THE HOPE OF GLORY

by Pete Garcia

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

 

With September 23rd right around the corner, I found it necessary to write to you concerning the hype and the hope of the Revelation 12 sign. My intent here is not to curb your enthusiasm pertaining what may or may not be an event, but to guard it. First let me add my concern that on both sides, i.e., the militant supporters and cynical critics of this event, have wrought much division to the body of Christ. They have done this by remaining dogmatic in their opinions over a speculative event that may not pan out to be anything, or it may end up being everything. While one side lobs half-truths, the other returns fire with trolling and threats. I have tried to keep an open-mind concerning this and I would like to bring both the positive and negative points out concerning Revelation 12 and the attention it has recently gotten.

 

The Good

 

But let me begin with some positives concerning the Revelation 12 Sign "movement" if I can call it that. Anytime a passage of Scripture gets global attention, I think that is a good sign. It gets people asking questions about the Bible that they normally wouldn't. Furthermore, it gets Christians back in their Bibles acting like they should have been, like Bereans. It also directs people's attention to the return of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Inevitably, this will, even if unintentionally, wake some people up from the slumber this world has blinded them with. Lastly, much good scholarship concerning the doctrine of the Church, the Rapture, and timing in general has come because of this.

 

The Bad

 

The negatives than are that some will be convinced that something will absolutely have to happen on September 23rd. If September 23rd comes and goes without anything major or significant changing, many who planted all their hopes and dreams on that date will become disillusioned and drift away from the faith. Those who are not Christians will inevitably use this as simply one more thing they can pin on those "wacky" Christians who are waiting for a Messiah who will never come. I believe that Revelation 12 movement may only further validate the scoffing as found in 2 Peter 3:3-4 by fueling the skeptics to ask "Where is the promise of His coming?"

 

The Bottom Line

 

Pinning all of our Rapture credibility and our hopes on a specific date (for whatever reason) is both foolish and irresponsible. I understand that those serious about this date are not calling for a Rapture, but there are some who are. No matter how solid our evidence seems, our God sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10), so His ways may not seem logical to us at the present, no matter how much we want Him to conform to our patterns and logic. Secondly, relying on extra biblical sources cannot and should not be substituted for clear, biblical teachings on any given subject, no matter how compelling they may seem.

 

Assessment

 

So with those issues out of my way, there has been much said by both the proponents and opponents concerning the September 23rd Revelation 12 issue. Even though I am not a believer in this event per se, I find myself supporting its claims more than denying them, simply because there has been such poor scholarship done in critiquing it on the side of our prophecy 'experts.' Some of the false charges have been:

 

• All supporters of the September 23rd event view this as the date of the Rapture
• No legitimate bible scholars view Revelation 12 as a pre-tribulation passage
• No man knows the day or hour, thus, the Revelation 12 proponents are all 'false prophets'
• Revelation 12 is in the middle of the book of Revelation, thus cannot point to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture passage

 

The child in Revelation can only be Christ

 

I would like to address these point by point (in the same order) to clarify some of the misconceptions put out there by well-meaning theologians, pastors, and media personalities.

 

None of the serious supporters of the Revelation 12 have stated that the Rapture will definitively happen on September 23rd or 24th. Some of them have added that the convergence of all the events together makes a strong case being then (or even in 2017), but none are telling folks to sell their things, move to the mountains, and wait for that day. That was what Harold Camping did, and I haven't seen anyone in this group with any clout do that so far.

 

John N. Darby, Harry Ironside, Michael Svigel, Chuck Missler, and other bible scholars have held views that Revelation 12 is a strong Pre-Trib passage as well as the child also being the church. This view is not outside the mainstream.

 

While I agree with the general statement that "no man knows the day or hour," I also have to balance that against another later statement by Jesus in Revelation 3:3, in which He holds the Church accountable for knowing the hour of His coming.

 

In context, when Jesus explained the Olivet Discourse, He answered truthfully that 'no man' knew. At that point of time, in His incarnation, this was not yet revealed to Him.

