Finishing Well ...

.. is determinative. The Lord may allow you to take the ultimate test of your obedience and loyalty to Him, perhaps even through the ultimate honor:  martyrdom. Many Christians across the world have faced this test, and are currently doing so.

In the war in which we are engaged if you don't finish well all previous efforts are useless. Lost. They count for nothing. If you say that you are committed to Jesus Christ - and you are tested, required to renounce the name of Jesus on pain of the guillotine -  and your fear causes you to renounce him, take the Mark, and take an oath of obedience to the Antichrist, you are lost for eternity. Satan is lying in wait for you. It's not that you've lost your salvation. You were never saved. You were a CINO - Christian In Name Only. As the Lord himself said: "Ye must be born again." A true Christian will not take the Mark and worship the beast, because he is sealed by the Holy Spirit. He has the mark of God.  

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
¹⁰ The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
¹¹ And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
¹² Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Are you afraid to die? If so, why? There is no such thing as death. A Christian has not yet begun to live.  Life in the flesh is only a shade. A school. A test. A reflection of your real self, your spirit.

FEAR IS THE ULTIMATE LACK OF FAITH. And faith is what is required.

Why do you call yourself a Christian? What is your reason, your motivation, for following Christ? The answer should be the same as His reason for shedding His blood for you: LOVE.

This spiritual war is one of endurance. With God's help I will not be moved. No matter what. I expect the rapture soon, but God has not given me His schedule!  He has promised us (it was not our idea, as some seem to say) that we would not go through the unprecedented tribulation of the end times - the time of Jacob's trouble and unlike any other tribulation that has ever occurred. However, in the meantime there is no reason for me to expect any treatment different from that of my Christian brothers and sisters who are  currently being persecuted, even to death.

ISIS in Iraq is the onset of something entirely different - a drastic escalation of evil and butchery which the world has not known in this age. It would be very naive to believe that it is not coming to the United States. Suddenly. And soon.

Make sure that you are ready to go the distance.

Feast of Pentecost, The Last Trumpet, and The Rapture

Last year I wrote a 4-part blog on the harvest feast of Pentecost, which in 2014 is June 3rd on the Jewish Calendar, and Sunday June 8th on the Christian calendar.  I will not post all four blogs again, but instead will put links to all four below. It is quite an in-depth study, enough so that I re-read the entire four posts myself. But first ....

The Trump of God at the Rapture is Not the 7th Angel's Trumpet  

This is a good time to clear up the confusion of the last trumpet. By the way, I have found more than one site of the "dark side" which look like they were set up for the purpose of defending the 7th angel's trumpet and other prophecy errors (IMO). This is exactly how they twist the Bible to confuse Christians. While the demonic side studies the scriptures more than most Christians, in order to thwart God's plans, what they can never get through their heads is that God's Word reveals itself only to His people.  This is a general principle of the Bible. Many mysteries were kept hidden from Satan the first time around, and the same is true for these end times. There are certain things they will never understand. In fact, I highly suspect them of going to Christian sites for more enlightenment (good luck with that)!

6 “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

⁸ Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

I Cor 2:6-8

 

There are many articles on this subject. I decided to use this one:

The Last Trumpet

by Thomas Ice

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 imperishable, and we shall be changed.

- 1 Corinthians 15:51- 52

It is not unusual for some posttribulationists to think that they have fired a silver bullet which they believe destroys the possibility of the pretribulational rapture teaching. That shot is usually thought to be in the form of the argument relating to " the last trumpet" as found in 1 Corinthians 15:52. Even though some think they have found a slick and simple solution to the timing of the rapture, they fail to realize that the New Testament teaching concerning this issue is more sophisticated than that.

Scripture Or A Survival Guide?

