Pro and Con 715

Posted 3-20-01

Incoming email

Subject: Rahab
Where did you read that Satan once lived on a planet named Rahab which is now the asteroid belt? You are the first person that I have ever heard mention this. In Christ

My reply

I didn't read it in man's writings. As far as I know, I am the first person to have figured it out from clues in the Bible. I wanted to know what the cherubims and flaming sword that turned every way in Gen. 3:24 were. I also wanted to know what Ezekiel's visions of the cherubim in chapters 1 and 10 meant. I spent 7 years reading about an 18" stack of books from BIOLA (Bible Institute of Los Angeles) Library's Seminary Collection every week. In all that time, I couldn't find answers to those questions. Authors would either leave that part out or go off on trip of fancy I couldn't swallow. In utter desperation, I opened my Bible, put my hands on it and said, "Lord! you're going to have to show me. I want to know everything you want man to know about the Bible, all the deep things, everything." Little by little, I began to be able to piece this puzzle.

The first breakthrough was when I started looking up almost every word in Eze. 1:4f in Strong's Concordance. Verse 4 says, "I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. The Hebrew word for brightness is "nogah, sunlight." OK! Ezekiel looked up in the sky and "the heavens were opened" (1:1). He "saw visions of God." He saw "a fire enfolding itself." Yes! He saw the Sun. Amber could be burnished brass. That fits the Sun too.

In 1:15, it says "one wheel upon the earth." I thought, "What wheel does Earth have?" Her orbit. OK! We have a vision in the sky. The Sun is in the center, the Earth is orbiting around the Sun, and there is "a wheel in the middle of a wheel" (1:16). Of course, all the terrestrial planets orbit the Sun in concentric orbits, like wheels in the midst of wheels. It took more time to learn than to tell. I'll just give you some highlights.

Over their heads, farther out in space, Ezekiel saw something else. It had a rainbow around it. Well. You know that fits Saturn and its rings. Years later, after I had written my first book, I found out that Ezekiel really did see Saturn, as I surmised. Verse 26 says, "above the firmament (expanse of space) that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it." What cinched it was when I grabbed Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary and looked up sapphire. What a surprise. I had an electric like shock go through me as I whispered, "Then it's true." Sapphire means dear to the planet Saturn, from the Sanskrit "sani" Saturn and "priya" dear. The throne is Christ's. Verse 27 really talks about from the equator upward and from the equator downward. Some version of the Bible I read translated it as equator. The Hebrew translated "loins" in the KJV is "mothen, waist, i.e., equator.

II Cor. 12:2 says, "I knew a man (Paul himself) in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the THIRD HEAVEN" (1 Mars, 2 Jupiter, 3 Saturn).

Josephus, a Pharisee priest, said that the candlestick "spread itself into as many branches as there are PLANETS, INCLUDING THE SUN among them...these branches carried seven lamps, one by one, in imitation of the number of planets" (Ant. III. VII. 7). They knew of the naked-eye planets. Therefore Earth was represented by the central light (1 Sun, 2 Mercury, 3 Venus, 4 Earth, 5 Mars, 6 Jupiter, 7 Saturn), and Saturn was the "third heaven." It all dovetails nicely.

Back to the cherubim. Verse 13 (New Scofield Bible) says, "As for the likeness of the living creatures (chajoth, lively things, i.e., flying things), their appearance was like burning coals of fire." That fits the planets. They shine like stars in our night sky. Verse 16 says that all "four had one likeness," so they all look like coals of fire. All four had "the likeness of a man" (adam, red earth, ruddy, like adamah, earth, i.e., clay soil).

Their feet (extremities, limbs; astronomers call the edge of a celestial disk its limb) were "like the sole of a calf's foot" (i.e., round) (1:7). Bit by bit the picture fell into place.

In the 2nd vision, Ezekiel 10:2 says, "Go in between the wheels (orbits of the terrestrial planets), even under THE CHERUB (Satan), and fill thine hand with coals of fire FROM BETWEEN THE CHERUBIMS (planets), and scatter them over the city" (Jerusalem). This asteroid called Wormwood in Rev. 8:11 seems to be in a cometary orbit that brings it close to or crossing Earth's orbit. It is probably an NEA (Near Earth Asteroid). It is probably a binary asteroid, since 2 large pieces hit Earth (Rev. 8:8,10). The smaller rocks that fall probably are released when the binary splits apart at the Roche Limit, about 11,000 miles out.

In Eze. 28:12-16, it is talking about Satan as the "king of Tyrus (rock)." Satan is king of a rock. This rock seems to be a planet in "the midst of the stones of fire" (10:16), i.e., in the midst of planets that look like coals of fire.

