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The Rapture Myth=20
Many Christians today, mainly Protestants, have put their faith in a =
peculiar theory commonly called the 'Rapture'. This event, they are =
assured by televangelists, eschatological writers and their own pastors, =
is definitely promised in the Bible they claim, and will save them and =
their loved ones from the 'time of trial', the 'Great Tribulation', and =
the like. That, "in a twinkling of an eye", God will suddenly whisk them =
off the face of the earth and usher them into Heaven, and out of the =
clutches of the Antichrist, False Prophet, and from all the other =
dangers and trials in the days ahead.=20
To give as just one example of the typical Protestant take on the theory =
of the Rapture. I will quote from one of the most renowned Protestant =
writers in the field of eschatology today, Grant R. Jeffrey, in his book =
"The Coming Judgment of the Nations";=20
"The Imminent Rapture of the Saints"=20
"THE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE SAINTS"=20
"The Rapture is one of the most important doctrines in the Bible. =
However, many have avoided studying this subject because it is the most =
supernatural event in the Scriptures. Unfortunately, most discussions =
about the translation of the saints have focused exclusively on the =
question of the timing of the Rapture relative to the Tribulation. While =
the timing is very important, many Christians have lost sight of the =
true purpose of the Rapture. Although this event will remove the living =
saints to heaven to escape the Antichrist, its primary purpose is to =
provide all believers, living and departed, with their eternal =
resurrection bodies.=20
"The 'translation of the saints' will transform our mortal and =
corruptible body into a new resurrection body that will be immortal and =
incorruptible. Our present body is subject to disease, accident and =
death. The Scripture assures us that our present mortal and corruptible =
body is not suitable for heaven, nor is it suitable for us to reign and =
rule with Christ on the earth forever. In order that we may partake of =
all that Christ has promised His Bride, the Church, we must receive a =
new resurrection body. 'Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood =
cannot inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not =
all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of =
an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead =
will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.' (1 =
Corinthians 15:50-52).=20
"THE PROMISE OF THE RAPTURE"=20
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the =
voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in =
Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught =
up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And =
thus we shall always be with the Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).=20
"Some who oppose the teaching of the Rapture declare that the word =
'Rapture' does not appear in the Bible. The original Latin translation =
of the Bible by Jerome, an early Christian scholar, used the word rapere =
to correctly translate 'shall be caught up.' This word rapere was used =
later as the derivation for our English word 'Rapture.' Since the phrase =
'to be caught up' is clearly in the New Testament and was quoted =
extensively by the early Church, we can safely use the word 'Rapture' to =
describe the translation of the saints as outlined in 1 Thessalonians =
4:16, 17."=20
(Grant R. Jeffrey, Chapter 4, 'The Imminent Rapture of the Saints', =
pages 93-95)=20
To begin with, note that, as Jeffrey admits, the primary purpose of =
whatever Saint Paul is describing is not to escape the Antichrist, but =
"its primary purpose is to provide all believers, living and departed, =
with their eternal resurrection bodies." He acknowledges as much, =
because virtually all of what Saint Paul is describing in those =
passages, the very same ones used by pro-Rapturists to bolster their =
theory, is primarily to assure his fellow brethren of the fact of the =
resurrection, not to specify as to its timing, whether pre-, mid- or =
post-Tribulation, or at any other specific point in God's Timetable. =
Again, as Jeffrey notes, Paul's intent is to primarily assure his =
readers of the fact of the resurrection itself. And let's call it just =
that, the resurrection, for that is precisely what Paul is writing =
about. We can thus discuss its particular timing in its proper light.=20
The Bible is very specific as to the timing of the two resurrections;=20
"The Thousand Years"=20
"1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the =
Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that =
ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a =
thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it =
over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the =
thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short =
time.=20
4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority =
to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of =
their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not =
worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their =
foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a =
thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the =
thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and =
holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death =
has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ =
and will reign with him for a thousand years."=20
(Revelation 20:1-7 NIV)=20
As the Bible clearly states, the first resurrection involves all those =
who had been beheaded (or otherwise killed, one would imagine) "because =
of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God" during the =
reign of the Antichrist and False Prophet. "THEY CAME TO LIFE AND =
REIGNED WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS...THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION."=20
At no point in the entire Bible previous to this passage does it ever =
specify as to the timing of this, or any other resurrection. Yet, here =
it is, in black and white. Clearly then, anyone equating the event that =
Paul describes with some supernatural 'escape' from the 'Tribulation', =
whether pre-, mid- or post-, or whatever, has simply read way too much =
into those words, and totally inaccurately. You can argue about all the =
trumpets, and shouts of the Lord all you want, in order to show that it =
happens at some certain point in the 'Tribulation', but no matter how =
many convincing-sounding arguments you can come up with, you still =
cannot take away from what the Bible clearly teaches above.=20
What I believe Paul was writing about is the second resurrection, at the =
end of the 'thousand years', also known as the Millennium. My main =
reason for believing that is because of his letter to the Thessalonians; =
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the =
voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in =
Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught =
up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And =
thus we shall always be with the Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).=20
Here, we have the trumpet blasting, and the Lord descending from Heaven =
with a shout, both sounding very much like they should happen at some =
point at the end of the 'Tribulation', prior to His intervention at the =
Battle of Armageddon (to suggest that it happens anytime previous to =
that particular point is really stretching matters). Yet, even if that =
resurrection were to occur just prior to that final cataclysmic battle, =
why would Jesus deliberately end the lives of His true followers, just =
prior to setting up his seventh, sabbath millennium on the earth? Since =
Christ Himself stated that those in Heaven, in their resurrected bodies, =
neither marry nor divorce, there is no reason to assume that those =
resurrected bodies on earth do so either, since the purpose of marriage =
is procreation. The point is, the resurrected body is one not designed =
for procreation, but for eternal life; both on earth for the millennium, =
as well as Heaven afterwards. There aren't two different types of =
