Christians: Will Jesus Christ Soon Return?

3/30/02 | AntiDemoCommie

[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.

[cva66snipe]

Reading Revelation 4&5 describes the believers as being in heaven. Notice in CH.4 the 24 elders are clothed in white robes. The judgement of the believer has passed. I do believe in the rapture of believers before the Second Coming of Christ. During the tribulation the wedding is taking place in heaven. The dispensation of grace ends when believers are called out. At this time there about Israel signs the 7 year peace agreement with the Anti-Christ. Why are we called out? Biblical history says as much. When GOD was ready to pronounce judgement upon he called out his people. He called out Noah, he called out Lott, he called out Israel, he called out his son from Israel into Egypt while the males in Israel died. He called them all out before judgements came down.

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.

[Khepry]

Rapture? I thought the rapture doctrine dates back to 1830 based on the psychic/visionary experiences of a British(?) woman.

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.

[Khepry]

Does the anti-Christ age? He was about 40 when. A date of when the Cardinal said this would help - not just recenly.

[Khepry]

Because Scripture specifically speaks of a new Roman empire that has the anti-Christ as its head. It follows that the leader of the Roman empire would be a Roman.

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.

[Quix]

GREAT QUESTION. Been asking it since I was in Jr High. Am 55.

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.

[cva66snipe]

Possible theory. The Anti-Christ probably more likely will come from out of the E.U. The United States will be likely a part of Armagadon. We will be raining down nukes. The armies of the world marching into Armagadon will be Asia and Russia as it will be a massive land invasion. The United States will have been cut off from all trade by China and the rest of the world by agreement.

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.

[antidemocommie]

Oh, go ahead and say it! You're a Post-Trib! Im a Pre-Trib, and there are those out there who are Mid-Trib.

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!

[antidemocommie]

I see your point, but the ten nations described are the ten horns on the crown in the Revelation. One thing is certian, the anti-Christ will be Jewish.

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.

[TWRepublican]

Prophetically we are getting ready to see Ezekiel 38 and 39 before our very eyes. I don't think there is anyting else that would prevent the rapture of the Church anytime. The true believers of Christ are the restraining force of this world and we would detect anti-christ in a heartbeat because he will come in his own name offering mankind a new way and false peace. The true Church will be gone praising Jesus around the throne in heaven while all hell is breaking loose on earth.

[antidemocommie]

I believe that God himself is steering the interpretation of scripture at this time so that the majority views are on track.

[Bobby777]

the Antichrist must come first ... the "instead-of"-Christ literally ... a deception so clever the elect will almost be fooled ... until the abomination that causes desolation ... Daniel 12:9-10

[DugwayDuke]

I would be interested in why Israel would have to allow the anti-Christ to sit in the Holy of Holies. I believe other rulers have done that in the past. Did Israel allow that?

[steve50]

Or the EU, the old Roman Empire was vast.

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.

[azhenfud]

How do you know the AC won't come from Islam???
Az

[DugwayDuke]

I visited my local Christian bookstore yesterday. They have a series of books that look much like the "Whatever For Dummies", all entitled "XYZ for the Biblical Inept". There's one on Daniel, "Daniel for the Biblical Inept", etc. I haven't had time to much more than scan the first few pages of "Prophecy for the Biblical Inept".

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.

[2sheep]

>But of that day and hour knoweth no man,

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.

[2sheep]

>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.

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.

[Future Snake Eater]

Wow, that's quite a scenario. Where is China mentioned in Revelation? I know of Russia, Europe, and the Middle East, but I've never heard of China being in there. Just curious.

[AppyPappy]

If I remember correctly, the Gospel has to be heard around the world for the Rapture to occur.

[Stan Hunts]

I would invite you to read my latest book, "Crisis in Evangelical Scholarship: A New Look at the Second Coming of Christ." Can be obtained through AMAZON.Com.