Twinkling or Blinking of an Eye - By Dennis Huebshman -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/10/29/twinkling-blinking-eye-dennis-huebshman/
 
This message is dedicated to all the procrastinators out there who are buying into Satan's lie that there's plenty of time to accept Jesus - but just do it later. Also, for those who believe - and I have actually heard people say this - that they can call out to accept Jesus when the trumpet sounds, and the shout from the archangel is heard. (any emphasis is mine)
 
There are numerous definitions on the internet about "Twinkling/Blinking" of an eye. One of the easiest to understand is on "Discovery World." First, the "Twinkle." This is the time it takes for light to enter the eye, reach the back of the eye, and be reflected back out. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, so the Twinkle is about one billionth of a second.
 
The "Blinking" is a bit slower. A blink lasts somewhere between 300 and 400 milliseconds, or considerably less than half a second.
 
Taking both of these into consideration, and understanding why the Apostle Paul used this term, defies anyone to be able to react anywhere close to the given timeframe. Depending on the translation, the Bible uses "Twinkling" or "Blinking" of an eye, but both mean the same thing - it's super-fast!
 
Now for the verses these actions refer to. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, "Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the Twinkling of an Eye [ESV], at the last trumpet [not a judgment trumpet of Revelation]. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and the mortal body must put on immortality." (Note: the soul, which has been with Jesus since death will be reunited with the body (Philippians 1:21).
 
Next, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope [those bound for the judgment of Revelation 20:11-15]. For since we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead [very important] in Christ will rise first. Then, we [all believers] who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet Jesus in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."
 
All of this would seem that it would take a considerable amount of time to accomplish. After all, every believer that has died since Calvary will be raised up no matter how much of the earthly body remains. God knows where every molecule of each believer is. Their earthly remains will be joined by their Spiritual souls that went to be with Jesus at the instant of their death. The thief on the cross that asked Jesus to "Remember me" is one example of a soul being with Jesus when he died (Luke 23:40-43)
 
Once the body and soul are reunited on their way up to meet Jesus in the clouds/air, there will be an instant conversion to an eternal, immortal body designed to last forever in Heaven with Jesus and all the Saints.
 
For all true believers that are still alive at the call, body and soul are still together. As we ascend to be with Jesus, we will be converted to our forever bodies as well. Once everyone gets to Jesus, we will all be taken to our Home in Paradise to wait for the 7-year wrath to end. Thing is, I believe we won't be concerned about the tribulation/wrath, as we will still be in awe of seeing our Jesus up close and personal.
 
Also, we will become a part of the "Army of the Lord" (Revelation 19:14) to return with Him to witness His put-down of the antichrist and false prophet. I believe we will witness them being tossed into the Lake of Fire as its first residents (Revelation 19:20). Then will come Jesus' millennial reign, and afterward the final judgments. It will be wonderful to see all those who will be joining us in our eternal home.
 
On the other hand, I don't believe I would really want to witness the Great White Throne Judgment. That one is for the Father, who is totally faithful and just and true to His word. He will be keeping His promise that all who did not accept Him pre-Calvary, and all who did not accept Jesus from Calvary forward, would be separated into torment forever. It's the sin that is unforgivable.
 
Before this even takes place, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit knows that the majority of all who will have ever lived on this earth will be at the last judgment (Matthew 7:13-14). Satan will be the third resident of hell (Revelation 20:10), and without doubt will receive the harshest eternal punishment of all. He will be followed by his demons, who were the fallen angels that followed him in his rebellion against God. For them, there is no pathway to forgiveness, as they had already been in the glorious presence of the Lord God Jehovah. The Lake of Fire was designed specifically for them as given in Matthew 25:41. They had the free-will to stay with the Father, or choose to follow Lucifer, just as we have that free-will today. They made an eternal decision they will regret forever. Then, that long line of all humans that are bound for the Lake of Fire to suffer forever.
 
The biggest claim of unbelievers is that there is no way God can complete the "Harpazo" or "Rapture" in such a short period of time. In Luke 18:27, Jesus points out that what's impossible for men is totally possible for God.
 
If our Creator can start with absolutely nothing and create our earth and everything on it, including all living creatures, and can create all the heavens within just six days, then He is capable of accomplishing all that is given in a "twinkling/blinking of an eye." We serve a mighty God who is not bound by our human limitations. For those who just don't want to understand this, it becomes easier to follow Satan and his lure of what this earth has to offer. They give up the "eternal life" to spend eternity in hell for the temporary life here.
 
Our Heavenly Father wants a relationship with all of us, and in His "letter" to us is given in such passages as John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-13; 2 Peter 3:9, 1 John 5:12 and many others. He makes it clear Jesus is the only path to Salvation as given in John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 8:1 and Ephesians 2:5-9, just as a few examples.
 
The Father will turn no one away who truly calls out to receive the "gift" supplied to us by His Son, Jesus, at Calvary. We must admit we are sinners, as we all are (Romans 3:23), believe that Jesus is our only Savior, and that He died on that cross for our sins, confess to Him our sins and ask His forgiveness, and for the Holy Spirit to come live within us until we get Home. There is no price we can pay, or deeds we can do to earn our Salvation. That's saying Jesus did not complete His mission on the cross for us.
 
All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:9-13) We need to turn from our habitual sinful ways and seek a relationship with the Savior through reading from His word, and talking (praying) to Him daily. When, not if, we sin after receiving Him, we have a pathway to forgiveness in 1 John 1:8-10.
 
The "Twinkling/Blinking" could happen at any second. Just looking at the condition of this world today, everything spoken of by Jesus, Paul and others is very much here. Don't make the mistake of believing you can wait to hear the call before asking Jesus to be your Savior. It will be long over before you even realize it took place. Today, right now, would not be too early to call on Him.
 
Ahava B'Shem Yeshua (Love in the name of Jesus)
 
[email protected]

But of that Day and Hour - Part 2 - By Randy Nettles -
https://rev310.com/2019/10/but-of-that-day-and-hour-part-2-by-randy-nettles
 
"But of that day and hour, no man knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:36-37). These verses are in reference to an event known as the Day of the Lord which will come upon the earth in the last days. Matthew, a Jewish tax collector and one of the original twelve disciples, wrote these words in AD 60. He heard the exact quote decades earlier from the lips of Jesus himself. The question from part 1 of this article still remains: Was Jesus talking about his 2nd Coming in Matthew 24:36-51 or was he referring to the Rapture of His Church? I hope to answer this question completely in the remainder of this article.
 
Mark, a Jewish believer in Jesus Christ, and companion of Paul and Barnabas wrote similar words in his gospel of Mark. "But of that day and hour, no man knows, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only. Take heed, watch and pray: for you know not when the time is" (Mark 13:32-33). Mark relied heavily on Peter's testimony in his writing of this gospel. Peter was an eyewitness to these words spoken by Jesus at the Temple. Mark wrote these words (approximately AD 58) some 25 years after Jesus first uttered them
 
Luke, a Gentile physician, was a Christian believer who traveled and ministered with Paul during his third missionary journey. He had fellowship with the other disciples and could interview them as well. He also had access to other historical and reliable accounts at that time. Luke was an eyewitness to the birth and growth of the early church. He wrote his gospel in about AD 60 and wrote Acts about two years later.
 
Luke's version of the "coming of the son of man" is recorded in two different places: Luke 12:35-48 and Luke 17:20-37. Luke 12: 35-38 is a parable that compares Jesus' return to a wedding where the groom has left a wedding to prepare a place for the bride, and no one knows when exactly he will return. "Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he comes shall find watching." Luke 12:39-40 compares the timing of Jesus' coming to a thief that breaks into one's house: "Know this, that if the owner of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not." Verses 42 through 48 describe another parable where the master of the house is on a long trip and no one knows the day or hour when he will return.
 
In Luke 17:20-37, Jesus is talking to his disciples about the coming of the Kingdom of God and his 2nd Coming to the earth. He compares those future days to the evil days of Noah (also recorded in Matthew 24:34-37) and Lot when the heathens were destroyed by God. "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed" (Luke 17:30). In this verse, Jesus is referring to the start of the Day of the Lord. The narrative then shifts to the middle of the Tribulation (in verses 31-33) and describes the after-effects of the antichrist's Abomination of Desolation and subsequent persecution of the Jews (also mentioned in Matthew 24:15-22 and Mark 13:14-20). The narrative shifts again in verses 34-37 (also in Matthew 24:40-41) back to the very beginning of the Day of the Lord...the Rapture.
 
The exact phrase, the "Day of the Lord' is used 28 times in the Old Testament and five times in the New Testament. It is always referred to as a time of judgment and punishment by God against ungodly sinners who worship false gods. The day of the Lord is a term used by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Solomon, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Malachi, and others. Sometimes it is referring to the end days (such as Isaiah 2:12 and Joel 3:14) and sometimes it is referring to a near-future event when God would judge their enemies at that time in history (such as Amos 5:18-20 concerning the Assyrians and Obadiah 1:15 concerning the Edomites).  
 
