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As you consider this post, also consider the fact that there have been too many American Presidents who have been trying to legislate peace in the middle east for too long of a period of time. The truth of the matter is that there will not be peace in the middle east, or anywhere else on earth, until Christ comes back to earth and sets up His millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom (Zechariah 14, Revelation 19-20, Matthew 24-25). The subject of the tribulation has been described as: “pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib.” Unfortunately, there have been far too many pastors who have added “pan-trib,” saying that it will “all pan out” in the end. Folks, such a statement shows a great lack of respect for the teachings of the Bible that clearly show that the rapture of the church will come, “as directed by God,” prior to the beginning of the tribulation, and is know as the “pre-tribulation rapture of the church. (Mid-trib means that all believers in Christ (including little babies) will have to go through the first half of the judgments of the tribulation. Post tribulation means that all believers in Christ (including little babies) will have to through all of the judgments of the tribulation. The “off the cuff” insult to God’s Holy Word, that things “will just pan out,” is totally incorrect. God has a plan, which will not just “pan out,” as a result of “happen stance.”) This subject is too serious not to be taught. Too many believers in Christ think that they will have to go through the tribulation, or parts of it, and will also be subjected to the Battle of Armageddon, which is also totally false. Remember the purpose of the leaders of the church, Ephesians 4:11, “equip the saints.”
The following link tells us about the man who authored the Left Behind Series of books.
The man who wrote the Left Behind series, Tim LeHaye, was traveling on an airliner. He noticed a pilot flirting with a stewardess. He also noticed that the pilot was wearing a wedding ring. The thought came to Dr. LeHaye about the coming of Christ in the air for the rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) at such a time that he was observing. Dr. LeHaye soon wrote his first book on the events that surround the rapture of the church, which was titled “Left Behind.” The rapture of the church, which is the coming of Christ in the air to take His believers out of this world, prior to the beginning of the tribulation period (the 70th week of Daniel). This event precedes the second coming of Christ when He will come for judgment of the world, which will come at the end of the tribulation (7 years after the rapture of the church) (Matthew 24:21, 29-30). The teaching of this subject is greatly ignored, and often scorned. The subject of the rapture of the church is taught in clear detail in the Bible, but is not being taught in many Christian congregations; it is an event that is like none other. Let me encourage you to follow this blog and study the posts that relate to this subject. The posts that relate to the end of times can be found by selecting the category of “Journey.” As is shown in the linked article, Tim LeHaye had been the pastor of the congregation where Dr. David Jeremiah is now the Senior Pastor.
God has been very good to me by putting very gifted teachers of the end times in my life. He has also given me a great desire to study things that relate to the end times. Let me encourage you to equip yourselves with study tools that will help you to gain a better understanding of “the Revelation (singular) of Christ (Revelation 1:1). One such tool is the MacArthur Study Bible. Its notes in the book of Revelation, and other books of the Bible, will provide you with information about the end times that may not have been provided to you by other pastors or teachers.
Consider the teaching of this post, “Left Behind I.” Other posts that relate to the Left Behind series and the end times will follow.
Matthew 24:8-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
(note) It is important to know that Christ is speaking to Jews (the church had not yet been established) about things that relate to “left behind Jews” who will experience the judgments of God during the tribulation. Much of that which Christ said in this passage would not have had any meaning to Gentiles; e.g., “the Sabbath.” The Sabbath is a sign between God and the Jews, and is to be kept by the Jews (Exodus 33:13). During the time of tribulation, “left behind Gentiles” will also be subjected to the judgments of God (seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments).
8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains.
Persecutions Predicted
9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name.10 Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.
The persecutions that are discussed are also known as “birth pains,” “birth pangs,” and sorrows, vs 8. Consider the commentary on verse 8 from the MacArthur Study Bible.
