WHEN THE GATES OF HELL ARE OPENED.

BY Pastor Joseph Chambers

Revelation 9 1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. The great divide between the earth and its inhabitants and hell and its inhabitants has always remained a mystery. Upper Sheol in the First Testament was the abode of the righteous dead and Lower Sheol and Hell fire was the abode of the wicked dead.  Even between these two separate locations, there was an impossible gap.  Abraham plainly told the rich man in Hell that none could pass between the two abodes. "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." Luke 16:26.  Jesus told this great story to teach the truth of man's eternal destiny.  The gulf between the two abodes was very narrow compared to the gulf between the Earth and Hell.  In fact, man is forbidden to ever consider communication with the dead across that gulf. Scripture teaches us clearly that the abode of this wicked is in the heart of the earth. Upper Sheol no longer exists because Jesus Christ led the captives out of their captivity and they ascended with Him to dwell in His presence.  They are awaiting the resurrection of their body.  The righteous dead in the Old Testament could not escape death and its bondage until Jesus Christ was crucified and arose from the dead.  Now, the gulf is only between Lower Sheol and the Earth.  No one should attempt any contact with the location of Hell or the people that are damned.  Those in Hell are awaiting the White Throne Judgment, where they will appear to give account to the rejected Creator of this universe. Demons of the most wicked are turned loose on Earth. The most diabolical humans who ever lived and died will be let loose out of the bottomless pit to vent their wrath. These creatures have fettered to the darkest possible level. They know nothing but the wicked nature of Hell. One-third of the earth's inhabitants will be slaughtered. Many have power in their tongue and in their tail. They destroy both coming and going. Fallen angels in the past could appear in light and angelic like appearance. Stripped of that power they are now grotesque and despicable. Every creature in this horde is a servant of Satan. They are schooled in his filth. The world of Satan is organized like a priesthood. These dark creatures are ever struggling to climb the ladder in Satan's hierarchy.   Hell is not just a place of wicked men and women, but also a place where fallen angels are already being judged. Jude spoke of this when warning the church about wicked men.  " And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like-manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."  Jude 1:6-7.  The apostle Peter also reminded us of the judgments of angels that had already begun. "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." II Peter 2:4.  When the Son of God met demon-possessed individuals, the demons would beg not to be dismissed into the deep, clearly referring to Hell or the bottomless pit.  I believe humans can become so wicked that they are demons as surely as fallen angels are demons.  Jude gave reference to humans that had become beasts.  "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.  Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core."  Jude 1:8,10, 11.  Calling humans "brute beast" certainly suggests a dark state of character.  Hell is inhabited with the darkest of all fallen angels, and the godless and wicked throughout more than six thousand years of human history.  They have festered in their vileness and grow increasingly wicked by the day.  Our Father and the Lamb are going to unleash a multitude of this wicked crowd right onto the earth.      Joel, an Old Testament prophet gave a preview of this ninth chapter of Revelation.  "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.  Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march everyone on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded."  Joel 2:1-8.  There is no possible interpretation of this passage but the truth before us.  Joel's army is clearly paranormal, wicked, and set to destroy the exact character of demons.  All future judgment and End Time prophecies find their perfect fulfillment in this masterpiece of literature. Revelation 9 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. The chasm between Hell and the bottomless pit at the deepest extreme of Hell is about to be bridged to the earth for the Great Tribulation. Satan and the Father will use every wicked resource: Satan will use them to work havoc and the Father will use them to judge and destroy their own kind.  The devil's history is full of the destruction of his followers.  The demon-possessed write of their own war with each other and the dangers, as a demon-possessed individual tried to climb the ladder of priesthood in their dark realm.  There is no doubt that Satan's kingdom is in the realm of darkness and every aspect of their character is darkness and destruction. "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit." Revelation 9:1-2 The darkest place in God's universe is about to open onto the earth. Remember that Jesus Christ the Lamb opened the seventh seal; out from that seal appeared seven angels with seven trumpets.  This is the fifth of those angels sounding their trumpets.  And another angel, one of the seven Cherubim assigned to His churches, descended quickly from heaven.  Remember, an individual angel or cherubim was assigned to each church during the Church Dispensation.  The seven stars were the angels of the seven churches, which are now established in Heaven since the Rapture.  They are the defenders of righteousness in the earth and that includes redemption and judgment.  This great star or Cherubim has a key to the bottomless pit.  No one, demon or human that has ever been assigned to that pit was ever let out before.  The gate has never been unlocked on the exit side of this dark chasm.  Everything and everyone inside the bottomless pit is as wicked as they could possibly be.  They are corrupt with corrupting personalities and have longed for an opportunity to vent their fury.  If this crowd had not been held in captivity, this earth would have descended into an even darker and deeper vileness.  Their captivity has been part of God's restrictive plan until the fated hour should arrive. When the great gate was opened, the smoke of this furnace quickly darkened the universe.  The sun and moon, plus the atmosphere are covered and filled with the very spirit and darkness of this frightful abyss.  No doubt the smoke is but a conveyor of a stench and presence that darkens the mind of every soul it touches.  There will be no pure light until this open door to Hell is closed, and it will not be closed until this seal is finished. "And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." Revelation 9:3-6 These creatures are nothing less than demons with dark powers that Satan has trained and mobilized for his honor. Hell and the bottomless pit is indeed a place of fire and brimstone, but it cannot devour spirits or souls.  It can only torment and create an atmosphere of misery.  In this abyss the spirits and souls will scheme, plan, and anticipate the day when they can spread their misery.  