In the Old Testament, The Day of the Lord can refer to the actual 24-hour long day of the 2nd Coming or the entire 7 years of the Tribulation, otherwise known as Daniels' 70th Seven or Jacob's Trouble. Joel 2:11 is an example of the actual day (24 hours) of the Day of the Lord: "And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executes his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?" An example of the alternative 7 year-long Day of the Lord is found in Isaiah 13:9-22): "Behold the day of the Lord comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners out of it" (Isaiah 13:9). In the remaining verses, Isaiah describes the conditions of the earth during the Great Tribulation and of the slaughter of mankind during that period. Babylon, the evil ancient city mentioned so many times in the Bible is especially in focus for total destruction. Chapter 18 in Revelation reinforces this prophecy.
 
In the Old Testament the term "son of man' is used in reference to mankind. It is most often used in Ezekiel and is the name God called him. In the New Testament, it is nearly always used in reference to the name/description Jesus gave himself. Even though he was the son of God, he was also born of a woman, thus the son of man. This term is mentioned in all of the Gospels of the New Testament as well as in Acts, Hebrews, and Revelation.
 
The phrase "coming of the son of man" is only used in three of the Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Another term that is used for Jesus' return is the "coming of the Lord" or the "coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: It is mentioned in the following books of the New Testament: 1 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, James, and 2 Peter. This phrase is used mostly in regard to the Rapture.
 
Long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary and one of the most prominent evangelical scholars and biblical prophecy experts of his generation, John F. Walvoord, had this to say on the subject: "How does the Coming of Christ for his church relate itself to the Day of the Lord which precedes the second coming of Christ by a number of years? This Day of the Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly. What is the point? The point is that just as the translation (rapture) of the church is the end of the day of grace; it also marks the beginning of the Day of the Lord. In other words, one event seems to do two things: it serves as the closing of one day and the beginning of the other." {1}
 
Day 1 is the Age of Grace. It started with the giving of the Holy Spirit to Jesus' disciples at Pentecost (start of the Church) and will end with the Rapture of the saints (end of the Church). Day 2 is the Day of the Lord. It will start with the Rapture and will end with the 2nd Coming of Jesus to the earth. Day 3 consists of the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords over all the nations of the earth.
 
"Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for he has torn, and he will heal us, he has smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth" (Hosea 6:1-3).
 
The prophets who spoke regarding the Day of the Lord only knew it was to be a time of great judgment and punishment for the inhabitants of the earth and then their Christ would come and set up his kingdom on earth. The prophets and authors of the Old Testament knew nothing of the Rapture or the Eternal Order. When Jesus came the first time and delivered his word as recorded in the gospels and later revealed to Paul the secret of the Rapture, the Day of the Lord was expanded. It now included the Rapture itself and the gap of time between the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation (confirming of the covenant).
 
Matthew 24:37-39 compares the Rapture to the time of Noah and the great flood. Notice verse 37: ("But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be"). Notice verse 37 says days, not day. In other words, it is talking about the days/years before the flood, not the day of the flood itself. This verse is comparing those Antediluvian days to the days before the 2nd Coming, not the exact day (24 hours) of Jesus' return. The Rapture is included in those days and is essentially the start of the Day of the Lord (but not the start of the Tribulation). The Day of the Lord is a day of judgment. Those left behind after the Rapture will either die or have to endure the terrors of the Tribulation.
 
Regarding the "hour" in Matthew 24:36, here are some interesting verses that contain this word: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself; and has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth" (John 5:25-27). The Book of John was written in approximately AD 85. This was after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and before John's exile to the island of Patmos.
 
Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians more than 30 years earlier than John wrote his first book. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Paul first describes this hour mentioned much later by John: "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead) that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then those which sleep in Jesus God will bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
 
This is, of course, a reference to the Rapture. The Rapture is the day and hour (minute, second, micro-second, etc) mentioned in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and is the beginning of the Day of the Lord. So the question that was originally asked is now answered. Matthew 24:4-8 is describing the time we are in now, the day before the start of the Tribulation. Verses 9-26 include the entire Tribulation: start, middle, and end. Verses 27-31 describe the 2nd Coming of Jesus. Verses 32-35 explain which generation would see the Day of the Lord. Just as Jesus answered his disciple's questions out of order, so did he describe the Day of the Lord. He described the very first part (the Rapture) last in Matthew 24, verses 36-51. The Rapture is the supernatural sign the Jews (and Gentiles) will receive before the 2nd Coming of Jesus to begin his 1000 year reign on earth. If the Rapture doesn't convince you that Jesus is coming again to the earth, I don't know whatever would!
 
Amen. Even so, come soon Lord Jesus...in the twinkling of an eye.
 
Randy Nettles
 
[email protected]    
Endnotes:
{1} https://bible.org/seriespage/5-day-lord

Are you looking for the Anti-Christ? - By John M. -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/10/13/looking-anti-christ-john-m/
 
It is stunning the number of articles on the Internet mocking or denying the pre-tribulation rapture. It seems many are turning to the pre-wrath, post-tribulation rapture. Why? Do these preachers and laity know that they are looking for the anti-christ and not Jesus? Hebrew 12:2a states, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." Look at the verse. We are to look unto Jesus for salvation, our everyday living, and for the blessed hope. We are not commanded to prepare for the anti-christ. There are no instructions in any of the Apostle Paul's epistles on how to prepare for the worst time in world history.
 
The post-tribulation rapture uses the following verse to prove their position. Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus states, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
 
I heard a well-known preacher state that Matthew 24:29-31 will take place before the Bowl Judgments - that this is when the Church is removed, that this is when God pours out His final wrath. First of all, the audience Jesus is talking to is Jews. How do I know this? All the tribes of earth shall mourn. Well, Gentiles do not live in tribes. Jews live in tribes. One of the parallel passages for Matthew 24:29-31 is Zechariah 12:10-11. Zechariah 12:10-11 states,
 
"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon."
 
Who is the "they" in Zechariah 12:10? Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel. Remember, the tribes were scattered around the Assyrian and Roman empires in 722BC and 70AD, respectively. In Acts 2, there were Jews from many different nations at the temple [likely not upper room: See: Acts 2] on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on 120 Jews.
 
When will Jesus come in the clouds? At the battle of Armageddon. Revelation 16:16 states, "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." Zechariah 12:11 states, "In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon."
 
The following verses also prove that the gathering in Matthew 24:31 deals with Israel. Isaiah 27:12-13 states, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem." The children of Israel are gathered. The great trumpet shall be blown or sounded. This is a tribulation and Millennium passage.
 
You have to be a dispensationalist to understand end-time Bible prophecy or the Word as a whole. Second Timothy 2:15 states, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." If you do not divide the scriptures, you will take the Bible out of context. That will create wrong doctrine and wrong living. As stated above, Matthew 24 was not taught to the Church. It was taught to Israel. I Thessalonians 4:13-18, II Thessalonians 2, Revelation 2-3 were taught to the Church.
 
Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21:7-11, 25-36 all deal with the tribulation. The birth pangs will start the tribulation when Jesus unseals the first seal judgment, which is the White Horse. The White Horse is the anti-christ. He comes in peaceably by making a peace covenant with Israel and many other nations for one week of years (Daniel 9:27). All 70 weeks prophesied by Daniel were for Israel. Here is undeniable proof. Daniel 9:24 states,
 
"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." Daniel's people were and are the Jews, and the holy city is Jerusalem. Only 69 weeks or 483 years (69×7) have been fulfilled.
 
The outline of Daniel's 70th week is taught in great detail:
 

• In Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 (except vs.12-24) and Revelation 6-19. Jeremiah calls it "the time of Jacob's trouble." Jesus calls it the "beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:8) and the "great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21).
• The two witnesses will prophesy in Jerusalem for 3 ½ years (Revelation 11:2-3).
• The 144,000 in Revelation 7 & 14 are the Jews from the 12 tribes of Israel who will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to the whole world (Matthew 24:14).
• The battle of Armageddon will be in Israel (Revelation 16:16).
• The anti-christ will declare himself to be God in Israel (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, II Thessalonians 2:4).
• The Jews fleeing in Matthew 24:16 will be from Judea, which is located in southern Israel.
• Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives which is in Jerusalem, Israel (Zechariah 14:4).
• The temple described in Ezekiel 40-49 will be built in Israel. I can go on and on.

 
Now, let's look at what was promised to the Church. Revelation 3:10 states, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." The key word is "from" the hour of temptation. It does not say through.
 
Jesus stated in Luke 21:36, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Jesus stated we can escape "all" the events just described.
 
Now, when Jesus was done prophesying to the Churches in Asia Minor (Turkey), the Apostle John is taken up in the spirit in Revelation 4:1. Again, you have to divide the Word of God. Jesus states in Revelation 1:19, "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." The Book of Revelation is divided into three sections as stated by our Lord. Look at word "hereafter." When does that word first appear after verse 1:19? Revelation 4:1 states, "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter."
 
