as to what happens to you rest assured that if you have Jesus Christ in your heart God will see you through whatever hardship that is in this World and you will be the one worshipping, praising, and serving God in Heaven. You definitely want to make sure you made or make this all important decision of accepting Jesus Christ into your heart so that you can live with Him for all eternity.
With Love and Kindness
From Bob D.

The Bermuda Triangle

Greetings to All in the name of Jesus. The last four articles that are on my blog are from my dear Brother in the Lord Ken Schweizer. You will find me posting articles from different people and I pray that you enjoy them.
Agape
Zelma

The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle- from Miami, to the Virgin Islands, to Bermuda. The deepest point
in the Atlantic Ocean is found in the east corner of the Bermuda Triangle. This
point is known as the Puerto Rican trench, 27,500 feet deep. Over 1,000 people
have disappeared here in the last 25 years.
The Devils Sea- from the Philippines, to Japan, to Guam. The deepest point known to man
is found in the southeast corner of the Devils Sea. This point is known as the
Mariana trench, over 36,000 feet deep. Many disappearances have been recorded in
this area.
Sargasso Sea - from the Miami area extending out approximately 3,000 miles. A 1,500,000
square mile area reaching depths over 20, 000 feet. The Gulf Stream currents flow
on the east and the north equatorial currents flow on the southern border. This
leaves a very calm area in the sea where seaweed is deposited.
In 1956 Dr. Kolbe found skeletons of fresh water diatoms in a core sample, 12,000 feet
below the surface, near the Atlantic ridge. These skeletons were estimated to be
10,000 to 12,000 years old.
In 1969 rocks from the depths of the Caribbean Sea. They were found to be made up of
light granite. Geologists believe that this type of rock is confined to the
continents and that the earth's crust below the sea is composed of the heavier,
dark colored basaltic rock.
American, European and African fresh water eels leave their rivers and lakes, enter the
Atlantic ocean, and come together in the Bermuda Triangle, entering into the
depths of the Sargasso sea to spawn. The adults die here and the young return to
their ancestral homes in America, Europe and Africa; taking up to two years to
complete the cycle.
There have been more UFO sightings in the Bermuda Triangle than anywhere else in the
world. Not only above the sea, but entering into and going below the sea.
The only two places in the world where compasses point to true north are in the Bermuda
Triangle and the Devils Sea.
There have been many sightings of strange sea creatures, or monsters, in these two
areas.
More hurricanes and typhoons are formed and intensify in these two areas than all the
other seas in the world put together.
Could there be a lost continent or a lost civilization? Could there be a lost river,
which was once on the surface, where the eels spawn? Could there be a lost lake, which
was once on the surface, where Dr. Kolbe found the skeletons

AMERICA IN THE BIBLE

America in the Bible
I Definitions
A. Israel – Israel throughout the Bible
B. Jordan – Ammon, Moab and Edom
1. Judges 11
C. Egypt – Egypt throughout the Bible
D. Sudan – Cush, son of Ham settled in what we know as Sudan
1. Darby - Ge 2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: that is it which
surrounds the whole land of Cush.
2. KJV - Ge 2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it
that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
E. Russia – Rosh a son of Benjamin
1. Gen 46
F. Iran – Persia
G. Iraq – Babylon
H. Europe – Reunited Roman Empire
I. Central Asia – Magog
J. Seria
K. Greece
L. Saudi Arabia – Sheba and Dedan
M. Libya – Put
N. Lebanon – Tyre
O. Turkey –
II Is America Babylon the Great?
A. Some say New York City is the Babylon of Revelation
1. Revelation 17-18
2. Was the World Trade Center referred to in:
a. Rev 18:9-11 And the kings of the earth, who have committed
fornication, and lived luxuriously with her, shall weep and wail over her,
when they see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off, through fear of
her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city!
for in one hour thy judgment is come. And the merchants of the earth
weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their lading any more;
b. Jeremiah 50-51
1) Future Babylon will be the last of the super-powers – Jeremiah 50:12
2) Future Babylon is where a body of the world’s leaders assembles –
Jeremiah 51:44
3) Future Babylon is the world’s policeman – Jeremiah 50:23
4) Future Babylon is extremely wealthy – Jeremiah 51:13
5) Future Babylon is a land of immigrants – Jeremiah 50:16
3. The woman on the beast – The Statue of Liberty
a. Robed in scarlet or purple – The Statue was originally robed in scarlet
b. Golden cup in her hand – Originally had a golden cup, but it was
changed to a torch
c. Purple robe denotes royalty – Statue has a crown of seven spikes or
horns
d. Cup contents: smelly pollutants connected to immigrants – Natural gas
flame connected to immigrants
1) Revelation 15 And he says to me, The waters which thou sawest,
where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and
tongues.
e. Sits on seven heads – mountains or continents – Statue’s crown of seven
spikes or horns representing seven continents.
f. Represents Babylon the mega-city – Statue overlooks Babylon on Long
Island000
g. Reigns over the kings of the earth - Statue overlooks the UN building
h. Mother of harlots – Statue is the mother of exiles, according to the poem
on the base of the statue.
B. No - Babylon is the rebuilt city of Babylon in Iraq
1. The Babylon of Revelation 17-18 is a city not a nation that persecutes
God’s people
a. Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the
saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I wondered,
seeing her, with great wonder.
b. Revelation 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints,
and of all the slain upon the earth.
2. Babylon is the last-days capital of Antichrist Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5;
18:2, 10, 21.
3. Babylon is mentioned 290 in the Bible and every time it is pictured as
essence of evil and rebellion against God.
4. Babylon is Satan’s capital city on earth
a. Babylon is the city where man first began to worship himself in an
organized rebellion against God – Gen 11:1-0
b. Babylon was the capital city of the first world ruler, Nimrod – Genesis
10:8-10; 11:9
c. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed the city of Jerusalem and
the temple in 586 B.C.
d. Babylon was the capital city of the first of four Gentile world empires to
rule over Jerusalem
5. A rebuilt Babylon fits the criteria in Revelation 17-18
a. The city is on the Euphrates river,
b. Politically
c. Geographically
d. Its accessible
e. Has commercial facilities
f. Could very easily be a world oil trade center
6. Jeremiah 50-51 describes a geographical location and the seven parallels to
Revelation 17-18 point to them being the same city. Compare:
a. Jeremiah 51:7a – Revelation 17:3-4; 18:6
b. Jeremiah 51:13 – Revelation 17:7
c. Jeremiah 51:7b – Revelation 17:2
d. Jeremiah 50:1 – Revelation 18:10
e. Jeremiah 51:8a – Revelation 18:8
f. Jeremiah 51:30b – Revelation 17:16
g. Jeremiah 50:39 - Revelation 18:21
h. Jeremiah 50:29 – Revelation 18:6
i. Jeremiah 51:63-64 – Revelation 18:21
j. Jeremiah 51:6, 45 – Revelation 18:4
k. Jeremiah 51:48 – Revelation 18:20
III America the Unnamed Nation in Isaiah 18
A. Isaiah 18:1-2 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the
rivers of Ethiopia: That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of
bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation
scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation
meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!