That day has come in this text.  Like locusts, hungry to devour, they have power like scorpions and inflict pain that will seem unbearable. They will be commanded to hurt nothing of nature, but only the wicked that have rejected the God of Righteousness and do not have the seal of the Father and His Lamb in their forehead. They cannot kill these wicked souls but are commanded to torment them.  The torment lasts for five months with a pain that goes to the depth of human captivity.  The wicked have killed and maimed the righteous and God-honoring; now, the tide has turned.  This great multitude will seek to die and will make every effort to take their own life, but death will be beyond their reach. Revelation 9 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. Chapter eight started the period of God's revenge on the godless that mercy could not touch. They cannot blame the Father or the Lamb because mercy and forgiveness was held before this world for at least the first three and a half years.  Even now, the door is open to repent, but this multitude wants no repentance.  Now, the misery is too dark to see past. "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months." Revelation 9:7-10 The appearance given to these spirits and souls was planned to create the very atmosphere of the bottomless pit. Misery loves misery; now, misery has invaded the world.  Their appearance is like horses, crowned with gold and having faces like men.  They have hair like women and teeth like lions.  They wear breastplates of iron and they have wings like many chariots racing to destroy.  Their tails are quick to inflict pain and torment.  It's a scene of Hell on Earth for indeed hell has invaded the earth. These amazing creatures are servants of Satan and are venting his fury against his own worshippers. Satanism has never made sense because it is the opposite of a sane mind.  God the Father actually uses Satan to punish himself and his followers and to show that the very nature of evil is to destroy.  Evil does not have the ability to do good.  This Seven Years of Tribulation will reveal all that is evil for a final display of its nature. "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter." Revelation 9:11-12 Satan's kingdom is organized. The Book of Ephesians shows four levels of the hierarchy of Lucifer. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12.  The organization of evil is off the radar of human sight and understanding.  We fail to see how sinister it is in our normal world.  The Book of Revelation actually pulls the cover off and we can begin to catch a better picture.  This king over the bottomless pit is a destroyer.  He is one of Hell's most powerful creatures. Revelation 9 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. Everything represented in every name one can find for Satan in Scripture shows that there is ano capacity for good even to their own. This king has prepared his army well, they do their job under his leadership, and their only reward is more of Hell.  One woe is over, but two more are on the way. "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates." Revelation 9:13-14 A voice rings out from the very altar of God. The sixth angel has blown his trumpet and the depth of judgment must be made manifest.  Satan has always been on a leash.  He can do only what he is allowed.  These four angels have been bound because of previous deceptions and dark deeds.  They are masterminds of evil and have, by necessity, been bound awaiting judgment here.  Their location of dwelling is in the Babylonian vicinity, because this is Satan's stronghold.  They must be loosed to finish the task that wickedness demands.  It's fitting that during Satan's last rampages his powers will be concentrated out of his natural habitat.  Babylon will be fully rebuilt and occupied.  His Antichrist will rule from this city.  Evil will develop right out of Babylon and will spread out over the whole earth. "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurT."  Revelation 9:15-19 Hell's fury will certainly arise from the center of the Beast's kingdom. There is certainly some connection between the first half of this chapter and this second horde of spirits.  They both issue from the earth or beneath the earth.  Their former dwelling place is Hell or the abyss.  They all serve the devil and his principalities.  Their period of destruction is one year, one month, one day and one hour.  They will make use of every minute and one-third of earth's population will be slain. The size of this great demonic army is threatening to consider. Two hundred million trained, equipped, and vicious demonic spirits will go out from one geographical area to invade the earth.  Two hundred million suicide bombers all dressed in explosives could not do the damage this multitude will do.  John saw the vision and describes them.  He called them "horseman" or half horse, half man with "breastplates of fire, jacinth and brimstone." Their heads are like lions and they breath out smoke, fire, and brimstone.  The very sight of this army is enough to cause the world to seek death before they even arrive. Their power is both from their mouth and in the tail. They kill coming and going.  This kind of creature is being portrayed in mythology and has been trivialized until Revelation seems a joke.  When the national news shows this evil footage, the fun will disappear.  Demons have previously taken on the appearance of holy angels or an angel of light, but that capacity is no longer available.  When the angels of God cast Satan out of his second heavenly empire, he will be stripped of his powers to appear holy like holy angels.  His only appearance must derive from his character and this vision is the results.  What you are really seeing in this vision is Satan and his demons exactly as they are in their culture.  Finally, Satan will look like the devil and all of his horde of spirits will look the same. "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." Revelation 9:20-21 Unimaginably, there is still a multitude that will not repent. The call to repentance has not subsided.  Angels are always flying through the Heavens calling men to repent.  We will see that in future passages.  The flesh loves its gods of self, devils, idols, and wealth.  The sin of Adam was caused by the desire for things, especially things that touch the emotions.  God must have known that if man fell, it would be because He gave Him that wonderful creative ability to be emotional, to feel things, and to have emotions of desire, success, and triumph.  Man's most beautiful creativity is his emotions, but they are also his downfall when the heart is deceived. At this point, the world's population is almost totally given to the lust of unbridled emotions. Nothing can help a man when his emotions are unchecked and Satan will produce just that kind of world when God gives him free reign for the coming seven years of tribulation. CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS TYPE OF HELL ON EARTH. IF YOU BE SO UNFORTUNATE TO BE ALIVE ON THIS EARTH AT THAT TIME, YOU WILL \WISH TO DIE, BUT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO, BUT WILL ENDURE UNTOLD TORMENT. GOD FORBID.