resurrection bodies, in other words.=20
"The Dead Are Judged"
"11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth =
and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I =
saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books =
were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The =
dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the =
books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades =
gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according =
to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of =
fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone's name was not =
found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." =
(Revelation 20:11-15 NIV)=20
Followed immediately by;=20
"The New Jerusalem"
"1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the =
first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the =
Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, =
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a =
loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, =
and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself =
will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their =
eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the =
old order of things has passed away."=20
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" =
Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and =
true." "=20
(Revelation 21:1-5 NIV)=20
It is at the end of the final battle, after Jesus again destroys all =
those rebelling against His authority and casting Satan into the same =
lake of fire as the Antichrist, False Prophet, and the then destiny of =
all not found in the Book of Life, that all the dead, Paul included, and =
ALL THAT ARE STILL LIVING ON THE EARTH AT THAT TIME, (JUST AS PAUL =
THOUGHT MIGHT APPLY TO HIMSELF AND HIS BRETHREN AT THAT TIME) are given =
their resurrection bodies. In other words, THIS IS THE SECOND =
RESURRECTION. And, depending on whether your name is found in the Book =
of Life or not, you will be either resurrected to eternal life, or an =
eternal (second) death.=20
No Virginia, there is no 'escape pod', no 'Hand of God' about to grab =
you, and whisk you off to Heaven in a 'twinkling of an eye' at any point =
during the coming 'Tribulation'. It is a myth, clear and simple, based =
upon poor Scriptural exegesis, hermeneutics, and plain old wishful =
thinking. What is about to befall mankind, is about to befall us all, =
righteous and evil, alike. So when you find yourself, your family and =
other loved ones being swarmed by the many forces of the Antichrist in =
the days ahead, as you stayed an open target for them all the while =
fantasizing about some miraculous 'rapture' when you could have used =
that time to prepare yourselves, and 'get the hell outta Dodge', =
remember that the Bible warned you as to what you could actually expect, =
being a follower of Jesus Christ, during this soon-to-come most awful of =
times;=20
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the =
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be =
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."=20
(Matthew 24:21,22 KJV)=20
Pro-Rapturists claim that these 'elect' are those who become followers =
of Jesus Christ after the Rapture, due to the testimony of the Two =
Witnesses, the 144,000 messianic Jewish 'evangelists', etc., who are the =
only true witnesses apparently 'left behind' to deal with the aftermath. =
That they do one terrific job of evangelizing the remaining human =
population, they say, is witnessed by the 'great multitude' standing =
before the Throne of God and before the Lamb;=20
"The Great Multitude in White Robes"=20
"9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no =
one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing =
before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white =
robes and were holding palm branches in their hands"=20
(Revelation 7:9 NIV)=20
"13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, =
and where did they come from?"=20
14I answered, "Sir, you know."=20
15And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great =
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the =
blood of the Lamb."=20
(Revelation 7:13-15 NIV)=20
These are the 'elect' for whose sake God will 'shorten' the days for, =
just as Christ promised. Yet Jesus also prophesied that it would be the =
'elect' who wouldn't be fooled by the 'great delusion' in the endtimes =
perpetrated by Satan, and his Antichrist and False Prophet. Here, I =
believe it's necessary to quote the bulk of the Olivet Discourse, so =
nothing can be taken out of context;=20
"Signs of the End of the Age"=20
"1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up =
to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2"Do you see all these =
things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be =
left on another; every one will be thrown down."=20
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him =
privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will =
be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"=20
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will =
come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ' and will deceive many. 6You =
will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not =
alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation =
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be =
famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning =
of birth pains.=20
9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and =
you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will =
turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many =
false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the =
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who =
stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom =
will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and =
then the end will come." "=20
(Matthew 24:1-14 NIV)=20
Let's pause for the moment, while I make an important point. Every =
single one of the above 'signs' is 'general' in the sense that they can =
be described as occurring in any given century since the time Christ =
walked the earth. Whether it's earthquakes or apostasy, they all =
happened throughout the entire Church Age, for the past 2,000 years. Now =
Jesus gets very specific as to which sign to watch for;=20
"15"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that =
causes desolation' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader =
understand-- 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. =
17Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of =
the house. 18Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How =
dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing =
mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the =
Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the =
beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. 22If =
those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the =
sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone =
says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not =
believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and =
perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were =
possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time."=20
(Matthew 24:15-26 NIV)=20
In chronological, sequential order then: first, all the 'general signs' =
mentioned above manifest themselves, probably in a very widespread and =
deep level throughout the earth; secondly the specific sign that is the =
'abomination that causes desolation'; and thirdly the 'shortening of =
days for the sake of the elect'. SO FAR, NO GATHERING OF THE ELECT.=20
"26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go =
out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as =
lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will =
be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there =
the vultures will gather.=20
29"Immediately after the distress of those days=20
" 'the sun will be darkened,=20
and the moon will not give its light;=20
the stars will fall from the sky,=20
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken."
