BUT YOU, BRETHREN, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS

OVERCOMER

2008-02-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks for visiting. I've moved my posts to a new site, "Overcomer". Click here to visit. Drop on by and say hi!

Does the Day of the Lord include the Tribulation?

2008-01-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

Joel 2:31: "The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

Matthew 24:29: "But immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken..."

Joel places the triple cosmic sign before the day of the LORD. Matthew places it immediately after the tribulation. Therefore, the day of the LORD does not include the tribulation but occurs after the tribulation.

Why does the prewrath position hold to the view that the Church is in Matthew 24?

2007-11-28T20:29:00.000-08:00

At the very end of Matthew in chapter twenty-eight, in the last verse, Jesus says to His disciples, "...and lo, I am with you (i.e. the Church) always, even to the end of the age."

Alan Kurschner points out on his November 16th post at Prewrath Rapture Dot Com, "The end of the age has not ceased before the events in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:14) therefore the Church age has not come to fruition before the events in the Olivet Discourse."

“Why does the prewrath position hold to the view that the entire 70th week of Daniel does not contain God’s wrath?”

2007-11-09T09:49:00.001-08:00

Let’s first look at Mt. 24.

In verse 16 Jesus gives instructions to those who see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet to flee Judea.

Why?

Because following that “there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.” (Mt. 24:21)

The Greek word used for tribulation in this verse is “thlipsis”. It can be translated as pressure, affliction, anguish, persecution, or tribulation as it is here.

Who is going to suffer during this time of unprecedented pressure and affliction?

Revelation 12:17 tells us it is the woman (Israel) and the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus (true believers, Christians).

Who is responsible for this affliction?

In Revelation 12:7-9 we learn of a coming war:

“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon (Satan). And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

In Rev. 12:12 the heavens are told to rejoice. Then a woe is given to the earth and the sea. Why? “…because the devil has come down to you, having great WRATH, knowing that he has only a short time.”

Revelation 12:13 and the verses following for the remainder of the chapter speak of how the dragon (Satan) goes after the woman (Israel). The woman (Israel) flies into the wilderness and is protected. The dragon (Satan) was enraged with the woman (Israel) and goes after the rest of her offspring (true believers, Christians-those who hold to the testimony of Jesus) when he can no longer get to the woman (Israel).

This time of affliction is clearly the result of Satan’s oppression via the beast. In Revelation 13 we are told that the dragon (Satan) gives the beast his power and those who do not worship the image of the beast are killed.

Based on these passages, the prewrath position views the affliction of Israel and then the genuine Christians, those who hold to the testimony of Jesus, not those who fall away during the great tribulation of Mt. 24, as coming from Satan.

When the Lamb breaks the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9 John sees underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of their testimony. These souls hold to their testimony of Jesus. The beast kills them for refusing to worship his image. They cry out with a loud voice and ask the Lord how long until He avenges their blood. They are not confused. These souls recognize that their deaths were not a result of the wrath of the Lamb. He tells them to wait a little while longer. When the Lamb breaks the sixth seal, the sun will go black, the moon will become like blood, the sky will split apart and the earth dwellers will see Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb. They desire for the rocks to fall on them and hide them. Why? Revelation 6:17 says, “…FOR THE GREAT DAY OF THEIR WRATH HAS COME; WHO IS ABLE TO STAND?”

Luke 21:25,26: “And there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth dismay among the nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Romans 12:19b: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 1:6-8: “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

The great tribulation is Satan’s wrath on believers, those who obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus. God’s wrath is aimed at unbelievers, those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus and give their allegiance to the beast.

On a day and hour known only by the Father, His Son will return and cut short the affliction against His elect. The natural lights will go out and the stars will fall from the sky as it splits apart. The glory of the Son will radiate across the sky. He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Mt. 24:22, 29-31, 36)

Luke 21:27,28: “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The elect will be rescued, and then God’s wrath will fall…

Not all of Daniel’s 70^th week will be pressure and affliction against Israel and true Christians, those who hold to the testimony of Jesus, nor will it entirely contain God’s wrath.