Eze. 28:13-16 says, "Thou (Satan) hast been in Eden the garden of God (both earthly and heavenly ones); every precious stone (symbol of planets) was thy covering (surroundings), the sardius (1 Mercury), topaz (2 Venus), and the diamond (3 Earth), the beryl (4 Mars), the onyx (5 RAHAB), and the jasper (6 Jupiter), the sapphire (7 Saturn), the emerald (8 Uranus), and the carbuncle (9 Neptune), and gold (10 Pluto): the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth (guards, i.e., guards the way to Heaven, Gen. 3:24); and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God (Saturn); thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire (on Rahab, number 5 out of 10 planets). Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I WILL CAST THEE AS PROFANE OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD (Saturn): AND I WILL DESTROY THEE, O COVERING (guarding) CHERUB, FROM THE MIDST OF THE STONES (rocks, planets) OF FIRE." Satan was driven out when Rahab split apart.

Then there was once a planet where our Asteroid Belt is. It was Satan's planet "in the midst of the stones of fire" until it was split apart forming the Asteroid Belt. Gen. 3:24 says, "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east (planets rise in the eastern sky) of the garden of Eden Cherubims (planets), and a flaming sword (an asteroid) which turned every way (rotated as it orbited in a circle), to keep (guard) the way of (to) the tree of life" (Christ, in Heaven).

Isa. 51:9 says, "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD (Christ, Isa. 53:1); awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut (lit., SPLIT) RAHAB, AND WOUNDED THE DRAGON" (Satan). The Lamsa Bible says, "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake as in the ancient days, as in the generations of old. Surely it was thou that didst DECREE A SEVERE SENTENCE THAT DIDST SLAY THE DRAGON."

I believe that since that time, Satan has lived on a piece of Rahab, an asteroid. Isa. 22:16-19 says, "What hast thou here? (Babylon) and whom hast thou here (the Satan possessed False Prophet), that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he (Satan) that heweth him out a sepulchre ON HIGH, and that graveth an habitation for himself IN A ROCK ('WORMWOOD,' Rev. 8:11)? Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. He will surely violently TURN AND TOSS THEE LIKE A BALL into a large country (Iraq): there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house. And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down."

That's a very simplified account of the results of many years of study. When I looked up sapphire in the dictionary, I stopped work on what turned out to be my 3rd book and read every word in at least 15 versions of the Bible. I made notes of every verse that had anything to do with Heaven or the Lord's throne. When I was finished, I didn't even have to read all my notes again. In my mind, I knew the Lord's throne was on Saturn. No wonder it has a halo.

What started out as an explanation of Rev. 4 turned out to be a book in its own right, Heaven Found, A Butter and Honey Star. Rev. 4:3 caught my attention. It says, "he that sat was to look upon like a jasper (first stone in the breastplate) and a sardine stone (last stone in the breastplate): and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald" (Judah's stone). Christ is the first and the last. He is both the LORD of the Old Testament and Lord of the New Testament. II Cor. 5:19 says, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." I think his throne is on Saturn. When we stand around him, as in the Preview of the Rapture in Rev. 1:13, I expect to be standing on Saturn. Agape

Incoming email

I was reading you 712 and was interested in the first Scrip. Mal 3:17. The Lord gave me revelation on this about two weeks ago. and I looked up jewels. and then the Lord brought to mind the Scripture in Isa 26:20 about entering into the chamber and shutting the door. Boy, was I excited.

Marilyn, I pray you and Ed are doing well and I'm glad your not as sore as you have been. many blessings.

My reply

Thanks. I have a cough and can hardly talk, I'm so hoarse, but otherwise, we are ok.

Isa 26:20 says, "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast."

The indignation places this at the 2nd Rapture, the Pre-Wrath Rapture on the Day of God's Wrath. I think Mal. 3:17 is also referring to that time.

Mal 3:17,18 says, "they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."

We find jewels in the symbolic view of New Jerusalem in Rev. 21. The wall had foundations with the names of the 12 apostles (12 elders) upon them. "And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones" (21:19). These 12 elders are our Representatives in the government of God.

Jewels suggest the Bride of Christ, and jewels are mentioned twice in Song of Solomon, in 1:10 and 7:1. "Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold....How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman."

