AS CLOSE AS WE WILL EVER GET...

 - By Gene Lawley -http://www.raptureready.com/soap/lawley19.html

As close as we will ever get to knowing the day and the hour before Jesus actually comes is tucked in an overlooked passage of scripture from the Apostle Paul. But first, some background. Just after my 78th birthday in April last year, I was talking with my doctor about my health conditions, and he reminded me that life expectancy for a male now is 77 years. That tells me that I am living on "borrowed time" and it brought me to think of my generation and how it fits into Bible prophecy. (Now, a year later, the immediate future-perhaps six months or so-appears much more ominous, even predictable, than it did then.)In Matthew 24:32-34, Jesus says this: "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near-at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place."

[Emphasis mine]

The fig tree has long been considered a "type", a symbol, for the nation of Israel, and this budding of the fig tree example relates to the restoration of Israel as an independent nation on May 14, 1948. The "dry bones" of Ezekiel 37 take on life, once again. And the generation that sees this happen will see all of the prophetic events Jesus named in His projections just prior to this fig tree example.

How long is a generation? Psalm 90:10 tells us very clearly that it is seventy to eighty years. Here is an astounding "coincidence": Add 70 years to 1948 and the year 2018 comes up, for the beginning of that generation's demise. And we are still within the context of God's "no man knows the day or the hour" of Christ's coming limitation. How is that? It looks like those who live past 70 years are living on "borrowed time", and the uncertainty of our personal longevity is truly in the hands of the Lord. And so it is with "this generation". We can juggle years and months around in an attempt to pin down the time of the "coming of the Son of Man" more closely, but it is conclusive that He will come "as a thief in the night", as the Scriptures repeatedly tell us.

Let's look again at that Psalm 90:10 passage: "The days of our lives are seventy years, and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away" (NKJV). The psalmist apparently was lamenting our struggle, but the fact of God, only, knowing "the day or the hour" of our passing is made evident in that unanswered longevity question for this generation. Note also, at the end of the verse, his expectation at the end of his and our time-"and we fly away". Could this be a subtle reference to the Rapture?

If the Rapture were to occur tonight, the length of "this generation" would include the seven years that are identified as the final "week" of Daniel's prophecy of "seventy weeks of years" (Daniel 9:24-26). Add seventy years to 1948, then subtract seven years and the resulting year is 2011, yet no Rapture occurred then. Is this generation, which now includes believers and non- believers, then living on "borrowed time"? If the calendars match with God's calendar, we are now, in 2013, 65 years into this final generation (1948 +72 - 7=2013, a 65-year period), for the Rapture (in a pre-trib setting) will occur seven years prior to the end of the age and the second coming of Christ. God has given 70-to-80 years as a generation, thus, sometime between 2011 and 2021 the Rapture will likely occur. (Yes, there are people now living well into their 90's and a few into their 100's; it only heightens the uncertainty of the timing of His coming.) What are the converging events that would indicate that the time is near, the "times and seasons" aspect?

Are we, then, close upon the time of the "day of the Lord", the time of the Rapture of the Church and the beginning of the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7)? (Note that Daniel 9:24 identifies that time period having to do with Daniel's people and their Holy City.) The following consideration of current events and Bible prophecies will test the reality of this looming possibility.

The statement of Jesus in Matthew 24:36, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only...", and similar statements and illustrations in all the Gospel accounts, have bothered Bible students for years. Yet, there is no way of getting around what the Scripture says.

In one place (Matthew 24:4), He says this: "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into." Yet, one might quickly think, "If I just knew the hour He is to come, then I would be sure tobe ready", and perhaps many of us have thought just that. However, the strong implication in His statements that we are always to be ready to go to meet the Lord, whether it is to meet Him coming for us, or to meet Him when our temporal lives are over on earth.