Why do a “Why Does the Prewrath Position Hold to This?” Series?

2007-11-08T21:02:00.000-08:00

If someone had asked me a year ago what my position was on the timing of the rapture I would have said, “Pretrib”. If asked why I would’ve said, “Because it’s what the Bible teaches.” And for about thirty years prior to that I would’ve answered the same way. After all, I grew up in doctrinally sound churches and I went to a good Bible college that held to the pretrib position.

If I were then asked to show where in the Bible it says the church is raptured before the tribulation I would have probably said, “Well, it says in the Bible we are not appointed to wrath and since the tribulation is God’s wrath He will rapture us out of here.” I would’ve been pretty proud of myself.

If I were asked those same questions today would I respond the same way? The answer is a resounding no! It was a year ago that I was encouraged by a fellow believer at my church to really become a Berean. This person has an amazing knowledge of the Scriptures. Because of that I embarked on a study of my own looking at Daniel, Revelation, Matthew 24, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. There are other passages as well that are important in gaining a correct understanding regarding the Lord’s coming and our gathering, Daniel’s 70^th week, the day of the Lord, God’s wrath, and the great tribulation. As we go through “Why Does the Prewrath Position Hold to This?” Series, see if you don’t agree with me that the prewrath position is based on very solid, Biblical ground.

What did God say was the purpose for the sun, moon, and stars?

2007-11-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

In Gen. 1:14, “…God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years…”

It is the second purpose stated, “for signs”, that I’d like to zero in on.

In Matthew 24:29, Joel 2:30,31, and Revelation 6:12,13 we see a radical change take place in what we would view as the regular and normal function of the sun, moon and stars. In the Mt. 24 account the sun is darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky. The Joel 2 account says that God will display wonders in the sky and on the earth. What will be seen? Blood, fire, and columns of smoke and the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood. In the Rev. 6 account, at the opening of the sixth seal, John sees the sun become black as sackcloth, the whole moon become like blood, and the stars fall from the sky.

Wow! What is about to occur when the natural function of these heavenly bodies
are so drastically altered? What do they signal when they are extinguished?

Joel 2:31 tells us exactly what is about to occur:

THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD!

Can we know when in relation to Daniel’s 70^th week the day of the Lord will occur?

Mt. 24:29 places the triple sign of the sun, moon, and stars after the abomination of desolation. From Daniel 9:27 we know the abomination of desolation occurs at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week. We can conclude then that the Day of Lord will not occur before Daniel’s 70^th week begins. Paul says in 2 Th. 2:3,4 that the Day of the Lord /”it/ will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who…takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” We know that Paul is referring to the abomination of desolation. Therefore, we can emphatically conclude by comparing these three passages that the Day of the Lord occurs sometime after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week.

What is involved in the Day of the Lord?

Going back to 2 Th. 2, Paul ties Christ’s coming (parousia/presence) and our gathering with the day of the Lord in verses one and two:

“Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming (parousia/presence) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”

Paul is saying that when the day of the Lord comes, Christ will manifest His presence and will gather us and it will not occur until after the son of destruction exalts himself as being God in the temple. (Paul was reassuring the Thessalonians that they had not missed the rapture.)

If you go back to Matthew 24:29, the triple signs announcing the day of the Lord occur immediately after the tribulation.

Mt. 24:29: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken,”

Mt. 24:30: “and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”

Mt. 24:31: “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

CHRIST’S COMING AND OUR GATHERING INITIATES THE DAY OF THE LORD!

Mt. 24 is nothing other than a rapture passage. Verse 36 says “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

We can know the season of Christ’s return and our gathering, after the abomination of desolation, immediately after the tribulation. We have the triple sign of the sun, moon, and stars to signal when His presence and our gathering is imminent, but only the Father knows the exact day and hour.

What happens then after we are gathered? In Rev. 6:12,13 the triple signs occur at the opening of the sixth seal announcing the day of the Lord. Vv. 15-17 tells us that kings, great men, commanders, the rich, slaves and free men hide themselves among the rocks because they recognize the great day of the Lamb’s wrath has come.