When Jesus said "the things that are," He was referring to the Churches in Revelation 2 & 3. The "hereafter" is after the Churches. The Laodicean Church is the last Church Jesus judged (in a loving way). It is a "lukewarm" Church. It is the Church that is not enduring sound doctrine but is seeking preachers to tell what they want to hear. They are accepting doctrines of demons such as works salvation, replacement theology, and much more. This Church has put Jesus on the outside. They do not want hear about sin. Jesus commanded them to repent.
 
But, at the same time, the Philadelphia Church is also on the earth. They are living repentant lives. They are studying the Word. Witnessing to the lost. They are zealous for the things of God. This is the Church Jesus promised to be "kept from" the tribulation. The Apostle John who was taken up in Revelation 4:1, removed from the earth before the first seal judgment (Revelation 6:2).
 
Now, before the "hereafter" can start, there must be a removal or a gathering of the Church, just as the Holy Spirit could not operate in His fullness until Jesus was removed from the earth. Evil is restrained until the Restrainer is removed, who indwells the Church. The Holy Spirit indwells the Church. The Holy Spirit will not be removed from the earth. No one would be saved. But, hundreds of millions of Christians leaving the earth will cause a shift in the spirit realm. The hedge will be lowered and Satan will know his time is short.
 
The Holy Spirit illuminated passages from scripture that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that born-again, overcoming Christians will not go through the tribulation. Jesus stated in Matthew 16:18, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
 
Daniel 7:19-22 states, "Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."
 
Jesus stated the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church, but Daniel stated that the anti-christ will prevail against the saints. Contradiction? NO! Jesus is referring to the Church age, and Daniel is referring to the tribulation. If the Church-age saints would be in the tribulation, Satan would prevail against them; but we are not subject to God's or Satan's wrath. Only a small remnant of tribulation saints will make it all the way to the end of the tribulation (Zechariah 13:8-9). You have to rightly divide or you will teach wrong doctrine and will damage or destroy the faith of some.
 
All of Romans 11 deals with Israel. The Apostle Paul wrote under inspiration of the Holy Spirit that when the fullness or full number of the Gentiles be come in, God turns back His focus to national Israel. The "hereafter" deals with Israel and other unrepentant Gentile nations.
 
Why does God keep on dealing with Israel? He made land and spiritual covenants with Abraham. Romans 11:26-29 states, "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."
 
God promised to take away Israel's sins. Romans 11:28b states, "but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes." Notice the word "fathers" in the verse. It is not referring to the heavenly Father. It is referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob's name was changed to Israel. God called them 2,000 years before Jesus died on the cross. Roman's 11:29 states, "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." "Without repentance" means irrevocable.
 
Many of the pre-wrath & post tribulation advocates are denying God's plan for Israel. Many of these preachers are teaching replacement theology, which is calling God a liar. You have to spiritualize hundreds of scriptures to make this evil doctrine sound legitimate to the laity. Christians are presently buying and storing food and water for the tribulation.
 
Many preachers and teachers are what I call backfilling scripture. Since we will dwell in the New Jerusalem after the Millennium, some preachers are teaching Jerusalem in the Old Testament is now the New Jerusalem. They also teach Israel in the Old Testament is actually the Church. That is backfilling scripture. That is spiritualizing scripture. It is false doctrine.
 
The bottom line is I am looking unto Jesus the "finisher" of my faith. If you are Christian, your faith will end at death or at the rapture. When your faith is finished, what will you believe? Do you believe Jesus will keep you from the worst time in world history or will He cast you into the birth pangs and the great tribulation? If you believe the Church will be going through the tribulation, you are taking away your brother and sisters "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13) and "comfort" (I Thessalonians 4:18). You are denying God's plan for Israel. God clearly warns all not to take away from His prophetic word (Revelation 22:19).
 
May I ask you a question? Are you looking for Jesus or the anti-christ?
 
Jesus Himself is coming for His Church. Not angels (I Thessalonians 4:16).
 
What should we do as a Church as we wait for the Lord to call us home? Repent, pray, witness, forgive, study, watch Israel, and look up, for your redemption draws near.
Even so come, Lord Jesus.
 
God bless
 
John M

Where We Aren't - By Pete Garcia - https://rev310.com/2019/10/where-we-arent-2
 
Originally published in The Omega Letter in 2015. Updated in 2019
 
I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
 
From the first century until 20th, there wasn't a whole lot of movement going on in God's prophetic, long-range calendar. Similar to the 'silent years' between the Old Testament and the New, we had been in an extended 'silent period' since Jerusalem fell to the Romans in AD70. During that time, kingdoms and empires came and went, Christianity waxed and waned across the world, and technology finally liberated man from being limited to the speed of horse. But in regards to where we were on God's calendar, no one really knew where that was exactly, that is, until 1948.
 
The two dominant forms of Christian Eschatology that existed from the 3rd century until the 19th, were Amillennialism, and Historic Premillennialism (now called the Post-Tribulation view). The former, stifled any potential understanding of God's prophetic word, by allegorizing everything into a wispy, unknown sphere of speculation. The latter attempted to label every aberrant leader and/or movement of their day, as The Beast.
 
Prior to the Dispensationalist movement of the early 19th century, about as close as anyone really came to really grasp where we were, was Sir Isaac Newton, and Archbishop Ussher. These two men did the yeoman's work of digging through ancient, secular, historical documents, and compared them to what Scripture said. By this, Ussher figured that creation happened on/about 4004 BC or year 1 Anno Mundi (AM counts from creation forward). He held to a six-day/ six-millennium model for the order of things. Sir Isaac Newton, a brilliant thinker in his own right and known best for his work in physics, was fascinated by Bible Prophecy. He figured the end would come somewhere in the middle of the 21st-century. Although not perfect in their findings, they did give us a pretty good idea of where we were with the information they had available to them at the time.
 
The reason it was difficult to gauge where we were on God's calendar from the first-century until the 20th, was because the only nation God ever used as His 'geo-political' time-piece, was Israel; and she hadn't been a nation for over 1,800 years (Daniel 2, 9). The 19th-century Dispensationalist's came to understand that the Jewish nation would HAVE to be reinserted onto the world's stage again because that is the conclusion God's word comes too if taken at face value. Isaiah 2, 11; Jeremiah 30; Ezekiel 37-39; Amos 9; Zech. 12-14 all speak to Israel existing again as a nation, in her own ancient homeland, for the second time in the last days.
 
By the late 19th century (late 1880's onward), men like Sir Robert Anderson, Cyrus Scofield, and Clarence Larkin began to lay out a clearer understanding of where we were, and what needed to transpire in the not too distant future. While critics like to lay charges against these men for various issues, all three of them were correct in understanding decades before it happened, that Israel would have to become a nation again; and so it did, in 1948.
 
They understood that the first time Israel (Judah and Israel) went into Diaspora was when the Assyrians and Babylonians conquered them (Seventh and Sixth-century's BC respectively). Yet, they were regathered in the fifth-century BC back to their homeland by the Persians. The second diaspora began in AD70 when the Romans sacked Jerusalem. The second regathering if you will, would not occur until 1948, almost two millennia later.  
 
Without Israel back in her land as a nation, there was no frame of reference by which to base God's timeline against. God's entire timeline centered on a 490-year cycle which was measured when Israel was in covenant with God. Dr. E.W. Bullinger did the yeoman's work on trying to understand how numbers and time figured into Scripture. (This, by the way, is not an endorsement of everything E.W. Bullinger did, taught, or believed, but he was very accurate on certain things) He came up with the following;
 
The Four Great Jubilee Redemption Cycles (70 Sabbatical Years)
 

• Birth of Abraham to the Exodus: 490 years
  • Actually 505 years; Abraham was 75 years old when he departed Uz for the Canaan. (Gen 12:4) 10 years later, he had Ishmael with the handmaiden Hagar. (Gen. 16:3) Abraham was 100 years old when they (he and Sarah) conceived Isaac. (Gen. 21:5) The law was given 430 after the Promise was given (Gal. 3:16-18) but subtract the 15 years for the delay of the promise by having Ishmael
  • Exodus to the dedication of Solomon's Temple: 490 years
    • Actually 573 years, but subtracting the years under servitude (see Judges), and adding in the years to complete the temple. (1 Kings 6:38)
    • Temple to the Decree: 490 years (2 Chronicles 36:20-23)
      • Actually 560 years, but subtract the 70 years spent in captivity to the Babylonians
      • Decree to the Cross: 490 years (Daniel 9:24-27)

 
Began with the decree by Persian King Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, and stopped at the 483 years with the death of Christ on the cross. (see Nehemiah 2)
 
With the death of Israel's true Messiah by her own decree (Matt. 27:23-26), Israel inadvertently postponed their own redemption by seven-years. Israel was promised Seventy Weeks of Years (or 490-years according to Daniel 9:24-27). When they crucified their Messiah (Yeshua), they cut that short by seven-years (or stopping at the 483rd-year). The final seven-years, also known as the Day of the Lord, Daniel's 70th Week, and the time of Jacob's Trouble, is still future and still owed to God.
 