 

We then see post-Calvary, resurrection, and ascension that the Father gave the Son the Revelation of things to come, which makes it all too reasonable to believe that Jesus was told the when and how (Rev. 1:1) because He is the (Rev. 1:8).

 

This, in my opinion, strengthens the argument for the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 representing the seven stages (or eras) the church would progress through.

 

Revelation 12 is nestled in the middle of Revelation. That does not, however, mean that all the events are nestled snuggly in the middle of the 70th Week. Rev 12 (like Rev 11 and 13) are parenthetical insertions which span all or part of the entire seven years. Furthermore, Revelation 12 seems to be outlining events in a corporate manner that parallel Christ's first coming (which were singular). For instance:

 

• The woman singularly was Mary. In Revelation 12, she is Israel corporately.
• The child singularly was Christ. Corporately "he" is the Church (i.e., His head and body)
• The dragon singularly was personified as Herod. Corporately it is Satan and his entities (or the beast system)

 

This appears to make much more sense in keeping with the "prophetic" or "future" nature of Revelation (Revelation 1:1, 3, 19, 4:1-2). In other words, this isn't simply a rehashing (or historical rendering) or Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension, but something much more intriguing.

 

Opponents of the Revelation 12 sign openly scoff at the notion that the Child/child in Revelation 12 could also represent the Church.

 

The child in Rev 12 is differentiated between huios (masculine) to teknon (neuter) who did not ascend but was 'harpazo'. From my understanding of Luke 24:51, Jesus was anapherō (carried up, not snatched up) to heaven.

 

If it was meant to convey Christ here in verse 12:5, why use harpazo if that is not what actually happened? This is why I believe John was told to use this particular phrasing.

 

The Church is also promised to rule with a 'rod of iron' (Rev. 2:26-27). And as Christ is the head, and the Church is the body, it is not inconceivable that we also will rule in some capacity as Scripture indicates.

 

Conclusion

 

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Matthew 24:36

 

This verse has been the champion of anti-date setters for millennia and for good cause. I believe it has tempered the tendencies of believers who are living through incredibly difficult times to not want to jump after every sign and symbol as their ticket out of here. My main issue with continuing to use this as the catch-all verse is that later, revelatory passages seem to conflict with it. Scripture as given to the Apostle Paul (the mysteries revealed) and even Jesus Himself seem to indicate that we should know the hour and the day.

 

But first, notice what Jesus doesn't say; "But of the day and hour no one knows or will ever know." The passage was written in the present-tense, and thus seems to indicate the truth of what was known at that point in time. In His human form, Jesus rightly stated that "no man knows" because, at that time (context here), He was both fully God and fully man. But in His humanity, He willingly and obediently limited Himself in His power of omniscience to trust fully in His Father's plan. Just as we humans can't see into the future, it stands to reason, that God becoming a man, would limit Himself in like-manner so as to be tested as we are in all things (Hebrews 4:15). Yet, He did it without sinning. Doubt is intricately tied to not knowing, which as James 1:6 and Hebrews 11:1 point out, destroys faith. Jesus demonstrated perfect faith in the Father, which would by necessity mean He limited Himself in what He knew if He were to be tested in every way as we mortals are.

 

But as indicated in Revelation 1:1, Jesus was given the Revelation at some point after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. This was what the Apostle John, imprisoned on the isle of Patmos in 95AD, was witness to. In His seven letters, Jesus tells the church at Sardis this:

 

"Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you." Revelation 3:3

 

As Robert Breaker academically points out in his great YouTube videos, the opposite of not knowing what hour He will come, is knowing the hour He will come. This then supports Hebrews 10:25 in that we will see the Day approaching. Well, if we truly had no way of knowing anything concerning our Lord's return, both Rev. 3:3 and Hebrews 10:25 couldn't be true. How can we see the Day approaching if we had no way of knowing what or when that Day was? The Apostle Paul includes a similar theme in 1st Thessalonians 5:1-6:

 

"But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober". (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)

The Messiah (Jesus Christ) was prophesied in the Old Testament of having two comings. We know that in hindsight, but the first century Jews mistakenly believed that it was only one coming. They also believed that when the Christ did come, He would immediately usher in the Kingdom in that same arrival. Even Jesus's disciples didn't fully understand this after all was said and done (Acts 1:6-7).

