"THE FIRST OR LAST?" .








"THE FIRST OR LAST?" .
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" The KEY to the Rapture Riddle "
The answer was always there! ........
                                 .....We just needed the KEY.




A Spirit of Confusion

Deep in their souls there are those who wonder, “Is it really true, will we escape the tribulation altogether?” While many Christians do not have the courage or biblical knowledge to disagree, others simply never question and trustingly believe what they are taught. Since views vary from one extreme to another, from a Pre-, to a Mid-, to a Post- Tribulation Rapture, and even those who deny the Rapture altogether, the issue is not only controversial, divisive, and packed with emotion, but deeply confusing.        Therefore, many pastors avoid Rapture issues and prophecy all together, or simply try to make the best of it by saying: “It doesn't matter if Pre-, or Mid-, or Post - Tribulation is right or not, whatever happens, it will all ‘pan out’ at the end.” This obviously reflects their own confusion and lack of conviction one way or the other. At best it is their loving effort not to cause division among believers who hold various views.

What is the “key” to the Rapture Riddle?

For years I returned from prophetic seminars more puzzled than convinced. “How frustrating”, I thought! “Why would God make it this difficult?” I had listened intently, made notes, went home and studied at length, but in the end it was always a barrage of confusion that left me frustrated and annoyed. I would pray and tell God that I must be missing something. "What was it? What is the “key” to understanding whether the church will be removed by Rapture, before, or in the middle, or at the end of the Tribulation period."




       


A MUST READ for every Christian! 
      "THE KEY TO THE RAPTURE RIDDLE"     

         “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath,           
                         but to receive salvation through                       
     Jesus Christ our Lord.”  
1 Thessalonians 5: 9

Although the term Rapture is not found in Holy Scripture, it describes the “taking away”, or “gathering up” of the church to meet the LORD in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) Because the church is not appointed unto God’s wrath, many believe the church will be exempt from what is commonly referred to as the seven year tribulation period, thus the term “Pre”– tribulation Rapture. According to this view, the Rapture must be:

1. Silent  ~ 2. Signless  ~ 3. Imminent

By imminent, this view understands that NOTHING has to be fulfilled before the Rapture can occur. Therefore, millions of Christians believe they could at any moment meet the Lord in the air by being whisked away silently, without a sign, with no prophesied events to precede the Rapture, while unbelievers will be left behind!”

NOTE:
PRE-tribulation scholars are very well aware, that,  if ANY of the above three points fail the test of scripture, the Pre- tribulational view CANNOT stand. Please follow me to examine the rapture riddle to expose the error of all three.  
A plea that dares
...to simplify the Rapture...
by making the FIRST... LAST
    ... and the LAST... FIRST!
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The first key! Wrong questions - equal wrong answers

While I agree with every part of my being that the church is not in any way appointed unto "God’s Wrath", the “first Key to the Rapture Riddle” is to realize the Wrath of God poured out from heaven as it was in the days of Noah and Lot, versus the Great Tribulation are NOT one and the same; - even more, they are the total opposite. 

Whoever equated them as being one and the same, I’m not sure, but I challenge anyone to listen and pay close attention to various preachers, teachers and numerous authors, as they obviously use the terms interchangeably, the very cause of this unending confusion. To “assume” they are the same, is not just a small error, but an eschatological merry-go-round going in circles looking for truth in a corner that does not exist. I dare say it’s time to get off the ride.

What is Tribulation versus God’s Wrath?

Tribulation means troubles, pressure, persecution, thus great difficulties. The word was derived from the torturous practice of placing a heavy rock on a person’s chest, unable to breathe, causing suffocation and death.
In a nutshell, all the tribulations mentioned in the Bible were difficult times for Israel, caused by Gentile kings submitted to pagan gods, their kingdoms and Empires seeking to conquer the earth no matter the cost. With the destruction of the Hebrew people or nation of Israel as their goal, they all exemplified the characteristics of the Antichrist and his armies. They were all types and foreshadows who caused severe tribulation/persecution. 