PRETERISM, CLASSICAL, BUT DEAD WRONG

by Jack Kinsella

For most of the history of the Church, the classic interpretation of Bible prophecy was the historicist, or preterist view that virtually all Bible prophecy was fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Historicism is the view of Bible prophecy espoused by Roman Catholicism since its foundation in 323 AD by Constantine of Rome. It was the view of virtually all of the Reformers and the Reformed Confessions.

It has survived as the classical, Protestant interpretation of prophecy for nearly 500 years.

Most historicists take a preterist view of the Olivet Discourse, but disassociate it from the tribulation as found in Revelation and some New Testament Epistles.

During the last 150 years, within evangelicalism, futurism has grown to dominate and overcome historicism.

In a nutshell, the preterist/historicist view of Bible prophecy is that everything Dispensationalists expect to happen during the Tribulation has already occurred.

Preterists/historicists believe that the Great Tribulation already occurred, culminating with the Destruction of the Temple in AD 70, and thus is not a future event.

The Great Apostasy spoken of by Paul, they believe,  happened in the first century. In this view, instead of expecting increasing apostasy as history progresses, preterists expect the increasing Christianization of the world."

Most historicists would argue that the phrase, "the last days" is really just a Biblical expression for the period between Christ's Advent and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 -- the "last days" of Israel."

There is also no room in the historicist/preterist understanding of Scripture for a last days' Antichrist. They conclude that John was symbolically referencing widespread apostasy of the Christian Church prior to the Fall of Jerusalem.

From this perspective, any apostate teacher or system can be called 'antichrist'; but the word does not refer to some future Fuhrer.  As to the Rapture, the historicist view is either that the Rapture is an invented doctrine, or it is part of the Second Coming of Christ.

It takes a lot of Scriptural gymnastics to make it all work.

For example, The Thousand Years of Revelation 20:2-7:

"is a large, rounded-off number. . . . the number ten contains the idea of a fullness of quantity; in other words, it stands for "many-ness". A thousand multiplies and intensifies this (10 X 10 X 10), in order to express great vastness. . . . represent a vast, undefined period of time . . . It may require a million years."

(Or maybe it means a thousand years?)

To many Jews, the symbol of the Cross is the symbol of ultimate anti-Semitism. To them, all Christians are secret anti-Semites and (accurately) argue that Christianity is the well-spring from which sprang two thousand years of pogroms and persecution, up to and including the Holocaust.

The preterist/historicist view of Bible prophecy, held by both Catholicism and mainstream Protestantism, teaches the following about Israel and the Jews.

"Ethnic Israel was excommunicated for its apostasy and will never again be God's Kingdom." Thus, "the Bible does not tell of any future plan for Israel as a special nation."