Mt. 24:22 says the days of great tribulation are cut short for the sake of the elect. Christ gathers us via the angels. The remainder of Daniel’s 70^th week, after the day of the Lord is initiated by His return and our gathering, the day of the Lord continues with the wrath of God which He then pours out on those who remain on the earth. (The Jews that fled Judea are protected by God in the wilderness during this time as well as the 144,000 Jews in Rev. 7 that are sealed prior to God’s wrath commencing in Rev. 8 with the first trumpet.)

Isaiah 2:19: “And men will go into caves of the rocks, and into holes of the ground before the terror of the Lord, and before the splendor of His majesty, when He arises to make the earth tremble.”

Isaiah 13:9 “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate sinners from it.”

Luke 21:25-27also records the triple sign of the sun, moon, and stars:

“And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among the nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; (Christ is about to manifest His presence, gather the elect, and then pour out His wrath) for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

According to v. 28 what are we as believers to do when we see the triple sign in the sun, moon, and stars?

“BUT WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO TAKE PLACE, STRAIGHTEN UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION IS DRAWING NEAR.”

A single star announced His first coming and led a small group of men to the Savior. At His return the sign will be all encompassing, the sun and moon will turn off, the stars will fall from the sky, His glory will radiate as lightening flashes from the east to the west, and every eye shall behold Him! (Mt. 24:27, Rev. 1:7)

(Rev. 6:12 tells us there's a really big earthquake too!)

Are the Day of the Lord and the Great Tribulation speaking of the same thing?

2007-10-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

Raul Delgado left this comment on a previous post.

“Indeed, there will be a time of severe judgment referred to as the Day of the Lord or Day of Wrath or Day of Vengeance. People often confuse this period with the Great Tribulation Period. Here is the distinction: First, the Great Tribulation Period begins with the Abomination of Desolation, which occurs in the middle of Daniel's 70th Week. During the Great Tribulation Period the Church is most severely persecuted by the anti-christ and as such is also referred to as his indignation. Then, at an unknown date and hour, the Great Tribulation Period is cut short for the sake of the elect (the Church), the celestial sign appears and instantly the Rapture occurs. Once this happens, the Day of the Lord (Wrath, Vengeance) gets underway. This is when God's judgment is poured out on the unbelievers on earth. So, to recap, during the Great Tribulation Period, the Church is persecuted by the anti-christ whereas during the Day of the Lord Period the unbelievers are severely judged by God. The Bible makes that distinction quite clearly. Once you accept that truth, then you can begin to construct a more biblical Rapture view. It definitely was the key for me.”

That was the key for me too. Here is a simple outline of Daniel’s 70^th week:

Beginning of Daniel's 70th Week
1. Covenant signed (Dan. 9:27)
2. Birth pangs (Mt. 24:8)

Midpoint of the Week
3. Abomination of Desolation/Son of Destruction exalts himself as being God in the
temple (Dan. 9:27, Mt. 24:15, 2 Th. 2:3,4)
4. Great Tribulation/Satan's wrath against Israel and the elect (Mt. 24:21, Rev. 12:12)

Sixth Seal-Natural lights extinguished (Rev. 6:12, Joel 2:31, Mt. 24:29)
5. Day of the Lord's return and our gathering cuts short the Great Tribulation/Satan's
wrath at an hour known only by the Father (Mt. 24:29-31, 36)

Seventh Seal (Rev. 8:1)
6. God's wrath falls on unbelievers (Rev. 8:7)

End of Week plus 30 days (Dan. 12:9)
7. God's wrath culminates at Armageddon (Rev. 15, 16, Rev. 19:11-21)

Do people that have died have an opportunity to be saved?

2007-10-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

This question was posed by a young believer at another blog which I visit. Let’s take a look at a couple of verses:

Hebrews 9:27: “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”

John 3:18: “He who believes in Him (Christ) is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Once a person has died, if they have not repented and trusted Christ while alive, it is all over for them. There are no second chances.

After her question she then stated, “It doesn’t make sense to me that the people left behind after the rapture are given a second chance but not the people that die before the rapture.”

