Pro and Con 636

Posted 11-14-00

Incoming email

...Jack van impe said he has determined a generation to be 51.5 years,hence, the end of the age and the rapture 7 years prior accordingly. I reject this myself, I agree with you...

I wonder how many will lose hope at such a critical time as this and decide they can't last that long? Times are difficult for believers only it seems. The verse that jumps to mind is "even the very elect would be deceived if that were possible".

Am I thinking correctly? November 15 two days away. Six months to ascension day; PLEASE Lord Jesus let it be time, Thank You...God Bless you all! AGAPE

My reply

...When speaking to the scribes and Pharisees in "Mt. 23:33-39, Jesus said, "Ye serpents, YE GENERATION OF VIPERS, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?...I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon YOU may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, ALL THESE THINGS SHALL COME UPON THIS GENERATION. O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM... YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT UNTO YOU DESOLATE."

The temple was burned on Av 10, in 70 AD. From Nisan 8, in 30 AD, when Jesus arrived at Bethany before Palm Sunday, to Av 10, in 70 AD, when the temple was burned, was 40 years plus another 120 days, counted by Jewish inclusive reckoning. That GENERATION OF VIPERS was 40 years plus some extra days.

As Mt. 24 begins, Jesus departed from the temple and said, "There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Then in 24:3, the disciples asked Him, (1) "when shall these things be? and" (2) "what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (aionos, age)?"

The answer to question (1) turned out to be Av 10, 70 AD. It was 40 years plus some extra days. The answer to question (2) was in the fig tree parable. It applies to our days. Mt. 24:32-34 says, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree (Israel); When his branch (klados, scion for grafting, i.e., modern Israel grafted into her roots) is yet tender (apalos, young, i.e., no more than 19, as when they came out of Egypt), and putteth forth leaves (she grew Gaza, Golan Heights, Sinai, and West Bank in the Six-Day War of 1967), ye know that summer is nigh (that war started June 5, summer started June 21): So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it (the 'kingdom of God,' Lu. 21:31, i.e., the Rapture) is near, even at the doors (there are 2 Raptures). Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION (born in 1967, when Israel was 19 years old) shall not pass, till all these things (v. 15-31) be fulfilled."

Mt. 24:14-16 says, "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall THE END come. 15 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:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains." THE END to be referred to in the fig tree parable is the Great Tribulation, the 2nd 1260-day period of the Tribulation.

From 24:15 to 31, we have a sketch of events of the Great Tribulation. Those 1260 days (Rev. 12:6) are the ones to be shortened. Verse 22 says, "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."

We know that those days are shortened to 1040 days. Dan. 8:13,14,17, 26 says, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice (first 1260 days, when Israel can sacrifice), and the transgression of desolation (Mid-Trib, when the False Prophet places the abomination of desolation at the temple), to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed...Understand, O son of man: for AT THE TIME OF THE END shall be the vision....And the vision of the evening and the morning (literal days) which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days." 2300 - 1260 = 1040, so the 1st half of the Tribulation is 1260 days, and the last half is 1040 days, totaling 2300 days for the shortened Tribulation.

This 2300-day period is for our times, the end of this age. Verse 25 speaks of the False Prophet: "he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes (Christ); but he shall be broken WITHOUT HAND." From Iyar 28, when the temple area was retaken by Israel in 1967, to Tishri 1, in 2007 is 40 years plus another 120 days.

I feel confident that Tishri 1, 5768 (Sept. 13, 2007) will be the 1st day of the millennial Day of the Lord. That should be the Day of God's Wrath, when the False Prophet will be deposed "without hand" by the asteroid impacts of Rev. 8:8,10. Counting back by Jewish inclusive reckoning, we find out that the 70th week of Daniel should start on the Feast of Weeks in 2001. Therefore, I expect the Rapture between now and May 28, 2001.

> > "even the very elect would be decieved if that were possible"

Mt. 24:24 says, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great SIGNS (Rev. 13:13,14) and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." That belongs in the Great Tribulation.

II Thess. 2:9-12 says, "him (the False Prophet, the son of perdition), whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and SIGNS (Rev. 13:13,14) and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned WHO BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." This too is in the Great Tribulation, the last 1040 days of the shortened Tribulation.