Why would God permit this? Throuhgout Holy Scripture we find that when Israel refused to repent after numerous tries seeking to bring her back under His wings, God was forced to lift His protection over her, to let her go and do as she wishes, and as such experienced the wrath of Satan, the treatment of the false gods, pagan nations and culture she embraced. As a Father in anguish over His children, He had to permit it, in hopes to stop their spiritual adultery, in hopes to miss Him and return to Him; the very lover of their soul.
It was a time of distress, of sifting and of separation.

In other words, this kind of anger yet anguish by God the Father permitting tribulation for Israel’s children was intended for CORRECTION, while there was still time to repent. In fact, no righteous were ever removed, but suffered even more, a chosen mouth-piece for God to His prodigal people crying out for repentance before it was too late. Although many capitulated to false gods, the righteous remnant stood firm even unto death. When the enemies of Israel utterly sought her destruction, and the remnant of Israel cried out in repentance, God quickly saved and restored. It is no different than the Father who ran with open arms to receive the prodigal son back in His care who had learned the hard way. 

In other words,
the GREAT and Final Tribulation
means the GREAT and Final PERSECUTION by the last evil empire and power,
NOT to be equated with the wrath of God poured out from heaven.

THE BIG CONTRAST- "GOD'S WRATH FROM HEAVEN"

            "It shall be like the days of NOAH and LOT.”
   (Genesis 6 -7; Matthew 24:36-51, 25:1-13; Luke.17: 26-30)

Jesus compared the events of the end of the age and the outpouring of God's wrath DIRECTLY FROM HEAVEN to the days of NOAH and LOT with:
“DESTRUCTION NOT CORRECTION!”

Let us ask ourselves if Noah and Lot were exempt from Tribulation or God’s wrath?

The answer is obvious. The simple fact is this: The flood in the days of Noah and the DESTRUCTION of the earth by water, and likewise the DESTRUCTION of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone during the days of Lot, were "divinely and directly caused by God Himself, poured out directly from HEAVEN". It had absolutely nothing to do with tribulation /persecution, a time of correction, or what man or any superpower on earth can do, not even the devil manifested in the person of Antichrist to come.
Left behind!

Once again, let me appeal to Noah and Lot. Do you for one moment believe that when Noah and his family were removed before the flood, and Lot and his family were removed before God rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, the unbelieving stood around and wondered what happened to the righteous? NO WAY! They were in utter panic and ran for dear life. They were left behind alright, not in a daze, but in the hands of an angry God. They knew God’s Wrath had COME ..... not tribulation. 

Did God get tired?

Furthermore, before God poured out His wrath from heaven, He always removed the faithful remnant of His people, then immediately proceeded to pour out His wrath directly from HEAVEN on those left behind. In both events compared by Christ Himself, Noah and Lot experienced a type of “rapture”, a “gathering up”, a “taking away” immediately before God poured out His WRATH from HEAVEN. Since He always did so immediately and swiftly once the faithful were removed, has it occurred to us to ask: “Why would God silently remove his church by Rapture before “the Tribulation commences, rather than His wrath”, then, have the unbelieving stand around in a daze wondering what happened to millions of people? Furthermore, why does God need “SEVEN YEARS” to pour out His wrath from heaven on the unbelieving left behind?  Did God get tired?” Yet, this is exactly what the Pre-Tribulational view expects us to believe."


Thief in the night

Jesus will come as a thief in the night. However, the passages below do not allude to an imminent, silent and signless Rapture, but describe the element of shock and surprise for the “unbelieving” as “they” will be caught off guard, totally oblivious and unaware of "their" impending judgment. Such was the case of the unbelievers in the days of Noah and Lot. In contrast, Noah and Lot were NOT caught off guard. They were children of light, believing, expecting; thus prepared. Therefore, pay attention to the “they”, the unbelieving, versus the “we”, or “us”, the believers.
 