The prewrath position places Christ’s coming and the gathering of the elect (the dead and living in Christ) immediately after the great tribulation. Mt. 24:22 in fact states that the days of great tribulation are cut short for the sake of the elect who remain alive. If not, no life would be saved. (For a complete explanation of the prewrath position see my first post.) There are two groups of people that are not taken in the rapture. Those that TAKE the mark of the beast, denying the Lordship of Christ, and those that DO NOT TAKE the mark, but have not repented and trusted in Christ for salvation. Rev. 14:9,10 speaks of an angel announcing from the heavens: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives the mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he will also drink of the wine of the wrath of God…and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.”

Scripture is clear, once a person takes the mark, their fate is sealed as well, even when they are alive.

What about the group that does not take the mark, but has not repented and trusted in Christ? Who are in this group? Will any of them come to know Christ as Savior and Lord?

For sure the Jews who escape the persecution of the beast by fleeing into the wilderness do not take the mark. They receive God’s protection for the second half of Daniel’s 70^th week. (See Rev. 12) Scripture speaks of another group of Jews that do not take the mark. They are the 144,000, 12,000 from each tribe. (See Rev. 7) Where are these Jews when Christ comes to gather the elect? The Bible doesn’t say but I would think it is possible that some are in the group that are in protection in the wilderness. The remaining would be scattered through out the world. They are not saved before the rapture therefore they are also left behind. God seals them for protection from His wrath which commences after the rapture and culminates at the Battle of Armageddon. Rev. 14:4 calls this group the first fruits (or first group) of Jews who trust in Christ as Messiah after the rapture. It is my conclusion their salvation occurs at Christ’s appearing and gathering of the elect, the Church, which cuts short the great tribulation. When Christ is revealed in the clouds their eyes are opened that He is Yeshua, the true Messiah, and they put their faith in Him at that point. They then become God’s evangelists for the remainder of Daniel’s 70^th week, proclaiming the gospel to the other Jews and Gentiles that did not take the mark, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior. Israel was God’s evangelistic agency before the Church. When Israel rejected her Messiah, the Church then became God’s evangelistic agency. At Christ’s coming and gathering of the Church, the point in time at which the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, Israel will once again be God’s evangelistic agency.

So, there will be people that come to Christ after the rapture. Romans 11:26 tells us that all Israel will be saved. Will Gentiles be saved after the rapture? I believe so, because of the witness of the 144,000. Ron Wallace at Bible Fragrances says: “These Jews and Gentiles will be citizens of the kingdom. The kingdom dispensation begins with just believers, living in normal physical bodies and functioning as faithful subjects to the King and His Bride. There will still be normal procreation for these citizens and after several years, there will once again be a need for evangelistic activity throughout the world. Even with Christ personally present and reigning in righteousness, there will be many who inwardly rebel against Him.”

Click here to read Ron's excellent article in its entirety.

Mt. 25:31-46 tells us what happens to those who survive to the end of Daniel's 70th week but do not repent. They are represented as the goats in the Mt. 25 passage. They are sent to the eternal fire. For a more complete explanation, see the comment section. (I missed this information in the original post.)

Friend, if you have yet to repent and call upon the Lord for your salvation, now is the time to "confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead". (Rm. 10:9) There is no guarantee that you will have tomorrow, or even the next minute. To be absent from the body without Christ is not entering into nothingness. To die without Christ is to seal your eternity in agony and torment. John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Call upon Him now. Do not wait. Trust Him, today.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

2007-10-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

I was going to keep this a one post blog, then I added two more posts, then I went back to a one post blog. (I'm wishing I'd kept them now.) But in church yesterday I saw this passage in Romans. I am compelled to post regarding it.

In Romans 8:35a Paul asks: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Two verses previously to that Paul asks "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?" We know that is what Satan is doing at the present time. He has access to heaven and is bringing condemnation against God's elect. Christ as our Intercessor continually reminds our Adversary that His blood has covered every sin that we've ever committed or will commit.

Romans 8:35: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"

Though Paul is speaking in the present tense, it makes me think of the time of unprecedented persecution that is coming upon Israel and God's elect during the great tribulation spoken of in Mt. 24. I'm sure he had that time in mind as well when he wrote this passage. Continuing...

