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Three Raptures- Vol. II Elijah - by Pete Garcia and Randy Nettles -
http://rev310.com/2019/05/three-raptures-elijah The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in the year of our Lord, 1620. For all intents and purposes, this was the year our forefathers attributed to the original founding of America. Approximately 156 years later, the American colonists declared their independence from a tyrannical England. For the next 243 years, the United States would serve the world as a sovereign nation, providing a safe-haven to the politically, ideologically, and religiously oppressed peoples of the world. To wit, the Jews, who were still in their millennia's long diaspora, found the New World a place of refuge from the rolling tides of European antisemitism. They resettled in America and ultimately flourished from then until today. Taken together since our nation's original founding in 1620, 399 years will have passed. In fact, 2020 marks the 400th year of both the idea and the reality of the United States of America. What is the Biblical significance to this four-hundred years, Elijah, and the Rapture of the Church you ask? The unconditional promise of the Promised Land. But more on that in a minute. "Dr. Donald S. Lutz, a professor of political science at the University of Houston and the author of The Origins of American Constitutionalism, points out that the Bible provided the concept of the covenant." In reference to the Pilgrims, the Puritans, and early Christian settlers of British North America, Lutz told me: These poor people came to the New World, they had the wrong technologies, their plows would not work, their houses that they constructed were inappropriate for the weather. All their technology was wrong, except for one technology they brought with them, which was the ability to use covenants to create communities. It was the perfect technology. It was the technology that mattered that allowed them to survive all up and down the coast. Assessment Elijah the Tishbite (from Gilead) first shows up in the Old Testament in 1st Kings 17 around the same time as the prophet Obadiah. He is given neither backstory, nor lineage, but appears from out of nowhere to challenge the evil reign of King Ahab by declaring a three-year drought. He then seeks refuge with a widow and her son in a neighboring country, where he performs the miracle of the flour and oil, as well as resurrecting her son from the dead. He goes back and challenges the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18:18-19) in the "mother of all showdowns." After thoroughly destroying their credibility as prophets and their false gods, he then had all 850 of them put to death by the Jewish people who came to watch. Afterwards, he declares an end to the drought, but a scorned Jezebel puts a bounty on his head, and Elijah flees for his life. Even Elijah's fleeing takes on superhuman feats of strength. He runs from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel (15 miles) beating King Ahab's chariot back. He then goes on to run from Jezreel to Beersheba (100 miles) and after eating, goes on a forty-day fast while travelling and avoiding Jezebels' hit teams. He ends up at Mt. Horeb where the Lord meets with Elijah. He instructs him to appoint a new king over Syria, a new king over Israel, and his successor, Elisha (1 Kings 19:15-16). These leaders would help turn Israel away from the evil of idol worship and would facilitate the total destruction of the wicked line of Ahab and Jezebel: "And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death" (1 Kings 19:17). Elijah had dealt a death-blow to Baal-worship in Israel, and the three men Elijah would anoint would remove the remaining vestiges of that particular form of idolatry. King Ahab ruled during the time of the divided kingdom (Israel-North [209 years], Judah-South [326 years]) before ultimate destruction by the Assyrians and Babylonians (respectively). He had been a morally weak Jewish King (of the northern kingdom) who essentially abdicated his throne to his pagan wife Jezebel. He She worshipped Baal, who was the main god of the Canaanites and Phoenicians. She normalizes Baal worship in the north, and eventually, it became problematic to the identity of the Jewish people. Nonetheless, Baal worship had become widespread in Israel during this time, primarily because of Jezebel's influence, and was why God used Elijah (and his successors) to ultimately put an end to this vile practice. According to Canaanite mythology, Baal was the son of El, the chief god, and Asherah, the goddess of the sea. Baal was considered the most powerful of all gods, eclipsing El, who was seen as rather weak and ineffective. In various battles Baal defeated Yamm, the god of the sea, and Mot, the god of death and the underworld. Baal's sisters/consorts were Ashtoreth, a fertility goddess associated with the stars, and Anath, a goddess of love and war. The Canaanites worshiped Baal as the sun god and as the storm god-he is usually depicted holding a lightning bolt-who defeated enemies and produced crops. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. At times, appeasing Baal required human sacrifice, usually the firstborn of the one making the sacrifice (Jeremiah 19:5). The priests of Baal appealed to their god in rites of wild abandon which included loud, ecstatic cries and self-inflicted injury (1 Kings 18:28). Similar to the worship of Molech, human sacrifice (usually children) was a common practice to the pagan people inhabiting the ancient area of Canaan. This was the same land to whom the Lord promised unconditionally to Abraham that his descendants would inherit, but would require a 400-year waiting period. This 400-year waiting period was important because God is longsuffering, and was giving the then current tenants (the Amorites), time to repent because their iniquity had not yet run its course (Gen. 15:16). After the 400-years, God raises up a man named Moses and he leads his fellow Hebrews out of Egypt. After a forty-year jaunt in the desert, only the second generation (plus Joshua and Caleb) were allowed entrance into the Promised Land. The Hebrew tribes were then instructed to destroy all the giants and the pagans in the land, but failed to do so. After a period of general lawlessness... In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 18:25 ...a golden era arrived (Saul/David/Solomon). But 120 years later, the country split between north and south, with ten tribes aligning with the north (Israel), and two in the south (Judah). Still, by the time Elijah comes upon the scene (circa 845BC) paganism remained an endemic problem polluting the land for over a millennia. God had enough, and sent Elijah to begin the purge. Having then named his successor, God then spectacularly raptures Elijah from life into eternity, and does it all in front of Elisha. So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 2 Kings 2:10-11 We know according to Revelation 11:1-10, that Two Witnesses will come back to the land of Israel in the last days and perform judgments against the Antichrist, his forces, the city of Jerusalem, and the people there. They will do this in very much the same way that Moses and Elijah did, i.e. there are great similarities in the kinds of judgments and the manner that they are carried out. They will have power to cause a drought for three and a half years. They can turn the waters into blood. They can cause plagues as often as they like. They will strike down with fire from their mouth, anyone, who tries to harm them. My personal opinion is that these Two Witnesses are Enoch and Elijah. Enoch because he represents the Gentile Saints, and Elijah for the Jewish Saints. Although we have no record of Enoch causing plagues or other miraculous signs, we know that he was perhaps the very first prophet and foretold the coming judgment of Christ's Second Coming (Jude 1:14-15). We are told that Elijah must come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5-6). Again, my personal opinion here is that whenever the phrase the day of the Lord is used, if it does not have a modifier before it (great, dreadful, terrible, etc.), then that phrase is speaking to the general use of the word talking about the whole 70th Week. However, we see the way Malachi uses it, is speaking to the actual day of the Second Coming. Thus, my two candidates are Enoch and Elijah. Although nothing to break fellowship over, I contend that it is possible that it could also be Moses and Elijah-see Mt. of Transfiguration (Mark 9:4). Conclusion For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness 1 Cor. 1:21-23 I like to draw correlations between things that are seemingly out of man's control to influence. Some might call that destiny or fortune, but with God, we know that it is divine providence. Although Abraham's descendants would have to wait for four centuries in bondage in order to inherit the Promised Land, the waiting was not in vain. Not only did it serve to deal with the Amorite people, but it also created a shared experience would unite the Twelve Tribes forever. It was at the foot of a smoking and thundering Mt. Sinai that the Hebrews came together for the first time as a nation. It was here that they bound themselves to the conditional covenant of God's law (Exodus 19-34). Their regathering as a nation in 1948 after two-millennia of diaspora was meant to be an even greater miracle than their deliverance from Egypt. Not only were the Jews coming from just one geographic location (e.g., Egypt), but from all over the world (Num. 32:13, Deut. 28:64). Not only did the Jews wander about the desert for forty-years for their disbelief, but would spend next two-thousand years wandering the world for their ultimate act of disbelief by rejecting their Messiah (Matt. 27:15-26, Zech. 12:10-14). Not only would God remove the Amorites, but God would geopolitically restructure the entire world order by way of: the creation of the United States, two World Wars, the Holocaust, and the creation of a United Nations to make it happen. The United States was a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles. It was at one time, the greatest proponent of spreading the Gospel the world had ever seen. When the US began to turn into a post-Christian nation toward the end of our 400-year run, the Internet was developed and the Gospel began to go out that way. Now the Internet is under assault (and freedom of speech online) because of its effectiveness in spreading the Gospel and truth. When the last bastion of religious freedom has been shut down, God's usefulness for this nation will have run its course. Interestingly enough, at our 400-year mark, God raised up a President like Donald Trump, who, despite his personal faults, has been an invaluable and strategic ally to Israel. He then partnered Pres. Trump with a devout Christian Vice President, and Secretary of State. Nevertheless, Israel's rebirth as a nation would happen because the Bible said it would. The finality in this divine providence demonstrates the specificity with which the Jews could see its fulfillment with their own eyes. It also further demonstrated God's faithfulness in keeping His promises (Isaiah 11:11, 66:8, Amos 9:15, Ezekiel 37:11). Now consider the fact that the US was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and that the Church is neither Jew, nor Greek... (Gal. 3:28), and we are in the Laodicean-era of the Church age, therefore, it makes sense that the nature of our Rapture is reflective of that reality. We are translated from mortal to immortal, meeting Christ in the air, visible to the entire Church, yet hidden from the world. Makes one wonder why Elijah was taken up in such dramatic fashion, e.g., the fiery chariot, while Enoch's departure was so enigmatic? Think back to Enoch for a second. Enoch walked with God, and then he was not, for God took Him (Gen. 5:24). We know later in Hebrews 12, that his being "took" meant he did not see death, but was translated eternity alive (Heb. 12:5). Enoch as far as we can know from Scripture, was the seventh generation from Adam, and was not a Jew/Hebrew/Israelite, because that would not come about until the life of Abraham many centuries later. Presumably, Enoch's unexplainable disappearance was just, unexplainable, until the writer of Hebrews by the Holy Spirit, explains the why, late in the first-century AD. Elijah's disappearance was about 180 degrees opposite of Enoch's. First, he and everyone with him knew when his rapture was coming (2 Kings 2:1-5). Second, aside from the timing, Elijah's rapture (or manner of departure) was not a mystery. He knew he was going up to heaven, although, he may not have known exactly what that would look like. Last, his deliverance upwards was not some instantaneous translation from mortal to immortal; in fact, there is no mention of Elijah's physical transformation at all. Instead, he is taken up in an over the top, chariot of fire which becomes a whirlwind of fire that could be seen from a distance (vs. 16). Volume III will discuss The Rapture of the Church Gap Between the Rapture and the Tribulation - By Frisco Vigario - https://www.raptureready.com/2019/05/22/gap-rapture-tribulation-frisco-vigario/