Assessment
 
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:12
 
At the heart of them, World War's I and II were not simply geo-political wars waged over money, land, ideology, or power. The Zionist movement in the 1890s triggered WWI because Satan did not want the Jews repatriating to what was then known as Palestine. But at the end of the Great War, the Ottoman's Turk's control over the Middle East was fractured, granting the victors (Great Britain and France) the custodial rights of redistributing the former Ottoman Empire territories back to the various tribal groups and peoples which is how the Balfour Declaration was decreed.
 
However, Satan wasn't done.
 
WWII wasn't just about the 'good guys vs. the bad guys', or creating a '1,000 year Reich'. It wasn't even about Nazism, although, those were the physical manifestations of the event. These may have all been by-products of the rise of Nazi Germany, but at the heart of it, stood one man, Adolph Hitler. He had survived WWI, witnessed the humiliating events that transpired in the Weimar Republic's demise. He had seen the bloody Bolshevik Revolution, which traded the Russian Czars for the Marxist's Politburo (Karl Marx was Jewish). The young Hitler may not have even understood that his hatred of the Jews went beyond even the political and ethnic differences he had with them, but was spurred on by a much older, sinister force at work in the unseen world. Hitler's heart had begun to be turned, being twisted and hardened by a seething darkness that stemmed from the father of lies himself, Satan.
 
Satan's hatred doesn't simply exist because of the Abrahamic covenant, or even that Christ came from the tribe of Judah. I mean, what's done is done and he knows he can't go back and undo that. However, Satan thinks by destroying the Jews, he can postpone his inevitable future because he knows everything hinges on them becoming a nation again...hence the repeated expulsions them from every country they'd ever settled in. And if expulsion couldn't stop them, then he would wipe them out as a people. (See Rev. 12)
 
Enter one Adolph Hitler.
 
At the end of WWII, the Allied Powers uncovered that Hitler's agenda went far beyond military hunger when they began discovering the various concentration camps spread throughout Europe. However, by this point, the victors were simply trying to grasp the depth and breadth of the genocide that had taken place under their noses.
 
Despite Satan's best efforts, the Jews survived WWII and the Holocaust, thus triggering a new set of dominoes to start falling into place. What Satan intended for evil, God turned for good, and by His own intrinsic purposes. Because of how horrific and terrible the Jewish Holocaust was, the world, for the briefest of moments, held enough collective guilt that they would allow for Israel to become a nation again.
 
A second time.
 
Just as the Bible predicted.
 
Satan had to readjust his strategy. He had taken another major defeat. Just as Israel was coming into her own again, Satan raised up two former adversaries, the Muslim world (who had largely been neutralized for the better part of 400-years, and the old Roman Empire). So he sets out a new, multi-domain strategy:
 

1. Economic: The Bretton-Woods Agreement (1944) linked the US Dollar to pretty much everything. This would be essential to the formation of a future 'mark of the beast' system.
2. Structure: The formation of a war-torn, divided Europe into a Common Market of economies, would eventually assemble into what it is today, the European Union. This was essential to the formation of the rise of the revived Roman Empire.
3. Forces: The formation of NATO began in 1949. Once Satan collapsed the US (along with all the economies of the world) Satan would need a multi-national (or global) force by which to conscript his global army.
4. Cause: The Cold War. This was needed to feed the need to flood the world with massive weapons of mass destruction.
5. Crisis: The rise of the Middle East blood, oil, and fanaticism. So long as Israel was back in her land, Satan needed her to be drowning in a sea of hostility, violence, and frustration...thus willing to do just about anything, for peace and security.
6. Corruption: The war on culture, particularly in the west, would decimate spiritually sleeping communities across the United States and Europe, blending eastern mysticism with secular humanism in an attempt to completely corrupt what remains of the Church.
7. Means: Rapid advances in technology, travel, and communications. This is something every other generation lacked, and would be essential in casting a web over the entire planet to implement total control.

 
Conclusion
 
The inertial navigation system uses deviations to generate corrective commands to drive the system from a position where it is, to a position where it isn't. Arriving at the position where it wasn't, it now is. Consequently, the position where it is is now the position where it wasn't and so it follows that the position where it was, is now the position where it isn't. (ARINC 561 Manual August 1976)
 
In layman's terms, the inertial navigation system figures out where it is, by movement, and then predicts where it will be, based off of where it isn't. Make sense? Another way to think about it is, if this object never moved, it would have no frame of reference to fix itself on. Ergo, the greatest weakness of the inertial navigation system is at its beginning. But once it starts moving, it (said object) can figure out where it is relatively quickly. So where it was, will soon be the position where it isn't. Think about that for a second.
 
How and when do God's prophetic plans, marry up with the geopolitical reality we are living in? Just as the 'silent years' between the Old and New Testaments were void of any true prophets proclaiming God's truth to the world, these years were NOT absent of God's plans being enacted through the Gentile world to bring about what had to come to pass, in order to fulfill previous prophecies already foretold. For example, we know historically that in what we call the 'silent years', Nebuchadnezzar's multi-metallic statue (see Daniel 2) representing the Gentile world powers, had to play out, and they did.
 
Where we aren't, is where we used to be, that is before Israel was rebirthed as a nation again. This may also be how we reconcile what Jesus said about 'no man knows the day or the hour', with Paul's statement that we (watching believers) would not be caught by surprise by that day because we'd recognize the season of our Lord's return. (1 Thess. 5:1-10)
 

1. We understand, that no other generation for at least 1,878 years, has had Israel back in her homeland as a sovereign nation.
2. We know, that the one sure sign Christ gave us that great Tribulation was about to begin, was the Abomination of Desolation (Matt. 24:15)
3. We know historically, this did not happen up to and including AD70. In order to have an Abomination of Desolation, there first needs to be a Jewish Temple standing in Jerusalem. See point number 1.
4. We know that no other generation has had the technologies available to them, which would allow for one man (the Antichrist) to control all the buying and selling throughout the world. (Rev. 13:15-18)
5. We understand, that there hasn't been a greater period of converging signs that Christ and the Apostles spoke of concerning the season of His return than there are today.

 
While I can't tell you exactly where we are or how close, other than to say we are at the very end of the current age we live in, (Luke 21:24) I can tell you where we aren't...
 
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Luke 21:28

Rules for the Remnant - By Pete Garcia - https://rev310.com/2019/10/rules-for-the-remnant
 
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
 
Situation
 
That day was supposed to be like any other. Before it happened, life went on like it always had...work, school, play, family. But then it happened. And now no one knows what is going on. All anyone knows is that a bunch of people and all the children are disappeared. So if you're reading this and you find yourself in the above scenario, know that this event is called the Rapture of the Church. The Church is not a denomination, but people from all walks of life. Anyone, who has either placed their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ or is under the age (or mental capacity) to make such a decision, is caught up to heaven. They have been changed from mortal to immortal, and now exist in the reality of eternity. They have been given perfect, flawless, and timeless bodies to exist with and in the divine order for the rest of eternity. This was the Rapture. It's in the Bible. Read it for yourself if you can find one. [John 14:1-3; 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2nd Thess. 2:1-3; 1st Corinthians 15:50-56; Philippians 3:20-21; Revelation 3:10]. So if you're reading this, you need to know what is coming. You're life and eternity will depend on it.
 
Timeline
 
The Rapture- this just happened. The Church is rescued and evil is no longer restrained on the earth.
 
The Time Gap- we don't know how long this gap will last, perhaps months or even a few years, but there is a window of time between the Rapture and the official start of the Tribulation. During the gap, there are some things we think will likely happen:
 

1. Pt. I-The Muslim nations surrounding Israel take advantage of the global chaos and launch an attack, and are defeated greatly expanding Israel's current borders (Psalm 83). Pt. II- Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, and Sudan will go to war against the nation of Israel. God supernaturally defeats them. (Ezekiel 38-39). These two events fundamentally destroy Islam as a belief system. Israel then begins to rebuild her third temple.
2. The world will reorganize into ten-regional powers. This global system becomes known as The Beast.
3. Out of the ten regional governments, three will be overthrown and one man (the Antichrist) rises to power. He will be aided by another known to us as The False Prophet. He will be able to do supernatural signs and wonders. They create a mark that is put on either the hand or forehead to buy or sell. DO NOT TAKE THIS. Remember, these two men will not appear evil at first. (Revelation 6, 13)
4. Two Witnesses also arrive during this time. They will have supernatural powers and will preach from Jerusalem for 3 ½ years. They cannot be killed or destroyed until the 3 ½ years are completed. (Rev. 11)

 
The Tribulation (Revelation 6:18) the official name for this is the 70th Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27). It is a seven-year period, which God will unleash 21 divine judgments upon the earth. Over 1/2 the world's population dies as a result. The seas are turned to blood, fresh drinking water is turned to blood, and the sun and moon cease to give its light. A contract between the Antichrist and the nation of Israel begins the 21 judgments.
 