Romans 8:36-39: "Just as it is written, 'FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come (the great tribulation!), nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We don't know yet if we are the generation that is called to face Satan's wrath on Israel and God's elect during the great tribulation, after Michael and his angels thrust him out of heaven. But Beloved, now is the time to hide these wonderful words in our hearts. Take courage and strength knowing "we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us!"

Will the Church Face the Persecution of Antichrist? What is the Day of the Lord? When will the Saints be Gathered?

2007-10-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I was encouraged to take a fresh look at the end time passages in Scripture using a simple, face-value hermeneutic and following the Golden Rule of Interpretation: “If the plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense.” Put another way, “If the plain sense makes sense, you have the right sense.” The context of the passages should be considered as well, and always compare Scripture with Scripture. There will be no contradictions with other passages when Scripture is properly interpreted.

The testimony of the early Church fathers was that the Church would face the unprecedented persecution of Antichrist which Christ spoke of in Matthew 24:

* Tertullian: "That the beast Antichrist with his false prophet may wage war on the Church of God....Since, then, the Scriptures both indicate the stages of the last times, and concentrate the harvest of the Christian hope in the very end of the world."

* Justin Martyr: "The man of apostasy...shall venture to do unlawful things on the earth against us, the Christians."

* Iranaeus: "And the ten kings...shall give their kingdom to the beast, and put the Church to flight."

* Barnabas: "Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are called of God, we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked prince, acquiring power over us, should thrust us away from the Kingdom of the Lord."

* Hippolytus: "Now concerning the tribulation of the persecution which is to fall upon the Church from the adversary. That refers to the 1260 days during which the tyrant is to reign and persecute the Church."

* The Pastor of Hermas: "Happy ye who endure the Great Tribulation that is coming."

The popular teaching today however is that the Church will be raptured prior to the Great Tribulation. The men quoted above were much closer in time to the Apostles who received God’s direct revelation concerning the Lord’s return. Are we missing something in Scripture that these men clearly understood?

In my studying over the past year, I have come to understand as the early Church fathers, that the Church will face the persecution of Antichrist. The Lord’s coming (presence) and our gathering is a single, noisy, visible and glorious event. It is not a two phase event beginning with a silent, secret rapture. To my amazement and delight, passages that had often been murky and confusing have now come alive with exhilarating clarity. The greatest blessing of all has been the exponential growth in my yearning for “the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” What a day of rejoicing that will be!

It is important to state from the beginning, Matthew 24:36 says no one knows the day or the hour of Christ’s coming (presence). However, by the time you are finished reading, I think you’ll agree that Scripture clearly teaches we can know when His return and our gathering is near, in fact, right at the door.

To know where to place the Lord’s coming and our gathering on the prophetic timeline is tied to the day of the Lord passages. The key that unlocks the door: The cosmic signs associated with the day of the Lord.

COSMIC SIGN REFERENCED in Joel 2:31:

“The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the great and awesome DAY OF THE LORD comes.”

Joel says this cosmic sign of the natural lights going out falls prior to the day of the Lord.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Paul ties together the day of the Lord with Christ’s coming (presence) and our gathering…

“Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming (presence) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the DAY OF THE LORD has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”

Taken at face value, Paul is saying the day of the Lord begins with Christ’s coming and our gathering, and the day of the Lord will not occur until sometime after the apostasy and the son of destruction exalts himself in the temple as God. Since Paul is obviously referencing the abomination of desolation found in Daniel 9:27, which occurs at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week, he is saying the day of the Lord’s coming and our gathering falls sometime after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week.

The plain sense makes sense, is it the right sense? Are there any other places in Scripture where this is taught?

This appears to be precisely what Christ is teaching in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24.

Jesus had just come out of the temple. The disciples then come up and point out the temple to Him. Christ tells them that not one temple stone will be left upon another. Later on the disciples approach Him on the Mt. of Olives and ask Him when will these things be and what will be the sign of His coming (presence-the same Greek word Paul used in 2 Thes.) and the end of the age.