Jesus perfectly fulfilled His first coming at the four spring festivals - Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks. These are God's "appointed times," also called "holy convocations." After the spring feasts, there is a period of time before the autumn feasts begin. This time is spiritually symbolic of the church age in which we live today. Christ's sacrifice and resurrection are past, we have received the promised Holy Spirit, and now we await His second coming. Just as the spring feasts pointed toward the Messiah's ministry at His first coming, the autumn feasts point toward what will happen at His second coming. Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets, is a picture of the 'catching away' of the bride of Christ. The significance for 'the believer' is that the blowing of the 'shofar' is prophetic to the rapture of the church and will inaugurate the 'End of days,' the coming Day of the Lord - The Great Tribulation (also called Jacob's Trouble, the day of wrath, day of desolation, day of the Lord, the wrath of God, the wrath, the tribulation and many more). 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory'" (NASB). 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words" (NASB). Rosh Hashanah also commemorates the creation of the universe. Jewish tradition links Adam and Eve's creation to 1 Tishri as the day of creation from Adam's perspective - but how? The first words of the Hebrew Bible say "In the beginning." By rearranging the Hebrew letters, the phrase "aleph b'Tishri" is formed, meaning "on the 1st of Tishri." Rosh Hashanah is also known as the head of the year - Jewish New Year's Day. Rosh Hashanah therefore represents the day that God began to rule as King of the Universe. It also anticipates the prophetic fulfillment of the Lord's covenant faithfulness to Israel in Daniel's 70th week when all of Israel will repent and their Messiah will return to restore Israel as Saviour, Lord and Deliverer. According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah the destiny of the righteous are written in the Book of Life, and the destiny of the wicked are written in the book of death. However, most people will not be inscribed in either book, but have 10 days until "Yom Kippur" (Festival of Atonement) to repent before sealing their fate. Hence the Ten Days of Repentance (days of Awe). At the Feast of Atonement, then, everyone's name will be sealed in one of the books. [source Hebrew4Christians, Seven Feasts of Israel] The Day of Atonement is the next of the three autumn festivals. It is the holiest day of the Jewish year, and it reveals the Priestly work of Jesus - Our High Priest. This festival, also known as Yom Kippur, provides prophetic insight regarding the Second coming of Messiah, the restoration of national Israel and the final judgment of the world. The Day of Atonement marks the high point of the 10 days of Awe and is regarded as the day when Israel will seal her fate. It is the only day of the year when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and offer blood sacrifices and prayer for the sins of the people. Their sins were 'covered' for one year only. Only at Christ's death on the cross were sins forgiven "by grace through faith." The Rapture of the Church and the relevance of the gap between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement: Why did God place 10 days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement? Does it mean anything? Is it part of His perfect will? Would it make any difference if it were 5 days or 20 days or 30 days? I believe that God in His perfection has a perfect meaning for every letter and number that appears in His word. Does the rapture of the church take place before the Tribulation or in the now-popularized Rapture at the mid-tribulation point before "The wrath"? How is it possible that anyone in their right spiritual mind would consider, even for a moment, that the Rapture could take place during the 7-year Tribulation? There are many scriptures both in the Old and New Testament that prove that the church will not go through the Tribulation. How can it be that some are still going down this dark rabbit hole? I offer just one Old Testament and one New Testament scripture that prove beyond a shadow of doubt that the church will NOT enter the Tribulation. Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place." Daniel's people and Daniel's holy city can only be the Jewish nation and Jerusalem. The church is not Israel and it does not have a capital. The church is the Temple of God; we are priests and we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Nobody disputes that God has perfectly fulfilled 69 weeks at Jesus' first coming and death on the cross and we now await the final week which will commence with "a firm covenant." In the middle of the 7-year Tribulation, the "Abomination of desolation" will take place (see Daniel 9:27). The purpose of the last 7 years is twofold - for the restoration of Israel (God's "elect," His covenant people and the "apple of His eye") and the wrath of God to a sinful, unrepentant Gentile world. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming." According to Paul, the "lawless one" (the Antichrist) will only be revealed after the "Restrainer" is taken out of the way. Who is the restrainer? It's not me or you, or Donald Trump or any other world or religious leader. So who can it be? Who has the strength to restrain evil, the devil and the Antichrist? Surely it can only be the person of The Holy Spirit. So, if the "Restrainer" is taken out of the way, does that mean that Jesus says to His bride - 'I have carried you in my hand for long enough - now you are on your own. Survival is now in your hands, so be careful. See you later.' Is that the message of the Bible as you read it? Or is it "...I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). The Holy Spirit is in us. If the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way - then so are we - it is called the Rapture of the Church. We can only conclude that we will not be here during the 7-year Tribulation. So, if we are raptured before the Tribulation - is it possible that there is a gap between the rapture of the church and the start of the Tribulation? The rapture of the church does not start the 7-year Tribulation. According to Daniel, the signing of a "covenant" does. So, yes, there must be a gap - but how long? It could be a few days, weeks, months or years. Since every word in the Bible is significant, we do indeed question the reason for a 10-day gap between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. The book of Revelation follows a progression of future events. Most commentators see the letters to the seven churches as representing actual churches that existed at the time that the book of Revelation was written, but it also represents the seven church ages - ending with today's church, the church of Laodicea, the lukewarm church. Revelation 4:1 alludes to the possible rapture of the church: "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, 'Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.'" John then sees in heaven the things that follow. He sees the "scroll" that is sealed with seven seals. Inside the scroll are the seven Trumpet judgments and the seven Bowl judgments that come from heaven. Jesus then opens one seal at a time, but we are nowhere told that the events that are described with the opening of the seals take place before or after the start of the Tribulation. Is it possible that the events that take place between the breaking of the first seal and the Trumpet judgments represent a 3-year time frame between the rapture of the church and the start of the 7-year Tribulation? I believe that it is possible. First note Revelation 5:1 "And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals" (NKJV). The scroll is sealed with 7 seals. The sealing of a document is intended to keep the message that is contained inside secret - until it is opened by an authorized person. Jesus has the authority, and He opens the seven seals that reveal events that will take place on earth during the 7-year Tribulation. The seals reveal earthly events as well as future events. As the first four seals are removed, a message is given by each of the four living creatures. The messages are: - A king goes out to take peace from the earth but with a bow only. - Peace is taken from the earth by means of "a great sword." - Scarcity of food - A fourth of the earth is affected by war, starvation, disease and by animals. What do the four living creatures represent? The four living beings described in Revelation chapter 4 and chapter 6 are the same as the seraphim shown in Isaiah chapter 6. The four seraphim from Isaiah and Revelation are described as having A FACE - with one being LIKE a lion, one being LIKE a calf, one being LIKE a man, and one being LIKE an eagle. Also having six wings instead of four (Ezekiel's Cherubim). The Lion is the chief of land beasts, and the Eagle is the chief of birds with its superior speed and strength. These two creatures exert a great and dominant force on the earth, where people live. The face of a man is a reference to the crowning creation of God, intelligently-created human beings. The calf/ox represents the field-working/sacrificial animal. In the history of ancient Israel, the ox was valuable to both the people's everyday wellbeing as well as their religious life. The ox did most of the laborious field chores which could result in great prosperity. It was therefore mentioned as one of the things that should not be coveted from a neighbor. So great was the significance of the ox to the people that it was once infamously raised to a godlike stature in the incidence of the "golden calf." I believe that the inference of the announcements coming from the four living beings is that they are representative of earthly (natural/human) events that take place and not the wrath that comes from heaven in the 7 Trumpet and Bowl judgments. The number "4" in scripture has a pattern of identifying the covering of all sides, or going in all directions, such as the "Four Winds" of Heaven, representing the Resurrection of the Saved from all directions of the earth. In Revelation 7:1 we see 4 Angels holding the Four winds of destruction back until the 144,000 are sealed with God's Seal on their foreheads. The 5th seal shows us "martyrs" that appear under the altar. These are very different to the martyrs that appear later in the 6th seal. I believe that the 5th seal martyrs are the Old Testament martyrs that are now asking, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" If the Tribulation had already commenced, surely they would not ask this question. Of the second group of martyrs, it is stated: "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation...." In other words, they are still future. If the Tribulation had already started, scripture should read - These are the ones that came out - and not "who come out." There are several other factors that add weight to a 3-year gap theory, especially the revelation of the sixth seal 'cosmic events' and the 144,000 that I will not cover here, but you can see them on my YouTube teaching on the "Rapture of the church" - part 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opi5LPLJcfs&t=1s You will also find on YouTube the full series on "The Rapture of the church" which consists of an introductory study plus a 6-part teaching. The Three Raptures - Enoch, Elijah, and the Church: Vol. I - By Randy Nettles & Pete Garcia -
http://rev310.com/2019/05/the-three-raptures-enoch-elijah-and-the-church-vol-i Mankind has witnessed two raptures in their nearly 6000 years of existence, thus far. These two raptures are similar in that the chosen person is "taken up" into Heaven in a supernatural way by God without ever experiencing physical death. Of course, the soul and spirit never die for they were created to last forever. The new resurrected heavenly/spiritual body will never die either, as it is also made for eternity. The first rapture occurred during the Antediluvian age in approximately 2973 BC. Enoch, the 7th generation from Adam was born in 3338 BC. He was 365 years old when God raptured him into Heaven. Here are the only verses in the Old Testament that mention the rapture of Enoch: And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:21-24). We do not know much about Enoch other than the fact that he "walked with God" for 300 years. Now that is truly amazing. He must have been a truly righteous and obedient child of God. He was the ancestor of another "righteous" believer, Noah. Enoch was Noah's great grandfather, but was raptured before Noah was born. Enoch was the 7th generation from Adam, while Noah was the 10th. The numbers 7 and 10 are two of the four perfect numbers of God. 7 represents "spiritual perfection" and 10 represents "ordinal perfection". {1} This is what the author of the book of Hebrews, in the New Testament, has to say about Enoch and his remarkable rapture: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (Hebrews 11:5). Jude, the brother of James and step-brother to Jesus, said that Enoch was probably the first prophet of God: And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 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 (Jude 1:14-15). This supernatural act of God, the rapture of Enoch, occurred nearly 5000 years ago...4991 years to be precise. Why did God do it? Nobody really knows for sure...but we do know this, "he pleased God". His walk with the Lord was something special. He turned neither to the right nor to the left, but kept his walk straight and sure, before the Lord....trusting in His word to guide him at all times. Scripture tells us of the sinful living conditions during the time of the Antediluvians. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). In contrast to this evil way of life, Enoch "walked with God for 300 years". For this righteous behavior, God rewarded Enoch by rapturing him to Heaven so he could be with the Lord forever. Enoch continues his walk with God into perpetuity. He has been walking with God for nearly 5300 years so far. The rapture of Enoch took place 987 years after Adam was created. Adam did not live long enough to witness the rapture of Enoch, but his descendants Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Methuselah, and Lamech could have. Seth would have been an old man of 857 years old and Lamech would have been relatively young at 113 years old when this first rapture occurred. Noah had not been born yet. The Antediluvian patriarchs had a 10 times longer life span than we do nowadays. In other words, if someone were 365 years old during the pre-flood days, he would be the equivalent of a 36.5 year old in our time. Adam's son, Seth died 14 years before Noah was born. Noah likely knew most of his ancestors personally including Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Methuselah, and his father, Lamech. The stories of Creation (including the original patriarchs, Adam and Eve) and the rapture of Enoch; would have been passed on from one generation to the next. Noah could have heard of these events and other family history/genealogy from Enos himself. Enos was Noah's great, great, great, great, great (that is five greats) grandfather. He was the 3rd generation from Adam. "And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord' (Genesis 4:26). Of course, three is another perfect number of God. Three is the second most important number in the Bible, following the number seven, as it represents "divine perfection". {2} The rapture is also a warning and/or prophecy to all those that are left behind. They have a choice to make; either follow (walk with) God and survive His coming punishment (tribulation) or turn from God and die in your sin. If one dies in their sin, it will be forever. They will have run out of chances with their creator at this point and will be punished by eternal separation from God. The antediluvian epoch was a time of great evil upon the earth: "There were giants in the earth in those days: and also after that when the sons of God came unto the daughters of them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:4-9). Noah, the 10th generation from Adam, walked with God; as did his great grandfather, Enoch, of the 7th generation. God gave Noah a 120-year warning regarding the tribulation that was to come upon the Earth. He also gave him instructions for building an ark and gathering of both animals and crops for food. The animals would share the arc with Noah and his wife, and their three sons and their three wives. Only eight human beings survived God's wrath when He sent the Great Flood. The flood lasted for about a full calendar year before the earth was dry enough to support life. Noah was 480 years old when God's word/warning came to him (120 years before the flood) per Genesis 6:3. His father, Lamech, was 662 years old at this time; and Methuselah was 849 years old. Shem hadn't been born yet. All of the other antediluvian patriarchs of Noah's lineage line had died (Enoch was raptured) by this time. "And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth" (Genesis 6:13). Noah was 600 years old and Shem, his youngest son, was 99 years old when the Great Flood came. The Bible does not mention the ages of Noah's two elder sons, Japeth and Ham. Methuselah outlived his son, Lamech, by 5 years. Lamech only lived to be 777 years old, which was relatively young to die in those Antediluvian days. Methuselah, whose name means, "his death shall bring", died the year the great flood came, 1656 years after Adam was created. Methuselah lived to be 969 years old...the oldest man to have ever lived. Cain's family line and all of the other sons of Adam did not heed God's "word" to Noah and they perished in their sins. The rapture of Enoch was a preview of the future rapture of the Church. 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 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The future rapture of the Church will be different from Enoch's in that many believers that have already died will be raptured along with the living believers. The Great Flood was a foretaste of the future Great Tribulation. Enoch was raptured before the flood. He is a forerunner of the living Church, who will be raptured and not experience God's wrath. Noah and his family were saved through the great tribulation of the flood. The surviving saints (believers) of the future Tribulation time will enter into Jesus' Kingdom on earth. Noah and his entourage of seven individuals (and many animals) exited the ark and entered a drastically different environment than the one they had previously lived in. The remnant of surviving believers will also experience a completely different environment when they enter into the Millennium Kingdom of the Lord, as the earth will be made like unto the Garden of Eden. Shem, the 11th generation from Adam, was a hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood. Arphaxad was the 12th generation from Adam and was the lineage from which Abram was born. Abram (Abraham) was the 20th generation from Adam and was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. From Jacob came the 12 tribes of Israel...God's chosen people. Twelve is the last of the perfect numbers and represents "governmental perfection". {3} The second rapture occurred in approximately 853-852 B.C. This was about 2120 years after the first rapture. The person who was "taken up" was a mighty Jewish prophet of God whose name was Elijah. nettles@suddenlink.net Endnotes: {1} https://www.raptureready.com/2018/11/09/seven-gods-perfect-numbers-part-3-randy-nettles/ {2) https://www.raptureready.com/2018/10/19/gods-perfect-number-part-1-randy-nettles/ {3} https://www.raptureready.com/2018/10/27/gods-perfect-numbers-part-2-randy-nettles/ The Incurable Curiosity of the Cosmos: Vol. II - By Pete Garcia -
http://rev310.com/2019/05/the-incurable-curiosity-of-the-cosmos-vol-ii The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 My own personal curiosity about space began with the late, great JR Church's article, The Gospel in the Stars. Mr. Church resurrected this topic from Joseph Seiss and E.W. Bullinger, who each wrote about this in the late 19th-century. By the end of the article, I was both fascinated with the topic, and in awe of God's majesty. I was even a little disappointed frankly, that I had not considered these things about the stars myself. Understandably, we approach this topic with a bit of caution, because Scripture neither outright confirms this theory, nor denies it, thus, we must allow the Spirit to guide our understanding on these things. [For the first part of this article though, I will be paraphrasing portions of Mr. Church's article to make the point ]. A well-known fact of history was that the ancient cultures of Egypt, Assyria, and the Chaldeans all held the stars in a special place in their pagan theologies. They considered them sacred and divine to varying degrees. What is not as well known, is that the ancient Hebrews, and their forefathers (e.g., those antediluvians who predated Abraham but were of the same lineage) also held a special place for the constellations. Since there was no written biblical accounts of creation prior to Job (circa 2100BC) or Moses (circa 1400BC) that we know of, it seems reasonable that God communicated to mankind through a variety of agencies, one of which was creation itself. Since the stars are part of that created order, it would not be out of the realm of possibility to believe that they could also seemingly foretell the great story of a coming redemption in symbolism and type. Now, I have read some online ministries try to discredit Seiss, Bullinger, and the whole Gospel in the stars theory. One point they made was that how could the Gospel be a mystery, if it was written in the stars since the time of Adam. Certainly, we can acknowledge that the Gospel was a mystery to the Old Testament saints and prophets (Eph. 3:8-10, 6:19; Col. 1:26-27). However, we could equally point to the Protoevangelicum as evidence that ancient man knew that at some point in the future God would redeem him. The question was never about whether the Gospel was a mystery, but where the mystery (musterion) actually lay. I personally believe that the mystery was always about the execution of the salvation plan, not the plan itself. What I mean by that is, the mystery was how God would actually pull it off and never whether He would do it or not. For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me (Job 19:25-27) The book of Job, written around the year 2100 BC, predates the writing of Genesis by many centuries. In it, Job mentions names certain constellations and states that they (the constellations) were part of God's ways (Job 26:11, 13-14). Job mentions the Serpent, which in the Zodiac is also referred to as Draco, Hydra, Scorpio, or Cetus. Job also mentions the Pleades and the constellation Orion, both of which are found in Taurus. There is also a reference to Arcturus, which means bear in Hebrew, and is a reference to Ursa Major. Not only this, but one of the writer's in the book of Psalm, points out that God telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names (Psalm 147:4). Once Satan was defeated at his original rebellion, he made his dominion not in the dark, cavernous underworld we often picture him in, but in the air (Eph. 2:2). We will speak more to why that is in a bit, but for now, simply understand that Satan attempted early on to hijack the message of redemption. However, prior to the flood, Satan first attempted to corrupt all of man and animal kind genetically so that a redeemer could not come (Gen. 6:1- 7). After God preserved mankind through the line of Noah, Satan began shifting his tactics by corrupting the created order. The fact that Satan would make the effort to pervert and convert the mnemonic Mazzaroth into a pagan Zodiac system is further evidence of its original significance. If that message (the Mazzaroth) already belonged to Satan, he would not need bother corrupting it. Originally, the stars were divided into forty-eight constellations, with twelve major constellations, and thirty-six decans or sidereal sidepieces. The Antediluvian Saints (between Seth and Noah) used the Mazzaroth not to divine the future, but as a mnemonic tool used to help aid/keep their oral tradition alive for God's plan of redemption. The name and corruption of the Mazzaroth into what we now know of as the Zodiac, would not come about until some point after the flood, presumably around the time of Nimrod and the tower of Babel (circa 2300BC). For a more in-depth search into the history of the Mazzaroth, see here for the late Chuck Missler's excellent research on the topic. We Are Not Alone "At no time, when the astronauts were in space were they alone: there was a constant surveillance by UFOs." - Astronaut Scott Carpenter As Christians, we understand that there is more to this reality than what we can see, here, and touch. We understand that there are only three different kinds of intelligent, sentient, beings in our existence. There first is the triune Godhead- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Next is the Angelic realm, filled with innumerable holy and unholy angels. Lastly, there is man. However, the secular world has a hard time reckoning anything beyond their five senses and reasons that these extra-terrestrial visitors are "aliens" from another planet or galaxy. This is why the issue of UFOs is so intriguing concerning biblical eschatology. The fact that they are here and presumably, very interested in the goings on of earth, means things are about to get interesting. My first thought on their increased activity was a process of normalization, and allowing themselves to be seen and filmed (in varying degrees) to get unregenerate humans used to the idea that they are not alone. My second thought on this is that since they have yet to make full contact (think Close Encounters of the Third Kind); their motives are not friendly. Just ask anyone who has ever claimed to be abducted and you get the eerie semblance from their testimonials of similar scenarios when humans interact with demons. For most of man's history on the earth, the sky remained an impenetrable domain until just the last century. When man finally began to take to the skies and started exploring the uppermost parts of his atmosphere, his encounters with the unexplainable would increase to the point where collision for disclosure would become an inevitability. Irrefutable evidence is now coming to the forefront that is forcing secular world governments, the media, and the military to finally address openly. This is the rub. Entertainment through books, movies, and television have long promoted the idea of UFOs and the supernatural because their popular and make a lot of money. This has spawned whole genres and sub-genres where people have begun to believe that these things are real. Meanwhile, the governments of the world have long understood them to be real (because of irrefutable evidences); they have attempted to keep the lid on it because people collectively were not ready for the truth. Therefore, after 70 years of science fiction and fantasy saturating our pop culture world, the time for disclosure is nearby. The Truth is Out There On occasion, I listen to a show on YouTube called SecureTeam10. The show is not Christian in nature, but the host, Tyler, keeps it clean and tries very hard to post only videos and commentary that appear to be as reputable as possible. He recently did an episode that sparked my curiosity and got me thinking about things. Although he primarily focuses on unexplained aerial and lunar phenomena (UFO activity), he also covers the strange and bizarre events going on in the world. From the strange, apocalyptic sounds heard around the world, to seemingly artificial structures on places like the moon, mars, and the Antarctic, along with other bizarre things picked up by Google Earth. Recently however, he sparked my interest when he asked a very pertinent question. Why all of a sudden, are the world powers, infatuated with putting man back on the moon? Man last set foot on the moon in the 1972 with the Apollo missions. In the subsequent four decades, there has been seemingly little appetite in going back. So why now? Why the rush? India, China, Israel, Russia, and even the US are all now racing to get back to the moon, and to put a sustained human presence there. Not just them, but private companies as well, such as Moon Express, Amazon, Virgin, and Space X are also racing to get into space. Concerning Israel's mission, they put a twist on it. Their rocket contained some 30 million documents etched into a DVD that contains a massive amount of the world's history. The 'Lunar Library' started its journey to