1. Insignia of wings – American Eagle
2. A land beyond the sea from Israel
3. Beyond Ethiopia – eliminates Europe, Asia and Africa
4. A nation scattered and peeled – a land stretched out and having a large
landmass
5. A land of polluted rivers
B. This is really the land of Cush (Sudan)
1. Read Isaiah 18-20 in context
2. Dealing with modern-day Southern Egypt, Sudan, Somalia and northern
Ethiopia
3. “the land shadowing with wings” truly relates to the whirring wings of
insects that infest the Nile valley area.
IV The Young Lions of Tarshish of Ezekiel 38 (the best possibility)
A. Rosh’s (Russia’s) allies
1. Magog – Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Uzbekistan, Afghanistan)
2. Mechech – Turkey
3. Tubal – Turkey
4. Persia – Iran
5. Ethiopia (Cush) – Sudan
6. Libya (Put) – Libya
7. Gomer – Turkey
8. Beth-togarmah – Turkey
9. All Muslim except Russia
B. Ezekiel 38:13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the
young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast
thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take
away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
1. The name Tarshish is mentioned 20 times in the Bible and every time refers
to a land farthest to the west of Israel (Psalm 72:10)
2. the merchants of Tarshish or traders of goods
3. many equate Tarshish to England and the young lions to the Americas
4. Sheba, and Dedan (Saudi Arabia)
C. Sheba, Dedan and Tarshish put up a minimal protest against Russia and her
allies
D. Tarshish probably refers to Spain or England. Jonah went to Tarshish when he
was commanded to go to Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-3)
E. Look at the alignment of the Gulf War and compare it to Ezekiel 38. The
United States, Western Europe and Saudi Arabia against Iraq while Russia,
Iran, Sudan, Liba and most of the other Middle East and Persian Gulf nations
were aligned (secretly) with Iraq.
F. If the United States is Tarshish, what happened to our power?
V A fallen America
A. America is not mentioned specifically because she will be destroyed by other
nations.
1. Recent terrorist attacks seem to point to our own freedom and technology
being our Achilles’ heel.
B. America is not mentioned because she will have lost her influence as a result
of moral and spiritual deterioration.
1. Even so, we would still be a major military power.
C. The Rapture causes America to fall apart
1. America must remain strong until the end time to ensure Israel’s existence
a. America is Israel’s number one ally
b. Economic and military aid $3-4 billion annually
c. Our aid makes up 7 to 8% of Israel’s budget
d. America will not fall as long as we continue to support Israel Gen 12:3
2. We know that the Antichrist will promise Israel peace for 7 years
a. Daniel 9:27
b. Even the revived Roman empire prospers as long as it supports Israel
1) Strengthens throughout the first 3 ½ years
2) Peace for the first 3 ½ years
3. Antichrist and the European empire will replace America as Israel’s chief
ally and major world power
a. Daniel 2:44-45; 7:23-25
4. Nature abhors a vacuum
a. If America falls to her knees because of the rapture, Antichrist and the
revived Roman empire will step in to fill the vacuum
5. America devastated;
a. Barna Research Online
1) 85% of Americans claim to be Christians
2) 41% of Americans claim to be born-again Christians
a) 115 million
3) 8% of American adults identify themselves as evangelical Christians
a) 15-20 million adults
b) 10 million children
b. Patrick Johnstone estimates 23% of Americans claim to be evangelical
Christians
1) Approximately 65 million
c. The rapture will take somewhere between 25 and 65 million adults
1) Also the children under the age of accountability
2) The best of America will be taken Matthew 5:13-14
3) Double the combined population of New York City, Los Angeles,
Chicago and Huston
6. Why not the rest of the world? (Patrick Johnstone)
a. America – 23 % of the population claim to be evangelicals
b. Africa – 11.4 of the population claim to be evangelicals
c. Latin America – 9.1 of the population claim to be evangelicals
d. Asia – 2.7 of the population claim to be evangelicals
e. Middle East – 0.3 of the population claim to be evangelicals
f. Europe – less then 2 % of the population claim to be evangelicals
1) 45 states
2) total population 500 million
g. Turkey – The city of Izmir
1) Population 3 million
2) 200 people attend a Christian church
3) 0.006 % just attend
VI Will American troops be at Armageddon?
A. Yes
1. Zechariah 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and
the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and
half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people
shall not be cut off from the city.
2. Zechariah 12:3 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all
the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah
and against Jerusalem.
3. Revelation 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which
go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to
the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
B. The four final world powers
1. The king of the North
a. Russia
b. Muslim allies
c. Daniel 11:40; 11:5-35; Ezekiel 38-39
2. The king of the South
a. Egypt – Muslim
b. Africa
c. Daniel 11:40
3. The king of the East
a. China
b. India, Pakistan, Japan
c. Revelation 16:12
4. The king of the West
a. Revived Roman empire
b. Daniel 2:40-43; Revelation 13:4-8
c. NATO nations
C. Even now we are being drawn into the one world government
1. First NATO
2. The UN
3. Now GATT, NAFTA, WTO
4. The World Court
5. Removing “one Nation under God”
6. Creation of a Multilanguage America
D. Who will America side with?
1. Definitely not any Muslim confederation
2. China and company – No, we have never allied with them
3. Antichrist and the revived Roman empire
a. We are aligned with them now – NATO
b. A majority of Americans can trace the ancestors back to Europe
c. “Religious” compatibility (remember - after the rapture)
Conclusion: I believe that America will be brought to its knees from the loss caused by
the rapture. What will be the affect of 25 to 65 and maybe up to155 million adults taken
in the rapture; along with an unknown number of children, just disappearing? Add to that
an unknown number of people killed by disappearing Christians (planes, trains, cars etc
crashing, doctors and nurses disappearing from operating rooms, etc).
How close are we? Look at Russia’s attempts to align with Muslim nations. Look at
Europe trying to pander to the Palestinian and Iranian terrorists. What about the
American congress wanting UN approval to attack Iraq? Can you see the pieces coming
together?
The Bible doesn’t categorically show America falling or how it does. There are only two
ways to know absolutely what is going to happen:1) To be with Christ in Heaven
watching. 2) Fail to depend on Jesus to forgive your sins and the fact that He paid for
your sins on the cross and actually living to see and participate in the fall of America. As
for me, I’ll be with Christ watching and I hope to see you there

RAPTURE AND THE LAST TRUMPET

Rapture
and
The Last Trumpet
THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS
GOD’S TRUMPET
1Thes 4:16 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:
When did God provide a trumpet? In Gen 22:11-13 the Lord provides a Ram
with two horns. There were two types of trumpets in the Old Testament;
1) a metallic (usually silver) trumpet and 2)the shofar or ram's horn.
