I do not make belief in a soon rapture an issue for fellowship, but oppose the typical spirit I see as behind the avid promotion and defense of it in the West, which is that the modern church is somehow favored to escape the persecution, such as believers are now realizing in Communist and Muslim countries, etc., and faithful ones also see here, usually to a lesser extent).
In short, the way I see it, believers gathering together unto the Lord in "the day of Christ" cannot come until the antichrist is manifest, sitting in the temple of God as if he is God"
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. 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; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)
Which is correspondent to,
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:15-16) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)
At the end of which is the 2nd coming of the Lord Jesus:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:29-30)
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:25-28)
And while all those who die in obedient faith will go to be forever with their Lord at death, yet they and those who are alive at the end the Trib. unto their Lord's coming will be in "the first resurrection," (Revelation 20:5) “the resurrection of life, ” (Jn. 5:29a) "of the just" (Luke 14:14; cf.Revelation 11:18, receiving incorrigible bodies. Which believers will go with the Lord Jesus to the battle of Armageddon, “ (Jude 14-15; cf. Revelation 19:14) And all Jews (the remnant remaining) will be converted:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:9-10)
And after the Lord's return resurrected believers will stand before “the judgment seat of Christ” - which is only for believers - and will be judged as to rewards or loss thereof due their manner of workmanship in building the body of Christ, the church. (Lk. 14:14; cf. 1Cor. 3:8ff; 4:5; Acts 24:15)
* And who then be rulers under Christ in His literal 1,000 year reign
: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)
In contrast to those who were never born of the Spirit or who terminally fall away. (Gal. 5:1-4; Heb. 3:12; 10:25-39) During which Jews serve the Lord as in a pure Davidic kingdom, with memorial sacrifices, and which also tests Gentiles that survived the Trib. as to whether they want the Lord reigning over them, despite the devil being bond during that 1,000 reign.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (Revelation 20:2)
And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. (Zechariah 14:9) And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. (Zechariah 14:16-17)
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. (Revelation 20:7-8) And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:9)
After which the “great and notable day of the Lord” ‘ (Acts 2:20) culminates in the Great White Throne judgment, with “the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:29b) and their judgment which occurs 1,000 years after “the first resurrection” (Rv. 20:6) the “resurrection of life, (”(Jn. 5:29a) and in which judgment believers will be part of the jury in the judgment of men and angels (1 Corinthians 6:3)
* In which the dead are judged out of those things which were written in the books, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire, (Rv. 20:11-5) with their degree of punishment being determined in accordance with how much light and grace was given. (Lk. 10:12-13, 12:47, 48)
I like to read the last few chapters of
Revelation it Cheers Me up.
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I really dug into the ‘Rapture’ and I’ve decided to get on the Correct side of Jesus and Let God be God concerning my final Days.
Seems I’ve had a few close calls to many to worry when My Last Trump sounds.
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Maranatha!