outer space late February on a robotic lunar lander called Beresheet launched by SpaceX. The archive, which is housed on a metal disc about the size of a DVD, was created by the Arch Mission Foundation, a Los Angeles-based non-profit. The archive is intended to preserve records of human civilization for at least 6 billion years. There seems to be a strong desire to both preserve humanity and create a "breakaway" civilization on the moon, on or before 2029. Why is that? What are they afraid of? Concurrent to this, NASA has recently admitted to erasing thousands of hours of recently discovered Apollo and Pioneer mission film. This is the film all concerning the moon missions in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. As the article asks, in an era when all kinds of historical data is being restored and preserved, why would the preeminent space agency not be interested in protecting and studying all of this newly found historical data? Conclusion And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things, which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens, will be shaken. Luke 21:25-26 One area we watchmen are intimately familiar with the synoptic gospel's account of the Olivet Discourse. In regards to the above passage, the timing may be as key to the verse as is the action occurring. Most would conclude that this particular passage is dealing with events that happen INSIDE the 70th Week, particularly in the second half of it. However, regarding the subject of deception, we understand that by that time, Satan will have needed to lay the proper groundwork in order for mankind to be confused and / or mislead on what is actually transpiring. In order to do that, he would have needed to begin his deception campaign much earlier. Concerning deception, most Bible teachers tend to hone in on the current religious and ideological deception that is already beginning to saturate our world in these last days. However, from an eschatological perspective, deception must also be looked at holistically to understand the gravitas of how thoroughly comprehensive it will become. In regards to the battle over truth, deception has truly become a multi-domain battlefield. The Apostle Paul writes in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 9 and 10, that the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. With the skyrocketing increase in the arena of unexplainable aerial phenomena known as unidentified flying objects (aka...UFOs), we must factor this into the coming deception. The reason why, is that this increased activity in the heavens is not just happening arbitrarily, but purposefully. This deception is twofold. First, Satan realizes that man is never going to be able to leave earth and colonize the universe as science fiction movies have led us to believe. Therefore, unglorified man is perpetually confined to earth in the physical domain. Secondly, since Christ is returning in the air at the Second Coming with His armies (Rev. 19), Satan must prep the stage by leading mankind to believe that only by uniting globally, can they defeat the threat that is coming from above. Just look at the biggest blockbuster science fiction movies to get a sneak peek for where this deception is aimed at. Therefore, it would behoove us to try to understand how these bizarre events (UFOs, unexplainable phenomena, etc.) factor into the coming age of signs and lying wonders. Furthermore, how they fit into the coming global deception. Although myths and monsters have also existed in the folklore throughout our history, the folklore usually matched the technology of the day. In the pre-industrial era, when there were still vast undiscovered regions with large, unpopulated areas, the sign on the map usually just said 'here there be monsters.' Throughout recent history (the last two-thousand years), vampires, witches, sea monsters, and werewolves were the usual boogeymen haunting places where men feared to tread. In the industrial and post-industrial eras where humanity began its great urbanization migration, the boogeymen shifted to things like human monsters, ghosts, poltergeists, and the demonic. However, it was not until after World War II that man began noticing an unusual uptick in the activity in the heavens. These events seemed to keep pace with the technology of the day by presenting mankind with unexplainable flying objects that seemed to defy the laws of physics and of reality. I believe two events caused this shift from purely earthbound threats, to the supernatural intrusions in the heavens: the use of the atom bomb against imperial Japan, and the rebirth of the nation of Israel. These two events may have been a signal for the fallen angels (interdimensional beings) that mankind was entering its final stretch. Fallen angels and their leader Satan know Scripture and know that Israel had to become a nation again in order for the end to come about. They tried their best after the 1917 Balfour Declaration through the demonic rise and possession of Hitler and his Third Reich to wipe the Jews out once and for all. They did not know their actions by the Holocaust would result in the direct opposite effect they intended with the reconstitution and rebirth of the nation of Israel. It is no coincidence that supernatural activity would begin to spike at the exact same time Israel came back into her land as a nation. A secondary sign to the fallen angels was the use of the atom bomb. Not so much that man invented a giant bomb, but in how man got there. Man finally figured out how to split the atom, and they knew this would open up a completely new realm of technology. What it meant was that man now had the capacity to destroy ALL life on the planet. Thus, these two events were signals to their ranks that they would need to make their presence known in an increasingly aggressive manner. They know mankind has entered into the last moments of the last days and their leader, Satan, is instructing them to begin laying the groundwork for what he needs; an answer for greatest cosmic event in human history up until this point, the Rapture of the Church. Yes, as crazy as it sounds, the increase in frequency and intensity of UFO activity proves (at least in my mind) that the Rapture of the Church must be very soon. Why? First, we know that there are only three categories of sentient beings in the universe. Next is the unprecedented increase in unexplainable phenomena, with which this activity appears to be at best, elusive, and at worst, nefarious. So this rules out God or His holy angels. Furthermore, this activity defies the laws of physics or any capability mankind has, thus ruling us out. This leaves only one possible group- unholy or fallen angels. Secondly, we see throughout Scripture that any time there biblical prophetic movement, there is an equal attempt by Satan to counter-react by way of satanic or demonic activity. It stands to reason that we should have expected an increase in satanic activity since 1948 (Israel's rebirth) and that it would only escalate until a culmination point (the Rapture). After which, the Restrainer (2 Thess. 2:7-8) will be removed and this unexplainable satanic phenomena will go from elusive to obvious, because the Spirit filled church will not be here to counteract it. Thirdly, Satan has to have a believable excuse as to why millions of people disappeared, and even more importantly, something to distract and unite humanity at the time of their greatest global crisis with which the Rapture-event itself will provide in spades. So although the fear and expectation of those things, which are coming on the earth, mentioned in Luke 21:25-26 are events that happen inside the 70th-Week of Daniel, this seems to be in keeping with my hypothesis that since these activities are wildly on the increase, their increase marks the season of His soon return...Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Luke 21:28 The Incurable Curiosity of the Cosmos: Vol. I - By Pete Garcia - http://rev310.com/2019/05/the-incurable-curiosity-of-the-cosmos-vol-i
Many of you might remember the "blood moon" craze that swept through all the eschatological circles several years ago (2012-2015). If you don't remember, or weren't a prophecy watcher back then, there was a series (tetrad) of four blood moons which fell upon the Jewish feast dates of Passover and Tabernacles. To be honest, I didn't think much of it back then, and still don't today. Neither do I think I ever wrote about them, and if I did, I was not promoting it I can assure you. Nevertheless, from what I hear, a couple fellas sure were able to sell a lot of books because of it. The next major craze that came through was the Revelation-12 movement (2015-2017). This new one seemed to find its fulfillment/alignment on or about September 23rd, 2017. This was largely centered on the literal fulfillment of the symbolic imagery spoken of in Revelation 12:1-2. Although I did write about this, it was not a wholesale endorsement. I was angrier at the various discernment police teams running around throwing cold water on everyone prematurely and indiscriminately, than I was the groups and individuals who were actually talking about this. For one, none of the serious persons and groups who were actually talking about Revelation 12 were saying the Rapture was going to happen that day. Nor were they even sure something would happen that day. They were doing what a lot of us are prone to do, which is, speculating on possibilities, and just being excited about the possibility that something could happen. Can't really fault people for being excited about the Bible and the return of Christ. On the other hand, perhaps there was some significance to the "blood moon tetrad" and the Revelation 12 thingy...and we don't fully understand, or cannot see all the connections yet. For the record, I am not dismissing discernment ministries for throwing caution out there. All I was saying then, is the same thing that I am saying now, which is what the late, great Chuck Missler use to say by quote: He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him (Prov. 18:13). Nevertheless, for those of us interested in all things prophecy, we are usually the same type of Christians who want to piece together as much as the last day's events as possible, because God has stirred our hearts to want to understand the times in which we live because we long for the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But one of the most important things it seems we all missed (or at least I did) during all this time regarding the eclipses, blood moons, and Rev 12 hype, was in fact, the biggest sign of all, the moon itself; literally speaking, the moon should not exist! [For all the ultra-conservative discernment ministries out there who are quick to pounce on anyone who even dares mention outer space, this next section is for you] The Moon Enigma Although we see it every night, most people do not give much thought about the moon...but perhaps they should. It is one of the biggest enigmas mankind has ever known. Below are a list of quotes from (to my knowledge) non-Christians, but undoubtedly qualified experts in their respective fields who have also pondered about our moon's existence, composition, and behavior. Quotes and citations collected from Source- Isaac Asimov, American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University and Science Fiction writer. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time. "We cannot help but come to the conclusion that the Moon by rights ought not to be there. The fact that it is, is one of the strokes of luck almost too good to accept... Small planets, such as Earth, with weak gravitational fields, might well lack satellites... In general then, when a planet does have satellites, those satellites are much smaller than the planet itself. Therefore, even if the Earth has a satellite, there would be every reason to suspect... that at best it would be a tiny world, perhaps 30 miles in diameter. But that is not so. Earth not only has a satellite, but it is a giant satellite, 2160 miles in diameter. How is it then, that tiny Earth has one? Amazing." "The Moon, which has no atmosphere and no magnetic field, is basically a freak of nature" Irwin Shapiro, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics "The best possible explanation for the Moon is observational error - the Moon doesn't exist.' "The Moon is bigger than it should be, apparently older than it should be and much lighter in mass than it should be. It occupies an unlikely orbit and is so extraordinary that all existing explanations for its presence are fraught with difficulties are none of them could be considered remotely watertight." Christopher Knight, Alan Butler From book: Who Built the Moon? The Moon has astonishing synchronicity with the Sun. When the Sun is at its lowest and weakest in mid-winter, the Moon is at its highest and brightest, and the reverse occurs in mid-summer. Both set at the same point on the horizon at the equinoxes and at the opposite point at the solstices. What are the chances that the Moon would naturally find an orbit so perfect that it would cover the Sun at an eclipse and appear from Earth to be the same size? What are chances that the alignments would be so perfect at the equinoxes and solstices? Mikhail Vasin, Alexander Shcherbakov, Societ Academy of Sciences, 1970. "Is the moon a creation of an alien intelligence?" Dr Harold Urey, Nobel Prize for Chemistry "I'm terribly puzzled by the rocks from the Moon and in particular of their titanium content." Dr S Ross Taylor, Geochemist of lunar chemical analysis Said the problem was that Maria plains the size of Texas had to be covered with melted rock containing fluid titanium. He said you would not expect titanium ever to be hot enough to do that, even on Earth, and no one has ever suggested that the Moon was hotter than the Earth. "What could distribute titanium in this way? Highly advanced technology developed and operated by entities that are immensely more technologically advance