Gen 22:11-13 “And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven,
and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay
not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for
now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns:
and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt
offering in the stead of his son.” The Ram was perfect and had two
horns; Jewish tradition calls them the first and last trumpet. This ram
became the substitute for Isaac even as Jesus became the substitute for
us and provided life for us through His death.
LAST TRUMPET
1Cor 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”.
In Judaism, there are three named trumpets; the first, the last and the
Great trumpets. We must remember that the rapture is a calling of the
Lord’s people to Him; and not the announcement of a coming judgment.
These will be discussed below.
THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS
The Feast of Trumpets introduces the autumn festivals-representing the
culmination of the present age of man and the beginning of an
incredible time during which God will play a much more direct part in
world events.
The previous festivals constitute personal responses to the workings of
God in the people He calls and chooses. The Feast of Trumpets herald
the intervention of God in the affairs of humanity on a global basis.
This Holy Day represents a dramatic turning point in world history.
This particular festival also marks the beginning of the third and
final feast season (Exodus 23:14, Deuteronomy 16:16), which includes the
final four Holy Days of the year, Rosh HaShanah.
ROSH HASHANAH
A special season known as 'Teshuvah' which in Hebrew means "to return
or repent", begins on the first day of the month of Elul and continues
40 days, ending with Yom Kippur. Thirty days into Teshuvah, on Tishrei
1, comes Rosh HaShanah. This begins a final ten-day period beginning on
Rosh HaShanah and ending on Yom Kippur. These are known as the High
Holy Days and as the Awesome Days. The Sabbath that falls within this
ten-day period is called 'Shabbat Shuvah', the Sabbath of Return. Five
days after Yom Kippur is 'Sukkot', the Feast of Tabernacles. Teshuvah
begins on Elul 1 and concludes on Tishrei 10, Yom Kippur. Each morning
during the 30 days of the month of Elul, the trumpet (shofar) or ram's
horn is blown to warn the people to repent and return to God.
God has always had a heart to warn people before He proclaims judgment.
God warned the people before the flood, and He warned Nineveh before it
was ruined. He does not want anyone to receive the wrath of His
judgment (Ezekiel 18:21-23, 30-32, Zephaniah 2:1-3).
The message from the first day of Elul to Rosh HaShanah is
clear: Repent before Rosh HaShanah. Don't wait until after Rosh
HaShanah, or you will find yourself in the Days of Awe.
The term "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this
holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of
remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar, or
the Day of the Awakening Blast). On Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding
of the Shofar, it is imperative for every person to hear the shofar.
Yom Teruah is the only festival that no man knows the day or the hour
in which it begins. This is due to the fact that it begins on the new
moon. The new moon was sanctified when two witnesses see the new moon
and attest to it before the Sanhedrin in the Temple. This
sanctification could happen during either of two days, depending on
when the witnesses come. Since no one knew when the witnesses would
come, no one knew when the Feast of Trumpets would start. On the 30th
of each month, the members of the High Court assembled in a courtyard in
Jerusalem, where they waited to receive the testimony of two reliable
witnesses. They then sanctified the new moon. The new moon is very
difficult to see on the first day because it can be seen only about
sunset, close to the sun, when the sun is traveling north. So, looking
for a very slim faint crescent moon, which is very close to the sun, is
a very difficult thing to do. If the moon's crescent was not seen on
the 30th day, the new moon was automatically celebrated on the 31st
day. For this reason, Yom Teruah is always celebrated for two days.
These two days are celebrated as though it is just one long day of
forty-eight hours. The reason that it is celebrated for two days is
because if they waited to start the celebration until after the new moon
had been sanctified, they would have missed half the celebration because
the new moon can only be sanctified during daylight hours and the Jewish
day would have started the sundown before (Jewish day is from sundown
to sundown). The command seems to be that we know the season, but not
the day or the hour (Matthew 24:32-36).
The Jewish calendar is based on three astronomical phenomena: the
rotation of the Earth about its axis (a day); the revolution of
the moon about the Earth (a month); and the revolution of the
Earth about the sun (a year). These three phenomena are
independent of each other, so there is no direct correlation
between them. On average, the moon revolves around the Earth in
about 29½ days. The Earth revolves around the sun in about 365¼
days, that is, about 12.4 lunar months.
Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets, is the only feast that we do not
know the day or the hour in which to keep it. Therefore, we have to be
on the alert and watch for it.
Teruah means "an awakening blast". A theme associated with Rosh
HaShanah is the theme "to awake". Teruah is also translated as
"shout". The book of Isaiah, chapter 12, puts the shouting in the
context of the thousand-year reign of Jesus. The Messianic era and
shout is mentioned in Isaiah 44:23 and Zephaniah 3:14. The first coming
of Christ is associated with a shout in Zechariah 9:9. The ultimate
shout is the rapture in First Thessalonians 4:16-17.
Whether it is by the blast of a shofar or the force of a supernatural
shout, God's goal is to awaken us. "...Awake thou that sleepest, and
arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." -Ephesians
5:14. The book of Ephesians has many references to Rosh HaShanah and the
high Holy Days. For example, in Ephesians 4:30, being sealed unto the
day of redemption refers to Yom Kipur, the Day of Atonement. God gave
this festival to teach us that we will be judged on Rosh HaShanah and
will be sealed unto the closing of the gates on Yom Kippur
The theme of awakening from sleep is used throughout the Bible. It is
found in John 11:11, Romans 13:11, Daniel 12:1-2 and Psalm 78:65.
The shofar was also blown at the temple to begin the Sabbath each week.
There are two types of trumpets used in the Bible:
1. The silver trumpet
2. The shofar or ram's horn
Each Sabbath, two men with silver trumpets and a man with a shofar made
three trumpet blasts twice during the day. On Rosh HaShanah, it is
different. The shofar is the primary trumpet. On Rosh HaShanah, a
shofar delivers the first blast, a silver trumpet the second, and then
a shofar the third.
According to Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1, Rosh HaShanah is the day
of the blowing of the trumpets.
"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, in
the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of
blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation." -Leviticus 23:24
"And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have
an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of
blowing the trumpets unto you." -Numbers 29:1
The trumpet used for this purpose is the ram's horn, not trumpets made
of metal as in Numbers Chapter 10.
Another name for Rosh HaShanah is 'Yom HaDin', the Day of Judgment.
The righteous are separated and will be with God. This is known to
Bible believers as the rapture. The wicked will face the wrath of God
during the tribulation period.
The shofar blown on Rosh HaShanah is known as the last trump, which the
apostle Paul mentioned in First Thessalonians 4:16-17. At this time,
the believers in Christ will escape the tribulation on earth and will
be taken to Heaven in the rapture along with the righteous who had died
before this time.
The gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah so the righteous nation
may enter (Isaiah 26:2, Psalm 118:19-20). Because the gates of Heaven
are understood to be open on Rosh HaShanah, this is further evidence
that the rapture of the believers in Christ will take place on Rosh
HaShanah.
One of the reasons for blowing the shofar is to proclaim the resurrection
of the dead. The resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh
HaShanah. In First Corinthians 15:52, the apostle Paul tells us that
the resurrection of the dead will be "at the last trump." Earlier in
First Corinthians 15:14, he wrote that without the Lord Jesus rising
from the dead, our faith is in vain.
We cannot go to the Book of Revelation and say that the voice of the
seventh angel (Revelation 11:15) is the last trump. In the first
century, the last trump (shofar) meant a specific day in the year. In
Judaism, there are three trumpets that have a name. They are the first
trump, the last trump, and the great trump. Each one of these trumpets
indicates a specific day in the Jewish year. The first trump is blown
on the Feast of Pentecost (Exodus 19:19). It proclaimed that God had
betrothed Himself to Israel. As mentioned earlier the last trump is
synonymous with Rosh HaShanah, according to Theodore Gaster in his book,
Festivals of the Jewish Year, in his chapter on Rosh HaShanah. Herman
Kieval also states the same thing in his book, The High Holy Days in the
chapter on the shofar. The great trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, which
will herald the return of Jesus back to the earth (Matthew 24:31).
Rabbi Eliezer tells us in Pirkei Avot, that the left horn (first trump)
was blown on Mount Sinai, and its right horn (the last trump) will be
blown to herald the coming of the Lord for His Church. Isaiah 18:3 and
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 speak of the resurrection of the dead.
1Thessalonians chapter 5 continues with the day of the Lord and the
birth pangs of the Messiah. The festivals will, beyond a shadow of a
doubt, tell you that the resurrection of the dead precedes the time of
Jacob's trouble (the tribulation). 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says that
the dead in Christ will rise first, and that the catching away of the
believers will immediately follow.
The term 'rapture' comes from the Greek word 'harpazo', which means "to
seize, catch away, catch up, pluck, pull, take by force" (1
Thessalonians 4;17). Isaiah 57:1-2 speaks clearly of the resurrection
of the dead, the taking of the believers, and the hiding of the
believers from the indignation (the tribulation). Zephaniah 1:14-18 and
2:2-3 tells about the terrible times during the day of the Lord, the
birth pangs of the Messiah, and issues a decree to repent and turn to
God before that day to be hid from that time. Psalm 27:5 says the
righteous will be hid in the time of trouble. Paul in 2 Thessalonians
2:1 tells us, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him." The phrase
"gathering together" comes from the Greek word 'episunagoge', which
means "an assembly".
The Feast of Trumpets, through careful study depicts nothing less than
the return of Jesus Christ for His Church at the last trump, just
before God pours His wrath and judgment on a sinful and Christ rejecting
world.

PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE

Pre-Tribulation Rapture?
I must state, up front, that I believe in a pre-wrath rapture. That (in my opinion) places the rapture either before the revealing of the antichrist or before the sixth seal of Rev 6:12, but I am leaning toward the first or a pre-tribulation rapture. I will also state that there is no single verse that definitively states the Lord will return for His Church at this time, before, mid or post-tribulation, although taking Luke 17:26 in conjunction with Gen 7:10 does come very close (see below). The Word does say that He will return for the Church.
If the following is taken in total and if the God’s Word is not redefined, there can only be one conclusion drawn. The rapture of the Church will occur before the wrath of our Lord is poured out upon the earth.
Brief
The Word says that Christ will build His Church; it is a New Testament Church. The building started after Christ said this, not before. - Mat 16:18
Israel is not part of the Church. - Mat 16:18, Read and study Heb 10:8-10 (8 speaks of the old or under the law. 9 speaks of the change, 10 speaks of the Church or grace). The first, Israel under the law, was removed so that the second, the Church under grace, could be established. Also 1Cor 13:10.
The above two statements are very important, as the two different and unique people of God must be one in order to make post-tribulation rapture feasible.
The word says that the Tribulation is the wrath of the Lamb. Re 6:16-17 & Re 14:10
The word says that we are not appointed unto wrath. - 1Thes 5:9, John 3:36
The Word says that the Tribulation is the Judgment of the Lord. - Re 6:10, Re 11:18, Re 14:7, among others.
The word says that our sins have been washed away. - Heb 10:17
How can we be judged for sins that aren’t remembered? Heb 10:17. Our judgment is in the rewards we either receive or loose. 1Cor 3:14-15.
Would God pour His wrath out on Himself or His temple? Would God judge Himself or His temple? 1Cor 3:16 Remember that only the Church has the promise of The Holy Spirit never leaving us. Heb 13:5 We will see later that this was not the case for the Old Testament saints.
Israel’s saint’s sins were covered by sacrifice and uncovered yearly. – Heb 10:1-4
Israel’s saint’s sins will be wiped away after those days. Jer 31:33 in conjunction with Heb 8:10 & Heb 10:16-17. Prophetically “those days” - Mat 24:22, Mat 24:29, Mark 13:17
The Lord will return for His bride and take us back with Him. John 14:2-3.
A description of His return for us, notice this is only for believers and we meet him. 1Thes 4:16-18 & 1Cor 15:52-58. These are the two references of Christ returning for His believers, His bride. Christ is not making a U-Turn; it was His plan to return to the Father’s house with
us. John 14. No mention of His going into battle.
A very strong implication of when is given. The Word says, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” God shut Noe (Noah) and his family up, in safety, in the ark for 7 days (1 week. pointing to the beginning of the 70th week) before He poured out His final wrath and judgment on the known world. Read Gen 7:6-10. Appling this to the tribulation, we would have the Lord returning for us 1 week (7 years) before He returns for the great battle of Armageddon.
Again the Word points to an Old Testament event (Sodom) to describe the revealing of the Lord in Luke 17:29-30. Then in Luke 17:32-37 the Word goes on to show what will occur before His revealing. Some will be removed, some not. The Lord gave Lot a place of refuge and did not just have him go out into the mountains in Gen 19:19-26. Some were removed (Lot and his daughters), some were not (his sons-in-law and wife). I believe that this is directly pointing to Mat 23:16 (Israel is told to go into the mountains). The parallel is quite evident, before destruction the Church will be given refuge.
The Bride is seen in Rev 5:9-11. Only the saved can sing this new song, not angels or other heavenly creatures, as they have not been saved. Notice large number (out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation), only the Church is promised to be kings and priest and to rule with Him.
The Tribulation saints seen in Rev 6:10-11. Notice that they are given white robes, a covering for sin. Also, the robes and not these saints are washed in His blood in Re 7:14. It is important to see that they are killed for their belief in Christ and their fellow servants would be also, therefore they do not go through the wrath or through the judgment. Yet, they are not being raptured.