30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and =
all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man =
coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he =
will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will GATHER HIS =
ELECT from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."=20
(Matthew 24:26-31 NIV)=20
Ah, there it is, finally. And there's that trumpet blast to boot. =
Straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. So tell me, unless you =
read words and paragraphs backwards, how the 'gathering of the elect' =
occurs anytime before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?? And don't try =
telling me that those verses describe Jesus coming back in secret, =
either. There's absolutely nothing secretive about the above arrival. He =
Himself warned us;=20
"27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the =
west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:27 NIV)=20
Jesus never said anything about gathering two separate groups of His =
'elect' at two separate points at the time of the end. IF HE INTENDED TO =
DO SO, HE WOULD HAVE TOLD US 'AHEAD OF TIME.' DO YOU FINALLY 'SEE' ??=20
Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to stop fantasizing, and face =
the facts of our collective present situation. The 'elect', whether =
Jews, Gentiles, Protestants, Catholics as well as the rest of humanity, =
will go through the terrible trials of the entire 'Tribulation', a =
'shortened' period of time yet still unequalled for its ferocity and =
sheer lethality in all the annals of human history. Think of it, if you =
can do so without losing the contents of your stomach. Of all the =
atrocities that man has perpetrated against man, and there are so very =
many instances since before and after His Words, Christ specifically =
points to this shortened period of time as being without equal, ever, =
and never to be equalled again. Not the Holocaust perpetrated against =
(mainly) the Jews of Europe during the Second World War, nor the various =
pogroms that either the Soviet or Communist Chinese government directed =
against their own people, each numbering tens of millions in each case, =
nor any other period of time in history, but only the still-to-come =
'tribulation' period of the Antichrist is mentioned.=20
So, after, hopefully and finally putting aside our childish, dangerous =
fantasies, let's consider the actual reality of our collective =
situation;
"7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. =
And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and =
nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose =
names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb =
that was slain from the creation of the world.
9He who has an ear, let him hear.=20
IF anyone is to go into captivity,=20
into captivity he will go.=20
IF anyone is to be killed with the sword,=20
with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and =
faithfulness on the part of the saints."=20
(Revelation 13:7-10 NIV)=20
The Book of Daniel reiterates that the Antichrist will first and =
foremost go after the 'saints', the very 'elect' of the Father and the =
Son;=20
23 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom =
that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other =
kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing =
it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. =
After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he =
will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and =
oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The =
saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.=20
(Daniel 7:23-25 NIV)=20
Like his Master Jesus Himself, the master endtime prophet Daniel doesn't =
mention anything about any supernatural 'catching up' of the saints to =
save them from the Antichrist either. What Jesus and His archangel =
Gabriel allowed that hapless prophet to see in the future, just like =
Saint John who wrote down the words of the Book of Revelation some six =
hundred years after him, made him sick to his stomach for days on end, =
even though he knew it wouldn't occur for a long time into the future =
from his vantage point. We have NO idea of exactly how bad things are =
about to get, very, very soon now.=20
Revelation 6:8 states that a full quarter of the human population will =
be killed by the effects of the 'Four Horsemen', by "sword, famine and =
plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth." Three chapters later, we =
learn;=20
14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four =
angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15And the four =
angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and =
year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16The number of the =
mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.=20
(Revelation 9:14-16 NIV)=20
At that time another full third of humanity is lost due to the westward =
march of the 'mounted troops' towards Israel, wherever they hail from. =
Personally, I think they're Chinese, their basic mission to take over =
the very same oilfields Nixon wished to take over circa 1974, but took =
the Americans about thirty more years to actually accomplish the task =
under George W. Bush. No matter, when the Americans (if they're still =
around at that time) see this army approaching, they will tuck their =
tails under their legs, and basically run like hell.=20
So, even before that cataclysmic battle even begins, the Bible predicts =
that at least three billion souls will have been lost, which is slightly =
under just half of the present world population. And in case you're one =
of those cretinous ogre types who would think or say that that's not =
such a bad thing, that the world is overpopulated as it stands and could =
use a good culling, then all I can say is let it begin with the likes of =
you.
Lest we imagine the bulk of these deaths occur in the poor =
underdeveloped and populous nations of the southern hemisphere, almost =
all of the evidence within the Bible appears to suggest that it is =
mostly the developed nations of the northern hemisphere, from the =
destruction in one hour of the rich city of 'Babylon' on, that are at =
least mainly involved. The Antichrist is almost bound to make either =
Europe and/or the United States his base of operations, using the =
military might of both to launch his goal of global domination. Which =
puts those nations that have obviously accepted (and worshiped) him at =
odds not only with the 200 million strong 'oriental' army, but with God =
Himself and His lethal Judgments.=20
Which puts the average citizen (Christian or not) of Europe, Asia and =
North America directly in harm's way of all that is about to occur, =
whether due to the effects of the 'Four Horsemen', those being 'sword, =
famine, plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth' (Revelation 6:8 =
NIV), or the subsequent devastating Bowl Judgments of God's Wrath, which =
includes the westward sweep of the 'oriental' army across Asia and the =
Middle East as only one of those seven.=20
I believe that we should all assume that, in all probability, we are not =
going to survive what is about to come upon us in the next eight months, =
whether we are followers of Jesus Christ or not. In fact, if we continue =
to call ourselves His followers in the face of all upcoming persecutions =
and not deny Him, we most assuredly will be killed,=20
If I have scared the HELL out of you, then that is my literal intention. =
To scare everyone straight;=20
"13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is =
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in =
thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto =
life, and few there be that find it."
(Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)
Assuming that you are a true Christian, with no intention of denying =
Christ no matter what happens in the days ahead, you should assume that =
you will most probably be going through that straight gate at some point =
in the next eight months. That's not fearmongering, that is the reality =
of the situation; that is Biblical endtime prophecy fulfilling itself to =
the letter.=20
What then should be your first priorities be? Obviously, it is to make =
sure that you do enter the straight gate, and not the wide one. Since I =
will be the first to admit that I am the least expert on how to do that, =
to be a good and total Christian, I will leave it to you and your =
Christian conscience to figure out how best to accomplish that most =
vital and foremost of tasks, not just for yourself and your loved ones, =
but also for all your neighbors, as our Lord commanded.
While making that your top priority, making yourself and those around =
you spiritually prepared for the days soon ahead, being physically =
prepared to actually survive them wouldn't be such a bad idea either. =
And apart from telling you that food, drinkable water, fuel and other =
such necessities will be in scarce supply probably by the beginning of =
April 2004, there's not much else I can offer in the way of advice in =
that department, as I'm no expert in wilderness survival either.=20
But that it is to the wilderness you ought to be thinking of heading, if =
you wish to have yourself and your loved ones survive, there is =
absolutely no doubt;
"12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the =
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto =
you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short =
time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he =
persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she =
might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished =
for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the =
woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and =
swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with =
the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have =
the testimony of Jesus Christ."
(Revelation 12:12-17 KJV)
Notice that the woman has two distinct groups of 'children'. One group =
is basically protected from the wrath of the serpent, aka Satan, and =
those that clearly are not.=20
By the way, the Pro-Rapturists leap on that passage and say 'Aha! That's =
us!' referring to the first group, as they imagine that the 'wilderness' =
can somehow be equated with Heaven. But the text is clear that wherever =
this 'wilderness' may be, it is somewhere on earth during the time of =
the persecutions of the Antichrist, and nowhere else.
But what is it that separates the two groups in the first place? Who are =
they, these common followers of Jesus, and what is it that distinguishes =
the first group of Christians from the other? And what is this =
supernatural protection? Exactly how does it protect one from the reach =
of Satan, his Antichrist and their millions of followers in the days =
ahead?
I believe the key to resolving those questions lies in identifying =
exactly who the 'woman' being spoken of in Chapter Twelve might be.=20
But since that involves offending everyone I can think of (including my =
own church), perhaps I should leave that for a later post.
Until then,
Dan
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B><U><FONT face=3DArial>
<P>The Rapture Myth</B></U> </P>
<P>Many Christians today, mainly Protestants, have put their faith in a =
peculiar=20
theory commonly called the 'Rapture'. This event, they are assured by=20
televangelists, eschatological writers and their own pastors, is =
definitely=20
promised in the Bible they claim, and will save them and their loved =
ones from=20
the 'time of trial', the 'Great Tribulation', and the like. That, "in a=20
twinkling of an eye", God will suddenly whisk them off the face of the =
earth and=20
usher them into Heaven, and out of the clutches of the Antichrist, False =
Prophet, and from all the other dangers and trials in the days ahead. =
</P>
<P>To give as just one example of the typical Protestant take on the =
theory of=20
the Rapture. I will quote from one of the most renowned Protestant =
writers in=20
the field of eschatology today, Grant R. Jeffrey, in his book <B><U>"The =
Coming=20
Judgment of the Nations";</B></U> </P><B><I>
<P>"The Imminent Rapture of the Saints"</B></I> </P><I>
<P>"THE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE SAINTS"</I> </P><I>
<P>"The Rapture is one of the most important doctrines in the Bible. =
However,=20
many have avoided studying this subject because it is the most =
supernatural=20
event in the Scriptures. Unfortunately, most discussions about the =
translation=20
of the saints have focused exclusively on the question of the timing of =
the=20
Rapture relative to the Tribulation. While the timing is very important, =
many=20
Christians have lost sight of the true purpose of the Rapture. Although =
this=20
event will remove the living saints to heaven to escape the Antichrist, =
its=20
primary purpose is to provide all believers, living and departed, with =
their=20
eternal resurrection bodies.</I> </P><I>
<P>"The 'translation of the saints' will transform our mortal and =
corruptible=20
body into a new resurrection body that will be immortal and =
incorruptible. Our=20
present body is subject to disease, accident and death. The Scripture =
assures us=20
that our present mortal and corruptible body is not suitable for heaven, =
nor is=20
it suitable for us to reign and rule with Christ on the earth forever. =
In order=20
that we may partake of all that Christ has promised His Bride, the =
Church, we=20
must receive a new resurrection body. <B>'Now this I say, brethren, that =
flesh=20
and blood cannot inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We =
shall=20
not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the =
twinkling of an=20
eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will =
be=20
raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.' (1 Corinthians=20
15:50-52).</B> </P>
<P>"THE PROMISE OF THE RAPTURE"</I> </P><B><I>
<P>"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the =
voice=20
of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ =
will rise=20
first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with =
them in=20
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with =
the=20
Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).</B></I> </P><I>
<P>"Some who oppose the teaching of the Rapture declare that the word =
'Rapture'=20
does not appear in the Bible. The original Latin translation of the =
Bible by=20
Jerome, an early Christian scholar, used the word <B>rapere</B> to =
correctly=20