The Church is now that new nation (Matt. 21:43) which is why Christ destroyed the Jewish state. "In destroying Israel, Christ transferred the blessings of the kingdom from Israel to a new people, the church."

One of the basic tenets of preterism is that the Great Harlot of Revelation was

"Jerusalem which had always been . . . falling into apostasy and persecuting the prophets . . . which had ceased to be the City of God."

The Beast "of Revelation was a symbol of both Nero in particular and the Roman Empire in general."

Finally -- and allow the implications of this one to fully sink in . .

"The False Prophet "of Revelation was the leadership of apostate Israel, who rejected Christ and worshipped the Beast."

Think about this. If the preterist/historicist view is correct [it is not] then the false prophet of Revelation are the Jews and their descendants.

Warring against the Jews could easily be seen as working against the antichrist and false prophet. In that view, killing them off would be doing God a favor! 

"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." (John 16:2)

If the Lord can break His covenant with the Jews, then we are no more secure than they.

"For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." (Romans 11:29)

And so, among historicism's chief difficulties is the fact that if the preterist view is true, then the Bible cannot be.   

Assessment:

It is a fact of history that the 'Dark Ages'  (the fifth to sixteeen centuries) were so-called because, during that time, Bibles were denied to the common man by papal decree.

The Vatican had developed the preterist/historicist interpretation of Bible prophecy -- and offering any other interpretation would get you burned at the stake. (So would possessing a Bible)

THAT is why historicism is often called the 'classical' interpretation. Because it dates back to the 5th century.  The Dark Ages lasted until the Protestant Reformation. But Protestantism sprang OUT of Catholicism, bringing many of the Vatican's doctrines along when it did. 

The split was over salvation by grace [Protestant] vs. salvation by works [Catholic] but, other than that, Protestantism embraced and continued to accept much Catholic doctrine and dogma.

Wrongly dividing the Word of God has resulted in the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy to the Jews (John 16:2) being the standard operating practice of mainstream Christianity until the middle of the 20th century.

Preterists generally see Israel as the modern-day antichrist, believing that embracing Israel as God's Chosen People is spiritual adultery. That is why debates between preterists and pretribulationalists get so nasty.

Type 'Hal Lindsey' into Google and look around. You'll find his critics don't just disagree with him, they HATE him with a passion. He's been accused of every known heresy and then some.

Hal wrote a book entitled "The Road to Holocaust" in 1989 that directly challenged the preterist worldview as espoused by Dominionism and its champions. He's been the target of every slander imaginable since.

The reason is because Hal demonstrated preterism was the root and branch of Christian anti-Semitism -- and his critics despise him for exposing them.

The Omega Letter's mission is to provide you with the evidences you need to answer challenges from skeptics and to provide you with the evidence you need to prove that these are the last days, that Bible prophecy is unfolding in this generation, and that the time is short.

The Scriptures admonish us to,

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. .  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." (2nd Timothy 2:15-16,18)

You can be confident that we are NOT following some newly invented doctrine, despite the charges of historicist/preterism.

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:" (2nd Peter 1:19)

Don't allow yourself to be bamboozled into buying into what I believe Paul was referring to when he wrote:

 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils . . ." (1st Timothy 4:1)

God's Word, rightly divided, says:

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." (Romans 13:11)

Don't let your faith be shaken by cleverly-wording arguments that almost seem to make sense. Remember Jesus' warning to Israel.

"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." (John 16:2)

The gaping holes in the preterist/historicist interpretation of Bible prophecy confirms the truth of Dispensationalism. The Lord IS coming back. And He is coming back soon.  

Maranatha!

THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD....

by Jack Kinsella

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."- Isaiah 40:31

The word translated as "wait" in this verse is qavah, a root word with a number of different meanings.  As a root word, it literally means 'to bind together' in the sense of collecting, or twisting together.    

Figuratively, it is used in the same sense as our literal understanding of the English word, 'wait' , but the use of the word qavah adds two new dimensions, one in the sense of being "gathered together" and the second  in the sense of collectively looking for, or waiting upon, something or someone, in this case, the Lord.

The traditional understanding of this verse is its literal, historical context, which is that of an exhortation to the children of Israel suffering a long and miserable captivity in Babylon. 

The Kingdom of Israel had been destroyed by Sargon the Assyrian a generation before, and there was little reason to believe the Kingdom of Judah would fare any better.  As the years dragged by, the captives lost all hope of deliverance. 

The Prophet Isaiah exhorted them with words of comfort and hope:

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:1-3)

The Prophet goes on, offering comforting visions of future prosperity, mixed with promises of a Deliverer . . .  yet the people remained in bondage.  Isaiah closes with the exhortation about "waiting upon the Lord"  . . . yet the people remained in bondage.