I recall years ago meeting and talking with the late Jim McKeever at a Christian Book Sellers convention in the early 90s. He made the " last trumpet" argument to me at that time. Later I read his book entitled Christian Will Go Through The Tribulation.[1] Judging from the title, I thought it would be a biblical treatise providing thorough reasoning to support the book' s title. It was any thing but that! He basically presented a single argument, (the last trumpet argument), in just a few pages and drew the following conclusion:

If a Christian will put out of his mind all of his preconceived ideas about a Rapture occurring at the beginning of the Tribulation, and will look objectively at what the Scriptures have to say, I believe he will conclude that the Rapture will occur at the end of the Tribulation. 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and that the dead will be raised at the " last trumpet." In Revelation, at the LAST trumpet we see the beginning of Christ' s reign and the FIRST resurrection. Nothing could be simpler. There are no complications, if you accept the fact that the Rapture occurs at the end of the Tribulation.[2]

First of all, I arrived at my pretribulational beliefs through the study of the Bible, thus, I am not going just put them out of my mind when I am challenged to examine the beliefs of others. I doubt the Bereans put their understanding of the Bible out of their minds when " they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). So we are to do just the opposite of what McKeever and others like him when they suggest that we approach any issue with an open mind. I do not want to be open-minded when examining issues, I want to be biblically-minded.

Second, we should not use a reductionist approach to Scripture, as McKeever suggests, when an issue involves a degree of sophistication. Such an approach is often used by opponents of the Trinity and the hypostatic union of Christ. If one applies a reductionist approach to Scripture in relation to the Trinity and the hypostatic union, it would only lead to heretical conclusions.

Third, McKeever frontloads his own approach to the matter by taking the phrase " last trumpet" and equating it with the seventh trumpet in Revelation (11:15- 19). (This is an erroneous assumption that I will deal with later.) McKeever says, " A significant thing is that verse 52 tells us WHEN all of this will occur, and this " at the LAST trumpet. . . . It would then seem reasonable to turn to the book of Revelation to find out something about this ' last' trumpet." [3]

Other than a fraction of this single chapter, which very weakly argues for his " last trumpet" view, the rest of the book (17 chapters and about 350 pages) is a survival guide on how to make it alive through the tribulation. It just so happens that McKeever was a key player in the survivalist movement and he provides great detail, something lacking concerning His biblical arguments for posttribulationism, for how to prepare to survive the tribulation. I have often thought that if one really believes in posttribulationism, then, logically it should lead to survival preparation that would aid the church in going through the tribulation. I am sure that there are a few posttribulationists who have made some preparation, but such preparation appears to be generally lacking with those who hold this view.

Biblical Trumpets

Paul does teach in 1 Corinthians 15:52 that the rapture will take place at the last trumpet. Do posttribulationist like McKeever have a point or is there a better explanation that takes into account the whole counsel of God on this matter? How does Paul' s last trumpet statement harmonize with pretribulationism?

Throughout the Bible there are a number of trumpets being blown. For example in Numbers 10 there are trumpets being used in order to give commands to the people of Israel. For example, a trumpet is used to assemble the people for their journey and another trumpet that signals the start of their journey. There were trumpet sounds that would tell the people to stop and another sound telling them to assemble. Depending upon whether the people were moving are getting ready to move, the last trumpet would signal them to move or if moving, a second last trumpet sound would tell them when to stop. So even in this context, for example, there are multiple " last trumpets."

Trumpets in Revelation

Some midtribulationist and posttribulationists attempt to equate the " last trumpet" in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15- 18. Revelation 11:15, does not say specifically " last trumpet." Instead, the Revelation passage says " the seventh angel sounded." The seventh trumpet is the seventh in a series of judgments. The seventh trumpet is the last in a series of trumpet judgments but it is not the last judgment in the series, seven more judgments (bowls) follow.

