Seven - "I don’t understand your argument in Ezekiel 13:20."
Ping - Ezekiel 13 has to do with what happens just before
the Lord's Day. It is specifically about prophets, both male and female. I believe it directly relates to the rapture doctrine.
13:2 ....and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, 'Hear ye the WORD OF THE LORD;
3....Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their OWN SPIRIT and have seen nothing!
6.They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, 'The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them; and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
17....set thy face against the daughters of thy People, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
19.And will ye pollute Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to My People that hear your lies?
(Beggars for money, false preachers that preach out of their own hearts, their own ideas and mislead their congregations with showmanship, lies and deceit)
20....Behold I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
(The pillows conceal God's truth by telling them they will fly away, - they'll be raptured)
11Thessalonians 2:2-12 tell us how we will gather back to Him and when. It also tells us that "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,". It tells us that day "shall not come, except there come a falling away first".
Seven - "You need to realize that both sides of this debate have merit; otherwise we would not have a debate. Learn to use our different points of view to see details that you might otherwise miss."
Ping - You're right of course - thank you for pointing that out.
Seven - What happened to Christ during the three days after the cross?"
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: .....I believe that this verse must apply to Christ. Is it not this judgment that Christ took on our behalf.
Ping - He took our sins on our behalf but not our judgment. We are still judged for what we do. Is that not what Heb. 9:26 means? My belief is vs. 27 means there is no reincarnation. We will, physically, die once.
Seven - Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Ping - It is fearful for us as God can destroy a soul. Satan can cause you to loose it but only God can destroy it. But, would it be fearful for Christ?
Seven - And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. - Perhaps this verse describes a certain type of fear.
Ping - You're right, it is a type of fear. When I answered this before I assumed you meant fear to the point of Him wanting to be taken away from this event. My belief is this fear is because He knows that the cup of wrath will be poured out on all that do not accept Him.