Isa. 61:10 says,"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a BRIDE adorneth herself with her JEWELS." Agape

Incoming email

Re: Lift-Off
I have become a real fan of your P&C page. Thinking that the first rapture is possibly only 72 days away now fuels a lot of thought. I guess it is high time to use the remaining space of time to repent and to start bracing for "lift-off". Also, we need to leave unnecessary baggage in the form of grudges behind by forgiving all those that have hurt us in any way regardless of whether we have the first rapture at the end of May or not. Time is very likely fast running out. Hope we all meet in a better world soon. Agape

My reply

You are so right about holding grudges. Any root of bitterness just hurts the person's own self. We should let it all go. We all make mistakes. Forgive and forget. We have more important things to think about.

The Lord has given us this "space to repent" (Rev. 2:21), and we should take advantage of it. Agape

Incoming email

Re: THE RAPTURE--WHEN?--PART 16 THE RAPTURE AND THE NUMBER 50
FWD from CAPPS to Will Leischow:
Will, this information and analysis you sent is really inspired . I can only present so much information without somebody else confirming the information. I think that is the way God reveals things, using more than one person. What you have outlined below is awesome. The timing fits. The "tarrying" fits. I will re-read it several times. With your permission I will send the 5D's and MJ Agee a copy of this.
Please write me again and continue to give your insights. God Bless your studies, and thanks a million for writing me this.

E-mail from Will Leischow to CAPPS:
I've been following your posts with fascination. But something hit me when I read this latest article. First of all, the place names seem to show a progression for Elijah in his journey from the earthly realm to the heavenly realm:
GILGAL= wheel [as in Ezekiel's wheels -the chariot of God]
= rolling or whirling [as in Elijah's whirlwind]
BETHEL= house of God [heaven]
JERICHO= place of fragrance [description of heaven]
JORDAN= the descender/river of God [associated with death and the afterlife]
So we see Elijah being taken by God's chariot to the house of God, a place of fragrance, in the heavenly realm.

You will also notice the different time references that seem to indicate a prophetic time-frame for the first-fruits rapture. [the 3 days, or 3 times, or 3 watches in the night]

Gilgal represents our expectation at Pentecost in 1998. Elijah told Elisha to "tarry here", that is to watch and wait, because although it was close his departure was still future. This represents the beginning of our countdown, the "watches in the night' of Luke 12:38.

Bethel represents our watch at Pentecost in 1999. At Bethel the sons of the prophets suggested that Elijah would be taken "today". Yet Elijah again told Elisha to "tarry here", that is to watch and wait. This represents the end of our "first watch", when everyone was "sure" of our departure.

Jericho represents our watch at Pentecost in 2000. Again the sons of the prophets suggest that Elijah would be taken "today". Of course we all thought it had to be "today" for us as well. But once again Elijah said to Elisha "tarry , I pray thee, here". This represents the end of the "second watch" for us.

Jordan represents Pentecost in 2001. This time 50 sons of the prophets are mentioned. Of course we have the allusion to Pentecost, but we also notice that the sons of the prophets no longer insist that Elijah would be taken "today". Maybe after two disappointments they gave up watching. Could they have uttered the words of 2 Peter 3:4? "Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation?" Today after 3 disappointments there are many Christians who, just as the 50 sons of the prophets, are standing "to view afar off". They are no longer engaged in waiting and watching for the rapture. "Oh sure, the rapture will eventually be a reality, but this waiting and watching and the frustration of failed expectations just takes too much out of me. If it happens it happens. In the mean time I'm just going to live my life like before and concentrate on this that are important." This may be the mind-set of our sons of the prophets. I really believe we are standing at the Jordan. We are about to end the "third watch in the night". I believe this is the "third time" of your brother's prophetic word.

May we be found diligent in "watching and praying" to be accounted worthy to escape. When we are t h i s c l o s e, let us not loose sight of our goal: "the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus". Your brother in Christ

My reply

Thanks for FWD this to me. I never thought of a correlation between the years of tarrying and the cities they passed. It seems to fit. I have also thought of Elijah's ascension as a type of the 2nd Rapture, but as the days of Noah have similarities to the days of Lot, there may be correlations between Elijah and both Raptures.

> > JERICHO= place of fragrance [description of heaven]

Jericho also means "his moon" or "his month." I think Elijah is a type of the Pre-Wrath Rapture on Tishri 1, the anniversary of Jesus' birth on Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets, in BC 5. Tishri 1 will also be the 1st day of the millennial Day of the Lord. There is no other day like it--ever.