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11  
“Now, brothers (believers) about times and dates we do not need to write to you for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people (unbelievers) are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

NOTICE THE CONTRAST:
“But you brothers are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, (unbelievers) who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath (God’s wrath) but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

“Encourage each other with these words”, meant don’t worry about your loved ones who died, they even precede you and resurrect out of the grave FIRST to meet the LORD in the air. “THEN you who are still alive and left”, or as the King James says, "those who remain", will be caught up in the air with them, so you will be united with them and be together forever. Contrary to many, I dare say the Rapture of the living does not refer to believers living an everyday life, and certainly not sitting on padded pews listening to soothing music, or flipping out on a spiritual high, with their thumbs on the Rapture button, waiting to get whisked out of here on beds of ease. Rather, it speaks of believers who manage to survive and stay alive during the Great Tribulation, who are still alive and left; those who will endure, those who remain, until the LORD intervenes by the resurrection of the dead and the consequent gathering or Rapture of the surviving church.

DECEIVED BY IGNORING THE RESURRECTION!

While most preachers and teachers focus on the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, Paul's focus was First and primarily to encourage believers who had lost loved ones, those who died, and what would happen to them at the coming of the LORD! In other words, resurrection was the primary issue and the rapture secondary.

1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
   Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise FIRST. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with THEM in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Since the dead will rise FIRST, our understanding of the future Resurrection of believers would obviously give us better insights to the Rapture of the living. Sadly, most Christians only study the resurrection of Christ, not ever their own to come. For many it is not even part of their blessed hope, as their focus and belief is merely on going home to be with the LORD when they die, thus only focus on their spirit. It is without exaggeration that I get a puzzled look whenever I ask about the resurrection of believers. Like ~ what’s the point, the dead are already with the LORD?

Please ponder the following!
To those who accept an imminent, silent, and signless RAPTURE,
I must ask the following:

Since the Resurrection of the dead and Rapture of the living cannot be biblically separated, and the dead rise FIRST,
“Do YOU really believe in a Silent and Signless RESURRECTION? “

Do YOU really believe the most glorious and earthshaking day since creation, namely “Resurrection Day”, on which millions of graves open, will be a "SILENT and SIGNLESS SWOOSH?
Is it biblical, never mind logical?”

Sorry to push YOU into a corner, but if YOU indeed insist on believing in a silent and signless RAPTURE, YOU have no choice but to make the RESURRECTION a mockery. 

It is my firm conviction that millions of “well meaning and devoted Christians” never study their future bodily resurrection, even more, it is not even part of their thinking or consequent hope, and therefore, the enemy was able to deceive them to accept an IMMINENT, SILENT AND SIGNLESS RAPTURE THEORY.

As such, believers do not even realize that they “unwittingly and unknowingly” make a charade of the most glorious day since creation, the very Resurrection of the dead. Can you just hear the enemy laughing at Jesus Christ, trying to make His work a sham? ~ It makes me furious! ~ How about YOU?

No, I do not believe the Rapture issue is a matter of salvation, of heaven and hell, but it is indeed the cause of much confusion, much strife, much division, and will be the cause of a dangerous falling away at the end of the age, when believers realize they are not checking out on the easy bus. I ache when I think of the well-meaning sheep stuck in confusion, even those led to slaughter by false prophets. Considering the times and the issue of confusion, and the many pastors who refuse to teach prophecy and rapture issues, merely talking about going home to be with the LORD when we die, and getting whisked out of here before things get real bad, this is indeed disturbing.

PRAYER: “God have mercy on us! It is utterly astounding and mind-boggling, that Satan could blind us to the very foundation of our faith, the very CRUX of Christianity; the Resurrection! The enemy indeed delights in deception. Never mind the world; he works overtime in our churches. May YOUR word be true, and expose the enemy’s damnable lies. May we know and never forget, the cosmic and earthshaking events associated with the glorious resurrection, guaranteed by Jesus Christ the first-fruits from the dead. (1Corinthians 15:20) May we humble ourselves to LAST place, as this is the key granted by the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to Holy Scripture, to keep us from demonic deception! Only You can help us! Since numerous examples from the Old to the New Testament are given throughout Scripture to attest to the events of the Resurrection to come, to attest to Your faithfulness, - help me to teach! Help me, one of the least, to bring Glory to your Name! AMEN!” 