A very pertinent scripture to this point is 1 John 3:2-3, "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Like a Thief in the Night

The "like a thief in the night" parallel is commonly related to His coming on the "day of the Lord", and implies "suddenly and without pre-announcement". To highlight the apparent fact that most people will not be prepared for His sudden appearance, Jesus recounts two historical situations which evidence that stark reality in Luke 17:26-30: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:

"They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." These scriptures tell us several important and time-wise things:

1) Most people will not be aware of the signs of the times and what is on their doorsteps. Their lives will be in a "forever rut";

2) These incidents illustrate the Rapture of the Church, the true believers, and it is clear that it will occur before the judgment of God upon the disbelieving world, for no such normal life activities will be possible at any time, "pre-wrath", middle or post tribulation. For when the rider on the white horse enters the scene (Revelation 6), the major struggle for all people will be summed up in one word: "survival";

3) All born-again believers will be raptured, even the most back-slidden one among us. Lot was not the best example you could find of a righteous man in his day-the Angel practically had to drag him out of the city, saying "the Lord cannot judge this people until you are out of the city" (Genesis19:22). Peter says of Lot, "If (God)...delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)- then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." (2 Peter 2:7-9). There will be no "partial" rapture-and any conclusion to the contrary is heresy.

4) The context of Luke 17:26-37 tells us that the Rapture will be sudden and world-wide-daylight for some, darkness of the night for others (thus the confusion of days and hours for each time zone).

Of the Times and Seasons

Paul writes of the transforming miracle in the Rapture: "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality " ( 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). He calls it a mystery and it is, as many of those left behind will be declaring, in wonder-and fear.

He writes of the Rapture event in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 through 5:4 in a contextual account that describes its manner of occurrence and gets as close to revealing "the day and the hour" as anyone will ever get-until the actual event takes place. Most often, it seems, we read and quote 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, perhaps adding verse 18 to finish the chapter, then read no more of the context.

But there are no chapter breaks in the original language that Paul used, and when one reads the passage straight through into chapter 5, there is a continuity of thought that reveals much about the timing of the Rapture that seems to have been missed-at least in my own past observations.

Here is the passage, to verse 4 of chapter 5: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

"But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief."

[Emphasis mine.]

As Close as We Can Ever Get

Note the continuity of the subject, now dealing with when this event will occur. First, he indicates that these believers, and now those of this day, are fully aware of the "times and seasons" of the Rapture. World events are clearly indicative of that period just before the Lord's return. Then, he says the believers know "perfectly" that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night-the uncertainty of the exact moment during the "times and seasons".

The next verse is crucial, for it pinpoints an event that will unleash the judgment of God upon the earth. In the continuity of the text, he writes, "For when they say "Peace and safety", then sudden destruction comes upon them..."

Like a swirling vortex, sucking its victims down one final plunge into oblivion, events of the world seem to be drawn into a central topic of "peace in the Middle East", specifically between the Palestinians and Israel. My Bible search did not find any other use of the term "Peace and safety" that Paul used. The only one that seems to deal directly with the current situation is that of Daniel 9:27, where Daniel writes, "Then he [the one who is of the people who destroys the Holy City] shall confirm a covenant with many for one week [seven years]..." [Emphasis mine]

The two "peace agreement" events have to do with Israel and its neighbors, thus a strong likelihood that they speak of the same thing. The "confirming of a covenant with many" likely will be fulfilled in the context of the multi-nation votes of the United Nations Security Council, thus it is confirmed "with many". It will include, no doubt, a provision that allows Israel to rebuild its temple on the Temple Mount, for after three and one-half years that named "confirmer" will set himself up in that temple and claim to be God.

Are the "times and seasons" of this event upon us now? Constantly for months we have seen attempts to enter a bid for statehood for the Palestinians to the United Nations, and apparently it was recognized at a lower level in the UN, not the Security Council, last September, 2012.

Statehood for Palestine is inseparably linked to the peace agreement issue with Israel and Israel is not willing to give up the areas of the West Bank and the Golan Heights, which are demanded by the Palestinians. In the strong urge for peace, however, Israel may be wavering on the issue. Two events that could impact the situation, and may well do so, are Iran's threat of nuclear prominence and Israel's response, and Israel's increasingly enraged neighbors who cannot contain their anger any longer and it overflows into open warfare of the Psalm 83 description. In 1 Thessa- lonians 5:3 the questions are, "who are the 'they' who cry out, "Peace and safety", and who are the 'them' upon whom sudden destruction comes?