In the Big Picture, Isaiah's vision spans the scope of history, from the Captivity through to the Diaspora, the Holocaust, and finally, the restoration process that began with its political revival in 1948 and will conclude with Israel's national salvation at the conclusion of the Tribulation Period.

But it is also something of a metaphor for the Church in the last days.  The Prophet Jeremiah prophesied Judah would serve Babylon for seventy years.  So when the seventy years were over, all the Jews could expect to go home.  

(If only they knew for sure when the seventy year time-clock started.  Was it from the beginning of the siege in 597?  From the date of the Destruction of the Temple in 586?)   

And if one examines Jeremiah 25:9-12 closely, Jeremiah never said the captivity would last seventy years -- he said the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years .  This is confirmed by the Prophet Daniel:

"In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." (Daniel 9:2)

But is only with the benefit of hindsight that we can see clearly that the seventy year time frame spanned the period of the Temple's Desolation.

The Temple, and Jerusalem, were destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians.  The Temple, which was rebuilt, was consecrated in 516 BC, exactly 70 years after its destruction.

But if you were a Jewish captive serving your Babylonian masters, until it was history, you might as well be trying to guess the date of the Rapture.

Assessment:

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (2nd Peter 3:3-4)

In a sense, that's where we are on the prophetic time clock today.  Somewhere between the Temple Desolation Periods.  The Temple was desolated in AD 70.  The Bible predicts that at some point at or near the start of the Tribulation Period, the Third Temple will be rebuilt.

The Prophet Daniel predicted that the antichrist,  -- a prince of the people who destroyed it in AD 70, will confirm a covenant that will permit the Jews to rebuild the Temple and restore the Temple worship and sacrifice system.

"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (Daniel 9:27)

So, Israel was restored politically in May, 1948 which is just over sixty-nine years ago.  For the first time in 2520 years, Israel was again in control of her own destiny.  So, is this event the time clock?  It hasn't been seventy years yet, but it is close. 

Jesus prophesied that Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  Did that event trigger the time clock?

Jerusalem was recaptured in June, 1967.  And here we are, ffifity years later, still arguing about whether Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel, or of the non-existent state of Palestine.

Like the Babylonian captives, we won't know exactly what event started the timeclock until afterwards.  Like them, we look around for signs that will give us hope that our deliverance is near.  

Every one of the major miracles in the life of Jesus corresponded to a major Jewish feast day.  The only two feast days for which there is not a corresponding major miracle are Rosh Hashanah – the Feast of the Trumpets – and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement.  Jesus died to atone for my sins and on the Day of the Rapture, I will be caught up with Him, completing my atonement process!  It is an entirely logical assumption.  It is extremely compelling.  Heck, it might even be right.

Except it isn’t.  Every year, both days go by and we’re still here.  We didn’t go last time around.  Probably won’t go this time around. But we still watch and pray.

So we fixate on this sign, or that, while guys like Harold Camping give guys like Bill Maher all the material necessary to discourage guys like you and me.

And, as each period passes, more scoffers come out.  Go back to 2 Peter 3 and read Peter's assessment of the scoffers in full -- and see if you can identify them from his description.  

He tells you not only who they are, but WHY they became scoffers.

“And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

The scoffers know of the Promise.  It isn't guys like Bill Maher that Peter is talking about.  The scoffers are believers who got burned by bad doctrine.  They got tired of waiting for the Lord and started looking for teachers offering shortcuts that ultimately didn't pan out.  

As students of Bible prophecy, we have an awesome responsibility before God.  We’re to be witnesses.  Not storytellers.

Bible prophecy is both the proof of God's existence and the assurance we have of our salvation.

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:" (2 Peter 1:19)

The same Voice that proclaimed,

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

also proclaimed,

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." (John 10:28)

Bible prophecy is not gloom and doom, but instead offers hope and a blessed assurance.  It is proof positive that God remains on His Throne and that He WILL do all that He has promised. 

But it is NOT a parlor game to be used to impress people at parties or to divine the future.  There must be a million websites devoted to identifying the antichrist (and selling you provisions to escape the coming wrath.)

Believers are instructed to await the return of the Lord for His Church, not the coming of the antichrist.  Signs that the world is preparing for the antichrist are really signs the Lord is preparing to come for His Church first.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 admonishes us;  . . 

"to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

We are instructed to wait for the Deliverer from wrath, not the wrath itself.

To the lost, the Lord will come unexpectedly like a thief.  But to believers who are expecting Him and do not sleep, the Bible says that Christ will not come "as a thief."

