Posted on 03/30/2002 10:45:08 PM PST by antidemocommie
The question is very simple. Is Jesus about to return?
Where are we on God's timeline of events that take place prior to the return of Christ?
Is there really anything holding back the Rapture?
What about the Anti-Christ? Is he alive and well, or has he not been born yet?
Before the Rapture, will we get to see the arrival of the Anti-Christ?
Does current US politics and policies help spread the Good News, or usher in Satan incarnate?
No matter where we are on God's timeline, it is never too late to have your sins washed away and be saved. Easter isn't about chocolate bunnies, and baskets full of candy eggs. Its a reminder that Christ was the final lamb. He died in your place to take the punishment for your sins so that you can have eternal life. All you have to do is say to God that you believe Jesus died in your place and you want to be forgiven of all your sins.
At that moment, your life will forever change. God will forgive you of all sin, and you will be saved. Is God pulling at your heart right now? Is his wonderful Holy Spirit urging you to come to him and ask for forgiveness? Don't wait another minute. Turn to God while you have the chance. He loves you dearly and wants the best for you, and your future. All you have to do is ask, and you'll be saved. God has done everything else, but he won't force you to come to him. Its your move.
Mysteries are answerable. How can the world be in the Great Tribulation and people marrying and be given in marriage. Such as was in the days of Noah when Christ returns? The calling out of the church is separate. He comes as the thief in the night no one knows the hour but the father. There's the key. Nobody knows the hour but the father.
Jesus used Hebrew traditions to teach by. One is the tradition of the Hebrew wedding. The first trumpet was sounded in a manger 2000 years ago. GOD sent Christ to earth. The father of the groom in Hebrew custom has to make a contract with the brides family and an engagement is announced the first trumpet as it is called is sounded announcing the engagement.
The father of the Groom then has his son to prepare the place suitable for his bride. Only the father of the Groom can declare the place sufficent and ready to meet their needs. He then will say Bring forth {home} your bride. Imediately the second or final trumpet is sounded announcing the wedding is occuring. These trumpet blast have nothing to do with the 7 trumpets of judgement.
Now we are told that after Israel signs the 7 year peace treaty we can literally count the days till Christ returns that is true. But who will be here looking for it? The unbelievers? They believed not in Christ. The first part of the tribulation begins upon the signing of the peace agreement the second part or three and a half years is when the treaty is broken. That is the Great Tribulation. There is no way I can comprehend weddings and feast occuring during this time. It will be literal hell on earth. But yet the Bible is clear that so were as in the days of Noah so shall it be...
Christ left us more to go on. The 10 virgins 5 were waiting for the groom and were taken & 5 were not and missed his return. I believe the believers will indeed be called out before the Anti- Christ is revealed and before Israel signs the agreement.
But then again that is not the basis of my salvation. I understand that I must be ready to be tested as well. I have read the trib theories and pre-trib rapture in the twinkling of an eye IMHO of the reading best fits scripture.
In any case the Rapture ideas is a modern idea, with little or no support in earlier Christianity.
One of the authors of "The Left Behind" series (LaHane?) has a very interesting article on the internet in which he tries to justify the Rapture doctrine, which figures prominantly in his books. He also dates it to the 1830 experience. His arguments didn't convince me, but then to each his own.
Unless the new-Roman Empire is the emerging American totalinarian police state, in which case the anti-Christ would be an American, possibly an American President.
Ran across a new idea recently. Haven't studied it out. The contention was that the first 3.5 years of Tribulation would occur, followed by the thousand years of Peace, followed by satan being loosed for a time (the 2nd 3.5 year half of Tribulation). I don't know that anything in The Bible says it couldn't be that way. But I haven't really checked.
I suspect the Temple has to be rebuilt. But I don't know that.
I don't think anyone has a good handle on The Rapture. I am convinced it's not the new idea some contend it is. Certainly there's the Scripture about being caught up that's always been there.
And, I've wondered if there won't be more than one Rapture. Will people "Graduate" when they're "ripe" within a certain time frame? And will some select few have the option of choosing to stay and become martyrs? Interesting times.
Certainly NO TIME AT ALL TO SIT ON THE FENCE. . . . CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE . . . TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION . . . None of us have any promise of the next hour, much less the next day or month or year.
Remember China wants our land and our nation enslaved and a nuke would destroy that idea. But cutting off all our trade with them and the Middle East nations would have a destroying effect on this nation. The United States realizes all to late that the Middle East, Russia, China, and the E.U. have made a pact.
China wants our nation. Russia wants Middle East money. Middle East want Russian defenses in exchange for money. Middle East Arabic nations want Israel destroyed. The E.U. is happy at the prospect of being the bargaing or brokering agent with promises of low gas and food prices. The United States sees WW3 taking place and launches a nuke strike. The horror of horrors mentioned in Revelation.
We are not mentioned or hinted at in the Bible as a nation but our technology is.
two will be standing in a field, and one will turn and the other will be gone..... two will be in bed and one will turn and the other will be gone....Where is the "church" no longer addressed after a certain point in the Revelation? Did God provide an escape prior to the distruction of Sodom and Gomorah for Lot and his family? Wasn't this escape beyond normal in that he sent special beings (angels) to see Lot?
Ill see you at the table, and remind you of this conversation! Enjoy!
Why do I believe that?
Because Israel allows him to sit in the Holy of Holies in the new Temple. Only a Jew would be allowed such a thing since at that moment, Israel will have been given a state of peace brought about by the anti-christs ability to negotiate on a supernatural level. Thus, with his ancestry being Jewish and he appears to be the Lion Israel has long awaited, he will sit in the Holy of Holies inside the new Temple and proclaim himself "god".
At that moment, the 2nd half of the Tribulation era begins.
What an incredible event.
I wonder about the destruction of Babylon thing, they tell us it's Iraq. The Bible tells us it's the trading center for the kings and queens of the earth. I guess Wall Steet will be moving in the near future.
I do have a couple of thoughts on the identity of the Anti-Christ. (None based upon this book.) First, the hypothesis that he will be Roman seems to be based upon scripture that indicates he will be from the sea of Gentiles. Well, that's a big sea. One wonders if the Anti-Christ could be Arab. Of course, we tend to speculate on such things based upon recent world events. That said, I think we should remember that the Anti-Christ will not necessarily be easily identified. After all, he is a deceiver and one wonders if he would appear carrying a sign proclaiming himself as the Anti-Christ. Perhaps one argument in favor of the Rapture before the emergence of the Anti-Christ is that the absence of the Church would make this deception much easier.
This is a Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets. The Lord knew that and his audience knew that. Christians today for the most part don't. Check google. Gazillions of references.
He would be more easily identified if you would read some of the many hundreds of posts posted in the last 3-1/2 years on the subject by Thinkin' Gal.
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