The remnant of Israel will be kept through the Tribulation and will not be hurt. – Rev 7-1-8. God knows these tribes from their foundation, in fact from the foundation of the earth. If these are anyone but Jewish saints, God would be authoring confusion and we KNOW He will not do that.
The Church was given the promise that they would be kept "from the hour of trial” not kept through the hour of trial. Rev 3:10 & 1Thes 1:10 & 1Th 5:9
The wrath of God is to be poured out on the ungodly, not His bride. Rom 1:18 & Eph 5:6 & Col 3:6
Millennial Views
Is there a literal millennial, or 1,000 years, when Jesus Christ will rule and reign? The Bible says yes six times in Rev 20:2-7. This kingdom is then described in such verses as Isaiah 2:2-4, 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14; Acts 15:14-17 and many others.
Before any discussion on pre / post tribulation can be started, we must look at the three views relating to the millennial.
Pre-millennial – The position of the early church, for the first four centuries. It teaches that Jesus will return to the earth prior to setting up His 1000 year kingdom age.
Amillennial – The position brought on by Augustine because the times didn’t match the reality of his world. It teaches that there is no actual millennial kingdom and the Bible is really referring to a spiritual kingdom within the hearts on mankind. He went on to say that that the last days really weren’t the last days, that the church was to become the new Israel, receiving the promised blessings to Israel, but allowing Israel to receive the cursings. Not bad, if you can pull it off, the best of both worlds. The truth about Amillennial foundations is in a statement of one of its staunchest supporters, Dr. James Fleming as he explains, "The western mind will have a tendency to focus too much on the details of visual images in the Apocalypse rather than what the images stand for." He then advises, "The Book of Revelation does not mean what it says; it means what it means. One cannot interpret Revelation using a Western structure and form of perspective. The functions of the things described in Revelation have to be understood in order to know what they mean." In other words, if it doesn’t fit a common sense viewpoint, it can be made to do so.
Post-millennial – This position came about in the 17th century by Daniel Whitby. This proposes that the gospel, through the church, would bring about the transformation of the world into the kingdom of Christ. As we can see, the world is not turning to Christ, but rather to sin.
As can be seen, both the amillennial and post-millennial positions do not look for the returning of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ to snatch us away. As such, they only argue that there isn’t a rapture. Therefore, I will not discuss these positions in any detail.
The pre-millennial position does look for the returning of our Lord for the church, but is split between pre (before the tribulation (2)), mid (in the middle of the tribulation (between 5 & 6)) and post tribulation (after the tribulation (before 8)). It looks for the following eight points:
1. Man’s rebellion against Christ
2. The rapture of the church
3. The end of the “times of the gentiles”
4. The revealing of the antichrist
5. The apostasy of the nation of Israel
6. The outpouring of God’s wrath
7. The spiritual rebirth of the nation of Israel
8. The ultimate defeat of satan and the antichrist
Will there be two, possible three, future resurrections?
Yes. One as Jesus Christ comes for His Bride and another when the Lord raises the Israel and a resurrection of the remainder, who are dead.
Let’s look at the resurrection as seen in John 5:28-30
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Notice two points: 1) All who are in the graves, not a select few. 2) No mention is made of those who are alive and remain. When is/was this to occur?
John 5:25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Again take notice that there are two occurrences. The first is depicted as “now is”, or that it occurred before Pentecost - Mat 27:53-54. The second is depicted as “the hour is coming”, at the Last Day. Rev 20
We also have Daniel 12:1-2 Where many in the grave shall awake, or be resurrected, but the word many implies not all. If the verse stopped there we could say that it relates to 1 Thes 4, but it continues and negates that thought. The continuation says some to everlasting life and others to everlasting contempt. 1 Thes only speaks about the saints and our meeting Him in the air. So this verse isn’t the same as either John 5 or 1 Thes 4.
Daniel 12:1-2
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
So who are the people spoken of here? The Jews; those who Michael stood for or Daniel’s people. When? In the Tribulation, a time of trouble, such as never was… At the Secnd Coming of The Lord.
Now let’s look at the Rapture.
1Thes 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.
In this verse it is very important to notice that only the dead in Christ shall be raise. Also, here the Lord was speaking, through Paul (the apostle to the Gentiles) to the Church, those who are alive and remain. Why is He coming? 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.
He is not coming here to enter into battle, but to get His bride. I will discuss the trumpet later.
Post Tribulation Prayer of Comfort?
Because, while speaking of the rapture, the Word says: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thes 4:18; imagine saying the following prayer to comfort your love ones.
"Please, God, I hope and pray for the tribulation to start, so that we will have to flee into the wilderness risking starvation and attack by wild animals and death by exposure to the elements, taking our elderly and children with us. To watch our unsaved love ones die of boils and
plagues by the millions. Oh we look forward to the smell. Then maybe, WOOSH off with our heads or off with our child’s head. Because then, and only then, may we be assured that Jesus will return in about 7 years."
No, that is not comforting, is it?
The reply of those who do not believe in a pre-trib raptured church, is that this comfort is really pointing to the fact that we will not only be reunited with our dead love ones, but more so that we will enter Heaven with them (our salvation). In reality, Christians rejoice in our salvation and know that to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord. The only thing new in this passage, is the resurrection of the dead in Christ happening an instant before the resurrection of the living in Christ. This passage is speaking about the rapture (mystery unveiled) of the Church and our taking comfort in that. To have to look forward to going through the Tribulation is not comforting, no matter what anyone says.
The Old Testament Jews saw two comings of the Lord
Jesus Ben Joseph - Jesus son of Joseph, who was rejected, suffered, but eventually delivered his brethren from famine. He came in humility riding a donkey. He was judged. He came as a lamb unto slaughter.
Jesus Ben David – Jesus son of David, the glorious Christ who will rule and reign as King of kings. He comes in triumph riding a great white horse. He will judge. He will come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
What they saw, was a distant mountain top, when He deals with Israel. What they couldn’t see (the mystery) was the valley before the mountain, the Church age or the times of the Gentiles. The Church age began with the pouring out of The Holy Spirit at Pentecost and will end with the removal of The Holy Spirit, prior to the pouring out of God’s wrath.
The Seventy weeks of Daniel
Post-tribulationism requires that the church will be present during the 70th week of Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27) even though it was absent from the first 69. This is in spite of the fact that Daniel 9:24 says that all 70 weeks are for Israel and Jerusalem and no one else – “thy people”
“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”.
Pre-tribulationism is not in conflict with this passage, as is post-tribulationism, since the church departs before the beginning of the seven-year period. This is why it is so important to the post-tribulation viewpoint that the saints of Old Testament Israel are somehow made to be part of the Church.
The seven-year period, commonly referred to as the tribulation is derived from Dan 9:25
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.
And 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.