As the events of this summer, 2013, unfold, and the ever- lasting hatred of the Muslim world for Israel reaches its boiling point-or perhaps more likely, its boiling over point-when and what will the scenario look like? If the "they" who cry "Peace and safety" are Israel, then it is likely that there will have been a major confrontation between Israel and its surrounding neighbors that results in major destruction of the enemies of Israel, thus that cry is associated with victory for Israel.

Certainly God has promised His hand in the conflict will be on the side of Israel. Isaiah 17:1-2 predicts the total devastation of Syria's age-old city of Damascus, for it will be reduced to rubble, never to be inhabited again, and Ezekiel 29:12 tells of Egypt's devastation in which no man will dwell for forty years. Psalm 83 seems to speak of a conflict with Israel's immediate neighbors, who are hovering on its borders, intending Israel's elimination from the Middle East.

Another scenario could be that when the Palestinian state-hood bid is accepted and voted favorably, "they", the Palestinians, may say, "Peace and safety", and as they proceed to take over their claimed Israeli territories, then sudden destruction comes upon "them", the Palestinians, as Israel responds with its defensive reactions to the intrusions of its enemies.

The Amplified New Testament merely uses this phrase to describe it: "When people are saying, 'All is well and secure...'", which may indicate either of the suggestions.

It is almost a certainty that soon there will be a dramatic transformation of the Middle East landscape, politically. Also, it could turn out as it was a year ago, as well as the three years before then, when the "peace process" was given one more year to work out the details of an agree-ment and have it ready by the next September. Given the urgent desire of the "one world government" faction to make the most of this opportunity to move ahead with their goal, and the Muslim intent to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, it seems the "times and seasons" of all events are coming together soon. Coupled also with the social and moral cup of evil that is filled almost to its brim (known as the United States of America) God's final wrap-up and world-wide judgment may truly be on the near horizon.

The "peace process" seems to have settled on the month of September each year as its date-line; the Feast of Trumpets comes up each September with its likeness to the Rapture; the rage in the Muslim world at Israel and America con- tinues to boil; and natural disasters and pestilences abound. One day soon all these issues and events will come together in perfect timing by God's hand, and like a thief in the night, He will make Himself known in great glory!

How close are we to seeing the final wrap-up begin to unfold? A couple of news headlines from May 1-2 are very much of "prime time" content:

"Pope accepts invite to Israel, urges peace talks"

"Netanyahu: Conflict Is Over Israel's Existence, Not Land"

In regard to the latter headline, it is vividly apparent that it is the truth. In spite of Israel having relinquished territories previously captured in open conflict-Gaza, the Sinai-the result has been only more rocket fire and open hostility. It's another proof that the Bible's age-old prophecies are coming to pass, as Psalm 83:3-4 clearly tells us: "For lo, Your enemies roar; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They take shrewd counsel against Your people, and plot against Your hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, so that the name Israel may be remembered no more."

The Prime Minister is right-the issue is their hate for Israel, not a desire for their land. And their rage is a burning fuse, ever shortening. This may well suggest, too, a relaxing grip by Israel on its firm resistance to any more "land for peace" arrangements.

For the believer, the Apostle Paul had encouraging words to those facing their final days as mortals on earth: "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).

Revelation 22:20 is an appropriate summation of these things: "He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! "

Author contact: andwegetmercy@gmail.com

WHERE IS "THE CHURCH" IN REVELATION 4-19?

 - Dr. Robert Gromacki - http://www.pre-trib.org/articles/view/where-is-church-in-revelation-4-19

OVERVIEW

Where is the church during the seven-year Tribulation, as outlined in Revelation 4-19? If posttribulationism were correct, you would expect to see the church mentioned as being on earth during this time. However, that is not the picture one sees in Revelation 4-19. This writer demon-strates through investigating many of the details of Revelation 4-19 that the church is pictured in heaven with Christ, having been raptured before the Tribulation began. You can become informed of the overwhelming support for the pretribulational understanding of this issue through this essay.

The Roman emperor Domitian banished the apostle John to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea (Rev. 1:9). It was there that John heard the command of Jesus Christ: "What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia" (Rev. 1:11 NKJV). John recorded what he saw and heard, and then he sent the volume to seven local churches located in key cities within the Roman province of Asia; namely Ephesus, Smyrna, Perganios, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Rev. 1:11).