 

The First Coming was explicitly given to the Jews in the 70 Weeks of Daniel prophecy. This narrowed it to the year of His entry into the city of Jerusalem to which we know as Palm Sunday (Luke 19:41-44). Were the Pharisees and Sadducees wrong for not recognizing the time of their visitation? Absolutely, Jesus held them accountable for not knowing (Matthew 16:1-4). Likewise, I believe, given the number of warnings and admonitions to watch and be ready in the New Testament, the Church will also be held responsible for being caught off guard. Why watch if we don't know what we are watching for? Watchfulness has both a singular and corporate application:

 

• We as individuals don't know the time of our own death, so we must always be prepared to meet the Lord
• We as a body of believers, must watch to recognize the season of our Lord's return

 

While it is impossible to know exactly when the Rapture will occur, I believe that the compounding nature of mankind's sin (there is a fullness coming), the convergence of prophetic events, and the timing in relation to Israel's rebirth as a nation, all must be taking into account. I also believe that although we won't know the specific day of the Rapture, we should recognize the season. Furthermore, as Christ literally fulfilled the Spring Feasts in order, it stands to reason that He will also fulfill the Fall Feasts literally in order as well. How the feasts tie into the Church's departure, is up for debate.

 

To me, it would make sense that He either return for His Church in 2017 or 2018 at the latest, given the significance of the specific timing relating to Israel's return as a nation (parable of the fig tree). Then again, I am not God so His ways and thinking trump my understanding. He may have some other design that is more in keeping with the fullness of time than anything I can conceive. With that said, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, we should be excited about the soon return of our Lord. Given our current state of affairs both here and abroad, things will not continue on indefinitely. As Pastor J.D. Farag once noted, our world has a shelf-life.

 

So we temper our hope against the hype by staying in the word of God and testing everything by it. While the Revelation 12 movement has many positive aspects to it, like with everything else, we must put it to the test. And it may be that September 23rd comes and goes, but that should not diminish our hope in the Lord's soon return. My hope was never in a date, but in a Person, the God-Man Jesus Christ. The hope we have was made possible by Jesus Christ, who redeems us from sin and death. We are not simply being saved to be saved, 

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:4-7)

 

"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near".( Luke 21:28)

BULLS-EYE ON AMERICA

By Pastor Mike Taylor

“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

8 “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

9 For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.” (Zechariah 2:8-9)

“ I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3:2)

We pray for those who have been hit hard by the flood waters from Hurricane Harvey, and it crosses our mind once again, “Why has this happened?” Then we see another hurricane forming in the Atlantic, Hurrican Irma that could enter the Gulf of Mexico and create another catastrophe for the inhabitants along its shoreline. But why Texas, which is the bastion of conservative principles, at least when you speak of the Republican party. But why not Texas,? For in God's eyes, He sees not political affiliation but what is hidden in man's moral closet, or as has been the case in the last 40 years, the immorality has come out of the closet and is on display on our streets for all to see (ie.) Homosexuality, lawlessness, murder, rape, and demise of the children within the womb of abortion.

IS GOD TRYING TO GET OUR ATTENTION?

As we approach the end of days for the rule of mankind upon this earth, we see environmental disasters all over this planet. Volcanoes that have been dormant for hundreds, if not thousands of years coming to life and causing devastation in their path. We see weather patterns that have not been this active in generations of the American people. I am a witness to the lack of a real summer this year, as we have had rainfall after rainfall, and many times way too much. Flooding of low lying areas even here in the Midwest and unseasonable cool weather. I have never witnessed such a summer as we have just experienced and what appears to be an early fall starting in August?? Isn't that supposed to be the “Dog Days of Summer” with its dry conditions and heat and humidity? Not this year. The enviroment we live in is not what we are used to. All the signs in the heavens and the predictions of something major that could happen in the near future. It gives a person a sense of pause and trepidation when they are bombarded with such news of our earth.