The Resurrection of the dead is clearly substantiated:

1.) In the Old and New Testament Scriptures, including the Feast of Trumpets, and many prophetic promises.

2.) In the miracles of Jesus Christ, raising people from the dead.

3.) In our Lord’s crucifixion when many people were raised to life, and His own consequent bodily Resurrection.
                
The Feast of Trumpets
             (Leviticus 23: 23-25)              

The "Feast of Trumpets" is Israel’s dark day. It occurs on the new moon, the first day of the Hebrew month Tishri when the primary night light is darkened, because the moon is a mere narrow crescent. On this day, the Israelites were commanded to blow trumpets. It was Israel's final wheat harvest. Jesus often used this well understood event by the people of Israel, to teach about the final harvest of mankind. Likewise, the apostle Paul wrote of the sound of the trumpet associated with the Resurrection and Rapture of the church. The prophets of old often spoke of this day of darkness as the “Day of Judgment.” It was associated with the Resurrection of the dead. Therefore, Jewish graves are often decorated with a Shofar trumpet, the Ram's horn.

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the coming of the Great Day of the LORD!"
(Joel 2: 31, 3:15; Isaiah 13:9-10, 34: 4-8)
(NOTE: Tishri is equivalent to our September as the religious Jewish calendar begins in March at Passover)
What is the “Sign”?

God gave the stars, the very Zodiac, as signs in the heavens. Therefore, the Hebrews studied the stars in relationship to God’s divine plan of redemption. (Zodiac: Hebrew / Mazzaroth, Genesis 1:14-15). As such, one can correctly assume that the Magi from the East were Jewish Astronomers, possibly of those who remained in the East after their Babylonian captivity, looking for “the sign in the stars”, the very birth of their Messiah and King. In contrast, many Babylonians worshipped the sun, moon and stars, the created, rather than the Creator. All the signs of the Zodiac, stars and constellations were associated with the various gods of Chaldean astrologers. (Today's Iraq) Astrology also ascribes to stars personality indicators and direction for daily life. Under the Law of Moses, Astrology was a capitol offense.

True to His word, God gave the star of Bethlehem as the "singular sign" of authenticity at His Son’s miraculous birth. Luke 2 tells us that the GLORY (brightness) of the LORD shone all around the shepherds at Christ’s birth. Therefore, it was not merely in spiritual darkness but in literal darkness that God gave the world a bright light. The unbelieving religious leaders continually asked for many signs to proof Jesus’ authenticity. Knowing their unbelieving hearts, He rebuked them, as He was authenticated at His birth with the star of Bethlehem, and at His baptism when the Father spoke and proclaimed Him as His Son, attesting to His impeccable credentials and authenticity as the Messiah. In addition, Jesus performed numerous miracles, fulfilled prophecy after prophecy, added to the fact that Israel had their prophets and Holy Scripture. (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1: 9-11, 8:11-12).

What is the Sign of your coming?

Since the star over Bethlehem identified the true Messiah in His first coming, the believing disciples asked for a sign concerning His return. (Matthew 24:3) Notice: They asked for a “singular sign”! Jesus in turn warned them that many false prophets and false Christ’s will appear, to perform “numerous (false) signs” to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24: 23-25).

Many have asked:” How are we going to know the real Christ from all those imposters?” This anxious question ignores the need to look up, at the “singular sign in the heavens”, rather than signs and wonders everywhere else, setting ourselves up for deception. Let us put to rest the hearts of His people, to wonder no more. In knowing God and His ways, “His Glory” (brightness) will be revealed in the midst of darkness in the heavens before the Resurrection and consequent Rapture of the church. No counterfeit can do so! Jesus Himself concludes with this concise answer in Matthew 24:23-31 

“The sun will be darkened,
the moon will not give its light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken!
At that time "The Sign" of the son of man will appear in the sky, and all the nations will mourn.
They will see the son of man coming in the clouds of the sky,
with power and “Great Glory”(Shekinah Glory / brightness)
And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call
and they will gather (resurrect and rapture) His elect
from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Exempt from God's wrath
NOT tribulation"