Incoming email

Re: two witnesses 1260 days. look at Rev 11:6, rain not in the days of their prophecy. Rev 11:12 come up hither. Rev 11:19 thunderings and earthquake and great hail. This ends the no rain for 1260 days. So where does it start? Look at Rev 8:7 hail and fire mingled with blood. Hail is frozen rain. The book is not opened until all the seals are opened; the time Daniel spoke about will not start tell the book is opened. Keep up the good work. in Christ

My reply

It will rain not in the 1st 1260 days of the Tribulation, but it will be a different story when the 2nd half of the Tribulation is suddenly shortened to 1040 days. The 6th seal will be opened on the last day of this age, and the 7th on the very next day, as the Millennium begins.

Just as there is a parenthetic Tribulation added between the end of the 6000th year and the beginning of the millennial Day of the Lord, there is a parenthetic section added between the 6th and 7th seals, between the 6th and 7th trumpets, and between the 6th and 7th vials. Rev. 10:1 to 11:13 is parenthetic. It is between the 6th and 7th trumpets. Rev. 11 goes back to the 1st of the Tribulation, runs 1260 days to Mid-Trib, when Moses and Elijah are killed, and ends 3.5 days into the Great Tribulation, the last half of the Tribulation.

Rev. 8:7 is the 1st trumpet to come out of the 7th seal. It is the 2300th day of the shortened Tribulation. This is the Day of God's Wrath, the 1st day of the Millennium. The hail is of burning rocks that set on fire "the third part of trees...and all green grass. The rocks start to fall the previous day, the last day of this age, when the 6th seal is broken.

Rev. 6:12-17 says, "when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH IS COME (at 6 PM on Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets); and who shall be able to stand?"

Rev. 11:15-19 is on this Feast of Trumpets that begins the millennial Day of the Lord. It says, "the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall REIGN (Christ receives his golden crown) for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast (1st Advent), and art to come (2nd Advent still 7 months future, Eze. 39:12,13); because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast REIGNED. And the nations were angry (Gog's army attacking Israel), and THY WRATH IS COME, and the time of the dead, that they should be JUDGED (at the Judgment Seat of Christ), and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; AND shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth (with the 2 asteroid impacts of Rev. 8:8,10). And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament (containing 2 stone tablets with the commandments written on them): and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail."

This hail could be frozen water as well as the rain of burning rocks, because 1 asteroid impacts the Mediterranean Sea (Zeph. 2:4,5) and destroys Gog's army that is attacking Israel that day (Eze. 38:18-20). When they attack, God's fury comes up in his face, and the asteroid impact stops that united nations' army.

The book is probably a scroll, with seals placed at intervals. As they are broken, the contents of that part of the scroll take place. When the 7th vial is poured out on Earth, "there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, IT IS DONE. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a GREAT EARTHQUAKE, SUCH AS WAS NOT SINCE MEN WERE UPON THE EARTH (there had been before, but not after Adam), so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and THE CITIES OF THE NATIONS FELL: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And THERE FELL UPON MEN A GREAT HAIL OUT OF HEAVEN, EVERY STONE ABOUT THE WEIGHT OF A TALENT (about 100 lbs.): and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great" (Rev. 16:18-21).

The "aster" of Rev. 8:10, called Wormwood, that destroys Babylon is pictured in Rev. 18:21. It says. "a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all."

The asteroid may impact the Mediterranean in the NE, but the globe is turned upside down, so the waters of the Black Sea could overflow Israel too. Jer. 47:2 says, "Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land (Israel), and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the MEN SHALL CRY, and all the inhabitants of the land shall HOWL." Agape

Incoming email

According to I Cor.10:11 everything that happened to the Israelites is written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come. We also know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). I conclude that the Lord's methods don't change a whole lot. You just can't expect him to work on your schedule, his timing is his timing, we must wait on him.

Re: raptures that have already occurred, it's my understanding that in each case the person raptured knew ahead of time that it was going to happen. 1. Enoch - Book of Jasher. 2. Elijah - II Kings 2:3,5,9-11. 3. Jesus - He knew he was leaving as he told the disciples (Luke 24:49, John 15:26, John 16:7) about the comforter coming and that he must leave for that to happen. Of course we Christians know that the Rapture is coming for us, we just don't know for sure when it will be (I Cor. 15:52 and I Thess. 4:15-17).

From Matthew 24:37 and Luke 17:26 we know that the coming of the Lord will be as in the days of Noah. Also Luke 17: 28, 29 says it will be as in the days of Lot. Neither Noah nor Lot were raptured yet they were delivered from destruction. Noah was told by God to board the Ark 7 days prior to the flood. Lot was told by the two angels at even (Gen.19:1) and forcibly removed the next morning (Gen.19:15,16). He got approximately 12 hours notice.

