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| COMING SOON |
THE RAPTURE (HARPATZO)
The church has been promised some beautiful promises because
she has been obedient. If the church has to go through the tribulation it would
be like God allowing her to be beat up and then say, “let’s go have dinner.”
Paul tells us about this blessed hope, the coming of Jesus for the church, he
says:
I Thess. 4:16-18
16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord.
18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
This is to comfort us, for he is coming soon. In addition,
Paul tells his church:
1 Cor.
15:50-52
50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
There are
several reasons that many embrace the Pretribulation
Rapture teaching. We will discuss a few below.
The seven-year
period of time known as the tribulation will be considered the worst time in
humanity. It is the time when God’s wrath will be meted out. Some have
attempted to break up this period, but the entire period is a revelation of the
wrath of God against sin. In Revelation 6:16, John states at the opening of the
seals of the Lord the kings and rulers will declare, “and said to the mountains and
rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne,
and
from the wrath of the Lamb:” which technically this period could be
subdivided into bad and really bad. The tribulation begins with a seven year
peace treaty directed by the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27). This is what kicks off
this awful period of time where over 90% of at least 7 billion of the global
population will perish through terrible calamities. The great news is Paul
writes to the church that God has not appointed us unto wrath, but the saving
of our souls, “ For God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes. 5:9). Jesus
declared to the church at Philadelphia, “ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience,
I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation (the tribulation),
which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10). Both of these
verses state that the church will be kept from the tribulation period, though
this is not saying we will not face great persecution, the last days church
will endure great trials much like the early church faced. Moreover, in the
gospel of Luke chapter 21 Jesus tells us: 34. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35. For
as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.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
did not say escape half or some, but all
these things regarding the tribulation period. Enoch is a type of the church
and he was raptured (caught away, taken) pre-flood. Noah also was hidden from
the flood before it began in the Ark, and Lot was taken out of Sodom before the
judgment of God fell upon those wicked cities, and Abraham viewed the judgment
of God from the safe place in God’s presence. In the prophets we see that Jesus
is going to hide his bride in his chambers during the honeymoon which lasts
seven days in the Jewish model:
Isaiah 26:19-21
19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they
arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth
shall cast out the dead.
20. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut
thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the
indignation be overpast.
21. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish
the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose
her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
The Psalmist also describes this time period as well when
he stated, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me
in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set
me up upon a rock” (Psa. 27:5). The
prophet Zephaninah also says regarding this time period in chapter 2: 2-3, “Before the decree bring
forth, before the day pass as the chaff,
before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S
anger come upon you. 3. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have
wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.”
God desires to
hide his people in heaven during the judgment of sin on earth. Another subtle
hint of this is found in Daniel 3 when the three Hebrew boys are thrown into
the furnace, everyone who did not bow were cast into it. The question that one
should ask about this awful time was where was Daniel? The Holy Ghost has
hidden him in his presence, he is still living, but the Spirit of God leaves
this promise for those who seek him that he will take them to himself. When the
book of Revelation begins we are introduced to the risen Christ and the things
that were, and are, but the Lord Jesus was going to show him the things to
occur after the church. In Revelation 4:1-2 John hears, “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. And immediately
I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” This is a hint of the
rapture and the Last Trump that Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 15:50.
The Last Trump to a Jew refers to the Feast of Trumpets,
the first day of the seventh month (Tishri), the end of harvest (September,
October), and the sign to gather to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles
which occurred fifteen days later. This day was also called Yom Hakeshah
meaning “the hidden day.” The reason it was considered hidden was it occurred at
the beginning of the seventh month when the moon disappeared. Two witnesses
would be appointed by the high priest and would look into the night sky
awaiting to see the sliver of the new moon. They knew the season, but the day
was hidden until they saw the new moon as they looked up into the night sky.
All of the major feasts occurred at the full moon, this feast occurred at the
new moon, and a trumpet would be blown from the temple ending harvest, the
First Trumpet occurred at Pentecost, Last Trump at Feast of Trumpets, and the
Great Trumpet on the Day of Atonement or the day of judgment. Some people
misapply the Last Trumpet to the seventh trumpet judgment in Revelation, but
this is an incorrect application there will be another trumpet blown at the end
of the tribulation (great trumpet) and there will be trumpets continually blown
during the millennium. Another subtle truth is the 24 elders, who are priests
and kings in Revelation 4-5 which are never mentioned in the Old Testament
which are a symbol of the church of God, the Melechizedek priesthood.
Another issue that must be dealt with is the doctrine of
eminence, meaning the Lord can come at any moment. Paul tells the Thessalonians
in his second letter that the Antichrist will not come until there be a falling
away, and the church will be taken out of the earth before the Antichrist can
arise to do his treaty with Israel (2 Thess. 2:1-9). Moreover, the tribulation
begins with a treaty (Dan 9:27, Rev.6:1-3) and according to Daniel chapter
12:11-13 the days are given. Jesus said regarding the rapture that no one knew
that hidden day, but the Father. The most important truth regarding the rapture
is this--- BE READY---(Matt 25:1-6)!
If you have never accepted or if you have fallen away from Jesus Christ here are three steps you need to take to be saved:
You must admit you are a sinner, confess your sin to Jesus, repent (turn from all you know is wrong), ask Jesus to come in your heart, and begin to follow Jesus by reading and obeying his word and go to a bible believing church that teaches his word. And tell someone what Christ Jesus Has Done For You (Rev 12:10)
May God through Christ bless you!
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If you have a prayer request or have questions that need clarification please contact me at: neverstoppraying8@gmail.com
This is a great compilation of the information that simplifies the Biblical truth. Thank you!
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