Note that vs 24 states that there are 70 weeks and vs 25 shows that 69 weeks have taken place when the Messiah the Prince. Messiah the Prince is of course Jesus Christ and we know when He came to earth. That leaves 1 week remaining where God will deal with the Jews and Jerusalem. That leaves one week, where he, the antichrist, shall make a covenant with many.
The gap between the 69th and 70th week is where God deals with the gentiles, by bringing them into the Church if the are born again. 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.
states that the Jews shall be removed from Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be trodden down. Remember that the 70 weeks of Daniel pertain to God’s dealings with the Jews. We see here, before the second coming, that there is a time of the Gentiles or a time where God is not dealing with the Jews. When will the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled? The answer is, when our salvation is complete. The salvation of our soul and spirit is complete, but we are waiting on the transformation of our bodies, when we receive our glorified bodies. 1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1 Thes 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 Cor 15:50
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
We will discuss the “last Trump” or “the trump of God” later; as this is the basis of post-tribulation belief in Christ meeting His bride on His way down to do battle.
Church – Christians – Born Again Believers – Elect – Saints
Many say that all of the above are identical, but I would like to suggest that they are only foundationally the same. Saints are the elect, who are “born again believers” and the Church consists of “born again believers”, thus today the elect are part of the Church. Biblically speaking, today’s “born again believers” would have been called those @#$ Christians by those in Paul’s time, because Christ can be seen in us. Yet today many “Christians” are only so in word, but not deed and can be grouped with the lost. So we may discount the false church and false christians (purposely not capitalized).
But who would say that those “born again believers” in the Old Testament are part of the Church? Who would call them Christians? Who would call Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or David a Christian or a Church member, but they are part of the elect and “born again believers”, for they are with Christ (John 3:3). The only way someone can be with Christ in Heaven is to trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Ho 13:4; Acts 4:12; John 3:3 & 14:6).
The Holy Spirit indwelt the “born again believers” at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) as the Church is born and the promise was given that He would never leave or forsake us (the Church); and not the Old Testament “born again believers” or the Old Testament elect, where He came upon the chosen elect for a time, not forever.
Num 11:17 & Num 11:25 Show us the Lord removing part of His spirit from Moses and placing Him on others.
Num 11:17
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone
Num 11:25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
In Judges 11:25 we have Him coming upon Samson three times. If the Spirit hadn’t been removed He wouldn’t have had to come upon him and upon him and upon him(Samson), then leaving him. Also see Jud 14:5-6, 19 & Jud 15:14 for other times.
The Lord departed from Sampson in Jud 16:20
That being said, if God didn’t pour out His spirit into the believers forever during the first 69 weeks, what makes us think He will pour out His Spirit in during the seventieth week?
Some would say how can we say those who are “in the Lord” during the Tribulation are not part of the Church. Likewise, I would ask how can we say that those who were “in the Lord” before the Cross are not part of the Church?
Will there be Christians or “born again believers” in the Tribulation (the 70th week of Daniel), yes of course. Will the Church be there, no.
Tribulation is God's Judgment
The Tribulation is the Judgment of God on an unrepentant world and upon His adulterous wife.
Rev 14:7
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Re 15:4
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Re 16:7
And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments
Are we to be Judged?
Rom 5:8-9
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
1 Thes 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
1 Thes 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rom 5:18
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 6:3
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
1 John4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of
judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Jude 1:15
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Tribulation is God's wrath
In Revelation 3:10 the Church at Philadelphia was given the promise that they would be kept "from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth." The implication is clear that God's wrath would be poured out on the whole evil world as He had done at the time of the flood.
Revelation 6:16
“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 16:1
“And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.”
During the Tribulation, however, there are "saints”. They are also called the "elect”. They are undoubtedly true believers in Jesus Christ, because there has been "no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12. Just as it has been since the beginning of the times of the Gentiles, they may be Jews or Gentiles who have decided to receive Christ as Savior. As the story unfolds in the book of Revelation, these believers will undergo great persecution, and many of them will be martyred for the cause of Christ. Those who die are the subject of the Fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9-11). Those who survive to the end will be gathered together by angels (Matthew 24:31) and will undoubtedly be the mortals who populate the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20), as they are NOT given glorified bodies.
Lightning – (Revelation 24:27).
Frequently referred to by the Bible’s writers - Na 1:3-6
1. Thunder and lightning are spoken of as tokens of God’s wrath: 2Sa 22:15, Job 28:26 37:4, Ps 135:7 144:6, Zec 9:14
2. They represent God’s glorious and awful majesty Re 4:5
3. Some judgment of God on the world Re 20:9
God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God's anger, which will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-tribulation believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-tribulation believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs
against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-tribulation view would make God's promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it's impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died--both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God's promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world.
Some say that God will keep us through the Tribulation, but His word says “from” the Tribulation (Rev 3:9). The only ones promised to be kept “through” the Tribulation are limited only to the 144,000 and to the two witnesses. And the two witnesses who have the power of God to protect them, end up killed by the middle of the tribulation in Revelation 11. In other places in the Bible there is NO promise of protection during the tribulation: in fact the saints will be overcome (Dan 7:21, 25; Rev 13:7).
Others point to the Church being persecuted as in
Mat 13:21
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
There is no similarity between persecution and the wrath of God and any attempt to do so is ridiculous. There have always been tribulations for believers and the Church, but none brought on by The Lord Jesus Christ like when He opens the seven sealed book. That is reserved for non-believers.
Some say the Tribulation is mostly Satan’s wrath and not God’s
Zephaniah 1:13 -18 show us clearly that this is the wrath of God being poured out, not the wrath of Satan.
Looking to Rev 5:1-5, we see that the only one worthy to open the book of the seven seals is Jesus Christ (God incarnate), who loosed the seven seals on the earth. The seven Spirits of God are then sent forth into all of the earth. Then we see that The Lamb of God opens the seals to be poured out on the earth. Who could logically say this tribulation is the work of Satan?
Is the Word of God a lie? God forbid! Read Revelation 6:16 & 16:1
Some have said that the Antichrist will be "given power" to "make war" against Christians "and to overcome them" (Revelation 13:7). A closer reading shows that he makes war and overcomes the saints, not the Church.
Mat 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Here is where I think there may be a little wiggle room. The first six seals are not specifically
denoted as the wrath of God. It is said that only The Lord was worth to open the seals though.
Rev 5:5
“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”
He will loose all of the seals, not just the seventh. It is by His will, by His worthiness and by His might that these seals are poured out upon mankind.