There is the Coronation of Christ, the Marriage of the Lamb, the Pre-Wrath Rapture and the Judgment Seat of Christ. Jericho ties in in several ways, 7 trumpets and the wall falling (Eze. 38:20) tie in with that Tishri 1 that starts the Millennium. The harlot, Rahab, and her family were saved because she protected the 2 Israelites and put out the red cord. Sounds like the sheep that live on into the Millennium after the Judgment of the Nations (Mt. 25:31f). Agape

Incoming email

Re: God's children
I visit your sight often. Something keeps bugging me though. The two rapture theory. All throughout scripture, I can't help but see the supreme sovereignty of God in our salvation. I hope to show here how our not being worthy to recieve salvation can be compared to our being worthy or not to be taken in the 1st rapture. Here are just a few of the many verses that are such a comfort to me. John 6:44 (No man can come to me, except the father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.)

John 6:37 (All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.) Hebrew 12:2 (Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;...) He began our faith, and He will finish it...it was all accomplished on the cross. Romans 8:28-31 says is all to me. (And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are THE called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. MOREOVER WHOM HE DID PREDESTINATE, THEM HE ALSO CALLED: AND WHOM HE CALLED, THEM HE ALSO JUSTIFIED: AND WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED. What shall we then say to these things? IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?) You see, God has done it all.....We have done nothing to earn our own salvation. Not even we could muster up faith to believe. The Bible says that even faith is the gift of God. To be born again is a miracle. What about Romans 8:38-39? (For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) Romans 9:16 (So then it is not of him that WILLTH, nor of him that RUNNETH, but of God that sheweth mercy.) I think you may be missing the Big picture here in thinking that some believers will be left behind. You see, in the book of 1John, God lets us know without a doubt if we really are born again into His family, If we love the brethren, we have passed from death unto life. His spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. The issue that I see in the Bible is not whether we might slip and sin or forget to confess a sin and miss the rapture, rather the issue of being worthy to "escape all these things" is do we WANT to sin? If we are truly born again, God's Holy Spirit that lives in us is grieved when we sin and we feel awful until we repent. All of the truly born again believers ARE convicted of sin because the Holy Spirit dwells in them. Marilyn, What if the rapture happens in a moment that you are involved in some sin....a very small one, or one that would merit a lengthy prayer of repentance? Are you left behind because you didn't have time to repent of THAT ONE? Are we able to be so perfect as to know what every thought or action that we have, if it is pleasing to God or may fall short and be considered sin? Knowing that God is perfect and sinless and Holy, we would probably be surprised at what we do, even unknowingly,that IS SIN. The point I am trying to make is that the beautiful picture of our rebirth...is that it has created a new nature in us that does not want to sin. God Judges the heart. Paul did not want to sin, but cried out..Rom 8:24 (O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?) And what of those truly born again believers that are left behind in the 1st rapture? The witness of the Holy Spirit in their spirit that they had experienced before the rapture would be under such heart wrenching doubt, that if they had ever really experienced or tasted of the love of God before the rapture, how could they ever trust it again after having missed the rapture? No, I believe that God's Children are BORN AGAIN. The Spirit of God Dwells IN THEM. You can't say some of these just won't have enough of His spirit to enter into the 1st rapture. It is GOD that seals us with His Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. Also the Bible says that we are not appointed to wrath. We are either in Christ or not in Christ. Anyway, where do you draw the line? How good do you have to be? Marilyn, the Bible says that all of our righteousness is as filthy rags. We can't be good enough to be saved, nor can we be GOOD ENOUGH to be raptured. It is HIS GOODNESS AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN US that makes us worthy to escape all these things.

My reply

> > I hope to show here how our not being worthy to recieve salvation can be compared to our being worthy or not to be taken in the 1st rapture.

They are two different things. Salvation can't be lost. We can't get unborn to God's family any more than we can get unborn to our earthly family. However, the right to be caught up in the 1st Rapture can be lost. In I Cor. 9:27, Paul said, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a CASTAWAY." Paul could not lose his salvation, but he could be a castaway at the time of the 1st Rapture. He made it, for in II Tim. 4:7, he said, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." I expect him to be one of the 24 elders seen on thrones right after the Rapture (Rev. 4:4).

Luke 21:36 says, "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." What could happen to us if we didn't watch and pray? Are the ones who don't watch and pray in danger of being accounted unworthy? Just as Paul ran the race to be accounted worthy, we also need to run the race to win this prize. He said, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14). The prize is the 1st Rapture, when Christ says, "Come up hither" (Rev. 4:1). We need to be accounted worthy to escape the trial that is coming upon the whole world. Rev. 3:10 says, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee FROM the hour of temptation (peirasmou, trial), which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." We are raptured before the trial BECAUSE we have kept the word of his patience. Something is on our heads to do.