The content of the book of Revelation can be divided into three sections, based upon Christ's command: "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this" (Rev. 1:19 NKJV). These three sections reveal a time sequence: past, present, and future.

What had John just seen? He had just seen a symbolic vision of Jesus Christ standing in the midst of seven lampstands that represented the seven local churches (Rev. 1:12-18,20). This content forms the past section of the book ("the things which you have seen"). The present section ("the things which are") can be seen in the seven individual letters to the churches (Rev. 2-3). The future section thus forms the major part of the book (Rev. 4-22). The prepositional phrase "after this" (meta tauta) literally means "after these things." It is found three times (1:19; 4:1 [twice]). The third section begins with these words: "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this" (4:1 NKJv).

The future section (Rev. 4-22) contains an introduction, revealing the throne of God the Father in heaven and the taking of the seven-sealed scroll by Jesus Christ (4-5). The seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments are then described (5-16). The judgment of Babylon is then set forth (17-18). The second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth is finally presented (19:11-21). The millennial kingdom, the great white throne judgment, and the eternal state close out the prophetic revelation (20-22).

The typical futurist interpretation of the book contends that chapters 4-19 describe what will take place in the seven years preceding the second coming of Christ to the earth (19:11-21). Consistent advocates of premillennialism hold this position regardless of their particular view on the rapture of the church.

However, only those who embrace the pretribulational rapture (or the pre-seventieth-week-of-Daniel rapture) will argue for the absence of the genuine church on the earth during these entire seven years. What evidence can be found within Revelation 4-19 to show that the true church is in heaven when the events of these chapters are taking place? The following looks at nine indications.

The Mention of the Church

The words "church" or "churches," so prominent in chapters 1-3, do not appear again in the book until the last chapter (22:16). The singular "church" and the plural "churches" together occur 19 times in the first three chapters (1:4,11,20 [twice]; 2:1,7,8,11, 12,17,18,12,19; 3:1,6,7,13,14,22).

The term "church" (ekklesia) literally means "a called out group." It has two main usages in the New Testament. It can be used of the body of Christ, which He is building in this age (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:1-6). It is composed of believing Jews and believing Gentiles made one in Christ (Eph. 2:15-16). The term can also be used of a local congregation of believers (Acts 14:27; Gal. 1:2). It is so used in this second sense in the book of Revelation.

However, there is a strange silence of the term in chapters 4-19. That fact is especially noteworthy when you contrast that absence with its frequent presence in the first three chapters. One good reason for this phenomenon is the absence of the true church and true evangelical churches in the seven years preceding the second coming. The true believers of the church have gone into the presence of Jesus Christ in heaven before the onset of the events of the seven-year period. The church is not mentioned during the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments because the church is not here during the outpouring of these judgments.

The Admonition

The recurring phrase "unto the churches" (2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22) is conspicuously absent in a similar admonition (13:9). All seven letters to the churches end with this admonition by Christ: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (NKJv). Each individual person in each individual local church was to hear and to apply the truth that Christ gave to all of the local churches. For example, a believer in the church at Ephesus could profit spiritually from what the Savior said to the churches at Pergamos or at Philadelphia.

Satan, the beast, and the false prophet are the three main enemies of God and His people during the seven-year period (13:1-18; 19:20-20:3). The beast, symbolic of the military-political dictator of the end times, will rule for 42 months, the second half of the seven-year period. John recorded this truth about him: "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (13:8).

At this point, John records the warning: "if anyone has an ear, let him hear" (13:9). Period! There is no mention of "saying to the churches," a phrase which is repeated seven times in the seven letters. If the previously mentioned churches (Rev. 1-3) could possibly be in the seven-year period to face the wrath of the beast, then why wasn't the admonition addressed to them? The obvious answer is that they won't be on earth at that time.

There is the mention of "saints" in the context (13:7,10). These saints, however, are those who get saved during the seven years after the true church has been taken into heaven.

The Wife of the Lamb

The church, as a body-unit, is not seen after chapters 1-3 until the marriage of the Lamb is discussed (19:7-9). Here is the description:

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (19:7-8).

The church is called Christ's "wife" (gune). Paul used the metaphor of husband and wife to describe the relationship of Jesus Christ to the church (Eph. 5:22-33). The wife is seen as a complete, definite unit in heaven even before the actual second coming of Christ to the earth (19:7; cf. 19:11-16). There is no sense that part of the wife is in heaven and another part is on earth.