In my opinion I see a strong case for God to tell those of us who are going to be raptured shortly before it happens. It could be a 7 day warning or as little as 12 hours. But who will God tell ? All of us ? I doubt it. Looking at Noah and Lot, God told the man, the head of the family. The man then got his family ready. Apparently Noah had no problem getting his family ready. Not so with Lot. Lot's son's-in-law mocked him and were destroyed. Lot's wife disobeyed and got zapped into a pillar of salt. He and his two daughters escaped. It didn't have to be that way.

Amos 3:7 and John 15:15 lend support to God telling us when he will perform the rapture. I would appreciate your comments...Thank-you.

For those of us out there praying for lost, backslidden and/or unrepentant family members the situation surrounding Lot does give us hope. First of all God told Abraham (Gen.18:17) and Abraham interceded for the rightous, namely Lot and his family. God wants families together in Heaven. In his mercy he provided for Lot's entire family (Gen.19:12) yet it did not work out that way as we know. The key is God did provide. There has to be many of us out here in cyberspace praying for family members. To all of you praying: keep on praying, don't give up. "The effectual fervant prayer of a rightous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

My reply

I think I Thess. 4:13-17 is the first trump of God, the Pre-Trib Rapture. I Cor. 15:51,52 is the "last trump," the Pre-Wrath Rapture. The 1st Rapture is before the Tribulation begins. The 2nd Rapture is just before God's Wrath falls on Earth. The 1st group, out of every nation, is seen in Heaven in Rev. 5:9 before the Tribulation begins when the 1st seal is broken in Rev. 6. The 2nd group, out of every nation, come out of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 7:9,14) and are in Heaven between the breaking of the 6th seal (Rev. 6:12) and the 7th seal (Rev. 8).

> > From Matthew 24:37 and Luke 17:26 we know that the coming of the Lord will be as in the days of Noah. Also Luke 17: 28, 29 says it will be as in the days of Lot.

The 1st Rapture will be as the days of Noah. No fire fell that day. The 2nd Rapture will be as the days of Lot. Lu. 17:29 says, "the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all." Fire will fall that day when God's Wrath hits Earth.

Nu. 10:2-4 says, " Make thee TWO TRUMPETS of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them (both), ALL the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow but with ONE TRUMPET, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel (the elders), shall gather themselves unto thee."

When the 1st trump of God sounds (I Thess. 4:16), the 1st Rapture will take place. Then before God's Wrath falls, on the Day of God's Wrath (the 2300th day of the Tribulation, Dan. 8:13,14), Mk. 13:27 tells us what will take place. It says, "then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the EARTH (the Pre-Wrath Rapture) to the uttermost part of heaven" (those that were taken to Heaven in the Pre-Trib Rapture).

All the saints are gathered "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things that that of Abel. See that ye REFUSE NOT him that speaketh. For if they (as Lot's son-in-laws) ESCAPED NOT who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall NOT WE ESCAPE, IF WE TURNETH AWAY FROM HIM THAT SPEAKETH FROM HEAVEN" (Heb. 12:23-25).

> > Noah was told by God to board the Ark 7 days prior to the flood.

He was told that it would start to rain in 7 days. He had that time to load the provisions. Then on the 7th day, Noah and his family boarded the Ark, the animals came to him in the Ark, the Lord shut the door, and it began to rain.

> > Amos 3:7 and John 15:15 also lend support to God telling us when he will perform the rapture.

...There are other verses you might think about. Mk. 13:23: "take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you ALL THINGS." Mk. 4:22: "For there is NOTHING hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad." Lu. 8:17: "For NOTHING is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad." Lu. 12:2: "there is NOTHING covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."

We need to keep watching and studying Scripture. Too many turn off their search because of Mt. 24:36. However, it was present tense. Jesus did not say that we would never know...We need to follow what Jesus said in Lu. 21:36: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."

Gen. 19:17 says, "when they had brought them (Lot, etc.) forth abroad, that he said, ESCAPE for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain (symbol of Heaven), lest thou be consumed."