The Seven Seals (Revelation 6): 1/4 of the world's population dies
 
1. The White Horse (Antichrist-false peace)
2. The Red Horse (War)
3. The Black Horse (Drought/Famine/Economic disaster)
4. The Pale Horse (Plague/Disease)
5. Martyrdom of those who refuse to worship the beast (slaughter of the Tribulation saints)
6. A Great Earthquake that causes such a geological disturbance, the dust and smoke obscure the sun, stars, and moon
7. Silence in Heaven
 
The Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8-11): 1/3 of the world's population dies
 
1. Hail and fire mixed with blood
2. A great mountain cast into the sea
3. Wormwood- a meteor that poisons (makes bitter) a third of the drinking water
4. A third of the sun, moon, and stars darkened (great cold, darkness)
5. First Woe (Demonic Locusts plague those who take the mark)
6. Second Woe (one-third of mankind killed by a demon army)
7. Third Woe (Lightning, Voices, Thunder, an Earthquake and Great hail.)
 
The Seven Vials/Bowls (Revelation 16)
 
1. Grievous Sores on those who take the mark of the beast
2. The rest of the seas turn to blood
3. Rivers and fountains turned to blood
4. Great heat
5. Great darkness over the seat of Beast Kingdom
6. Euphrates River dries up
7. A massive earthquake and vast earth changes
 
The Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19)
 
At the end of the seven-years, the Beast's armies, along with the kings of the east, gather in the Megiddo Valley (Israel) try to destroy what remains of the Jewish people. The skies are rolled back and Christ returns in power and glory, followed by the Armies of Heaven. He destroys the armies gathered there. The Beast & False Prophet are cast alive into the Lake of Fire.
 
The Judgment of the Nations (Matthew 25)
 
Christ judges the remaining nations. Those who aided Israel during this 70th Week, are allowed entrance into the earthly, millennial kingdom, of which, Christ rules as the undisputed King. Those who attacked or did ill towards the nation of Israel (and her inhabitants), are cast into outer darkness and await judgment.
 
The Millennial Reign of Christ (Revelation 20)
 
Christ will reign upon the earth for 1,000 years. The world is released from the curse of sin and becomes a paradise. People will be given unnaturally long life spans. If a person does not choose to follow Christ, they will die at the age of 100. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan is loosed for a season and is cast into the Lake of Fire.
 
The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:10-14)
 
The unsaved/unredeemed dead of all ages is brought before Christ and are judged according to their works. Everyone here is ultimately cast into the Lake of Fire because their works cannot save them. What is determined here is how severe their torment will be in the Lake of Fire for all of eternity. Death and hell also cast into the Lake of Fire.
 
Eternity Future (Revelation 21-22)
A new heaven and new earth are created, as the former ones are passed away. For the redeemed, eternity future will be a glorious adventure. One filled with worship of God will being in His presence, exploration (seeing all that God has been working on these past two thousand years), of peace, joy, comfort, happiness, contentment, and love forever.
 
Rules for the Remnant
 
1. Do place your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
 
A. Admit you're a sinner and need a Savior (Romans 3:23, 6:23)
B. Believe in your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and God raised Him from the dead (John 3:16, Romans 5:8)
C. Call upon the name of the Lord, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation (Romans 10:9-13)
 
2. Do NOT take the mark of the beast. This means you will not be able to buy or sell anything, but if you take the mark, you are damned forever. Better to struggle for a few years than to suffer for all eternity. (Revelation 14:9-11)
3. You will probably be martyred. The Beast's systems will be vast; artificial intelligence, global surveillance, robotic weapon systems, as well as supernatural forces (demons) aiding them. Do not fear the first death (physical). Do fear the second death (spiritual). The first death is not the end, only the beginning of a glorious future with Christ. If you die spiritually as well, you will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
4. Endure to the end if you can. Run, hide, pray. If you survive the seven-years, you will enter into the Millennial Kingdom.

Tabernacles: Seventh Feast of the Lord - By Randy Nettles -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/10/13/tabernacles-seventh-feast-lord-randy-nettles/
 
The Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, is the last of the seven Feasts of the Lord and the most joyous. It occurs on the 15th day of Tishri and lasts for eight days. It is sometimes referred to as the "feast of booths" or "feast of ingathering." The word ingathering is in reference more to people than crops, as the wheat and most of the fruit has already been harvested by this time of the year. The Feast of Tabernacles is one of the three feasts that all Jewish men were required to attend in Jerusalem every year. The other two are the Feast of Unleavened Bread (combined with Passover), and Pentecost. This year, Sukkot begins on October 13, 2019, and ends on October 21, 2019.
 
During this celebration, the people were to live in booths for 7 days that were made of sticks or branches in remembrance of when their ancestors lived in the wilderness for 40 years and God supernaturally protected them and provided for all of their needs. The day after the 7th day (the 8th day) is designated as a "solemn assembly" for the children of Israel.
 
Not only did the children of Israel dwell in tents during the 40 years in the wilderness, but God did as well. God's Shekinah glory dwelt in the Tabernacle of Moses during the wilderness years of the nation of Israel. "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34-35).
 
The purpose of this feast is recorded in Leviticus 23, verses 33-34 and verses 42-43: "And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord... You shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."
 
It is noteworthy that on each of the 7 days of Tabernacles, they were to offer 14 (7×2) lambs without blemish (Numbers 29:15, 32). There is an interesting parallel in the Gospel of Matthew where he lists the genealogy of Jesus, the Lamb of God. The generations from Abraham to David are fourteen, from David to the Babylonian captivity are fourteen, and from the captivity to Christ are fourteen. Matthew traced the genealogy back to Abraham and divides Israel 's history into 3 sets of 14 generations. However, there were probably more than those listed here. Genealogies often compressed history, and not every generation of ancestors was specifically listed, especially if they were evil. The Old Testament genealogies are much more precise such as in 1 Chronicles chapters 1-9.
 
The dedication of King Solomon's Temple occurred during the Feast of Tabernacles in the year 959 BC. "Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim (Tishri), which is the seventh month" (1 Kings 8:1-2).
 
"And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord. And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 8:62-63).
 
"And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. On the eighth day [15th day] he sent the people away, and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people" (1 Kings 8:65-66).
 
This was the greatest celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles ever. It even lasted a week longer than was required. Notice in verse 2 that all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at this time. The event that this foreshadows is when King Jesus will return to Israel during the Feast of Trumpets, and then 15 days later, during Sukkot, He will assemble all the children of Israel (and Gentile believers) that survive the Tribulation to inaugurate his Millennium Kingdom on earth. This specific Feast of Tabernacles will be the ultimate fulfillment of the 7th Feast of the Lord.
 
Although there is no clear, scriptural proof of the exact date of the birth of Christ, John's gospel uses the unusual word 'tabernacled' to describe the birth of Christ, suggesting, possibly, that he was born on the feast of Tabernacles. "The Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us" (John 1:14). If Jesus was born on a Feast of Tabernacles, he would have been conceived 9 months earlier on approximately December 25. This is the date that we celebrate his birth...not his conception.
 
In the modern Gregorian calendar, we label all years with B.C. (before the birth of Christ) or A.D. (anno domini or "in the year of our Lord"). There is no zero year. In our modern system, the year Christ was born is supposedly A.D.1, and the year preceding it is 1 B.C. The most favored view amongst Bible scholars is that Jesus was born in 5 B.C. We agree with this timeline due to Herod the Great's death occurring in 4 B.C. If Jesus was born in 5 B.C. (possibly on Tabernacles), then our current year should really be the year A.D. 2023 and not 2019.
 
Not only did the early Roman Catholic Church get the year of Jesus' birth wrong but they got the month wrong as well. Some of the evidence that Jesus might have been born earlier in the year is the fact that it would be highly unlikely for shepherds to still be in the field with their sheep in December. This is in the middle of the winter, and they wouldn't be in the fields at this time of the year.
 
Six days after Jesus predicted his death the first time, Jesus told his disciples, "Verily I say unto you, There are some standing here, which shall not taste death, until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28). Clearly this is a verse referring to the 2nd Coming of Jesus unto his Millennium Kingdom. The Feast of Tabernacles represents the beginning of this kingdom.
 
"And after six days Jesus takes Peter, James, and John his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain apart from the others, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him" (Matthew 17:1-5).
 
Peter wanted to build three tabernacles or shrines for these three great men to show how the Feast of Tabernacles was fulfilled in the coming of God's kingdom. "The transfiguration was a vision, a brief glimpse of the true glory of the King (Matthew 16:27-28). This was a special revelation of Jesus' divinity to three of the disciples, and it was God's divine affirmation of everything Jesus had done and was about to do.
 