The convulsions of this planet are growing stronger and stronger and the elements of weather seem to have gone awry, which the Bible calls birth pangs. But it was prophecied it would be so, as scripture has told us.

“6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:6-8)

and again in Romans “22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” ( Romans 8:22)

Consider what is currently happening in our country of America. The connection between nature and human morality; "natural" disasters are acts of God in response to the moral condition of the people. If men will treat other men, created in the image of God in an immoral way, how will they treat the land, forests, rivers, lakes, and oceans? Because these things seemingly cannot fight back, man will abuse them with no fear of reprisal. But God says that the environment will fight back and vomit them out!

Instead of rain falling in a gentle mist, it will roar like an avalanche until the inhabitants cannot cope with it. The rivers will swell and flood the land in anger, washing the topsoil into the sea. In other areas, fire will sweep over forests and farmlands, destroying everything in its path. Windstorms like hurricanes and tornadoes will devastate the cities and countryside, endangering the lives and livelihoods of the people. Earthquakes will increase in both frequency and power, costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars of damage. These disasters will mount to such an intensity that the people of earth may seek remedy, but it will be too late. God will not pass by anymore.

11 “For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?”(Amos 6:11-13)

"The great house" refers to the noble or wealthy family in society, and these "big names" will certainly be destroyed along with the common folk. The rich and powerful will not be able to escape the dreadful punishment God promises. God makes it clear that He has given the command to destroy them.

We should never forget that God's punishment had fallen upon Ancient Israel because of disobedience, rebellion, and sin. America and the British nations are rapidly following ancient Israel's example as they spiral downward to their destruction. We can see this pattern in the murder on the streets, bloody crimes like rape and mutilation in our once peaceful towns, AIDS and other sexual diseases rampant among all sectors of society, as well as sexual deviancy, perverse music, self-indulgence, drugs, and alcohol abuse. Wealth is being funneled into the hands of the few, and the poor and weak keep becoming poorer and weaker. These nations may look fine on the outside, but the cancer has spread from head to toe, and they have only so long before the disease proves fatal

Anybody who has been watching the news, knows there is nothing good to report, as the land and the people have succumbed to the lust of their flesh and their beastly tendency for violence. These riots in the streets that protest against an administration that is trying to steer this country back to its moral under pinnings and “Drain the Swamp”..as the culture of the Washington DC establishment has grown totally corrupt, but the left is putting as much resistance as it can muster to derail any attempt to thwart the plans of the Globalist who see POTUS Trump as a hindrance to their plans for a One World Government and a New World Order. Men like Senator John McCain and Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House have done anything they can to demonize the president and become traitors to their own party and its ideas. They and all like them, need to be voted out, ASAP.

IN THE LAST DAYS....

This flagrant disregard for morality is fostered by Satan the devil and has tempted men to give into their brutish tendencies as God told us it would be so.

1 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2^nd Timothy 3:1-7)

Does that not sound like what is happening all over the planet, and has come to America where evil grows exponentially? I don't know about you, but the world has grown more evil since the time I was a youngster and has no likeness of what I grew up in. Evil is more prevalent in the larger metropolitan cities where the concentration of people are gathered, but even this immorality and evil behavior is filtering down to the Midwestern smaller cities and towns. Surely God will judge this nation, or He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gommarah for their evil behavior if He gives this nation a pass. AND HE WON'T.

THE CAUSE OF ISRAEL WILL BE OUR DESTRUCTION

Although the moral behavior is causing God to bring judgment on this land and those around the world, one factor is causing even more calamity on our shores. Now I make no prediction of what God is thinking, as I am not God, but I see what has happened in our past when it comes to the treatment of one nation, the nation of Israel. I was reading on Google and was searching for disasters that might be related to the treatment of Israel. It came to no surprise when I read that after each attempt to divide the land of Israel even since the early 1990s when President H.W. Bush tried it, then Clinton, then George W. Bush, and Obama tried to bring a “two state solution” to the problems that Israel is experiencing with her Arab population that resides within her borders. Want to read how these calamities have happened on the heels of our meddling in the affairs of God's chosen people, Israel? Then go to this site and read what the environment had in store when some attempt to divide God's land here:

https://www.infowars.com/10-times-that-god-has-hit-america-with-a-major-disaster-after-the-u-s-attempted-to-divide-the-land-of-israel/

This is but one article that enumerates the many times that disaster has happened when American thinks they can broker a land for peace deal and push it upon Israel.