The wife has also been rewarded prior to the second coming of Christ to the earth. Her accountability can be seen in the fact that she "has made herself ready" (19:7). However, no believer deserves any reward for what he has done for the Lord. The divine conferral of reward is still an expression of His redemptive grace, thus the text reads: "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen" (19:8). The linen is defined as "the righteous acts of the saints" (19:8 NKJV). The phrase "righteous acts" is the translation of a plural noun (ta dikaimata). It seems to refer to the righteous deeds done by genuine believers rather than to the imputed positional righteousness of Christ (Rom. 3:22; 4:22-5:1).

Thus, the judgment seat of Christ has already taken place in heaven before He returns to the earth. All believers in this church age know that they will have to give an account for what they have done since they have been saved (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).

Since the wife has been rewarded prior to the return of Christ to the earth, then the wife had to be raptured into heaven before that event.

Christ's Activity

The focus of Christ's activity changes from chapters 1-3 to chapters 4-19. In the first three chapters, His ministry was in the midst of the seven churches on earth. He is commending, criticizing, and correcting them. In chapters 4-19, however, His activity occurs in heaven. He is occupied with the seven-sealed scroll and the judgments that proceed from it.

As the living Head of the church, His body, He is presently building His church (Matt. 16:18). He is in us and we are in Him His attention is on the church. However, that emphasis disappears in chapters 4-19. In the seven years prior to His return to the earth, He is preparing the world and Israel for His coming. The church is now completely with Him in heaven by way of resurrection, translation, and rapture. That phase of His creative and redemptive purpose has been finalized.

24 Elders

If the 24 elders represent the church, then the church is already in heaven before the opening of the seal judgments. The elders have a prominent part in chapters 4-19. They are mentioned 12 times (4:4,10; 5:5,6,8,11,14; 7:11,13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4). They are first mentioned as present in heaven around the throne of God the Father "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads" (4:4 NKJV).

Who are these elders? Do they represent angels or men? If human, do they symbolize Old Testament believers, New Testament believers, or both?

The numerical adjective "twenty-four" is significant. King David divided the Levitical priesthood into 24 orders (1 Chron. 24). Each order performed priestly functions at the tabernacle and at the temple for eight days, from Sabbath to Sabbath. In the distribution of the work load, each order would function two weeks per year. In so doing, each order represented the entire priestly tribe and the nation of Israel before God. Thus, the number "twenty-four" came to be representative of a larger, complete group. Thus, the "twenty-four elders" is a phrase which denotes more than two dozen specific persons; rather, the elders stand in for an entire group of personal beings, either angels or humans.

Three features about their description are striking. First, they are "sitting" on thrones. They are not standing, flying, or hovering. Have angels ever sat in the presence of God? No Scripture verse says that they have ever done so. However, Jesus promised every believer in the church age: "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev. 3:21 NKJv). God positionally has made every believer to "sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). The "sitting" feature of the elders better suits men than angels.

Second, the elders were "clothed in white robes" (himatiois leukois). These words were previously used of believers within the churches (3:5,18).

Third, the elders had "crowns" (stephanous) on their heads. These are crowns gained by achievement and victory. Again, believers in the churches were promised crowns (2:10; 3:11; same word). In the epistles, believers in this church age are promised crowns for specific accomplishments: the incorruptible crown for living a spiritually disciplined life (1 Cor. 9:25); the crown of rejoic-ing for impacting lives to receive Jesus Christ as Savior (1 Thess. 2:19); the crown of righteousness for loving the appearing of Christ (2 Tim. 4:8); the crown of life for loving Christ in the endurance of trials (James 1:12; cf. Rev. 2:10: the crown of life given to the believer-overcomer at Smyrna for being faithful unto death); and the crown of glory for faithful pastors (1 Peter 5:4). Holy angels do not wear crowns, but believers can and will wear them.

The triple description of the 24 elders as sitting, clothed, and crowned speaks for an identity of redeemed people, notably the believers of this church age.

