Posted on 01/31/2021 2:46:43 PM PST by Jan_Sobieski
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them...
Jesus Christ gave us His Olivet Discourse to explain the signs signalling his immanent return. He warned that we will not know the day or the hour of His return, however we will know the general time (Matt 24:33). He likens those who hear him to young brides waiting for their bridegroom. Jesus being he bridegroom and his believers being the ladies in waiting. This exclusive group is made up only of those who have confessed Christ and go out expectantly to meet him. [...] We are the virgins…
2 Corinthians 11:2 "…for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."
Who are these believers in Jesus Christ? Muslims, who reject the biblical Jesus as God in the flesh, and relegate him to a prophet who exchanged places with Judas on the cross? Hindus, who believe Jesus is one of many gods? Buddhists, who believe Jesus is one of many prophets of Nirvana, or Nothingness? Atheists, who claim that Jesus Christ is either fictional or a lunatic? Heavens no! Most of the world rejects Jesus Christ and his words, except Christians.
Something happens as the Christians wait for the Bridegroom. He delays his coming. So much so that the night comes. What is the night? The “night” in Biblical Typology represents the Great Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:2, Isaiah 60:2, John 9, etc.) This is the last 3.5 to 7 years before Jesus Christ returns physically to rule and reign from Jerusalem...
(Excerpt) Read more at jan-northrup.medium.com ...
I will disagree gently on this point.The Holy Spirit came to permanently indwell believers at Pentecost.
Before then, the Spirit came upon Jews temporarily, for extraordinary service and enablement.The removal of the Church at the rapture removes the indwelling Spirit, but of course God Himself is present everywhere, including the earth.
It seems that what is causing difficulty in this discussion is *who* comes to faith during the tribulation and *how*
Some Jews and gentiles who are not killed in the tribulation outpourings will become believers. They will not become part of the church, which will be complete before the rapture - and as the Bride of Christ, before the wedding in Revelation 19. Some who believe in God and are killed are present at the wedding - as guests, but not as part of the Bride.
How do people become believers without the Holy Spirit indwelling other people on earth at that time?
This happens exactly the same way as it did before Christ came. It has always been salvation by faith.
"Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness."
Abram is not part of the Body and Bride of Christ. He is however, a believer.
God's 144,000 Jewish witnesses (Revelation 7:4), selected from the 12 tribes of Israel, will go forth proclaiming Christ as Messiah. These 144,000 men are sealed by God and are commissioned to go and call the Jews from the four corners of the world to repentance.
I feel quite safe in assuming that they will be given everything needed for their unique ministry during the great tribulation.
I assume you do not doubt God will equip those whom He calls?
These 144,000 Jews are “sealed,” which means they have the special protection of God. They are kept safe from the divine judgments and from the wrath of the Antichrist.
But aren’t those 144,000 evangelists preaching the word of God after the Rapture of the church?
And again, who told you the Holy Spirit will re gone from Earth during the Tribulation? Someone has been lying to you, very skillfully, apparently.
These witnesses are testifying to the Coming King.They do this in concert with the Two Prophets who also appear.
The 144000 are proclaiming the soon arrival on Earth of the Messiah Whom Israel rejected. The 144000 will be ‘preaching’ the imminent arrival of the Kingdom because the King will be arriving in a precise amount of time calculable by the signing of the pact with the antichrist. There are also two witnesses and an Angel in this campaign of proclamation.
Well different folks have their interpretation of Revelation. One group says that when the church is Raptured (no mention of the churches after Chap.3) and since the H/S resides with the church, then He’s gone away with them. That’s one school of thought.
And my argument is that you are trying to assure affluent white American Christians that they will not have to face persecution because, hey, rapture will save you.
But what if the persecution comes and the rapture doesn't come, because the rapture is still in the future? Maybe the next antiChrist will not be the one of end times, but a lesser one like Nero, or Stalin, or Mao, and American Christians face losing their job or being jailed for their belief in Christ?
How many will apostasize because they are mad they have to face persecution instead of being raptured? Christians are being persecuted, jailed, and even and martyred right now you know. Or don't Arab, Nigerian or Chinese Christians count in your version of these prophecies?
The coming persecution may not be the one of end times.
You should be encouraging Christians to stay strong in faith when they face persecution, not dividing them into arguing with each other with a dogma that most Christians reject.