This does NOT mean that we are prepared because we KNOW the date of His return, rather, we are not surprised because we are EXPECTING an IMMINENT Rapture.

It is the job of the Church to prepare the world for the coming of Christ, not to try and figure out His exact itinerary.

Guys like Bill Maher are rich enough already.

The End Times According to Jesus, Part 4-Why Didn't He Mention the Rapture?

- Jack Kelley - In 51 AD, almost 20 years after the Resurrection, the Apostle Paul became the first to reveal the incredible secret that would become known as the Rapture of the Church. He did this in his earliest written communication, his first letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thes. 4:16-17), repeating it four years later in a letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 15:51). From Thessalonians we know that at the Rapture, the dead in Christ will rise first to be followed immediately by believers who are left and still alive. Concerning living believers, Paul's letter to the Corinthians explains that in the twinkling of an eye, we'll be changed from mortal to immortal, bypassing death altogether. Either way, in less than an instant we'll all arrive together in Heaven. As an aside, those who dispute this doctrine claim that the word rapture doesn't appear in the English translation of either of Paul's letters cited above (nor anywhere else in scripture for that matter) and of course they're correct. The original Greek word Paul used to describe the rapture in 1 Thes. 4:17 is harpazo, usually rendered "caught up" in English translations. Because of the growing dominance of the Roman Empire in Biblical times, Latin was fast replacing Greek as the world's common language and so about 400 AD the Bible was translated from Hebrew and Greek into Latin. Harpazo became raptus, the Latin root of the English word rapture. It means "the transporting of a person from one place to another, especially to heaven." So it's the Latin version that gave the event its name. Our current English translations are taken directly from the earlier Greek texts, and that's why the word rapture doesn't appear in them. Why The Delay? But why didn't the Lord announce the whole issue of salvation for the Gentiles including the Rapture of the Church during his time here? Two reasons. First, Israel had to receive a bona fide offer of the Kingdom. His commitment to them was clear. The first time He sent the disciples out to minister, He told them, "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. (Matt. 10:5) And later when the disciples asked Him to respond to a Gentile woman whose daughter needed healing, He at first declined saying, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." (Matt. 15:23-24) Before He could expand His ministry to the Gentiles, He had to fulfill His promise to Israel. So just as he had offered reconciliation to the Amorites in Abraham's time, knowing in advance that they would reject Him, (Gen. 15:16) the Lord extended His offer of a Kingdom to Israel. And of course Israel did reject His offer by attributing the power behind His miracles to Satan, (Matt. 12:22-37) and eventually accusing Him of blasphemy (Matt. 26:65). This rejection was confirmed to them in the parable of the tenants (Matt. 21:13-44). But the pre-determined order of first the Jew then the Gentile (Rom. 1:16) had to be observed. (Prophetic Scriptures tell us Israel will get another chance, and the next time they'll accept.) Second, knowing before history began that the Jews would reject Him the first time, the Lord had always planned to extend His offer of salvation to the Gentiles, and that meant something really dramatic had to happen. Gentiles were even worse sinners than Jews, who at least made periodic attempts to obey. But for 4000 years the Lord had demonstrated through His people that no level of excellence in human behavior could ever meet His requirements for salvation. And even with the most complex religious system ever devised, the most expensive house of worship ever built, the most detail conscious people ever created, and the most aggressive sacrifice of innocent blood ever undertaken, the final score at the end of the Dispensation of Law was zero souls saved through religious works. (Rom. 3:20) At Least Somebody's Listening Well, He didn't convince them but He did convince Satan, who believed that eventually all of humanity would wind up with him in the lost column of the ledger, Jew and Gentile alike. Surely then the Lord would have to rescind his judgment against Satan (Isaiah 14:16-21). After all, was he any worse than sinful mankind? Hadn't they also rebelled, tried to set up their own kingdoms, and even tried to become their own God? The God Who is Love couldn't stand by and let all his precious children go to hell just to punish Satan, could He? And if He bent the rules for them, He'd have to bend for Satan. Surprise, Surprise But no one knew what the Lord had cooked up to solve this problem. Having known from the beginning that we couldn't save ourselves by our works, He had determined in advance that He would save us by our faith. That meant someone qualified to do so would have to step up and pay the penalty for our sins for us. Then God could promise us that if we accepted this substitution in faith, we would be saved. Of course the only One qualified to do this for us was God Himself. So He did. He Who had no sin was made a sin offering for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21) And as a special blessing for "believing though we have not seen" (John 20:29) He even went so far as to make His Church a separate classification of humanity, (Ephe. 2:15) giving us a pre-imminent place in His Kingdom, and promising to take us out of this world to be with Him forever in a secret, sudden departure we now call the Rapture. And though we can look back and see hints of His plan all through the Old Testament, (Isaiah 49:6 for example) neither Satan, the leaders of Israel, nor even the Lord's closest disciples realized that His death on the cross was intended to accomplish all this. "None of the rulers of this age understood it," Paul wrote, "For if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." (1 Cor. 2:8) Implicit in the phrase "rulers of this age" is a reference to Satan, whom Paul called "the god of this age" in 2 Cor. 4:4. If Satan had known that his efforts to defeat the Lord by killing Him would result in his own total defeat, he would have done anything he could to prevent it. I've Got A Secret For these reasons the Rapture of a largely Gentile Church had to be kept secret. It was part of God's secret wisdom, Paul said, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began (1 Cor 2:7). Paul was not authorized to reveal this until nearly 20 years after the Lord's death, when it was too late for anyone to do anything about it, but it's what he meant when he wrote to the Colossians, "And having disarmed the powers and authorities (by paying the penalty for our sins) He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Col. 2:15). (It's easy to forget that up until Peter's vision and subsequent visit to the home of Cornelius detailed in Acts 10, most believers had come from among the Jews. The acceptance of Gentiles into the Church didn't become official policy until the council at Jerusalem 13 years after that in Acts 15.) What was to have been Satan's great victory has resulted in his total defeat. Now the only ones on his side of the ledger will be those who choose to be there by rejecting God's offer of pardon. Their choice relieves God of the responsibility. He still grieves over them, but can't override their sovereign right to choose their own destiny. And since they've chosen to join him, Satan can't use them as leverage to get a better deal for himself. In Closing ... The enormity of God's Gift of Grace, made available to Jew and Gentile alike and sealed with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, is something so unbelievable that neither Paul nor any other Apostle was ever able to adequately describe it. The best Paul could do was to borrow a passage from Isaiah, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9). Amen to that. And so one day soon, with no prior warning and at a time when the world least expects Him, 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 together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thes. 4:16-17) There is no precedent condition, nothing that must happen first, except that if you want to be included you have to give your heart to Him who's coming before the trumpet call sounds. Better do it right away, for if you listen carefully you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