WHY DOES AMERICAN PERSIST?

The news speaks of yet another attempt to divide God's land by the current adminstration. You would think, if Trump is a Christian man, (as I have read that he gave his life to Jesus), someone would advise him on the foolishness of trying to jump start a “peace process” that has been doomed to failure by the last four administrations. It is impossible to attempt such a foolhardy thing as to negotiate with a party that has no desire for a two state solution. The Palestinian Authority headed by henchman, Mahmoud Abbas who is nothing but a terrorist on the order of the deceased Yasser Arafat, but wears a suit to look more legitimate, has not an ounce of interest in a two state solution. He only does as Arafat did. He appears to be interested in a political solution, but rejects any offer, as it has been done time and time again. Reason? The Arabs that have taken root in Israel want nothing short of driving Israel into the sea and drowning her. She will not settle for anything less, as per Muslim ideology states “All Muslim land conquered in the past, must be liberated.” In the past, Islam cared very little for Israel as it was mostly forgotten. That is, until Israel started returning to their own land, then the Arabs wanted the land, because of their hatred of the Jewish people.

President Trump has again sent an ambassador to Israel in the form of his son-in law Jared Kushner and the news media reports :

“In a bid to restart a moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's adviser and son-in-law, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

Accompanied by a high-level American delegation, Kushner reiterated Trump's commitment to finding a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which Trump has referred to as "the ultimate deal."

Netanyahu said such a deal is "within our reach," and promised to work with the Trump administration 'to advance peace, stability and security in our region.'

But the short readout of the introduction provided by Israel's Government Press Office lacked clear specifics or any stated goals. The White House, in pursuing a peace deal, has yet to lay out a framework for negotiations following multiple meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.” CNN political news

Is there a link between this new effort on the part of the Trump administration and the recent Hurricane that hit Texas hard? If the past history of such attempts with subsequent environmental disasters on the heels of such a plan proves anything, it says to me “Don't mess with Israel” I have been long a proponent that Israel is the door to end time prophecy and Jerusalem is the key to unlocking that door.

In recent weeks, a new chapter in the madness of the World Community concerning Israel has flooded the news with its continued insanity. With all the problems we see in the Middle East with the civil war in Syria, the rise of ISIS killing Christians, and anyone that doesn't line up with their hateful ideology including Sunni Muslims, nuclear aggression by an insane leader in North Korea, Iran building nuclear facilities to manufacture a nuclear weapon to control the whole Middle East and still threatens Israel with annihilation,   the U.N. has condemned Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria as illegal and demanding they return to their pre-1967 borders that are indefensible, giving up East Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall to the likes of the so called “Palestinians”. Where are their world political priorities to single out Israel? What could possibly be in the mind of POTUS Trump when America has failed to reach any type of settlement with the two parties of this conflict?

Every time that the world thinks they are going to divide God's land or take punitive measures to unilaterally punish Israel in a “Land for Peace” initiative, tragedy has struck every time, and it is aimed primarily at the leader of the free world, the USA for its involvement in attempting to come against Israel. What will happen this time as America makes another attempt at coming against God's Holy Land? Just watch as Hurrican Irma boils toward the American mainland and having winds that are off the charts from last report of its progress toward landfall.

Is not Israel a sovereign country? Who are we to think that we can dictate to another country the terms of the desposition of their own lands within their borders? Would any country, nation, or union allow another outside nation to divide their country? How about lets let Mexico take back California, Arizona, and New Mexico because it used to belong to them? Would that work in anybodies playbook? No? I didn't think so. So why is Israel any different than any other country?