Prov. 2:1-7says, "if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous." If we seek for understanding as a miner seeks for the elusive silver vein, we will find the Lord's hidden treasures. The clues are there. We need to mine them. Agape

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1 Thess. 1:10: "wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. as for this scripture, Paul was speaking to the then living saints,otherwise why should he tell them to wait for the son. They were to be delivered, and the wrath that was to come was to going to stop the persecutions of the Jews and the man named Nero Caesar = 666 in Hebrew.

2 Thess. 1: 3-9...Paul is telling the then living saints to be patient until the lord comes in a flaming fire, to deal out retribution to those at that time that were giving the then living saints tribulation, John himself was in "THE (definite article) Tribulation Revelation 1: 9, Therefore, those undergoing THE tribulation, would be saved at the parousia presence V 9. The WE in V 3, the WE in V 4, the you in V 5, the YOU in V 6 and V 7 are not us 2000 years later, cant you see this, why have you listened to the voices of the past, instead of Paul himself? There affliction was going to be stopped, and Christ was going to be revealed with his mighty angels from heaven for them V 7.

You believe in the postponement doctrine that has dumbed down the masses of Christendom, and has brought violence on Gods word...please with an open mind review my file...

Hebrews 10: 37-39, "For yet in a VERY (literal greek, Very Very ) while He who will come, and will NOT DELAY!" How long has your jesus delayed? 2000 years? He was of course talking about the gathering in hebrew 10 : 25.. and that wasn't talking about meeting attendance.. but THE GATHERING!

here is the file...and a child could understand it, "UNLESS YOU BECOME A CHILD YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THE KINGDOM OF GOD" In a spirit of love, in Christ

My reply

> > 2 Thessalonians 1: 3-9...Paul is telling the then living saints to be patient until the lord comes in a flaming fire, to deal out retribution to those at that time that were giving the then living saints tribulation...V 6 and V 7 are not us 2000 years later, cant you see this

No, I can't. II Thess. 1:6-10 says, "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation (within 1 generation [Mt. 23:36], 30 AD to 70 AD) to THEM (the Pharisees who wanted Jesus crucified, etc.) that trouble you;
And (different thought) to you who are troubled (i.e., in any age) REST WITH US (i.e., in Heaven), WHEN the Lord Jesus SHALL BE (in the future) REVEALED FROM HEAVEN (the Sign of the Son of Man seen in the sky after the 6th seal is broken, Mt. 24:30; Rev. 6:14f) with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking VENGEANCE (on the Day of God's Wrath) on them (the last generation of this age, Mt. 24:32-34) that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who SHALL BE (in the future) punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; WHEN he SHALL COME (in the future) TO BE (in the future) glorified in his saints."

Thinking that scriptures written to certain people or groups is only for them in their day could logically lead to throwing out all Scripture today. After all, one could say that all of it was written to someone else, that it was finished when John penned "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" in 96 AD (well after 70 AD), so it is not written to us today. That would be untrue. All Scripture was written to people that lived before us, BUT it is also ALL written for us today.

I Cor. 10:11 explains, "Now ALL these things happened unto THEM for ensamples (tupoi, types): and THEY ARE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, UPON WHOM THE ENDS OF THE WORLD ( aionon, AGES) ARE COME."

II Tim. 3:16 is true in any age or time. It says, "ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

> > You believe in the postponement doctrine that has dumbed down the masses of Christendom, and has brought violence on Gods word.

I'm sorry to have to tell you this, because you seem like you really want to know what is right, but the Preterists are the ones that have "dumbed down" their followers. What they teach about everything happening in 70 AD is just not so. Common sense tells us that. History books would have recorded it. The churches would have been cleaned out. The apostles would have not been left on Earth to spread the gospel to the world. Domitian would not have been able to exile John to the Isle of Patmos. The very fact that "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" was penned about 96 AD should give you food for thought. Since it was recorded after 70 AD, its contents cannot have happened in 70 AD. When God's wrath hits Earth, the "cities of the NATIONS (plural)" will fall (Rev. 16:18). That has not happened. The globe will be turned upside down. Isa. 24:1 says, "the LORD maketh the EARTH EMPTY, and maketh it waste, and TURNETH IT UPSIDE DOWN, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.." That did not happen in 70 AD, nor has it happened since. It is still future.

> > Hebrews 10: 37-39, "For yet in a VERY (literal greek, Very Very ) while He who will come, and will NOT DELAY!"...He was of course talking about the gathering in hebrew 10 : 25. and that wasn't talking about meeting attendance.. but THE GATHERING!