The End Times According to Jesus .. Part 3

- Jack Kelley -

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. (Matt 24:36-41)

Don't let this passage confuse you, like it has so many others. Note that the first sentence reads, "No one knows about that day or hour." Plenty of people on Earth at the End of the Age will know when the Lord is due to return. Remember, both the kick-off event and duration of the Great Tribulation are clearly and unmistakably described. On the day when the Antichrist stands in the Temple and declares that he's God, they'll just have to count off 1260 days and look up into the sky. First, they'll see the Sun and Moon turn dark and stars fall out of the sky. (Matt 24:29) That's the signal that the Great Tribulation has ended. Then the Lord's sign will appear in the sky. (Matt. 24:30) And finally, they'll see the Lord Himself coming in the clouds in power and glory. But the period of time required for this sequence to unfold is anybody's guess, and that's what this passage says.

Also, the Lord compared the time of His return to the time of Noah, so we should expect to find similar circumstances leading up to these two events. And we do. Both involve worldwide judgments that occur at a time when most people are caught unaware. Although in both cases the people of Earth are given repeated warnings of what's coming, those warnings are ignored by almost everyone. In the case of the Great Flood, judgment came in the form of rain, which fell on the Earth for 40 days and 40 nights. In the case of the Great Tribulation 21 separate judgment events unfold over a 3 ½ year period. This is why although only eight people survived the Flood, the Lord warned that the Great Tribulation would be the worst time of judgment in human history.

Here's where the second hint of a body of believers in Heaven awaiting His return appears, and this one's even more vague than the first one, back in Matt. 24:31. You see, both the Great Flood and the Great Tribulation have three components: judgment, preservation through judgment, and escape from judgment. In the Days of Noah, the unbelievers were judged, Noah's family was preserved through the judgment, and Enoch escaped it altogether. At the End of the Age, unbelievers are judged, the remnant of Israel is preserved through the judgment, and the Church escapes from judgment.

Now let's consider those words taken and left in Matt. 24:40-41 a little more closely. The Greek word translated taken literally means received, and the one translated left means put away. They refer to the disposition of those remaining alive on Earth when the Lord returns-the Tribulation Survivors. Those who've become believers will be received into the Kingdom, and those who haven't will be put away into the place prepared for the devil and his angels. Folks who try to find the Rapture of the Church in these words are simply looking in the wrong place.