(It will become clear as we move along when Scripture refers to the end, or end of the age, it is referring to the Day of the Lord.)

The Lord begins with a warning in v. 4: “See to it that no one misleads you.”

Summarizing verses 5-14: He says false Christs will come as well as wars and rumors of wars. There will also be famines and earthquakes. He calls these things the beginning birth pangs. Then comes tribulation. v. 9 “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name.” (Israel is not hated on account of the name of Christ, His disciples are however.) False prophets will arise and mislead many. Lawlessness will increase and people’s love will grow cold. The one who endures to the end (the day of the Lord) will be saved, or delivered. The gospel will be preached in the whole world, and then the end (day of the Lord) comes.

Next Christ speaks of the abomination of desolation (what Paul refers to in 2 Th. 2 as the son of destruction displaying himself as being God in the temple) which we know occurs at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week.

Matthew 24;15: “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place…”

FLEE! (v.16-20)

Why does Christ give instructions to flee?

v.21”…for then there shall be great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall…”

v.22 says that the tribulation days are cut short (the Greek word means amputated), for the sake of the elect. (The great tribulation is cut short, not Daniel’s 70^th week.) “And unless those days (of tribulation) had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days (of tribulation) shall be cut short.”

COSMIC SIGN REFERENCED IN MATTHEW 24

Verses 29-31 tells us what cuts the days of great tribulation short:

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

Note the reference to the COSMIC SIGN of the natural lights going out. Here in Matthew the cosmic sign occurs after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week, after the abomination of desolation. The prophet Joel says it occurs before the day of the Lord. Paul’s teaching ties the day of the Lord to His coming and our gathering and says it will occur at some point after the son of destruction takes his seat in the temple. The plain sense (and it makes sense) is saying that this is describing the day of the Lord’s coming (presence) and gathering of the saints, the elect! It occurs after the abomination of desolation (just as Paul said it would) and it cuts short the great tribulation. It is a noisy event with a trumpet. It is not a secret event but a visible event as all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see Christ. By the time we are finished, I think you will conclude as I have, this truly is a rapture passage and Paul and Christ were teaching the exact same thing. (The sum of God’s word is truth! Ps. 119:160)

You might say that you’ve heard Matt. 24 is for Israel. Matt. 24 is bracketed on both sides with references to the church. Christ told Peter in chapter 16 that He would build His church and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. He gave instructions for church discipline in chapter 18. Then He gives a very precise and clear commandment at the very end of the book:

Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (The day of the Lord.)

The disciples were to teach ALL that Christ commanded them as they made disciples of ALL nations. That would include what was taught in Matthew 24. By way of application, we are to learn these commands and teach them as well. Matthew 24 does include instruction to the Church!

The classic rapture passage, 1 Th. 4:16-5:2 also teaches us that the rapture is a noisy event. There is a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God. We also learn that the dead in Christ are also included in the gathering. When Paul wrote 1Thessalonians there were no chapter breaks. He moves right on into chapter five and ties the rapture to the day of the Lord:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. Now as to the times and the epochs brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the DAY OF THE LORD will come just like a thief in the night.”

Next Paul tells us that the day of the Lord overtakes a group of people like a thief. They are the beast worshippers that are enjoying peace and safety under Antichrist’s religious and economic system, but sudden destruction will come upon them.

1 Th. 5:3: “While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they will not escape.”

In v.4 Paul says, “But YOU, brethren, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS, that the day should overtake you like a thief.”

Paul instructs the Thessalonians that they are to be alert and sober so the day of the Lord will not overtake them. vv.5,6: “…for you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”

Because we have the list of events in Matt. 24 given to us by Jesus that will precede His day of the Lord’s return, we can be prepared so that day will not overtake us:

1. The rise in false christs (v. 5).
2. The rise in wars between nations (v. 6).
3. Famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places (v. 7).
4. Antichrist’s desecration of the temple of God (v. 15).
5. The period of severe tribulation for God’s people, more intense than any other in history (v.21).
6. The triple sign in the sun, moon, and stars. (v.29)

So if Christ’s coming and our gathering begins the day of the Lord but cuts short the Great Tribulation, what remains for the rest of Daniel’s 70^th week?