Two separate events
The Rapture
The Glorious Return
Christ comes for His own
He claims His bride
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Christ returns with His own
He comes with His bride
Revelation 19:7-8 & 14
Believers taken to Father's House
John 14:1-3
Believers come to Earth
Matthew 24:30
Seen only by believers
1 Corinthians 15:52;
Hebrews 9:28
Every eye will see Him
Revelation 1:7; 19:11-16;
Matthew 24:30
No reference to Satan, in fact he
will reign if only for a short time
Satan bound for 1000 years
Revelation 20:1-3
Earth not judged
Earth judged
Revelation 20:4-5
A Mystery
1 Corinthians 15:51
Foretold in Old Testament
Dan. 12:1-3; Zech. 12:10; 14:4
Unknown Day & Hour
Mathew 25:13
1,260 days after Antichrist stands
in the temple
Revelation 12:6
Translation of all believers
1 Corinthians 15:52
No translation at all
Who is Left to Populate the Millennial Kingdom?
If the Rapture were to take place just before the battle of Armageddon (very end of the Tribulation) and all the believers were taken just before the final events of the Tribulation,
what people would become believers at the very last moments so that there would be godly people to populate the Millennial Kingdom?
Some say that there will be many Jewish people who believe at the end when they see the Lord whom they have pierced and mourn for Him. (Zechariah 12:10).
However, according to Revelation 7:3, the 144,000 are sealed before any destruction occurs:
"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
The Judgment of the Sheep and Goats
According to Matthew 25:31-46, there will be a judgment of "sheep" and "goats" based on how people treated Israel. In the pre-tribulation view, surviving believers of the Tribulation period will qualify as the "sheep." In the post-tribulation view, all believers would have been taken at the Rapture and only a remnant from Israel itself would become believers at the very end. It is difficult to imagine that these new converts could be the "sheep" who acted kindly toward Israel.
The Parable of the Wheat and Tares
The Parable of the Wheat and Tares also refers to the separation of believers from non-believers at the end of this age.
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 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.
This parable makes good sense from a pre-tribulation point of view because it is similar to the Judgment of Sheep and Goats. In both cases, there are many believers and many non-believers. This takes place at "the end of the age" and the agents are angels. It is difficult for the post-tribulation position because that view does not allow for a large number of believers at the end of the age.
The Unknown Hour
When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus' return, we find verses that tell us we won't know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation or the time of Jacob’s trouble. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16, Rev 12:6, Rev 13:5). There is no way to apply the phrase "neither the day nor the hour" to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.
The great Saint U-Turn
In the pre-tribulation scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years (also see marriage below). At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. In a post-tribulation rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. Revelation 1:7 states that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. Is He returning for war with fine linen and riderless horses, ready to be mounted by the rising saints as they are clothed in fine linen? If He's already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?
Some say that we will rise to meet Him in the air, turn around as He defeats His enemies and sets His feet on the Mount of Olive, and then participate in the marriage supper. That is they say Rev 19:7-14, Rev 19:11-14, Rev 19:15, Rev 19:20, and then oops back to Rev 19:9, 17.
We must also remember that we are being called up to Him, by Him. Not that we will choose to go out and meet Him, and then turn around and join Him in the city, like on Palm Sunday.
”He” That is taken Out of the Way
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain "He" must be taken out of the way. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the "He" that must be removed is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit (who else could He be?). It has been promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church (as it was in the Old Testament when God dealt with the Jews, His adulterous wife)
Notice that the Word says “he”, not it or they or her. Also notice that the he was restraining the son of perdition at the time Thessalonians was written and is still doing so now. Who else, but God The Holy Spirit could the Word be referring to.
I have heard some say that the restrainer can not be The Holy Spirit. The only reason someone would say this is because that is the only way a post-tribulation rapture could take place, not because there is scripture that points to this.
The Trumpet Call
As this is the main focal point of Post-Tribulationism, we will look at it in depth. We cannot go to the Book of Revelation and say that the voice of the seventh angel (Revelation 11:15) is the last trump. In the first century, the last trump (shofar) meant a specific day in the year. In Judaism, there are three trumpets that have a name. They are the first trump, the last trump, and the great trump. Each one of these trumpets indicates a specific day in the Jewish year. The first trump is blown on the Feast of Pentecost (Exodus 19:19). It proclaimed that God had betrothed Himself to Israel. The last trump is synonymous with Rosh HaShanah, according to Theodore Gaster in his book, Festivals of the Jewish Year, in his chapter on Rosh HaShanah. Herman Kieval also states the same thing in his book, The High Holy Days in the chapter on the shofar. The great trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, which will herald the return of Jesus back to the earth (Matthew 24:31). We will go into this in more depth in the following paragraphs.
GOD’S TRUMPET
1Thes 4:16 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:
When did God provide a trumpet? In Gen 22:11-13 the Lord provides a Ram with two horns. There were two types of trumpets in the Old Testament; 1) a metallic (usually silver) trumpet and 2)the shofar or ram's horn.
Gen 22:11-13 “And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind
him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” The Ram was perfect and had two horns.
Rabbi Eliezer tells us in Pirkei Avot, that the left horn (first trump) was blown on Mount Sinai, and its right horn (the last trump) will be blown to herald the coming of the Lord for His Church. Isaiah 18:3 and First Thessalonians 4:13-18 speak of the resurrection of the dead. First Thessalonians chapter 5 continues with the day of the Lord and the birth pangs of the Messiah. The festivals will, beyond a shadow of a doubt, tell you that the resurrection of the dead precedes the time of Jacob's trouble (the tribulation). First Thessalonians 4:16-17 says that the dead in Christ will rise first, and that the catching away of the believers will immediately follow.
LAST TRUMPET
1Cor 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”.
We must remember that the rapture is a calling of the Lord’s people to Him; and not the announcement of a coming judgment. These will be discussed below.
THREE JEWISH TRUMPETS
In Judaism, there are three trumpets that have a name. They are the first trump, the last trump, and the great trump. Each one of these trumpets indicates a specific day in the Jewish year.
The first trump is blown on the Feast of Pentecost (Exodus 19:19). It proclaimed that God had betrothed Himself to Israel.
The last trump is synonymous with Rosh HaShanah Festivals of the Jewish Year. The great trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, which will herald the return of Jesus back to the earth (Matthew 24:31). The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in the books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends. It is customary to wear white on the holiday, which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18). Some people wear a kittel, the white robe in which the dead are buried.
The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah or the feast of the new moon) is also referred to as 'Yom Teruah', the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, or the Day of the Awakening Blast. Each of the thirty days of the preceding month (Elul) the trumpet is blown to warn the people to repent and return to God, before he proclaims judgment.