The " last trumpet" of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is singular, referring to one judgment, not a sequence of seven. Ellicott notes, " There are no sufficient grounds for supposing that there is here any reference to the seventh Apocalyptic trumpet (Rev. xi. 15), or to the seventh and last trumpet." [4] 

Henry Thiessen agrees:

If he had thought of this trumpet as one of seven, he would undoubtedly have said something like the following: " For when the trumpets will be sounded and the time comes for the last one to sound, the dead in Christ shall be raised." At any rate, there is no ground for identifying the " trump" in 1 Cor. 15:52 with the seventh trumpet in Rev. 11:15. Those in the Revelation introduce fearful judgments upon the world and mankind; this one calls the dead in Christ out of their graves and summons both the ones raised and the believers still living into the Lord' s presence.[5]

If the seventh trumpet in Revelation and the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 are supposed to be a reference to the same thing, then why are there many more months of judgment that follow the supposed last trumpet in Revelation 11. The view that equates the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the seventh trumpet of Revelation does not harmonize in any way.

1 Corinthians 15:52

The context of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is very different than the context of Revelation 11:15. 1 Corinthians 15:52 better harmonizes with 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which says, " For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first." Both passages speak of the rapture, and judgment is absent from both. The trumpet in both are the last or final command that the Lord gives to the church, resulting in the translation of all Believers. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost cites the following reasons as to why the " last trumpet" in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is different from any of the trumpet judgments in Revelation.

There seem to be a number of observations which make it impossible for one to identify these two trumps. (1) The trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52, . . . sounds before the wrath of God descends, while, . . . the chronology or Revelation indicates that the trumpet in Revelation 11:15 sounds at the end of the time of wrath. . . . (2) The trumpet that summons the church is called the trump of God, while the seventh trump is an angel' s trumpet. . . . (3) The trumpet for the church is singular. No trumpets have preceded it so that it can not be said to be the last of a series. The trumpet that closes the tribulation period is clearly the last of a series of seven. (4) In 1 Thessalonians 4 the voice associated with the sounding of the trumpet summons the dead and the living and consequently is heard before the resurrection. In the Revelation, while a resurrection is mentioned (11:12), the trumpet does not sound until after the resurrection, showing us that two different events must be in view. (5) The trumpet in 1 Thessalonians issues in blessing, in life, in glory, while the trumpet in Revelation issues in judgment upon the enemies of God. (6) In the Thessalonian passage the trumpet sounds " in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." In Revelation 10:7 the indication is that the seventh trumpet shall sound over a continued period of time, probably for the duration of the judgments that fall under it, for John speaks of the angel that shall " begin to sound." . . . (7) The trumpet in 1 Thessalonians is distinctly for the church. Since God is dealing with Israel in particular, and Gentiles in general, in the tribulation, this seventh trumpet, which falls in the period of the tribulation, could not have reference to the church without losing the distinctions between the church and Israel. (8) The passage in Revelation depicts a great earthquake in which thousands are slain, and the believing remnant that worships God is stricken with fear. In the Thessalonian passage there is no earth quake mentioned. . . . (9) While the church will be rewarded at the time of the rapture, yet the reward given to " thy servants the prophets, and to the saints" can not be that event. The rewarding mentioned in Revelation 11:18 is seen to take place on the earth after the second advent of Christ, following the judgment on His enemies. Since the church is rewarded in the air, following the rapture, these must be two distinct events.[6]

Conclusion

The last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the final command that Christ provides for His church when He sends the signal to gather us together for the meeting in the sky that we know as the rapture. The contexts of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and that of Revelation 11 are totally different from one another. About the only similarity between the two is that the word "trumpet" is used in both. (Actually the word " trumpet" is not even used in Revelation 11:15- 19. The text actually says, " the seventh angel sounded" (11:15), clearly implying that a trumpet is sounded as noted in Revelation 8:2). The respective contexts are totally different. In 1 Corinthians 15:52, there is the context of things related to the church age, while Revelation 11 speaks of judgment during the tribulation. No such silver bullet argument exists for posttribulationism since I believe that it is clear that the New Testament does not teach such a view. Maranatha!