A text-translation problem within the context of the praise of the elders must be addressed (5:8-10). The elders sang a new song, saying:

You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth (5:9-10

In this song of redemption, notice the first person plural personal pronouns ("us" and "we"). Both the King James version and the New King James version, based upon the received Greek text (Textus Receptus), indicate that the elders are praising God for their own salvation.

On the other hand, the New International version, based upon the critical Greek text, has this translation:

You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth.

Notice the usage of the third person plural personal pronouns ("them" and "they"). The New American Standard Bible also has the third person pronoun. The Majority Greek Text has the third-person pronouns, and that fact is noted in the margin of the New King James version. With the usage of the third-person pronouns, the elders seem to be praising God for the salvation of another group. Those who believe that the elders are angels are quick to point out that interpretation.

However, can people speak about themselves in the third-person rather than in the first person? The song of Moses and of the children of Israel, expressed after their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and their passage through the Red Sea, contains these words: "You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation" (Exod. 15:13 NKJV). The Israelites are definitely singing about themselves, and yet they sing in the third person. Thus, if the third-person text translation (in Rev. 5:8-10) is accepted as the preferred, original text translation, that fact alone does not preclude the possibility that the elders are singing about their own salvation.

Again, if the third-person text translation is viewed as the original, then the fact that other Greek texts before 1611 (the year that the King James version was published) contained the first person is very significant. It shows that people before 1611 held to the view that the elders were redeemed people. Critics of the pretribulational rapture position, consequently, cannot argue that the proponents of the pretribulational rapture have superimposed their dispensational bias upon the passage.

Angels are set in contrast to the elders: "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders" (Rev. 5:11 NKJV). They sang praise to Christ without any reference to their redemption or to the salvation of others: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing" (5:12 NKJv). If the elders are angels, then the song would appear to be redundant. The second song and the contrast between the elders and the angels suggest that the elders are humans.

The term "elder" (presbuteros) is never used of angels in the Bible. The word itself denotes maturity and growth. It is contrasted with "younger" (1 Tim. 5:1-2). How could angels be designated as elders when all of the holy angels were created at the same time. In other words, they are of the same age. In contrast, the elders of a local church were to be men of spiritual experience (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). When Paul called "for the elders of the church" at Ephesus to meet him at Miletus, they came as the official leaders and as the representatives of all the believers in Ephesus.

The more plausible explanation of the 24 elders is that they represent a group of redeemed people. Who are these people? Since the believers within the Old Testament period will not be resurrected until the return of Jesus Christ to the earth (Dan. 12:1-3; Rev. 20:4-6), the elders more likely represent the redeemed of the church.

The Heaven-Dwellers

The beast, that great military-political leader of the end time, will open his mouth "in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven" (Rev. 13:6 NKJV). Who are these heaven-dwellers? They are contrasted with earth-dwellers (12:12; 13:8,14). The earth-dwellers are both human and unsaved. Thus, the heaven-dwellers seem to be human and saved. The verb "dwell" (sknuntas) is the same word used for Jesus Christ's incarnation: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14 NKJV). A similar word (skens) is used to describe the believer's present body as a "tent" (2 Cor. 5:1,4). The verb ("to dwell") or the noun ("tent") is never used of angelic activities or bodies.

In the critical Greek text, the phrase "those who dwell in heaven" is in apposition to "His tabernacle" (the connective "and" is omitted). This equation suggests that the heaven-dwellers, as God's tabernacle, is a specific group with none to be added. If that is so, then their description better fits the raptured church, since more people will be saved in the second half of the seven-year period.

John's Experience

John's experience should not be equated with the rapture of the church. John wrote: "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this" (4:11 NKJV). Some claim that this event clearly indicates the fulfillment of the main rapture prediction (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Old Scofield Bible, p. 1334). Others see the experience of the apostle as a symbolic representation of the translation of the church (New Scofleld Bible, p. 1356).

There are some similarities: the voice and the trumpet (4:1; cf. 1 Thess. 4:16). However, the differences in the two accounts are much greater. At the rapture, the believers will hear the voice of an archangel, whereas John directly heard the voice of Christ (4:1; cf. 1:10). There is no mention of Christ's descent from heaven when John went into heaven. There is no mention of a meeting in the air at a point between heaven and earth. There was no permanent change in the body of John. The experience of John parallels those of Paul (2 Cor. 12:1-7) and of Philip (Acts 8:39).

