There is confusion, even among Christians, about the return of Jesus Christ. There are those who do not accept the notion of the rapture (catching away) of the church or the 1000 year reign of Jesus on the earth. I believe it is clear that you have to either ignore or re-interpret an awful lot of Scripture to come to those conclusions. That is what has happened. Certain areas of Scripture have been interpreted to mean something other than what they say. For example, those who believe this way would change the meaning of ‘Jerusalem’ in the Bible to mean ‘Heaven.’ They would also change the meaning of the word “Israel” to mean “Church.” In doing that they come to the conclusion that all prophecy has been fulfilled and the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth is fulfilled in the church on earth. No wonder they are confused!
The main principle of Biblical interpretation is to allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves and not push them to match up with whatever our agenda might be. So what does the Bible say about the coming of Jesus Christ to “rapture” or catch away the church? We will look at two sections of Scripture and ask; “What do they say; what do they mean; and how does this apply to my life?
The New Testament book of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 is the first we will look at. This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Church at Thessalonica, hence the name of the book. It is written: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
Q. So is this the return of the Lord to the earth at Armageddon as described in the Book of Revelation?
A. No. In that account the Lord comes to the earth and stands on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. In this passage, the church meets Christ in the clouds. In the Revelation account Jesus is doing battle with the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet. This account of the rapture is clearly another mission altogether.
Q. Is the “trumpet call of God” the same as the “Last Trumpet” during the Great Tribulation in Revelation?
A. No. The Book of Revelation was written many decades after Thessalonians. Paul would not be referring to trumpet calls decades before they were revealed by the Apostle John and about which Paul had no knowledge.
Q. Is there anywhere else in Scripture where Jesus Christ, himself, mentions the rapture of the church?
A. Yes. Look at the Gospel of John 14:1-3. Jesus is speaking to His disciples, the infant church, about his impending death. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Q. What did Jesus say about the sequence of events? Did he say he would go and wait for them to come to him?
A. He said He was going and then would come back and “TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME.” Again, this is not the same as the account of Jesus Christ returning to deal with the Anti-Christ. This is the same sequence of events as described in Thessalonians 4.
Q. How do we know that the rapture of the church happens before the return of Jesus Christ at the battle of Armageddon?
A. Revelation 19 describes the return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth. Starting at verse 13-14; “He (Jesus) is dressed in robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God (see John 1). The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” Back in verse 8 those dressed in fine linen, white and clean are identified at “the saints” i.e. the church. If the church is following Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth to fight, then the church had to be taken up before Armageddon.”
So we have looked at what the Bible says and what it means concerning the rapture of the church. The next question, “What does it mean to my life” is the question you must answer for yourself. Each one of us is responsible to God on our own. No one can make a decision for you but you. I will tell you that the church is everyone who acknowledges their sin (rebellion against God), accepts Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as sufficient to pay the penalty for sin, and ask Jesus in to be Lord (Master) of your life. Romans 10:9 states “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” If you dilly dally in making this decision and the rapture happens, terrible times will follow. But, you may still be saved the same way. However, if you take the mark of the Anti-Christ, you will be forever damned. This is a decision to take very seriously. Forever is much longer than a very long time!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A STRANGE IRONY, INDEED
I find it a strange irony that we in the US have made such a bold move toward socialism. Although I have firmly held political views, I have tried to keep this blog limited to the topic of Biblical Prophecy. But I find it impossible to discuss how current day events are fulfilling prophecy without a discussion of political events and their ramifications. So, I am forced to view the current political forces at work as a context within which Biblical Prophecy is being fulfilled. Back to the strange irony.