“As it says: In the days of Noah - it’s talking about that time not some Rapture thing.”
No, that verse in Matthew 24 is talking about Jesus’ return - and it will happen like it did with Noah. And who back in the days of Noah were “taken”? The evil people - Noah and his family remained.
So, as in the days of Noah, who will be left in the field and who will be taken? The evil people will be taken. But you are correct, it isn’t talking about some rapture thing.
Agreed.
“ And my argument is that you are trying to assure affluent white American Christians that they will not have to face persecution because, hey, rapture will save you.”
Thank you for giving me a second opportunity to point out your claim is nutso.
Believers of every socioeconomic group, color, tongue, tribe, and nation will be raptured together.
There is no back of the rapture bus.
In the meantime, in this world, we have trials and at times persecution.
When Jesus instructed John to write, He was speaking to seven churches specific and to seven ages of the One True Church. And that is not the Roman Church. we are presently in the Laodicean epoch, the last age of the Church before God closes down His Grace offering to humankind.
The epochs of the churches overlap and are mixed together in any given century or centuries. ALL of the manifestations of faithfulness to Christ are represented in the seven churches. All seven lampstands are seen in Heaven when John is drawn up to the throne room of God. All believers since the Day of Pentecost preaching by Peter are the members of the Body of Christ. Think of this Body of Believers like one would refer to 'the student body of a specific college'.
There is an event, a real happening known as the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ where every member of the Body of Christ will be 'reviewed', some will receive crowns of reward yet there will be some who receive no rewards and are characterized as retaining only their position in Heaven for their belief, having accomplish no sanctification because of whatever for not allowing God's abiding Presence intheir born again spirit to change their behavior mechanism sufficiently to be of use to The Lord during their time on Earth as born agains. They stans at the Bema Seat Judgment as 8if naked,without life for rewarding.
All these attending the Bema Seat Judgment are processed through IN HEAVEN before the seven sealed scroll which unleashes the Tribulation is opened by The Lamb of God (see Rev 5). The ones who go before the Bema Seat of Judgment are the redeemed, blood bought members of the Born Again Body of Crist.
Anyone tell8ing you that the Holy Spirit leaves the Earth, abandons His place here when the Rapture removes the Body of Crist is wrong. God's Spirit is not so limited that He cannot be restraining through the Body fo Christ and then active once that Body is snatched away prior to the wrath of God poured out in ever increasing severity upon the unbelievers left on the planet.
It might help to think of time of this tribulation as having a focus in Jerusalem and effective across the entire world, as uf two tongues of fire arestriking the Earth. The end of the Age of Grace for the Body of Believers ends with the Rapture removal of the Believers, in Jerusalem and around the world. The seven years of Jacob's troubles are focused upon putting an end to the denial of Messiah while ' testing the earth inhabitants for a last chance to believe in The Deliverer, The Messiah, The Lord Christ, before God begins a new Age via His Holy Spirit in The King ruling The Kingdom for 1000 years.
However, the millions of Russian, Chinese, Asian, Arab and African believers who died over the last 100 years and are still facing persecution today because they believe in Christ are never mentioned by those preaching this doctrine.
That pales in comparison to the millions upon millions who where tortured and murdered by the Catholic church.
The parable is given for and to the Jews, not The Body of Believrs CHURCH.
Ridiculous
No born again believer is going to be left behind in the rapture..
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The Rapture is Christ meeting believers in the air - not on earth, as at the second coming.
No, it is not.
http://aloha.net/~mikesch/psttrib.htm
http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/millen.htm
Why would the Bride be beaten up along with the ungodly right before the Marriage Feast of the Lamb? Is that logical?
Those who endure to the end will be saved. We are never promised to be taken out of this world before the second coming.
Placemarker
Luke 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Luke 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Luke 17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Luke 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
Where Lord?
“Taken” as in left for the birds of prey to devour their dead bodies”
His Matthew 24 Explained Rightly Divided is good too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxIUpkLi7Ck
So again, if the Holy Spirit is gone or held back, how are people going to be able to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Savior?
Once everyone is marked with either the mark of the beast or the seal of God, that’s it. It is done and decided. No second chances. No more Holy Spirit help to determine salvation. Then the plagues start. At the end of that Christ returns. (there is no pre trib rapture)
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