> > I will raise him up at the last day

That is the 2nd Rapture. I want in the Bride group that will be raised up at the first day. There are 2 Days of the Son of Man. It is possible to not see the first one, but see the last one. Lu. 17:22 says, "The days will come, when ye shall desire to see ONE of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it." The first Day of the Son of Man is the first trump of God (I Thess. 4:16,17). The last Day of the Son of Man is the "last trump" of God (I Cor. 15:51,52).

> > All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out

All will be gathered up. None can be lost, but which rank in the First Resurrection someone will be raised up in is another story. I Cor. 15:23 says, "But every man in his own order (tagmati, rank): Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming (parousia, appearing, i.e., when the Sign of the Son of Man is seen, Mt. 24:30; Rev. 6:14f)." Christ was raised up in the 1st rank. The time of the 2nd rank is near. The last rank is the Pre-Wrath Rapture.

> > WHOM HE CALLED, THEM HE ALSO JUSTIFIED

That still does not mean that those are caught up in the 1st Rapture. The rest will be called up at the "last trump." Mt. 22:11-14 tells us about a man that did not have on a wedding garment. He was thrown outside the door, "For many are called, but few are chosen." Rev. 17:14 says, "they that are with him (Christ) are, called, and chosen, and faithful."

> > I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God right now, and we are still on Earth. It will be the same for the Tribulation saints.

> > I think you may be missing the Big picture here in thinking that some believers will be left behind.

And people that don't believe any can be left behind risk being left behind. They need to realize what can happen if they are not accounted worthy to escape. The Laodiceans think they have it made, and they don't. Jesus warns them, but will they pay attention? Rev. 3:19 says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." I don't want to be rebuked or chastened. I want to be a Philadelphian. Jesus had no words of condemnation for them, and who did he set the open door before--the Philadelphians (Rev. 3:8).

> > You can't say some of these just won't have enough of His spirit to enter into the 1st rapture.

What do you think the oil stands for in the parable of the 10 virgins? I think that Christ baptizes us with the Holy Spirit (symbol, oil) when we first accept Christ as our own personal Saviour. After that, when we sin, we are quenching the Holy Spirit. I Thess. 5:19 says, Quench not the Spirit." The level goes down. Our cups are not running over any more. We are out of fellowship with our Holy God. We can't lose our sealing, but the wise virgins have oil in their vessels (bodies) with their lamps (the sealing).

I John 1:3-9 says, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have FELLOWSHIP with us: and truly OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER, AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have FELLOWSHIP one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The words "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" takes care of unknown sins. As I understand it, if we confess our known sins, he will wipe all our sins off the books. Then we can have fellowship with our Holy God.

> > It is GOD that seals us with His Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.

But one person may have Pentecost as his day of redemption. Someone else may have the Feast of Trumpets as his day of redemption. I Cor. 15:22,23 says, "in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order (tagmati, rank): Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming" (parousia, appearing, i.e., when the Sign of the Son of Man is seen, not at the Second Advent). There are ranks in the First Resurrection. The head (Christ) has already gone back to Heaven on Ascension Day. Scripture was written without punctuation. We would understand this better if a comma had been inserted after "Christ." We are part of his Body. Therefore we seem to be "the firstfruits unto the LORD" that will be caught up on Pentecost.

> > the Bible says that we are not appointed to wrath.

And that is true. Both the Pre-Trib and the Pre-Wrath Raptures take place before the Wrath of God falls on unbelievers left on Earth.

> > How good do you have to be?

I am not the judge, Christ is. I know that Luke 21:36 tells us what to do. It says, "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."

> > We can't be good enough to be saved, nor can we be GOOD ENOUGH to be raptured.

You are welcome to try it out. Just don't repent of known sins and see what happens. For me, I don't want to take that chance. There is a first trump of God (I Thess. 4:16) and a "last trump" (I Cor. 15:51,52). Paul was saved, and yet he was running the race to win. He did not want to be a castaway. Salvation was not the issue. When he would get his resurrection body and then be caught up to Heaven with the Bride group was.

> > It is HIS GOODNESS AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN US that makes us worthy to escape all these things.

However, you could escape all these things, or you could only escape the Wrath of God. The Bride of Christ "HATH MADE HERSELF READY" (Rev. 19:7). I want to be in that group. The "fine linen is the righteousness (lit., righteousnesses) of saints." That includes both Christ's righteousness imputed to us and our own righteous acts when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Christ's righteousness guarantees that we have a place in Heaven reserved for us. When you get there is your own doing. If you are a wise virgin, you will be caught up in the 1st Rapture. If you are a foolish virgin, you will be caught up in the 2nd Rapture, right before the wrath of God hits Earth. In that case, you would be like Lot, and fire fell that same day (Luke 17:29). Agape

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