Endnotes [1] Jim McKeever, Christians Will Go through the Tribulation: And How to Prepare for It (Medford, OR: Omega Publications, 1978).
[2] McKeever, Christian Will Go, pp. 45- 46.
[3] McKeever, Christian Will Go, p. 36.
[4] Charles J. Ellicott, St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians: With a Critical and Grammatical Commentary (Minneapolis: The James Family Christian Publishers, [1887]), p. 325.
[5] Henry C. Thiessen, Will the Church Pass Through the Tribulation? (New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1941), p. 56.
[6] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1958), pp. 189- 91.

__________________________________________

LINKS TO THE FEAST OF PENTECOST BLOGS:

Shavuot - Pentecost - Rapture ?

Shavuot - Pentecost - Rapture - Part II 

Shavuot - Pentecost - Rapture - Part III 

Shavuot - Pentecost - Rapture - Part IV

"....Comfort One Another With These Words"

My understanding of the timing is slightly different, but that doesn't matter He paints a glorious picture, and the hint of a picture below is the first I've ever seen that was close to what I imagine Christ's posture to be when He returns. Dr. Chambers is a wordsmith - so inspiring - enjoy! CMR

A Multitude of Saints Worshiping Around the Throne

by Dr. Joseph Chambers at Paw Creek

Can you imagine a vision more wonderful than to see a multitude of the greatest saints of all the ages gathered together and worshiping around God’s majestic throne?

Their attention in chapter five is the praise and honor they are giving to the Lamb of God because He was worthy to take the sealed book out of His Father’s hand. The Father’s throne is before them and the Seven Sealed Book is in the Son’s possession. Shortly He will begin the process of opening the seals.

But first the great “Lamb of God” must receive the honor due His name and victory. “And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” (Revelation 5:7-9) This song will be the highest praise that has ever been sung by the redeemed saints of God.

When you view the Son of God now called by His redemptive title, “The Lamb of God,” there will be no limits to the Hallelujah that springs from the lips of the redeemed. Angels must be silent while these saints with redeemed bodies show the glory of the New Life they have inherited. There will not be a sour note that arises from these lips of perfection. Shouts and acclamation will know no end for the hours this song must proceed.

You must see the “golden vials” of prayers that they have brought with them to this celebration. Every Holy Ghost prayer that a saint of God has ever offered will be present in these heavenly vials. We may think our prayers are forgotten but the Father and the Son know every prayer we have offered, often in great stress and with a heart rending burden. But know they have triumphed as we know they will and we watch as they are filled with the perfume of the Divine and waft their way up to the highest praise. Great is our God, saints, and our glory is awaiting His finishing hours.

This is the action of His multitude of saints that have triumphed over the world, the devil, and their own flesh to be ready for His rewards. They do not forget in this song that they will soon possess the earth and reign with Him. “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:10-14) We should live every day of our Christian life with this scene in our hearts.

Woe to the man or woman that rejects the literal futuristic vision that God our Father gave to the Apostle John. He saw one great scene after another, each, so perfectly visible that he could paint a picture with words. As the future section of this Masterpiece opened before the Revelator, he saw the Father on His Throne. In the first verse of this Book, the Holy Spirit said, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him…” (Revelation 1:1) The Father gave this vision to His Son and the Son gave it to the Apostle John. I’m saying to all that read and warning you, “Woe to the person that would dare call the Father‘s Revelation to His Son anything less than literal and glorious.” The Father is the author of this, “Masterpiece and I tremble before this Infallible truth”.

The future sections starts in Chapter Four and here is how the drama opened: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Revelation 4:1-3) This vision of God the Father on His Throne is majestic beyond words or human description. 

The excellency of jewels of the rarest quality is employed by John to give us a glimpse into this glory. John did not see the face of God because he could not live with a full view of such Divinity. The splendor of this scene leaves us with unfailing reverence for our Creator and His future plans. The Father was preparing John to understand a perfectly designed ending of redemption. Everything from this point had to be given to the Church so we would never despair for the future.