The answer is Satan has a hatred for Israel that will NEVER subside, as this nation of Jewish people is where the Messiah came from. This is the nation that God has chosen as His special people, above all nations on earth. This is Satan's attempt to make God out a liar, as if he can thwart what God said concerning Israel as always being before Him, then if Satan can destroy Israel, it might make God relent on Satan's final judgment in the Lake of Fire which he knows is coming.

AMERICA IN GOD'S CROSS-HAIRS

Not only has our country become lawless in many areas of the country as we have mentioned, with its moral decline and abomination before God in homosexuality and the murder of the innocent in abortions, but the sins of this country are stacking up to where the God of the Universe is waiting for the right time to bring the hammer of judgment down in a crushing blow that will send her reeling into a fiery inferno. Note that the Yellowstone super volcano is coming awake, according to volcanic seismologist and if she awakens, as did Mount St. Helens, the effect will destroy all life on this continenet from the east to the west coast from starvation due to her effects of blotting out sunlight for many years. Not to mention her immediate destruction of super hot volcanic ash that rains down on the states in a swatch a 100 mile radius or more.

THE WORLD BORDERS ON THE TRIBULATION

The prophet Daniel, and both Paul and John foretell a peace agreement with Israel that kicks off the Tribulation Period. Daniel says that a leader of the revived Roman Empire confirms a peace covenant between Israel and her enemies, which he breaks halfway through. Is this what will be the product of this coming attempt by another administration? What will become of this new plan for dividing God's land?

In context, one could assume the covenant involves a mutual defense agreement, since, after the walls come down, Ezekiel says this Russian-led Islamic alliance launches a sneak invasion against Israel. Ezekiel 38:13 says Israel's 'allies' launch what amounts to little more than a weak diplomatic objection.

...You see the Dominos lining up and each are beginning to fall, as the world flies head long into the coming Tribulation and the removal of God's church from this planet. The political news is moving so fast, that is hard to keep up. Russia in the Middle East making nice and continues to support Iran, fighting in Syria and the possibility of the Oracle of Damascus being fulfilled, the isolation and treachery heaped upon God's land and people....a coming war prophesied of the Gog-Magog invasion, and most likely bringing about a 7 year treaty with Israel because of the total devastation that rained down upon the invaders. Thus ushering in the coming 7 year tribulaton that looms larger, as the puzzle pieces are ushered into place waiting for their act in world history to be orchestrated by the God of the universe that will bring to pass (Joel 3:2.)

The literal fulfillment of prophecies penned tens of centuries ago continue to unfold in our generation. Right down to details such as Israel's Tribulation status as a 'land of unwalled villages'.

The same Guiding Hand responsible for the prophecy of Ezekiel's unwavering accuracy (Ezekiel 37-39) and attention to detail also guided those prophecies that yet remain to be fulfilled. Don't let anybody steal away your excitement! We are that special, chosen generation who 'shall not pass away, until all be fulfilled." The time of Jacob's trouble is in the near future as the picture grows plainer and more into focus as time passes...

WHEN THE TRIBULATON COMES, WHERE WILL YOU BE?

If anything, those reading this commentary and can see what is happening on the ground for the USA, for Israel and the rest of the world should see with eyes wide open what is coming. .When these passages come to pass a war could break out any minute between Israel and the God of the Universe in this corner...and the Gog-Magog coalition in the other corner with an impotent USA that has been decimated from environmental disasters not be able to intervene.....when fighting starts, it will be a mass suicide of those who dare come against God's ancient people who He has gathered on the mountains of Israel. But just prior to that historical event, another most important event will take place, as all hell will break loose and the devil and his evil host will attempt to destroy all of mankind, and to secure worship for himself, as he has lusted for power reserved only for God Almighty when he brings the Anti-Christ upon the world scene.