THE WRATH OF GOD!

Isaiah 13 tells us that the day of the Lord contains destruction, God’s burning anger, and the extermination of sinners.

2 Peter 3:10 also describes the day of the Lord’s firey wrath…“the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

The day of the Lord cannot be taking place when the son of destruction exalts himself in the temple. It must occur later because Isaiah 2:11 says the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

The Scripture is very clear that believers are not destined for God’s wrath.

1 Th. 5:9: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Once the elect are raptured, God’s wrath will fall.

I was taught that the seals were God’s wrath. When the fifth seal breaks, John sees under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they maintained. (Rev. 6:9)

Look at the question they ask God in Rev. 6:10: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

The fifth seal martyrs view God’s wrath as yet to come! They recognize their deaths were because of Antichrist’s persecution, the great tribulation, not because of God’s wrath.

We must differentiate between tribulation and God’s wrath. All of Daniel’s 70^th week does not contain His wrath because the day of the Lord does not begin until after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week.

Rev. 12:12b calls the persecution of the dragon via the beast the “wrath of Satan”.

“… Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

COSMIC SIGN REFERENCED IN REVELATION 6

At the breaking of the sixth seal in Revelation we see again the triple sign of the sun, moon, and stars. We know from Matt. 24 that these signs occur after the abomination of desolation. The great day of the Lord is about to occur!

Rev. 6:12”…and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood…”
v.13”…and the stars of the sky fell to the earth…”
v.14”…and the sky split apart…”
v.15”…and the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains…”
v. 16”…and they said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the PRESENCE of Him who sits on the throne, and AND FROM THE WRATH OF THE LAMB…”,
v. 17”…FOR THE GREAT DAY OF THEIR WRATH HAS COME; and who is able to stand?”

This is the end of chapter six. The natural lights have gone out. The sky splits apart. The presence of God and the Lamb is manifested. Men recognize the wrath of God is about to fall. The gathering of the elect should occur at this point, correct? Does Revelation give evidence? The first half of chapter seven of Revelation is the sealing of the 144,000 before God’s wrath is poured out.

Rev. 7:2,3: “And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Look what John sees next!

Rev. 7:9: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches in their hands…”

v.14b”…These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation…”

This multitude can’t be anyone else other than the gathered elect of Matthew 24! They are in their 1 Cor. 15 resurrection bodies. They are wearing robes and holding palm branches. They have come out of the great tribulation which was cut short by the day of the Lord’s coming! (According to 1 Cor. 15:51-53, what occurs in the twinkling of an eye? The changing of our bodies from perishable to imperishable, not the gathering of believers.)

Take note of 1 Cor. 15:22-25: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming (presence), then comes the end…” (the end of the age and the beginning of the day of the Lord’s firey wrath) “…when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign (…the Lord alone will be exalted on that day!) until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”

In Rev. 8, the seventh seal is broken. There is silence in heaven for half an hour. Look what occurs next.

Rev. 8:5-7: “And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. And the first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the grass was burned up.”

Now that is the Day of the Lord’s firey wrath, when He pours out His judgment on unbelievers after He removes His elect from the earth! He alone will be exalted in that day! God’s wrath then continues through the remaining trumpet and bowl judgments. Just beyond Daniel’s 70^th week, Christ comes down out of heaven this time on a white horse to fight the Battle of Armageddon. The beast is seized along with the false prophet and both are thrown into the lake of fire. The rest of Christ’s enemies are killed with a sword which comes from His mouth. Christ is clothed with a robe dipped in blood. He has been active in pouring out His wrath on the unbelieving world, putting all His enemies under his feet, since His initial presence at the opening of the sixth seal. (Rev. 19:11-21)

COSMIC SIGN REFERENCED IN LUKE 21

Luke 21:25: “And there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among the nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
v. 26…men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
v. 27…And then they will see the SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.”

I love verse 28:

‘BUT WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO TAKE PLACE, STRAIGHTEN UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION IS DRAWING NEAR.”