Moses and Elijah were two of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. Moses represents the Law. He wrote the Pentateuch, and he predicted the coming of a great Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Elijah represents the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6). Moses' and Elijah's presence with Jesus confirms Jesus' messianic mission - to fulfill God's Law and the words of God's prophets. Just as God's voice in the cloud over Mount Sinai gave authority to his Law (Exodus 19:9), God's voice at the transfiguration gave authority to Jesus' words." {1}
 
The last Feast of Tabernacles that Jesus attended would have been on Tishri 15 - 23 in the year A.D.32. The exact dates would be October 6 - 14, AD 32. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But he spoke of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified)" (John 7:37-39).
 
Approximately six months later, Jesus would be crucified on a Roman cross during the Feast of Passover (the 1st Feast of the Lord) on March 31, AD 33 on our modern Gregorian calendar or April 2, AD 33 on the Julian calendar. The day of the week was a Thursday. He was resurrected back to life 3 days later on the first day of the week, Sunday. It is referred to as Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Just as Jonah was 3 days in the belly of the whale, so was Jesus in the belly of the earth before God brought him back to life (per Matthew 12:40).
 
The Feast of Tabernacles occurs yearly on a full moon just as Passover does. Both of the dates above occurred on a full moon. They say bizarre things happen sometimes on a full moon. Two of the most significant events in history occur on a full moon: Jesus' crucifixion on Passover and Jesus' inauguration of His Millennium Kingdom on a future Feast of Tabernacles day.
 
As mentioned before, all male Jews of legal age were to attend the three major Feasts of the Lord in Jerusalem. These three Feasts are Tabernacles, Passover, and Pentecost. If Jesus was born on Tabernacles, then each major event in the life of our Lord followed one of the three main feast days when it was required that all male Jews go to the Jerusalem Temple to worship the Lord. Jesus would have been born on the Feast of Tabernacles (15th of Tishri), would have been crucified on the Feast of Passover (14th of Nisan), and would have sent forth His promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to baptize His church with power on the Feast of Pentecost (7th of Sivan).
 
The Feast of Tabernacles will ultimately be fulfilled by the Lord Jesus when He establishes His millennial kingdom of peace on the earth. "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one... And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:9, 16).
 
The Feast of Tabernacles is the only Feast of the Lord still to be observed in the Millennium. "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whosoever will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if they come not, there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16-18).
 
Jesus came to earth the first time as a Son of Man in a body made of flesh. His soul and spirit resided for a short time in a primitive form of dwelling (or tabernacle), just as all human beings have from the time of Adam and Eve. He will return as the Son of God in a spiritual body (or temple) that is made for eternity. Christians of all epochs will share in a similar type of spiritual body. However, only Jesus has a glorified body, for he is God. This transformation of Christian believers will happen at the Rapture. Our bodies will all change from a mere tabernacle to a glorious new temple of God. The Tribulation saints and pre-Christ believers will get their resurrected bodies after the Feast of Tabernacles when Jesus' 1000-year reign begins.
 
In Eternity, our previous place of residence on the old earth will seem as a simple tabernacle compared to our spacious mansions in the sky. Our many years of wanderings on the earth will finally be over, and we will take up residence on the New Earth and the New Jerusalem. We will finally be home in our promised land with our saved loved ones, believers of all the ages, holy angels, and the Father, Holy Spirit, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
 
Randy Nettles
[email protected]
 
Endnotes:
{1} Tyndale's Life Application Study Bible pg. 1825

The Mark of the Beast - By Pete Garcia -
https://rev310.com/2019/10/the-mark-of-the-beast-part-iii
 
Originally written September 12, 2011. Updated in September 2019
 
Imagine your next trip to the supermarket. You spend a couple of hours loading your cart up with goodies, you go to check out and your card is declined. How do you feel? Embarrassed? Angry? Especially if you KNEW you had money in the bank.
 
So next, you excuse yourself real quick and run over to an ATM to withdraw some cash, but the same thing happens, no money and no service. Now what? Maybe you'll call the bank and give them a good 'what for,' or, you'll just have to go back in there and tell the teller that something came up and you will not be needing the groceries. Either way, you walk out empty-handed.
 
Now imagine, that you can't do ANYTHING from filling up your car with gas to paying your bills because your currency is no longer valid.
 
Oh, and by the way, you're no longer receiving a paycheck from your employer.
 
What if some new law came out that said that US Dollars were no longer valid anywhere. Rather, you have to have this thing put on your hand or forehead in order to buy, sell, pay bills, buy groceries, hold a job, pay your mortgage or anything else that requires a financial transaction for goods or services rendered.
 
That's what it will be like when this kicks off inside the 70th Week of Daniel (aka...Tribulation).
 
Men, women, and families, all once of good financial standings (with excellent credit scores to boot) suddenly find themselves the very people they once looked down upon. But there is a fix; all you have to do is put this new mark put on your forehead or hand (painless) and all of your former luxuries will be restored. In fact, what if they threw in some bonus things like credit and identity protection, automatic 5G Wi-Fi connection anywhere on the planet, genetic modification (adding another 20-30 years onto your life), and constant health monitoring. Oh, and by the way, once you do this, you'll be making the WORST decision in the history of mankind. At best, you'll be trading in seven years of comfort, for eternity in torment and darkness. At worst, you probably won't even live out the full seven years and still have eternity to face.
 
Sounds like a bargain huh?
 
Well, there is coming a day and age when this will become a reality. Oh, it may not happen tomorrow, but changes are coming. Changes are happening even now. Kinda like how the music industry quit making cassette tapes and moved over to Compact Discs. These changes will be forced upon you.
 
At some point, all the cassette tapes are relegated to the dust bin and no one is making them anymore. You have NO choice but to buy a new radio that plays CDs. Or like when television left analog and went strictly digital. Did you have any say in it? No.
 
When the time comes for this 'new and improved' way of living/ shopping/ security/freedom comes about, either you get on board or you get left behind. And by behind, I mean, utterly; left to either starve or be killed by a tyrannical government.
 
With the body of Christ removed at the Rapture, what semblance of organized "Christianity" that remains, will be both Christ-less and incapable of offering a path to salvation that holds to its ecumenical swaying's. Previously, I offered up Roman Catholicism, simply because they're the most global "Christian" organization in the world. They've not shown any qualms or regret in the past over killing true believers (e.g., the Crusades, Inquisitions, etc.) or from embracing non-Christian beliefs in order to stay relevant (Paganism/Islam).
 
Chrislam anyone?
 
Mormonism may play a prominent role in this time as well, since they share such a striking similarity to Islam, embracing both universalism and to an extent, pantheism and will probably be one of the most organized and intact American religious systems left standing, post-Rapture. Either way, what is left is an empty shell of empty religions that will be used as a tool to prepare the world to worship the satanically indwelt Antichrist himself.
 
That leaves only the practical matter of enforcement of said worship. The mark is not just a system of worship; it is a system of control. Satan is not God, and at best, can only try to mimic God which is what he attempts to do with the mark. God has and does mark those that belong to Himself (Deut 6:8; Ez 9:4; 2 Cor 1:21-22; Eph 1:13; Rev 7:3).
 
Satan counters with a system that is emplaced by the Antichrist as a logical, pragmatic choice to many of the world's problems. The world's economic systems are currently being dismantled through unmanageable debt and widespread corruption. By the time the Mark is introduced as an alternative, it will leave the Mark as the only practical solution.
 
How does the world get out of the current financial quagmire that it is in? It is completely unrealistic to think the US could pay off 16 (now 21 Trillion dollars). Our citizens have become dependent on many of the entitlement programs that have put a majority of the country on life-support.
 
If the government threatened to:
 
a) Impose huge cuts to MEDICAID, MEDICARE, Welfare, and Social Security in order to pay down the debt, or
b) Move off the dollar to a new system where no cuts were needed, I believe the US population would overwhelmingly elect the latter.
 
Greece, Paris, and London are just tiny microcosms of what we could expect in every major city if strict austerity measures were put in place. But it's not only the US but the entire world that finds itself in the same debt-laden boat. The problem with the US though, is that we are supposed to be the big pole in the tent that holds up the whole show. If we go down, (as witnessed in the 2008 financial collapse) we'll drag the entire world down with us.
 
Nations like Brazil, Russia, China, and France have only recently expressed openly, a desire to move away from the dollar into a basket of currencies. Whether it is a digital credit, special drawing rights, or a new currency altogether such as the Phoenix, they will all fail. That is not my opinion on the matter that comes straight out of the Bible. The world ends up in one global system, run by one man, using one currency.
 
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. Revelation 13:16-18
 
The Man
 
Many theories are out there as to who this man (Antichrist) is and where he comes from. We know that he comes from somewhere within the confines of the boundaries of the Roman Empire, but that includes North Africa, Europe, and parts of the Middle East. We know that he comes in riding a banner of false peace (Rev. 6:1-2), but he becomes personally indwelt by Satan at the mid-point. At that point, he goes from being the man of sin to the son of perdition (2 Thess. 2:3).
 
