It is truly a shame that more churches do not teach Bible prophecy, almost certainly because of a lack of confidence in having enough understanding to properly address the subject. Still, that is a major part of the job of the church.
The Apostle Paul said that the events leading up to the end of the age should take no believers by surprise in saying to the church: "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess 5:4; and the Lord himself admonished all who read His words of prophecy to understand them ("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:) Mt 24:15). Additionally, the Book of Revelation ("Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein:" ... promises a special blessing on those who read and study it: (Rev 1:3).
So, the Word tells us that we will not be surprised and will recognize what time it is, with the added information that we will not be able to identify the exact actual day nor the hour (Mt 25:13). And then there is this: "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Mt. 24:44. Of course, commentators disagree on exactly who is being addressed in Mt 24; some say the entire chapter is for the Jews; others, not. It's quite possible that circumstances worldwide will be so dire that other thoughts are flooding the mind at the time referred to in 24:44.
So, without getting further into the weeds, it will suffice to say that while we will not know the exact timing of things, we should certainly ascertain the sequence of events leading up to the Day of the Lord.
It seems clear to me that those who passionately study the scriptures (like the Bereans) are the ones who are expecting the Rapture of the Church. As with so many things in Scripture, the Lord reveals more and more to those who make the study of His Word their top priority.
There are two critical components to understanding end time prophecy: 1) The purpose of the Tribulation and 2) The nature of the Church. In this post, when I refer to the Tribulation, I'm talking about the entire 7-year period generally referred to as the Tribulation or the Great Tribulation (a term often applied only to the last 3-1/2 yrs).
The Purpose of the Tribulation
While the Lord told the disciples the general world condition would be one of tribulation, He also identified the Great Tribulation as having a specific beginning and ending. The beginning is when the abomination that causes desolation (in Daniel) is erected in the Temple; the ending is just prior to the Lord's return with His saints, 3-1/2 years later.
Daniel 9:24-27 is decidedly Jewish in perspective, as is the Great Tribulation (the last 3-1/2 yrs). In the O.T. it is called the Time of Jacob's Trouble and its purpose is explained in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 30:1-11 (KJV)
3 For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
4 And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
5 For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
9 But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.
10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.
NOTE that Israel and Judah are not in Britain (British/Israel theology), nor in Independence, MO (Mormons). They are in ... Israel!
The timing is after Israel is gathered back to Israel (v.3), and in v.9 we learn that it will result in the Messianic reference of David once again becoming their king. They were regathered once in 535 BC, but David did not become king; they have had no king at all since around 600 BC. The second regathering began in 1948 and is ongoing.The Lord himself is/will lead them back to Israel (Ez 39:28).
In Verse 11 above God states his dual purpose, which is to discipline Israel in preparation for their King ... and secondly, God will "make a full end of all nations..." who rejected Jesus Christ and persecuted His people.
The New Entity: The Church
The Church is an absolutely new entity, pulling together 'the new man,' the Body of Christ, from both Jews and Gentiles, and having a destiny totally its own, separate from Israel and from the pagan Gentiles, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
For the first time in history, since the Fall, God solved the sin problem which separated Him from his creation. Christ's actions at the Cross reconciled all mankind to its Creator, for anyone who would accept this full pardon. Those who would accept became a part of this new thing - the Church. There were now three groups: Jew, Gentile, and Church (1 Cor 10:32). The Tribulation period is the time God will deal with the first two of these (verse 11 above).
What about the Church? It is holy and blameless (2 Cor 5:21, Hebr 10:14), without sin, because it is made up of those who have accepted Jesus' reconciling sacrifice at the Cross. It is like a chaste virgin (2 Cor 11:2), without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, holy and blameless (Eph 5:27); washed from sin through the Lord's own blood (Rev 1:5), not through any work on our part. (Our works are a result of our salvation and will merit rewards; salvation is FREE.).
The Church, therefore, needs no purification (like Israel) and no punishment (like the nations)..
Therefore, it is not required to go through the Tribulation.
All Jews and Gentiles from the Cross forward have had the invitation extended to accept Christ's sacrifice for them. All Jews and Gentiles who refused that offer are lost. Meanwhile, all those who accepted the offer (the Church) are in the Presence of the Lord until the day their physical bodies are raised and transformed into eternal bodies. When the Church is raptured, that is the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the discipline of Israel, intended to open their eyes and hearts to Jesus, their Messiah, so that a remnant can be preserved (Zech 12:10-13). When the Church is raptured, God will place a great delusion over the minds and hearts of the remaining unsaved Gentiles, who will have no more opportunity.
God has promised to remove the Church before the Tribulation begins in order to be rescued from the time of God's wrath (1 Thess 1:10; 5:9).