For the unbeliever the day of the Lord’s coming will be terrifying. Men will cower and hide behind rocks, desiring for the rocks to fall on them, to be hidden from His presence and from His imminent wrath. But for believers, it will be the realization of our dear and blessed hope, a day filled with great wonder, rejoicing, and marveling. When the natural lights go out we are to straighten up, without fear, for our redemption is near and we will soon behold our glorious Savior!

Don’t the following verses come alive now?

1 Th. 1:10: “…and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

2 Th. 1:6-10: “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these shall pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints ON THAT DAY, and to be marveled at among all who have believed…”

When you read the letters to the seven churches in Rev. 2 and 3 it is quite obvious that the Lord is addressing the churches as if they are about to enter into great tribulation. To the church at Sardis He warns if they don’t wake up He will come like a thief. He exhorts the churches over and over again to be overcomers. To the church at Philadelphia He promises to keep them from the hour that is about to come upon the earth, to test those who dwell on the earth. Why? Because they have persevered. Revelation refers to “those who dwell on the earth” nine times. Every time it means those who are beast worshippers, or unbelievers. The hour of testing then can only be God’s wrath, not the great tribulation. All beast worshippers will fail the test and be destroyed. The Lord will remove His faithful before He pours out His wrath.

When I first realized that I could no longer rest in a pre-trib rapture, great fear overwhelmed me. Since then the Lord has given me a wonderful peace. He willingly gave His life for me. If I am called to be in the generation that enters Daniel’s 70^th week, I know He will give me the strength to do the same.

I believe the next event on the prophetic calendar is the seven year covenant that is confirmed with Israel. It could be this year, or not for another one hundred years. Perhaps we will see before that the fulfillment of Dan. 7:24: “As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.”

I believe this to be in conjunction with the first seal in Revelation 6:2: “And I looked and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him; and he went conquering and to conquer.”

It is interesting to note that seals 1-5 in Rev. 6 fall right in line with the birth pangs in Matt. 24 and the persecution of Antichrist.

If we see the confirming of a covenant with Israel by a ruler who subdues three nations and then seven more fall in line under him, we know then that we’ll have 3 ½ years to prepare for the Great Tribulation, a time of unprecedented persecution. According to Rev. 12:13 it is aimed at the woman (Israel) first, v. 17…and then the rest of the woman’s offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (The Church…In Abraham’s seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed).

Rev. 13:7: “And it was given to him to make war with all the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.”

But we know who ultimately wins in the end and how that victory is accomplished!

Rev. 12:12a “And they (true saints) overcame him (Satan) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life, even to death.”

2 Peter 3:10a,11b,14: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…”

Our greatest preparation should be spiritual. The believer needs to be prepared with Scripture dwelling richly in his heart. God's Word in the heart is the only thing that can provide true peace, joy, and perseverance, now, as well as during time of persecution and during the greatest time of persecution that is yet to come.

At some point after the abomination of desolation (the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week), during the great tribulation, for the sake of the elect, the Lord will cut short the great tribulation days by His day of the Lord’s presence, coinciding with the opening of the sixth seal. A trumpet and a shout will sound. The dead in Christ shall rise first and then we who are alive and remain (the Greek word for remain can also be translated “survive”) will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord! (1 Th. 4:16,17) No man knows the day or the hour, but when the natural lights go out, the triple sign of the sun, moon, and stars, we’ll know His coming and our gathering is imminent. In the meantime, if we are told, “Behold, He is in the wilderness”, we are not to go forth. Or “He is in the inner rooms”, do not believe it. “I (Christ) have told you in advance.” (Mt.24:25)

Mark 13:13”… he who endures to the end (day of the Lord) shall be saved (delivered).”

SPECIAL NOTE: I do not believe that the Church has replaced Israel. There is coming a day when all Israel will be saved as Paul says in Romans 11:26. The 144,000 from each tribe will be the first fruits. (Rev. 14:4) The seal of God is placed upon their foreheads before the wrath of God falls. (Rev. 7:3) There is coming a literal, millennial kingdom in which Israel will enjoy the promises given to her.