Famines, earthquakes, and conflicts have always characterized life in a fallen world; but by calling these things “the beginning” of labor pains, Christ indicated that things will get notably and remarkably worse at the end of the era, as these unique tribulations signal the soon arrival of Messiah to judge sinful humanity and set up His millennial kingdom. Cf. 1 Thes. 5:3; Rev. 6:1–17; 8:1—9:21;16:1–21;
The rapture of the church is not the second coming of Christ, when our Lord will return from Heaven and stand on the Mount Of Olives in Jerusalem. During the tribulation Christ will inflict a series of judgments on all “earth dwellers” (those who missed the rapture because they had not been born again). The purpose of the events of the tribulation will be to judge sin and to bring Israel to accept Jesus as Messiah (Daniel 9:24). The Anti-Christ will be under the control of God. God will not be just an observer; He will be in control of the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, and the bowl judgments, which will come upon all of those that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10). No one who is present during the tribulation will be exempted from God’s judgment. Those whom have been born again, and have the Spirit of God dwelling within their Spirits, will not be among those “earth dwellers.” At the time of the rapture of the church, all of those whom have been born again will be removed from the earth. At that time, the only dwellers on earth will be those whom have not been born again; those whom do not have the Spirit of God dwelling within their spirits. Those “unborn again” earth dwellers, and only they, will be the objects of God’s judgments. Such people cling to the things that are not of God, and Heaven. We, whom are born again, are citizens of Heaven and therefore cling to Heavenly matters because of the influence that God’s Holy Spirit places within our spirits (John 16:7-11). Those, whom have not been born again, are minus the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within their spirits, have no understanding of spiritual things (1 Cor 1:18; 2:14), and have no Spiritual leading and influence in their lives. Such people, which have not been born again, (Gentile or Jew) will have the opportunity to accept Jesus as Messiah during the tribulation, and will most likely become martyrs of the Anti-Christ and become tribulation martyrs. To believe that “all” people in the world will go through any part of the tribulation, is to also believe that little children and little babies will also be the objects of the judgments of God. If anyone has any misunderstanding about the severity of the judgments of God, a quick look at those judgments should provide a much clearer understanding of God’s love vs his stern judgment. Check out the seal judgments (Rev 6:1-17); the trumpet judgments (Rev 8:2-9:21; 11:15-19); and the bowl judgments (Rev 15-16). As opposed to the harshness of God’s wrath that will follow when Christ returns to earth for judgment, there is a verse of encouragement for those of us who will have been raptured out of this world.
Titus 2:11-13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It is a “blessed hope” that we believers in Christ have, as we await his coming in the air to take us out of this world, which will protect us from the tribulation and judgments that will soon follow.
Consider the Words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, as they relate to His protection and love for His people.
Matthew 11:28-30 New King James Version (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The love of Christ for his people is very clear in Mt 11:28-30. But, did He “very conveniently” leave out of that conversation that His people would have to suffer, along with all those whom are not His people, the horrible conditions of the judgments of the tribulation? I think not! Consider, also, the love that Christ expressed for His Church, which is His Bride/His born again believers of the world that is expressed in Eph 5:25.
Ephesians 5:25 New King James Version (NKJV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Jesus is the “bridegroom of all bridegrooms.” He tells all of us that His love for us (the born again body of Christ/his bride) is such that he loved us so much that “He died for us.” Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, courted us and “stole our hearts from the unbelieving world.” His Word told husbands to love “their wives.” But, are we to believe that Jesus is going to leave His bride in the world to face the persecution of the Anti-Christ and God’s directed seal, trumpet and bowl judgments? I think not!
During the tribulation, Christ will not be present on earth; He will be judging the earth. Consider where His believers will be; we will be with Him, in Him. When we were born again, our spirits became inhabitants of the Spirit of Christ, and Christ became an inhabitant of our Spirits, as we read in the following verses.
John 10:30 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
30 The Father and I are one.” (note: God the Father and God the Son are literally “One”)
John 14:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves (note: God the Father and God the Son dwell within “The Other”)
John 14:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. (note: the Spirit of God dwells literally “in our spirits.” He does not dwell within the spirits of the unborn again world)
John 14:20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. (note: we see the literal dwelling of the God-Head in us, and us in the God-Head ‘Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. (note: we are literally, “in Christ”)
Colossians 1:27 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (note: Christ is literally, “in us)
Future posts will discuss scriptures that describe the rapture of the church and the Judgment Seat Of Christ “for rewards for believers in Christ;” the tribulation, the Anti-Christ, and the judgments of God (seal, trumpet, bowl judgments); the martyred tribulation saints (those which came to Christ during the tribulation) and the two slain witnesses which are resurrected; the dragon/Satan, the Anti-Christ/the Beast, the false prophet/a religious leader; the woman of Revelation 12 and the 144,000 Jewish missionaries; the mark of the beast; the preparation for the Battle of Armageddon; the marriage of the lamb and the marriage supper; the second coming of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon (with the accompanying raptured saints and angels); the resurrection of the other saints of all times (Old Testament and tribulation saints); the 1,000 year reign of Christ and the binding of Satan; the loosing of Satan and the Battle of Gog and Magog; the resurrection of those which were not born again and the Great White Throne Judgment (for those not born again); the lake of fire (for Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and for those not born again); the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem; eternity for God’s born again people with God and the Lamb.
This post is one of many that can be found in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to find the Journey posts. If you click onto the following link you will be able to follow the blog and receive automatic updates.
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Eternity 