We also know that there is a number associated with it's (the Beast) name (Rev. 13:18) and that somehow, someway, it equals to six-hundred and sixty-six. Because of the wording in Revelation 13, it is sometimes hard to distinguish between the Beast the man, or the Beast the final government system. Either way, the number is a human-number. All speculation aside, there is only one man named in scriptures whose number adds up to 666, and that is through the number of family members he has.
 
"The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six." Ezra 2:13
 
The other passage (Neh. 7:18) arrives at 667 for the lineage of Adonikam, presumably, it does so by either including him and not just his offspring; or that it was written a hundred years later and the man simply had more offspring by then. Either way, this man's descendants were among those Jews that had been taken captive by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar and were the remnant who returned to Jerusalem at the end of their captivity. I do not know if one of this man's descendants will turn out to be the Antichrist or not, but I do know that the Jews would never accept a man as Messiah who was not Jewish.
 
All we really know is that the Apostle Paul stated that he (the Antichrist) would not be revealed until the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) is removed (2 Thess 2:7-8). But to point out one last thing, Paul called the Antichrist the 'Son of Perdition'. The only other person called that in scriptures was Judas Iscariot (John 17:12). It's not any stretch of the imagination to assume that Paul was familiar with who Judas was (a Jewish disciple), and what he did.
 
If we are to remain true to the symbolism used in Revelation, we then understand that in Chapter 13, the Beast that rises up out of the sea (sea=gentile nations) is Gentile in nature. The Beast that rises up out of the land (land=Israel) is a Jew (the False Prophet). The Antichrist rises up as a little horn amongst the other horns (Dan. 7:8; 8:9). So he (the Antichrist) could either be a Gentile whose familial lineage comes from within the boundaries of the old Roman Empire (Dan. 9:26), and he publically converts to some form of Judaism, or that his False Prophet is a Jew and leads the Jewish people astray by signs and wonders to direct their allegiance toward the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:12-13).
 
Maybe the False Prophet is hailed as the Messiah, but he, in turn, directs worship to the Antichrist who the Jews initially rejected (for not being Jewish) which is why he commits the Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Matthew 24:15 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 like his much earlier predecessor Antiochus Epiphanes IV (Daniel 11:30-32). But those refusing to worship him will have to suffer death or starvation for not receiving the mark since they will not be able to buy or sell.
 
In order for that to be a threat, the technology first needs to exist to make that possible. We've spent the last 40 years being primed for this kind of system. From the gold standard to the fiat system to the use of credit and debit cards, online banking, and now digital crypto-currency. Society is aggressively being desensitized to the idea of using technology that is embedded into the human body by moving society off of cash. We've also had the conditioning in place by getting us used to instant (food, service, and solutions) and by marketing and advertisements that continually sell us the notion that we deserve the best, and we deserve it right now.
 
The mark of the beast will obviously not be labeled as such, nor its consequences, but will be presented as the most logical, reasonable way forward in troubled times. We know that the mark is not used prior to the Tribulation, so whatever technologies are currently out there today (and there are many now that could fit the bill) are just being staged for the right 'crisis' to implement when the time is right. Assuming that the Rapture of the Church is the trigger that causes the worldwide chaos, I foresee a couple of possible avenues.
 
If the Rapture is a standalone event, aside from the immediate effects of wrecks, looting, fires, etc..., it will trigger an economic avalanche of panic in the US due to the sudden removal of millions of consumers, employers, employees, tax/mortgage/bill payers that will put an already fragile economy into panic mode. The government will bypass the constitution and move to join some form of regional, economic union.
 
If the Rapture is accompanied by some other cataclysmic event (EMP/Solar storm, nuclear or dirty bomb, mega-thrust earthquake, Gog-Magog War), the US may cede control of the government to the EU "temporarily" until the US can get back on its feet.
 
For those who are not taken up in the Rapture, they can expect to be subjugated to the Wrath of the Lamb and an onslaught of satanic terror here on earth. For those who fall in line and take the mark, they can expect the following:
 

• Eternal damnation (Rev 14:11)
• To drink from the cup of indignation (unmixed) the wine of the wrath of God (Rev 14:10)
• Grievous Sores (Rev 16:2)
• Torment on earth (painful darkness, heat, 100 lb. hailstones) (Rev 16:8, 10-11, 21)

 
Is it worth it? Is the worst seven-years of your life worth hell on earth, and even worse, an eternity in hell, if you 'opt-out' for a few years of momentary comfort? Would you spend a million dollars on a car that you could only drive for a day? Probably not, so why would you make a deal that is infinitely worse? The technology exists today, the hour is late, and our Lord and Savior is returning just like He said He would.
 
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:12
 
The Bible is very clear on this subject of the coming 70th Week. It is a future event, and it will be the worst period in all of human history. If a skeptic (Christian or otherwise) tries to tell you-
 
"The Rapture ain't going to happen..."
 
"There is no such thing as a Rapture..."
 
"The Rapture already happened in the first century..."
 
or any other lame excuse, do not listen to them. Mark them as a fool and get away quickly. The Bible is very, very, very clear about four things:
 

1. Jesus died, was buried, rose again, and is coming back again at an undisclosed point in time in the future. He didn't come in the first century because we are still here and the world is still seriously messed up. (1st Cor. 15:1-5, 51-56; Matthew 24:36; Rev. 3:3)
2. Christ said that when (not if) He comes back, He is going to take His bride (the born again Church) back to heaven (the Rapture) with Him to be where He is (John 14:1-3)
3. When the Rapture happens (harpazo-Greek, catch up-English, Rapture-Latin transliteration), this world will instantaneously be plunged into chaos. Every time a major global crisis happens, someone always rises up to take charge. This time will be no different, except, it will be for the last time. You don't want to be here on the earth when that happens
4. DO NOT TAKE THE MARK.

 
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name...
 
...Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Revelation 13:16-17, 14:9-11
 
Are you ready?

The Greatest Sign Of All - By Grant Phillips -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/10/07/greatest-sign-grant-phillips/
 
God stepped out of Heaven over 2,000 years ago and took upon Himself the flesh of His creation ... mankind. He was the new Adam, born of a virgin girl, come to provide salvation to all who would come to Him by faith.
 
There was no grand entrance upon this world except for a few souls, but all the signs were there for those who paid attention to Scripture. In a lowly manger He was christened with gold, frankincense and myrrh for His life as the Son of Man.
 
These gifts are not just coincidence for this child. They tell us that the Son of God (divine) also became the Son of Man (human) for a purpose. He came willing to satisfy the Law and die for us. The innocent accepts the death penalty for the guilty to reunite God with mankind.
 
The gold symbolized His divinity.
 
The frankincense symbolized His holiness and righteousness. It showed His willingness to be our sacrifice.
 
Myrrh was used as an embalming agent in those days, and symbolized His bitter life ahead from the suffering and affliction He would endure for you and me and then give His life on the cross on our behalf.
 
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)
 
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
 
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross!
 
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:6-11)
 
In Philippians two, notice verses six through eight are speaking of Jesus as the Son of Man and verses nine through eleven as the Son of God.
 
The Scripture says that the Jews require signs and the Greek (all non-Jews) seek wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:22). According to Bible scholars the Old Testament had at least 300 signs of Jesus' First Coming. On top of that, all through His ministry on earth an abundance of signs were provided for their first-hand witness, but yet, most did not believe.
 
Something very important to understand is that the Jews were very familiar with the Old Testament, unlike many Christians today who know so very little about the Bible. Sadly, many in the Church body today don't even know the first four books of the New Testament and who wrote each one. This isn't true with the Jews though. They had heard the prophecies all their life and most could probably quote them, but yet they were blind to the fact that the Messiah they had been waiting for had finally come to earth and standing right in front of them.
 
If I may say on their behalf, they were looking for the wrong visitation. Their Messiah spoken of in the prophecies was coming first as the Suffering Servant and then later, much later, as the King of kings and Lord of lords. They wanted nothing to do with the Suffering Servant though. They wanted the King of kings and Lord of lords to free them from the Romans. Thank God some recognized Jesus as the Messiah (the Christ to us) and accepted Him as their Suffering Servant. With these, Jesus set up His Church and we wait for His return today.
 
Bible scholars tell us there are over 500 prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus' return, the Second Coming. They say that one out of every 25 verses in the New Testament speak of Jesus Second Coming. The Lord gave many signs in His Word referring to His return (Second Coming). They are all around us today, but it seems only a few are aware.
 
On the last page of His earthly life Jesus provided a closing sign to all those of that day ... the cross He hung upon. He finished with a grave that had no corpse. Then He ascended back to Heaven while those who watched Him go heard the angels say, "Men of Galilee," ... "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)
 
Jesus is going to return to earth. He will not be coming as the Suffering Servant but as the King of kings and Lord of lords. All eyes will behold Him, and there will be no doubt in the mind of anyone that He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
 
"Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30)
 
This will be the greatest sign of all. Jesus Himself will be the sign, but it will be too late for all who have not confessed Him as Savior and Lord.
 