The great Jehovah God is seated on His throne in the celestial heavens and is fully prepared for the heavenly court. Over six thousand years have passed since a serpent possessed by Lucifer walked into the garden and deceived God’s perfect couple, Adam and Eve. From the venom of lies in the garden, sin has touched every offspring of Adam. The upheaval of the earth by the Noahic flood left its scars on a sin-cursed earth. There is not one element of the created world unspoiled by the flood of evil, and it’s now time for redemption. The celestial city of Jerusalem, now in heaven, and its inhabitants are the only untouched geography in the cosmos, and the court will be held in its temple. David must have had a slight view of this seven-year session. “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” (Psalms 48:1-3)

I’m reminded of the words of Apostle Paul when he sought to excite us of God’s love for us: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (I Corinthians 2:9-11)

We know this drama before John had to be seen as future because the saints are here gathered around the throne of God. They are seated on lesser thrones than the Father’s but in positions of heavenly authority. To add to their authority is the description of them, not as saints, but Elders. Look at the perfect wording. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold”. (Revelation 4:4)

Understand that these twenty four elders cannot be limited in number but rather seen as the church triumphant. The First Testament church is always described with the term “The Twelve Tribes,” or “The Twelve Patriarchs”. The New Testament Church is seen as “The Twelve Apostles, or Disciples” of our Jesus Christ. Together, the twenty-four elders are the Raptured Saints prepared for their role in every event from the Rapture until they inherit the city of New Jerusalem. The city will reflect the same twenty Four elders with the Apostles name on the twelve foundations and the twelve Tribes of Israel on the twelve Gates of Pearl leading into the city. Everything about this scene of our Father on His Throne is future and cannot be imagined in the present church world. Listen and look as John describes what he saw: “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.” (Revelation 4:5-6)

Reading the details of this picture before John is awesome and designed to fill us with the fear of God. Not a fear of dread but the emotion of sweet reverence that causes us to want to be there. Revelation was never meant to be scary or intimidating. Our Father is Sovereign and Omnipotent, but tender and merciful. His longing for us is far greater than we are capable of longing for Him.

The most powerful subject in Holy Scripture is, “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN”. Yet it is so reduced in today’s Church that the majority of Church members do not know the transformation that occurs. If a person is “BORN AGAIN” they are “New Creatures In Christ”. Please take time to listen to the Sermons I am preaching on this subject. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (I Corinthians 1:21) God’s plan for saving souls is the preaching of the Gospel and there is no backup plan. 

Details Of The Rapture ... Followed By Hell On Earth

Note: As with all posts by others, I may not agree 100% with every single word - only 99% :-). Dr Chambers is one of my favorites, at www.pawcreek.org. The Lord has certainly given him a unique descriptive writing gift. Lots of food for thought here, and I agree wholeheartedly with his version here. Enjoy.  CMR - THE EVENT is very soon.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

THE RAPTURE: THE GREATEST UPHEAVAL OF THE NATURAL WORLD by Dr. Joseph Chambers, PAWCREEK

No event that has ever occurred will be more spectacular than the Rapture of the saints. On every front it will defy the wildest imagination of men. Most of this world laughs at the idea of the supernatural powers of God and discounts the possibility. The Book of Genesis’ account of creation has mostly been replaced with some form of natural evolution, even by the church world. But this glorious Rapture will occur and it will be shock and awe. The earth’s population at the time of this event will never forget the display of power and the change it will create.

Nature, as it is presently understood, will begin the process of being totally altered. The physical realm between heaven, the earth, and beneath the earth will be completely changed. Presently there is a gulf or separation between these separate entities, but that appears to vanish almost immediately. The many events during the Seven Years of the Great Tribulation will bring God’s world back to a form of openness similar to what we see in the Genesis picture of creation. The Spirit/spirit world, both from above and beneath, will be open on the earth.