There is still time to accept Christ's offer of salvation - at least as of today.
The Apostle Paul said that the events leading up to the end of the age should take no believers by surprise in saying to the church: "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess 5:4; and the Lord himself admonished all who read His words of prophecy to understand them ("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:) Mt 24:15). Additionally, the Book of Revelation ("Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein:" ... promises a special blessing on those who read and study it: (Rev 1:3).
So, the Word tells us that we will not be surprised and will recognize what time it is, with the added information that we will not be able to identify the exact actual day nor the hour (Mt 25:13). And then there is this: "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Mt. 24:44. Of course, commentators disagree on exactly who is being addressed in Mt 24; some say the entire chapter is for the Jews; others, not. It's quite possible that circumstances worldwide will be so dire that other thoughts are flooding the mind at the time referred to in 24:44.
So, without getting further into the weeds, it will suffice to say that while we will not know the exact timing of things, we should certainly ascertain the sequence of events leading up to the Day of the Lord.
It seems clear to me that those who passionately study the scriptures (like the Bereans) are the ones who are expecting the Rapture of the Church. As with so many things in Scripture, the Lord reveals more and more to those who make the study of His Word their top priority.
There are two critical components to understanding end time prophecy: 1) The purpose of the Tribulation and 2) The nature of the Church. In this post, when I refer to the Tribulation, I'm talking about the entire 7-year period generally referred to as the Tribulation or the Great Tribulation (a term often applied only to the last 3-1/2 yrs).
The Purpose of the Tribulation
While the Lord told the disciples the general world condition would be one of tribulation, He also identified the Great Tribulation as having a specific beginning and ending. The beginning is when the abomination that causes desolation (in Daniel) is erected in the Temple; the ending is just prior to the Lord's return with His saints, 3-1/2 years later.
Daniel 9:24-27 is decidedly Jewish in perspective, as is the Great Tribulation (the last 3-1/2 yrs). In the O.T. it is called the Time of Jacob's Trouble and its purpose is explained in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 30:1-11 (KJV)
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.3 For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
4 And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
5 For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
9 But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.
10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.
NOTE that Israel and Judah are not in Britain (British/Israel theology), nor in Independence, MO (Mormons). They are in ... Israel!
The timing is after Israel is gathered back to Israel (v.3), and in v.9 we learn that it will result in the Messianic reference of David once again becoming their king. They were regathered once in 535 BC, but David did not become king; they have had no king at all since around 600 BC. The second regathering began in 1948 and is ongoing.The Lord himself is/will lead them back to Israel (Ez 39:28).
In Verse 11 above God states his dual purpose, which is to discipline Israel in preparation for their King ... and secondly, God will "make a full end of all nations..." who rejected Jesus Christ and persecuted His people.
The New Entity: The Church
The Church is an absolutely new entity, pulling together 'the new man,' the Body of Christ, from both Jews and Gentiles, and having a destiny totally its own, separate from Israel and from the pagan Gentiles, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
For the first time in history, since the Fall, God solved the sin problem which separated Him from his creation. Christ's actions at the Cross reconciled all mankind to its Creator, for anyone who would accept this full pardon. Those who would accept became a part of this new thing - the Church. There were now three groups: Jew, Gentile, and Church (1 Cor 10:32). The Tribulation period is the time God will deal with the first two of these (verse 11 above).
What about the Church? It is holy and blameless (2 Cor 5:21, Hebr 10:14), without sin, because it is made up of those who have accepted Jesus' reconciling sacrifice at the Cross. It is like a chaste virgin (2 Cor 11:2), without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, holy and blameless (Eph 5:27); washed from sin through the Lord's own blood (Rev 1:5), not through any work on our part. (Our works are a result of our salvation and will merit rewards; salvation is FREE.).
The Church, therefore, needs no purification (like Israel) and no punishment (like the nations)..
Therefore, it is not required to go through the Tribulation.
All Jews and Gentiles from the Cross forward have had the invitation extended to accept Christ's sacrifice for them. All Jews and Gentiles who refused that offer are lost. Meanwhile, all those who accepted the offer (the Church) are in the Presence of the Lord until the day their physical bodies are raised and transformed into eternal bodies. When the Church is raptured, that is the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the discipline of Israel, intended to open their eyes and hearts to Jesus, their Messiah, so that a remnant can be preserved (Zech 12:10-13). When the Church is raptured, God will place a great delusion over the minds and hearts of the remaining unsaved Gentiles, who will have no more opportunity.
God has promised to remove the Church before the Tribulation begins in order to be rescued from the time of God's wrath (1 Thess 1:10; 5:9).
There is still time to accept Christ's offer of salvation - at least as of today.
ROYAL HEIR
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