Before I go any further, let me briefly state the following for those who might become confused.
 

1. When Jesus came and died on the cross this occurrence is called the First Coming or First Advent.
2. The next event to happen is the Rapture of the Church, and there are no signs for the Rapture.
3. The Tribulation of seven years is next.
4. When the seven years of the Tribulation is completed, Jesus will come the second time and this is called the Second Coming or the Second Advent.
5. The Millennium of 1,000 years follows.
6. After the Millennium we enter eternity.

 
This is purposely an extremely basic step-by-step explanation. I have omitted some things to keep it simple.
 
Right now, we are waiting on the Rapture of the Church (or the bride of Christ). Jesus will not come to earth, but call us out from the earth to meet Him in the air and take us back to Heaven before the Tribulation begins. The purpose of the Rapture is for Jesus to remove His bride (the Church) from the earth and end the Church age. It is also to conclude the remaining seven years promised Israel (Daniel 9:20ff)
 
There is an abundance of signs today, but they all are pointing to the coming Tribulation. Remember, there are no signs for the Rapture. It will occur without warning and within the blink of an eye.
 
When Jesus came the first time most of the signs were subtle. They were low-key in many ways, but in these last days a person would have to be spiritually blind to miss the signs around us pointing to a coming Tribulation, then Second Coming. The problem for so many people is that when the greatest sign of all appears, it will be too late to repent. There will only be judgment.
 
Today there are signs with nature, society, technology, world issues, spiritually related signs and especially those signs concerning Israel that are screaming of an end of the Church age. Don't forget, the Rapture is the next event to occur and there will be no warning. If there is a warning of any kind, it would be that the Tribulation is drawing closer and closer, and the Rapture occurs BEFORE the Tribulation.
 
After Jesus safely removes His bride (the Church) from the earth He will allow the seven years of Tribulation to begin, and Jesus says the following about those days:
 
"If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened." (Matthew 24:22)
 
This world is approaching those days so quickly it reminds me of a movie my wife and watched not long ago. The movie is called "Unstoppable." Denzel Washington is the engineer and Chris Pine the conductor on a runaway train. Our world, just like that train, is out of control. Unlike the movie where the heroes saved the day, this world is not going to avoid those seven years of Tribulation. It is quickly approaching. It is out of control. It is coming.
 
When the greatest sign of all appears (Matthew 24:30) all those who are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ will be with Him. All others will face His judgment.
 
If the Rapture would occur today, the Second Coming could only be seven years away. Seven years of hell on earth and then the Second Coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords. I will close by repeating Matthew 24:30 and ask, "Will you be with Him, or with those who mourn?"
 
"Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30)
 
Grant Phillips
Email: [email protected]
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

Are You at a Breaking Point? - By Jonathan Brentner -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/10/03/breaking-point-jonathan-brentner/
 
If not for my belief in the rapture, I would have reached a breaking point long, long ago. As it is, I sometimes feel anger boiling up within me as I see entertainers celebrating abortions, the evil that intensifies each and every day, and the greed and hatred rampant in our world.
 
Apart from the promises of Scripture, I would throw my hands up in despair as I watch a sadly deluded world embracing the evils of socialism as the solution to all its problems. When has totalitarianism ever solved a problem?
 
I also know many believers have reached a breaking point due to illness, grief, and affliction. Pain touches the lives of so many followers of Jesus.
 
I have no easy answers for those who feel as though they have reached a breaking point, but I know the truths of God's Word are able to calm our hearts and reassure our minds regardless of what confronts us today.
 
It's Supposed to Be this Way in the Last Days
 
When it seems as though I am about to whither under the burdens of the day, I remember what the Bible says about the last days. In short, the Bible long ago predicted it would be this way in the last days.
 
Paul's words in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 describe our world today with its treachery, brutality, harsh exchanges on social media, and loss of self-control.
 
Jesus told us conditions before His return will be like the "days of Noah" as well as the time of Lot (Luke 17:26-29). In both cases, exceeding wickedness continued to grow worse with no end in sight.
 
Revelation 12:12 warns of Satan's increased activity in the last days as he knows his time is short. I believe this not only refers to our adversary's activity in the world, but also his stepped-up attacks on God's children.
 
I know it's not easy for those of us who feel the breath of the devil's fury. But rest assured that God sees our pain and frustration, His relief is on the way, and He is much more powerful than the one who seeks to destroy us (1 Pet. 5:8; 1 John 4:4).
 
The Lord will Judge the Ungodly
 
Scripture also assures us God will judge the wickedness of this world. Those who refuse to repent of their sins will someday pay a severe penalty for their rejection of the Savior, both here on the earth and in eternity.
 
I recently read Psalm 10 and sensed anew its relevance for today. The Psalmist's question in verse 1 is one we often find ourselves asking today, "Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?"
 
He answers his own question in verses 14-15, assuring us that the Lord does "see" and that He will "break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none."
 
The Lord's response to the wickedness and deception we see in the world is on the way. Count on it. He will judge the wickedness that confronts us every day.
 
The Lord sees. His relief for our affliction may not arrive as soon as we would like or wish, but rest assured, Jesus' will intervene in our lives just as He surely will in this Christ-rejecting world.
 
Our Ultimate Hope Rests in Jesus' Appearing
 
In the meantime, our focus must remain heavenward because it's from there "we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself" (Phil 3:20-21).
 
Our ultimate hope does not rest in the improving of our circumstances, and it certainly does not reside in a fallen world where evil continues to increase exponentially (although it's already far beyond what I thought I would see in the last days before the rapture).
 
Our definitive expectation comes from the Lord's promises to take us to His Father's house in heaven, to a place He is preparing for us (John 14:2-3). After we arrive safely in heaven with our Savior, God will pour out His wrath on an unsuspecting world as described in Revelation 6-19 and in Isaiah 13:9-13.
 
In spite of what we see in a world corrupted by Satan for his evil purposes, we know the Lord's fierce judgment on an unbelieving world is rapidly approaching. We see the signs of this everywhere we look.
 
In spite of what we experience in a fallen and harsh world, we hold on to our certain hope that Jesus not only knows all about our grief, but is coming to take us into His loving arms and keep us safe during the time of trouble coming upon the world (Rev. 3:10).
 
Jesus Will Reign in Righteousness
 
In addition to the rapture, we look forward to Jesus' righteous rule over all creation that begins with what we refer to today as the millennium; this is the time our Savior reigns over the world that once rejected Him (Psalm 2:7-12; Zechariah 14:9-27).
 
The biblical descriptions of this thousand-year reign of Christ tell us that sin will remain on the earth during this time; it will be a period of testing for mankind (Rev. 20:1-10; Zech. 14:16-19).
 
How does Jesus' future reign as king over all the nations encourage us? First, the Bible also says that as believers we are "fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). As such, we will share in Jesus' inheritance of the nations as He reigns over them (Rev. 5:9-10, 20:4). We will reign with Him.
 
Second, we have this wonderful promise in Revelation 21:4, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
 
Ultimately, we look forward to a time when sin and death will no longer exist, and Jesus Himself will lovingly wipe away all tears and remove all our pain and sorrow.
 
We Walk by Faith
 
Our hope consists of things we cannot see with our natural eyes. We currently do not see the Lord's judgment on the rampant wickedness of our day. We recognize the biblical signs of the last days, but it requires a look of faith to hold on to our hope of Jesus' appearing and our heavenward excursion through the clouds.
 
In 2 Corinthians 5:4-5, Paul writes of our hope in the rapture, "For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened-not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."
 
Notice how the apostle continues as he describes our lives as we anticipate the reception of our new bodies, "So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:6-7).
 
We walk by faith, not by sight.
 
The Bible tells us that wickedness will grow exceedingly strong in the last days, but also reveals the Lord's harsh judgment of an unbelieving world. Scripture warns us of Satan's increased activities in the last days, but also assures us of His deliverance of us from this world.
 
God's Word does not promise us immediate relief from our afflictions or a quick judgment on the evil around us. It does, however, guarantee a joyous future in eternity full of joy, happiness, and pleasure for those who know the Lord as their Savior.
 
While we may be at a breaking point from what we see in the world or experience as a result of this fallen world, we walk by faith in anticipation of a much better day. Our eternity with Jesus could start in the next moment, later today, next week, a year from now, or at a later time. We cannot know the exact timing of His return in this the season of His appearing.
 
But we do know Jesus sees all we see (and much, much more), loves us more than we can imagine, and is now preparing a place for us in His Father's house (John 14:2-3).
 
Until then we walk by faith, relying on the Lord to give us courage in these last days.
 
Jonathan Brentner
Website: Our Journey Home
Please consider signing up for my newsletter on my website. Thanks!
E-mail: [email protected]