Heb. 10:25 is not talking about the Rapture. Heb. 10:23-25, 35-38 says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together [as in church, Bible studies, prophecy conferences, etc.], as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, AS YE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING [therefore, it is a future day]....Cast not away therefore your confidence [i.e., don't give up if the wait is long], which hath great recompence of reward. For YE HAVE NEED OF PATIENCE [because we have to wait on the Lord many days], that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For YET A LITTLE WHILE [Green's Interlinear, 'a very little while'], and he that shall come will come [in the future], and will not tarry. NOW the just shall live by faith."

We are still living in the same age, the Age of the Church, that they were living in at that time. Christ will come at the Pre-Trib Rapture before this age ends. We have to remember that these things "ARE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, UPON WHOM THE ENDS OF THE WORLD ( aionon, AGES) ARE COME" (I Cor. 10:11). We "have need of patience."

> > "UNLESS YOU BECOME A CHILD YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THE KINGDOM OF GOD"

Be absolutely certain that you are quoting Scripture correctly. I can't find that anywhere.

Mt. 18:3-5 says, "Except ye be converted, and become AS LITTLE CHILDREN, ye shall not ENTER into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me."

Mk. 10:14-16 says, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God AS A LITTLE CHILD, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."

Remember that I Cor. 13:11 says, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but WHEN I BECAME A MAN, I PUT AWAY CHILDISH THINGS."

In your files, you wrote: > > I was influenced by the end time teachings of the organization known as Jehovah's Witnesses....Obviously, they were wrong, and the end did not come soon after that date!...I began to wonder, could it be possible that the second coming of Christ actually took place during the same generation that Jesus came to the first time, but only separated by a mere 35 years? That idea is the farthest idea from the mind set of the all Christian adherents. Yes, It was mine! After that, I just picked up the Bible, by it self, and began to read it with the mind set of a person that actually lived during the first century. This method, to say the least, was very eye opening. The words, soon, near, became meaningful, and also the words, shortly, quickly, and ready. The phrase's "At hand." And "about to be", made more sense to me! All of these words, and expressions of eminency were used in the Bible when speaking about the second coming of Christ. I just could not ignore these obvious eminent words, and Phrases. All of my former beliefs began to melt away. It was a if my eyes were opened wide to the truth!...the Holy Spirit was telling those then living, that the time for the blessed hope, and the appearing of Christ was at hand, near, ready, soon, quickly, about to be. The Holy Spirit was telling them to be ready for the Revelation of Christ second appearing!
---
Titus 2:13 mentions the blessed hope. It says, "Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious APPEARING (at the Rapture) of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." It was not written in 30 AD, but shortly before Paul's last journey to Jerusalem. He had written about the Rapture in I Thess. 4:13-15, the earliest of his letters, but the timing of the Rapture in relation to other end time events was left for John to reveal during his exile at Patmos. He wrote "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" about 96 AD, about 26 years after 70 AD.

John wrote I John between 90 and 95 AD, his gospel was written between 85 and 95 AD, but probably after I John. II and III John were written 90 - 95 AD, and The Revelation of Jesus Christ was written about 96 AD, when Domitian exiled him to the isle of Patmos. It was before Trajan began to rule in 98 AD.

Not only was the Rapture, when Christ will be revealed to us, still future then, the whole of the book of Revelation was written as if the Rapture were "at hand." It is "at hand" in both the 1st and last chapters (1:3; 22:10). The book is written like a play. The setting is when the Rapture is at hand. In 1:19, we see that it covers "the things which thou hast seen (the Preview of the Rapture in the 1st chapter and the 7 churches, i.e., things before the Rapture), and the things which ARE (at the Rapture), and the things which shall be hereafter" ("the things which must be hereafter" the Rapture, 4:1). The "things which must be hereafter" the Rapture are mostly things that will take place in the 70th week of Daniel (Dan. 9:27) that we call the Tribulation.

In Rev. 22:6, the script comes back to the Rapture, which is the setting of the book. Rev. 22:6,7,10 says, "These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done (when the Rapture is at hand). Behold, I come quickly (He comes quickly at the Rapture, 3:11; 2:5; 22:20): BLESSED is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book...Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time (of the Rapture) is at hand." Those looking for the BLESSED HOPE will be BLESSED at the Rapture.

> > the Revelation of Christ second appearing!

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is at the Rapture. At that time, He is revealed to his Bride. His Second Advent, when every eye shall see Him, does not come until Rev. 19:11-16. Agape

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