Since the end of WWII the west was locked in a deadly battle with the forces of Marxist Communism around the world. Wars were fought in Korea and Viet Nam by the US to stem the tide of the “Red Menace.” We spent untold billions in defense of Europe, the Berlin air-lift, building and maintaining a nuclear deterrent, establishing military bases and alliances world-wide, development of a nation-wide interstate freeway system to accommodate rapid deployment of military assets and the list goes on. After all that, the voters of the United States, a democratic republic of free people, elect a Marxist Congress and President bent on “fundamentally transforming the United States of America” (the words of President Obama). The government now controls elements of major industries and banking and as of last Sunday, Health care and higher education. The freedoms and rights of the people of this nation are no longer derived from their Creator, but from the Congress. What the Congress gives, the Congress can take away.
The main issue for me is not that Marxism is anti-free market or anti-capitalist but that it is Godless! Our Founding Fathers stated in very clear terms that our rights (Life-Liberty-Pursuit of Happiness) were “endowed by our Creator.” In a move of Godless arrogance, our House of Representatives declared that our rights come from the government. And they declared this on Sunday “The Lord’s Day.” Sunday is the day that most believing Christians set aside as a time of worship and praise of our “Creator,” the Lord Jesus Christ. This Godless bunch of Marxist radicals voted in the socialist health care bill they had been touting as necessary because "everyone should have the right to medical care." They saw that it was their job to redistribute the wealth of this nation (taking from you and giving it to someone else they deemed more deserving i.e. Marxism) and take control of 1/6th of the economy through health care. They also stole away the business of lending institutions to make loans to students. That way they can control not only the lending business but the educational entities that ultimately receive the money.
The reason I mention all this is that the Bible describes the Last Days as a time of ultimate governmental control. The current Presidential Administration and Congress are only just beginning. They will soon gain control over energy, immigration, climate change and anything else they can get their hands on. This nation has gone the way of the Nations of Europe, (need I remind you that they are the nations of the Revised Roman Empire from which the Anti-Christ will rule)Canada, South America and Asia. I believe that Biblical Prophecy will be fulfilled but that does not mean that we should just sit back and do nothing, waiting for the inevitable. No, we must resist evil wherever we find it. As of this writing, we still have the vote. We still have the power to expel these Godless Marxists and their socialist utopia. We still have the duty to protect and defend the Constitution as it was written. We have the responsibility to awaken from our slumber and demand that this damage be undone. We must not allow the crushing debt that is piling up be passed on to our children and grandchildren. We have a responsibility to do everything in our power to pass on a nation as strong and devoted to godly principles and faith to our progeny as we received from our forefathers. We have the responsibility to seek the God and Savior of our Founding Fathers, seek His forgiveness, grace and guidance and never give up. We have a responsibility to the countless tens of thousands who laid down their lives to gain and protect our freedom and to be willing to do the same for those who follow behind us.
Since the end of WWII the west was locked in a deadly battle with the forces of Marxist Communism around the world. Wars were fought in Korea and Viet Nam by the US to stem the tide of the “Red Menace.” We spent untold billions in defense of Europe, the Berlin air-lift, building and maintaining a nuclear deterrent, establishing military bases and alliances world-wide, development of a nation-wide interstate freeway system to accommodate rapid deployment of military assets and the list goes on. After all that, the voters of the United States, a democratic republic of free people, elect a Marxist Congress and President bent on “fundamentally transforming the United States of America” (the words of President Obama). The government now controls elements of major industries and banking and as of last Sunday, Health care and higher education. The freedoms and rights of the people of this nation are no longer derived from their Creator, but from the Congress. What the Congress gives, the Congress can take away.
The main issue for me is not that Marxism is anti-free market or anti-capitalist but that it is Godless! Our Founding Fathers stated in very clear terms that our rights (Life-Liberty-Pursuit of Happiness) were “endowed by our Creator.” In a move of Godless arrogance, our House of Representatives declared that our rights come from the government. And they declared this on Sunday “The Lord’s Day.” Sunday is the day that most believing Christians set aside as a time of worship and praise of our “Creator,” the Lord Jesus Christ. This Godless bunch of Marxist radicals voted in the socialist health care bill they had been touting as necessary because "everyone should have the right to medical care." They saw that it was their job to redistribute the wealth of this nation (taking from you and giving it to someone else they deemed more deserving i.e. Marxism) and take control of 1/6th of the economy through health care. They also stole away the business of lending institutions to make loans to students. That way they can control not only the lending business but the educational entities that ultimately receive the money.