translate 'shall be caught up.' This word <B>rapere </B>was used later =
as the=20
derivation for our English word 'Rapture.' Since the phrase 'to be =
caught up' is=20
clearly in the New Testament and was quoted extensively by the early =
Church, we=20
can safely use the word 'Rapture' to describe the translation of the =
saints as=20
outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17."</I> </P><I>
<P>(Grant R. Jeffrey, Chapter 4, 'The Imminent Rapture of the Saints', =
pages=20
93-95)</I> </P>
<P>To begin with, note that, as Jeffrey admits, the <I>primary</I> =
purpose of=20
<I>whatever</I> Saint Paul is describing is not to escape the =
Antichrist, but=20
"<I>its primary purpose is to provide all believers, living and =
departed, with=20
their eternal resurrection bodies." </I>He acknowledges as much, because =
virtually all of what Saint Paul is describing in those passages, the =
very same=20
ones used by pro-Rapturists to bolster their theory, is <I>primarily</I> =
to=20
assure his fellow brethren of the fact of the <I>resurrection, </I>not =
to=20
specify as to its timing, whether pre-, mid- or post-Tribulation, or at =
any=20
other specific point in God's Timetable. Again, as Jeffrey notes, Paul's =
intent=20
is to <I>primarily</I> assure his readers of the fact of the =
resurrection=20
itself. And let's call it just that, the <I>resurrection, </I>for that =
is=20
precisely what Paul is writing about. We can thus discuss its particular =
timing=20
in its proper light. </P>
<P>The Bible is very specific as to the timing of the <I>two =
resurrections;</I>=20
</P><I>
<P>"The Thousand Years" <BR><BR>"1And I saw an angel coming down out of =
heaven,=20
having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He =
seized=20
the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound =
him for=20
a thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it =
over=20
him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand =
years=20
were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. <BR>4I saw =
thrones=20
on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I =
saw the=20
souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for =
Jesus and=20
because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his =
image and=20
had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. <B>They =
came to=20
life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead =
did not=20
come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first=20
resurrection</B>. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first =
resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be =
priests=20
of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years."</I> =
</P>
<P>(Revelation 20:1-7 NIV) </P>
<P>As the Bible clearly states, the <I>first resurrection </I>involves =
all those=20
who had been beheaded (or otherwise killed, one would imagine) =
<I>"because of=20
their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God"</I> <B>during =
the=20
reign of the Antichrist and False Prophet. <I>"THEY CAME TO LIFE AND =
REIGNED=20
WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS...THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION."</B></I> =
</P>
<P>At no point in the entire Bible previous to this passage does it ever =
specify=20
as to the timing of this, or any other resurrection. Yet, here it is, in =
black=20
and white. Clearly then, anyone equating the event that Paul describes =
with some=20
supernatural 'escape' from the 'Tribulation', whether pre-, mid- or =
post-, or=20
whatever, has simply read way too much into those words, and totally=20
inaccurately. You can argue about all the trumpets, and shouts of the =
Lord all=20
you want, in order to show that it happens at some certain point in the=20
'Tribulation', but no matter how many convincing-sounding arguments you =
can come=20
up with, you still cannot take away from what the Bible clearly teaches =
above.=20
</P>
<P>What I believe Paul was writing about is the <I>second =
resurrection,</I> at=20
the end of the 'thousand years', also known as the <I>Millennium.</I> My =
main=20
reason for believing that is because of his letter to the Thessalonians; =
</P><I>
<P>"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the =
voice=20
of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ =
will rise=20
first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with =
them in=20
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with =
the=20
Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).</I> </P>
<P>Here, we have the trumpet blasting, and the Lord descending from =
Heaven with=20
a shout, both sounding very much like they <I>should </I>happen at some =
point at=20
the end of the 'Tribulation', prior to His intervention at the Battle of =
Armageddon (to suggest that it happens anytime previous to that =
particular point=20
is <I>really </I>stretching matters). Yet, even if that resurrection =
were to=20
occur just prior to that final cataclysmic battle, why would Jesus =
deliberately=20
<B><I><U>end</B></I></U> the lives of His true followers, just prior to =
setting=20
up his seventh, sabbath millennium on the earth? Since Christ Himself =
stated=20
that those in Heaven, in their resurrected bodies, neither marry nor =
divorce,=20
there is no reason to assume that those resurrected bodies on earth do =
so=20
either, since the purpose of marriage is procreation. The point is, the=20
resurrected body is one not designed for procreation, but for eternal =
life; both=20
on earth for the millennium, as well as Heaven afterwards. There aren't =
two=20
different types of resurrection bodies, in other words. </P><I>
<P>"The Dead Are Judged"<BR><BR>"11Then I saw a great white throne and =
him who=20
was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no =
place=20
for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the =
throne, and=20
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. =
The dead=20
were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. =
13The sea=20
gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead =
that were=20
in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. =
14Then death=20
and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the =
second=20
death. 15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he =
was=20
thrown into the lake of fire."</I> </P>
<P>(Revelation 20:11-15 NIV) </P>
<P>Followed immediately by; </P><I>
<P>"The New Jerusalem"<BR><BR></I>"1Then I saw a new heaven and a new =
earth, for=20
the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no =
longer=20
any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of =
heaven from=20
God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I =
heard a=20
loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, =
and he=20
will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be =
with them=20