than humans." Ken Johnson, Supervisor of the Data and Photo Control department during the Apollo missions Moon rocks have been found to contain processed metals, including brass and mica, and the elements Uranium 236 and Neptunium 237 that have never been found to occur naturally. Dr. Gordon MacDonald, NASA "it would seem that the Moon is more like a hollow than a homogenous sphere'. He surmised that the data must have been wrong - but it wasn't." Dr. Sean C Solomon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "The Lunar Orbiter experiments had vastly improved knowledge of the Moon's gravitational field and indicated the frightening possibility that the Moon might be hollow." Lon Hood, University of Arizona "We knew that the Moon's core was small, but we didn't know it was this small... This really does add weight to the idea that the Moon's origin is unique, unlike any other terrestrial body." NASA scientists The Apollo 12 mission to the Moon in November 1969 set up seismometers and then intentionally crashed the Lunar Module causing an impact equivalent to one ton of TNT. The shockwaves built up for eight minutes, and NASA scientists said the Moon 'rang like a bell. Maurice Ewing, American geophysicist and oceanographer "As for the meaning of it, I'd rather not make an interpretation right now, but it is as though someone had struck a bell, say, in the belfry of the a church a single blow and found that the reverberation from it continued for 30 minutes." Ken Johnson, Supervisor of the Data and Photo Control department during the Apollo missions "The Moon not only rang like a bell, but the whole Moon wobbled in such a precise way that it was almost as though it had gigantic hydraulic damper struts inside it." Dr. Ross Taylor, NASA He said: "This was one of those extraordinary things. When you had the impact of these things on the moon, unlike a terrestrial earthquake, which dies away quickly, the shock waves continued to reverberate around the moon for a period of an hour or more, and this is attributed to the extremely dry nature of the lunar rock. Dr. D L Anderson, Professor of geophysics and director of the seismological laboratory, California Institute of Technology "The Moon is made inside out and that its inner and outer compositions should be the other way around." Dr. Robin Brett, NASA Scientist "It seems much easier to explain the nonexistence of the moon than its existence." OTHER ANOMALIES The numerous convex Moon craters- shaped out, rather than in (from impacting meteors) Charles A. Wood, of the Department of Geological Sciences at Brown University, wrote in a 1978 paper that these convex craters were likely created by lava. He said the lava seeped up through fractures to the surface. The Moon stabilizes the earth's axis NASA- "The moon stabilizes Earth's wobble, which has led to more stable climate," NASA (Dr. Eric Christian and Beth Barbier) "[The moon adds] drag to the Earth's rotation in the form of tides, both oceanic and internal. This added drag tends to stabilize the rotation. It is also gradually slowing down the rotation of the Earth, which gradually lengthens Earth days." Size and Distance The same numbers come up in looking at measurements related to the moon, sun, and Earth. The diameter of the sun is about 400 times the diameter of the moon; the moon is also about 400 times closer to Earth than the sun. The diameter of the sun is about 108 times the diameter of the Earth; the distance between the Earth and the sun is about 108 times the diameter of the sun.
Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com/is-the-moon-man-made_404345.html Conclusion Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; Gen 1:14 From a Christian perspective, we understand that the universe did not come about by accident. We understand that according to Scripture, history, the laws of nature, and the presence of creation itself, that a Creator must be necessary. So part of these secular scientist's problem, is that they start their paradigm from a position that all this must have happened unintentionally, thus, the moon's existence is as Isaac Asimov once said, a stroke of good luck. We know that the Moon exists because a Creator purposefully put it there. So, having lived through the blood moon phase and the Rev12 sign phase, and gotten the t-shirt and bumper sticker to prove it, what do we make of the moon? From an eschatological perspective, one might wonder that significance the Moon does play in Bible prophecy. What does Scripture say? The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. Acts 2:20 [Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances] I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. Revelation 6:12 Knowing what we know now, that the moon is NOT made of green cheese and is dry and quite possibly hollow, how can the Moon be turned to blood? Scientifically, we know that the sky is not really blue, but appears that way because of the way the light particles hitting and interacting with the air and dust makes the waves of light appear to our eyes. Similarly, the moon will appear to be the color of blood, due to the obscurations in the atmosphere caused by the events happening on the earth. If we look at the passages above, and take them in reverse order, we see that what this portends too either geologic and volcanic activity, or some type of nuclear exchange that can cause that level of atmospheric obscuration. This will cause the sun to appear darkened, and the moon to appear a blood-red color. Understanding that the Day of the Lord speaks to both the general time frame, and to a specific day will help us clarify how these three passages work in concert sequentially. In order-
So understanding that, we will turn in the next volume to the topic of how Satan will use the cosmos to bring on great deception in the last days deception. Pre Wrath Blues - By Pete Garcia -
http://rev310.com/2019/05/pre-wrath-blues Having just finished a month-long email debate with two men from an online Prewrath ministry, I have come to the realization that you just can't argue with stupid. I realize that sounds harsh and perhaps even unchristian ....but it is the truth. For the record, I am not calling them stupid, just their reasoning's for supporting a Prewrath (PW) view. Any eschatological view that either puts the church into the 70th Week, or denies bible prophecy outright or in part, is heretical in nature. Now, I use that term heretical cautiously, because it is a serious charge to lay against anyone. Heresy is not just those things the orthodox authorities or majority deem heretical, but also those things, which go against the very text of the Bible itself. Although this isn't the first time I have had a theological engagement like this, it is just the latest in a long line of end-runs the enemy has made into making divisions and schisms in an already dwindling population (i.e., the watchmen who care about Bible prophecy). It also makes me sad, not just for these two gentlemen, but for all who have bought into false teachings regarding the time surrounding the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. First for those biblically illiterate who are swept up by false teachings and had their lives ruined. Even worse, for those whose faith was crushed by a deception and quit believing altogether. Hermeneutics actually matters. Therefore, after a month being berated, belittled, and generally not having my questions answered in any kind of coherent or logical manner, I pulled a Pilate on these two and washed my hands of the whole affair. I don't mind a good debate now and again, especially if we conduct it in such a way that is honoring to God (iron sharpening iron), but these two "ministers" were quick to go ad hominem on me the moment they felt like they were losing the argument. One troubling aspect to this whole affair was the reality that they were not interested in the truth of what Scripture actually says, but only in their interpretation of what they want it to say. Furthermore, they put more emphasis on personal prophetic hearings, visions, and a 'word of knowledge,' then on how those compare with what Scripture actually teaches. Even more troubling, was what they were accusing me of applying a literal/grammatical/historical hermeneutic of Scripture; That is the point Pete, you say you believe you are correct. When it comes to God's Word that is really not good enough. In the old testament God frowned upon those who prophesied by their own spirit. Again, several times in the 2nd and 3rd chapter of Revelation the Spirit of Christ said "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the Churches" Few end time teachers endeavor to hear what the Spirit is saying. Men are prophesying by their own spirit by approaching scripture from a hermeneutical intellectual perspective. There are many men who are actually hearing from the Lord by dreams and visions, some of them are receiving prophetic warnings and others a word of knowledge about things to come which can and have come to pass. I find almost none of them espousing a pre-trib Rapture...While hermeneutics can be a useful tool when attempting to interpret scripture, it does not work when interpreting prophecy. The proof of this is clearly visible in the fact that just about every Western prophecy teacher uses hermeneutics, but are teaching dozens of different end time's doctrines. Jesus says "He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the Churches". While I am not going to repost the entire conversation, I have two witnesses (Terry and Randy) who can attest to the entirety of the conversation to ensure I am not misrepresenting anyone here. They actually accused me of holding to a literal, grammatical, and historical interpretation of Scripture (taking the text for what it says), and then equating that (in a pejorative manner) as "my own interpretation." They then argue that many men they know who have had private and / or personal visions, dreams, and that almost NONE of them are Pre-Trib in nature, as proof that I am wrong? Wait, what?? In their estimation, there was more weight (more credibility) given to those who have dreams and visions, than to what the written Word actually says. In 2 Timothy 2:15, the Apostle Paul charges us to study to show thyself approved...The Apostle Peter warns us in 2 Peter 1:20 that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. What these both tell me, is that following dreams, visions, or a "word of knowledge," which an individual receives privately, does NOT trump what God's word says publicly. So at the very least I am comforted in the fact that our enemy is consistent and these men are not receiving dreams and visions of a Pre-Trib nature. For the record, I'm not saying people can't have dreams and visions, but if these do not conform to what God's word has already said, then they are not of God. Let us consider three points- a) God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33) b) God is not going to contradict His own word (Num. 23:19) c) God is not the only supernatural being out there (Ephesians 6:12, 2 Cor. 11:14-15) However, let me just set the record straight once and for all, up front, and in bold font, The Bible teaches only ONE eschatological view on prophecy Just like the Bible teaches only ONE soteriological view on salvation. Just like the Bible teaches only ONE ecclesiological view on the church. The Bible is NOT a choose-your-own-adventure book. Those who abandon the normal, literal, grammatical, and historical interpretation of Holy Scripture are the very reason WHY we have so many different viewpoints on every major doctrinal position. It is because they follow their dreams, visions, or a "word of knowledge," and that causes them to depart from what the Word actually says. I believe this is how most (if not all) cults begin. When one chooses not to accept the Bible for what it says (in context to the surrounding passage) then what you are in effect doing, is creating a choose your own adventure book. Alternatively, neither am I promoting "wooden-literalism," as Hank Hanegraaf (the Bible Answer Man) used to accuse us dispensationalists with, but rather, with a common-sense literalism. [For the record, Mr. Hanegraaf has since eloped from Protestantism into the Eastern Orthodox realm seeking more visual enlightenment as it were]. So what is common sense interpretation? "When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise." -Dr. David L. Cooper (1886-1965), founder of The Biblical Research Society Therefore, what this means is that... 1. The sum and substance of this most important rule is that one should take every statement of the Scriptures at its face value, if possible. 2. The following is an analysis of the adjectives "primary," "ordinary," and "usual." 3. "Primary" emphasizes the original, inherent idea in the term. 4. "Ordinary" and "usual" are practically synonyms, especially in this definition, "usual" being employed for the sake of emphasis. 5. "Literal" is used to emphasize the thought that every word must first be taken literally as expressing the exact thought of the author at the time when it was used; and one is not to go beyond the literal meaning of the Scriptures unless the facts of the context indicate a deeper, hidden or symbolic meaning. As to departing from the literal, grammatical, historical hermeneutic, this is not new. People have been twisting, perverting, reinventing, and wordsmithing the Bible for the last two-thousand years without fail because everyone if gifted with the curse of opinions. From the first century Gnostics, to the poor misguided youngsters in the Emergent Church movement. From Origen to Rachel Held Evans, everyone wants to put their own spin on the Bible to force Scriptures to contort to the norms of their day. People might accuse me of being overly harsh regarding people who pervert the Bible to their own gain, but how one interprets, the Bible is significantly important. Here are just a few examples of how things turn out badly for those who abuse Scripture.