The reason I mention all this is that the Bible describes the Last Days as a time of ultimate governmental control. The current Presidential Administration and Congress are only just beginning. They will soon gain control over energy, immigration, climate change and anything else they can get their hands on. This nation has gone the way of the Nations of Europe, (need I remind you that they are the nations of the Revised Roman Empire from which the Anti-Christ will rule)Canada, South America and Asia. I believe that Biblical Prophecy will be fulfilled but that does not mean that we should just sit back and do nothing, waiting for the inevitable. No, we must resist evil wherever we find it. As of this writing, we still have the vote. We still have the power to expel these Godless Marxists and their socialist utopia. We still have the duty to protect and defend the Constitution as it was written. We have the responsibility to awaken from our slumber and demand that this damage be undone. We must not allow the crushing debt that is piling up be passed on to our children and grandchildren. We have a responsibility to do everything in our power to pass on a nation as strong and devoted to godly principles and faith to our progeny as we received from our forefathers. We have the responsibility to seek the God and Savior of our Founding Fathers, seek His forgiveness, grace and guidance and never give up. We have a responsibility to the countless tens of thousands who laid down their lives to gain and protect our freedom and to be willing to do the same for those who follow behind us.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
US NATIONAL I.D. CARD
A reading of Biblical prophecy concerning the time called “The Great Tribulation” reveals that the “Anti-Christ” and his henchman “The False Prophet” will rule the world through a single governmental control mechanism. Everyone will be forced to take a mark on their hand or forehead in allegiance to and worship of the Anti-Christ. But I believe that it is clear that they will not have to invent this “One-World Government,” it will already exist. There are calls from such divergent voices as Russia, China and Prime Minister Brown of England for a world banking and monetary system. The United Nations is imposing itself as a regulatory and enforcement body for universal law.
I remember, as a child, people scoffing at the idea of a world-wide governmental body, one-world religion, monetary system or identity mark. But they had no idea of the magnitude of increase in technological capability that would develop in just my life-time. They also did not conceive of world-wide terrorism and the difficulties encountered in maintaining the integrity of sovereign borders. All of these issues are causing most around the world to take measures that invade personal privacy to protect civil society. The US is no exception. I refer you to the Patriot Act. In my opinion, under Bush, was a good idea. However, in the hands of those neo-socialists and communists in the current administration, not so much. The Senate, motivated by safety concerns, is now considering a National Identification Card that contains biometric information that is tamper-proof.
“THE WEEK” an internet news outlet reports:
(National identification cards, long feared by privacy advocates, may soon become mandatory for American workers. In a bipartisan effort to curb the hiring of illegal immigrants, Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have proposed legislation that, if passed, will require all working Americans to carry biometric ID cards containing fingerprint records and other personal information. Sen. Schumer calls the measure "the nub of solving the immigration dilemma.")
As time goes on after this law is passed, they will find that the tamper-proof cards will be compromised and more intrusive measures will need to be taken. Enter the radio activated chips inserted under the skin. The point of all this is that we are catapulting head-long toward a unifying single-world government that exercises maximum control over the people. Then, when the “Man of Sin” is revealed, he will merely step into the place of power and control already prepared for him. You can make all of this a mute point if you will place your faith in Jesus Christ. Because those who have received Him will be taken from the earth (see “What happened to all those people? Thurs, Feb 18). Because the “Great Tribulation” is the time of God’s wrath against a rebellious world.