and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will =
be no=20
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things =
has passed=20
away." <BR>5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making =
everything new!"=20
Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and =
true." "=20
</P>
<P>(Revelation 21:1-5 NIV) </P>
<P>It is at the end of the final battle, after Jesus again destroys all =
those=20
rebelling against His authority and casting Satan into the same lake of =
fire as=20
the Antichrist, False Prophet, and the then destiny of <I>all </I>not =
found in=20
the Book of Life, that all the dead, Paul included, and <B><I>ALL THAT =
ARE STILL=20
LIVING ON THE EARTH AT THAT TIME, (JUST AS PAUL THOUGHT MIGHT APPLY TO =
HIMSELF=20
AND HIS BRETHREN AT THAT TIME)</B></I> are given their resurrection =
bodies. In=20
other words, <B>THIS IS THE SECOND RESURRECTION. </B>And, depending on =
whether=20
your name is found in the Book of Life or not, you will be either =
resurrected to=20
eternal life, or an eternal (second) death. </P>
<P>No Virginia, there is no 'escape pod', no 'Hand of God' about to grab =
you,=20
and whisk you off to Heaven in a 'twinkling of an eye' at <I>any</I> =
point=20
during the coming 'Tribulation'. It is a myth, clear and simple, based =
upon poor=20
Scriptural exegesis, hermeneutics, and plain old wishful thinking. What =
is about=20
to befall mankind, is about to befall us all, righteous and evil, alike. =
So when=20
you find yourself, your family and other loved ones being swarmed by the =
many=20
forces of the Antichrist in the days ahead, as you stayed an open target =
for=20
them all the while fantasizing about some miraculous 'rapture' when you =
could=20
have used that time to prepare yourselves, and 'get the hell outta =
Dodge',=20
remember that the Bible warned you as to what you could actually expect, =
being a=20
follower of Jesus Christ, during this soon-to-come most awful of times; =
</P>
<P>"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the =
beginning of=20
the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.<BR>And except those days =
should=20
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake =
those=20
days shall be shortened." </P>
<P>(Matthew 24:21,22 KJV) </P>
<P>Pro-Rapturists claim that these 'elect' are those who become =
followers of=20
Jesus Christ <I>after </I>the Rapture, due to the testimony of the Two=20
Witnesses, the 144,000 messianic Jewish 'evangelists', etc., who are the =
only=20
true witnesses apparently 'left behind' to deal with the aftermath. That =
they do=20
one terrific job of evangelizing the remaining human population, they =
say, is=20
witnessed by the 'great multitude' standing before the Throne of God and =
before=20
the Lamb; </P><I>
<P>"The Great Multitude in White Robes" <BR><BR>"9After this I looked =
and there=20
before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every =
nation,=20
tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of =
the Lamb.=20
They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their =
hands"=20
</P></I>
<P>(Revelation 7:9 NIV) </P><I>
<P>"13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are =
they, and=20
where did they come from?" <BR>14I answered, "Sir, you know." <BR>15And =
he said,=20
"These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have =
washed=20
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."</I> </P>
<P>(Revelation 7:13-15 NIV) </P>
<P>These are the 'elect' for whose sake God will 'shorten' the days for, =
just as=20
Christ promised. Yet Jesus also prophesied that it would be the 'elect' =
who=20
wouldn't be fooled by the 'great delusion' in the endtimes perpetrated =
by Satan,=20
and his Antichrist and False Prophet. Here, I believe it's necessary to =
quote=20
the bulk of the Olivet Discourse, so nothing can be taken out of =
context;=20
</P><I>
<P>"Signs of the End of the Age" <BR><BR>"1Jesus left the temple and was =
walking=20
away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its =
buildings.=20
2"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one =
stone=20
here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." <BR>3As =
Jesus was=20
sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. =
<B>"Tell=20
us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of =
your coming=20
and of the end of the age?" <BR></B>4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no =
one=20
deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the =
Christ' and=20
will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to =
it that=20
you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to =
come.=20
7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There =
will be=20
famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning =
of birth=20
pains. <BR>9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to =
death, and=20
you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will =
turn=20
away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many =
false=20
prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase =
of=20
wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to =
the end=20
will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the =
whole=20
world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." "</I> =
</P>
<P>(Matthew 24:1-14 NIV) </P>
<P>Let's pause for the moment, while I make an important point. Every =
single one=20
of the above 'signs' is 'general' in the sense that they can be =
described as=20
occurring in any given century since the time Christ walked the earth. =
Whether=20
it's earthquakes or apostasy, they all happened throughout the entire =
Church=20
Age, for the past 2,000 years. Now Jesus gets very specific as to which =
sign to=20
watch for; </P>
<P><BR><I>"15"<B>So when you see standing in the holy place 'the =
abomination=20
that causes desolation' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the =
reader=20
understand--</B> 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the =
mountains. 17Let=20
no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the =
house. 18Let=20
no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How dreadful it will be =
in those=20
days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight =
will not=20
take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For <B>then</B> there will be =
great=20
distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never =
to be=20
equaled again. <B>22If those days had not been cut short, no one would =
survive,=20
but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that =
time if=20
anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do =
not=20
believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and =
perform great=20
signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. =
25See, I=20
have told you ahead of time."</B></I> </P>
<P>(Matthew 24:15-26 NIV) </P>