Saints in Heaven will be directly involved in events on the earth. Evil spirits will arise out of the deep and do great harm to the wicked population. The evil characters which are portrayed in a growing number of films, books, and games are Satan’s preparation to make you comfortable with his “coming world order.” 

Not only is the Rapture an incredible display of Holy Ghost power, it is a picture of nature as we now know it turned on its head. Of course, what really occurs is that even nature is going to be redeemed and the new natural world will be completely transformed to a pure and transcending one. The Rapture is actually the beginning of this exploding process. Isaiah saw this picture and prophesied of it occurring. Look at his words of hope, “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 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. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” (Isaiah 26:19-21)

When you consider that the natural results of sin is death and the complete decay of those dead bodies and then we look at the graves losing all power against the righteous dead, it presents a new day. The dust of decayed dead bodies appears to start singing while the resurrection is occurring. When you understand that our DNA, as now understood by scientists, has proven that each cell of a body has the entire code for that entire body, it is not hard to believe this Scripture.

We now see the earth as capturing the body of the dead and returning it to dust, but Isaiah saw the future when the earth “shall cast out the dead.” The whole earth was created to be a supernatural world, but sin reduced nature to be a slave to death. When that slavery is broken, even the earth will echo the praises of God just as Heaven now is filled with His praises. This prophecy by Isaiah is just a little picture of how all creation is going to become a source of His divine will instead of a cursed place. It begins at the Rapture, but will be completed by the end of the Tribulation Period when Jesus returns to set up His kingdom.

Isaiah’s prophecy shows clearly that the entire picture of sin will be changed during this period. People are able to hide sin for a season and appear to escape its consequences. Blood is often split and some people never get caught but that day ends at the Rapture. I repeat the words, “The earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain.” That’s breathtaking truth, my friends. When the “Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants (the wicked) of the earth,” there will be no more hiding. It is said that even the natural earth will “no more cover her slain.” As earth experiences redemption, it will refuse to be a hiding place for the wicked. It was said concerning the wickedness which Israel faced when conquering the promise land “that the earth vomited out the inhabitants.”

This pure earth will become so delightful that “the reapers will overtake the sowers.” The curse with which our earth is presently defined, is already showing desperate signs of travail. Apostle Paul spoke of this to the Romans. “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:21-23)

When you harmonize statesman Isaiah’s prophecy with Apostle Paul’s inspiration, you see an emerging picture of a new world. It is a world where sin is so unwelcome that even nature exposes its rebellion. The Scripture states clearly, “… the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9) It also states that nature refuses rain for anyone that does not properly worship the King of Kings. (Zechariah 14:17) This old earth is very soon to be a praise to its Creator.

All Wicked Spirits will be exposed and judged. The world of fallen angels is soon to be utterly opened and revealed for this world to experience and witness as they are judged. The Rapture removes the saints that have been faithful overcomers and Godly in their lifestyle so the world can be exposed to God’s perfect wrath and judgment. The very central events of the seven years of wrath will be against Satan and his horde of wicked spirits. They must become visible for the world to see so their destruction can be plain and known to all.

Hell in the heart of the earth is presently a prison of the wicked, including demons bound for the past millenniums When the gates between the abode of these diabolical creatures and earth are flung wide no one will doubt the depth in which Satan’s army has fallen. These creatures chose to leave their abode of righteousness and praise to the great God and to follow Satan in his pride and rebellion. There is no bottom to sin and this crowd will represent the worse of the evil one. As they are turned loose on this planet, they will cause the earth to be become a wasteland of immorality and brutality. The Rapture of the saints actually prepares the earth by removing the “Bride in waiting” and the restraining powers of the Holy Ghost. This removal opens the door for the revelation and the manifestation of the wicked one.