So yeah, hermeneutics do actually matter. Trust me when I say that there is a lot of bad hermeneutics going around out there around the internet. This equates to there being many pseudo-Christian groups, posing as legitimate Christian ministries, who are nothing more than theological wolves in sheep's clothing preying on the biblically illiterate. However, not to fear dear reader, none of this was a surprise to God. Scripture warns us that in the last days, this would be the norm... "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15-16 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. Acts 20:29-31 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Tim. 3:1-7 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 2:1-3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3-4 Assessment Back to my Pre-Wrath venting. While I will not be so foolish as to put PW adherents and devotees into the classification of cult, or pseudo-Christian, I would absolutely liken them to theologically misguided (heretically speaking) and who have major doctrinal issues apart from eschatology, which consequently, impacts and leads them to their flawed eschatological points of view. There is something about the PW view, which irritates me to my core. I mean irritate in the most unpleasant of terms. Like being out and you have a piece of steak or corn wedged in your teeth and you do not have any floss or a toothpick on hand. You spend the next (however long it takes) to get something sharp and pointy to wedge in your teeth to dig it out. Irritating in that sense. Here are my issues with PW: They presume themselves to be the historic view.
Their name is deceptive. They are no more Pre-Wrath, than Mormon's are Latter Day Saints.
In order for the PW view to work, it must distort three other theological Christian doctrines;
Here are several questions I have used to debate the two Prewrath devotees, and found them either quite unwilling or unable to answer coherently. Keep in mind; this is using the PW view of how things play out as the backdrop. 1. If the Seals 1-5 are not the wrath of God, but rather, are the wrath of man/Satan/ Antichrist....HOW do they (man/Satan/Antichrist) initiate said seals. 1) If the Church is not raptured, and we are still on the earth, then how then do we when these have begun (if Man or Satan initiates these)? IOW, how do we know specifically when the first Seal has been opened? 2) How is the "wrath of man" or "wrath of Satan" any different from what has already occurred in history? In the 20th Century alone, we have documented hundreds of millions killed due to crime, war, persecution, starvation, genocide, pestilence, murder, abortion, holocaust, etc....and yet, we could not point to a single moment when the rider on the white horse could have arrived. More Christians have died in the 20th-21st century then the previous 20 centuries combined. 3) 2. If the first Seal is marked by the arrival of THE Antichrist (rider on the white horse), how will one know who it is? Paul states in 2 Thess. 2:7-8 that the man of lawlessness (The Antichrist) cannot be revealed UNTIL the one who restrains, is taken out of the way. 1.Who/what is "the one who restrains?" Here are your options- 1) Michael the Archangel (not omnipresent) 2) Human Government (not capable or willing) 3) The Holy Spirit 4) The Holy Spirit filled/sealed Church 5) Satan (seems to not be in his own interest to do so) 2.What physically happens on the earth when "the one who restrains" is removed? How will we (those of us on earth) know exactly when this "restraint removal" happens? 3. In Revelation 3:10, Jesus tells the Church at Philadelphia (and those who have an ear to hear) that I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. If this is not a picture of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, then what is it?
Conclusion Having already departed from the literal/grammatical/historical interpretation of the Word, there are presumably many variations of the PW view floating around out in the internet these days. I imagine there will be complaints about this article as misrepresenting their view. Perhaps. However, so as not to be accused by the PW pit bulls on misleading people about their beliefs, I will use their own words to describe what they say they believe. Many of us were told that the church will be "raptured out of here before the Antichrist's arrival." The Bible, however, teaches the church will first experience the Antichrist's great tribulation. Then, at some unknown day and hour, Antichrist's persecution will be cut short by the return of Christ to resurrect and rapture believers before the day of the Lord's wrath-hence, Prewrath. Interestingly, the PW view is the exact same eschatological view as a fairly well known cult known as the Worldwide Church of God (Herbert W. Armstrong). So either it is the chicken or the egg we do not know for certain, but either Marvin Rosenthal adopted some of Armstrong's views on eschatology, or Armstrong adopted Kampen's view on eschatology. Either way as the old sayings goes- birds of a feather... I came across an article published by the Worldwide Church of God, the cult founded by H. Armstrong. I was amazed to find that these people hold to the identical view of Rosenthal when it comes to the Great Tribulation as being totally distinct from the Day of the Lord. Here is how they explain it: "Is the 'Great Tribulation' the same event as the 'Day of the Lord'? No. They are totally different....The Great Tribulation is not the time of God's wrath, but rather the time of the wrath of Satan the devil....The Day of the Lord is clearly shown here [in Matt. 24] to come after the heavenly signs [of Matt. 24:29]. The time order is: first, the Tribulation-Satan's wrath; second, the heavenly signs; third, the Day of the Lord-God's intervention. The same time sequence is revealed in Revelation 6, speaking of the seven seals. The fifth seal represents the Great Tribulation, followed by the heavenly signs, then the Day of the Lord or God's wrath (verses 9-17)" -The Good News of the World Tomorrow, March 1986, p. 13. Hence, some of Rosenthal's ideas are not new. The Worldwide Church of God cult has been teaching these things since 1986 and probably long before that. In closing, the entirety of the PW's center of gravity seems hyper-focused on adding confusion to what the word of God says. Wrath is not wrath. Tribulation is not tribulation. The Day of the Lord is not the Day of the Lord. The Church is not the Church. Israel is not Israel. Seven years is not seven years. They seem bent on wanting to overly complicate the simple, and completely dismiss the obvious. There are three simple truths we must always keep in mind when regarding our Christian faith.
As I stated at the beginning, the Bible only teaches ONE eschatological view, and that view is the TRUE pre wrath position, which is the Pre-Tribulation (or Pre-70th Week) Rapture of the Church. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3 If He Were To Call Today - By Dennis Huebshman -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/03/23/call-today-dennis-huebshman/ We can rest assured; the day is coming soon when Jesus will return to take His church (All Believers) off this earth so we won't go through the Wrath/Tribulation that is just about here. This has been promised in numerous verses in the Bible, and God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). [All emphasis is mine.] The event called the "Rapture," which is described but not called as such, is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, and is an "Any Day Now" event. We were not given the exact day or hour that it will happen, but Jesus, Paul and others gave us signs we should be looking for. Today, the condition of this world is ripe for everything they spoke of. The absolute "mega-sign" that we are getting close was the May 14, 1948, announcement that Israel once again was declaring itself a sovereign nation, on its own land, for the first time in over 2,000 years. No other nation on earth can make this claim. As time passes, we have to remember 2 Peter 3:8-9, "But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness; but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." The "day of the Lord" will definitely happen; but for now, it appears the Father is giving time for people to reach out and accept Jesus as their Savior. He is patient, but even that will soon end as He takes His wrath out on those who remain on earth. We are steadily watching the governments of the world breaking down and beginning to call for a "New World Order." There are already ideas of a one-world government divided into 10 distinct kingdoms. Just about anything pertaining to Christianity is being challenged, and even more than ever before right here in America. Paul gives the most accurate picture of today in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, "But understand this, that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." My question is, how do we avoid them when they're everywhere today? The leaders of the United States and Israel are being attacked from all sides at the same time. No matter what President Trump does, he's declared wrong, and the same goes for Prime Minister Netanyahu. The interesting thing is, both nations are in good shape and prospering compared to the rest of the world. It's obvious that satanic forces are at work in earnest trying to take these nations down. Israel is being accused of committing "war crimes" just for protecting itself, while the persecutors are being called "victims." Israel is extremely prosperous and is listed as the "8th" most powerful nation in the world; yet, it is about the size of New Jersey. By all rights, Israel should not even exist today. They have been attacked by other nations from the very first announcement of their statehood, and several times since then. Still, they have never been defeated. Anyone who cannot see the Lord's hand in this is totally blind. For any other country to lose a war, there would be terms of surrender and then peace agreements reached. For Israel, to lose would mean total annihilation. God will not ever let that happen. Amos 9:14-15, "I will restore the fortunes of My people, Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them, says the Lord Your God." Sounds like a definite covenant, especially when God says, "I Will." Israel will go through the Tribulation per Daniel and Revelation, but will not be totally destroyed. From approximately 1% to 2% of the total Jewish population believing in Jesus as their Messiah today, 100% will believe by the end of the 7-year Wrath. It should be noted here, the 1%-2% will not be here, but will rise up to meet Jesus in the air at the Rapture with all the other believers. Biggest question that remains is, are you ready? If Jesus were to call for the believers to go to Him, will you be there? I have actually heard people say, "Yes, I want to go in the Rapture, but there are things I need to do first. Jesus needs to wait until (xxxwhateverxxx)." The things of this earth are given more value than some people's eternal souls. In my prayers, I have said to the Savior, there is nothing or no one on this earth that I wish to delay my going Home. My wife is of the same mind-set. Yes, each day we pray for all of our loved ones, and hope they have truly accepted Jesus for themselves. However, we cannot force them if they haven't. It's an individual process. In John 21:21-22, Peter is asking Jesus about John; "When Peter saw him (John), he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? Jesus said to him, if it is My will that he remains until I come, what is that to you? You Follow Me!" Our responsibility is to "share" Jesus with others. It is to be in a loving and "non-threatening" nature. It's up to the receivers as to whether or not they accept or reject our Savior's sacrifice for their eternal salvation. Also, it is to be the absolute truth as given in the Bible. Not watered-down theology, or "adjusted" meanings. Some "religions" use force up to martyrdom for anyone not accepting their "god." Our Father loves us so much that He wants it to be our choice to decide. His love is based on "free-will," not intimidation or threats. When someone really considers just how short this life on earth is compared to eternity, it should be obvious which has priority. However, the prince of this world (Satan) is at work full-time, trying to pull souls away from Jesus. His fate is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10); and all who follow him will end up there as well (Revelation 20:11-15). That will be forever, not just for a period of time and then be released. John 14:6 is the straight and narrow way. "Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by Me." Romans 10:9-13 gives the formula needed to call on the Lord to truly be saved. There are numerous other examples, but these give what is needed to call on Jesus to be your Savior. To delay is to play the lottery. He may not come back today; but then again, He may. If you haven't accepted Him, at the very least you will go into the Tribulation, which will be the worst time this earth has ever experienced. If you want Him to be your Savior, forgive your sins and provide an eternal home for you with Him, He will do so. We will never be perfect while on this earth, but when we do slip, He gives us 1 John 1:9 as His promise to forgive our sins. Don't play