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matt. 24:42-44)

This warning is given primarily to those Tribulation Survivors who are not believers. As I stated above, once the Great Tribulation begins, all believers on Earth will know when it will end. The sequence of events that follow is also clear. The only thing they won't know is the exact day and hour of His Coming.

No, this warning is to the undecided, who aren't counting up the prophecies being fulfilled around them, and don't realize that if they waver too long, they'll be taken by surprise and miss their last chance at salvation. Don't get me wrong, they'll be only too aware of the massive disruptions to their lives caused by the End Times judgments. They just won't understand what's behind it all. Remember, confusion and deception will be the order of the day.

Think about the analogy of the thief. As the Lord returns unexpectedly (like a thief), He'll be breaking into a place the enemy thinks belongs to him and his followers. "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil 3:19-20) He won't be coming as a thief in the night as far as believers are concerned, stealthily breaking into their world. They'll be eagerly watching and impatiently waiting, counting the days, praying for His coming, longing for Him to take them home to be with Him forever.

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 24:45-51)

The worst punishment is reserved for those in charge, heads of organized religions who, instead of "feeding" their flocks with the Bread of Life and encouraging them with the promise of His return, confuse and deceive them with false doctrines, and deny the validity of God's prophetic Word. By their actions, they demonstrate the depravity of their own souls, showing themselves to be devoid of the Holy Spirit and worthy of punishment. Knowingly or not, they're infiltrators from the enemy's camp, like tares among the wheat.

Having forsaken the truth, they no longer watch for the Lord's return, ignoring the obvious fulfillment of prophecy all around them and ridiculing those whose child-like faith sustains them. These "Christian Atheists" as they sometimes call themselves, are worse than the enemy because they look and talk like friends. They're like the one John describes as appearing to have the authority of the Lamb but who speaks the words of the Dragon (Rev. 13:11). They will be also be assigned to the place prepared for the devil and his angels.

But the Lord will elevate to a place of authority in His Kingdom those who keep the word of God through the intense hardship and persecution of the times, and teach sound doctrine to the flocks entrusted to them. Just as some among the common folk alive when the Lord returns will be received into the Kingdom with honors, while others are put away in everlasting shame and contempt, so it will be with their leaders.

In chapter 25, Matthew recounts two parables, the Ten Bridesmaids and the Talents, and a warning to Tribulation Survivors, the Sheep and Goat judgment. In all three, the emphasis is on separating the faithful from the unfaithful following the Lord's return. The faithful will be received with honors into His Kingdom, while the unfaithful are left out to be judged. Since all three include a reference to time that places them in the aftermath of His 2nd coming, the entire chapter expands on the "taken and left" statement of Matt. 24:40-41.

Because there's been so much confusion, let's make this perfectly clear. Of all the views on the timing of the Rapture of the Church, none place it after the 2nd coming. But look how clearly that time frame is indicated in each portion of Matt. 25. Backing up a little to establish the order, we read;

"Immediately after the distress of those days," signs in the Heavens after the end of the Great Tribulation (Matt 24:29)

"At that time," His appearance in the sky after the end of the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:30)

"No one knows about that day," the day of the 2nd Coming, after the Tribulation (Matt: 24:36)

"At that time," connecting the parable of the ten virgins to the 2nd Coming (Matt 25:1)

"Again," referring to the same time frame in beginning the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14)

"When the Son of Man comes in all His Glory," beginning the Sheep and Goat judgment which describes the judgment of Tribulation Survivors after the 2nd Coming (Matt 25:31).

As you see, they all occur chronologically after the Tribulation and 2nd Coming, and all describe the situation on Earth following the Lord's return. Therefore none of them can be used to describe the Rapture or any other aspect of the Church. The Church Age ends with the Rapture and that occurs before the Second Coming.

It's clear that the only questions the Lord answered in the Olivet Discourse are the three the disciples asked. "When will these things happen? What will be the sign of your Coming and of the End of the Age?" Having chosen to delay the announcement of the Rapture of the Church until nearly 20 years after His resurrection, the Lord neither taught it to His disciples nor, as we've seen, did He address it in the Olivet Discourse. No, the Olivet Discourse was a summary of Jewish Eschatology given to Jews in Israel, not intended for the Church.

So in coming to the end of our commentary, we're left with one big unanswered question. Why didn't the Lord teach something as important as the Doctrine of the Rapture to his disciples somewhere else in the Gospels? Obviously, there's a good reason, and I'll explain it next time. That way we'll keep something intended exclusively for the Church separate from this very Jewish passage of Scripture we call the Olivet Discourse. In the meantime, if you listen closely, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.