Apostle Paul describes this preparation for wickedness. “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” (II Thessalonians 2:2-8)

We must tell the world of this wicked days that cannot be far in the future; in fact, it could begin any day. The only lack of preparation for this horde of evil beings to invade this earth is the “removal of the saints and the resurrection of the righteous dead.” The earth cannot be stripped of the embedded powers of wickedness until the Godly saints that have died are removed out of her grip.

Satan and his fallen angels are a lot more involved in natural phenomena than most people imagine. Nature was created perfect and every act of nature was designed to enhance the lives of mankind. The travail and natural catastrophes of all nature are the results of sin. Satan alone kills, steals, and destroys. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17) After the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the natural earth will see the ultimate acts of a system turned loose to manifest its final throbs of death. “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.” (Acts 19:20) This is our God intervening to cleanse and purify the physical systems that were created as part of His earth.

The Antichrist will have such control prior to the Father’s intervention that He causes fire to come down upon the earth. Note the words of John the Revelator, “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And, he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” (Revelation 13:12-15) It appears that for a brief time Satan will have almost complete control of earth’s natural powers and will use them to try and make himself “god.” He certainly has been cast out of Heaven at this time, but will still have paranormal powers to use nature for his evil design. As great as deception is present, it will be much greater in this final episode.

The Evil Spirits Will Be Loosed for a Season

Revelation chapter nine is a final picture of these diabolical beings turned loose. Please understand that the natural world is presently preserved with a clear limitation imposed on these dark creatures. The entire picture of the “Restrainer” that holds wickedness at bay so that it cannot overrun the earth is a present reality. As dark as Satan’s powers are presently, they are restrained. But, the glorious Rapture changes all of this truth. The “Restrainer” cannot be anyone but the Holy Ghost. This has been one of his offices for all of human existence. Isaiah clearly describes this office. “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19)

When the Restrainer is removed at the Rapture, then nature will experience an upheaval. The enemy has longed for a day in which he can be the god of the world with a free hand. He is already the “god of this world,” but he does not have a free hand. In his end time vision John saw this evil serpent, Satan, as he is cast down to this earth for this short period. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 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.” (Rev. 12:10-12)

I wish I could paint a picture to show these hordes of spirits arising out of hell on this earth. I’m preaching a sermon on the title, “The Rapture: Turning Hell Loose on This Earth.” Look at this picture as described in Revelation. “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” (Revelation 9:1-6)

These creatures, which are described as “locusts,” are given in the language of types. The locust insect is a type because of the utter destruction they cause. They strip whatever they attack and leave nothing behind. The Scripture states clearly that these spirits from hell are turned loose to attack the Antichrist kingdom. An amazing is that Satan’s activities become his own destruction. This has always been true, but now we see it in the final form. There will be servants of God that have washed themselves in the blood of the Lamb and they will have the seal of God in their forehead. While they cannot be attacked by these locust demons, they will certainly be terrorized by a world in which such action is commonplace.

The entire Tribulation Period is so horrible that Jesus Christ warned us to be careful and diligent to escape this dark day. He stated that if not for the shortening of these days no one would escape. “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.” (Matthew 24:21-22)

Luke recorded his words of warning that we might escape. “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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.” (Luke 21:34-36) Listen to the apostate crowd that says going in the Rapture is a piece of cake if you want to be careless but only at your peril.

Conclusion

This old earth is running down. Its depletion is clearly causing travail in nature, weather patterns, and certainly in the dire warning you hear by the environmentalist crowd. It is impossible not to feel the sense of looming crisis and trouble. Nature is still in God’s ultimate control but He is allowing warning to suggest the coming change. It’s the best of times for the saints and the worse of times for the careless and the godless.

Lift up your heads if you are ready and quickly surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ if you are not ready. It is very clear in Scripture that He is coming for the saintly that have forsaken all to follow Him. Apostle Paul said it best. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27) The Bride will be that great company of people who rejected the appeals of the world and were faithful to Him alone.