the lottery with your soul. Get the assurance of an eternal Home with the Savior today. It could be a great difficulty tomorrow if He comes before then. He is never too busy to take your "call." Shalom! Huebshman46@gmail.com In Defense of Biblical Prophecy - By Jonathan Brentner -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/05/05/defense-biblical-prophecy-jonathan-brentner/ While Christians agree on the fulfillment of prophecy relating to Jesus' first coming, such harmony quickly disappears when the subject switches to prophecies related to His return to earth. As one who has spent many decades in the midst of the fray, I can attest to the pressing need to defend our biblical hope from attacks on the part of those outside as well as within the church. Whatever the source, they all seek to undermine our expectation of Jesus' soon return, returning to earth with Jesus after the tribulation, and then reigning with Him in His millennium kingdom. Many Bible-believing pastors, teachers, and writers who oppose such things begin with a misguided view of God's covenants, one that eliminates the distinction between Israel and the church. They retrofit His promises to Israel so that they apply "spiritually" to the church. "Why does this matter to me?" you might ask, "As long as they preach the true Gospel, what difference does it make if they go astray in matters pertaining to the end times?" Those who ask these questions fail to recognize the long-term effects of how the use of allegory not only undermines our Gospel hope, but also the Gospel itself. Please stay with me as I explain how the allegorical approach to biblical prophecy . . . Leads to an Inconsistent View of Prophecy Jesus fulfilled over 100 prophecies through His birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection. Most all of those who claim that Israel has no future would agree with that statement. Yet, when it comes to the prophecies that relate to Israel's future as well as our own, they abandon literalness for an allegorical interpretation. For example, no one denies the literal fulfillment of the opening words of Isaiah 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given." However, verse 6 adds this to the prophecy concerning Jesus, "and the government shall be upon his shoulder." The next verse further explains, "Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom ...." These words, if taken literally, refer to Jesus ruling upon the "throne of David" and signify a future kingdom for Israel. In spite of this clarity, many look at this passage in a way that retrofits the prophet's original meaning so that it aligns with God's promises to the church. They switch from a literal interpretation to an allegorical one mid-sentence. How can such glaring inconsistencies not effect one's view of the rest of biblical prophecy? Relies on a Vague Basis for Separating the Symbolical from the Literal A related issue I have with those who employ allegory is this: What is the basis for switching from a literal interpretation to an allegorical one in the same passage? In Isaiah 9:6-7, how do they determine what is literal and what is allegory? Do they naturally assume the unfulfilled part is allegory? Or does the picture of Jesus' reigning on the throne of David not fit their preconceived beliefs about Israel? We see this same vague basis for separating the symbolical from the literal in their interpretation of the book of Revelation. Many who relegate most of Revelation 6-20:10 as allegory suddenly switch to a literal interpretation of the Great White Throne judgment, the final destruction of Satan and death, and the new earth along with the New Jerusalem. What's the basis for deciding between which events and words are literal and those that are solely allegory? The lack of agreement among those who relegate the meaning of the apocalypse to allegory demonstrates the vagueness of such a subjective approach. For example, some who reject the millennium of Revelation 20:1-10 regard the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21-22) as an actual physical city; others with the same amillennial viewpoint deny the reality of the city, claiming it's purely symbolic of God's presence. Do not such disagreements among those who employ allegory demonstrate the vagueness and subjectivity of such an approach? Absolutely! Disregards the Original Intent of the Author Of course, prophetic writers in Scripture employ metaphors, word pictures, and symbols at times. My issue is with those who use allegory to blatantly disregard the original intent of the author. The Old Testament prophets believed they were prophesying about a future glory for the nation of Israel. Their words depict a restoration of Israel when God will regather His people from all over the earth. They unequivocally point to Jesus' reign over the nations seated upon the throne of David in Jerusalem. No one can rationally argue that these things were not the original intent of their words. How else could they have understood God's promises to the Israelites that He revealed through them? The prophet Jeremiah regarded the continuation of Israel as a nation in God's eyes as something as certain as the "fixed order" of day and night (Jer. 31:33-36). The Lord further provided Jeremiah with physical descriptions of Jerusalem (vv. 38-40). The words God gave to the prophet depict a still future restoration of a glorious kingdom to Israel. Jeremiah could not have understood it any other way. What does it say about the Lord's reliability if He meant one thing when He spoke these words through the prophets and now they mean something entirely different to us? The effort to retrofit the words of the Lord to say something contrary to what they meant at the time He spoke them not only undermines the integrity of biblical prophecy, but also that of the Lord Himself. Disrespects the Understanding of the Original Audience Not only does the allegorical method of interpretation show indifference to the original intent of the author, it displays a keen disrespect for the understanding of the original audience. Can we really say that prophecy meant one thing to those who heard the Old Testament prophets preach and now means something entirely different today? I have great problems with this distortion of the words Scripture. Would the Israelites listening to Jeremiah proclaim God's promise of a glorious restoration of Israel have thought, "Okay, this does not really relate to our physical descendants, but to another group who will spiritually enjoy benefits of our promised kingdom?" There's no conceivable way such a thought would have entered their minds. They would have taken the prophet's words at face value, a solemn promise from the Lord to "restore" the fortunes of a physical Israel (see Jer. 31:35-40, 32:36-44, 33:23-26). For teachers and writers to come along 2,700 years later and say the words of Jeremiah do not really mean what they meant to the original audience not only destroys the credibility of Scripture, but also of the Lord Himself. If the Israelites could not depend on the clear words of the prophets regarding their future, does this not also undermine our security, our future hope that rests on the words of the Gospel pertaining to our future as New Testament saints? Negates God's Sovereign Purposes for Prophecy The allegorical approach to future prophecy negates God's sovereign purposes for providing us with prophecy. Isaiah 46:10 says that His design for it includes that of "declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish my purpose.'" God demonstrates His glory by declaring what lies ahead in history. When one looks at the specific prophecies Jesus fulfilled at His first coming, it brings about a sense of wonder and awe for the Lord as well as for His Word. Many have come to faith in Jesus after looking at how the Lord fulfilled prophecy with Jesus' first coming. God intends for the abundant prophecies throughout the Bible regarding the restoration of a kingdom for Israel, the Gog and Magog war, the tribulation, and the Second Coming to accomplish this identical purpose. The fulfillment of these things will further demonstrate His sovereignty over history just as Israel's miraculous rebirth seventy years ago and God's supernatural protection of them and blessing since then demonstrates the validity of God's promises in Ezekiel 36-37. If one relegates most, if not all of future prophecy to allegory, one not only negates God's purpose for revealing the future to us but also destroys its relevance for us today, which is precisely what our enemy desires. The allegorical interpretation of prophecy has led to serious errors in the past regarding prophecy and the Gospel; it will surely do so again. Those who use allegory to interpret still-future prophecies in the Bible not only negate God's sovereign purpose for prophecy, but also retrofit them to fit their faulty New Testament understanding of the covenants. In doing so they undermine the integrity of Scripture by making passages say something contrary to the original intention of the author or what those listening at the time would have understood. Jonathan Brentner Website: Our Journey Home Please consider signing up for my newsletter. Thanks! E-mail: Jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com Becoming Antichrist: Vol. III - By Pete Garcia -
http://rev310.com/2019/05/becoming-antichrist-vol-iii In my first two volumes of Becoming Antichrist, I wanted to ensure that I captured as much biblical and factual information pertaining to this topic as possible. However, there is still so much to discuss. In this volume, we will discuss how Satan loves to operate (i.e., from an angle). We will look at satanic bloodlines. Finally, we will summarize everything into a cohesive summation so that the entire picture can be seen in context to the here and now. However, in order to discuss everything regarding this mysterious world leader who is coming, we will have to delve somewhat into the world of speculation to tease out some potential scenarios. In other words, we are moving from the definitive to the speculative. Where there is speculation, I will add an ** to ensure you can know where I am adding in opinion or unsubstantiated theories. I am caveating this up front as much as possible so that you can know what I am about to say, is my own personal opinion. However, my opinion was not created in a vacuum. I am basing much of what is said here, on a broad study of the topic and where I believe the Holy Spirit is leading me. Again, I am not writing this to glorify or glamourize this future world leader, nor tantalize your ears for the here and now, but as a warning to those who are left behind. Part I: Deception Although many within the Reformed and Catholic circles would disagree with me on this point, but we are not presently in the Kingdom. Much scripture points out that Satan is currently running this world (Luke 4:5-6, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 5:19), and has a vast amount of influence over the daily running of the planet. As the Apostle Paul pointed out in his sixth chapter to the church in Ephesus, we are in a fierce battle on a daily basis. Not a battle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual beings, and dark and wicked principalities who seek our demise. These malevolent beings' supreme leader, Satan, primary tactics and strategy centers on deception and confusion. In order for us to even begin to understand the depths of both his depravity and insanity. When dealing with Satan, one must understand that NOTHING is EVER as it seems. Satan never approaches something straight on; he always comes at you from your blind side. If something seems black, you can rest assure it is white. If something appears down, you can trust that it is up. Satan is never on the level with anyone. Therefore, I say all this to ask you (the reader) to ask some strategically significant questions that need to be addressed. We know that... 1. Any religion/belief/philosophy/etc. that does not support the Biblical definition that Christ is God come in the flesh, and that He came to earth through a human (but virgin) birth, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, and rose again on the third day, is by its basic nature, antichrist. So why is the world's second largest religion, Islam, so violent and unappealing? Wouldn't Satan want this religion to be MORE appealing to everyone and less, well, unhinged? 2. How will Satan use atheism/human secularism (a belief system that is overwhelmingly antagonistic to the supernatural) immediately after the Rapture of the Church? 3. How and why is the Evangelical Church seemingly collapsing/capitulating here in the West to a culture bent on suiciding itself? I believe the answer to these, is based 100% in misdirection. 1. Satan is using Islam in a two-fold manner. First, he is using its violent and unhinged nature to prevent the archeological discovery of the historicity and authenticity of the Bible. It is no accident that Satan has the places with the MOST documentable evidence supporting biblical claims, under the darkest protection of radical Islam. This is particularly true in places like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Gaza, Temple Mount (Jerusalem), Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt. Secondly, Satan is using Islam as a forcing-mechanism to get people of all faiths to abandon fundamentalism (which the world generously aligns with extremism). 