Yom Teruah is the only festival that no man knows the day or the hour in which it begins. This is due to the fact that it begins on the new moon. The new moon was sanctified when two witnesses see the new moon and attest to it before the Sanhedrin in the Temple. This sanctification could happen during either of two days, depending on when the witnesses come. Since no one knew when the witnesses would come, no one knew when the Feast of Trumpets would start. On the 30th of each month, the members of the High Court assembled in a
courtyard in Jerusalem, where they waited to receive the testimony of two reliable witnesses. They then sanctified the new moon. The new moon is very difficult to see on the first day because it can be seen only about sunset, close to the sun, when the sun is traveling north. So, looking for a very slim faint crescent moon, which is very close to the sun, is a very difficult thing to do. If the moon's crescent was not seen on the 30th day, the new moon was automatically celebrated on the 31st day. For this reason, Yom Teruah is always celebrated for two days. These two days are celebrated as though it is just one long day of forty-eight hours. The reason that it is celebrated for two days is because if they waited to start the celebration until after the new moon had been sanctified, they would have missed half the celebration because the new moon can only be sanctified during daylight hours. The command seems to be that we know the season, but not the day or the hour (Matthew 24:32-36).
Teruah means "an awakening blast". A theme associated with Rosh HaShanah is the theme "to awake". Teruah is also translated as "shout". The book of Isaiah, chapter 12, puts the shouting in the context of the thousand-year reign of Jesus. The Messianic era and shout is mentioned in Isaiah 44:23 and Zephaniah 3:14. The first coming of Christ is associated with a shout in Zechariah 9:9. The ultimate shout is the rapture in First Thessalonians 4:16-17.
Whether it is by the blast of a shofar or the force of a supernatural shout, God's goal is to awaken us. "...Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." -Ephesians 5:14. The book of Ephesians has many references to Rosh HaShanah and the high Holy Days. For example, in Ephesians 4:30, being sealed unto the day of redemption refers to Yom Kipur, the Day of Atonement. God gave this festival to teach us that we will be judged on Rosh HaShanah and will be sealed unto the closing of the gates on Yom KippurThe theme of awakening from sleep is used throughout the Bible. It is found in John 11:11, Romans 13:11, Daniel 12:1-2 and Psalm 78:65.
Each Sabbath, two men with silver trumpets and a man with a shofar made three trumpet blasts twice during the day. On Rosh HaShanah, it is different. The shofar is the primary trumpet. On Rosh HaShanah, a shofar delivers the first blast, a silver trumpet the second, and then a shofar the third (or last trumpet of Rosh HaShanah (last of the last))
Another name for Rosh HaShanah is 'Yom HaDin', the Day of Judgment. The righteous are separated and will be with God. This is known to Bible believers as the rapture. The wicked will face the wrath of God during the tribulation period.
The shofar blown on Rosh HaShanah is known as the last trump, which the apostle Paul mentioned in First Thessalonians 4:16-17. At this time, the believers in Christ will escape the tribulation on earth and will be taken to Heaven in the rapture along with the righteous who had died before this time.
The gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah so the righteous nation may enter (Isaiah 26:2, Psalm 118:19-20). Because the gates of Heaven are understood to be open on Rosh HaShanah, this is further evidence that the rapture of the believers in Christ will take place on Rosh HaShanah.
.1. The Feast of Trumpets is known as the Wedding of the Messiah, and the Church is the
Bride of Christ, and the rapture is when the Church is caught up to heaven to be wed with Christ.
2. The Feast of Trumpets happens on the "new moon", which is 29.5 days after the last one, meaning it might occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knows for sure. "Of that day or hour no man knows" is an expression referring to this feast, and thus, the rapture.
3. The "Open Door" of the rapture in Matt 25, and Rev 3, & Rev 4:1 is a symbol of the Feast of Trumpets. [Ezek 46:1] "Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
4. We are told that the new moon and the Feasts of the Lord are a shadow of things to come in Col 2:16, 17. Since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note.
5. There are seven days of awe in between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. This is a picture the seven years of tribulation. Atonement pictures Satan being defeated and cast away at the end of tribulation. If you add the two day Trumpets feast, and the Day of Atonement, the 7 days of awe are "ten days of tribulation" which might be referred to in Rev. 2:10.
6. In the Jewish Wedding, a marriage takes place over a period of time known as the "bridal week". During the bridal week, the groom and bride have sex in the bridal chamber. At the end of the week, there is a marriage supper. Compare Judges 14, Rev. 19, and Gen. Genesis 29:22-28. This bridal week will be the tribulation week on earth, while the bride of Christ is in heaven.
7. The Feast of Trumpets is also known as the coronation of the Messiah, when he will start reigning as king, thus the beginning of the "Day of the Lord", which includes the tribulation.
8. It is also time for the bema judgment, or the judgment of the works of the righteous, and judgment must begin at the house of the Lord.
Historically, at the instant that the Jewish workers heard the trumpet of the Shofar, all would immediately stop harvesting, even if they were not finished (think about that!) and go to the Temple for worship! In those days, as it is sometimes today, a Jew & an Arab might be working side by side in the fields - but when the trumpet sounded on this particular day, the Jew would stop and go to worship, while the Arab kept on harvesting. Jesus used this same analogy in Matt. 24:36-44 of the 2nd Coming." Another interesting note - the Feast of Trumpets occurs on the 7th New Moon of the Year - (Seventh Month - Tishrei); This is a significant time for the conclusion of an age - 6,000 yrs. have already come to pass. - The 7th Millennium is about to begin!
Comforting
Wherefore comfort one another with these words
1 Corinthians 4:8
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
1 Corinthians 14:3
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Titus 2:10-13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
The post-tribulation rapture viewpoint does not, can not, will not, is not a comfort.
Again, can you imagine saying the following Post-tribulation prayer in front of your family? "Please, God, I hope and pray for the tribulation to start, so that we will have to flee naked into the wilderness risking starvation and attack by wild animals and death by exposure to the elements taking our elderly and children with us. Watching our unsaved love ones die of boils and plagues by the millions. Oh we look forward to the smell. Then maybe, WOOSH off with our heads. Because then, and only then, may we be assured that Jesus will return in about 7 years." No, that is not comforting, is it?
Marriage
In the Jewish Wedding, a marriage takes place over a period of time known as the "bridal week". During the bridal week, the groom and bride have sex in the bridal chamber. Compare Judges 14, Rev. 19, and Gen. Genesis 29:22-28. In the Jewish Wedding, the groom comes for his bride "like a thief in the night" to take (size / rapture) her away and into the bridal chamber for the bridal week at his father's house. “Of that day or hour no man knows, but my Father only" is an expression used by a groom when asked when his wedding will be. He says this because it is his Father that will tell him when his preparations on the bridal chamber are completed and it is time. Again, the wedding pictures the rapture.
Also look at the wise virgins in 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.”
Also notice that the Bridegroom is the one who comes, not His angels. Post-trib believers wrongly say the rapture is seen in Matthew 24:31, but notice who is doing the gathering.
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.
Speculative on my part – Not written in The Bible, but not ruled out either
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding.
In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. We do not find the marriage or marriage supper in earlier chapters, but we must note that here it is His wife and not His bride that is made ready.
“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.”
The marriage supper takes place after the marriage (possible the bridal week). According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it’s time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride's house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father's house. This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-tribulation scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father's house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev 19:14