I remember, as a child, people scoffing at the idea of a world-wide governmental body, one-world religion, monetary system or identity mark. But they had no idea of the magnitude of increase in technological capability that would develop in just my life-time. They also did not conceive of world-wide terrorism and the difficulties encountered in maintaining the integrity of sovereign borders. All of these issues are causing most around the world to take measures that invade personal privacy to protect civil society. The US is no exception. I refer you to the Patriot Act. In my opinion, under Bush, was a good idea. However, in the hands of those neo-socialists and communists in the current administration, not so much. The Senate, motivated by safety concerns, is now considering a National Identification Card that contains biometric information that is tamper-proof.
“THE WEEK” an internet news outlet reports:
(National identification cards, long feared by privacy advocates, may soon become mandatory for American workers. In a bipartisan effort to curb the hiring of illegal immigrants, Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have proposed legislation that, if passed, will require all working Americans to carry biometric ID cards containing fingerprint records and other personal information. Sen. Schumer calls the measure "the nub of solving the immigration dilemma.")
As time goes on after this law is passed, they will find that the tamper-proof cards will be compromised and more intrusive measures will need to be taken. Enter the radio activated chips inserted under the skin. The point of all this is that we are catapulting head-long toward a unifying single-world government that exercises maximum control over the people. Then, when the “Man of Sin” is revealed, he will merely step into the place of power and control already prepared for him. You can make all of this a mute point if you will place your faith in Jesus Christ. Because those who have received Him will be taken from the earth (see “What happened to all those people? Thurs, Feb 18). Because the “Great Tribulation” is the time of God’s wrath against a rebellious world.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
IS THE MOVIE "2012" REALLY TRUE?
While on vacation over the past couple of weeks, I had occasion to view the movie “2012.” The premise of the movie is that the ancient Mayan calendar ends on Dec. 21, 2012 signifying the end of the world. They incorrectly identified this time as what the Bible describes as “The Rapture.” In the movie, the top scientists in the world had become aware that the sun was becoming instable and causing the earth’s crust to deteriorate. They developed a plan to build giant arcs to save the richest and most influential 400,000 people as the earth flooded. Through the brilliant ingenuity of these scientists four arcs were built, one was destroyed, but the 400,000 overcame the devastation of this apocalypse through their cunning and perseverance. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the description of the Biblical Apocalypse will recognize this film is the result of some one’s vivid and uninformed imagination.
For those of you who are interested, you can find (in part) the accurate description of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation, chapters 15 and 16. First of all, the Apocalypse is not the result of some solar anomaly. It is the direct result of mankind’s rejection of God and His Son, Jesus Christ; their worshipping of and receiving the mark (666) of the Anti-Christ; their intractability in refusing to acknowledge their sin and refusing to repent of it; and finally, the Plagues described in chapters 15 and 16 are the wrath of God poured out on an evil and unbelieving world. There will be no escape. There will be no cunning and cleaver plan to outwit God. There will be no world-wide flood whereby mankind can escape in arcs. God has already promised that in the Book of Genesis chapter 9 verse 15.
So, what will happen when the wrath of God is poured out? Chapter 16 describes the 7 bowls of God’s wrath. Verse 2 says that ugly and painful sours broke out on all the people who took the sign of the beast. Verse 3 says the sea will turn into blood like that of a dead man. I have seen many a dead and decaying body in my life and the rotting pools of blood around their bodies filled the air with a stench. Verse 4 says the next bowl of wrath turn the rivers into blood as well. The 4th bowl of wrath described in verse 8 caused the sun to scorch people with a searing heat. Bowl of wrath #5, verse 10, causes darkness and agonies to come upon the Devil, Antichrist, False Prophet and all who follow them. The 6th bowl of wrath causes the Euphrates River to dry up preparing the way for the vast armies of Asia to come against Israel at the Battle of Armageddon. Evil spirits performing miraculous acts came from the Devil, Antichrist and False Prophet to gather the armies for the great day of battle. The final bowl of the wrath of God will be poured out and the sky was filled with lightning and thunder, there will be the most powerful earthquake the world has ever known. Every island will disappear, every mountain will be brought down and every city in the world will be destroyed. Hail stones weighing 100 lbs will rain down on the people.
