THE RAPTURE
When will it happen?
“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.”
~~ I Thessalonians: 4:16-17
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~~ I Thessalonians: 4:16-17 |
The Rapture
I take the Bible (God's Word) as true and accurate. But I'm not all that sure of the [time-line] for all the events that must take place during the ‘End Time’. But as I see it, all the requirements for the 'One World Government' that will be ruled by the anti-Christ have already been set in place. And I'm sorry to say that the present White House administration has been, either knowingly or unknowingly, a big help in its formation, as was the Clinton administration, and several other former U.S. Presidents.
There's just no hiding it anymore.
The Federal/National mandatory I.D. system is about to be shoved down our throats as revealed in the following news article:
"House Approves Electronic ID Cards"
The national I.D. system is no longer just a conspiracy theory. Congress officially put the plans in motion just this past week. There are also ’reports’ of large brigades of FOREIGN TROOPS based in the U.S., ‘allegedly’ to help round up and/or destroy those who oppose the 'One World Government'... also referred to as the 'New World Order' (NWO).
"Foreign troops on U.S. soil training for civilian pacification"
Our greatly touted Patriot Act does not really keep terrorists out of the U.S., but will make it easier to take away all our rights in one swift move when the time comes. The most obvious reason for the foreign troops based here in the U.S. is that our own American troops would bulk at the idea of attacking and killing their own civilian brothers and sisters when the order comes. Under the plans of the New World Order, our American troops will be assigned equivalent tasks on foreign soil.
Much of this NWO preparation is taking place now, and more is sure to come even BEFORE anyone knows WHO the actual anti-Christ is.
I would say that we are already in a pre-Tribulation phase, if not the very first stage, of the actual Tribulation right now. Look at how fast new diseases are spreading across the globe. They have discovered a new, MORE DEADLY strain of the HIV / AIDS virus in New York and California already. Now the Asian Bird Flu has apparently mutated to where it may be passed from HUMAN-TO-HUMAN. The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has already stated that the Bird Flu could become a major world-wide epidemic in just a very short time. I also agree with some of the scientists and observers who say the weather phenomenon has been progressively getting worse. You cannot ignore the number of earthquakes, tidal waves, and floods that have made the news headlines this past year. “Wars and rumors of wars?” – Matthew: 24:6 – I don’t even need to comment on that one.
By the time the true anti-Christ is revealed, it will be too late to resist... most likely too late to repent, and much too late to refuse the "MARK" of The BEAST. – Revelation: 13:17 -- But I do agree that we (Christ's church) will be gone sometime before the Tribulation comes to an end. But I also believe that we are going to see and experience some horrible events beforehand.
But to those Christians who are ever in doubt as to his or her [own] interpretation of the books of the Old Testament or latter books of the New Testament of the Bible, I would encourage them to go to the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in the New Testament, where you can read much of what Jesus actually said.
The entire chapter 24 of the Gospel of Matthew gives us an iron-clad list of the End Time events, in Chronological order, in Jesus' own words. In addition, the Gospel of John and Luke chapter 21 give us more insight as to when all these events will take place, and what we should be looking for. But as to we Christians being allowed to escape all the perils of the Tribulation, the chances look pretty slim except where Jesus tells us in Matthew 24: 22:
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
But how many of the days or times of the Tribulation will be "shortened" for our sakes? I must admit, I don't really know. But I would not gamble my faith in our Lord Jesus that we will escape. It would be wonderful, and it is in the nature our gracious and loving Lord God to grant us mercy as He has demonstrated in the past. But can we be sure?
Christian author, Steve Jackson offers an excellent in-depth look into how the Bible records the order of End Time events as told in the words of Jesus. Please click on the italicized text below to read Steve's findings from the scriptures on his web page @: http://www.whenistherapture.com/lastday.html
In one of her latest books (Watcher Are You Ready?) Marilyn Hickey reveals some challenging thoughts related to End Time events and Bible prophesy. One of her proclaimed theories forecasts, not one, but [TWO] Raptures taking place during the times of the Tribulation.
Marilyn suggests that the true and faithful born again believers who continue to give 100 percent of their lives to Jesus in witness and service, will actually be called up in that first Rapture [BEFORE] the Great Tribulation begins. The author then states that after seeing a multitude of Christians lifted away, the backsliding Christians left behind will recognize the error of their ways, and will fully repent and begin to evangelize and witness to others in preparation for the second Rapture, which Marilyn estimates to be after the first third of the Tribulation events have taken place.
While we may or may not agree with Marilyn Hickey’s rather uniqe concept of End Time events, I would say that her theories are at least thought provoking.
Even though I don't agree with the pastors and theologians who say that the teaching of the 'Rapture' is a trick of the devil, the 'calling away' that the Bible speaks of may or may not happen before the Tribulation begins, but it will happen sometime. However, I have no doubt at all of the return of Jesus as Lord and judge of all. The time is getting very near to His return and the End Time throne of Judgement. The End Time events are unfolding too fast now to believe otherwise. That is why, if I were a pastor, I would want to be very careful in the [interpretation] of the End Time events, and the Bible scriptures dealing with those events, 1st Thessalonians: chapter 4, in particular. If we inaccurately determine that we Christians will be ‘Raptured’ out of this world [before] the Great Tribulation, and after setting our hearts on this one event, how would it affect our faith in the remainder of the Bible scriptures if all of a sudden we see our brothers and sisters being captured and interrogated by the NWO chieftains, and tortured in an attempt to coerce them into accepting the authority of this new GLOBAL government?
And now, as we view the scenario unfolding before our very eyes, it would appear that the technology of the microchip implant will be the most likely form of the "MARK OF THE BEAST." But who knows? We may be deceived into accepting an electronic smart-card device such as the NATIONAL ID scheme to help usher in the NWO ahead of time.
But we can be sure; we can be ready to meet the Lord face-to-face no matter when, or in what manner our earthly lives are ended. God’s simple plan of salvation is so easy to acquire that many intellectuals fail to grasp it because it [is] so simple. All we have to do is to honestly repent of, and confess our sins to God’s very own son, Jesus Christ. Then sincerely ask Him to come into our hearts. Then all we have to do is tell someone else of His eternal love and saving grace.
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew: 10:32
Let’s all plan to meet in heaven. Wow! Just think about it. Talk about casting away your worries... Yes. Thank you Jesus!
Gary Miller
gmiller@tpromo.com
Feb. 23, 2005