<P>In chronological, sequential order then: <B><I>first</B></I>, all the =
<B><I>'general signs'</B></I> mentioned above manifest themselves, =
probably in a=20
very widespread and deep level throughout the earth; =
<B><I>secondly</B></I> the=20
<B><I>specific sign</B></I> that is the 'abomination that causes =
desolation';=20
and <B><I>thirdly </B></I>the <B><I>'shortening of days for the sake of =
the=20
elect'. <U>SO FAR, NO GATHERING OF THE ELECT.</B></I></U> </P>
<P><BR><I>"26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' =
do not=20
go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For =
as=20
lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will =
be the=20
coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the =
vultures will=20
gather. <BR>29"Immediately after the distress of those days <BR>" 'the =
sun will=20
be darkened, <BR>and the moon will not give its light; <BR>the stars =
will fall=20
from the sky, <BR>and the heavenly bodies will be shaken."</P>
<P><BR>30"<B>At that time</B> <B>the sign of the Son of Man will appear =
in the=20
sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.</B> <B>They will see =
the Son=20
of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. =
31And he=20
will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will <U>GATHER =
HIS=20
ELECT</U> from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the=20
other."</B></I> </P>
<P>(Matthew 24:26-31 NIV) </P>
<P>Ah, there it is, finally. And there's that trumpet blast to boot. =
Straight=20
from the horse's mouth, so to speak. <B>So tell me, unless you read =
words and=20
paragraphs backwards, how the 'gathering of the elect' occurs anytime =
<I>before=20
</I>the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?? </B>And don't try telling me =
that those=20
verses describe Jesus coming back in <B><I>secret</B></I>, either. =
There's=20
absolutely nothing secretive about the above arrival. He Himself warned =
us;=20
</P><B><I>
<P>"27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the =
west, so=20
will be the coming of the Son of Man."</B> (Matthew 24:27 NIV)</I> </P>
<P>Jesus <B><I>never</B></I> said anything about gathering two separate =
groups=20
of His 'elect' at two separate points at the time of the end. <B><I>IF =
HE=20
INTENDED TO DO SO, HE WOULD HAVE TOLD US 'AHEAD OF TIME.' DO YOU FINALLY =
'SEE'=20
??</B></I> </P>
<P><BR>Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to stop fantasizing, =
and face=20
the facts of our collective present situation. The 'elect', whether =
Jews,=20
Gentiles, Protestants, Catholics as well as the rest of humanity, will =
go=20
through the terrible trials of the entire 'Tribulation', a 'shortened' =
period of=20
time yet still unequalled for its ferocity and sheer lethality in all =
the annals=20
of human history. Think of it, if you can do so without losing the =
contents of=20
your stomach. Of all the atrocities that man has perpetrated against =
man, and=20
there are so very many instances since before and after His Words, =
Christ=20
specifically points to <I>this shortened period of time </I>as being =
without=20
equal, ever, and never to be equalled again. Not the Holocaust =
perpetrated=20
against (mainly) the Jews of Europe during the Second World War, nor the =
various=20
pogroms that either the Soviet or Communist Chinese government directed =
against=20
their own people, each numbering tens of millions in each case, nor any =
other=20
period of time in history, but <I>only </I>the still-to-come =
'tribulation'=20
period of the Antichrist is mentioned. </P>
<P>So, after, hopefully and finally putting aside our childish, =
dangerous=20
fantasies, let's consider the actual reality of our collective =
situation;</P><I>
<P>"7<B>He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer =
them</B>. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language =
and=20
nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose =
names=20
have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was =
slain=20
from the creation of the world.<BR>9He who has an ear, let him hear.=20
<BR><B><U>IF</U> anyone is to go into captivity, <BR>into captivity he =
will go.=20
<BR><U>IF</U> anyone is to be killed with the sword, <BR>with the sword =
he will=20
be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part =
of the=20
saints."</B></I> </P>
<P>(Revelation 13:7-10 NIV) </P>
<P>The Book of Daniel reiterates that the Antichrist will first and =
foremost go=20
after the 'saints', the very 'elect' of the Father and the Son; </P><I>
<P>23 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth =
kingdom that=20
will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms =
and will=20
devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten =
horns are=20
ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will =
arise,=20
different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will =
speak=20
against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set =
times and=20
the laws. <B>The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and =
half a=20
time. </P></B></I>
<P>(Daniel 7:23-25 NIV) </P>
<P>Like his Master Jesus Himself, the master endtime prophet Daniel =
doesn't=20
mention anything about any supernatural 'catching up' of the saints to =
save them=20
from the Antichrist either. What Jesus and His archangel Gabriel allowed =
that=20
hapless prophet to see in the future, just like Saint John who wrote =
down the=20
words of the Book of Revelation some six hundred years after him, made =
him sick=20
to his stomach for days on end, even though he knew it wouldn't occur =
for a long=20
time into the future from his vantage point. We have <B><I><U>NO</U>=20
</B></I>idea of exactly how bad things are about to get, very, very soon =
now.=20
</P>
<P>Revelation 6:8 states that a full quarter of the human population =
will be=20
killed by the effects of the 'Four Horsemen', by <I>"sword, famine and =
plague,=20
and by the wild beasts of the earth." </I>Three chapters later, we =
learn;=20
</P><I>
<P>14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four =
angels=20
who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15And the four angels who =
had been=20
kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released =
to kill a=20
third of mankind. 16The number of the mounted troops was two hundred =
million. I=20
heard their number.</I> </P>
<P>(Revelation 9:14-16 NIV) </P>
<P>At that time another full <B><I>third </B></I>of humanity is lost due =
to the=20
westward march of the 'mounted troops' towards Israel, <I>wherever</I> =
they hail=20
from. Personally, I think they're Chinese, their basic mission to take =
over the=20
very same oilfields Nixon <I>wished </I>to take over circa 1974, but =
took the=20
Americans about thirty more years to actually accomplish the task under =
George=20