This time of unparalleled devastation will be brought to an end before the total destruction of the world occurs. Jesus Christ, followed by those who believed in Him, will come to the earth. Jesus will cast the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet into the lake of fire. He will bind Satan and place him in captivity for 1000 years. Then Jesus will rule and reign over the earth from Jerusalem for that 1000 years. The earth will be repopulated by those who did not die during the Great Tribulation and did not receive the mark of the Beast. This will be a time of unparalleled peace and tranquility. At the end of the 1000 years the Devil, Satan, will be release and he will stir up another rebellion. This will be put down quickly by Jesus and Satan will also be thrown into the lake of fire. Then God will purify the earth with fire and the new Heaven and a new Earth will be formed. I am not going to cite the Biblical verses describing the events of this last paragraph other than to say that you don’t need to leave the Book of the Revelation. I hope that you will want to read on for yourselves what God’s word has to say. He who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved!
For those of you who are interested, you can find (in part) the accurate description of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation, chapters 15 and 16. First of all, the Apocalypse is not the result of some solar anomaly. It is the direct result of mankind’s rejection of God and His Son, Jesus Christ; their worshipping of and receiving the mark (666) of the Anti-Christ; their intractability in refusing to acknowledge their sin and refusing to repent of it; and finally, the Plagues described in chapters 15 and 16 are the wrath of God poured out on an evil and unbelieving world. There will be no escape. There will be no cunning and cleaver plan to outwit God. There will be no world-wide flood whereby mankind can escape in arcs. God has already promised that in the Book of Genesis chapter 9 verse 15.
So, what will happen when the wrath of God is poured out? Chapter 16 describes the 7 bowls of God’s wrath. Verse 2 says that ugly and painful sours broke out on all the people who took the sign of the beast. Verse 3 says the sea will turn into blood like that of a dead man. I have seen many a dead and decaying body in my life and the rotting pools of blood around their bodies filled the air with a stench. Verse 4 says the next bowl of wrath turn the rivers into blood as well. The 4th bowl of wrath described in verse 8 caused the sun to scorch people with a searing heat. Bowl of wrath #5, verse 10, causes darkness and agonies to come upon the Devil, Antichrist, False Prophet and all who follow them. The 6th bowl of wrath causes the Euphrates River to dry up preparing the way for the vast armies of Asia to come against Israel at the Battle of Armageddon. Evil spirits performing miraculous acts came from the Devil, Antichrist and False Prophet to gather the armies for the great day of battle. The final bowl of the wrath of God will be poured out and the sky was filled with lightning and thunder, there will be the most powerful earthquake the world has ever known. Every island will disappear, every mountain will be brought down and every city in the world will be destroyed. Hail stones weighing 100 lbs will rain down on the people.
This time of unparalleled devastation will be brought to an end before the total destruction of the world occurs. Jesus Christ, followed by those who believed in Him, will come to the earth. Jesus will cast the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet into the lake of fire. He will bind Satan and place him in captivity for 1000 years. Then Jesus will rule and reign over the earth from Jerusalem for that 1000 years. The earth will be repopulated by those who did not die during the Great Tribulation and did not receive the mark of the Beast. This will be a time of unparalleled peace and tranquility. At the end of the 1000 years the Devil, Satan, will be release and he will stir up another rebellion. This will be put down quickly by Jesus and Satan will also be thrown into the lake of fire. Then God will purify the earth with fire and the new Heaven and a new Earth will be formed. I am not going to cite the Biblical verses describing the events of this last paragraph other than to say that you don’t need to leave the Book of the Revelation. I hope that you will want to read on for yourselves what God’s word has to say. He who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved!
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