7 “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8And THEN shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” (2^nd Thessalonias 2:7-8)

This is a prophetic warning that when the beginning of the 70^th week of Daniel begins, most likely with the aforementioned “peace treaty” with Israel, the Anti-Christ will step front and center stage. But I see the Church being removed prior to this is you take a careful reading of scripture, when the man of sin is revealed the Holy Spirit is removed from this earth in its fullness and we who have His Spirit residing in each of us, will leave with Him. Why? Because Jesus said He would never leave us alone, or comfortless and my God cannot lie...We are leaving..and possibly soon...Some people scoff and think we are grasping at straws. But fear them not, we are not grasping at straws, or following vague and ambiguous prophecies that can be explained away by calling them 'interpretations.' This is the real thing.

"And when these things BEGIN to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)

And brothers and sisters, the signs are all around us, screaming of their coming fulfillment. Be not those who slumber, but keep alert and watching, for our Lord will come when they least expect it.

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, proclaiming the nearness of our Lord. If you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, contact me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, or visit me online for more biblical messages at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com. God bless you all.

TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET.

THE COMING RAPTURE IN TWO PART HARMONY

 Jack Kinsella -

 

In the days of the Apostle Paul, the city of Thessalonica was the largest city in Macedonia, boasting a population of nearly 200,000 people --a megapolis of the ancient world.

 

The majority of its inhabitants were Greek, although there was a mixture of ethnic groups, including Jews.

 

Paul's letters to the Church at Thessalonica are accepted as authentic by virtually all New Testament scholars. The book was quoted by name by early Church Fathers including Iraneus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and Polycarp.

 

The first epistle is divided into three parts or themes.  In the first part, Paul reiterates his relationship with the Thessalonians, gives thanks to God for them, and outlines the evidence that the Thessalonians were truly saved, in contrast to what the Judaizers were saying about them. 

 

"For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

 

In the second part, Paul defends his credentials as an Apostle and the legitimacy of the Thessalonians's conversion and his urgent desire to see them again.

 

"For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention." (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

 

"But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us." (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18)

 

The third major theme of the epistle is the imminent return of the Lord for His church at the Rapture.  It is a source of endless fascination to me to read the various polemics arguing against the Rapture on the grounds that it was a nineteenth-century invention of J.N. Darby or Margaret MacDonald or C.I. Schofield.

 

Other scholars, such as my friend Grant Jeffrey, have long since proved that the Rapture doctrine was taught by the early Church as far back as 373 AD when he discovered an ancient text authored by Ephraem the Syrian, a prominent Byzantine theologian.

 

In On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World, Ephraem wrote:

 

"For all the saints and elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins."

 

The most fascinating aspect of Grant's discovery is the effort to discredit it by opponents of a pre-Trib Rapture by denying Ephraem's authenticity, called the discovery "pseudo-Ephraem."

 

This argument says that Ephraem didn't write it, somebody else did.  Is that even a relevant argument?

 

I was at Grant's house visiting shortly after he made his discovery in 1995 and Grant showed me a book in his collection published in the 1600's in which Ephraem's teaching on the Rapture was quoted by a French theologian.

 

So denying Ephraem's authorship is meaningless to the issue at hand, (which was whether the Rapture had been taught prior to the 1800's.)

 

Personally, I've never understood how there could be a controversy.  Whether pseudo-Ephraem or just plain Ephraem -- or Darby, Schofield, MacDonald -- they are largely irrelevant -- since the Apostle Paul taught of an imminent Rapture in his FIRST epistle to the Thessalonians.

 

The controversy is about whether or not some subsequent interpreter confirmed what God told Paul, and it extends until what Paul actually wrote doesn't seem to matter. 

 

But Paul not only outlined the Rapture in detail, he fully expected to witness it himself.

 

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (or precede) them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

 

But the verses about the Rapture don't actually complete the third theme of Paul's first epistle to Thessolonica.

 

Paul addresses questions concerning his credentials as an Apostle, confirms that the Thessalonians are truly saved, and reveals the details of the Rapture.

 

The Thessalonians, like many in the Church today, missed the point of Paul's first Epistle.  The point was that the Lord's return should be a source of great comfort, not a source of contention.

 

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)

 

The message is as clear as it can possibly be. As clear as this message is, some have trouble understanding it, even today.  Paul says that Lord will appear in the air, the dead in Christ will rise, those still living will rise right after, and we will then spend eternity with the Lord. 