2. For the better part of 170 years, the West has become increasingly atheistic/secular in their seeming rejection of all things supernatural. Part of this has been the educationally mandated enforcement of humanist propaganda (i.e., Darwinian Evolution, Big Bang Theory, etc.), onto the public education system. On the other hand, the west has entered into a renassaisance of all things supernatural within the entertainment industry. One would think that if naturalism/rationalism were so popular, this would be reflected in pop culture, but it is not. The reason it has not, is that atheism takes everything and offers nothing but an empty void. Humans are more than just flesh and blood, and something within us yearns for something more. Therefore, this campaign of humanism is not about abandoning all supernaturalism, but just supernaturalism within Christianity, such as the supernatural aspects of Creation, Noah's Flood, Virgin Birth, and the Resurrection, etc. This void must be filled, and that is where the entertainment industry has been busy infilling the culture with UFOs, eastern mysticism, mythology, spiritualism, the cultic and occult. 3. Much of the Evangelical Churches in the West are folding faster than a row of cheap lawn chairs inside a F5 tornado. For those churches and clergy who chose to stand against the tsunami of the rapidly disintegrating culture, are viciously maligned, battered, and placed in the same category as German Nazis. This seems to be the reason why churches in the West are folding because, a) they want to remain relevant, b) they want to remain popular, and c) because they treat their churches like businesses (where the customer is always right). So what does all these have to do with the Antichrist? This is what we call battlefield preparation or stage setting. One second after the Rapture, the world will enter into a time of signs and wonders unlike any other. Satan is (for lack of a better word) bludgeoning the world into bloody mess right now ahead of the Rapture, so that those who are left behind, are beyond desperate for peace, security, and normalcy. However, in the absence of true biblical Christianity, an ecumenical abomination will arise. Think of it as a global COEXIST campaign on steroids that embraces everything except exclusivity. Even now, we are seeing these things come together with groups like New Evangelicals, Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT), Chrislam, Emergent Church, Gospel Coalition, World Council of Churches, Red Letter Christians, Seeker-Sensitive Movement, and numerous Christian universities. This is the pre-rapture foundation for the Harlot. She is who sits upon many waters and with whom the kings of the earth commit fornication with. What is that fornication? **I believe this is where the kings of the earth will help enforce her persecution of the tribulation saints, and she will reward them with titles, moneys, and land (think back to the Roman Catholic Inquisitions). She will be headed first by the False Prophet, but then he will betray her cause of inclusivity and direct all worship exclusively towards the Beast (the Antichrist) around the mid-point of the 70th Week (Dan. 9:27, Matt. 24:15, 2 Thess. 2:4). This will then be enforced by the Mark of the Beast (Rev. 13:11-18). Lastly, after the Rapture, Satan will have ZERO use for atheism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in their original forms. He will need all hands on deck to support his number one Antichrist candidate, whom he will empower with the false prophet with supernatural powers. Why we are seeing such an uptick in the supernatural now in pop culture and entertainment is a process of normalization; where people are comfortable seeing the supernatural, if on nothing else, the big screen, televisions, and books. He needs his followers to be both wowed by it, but also, not so awestruck that they fear and reject it. By the time the Rapture happens, the people will want their superman. Part II- Bloodlines Since the beginning of time, there has always been an attraction to hidden/esoteric knowledge. This is what Satan offered Adam and Eve in the Garden, that they could "be like God" in knowing the difference between good and evil (Genesis 3:4). The numerous outlets for access to such knowledge has been promised to many seekers in the forms of secret societies, mystery religions, and occult groups who have sought out this knowledge in an effort to gain power, wealth, fame, and control. While I do not pretend to be an expert on secret societies, I have listed below some of the more recognizable ones and their foundation dates. Some of these might seem overtly political or economic and odd to be included in such a list, but they meet the criteria of secrecy, hidden knowledge, and appear to be antichrist in nature.
For those who scoff at me for including political organizations in this list, we might simply look at the common goal most of these groups have ever had, which is, power. More aptly put, the consolidation of power into as few hands as possible. Pagans, Gnostics, cultists, mystics, and later, Fabian Socialists, technocrats, oligarchs, elitists, etc. have all sought power through the acquiring of secret knowledge. In addition, they all currently have the same boss- Satan. Another aspect most of these groups seem to share is this notion of some kind of divine right to rule. Congressman William E. Dannemeyer once quoted David Rockefeller as having said, some men are born to rule, but most men are born to be ruled. Certainly, this is not a stretch to believe knowing history and having seen the world in our own day. Furthermore, since Satan controls the kingdoms of this world (Luke 4:5-6), it is a very short jump to the logical assumption that he would therefore want to orchestrate who controls what in his domain through the use of satanic bloodlines. We see that the bible has a table of nations in Genesis 10-11 from which all of mankind comes after Noah's flood. Since Satan cannot (or will not) mimic things that do not already exist by God, he is using the Twelve Tribes of Israel as a model to promote these twelve familial bloodlines throughout history by means of intermarriage and banking, which he has kept power together by the use of these royal bloodlines. From one of these families is whom many believe that Satan will bring about the final Antichrist candidate(s), who will come from somewhere within the boundaries of the old Roman Empire (Dan. 9:26). This certainly becomes even more reasonable when we consider that this final Antichrist will also control all of the buying and selling over the entire earth. In other words, he will control all the banking (Rev. 13:16-18). **Some names, which readily come to mind, are the Rothschild's and Rockefellers. There are also named the Astor, Van Duyn, Merovingian, Bundy, DuPont, Freeman, Onassis, Kennedy, Disney, Reynolds, Li, and Russell bloodlines. Removed but probably connected are the avowed globalists such as the Soros, Clintons, and the Gates families. Although too many to list, the Bilderberg Meetings, which happen annually and exclude the press, are a mix of politicians, bankers, technocrats, and the who's who of the movers and shakers in the arena of geopolitics. Their goal? A one-world government. The reality? They will end up handing over their long-sought after universal government over to the worst dictator in human history (the Beast). However, their current ambition is blinded by greed and pride. They do not know their end because they have rejected Christ and the Bible. Note the arrogant attitude on display here. We are grateful to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march toward a world government. . . . The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries. David Rockefeller, Bilderberg Group Meeting, Baden, Germany 1991 Summary In the years leading up to Noah's flood (i.e., the antediluvian era), Satan attempted to corrupt the entire genetic genepool of mankind by having his fallen angels intermingle with human women (Gen. 6:1-4). He did this in an attempt to corrupt mankind so that a Messiah could not come through the race of man (Gen. 3:15). After the Rapture, Satan will attempt this same feat again by use of the Mark. He knows his time is short (Rev. 12:12) and he is seeking to take as many down with him as possible. Of course, the Antichrist and False Prophet will catch the brunt of God's wrath, seemingly, even more so than Satan will, since they will spend an additional thousand years in the lake of fire ahead of him (Rev. 19:20, 20:10). Although we do not know what technology will exactly encompass the mark of the beast, we at least understand that it permanently dooms its bearer to eternal separation from God (Rev. 14:9-11). Presumably, the technology we are seeing being developed today (digital currency, quantum computers, 5G wireless systems, implantable technology, biometrics, artificial intelligence, etc.) will somehow be packaged up into an all-encompassing system that this final world government will use to control ALL buying and selling across the planet. Somehow, Satan will find a way to once again, permanently corrupt the human race through this mark. As stated on previous briefs, I believe it is very likely (and easy) for demonic hosts to possess technology. Perhaps the mark permanently affixes a demonic host to the bearer, who then becomes possessed themselves, unable (and unwilling) to turn to Christ. You might be thinking, wow Pete, this is interesting and all, but what does all this mean for us in the here and now? I have work to deal with, bills to pay, health issues to worry about, and trying to figure out how I am going to make it until the next paycheck, let alone, having to worry about all this Antichrist stuff. What does this have to do with the here and now? I know some of you might think all this talk about the end-times, the Antichrist, a one-world government, Armageddon, etc. is only a fringe topic, or that it will never happen in our lifetime. Some of you might think that is someone else's problem to worry about, but that is only true if you are a born-again believer. If you remember the movie The Matrix, which came out back in 1999, one of the underlying themes of the story was that the world we (they) currently lived in, was really just a façade. Humans in the world of the real were nothing more than batteries from whom an artificially intelligent god-like system could use to harvest electricity. That system, created a fake-world for the mind (the matrix) so that humans could go on believing they were still alive and free, but in reality, were confined to a pod and hooked up to the system. In regards to the matrix, if you were not physically unplugged from the system, you were part of the matrix. This meant that an agent (an AI enforcer) could possess your body at a moment's notice and turn you into whatever they needed. Although I seriously doubt the creators of this movie intended any kind of biblical connection to their story, but there is a certain level of truth to the premise. You see, we are all born with a tripartite nature (1 Thess. 5:23), into this corrupted reality, in a state of bondage (sin) that keeps us physically enslaved to the matrix (the world). Although we are all given a grace period (until an age of accountability), we are brought into a world where we led to believe we are free to live without consequences. This is the great lie. If you live past your age of accountability and have not become born again, you essentially become a dead-man walking, which is to say, physically alive, but spiritually dead (Romans 7:9). Your spirit is what HAS to be regenerated through believing and trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ- that is His death, burial, and resurrection for our sins (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, 1 Cor. 15:1-5). If you do not choose to do this, you in a sense, become part of "the matrix" and Satan can use you, torment you, and harden you to the point that you may never be able to come to the knowledge of the truth as to be saved (2 Thess. 2:10-11). Just as Pharaoh hardened his heart against God over and over, there will come a point in a person's life where they will be unable to be saved (Romans 1:18-32), because God will give them over to a debased mind. They will become antichrist, and fit only for eternal destruction. That should be a terrifying thought. Although we cannot see it with our human eyes, there is a war raging all around us, (Eph. 6:12) Satan can and is actively attempting to destroy you every day through whatever means he can. This war is over the souls of man, and Satan is intent on taking everyone he can down to hell with him to spite God. Satan uses the humans he has already turned to be his physical extensions in our reality to prevent the Gospel of Jesus Christ from ever seeing the light of day. Therefore, although there is a literal Antichrist coming, the Apostle John warned us that many antichrists have already come, and that the spirit of antichrist is alive and well in the world today. Every single person reading this knows an antichrist. You might even be one yourself if you have not placed your hope and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. ...and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 1 John 4:3 |
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