W. Bush. No matter, when the Americans (<B><I>if </B>they're still =
around at=20
that time)</I> see this army approaching, they will tuck their tails =
under their=20
legs, and basically <I>run like hell. </P></I>
<P>So, even before that cataclysmic battle even begins, the Bible =
predicts that=20
at least three billion souls will have been lost, which is slightly =
under just=20
half of the present world population. And in case you're one of those =
cretinous=20
ogre types who would think or say that that's not such a bad thing, that =
the=20
world is overpopulated as it stands and could use a good culling, then =
all I can=20
say is <B><I>let it begin with the likes of you.</P></B></I>
<P>Lest we imagine the bulk of these deaths occur in the poor =
underdeveloped and=20
populous nations of the southern hemisphere, almost all of the evidence =
within=20
the Bible appears to suggest that it is mostly the developed nations of =
the=20
<I>northern </I>hemisphere, from the destruction in one hour of the rich =
city of=20
'Babylon' on, that are at least mainly involved. The Antichrist is =
almost bound=20
to make either Europe and/or the United States his base of operations, =
using the=20
military might of both to launch his goal of global domination. Which =
puts those=20
nations that have obviously accepted (and worshiped) him at odds not =
only with=20
the 200 million strong 'oriental' army, but with God Himself and His =
lethal=20
Judgments. </P>
<P>Which puts the average citizen (Christian or not) of Europe, Asia and =
North=20
America <B><I>directly</B></I> in harm's way of all that is about to =
occur,=20
whether due to the effects of the 'Four Horsemen', those being =
<I>'sword,=20
famine, plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth' </I>(Revelation 6:8 =
NIV),=20
or the subsequent devastating Bowl Judgments of God's Wrath, which =
includes the=20
westward sweep of the 'oriental' army across Asia and the Middle East as =
only=20
one of those seven. </P>
<P>I believe that we should all assume that, in all probability, we are =
not=20
going to survive what is about to come upon us in the next eight months, =
whether=20
we are followers of Jesus Christ or not. In fact, if we continue to call =
ourselves His followers in the face of all upcoming persecutions and =
<I>not</I>=20
deny Him, we most assuredly <B><I>will be killed,</B></I> </P>
<P>If I have scared the <B><I>HELL</B></I> out of you, then that is my =
literal=20
intention. To scare everyone <B><I>straight; </P></B>
<P>"13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad =
is the=20
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in =
thereat:<BR>14=20
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto =
life, and=20
few there be that find it."</P></I>
<P>(Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)</P>
<P>Assuming that you are a true Christian, with no intention of denying =
Christ=20
no matter what happens in the days ahead, you should assume that you =
will most=20
probably be going through that straight gate at some point in the next =
eight=20
months. That's not fearmongering, that is the reality of the situation; =
that is=20
Biblical endtime prophecy fulfilling itself to the letter. </P>
<P>What then should be your first priorities be? Obviously, it is to =
make sure=20
that you <I>do </I>enter the straight gate, and <I>not the wide one. =
</I>Since I=20
will be the first to admit that I am the least expert on how to do that, =
to be a=20
<I>good and total </I>Christian, I will leave it to you and your =
Christian=20
conscience to figure out how best to accomplish that most vital and =
foremost of=20
tasks, not just for yourself and your loved ones, but also for =
<I>all</I> your=20
neighbors, as our Lord commanded.</P>
<P>While making that your top priority, making yourself and those around =
you=20
<I>spiritually prepared </I>for the days soon ahead, being physically =
prepared=20
to actually <I>survive</I> them wouldn't be such a bad idea either. And =
apart=20
from telling you that food, drinkable water, fuel and other such =
necessities=20
will be in scarce supply probably by the beginning of April 2004, =
there's not=20
much else I can offer in the way of advice in that department, as I'm no =
expert=20
in wilderness survival either. </P>
<P>But that it is to the <I>wilderness </I>you ought to be thinking of=20
heading,<I> if </I>you wish to have yourself and your loved ones =
survive, there=20
is absolutely no doubt;</P><I>
<P>"12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to =
the=20
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto =
you,=20
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short =
time.<BR>13 And=20
when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the =
woman=20
which brought forth the man child.<BR>14 And to the woman were given two =
wings=20
of a great eagle, that she might fly into the <B>wilderness</B>, into =
her place,=20
where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the =
face of=20
the serpent.<BR>15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a =
flood after=20
the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the =
flood.<BR>16 And=20
the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and =
swallowed up the=20
flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.<BR>17 And the dragon was =
wroth=20
with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which =
keep=20
the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus =
Christ."</P></I>
<P>(Revelation 12:12-17 KJV)</P>
<P>Notice that the woman has two distinct groups of 'children'. One =
group is=20
basically protected from the wrath of the serpent, aka Satan, and those =
that=20
clearly are not. </P>
<P>By the way, the Pro-Rapturists leap on that passage and say 'Aha! =
That's us!'=20
referring to the first group, as they imagine that the 'wilderness' can =
somehow=20
be equated with Heaven. But the text is clear that wherever this =
'wilderness'=20
may be, it is somewhere on earth during the time of the persecutions of =
the=20
Antichrist, and nowhere else.</P>
<P>But what is it that separates the two groups in the first place? Who =
are=20
they, these common followers of Jesus, and what is it that distinguishes =
the=20
first group of Christians from the other? And what is this supernatural=20
protection? Exactly how does it protect one from the reach of Satan, his =
Antichrist and their millions of followers in the days ahead?</P>
<P>I believe the key to resolving those questions lies in identifying =
exactly=20
who the 'woman' being spoken of in Chapter Twelve might be. </P>
<P>But since that involves offending everyone I can think of (including =
my own=20
church), perhaps I should leave that for a later post.</P>
<P>Until then,</P>
<P>Dan</P></FONT></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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