 

Paul says the purpose of this revelation was to comfort believers facing hard times.  What completes the theme is Paul's exhortation at the end.

 

"Wherefore comfort one another with these words."  (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

 

Assessment:

 

Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians had but one primary purpose, as specifically outlined in Chapter Two.  It was to correct the doctrinal errors that an apparently forged letter from Paul had created about the Day of the Lord. 

 

The Thessalonians feared that the Day of the Lord had come and gone and they had been left behind. 

 

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

 

The phrase, "our gathering together" is translated from the Greek, episunagoge, which means "a complete collection; especially a Christian meeting: assembling, gathering together."  It is used but one other time, in Hebrews 10:25 exhorting believers to meet for worship.

 

As we go on, let's ask and answer some questions from the text of Scripture.

 

First question: "What is Paul beseeching the Thessalonians about?" Answer: "That they not be shaken by a letter that said they had been left behind."

 

The primary theme of 2nd Thessalonians is therefore, the coming of our Lord and our gathering together, or collecting, unto Him. Paul begins by offering two reasons why the Thessalonians should not be afraid that they had been left behind.  

 

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." (2Thessalonians 2:3)

 

So, what is the first reason why the Thessalonians should know that they had not missed the event Paul had described in his last letter?  Because the day would not come until there came "a falling away first."

 

The translation "a falling away" should actually be rendered, "THE falling away" namely, the specific falling away of which Paul warned them of "when I was yet with you." (2 Thessalonians 2:5)

 

The "falling away" is the great apostasia, meaning, "a defection from the truth."

 

The second reason why the Thessalonians should not be afraid that they had been left behind was because the man of sin, or the son of perdition, had not yet been revealed.  The man of sin is, of course, the antichrist.

 

The man of sin can't be revealed until after the great apostasia because it is through the apostasia that the man of sin is revealed.  Without the apostasia, the antichrist couldn't get a foothold because the population would not be prepared to buy what he will be selling.

 

But what else does this passage teach us?  The Rapture couldn't have happened because the antichrist had not been revealed.  What does that mean?   It HAS to mean that the Rapture comes first and then later, the antichrist is revealed.

 

I have heard all kinds of clever and imaginative explanations for why these verses don't mean what they say they mean, but none of them ever actually take on the verses themselves.

 

They just go out and find others from elsewhere that seem contradictory but I've never heard anyone adequately dispute these two simple points - which is probably the reason Paul raised them.

 

One can come up with verses that seemingly put the Church in the Tribulation, or verses that seemingly dispute the meaning of "the wrath of God" and verses that question who the Restrainer is, or dispute the meaning of the Day of Christ, and so on.

 

But Paul says that there are two things that must come after "our gathering together unto Him" - the great apostasia, and the revelation of the son of perdition.  So if the Thessalonians don't perceive a great apostasy, followed by the revealing of the antichrist, then it means they didn't miss the Rapture.

 

Let's reverse this equation and take another look at what Paul is saying from that angle.

 

Paul is saying that if the Thessalonians DO perceive a great falling away and they DO recognize "the man of sin, the son of perdition," then YES, they missed the Rapture.

 

Turned back around, he's saying that because the man of sin hasn't been revealed, the Rapture has not happened.  Why?  Because the Rapture comes first.  Not because Darby, MacDonald, Schofield or even Ephraem the Syrian invented the doctrine after the fact.

 

But because the doctrine was already well-established in the first century by the Apostle Paul!

 

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

 

The first reference to a pre-Trib Rapture comes from the Bible.  It is not a cunningly devised fable, but is a doctrine made known to us by eyewitnesses of His Majesty (2 Peter 1:16).

 

It wasn't turned into a cunningly devised fable until after the great apostasia first kicked off at the end of the nineteenth century with the "Age of Enlightenment."

 

The Great Apostasia is Part One and it is pretty much fully developed.  As for Part Two, the revelation of the antichrist, well, THAT looks like it's fulfillment is just around the corner.  And according to the Apostle Paul, we won't be here for Part Two.

 

"Wherefore, comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:18)