The Lampstands and the Lamps

The individual lampstands, which represented the seven churches (Rev. 1:12,20), should not be equated with "the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne" (Rev. 4:5). Hal Lindsey claimed that the movement of the lamps from earth to heaven was evidence for the removal of the church from earth into heaven before the outpouring of divine judgment (There's a New World Coming, p. 86).

However, there is a difference in the Greek words translated as "lampstands" (luchnid 1:12,20) and "lamps" (lampades; 4:5). Thus, they cannot be seeli as equal symbols for the church. If they could, then why did John use a different word? In addition, the "lamps" are defined as "the seven spirits of God" (4:5).

The so-called equation of the lampstands with the lamps should not be used as a proof for a pretribulational rapture.

Israel's Prominence

Israel and God's covenant program with Israel are the central focus of the seven years prior to the return of Jesus Christ. That emphasis accounts for the silence of any reference to the church on earth at the same time.

When John went into heaven, he first saw the throne of God the Father (4:2). He then gave this symbolic description of God: "And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald" (4:3 KJ's').

Why did God reveal Himself in this way? There is a clue in the two precious stones. The jasper (iaspidi) and the sardius (sardi) are the same two words used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, in the description of the breastplate of the high priest of Israel (Exod. 28:17-21). The breastplate contained 12 stones, one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. They were set in four rows with three stones in each row. The sardius was the first stone in the first row; thus it represented Reuben, the oldest of Jacob's sons. The jasper was the last stone in the last row; thus it represented Benjamin, the youngest of the 12 sons.

These two stones, in the description of God, may represent the relationship of God to His chosen people, the nation of Israel. The appearance of the rainbow further substantiates His covenant relationship and the integrity of His pledged word. Thus, these key chapters (4-19) open with God and His relationship to the people of Israel on earth.

The intercalation of the church age is over. God will now complete His program with Israel through the fulfillment of the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27). The focus has shifted from the church (Rev. 1-3) to Israel (Rev. 4-19).

When Jesus Christ took the seven-sealed scroll, He was described as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David" (5:5). This description is based upon two Old Testament passages that relate the promised Messiah to Israel.

In the first passage, Jacob informed his 12 sons about what would happen to them "in the last days" (Gen. 49:1). Concerning Judah, he said:

Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall be the obedience of the people (Gen. 49:8-10 NKJV).

In the second passage, God gave this promise concerning Israel, the future kingdom, and the Messiah:

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shail seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious (Isa' 22:1-2,10 NKJV).

The seven-sealed scroll symbolizes the right to rule as earth's king. The contents of those seven seals will then occur during the seven-year period prior to Jesus' return to the earth (described in Rev. 4-19). Jesus Christ's right to that scroll is viewed from His relationship to Israel rather than from His relationship to the church. He is the head of His body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23), but that description is not given here.

A prominent group in the seventieth week of Daniel is the 144,000, the sealed servants of God (7:3-4; 14:1-5). They are "of all the tribes of the children of Israel" (7:4), namely: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph [Ephraim}, and Benjamin (7:5-8). This passage shows the presence of Israel as a national, ethnic entity on the earth and its tribal divisions in that day.

Mounce, who holds to a posttribulational rapture, claims that ten of the tribes disappeared at the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel (722 B.c.) and that the other two lost their identity when Rome destroyed Jerusalem (A.D. 70). He denies the literalness of the number and the names (The Book of Revelation, p. 168). However, Anna is identified as a member of the tribe of Asher during the infancy of Jesus (Luke 2:36). Also, if Judah is not literal in 7:5, is it literal in 5:5? A better explanation is that God is using Israel, rather than the church, to serve Him on earth during the seven years prior to Christ's return to the earth.

The second half of the seven-year period will begin with the forced exit of Satan from heaven to earth and his subsequent persecution of a "woman" (Rev. 23:1-17). Who is this woman? She has been seen as Mary, the mother of Jesus, the New Testament church, and as Israel.

John saw this description of her: "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars" (12:1 NxJv). The mention of the sun, moon, and 12 stars should take us back to the dream of Joseph: "Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, 'Look, I had dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me" (Gen. 37:9 NKJv). Jacob understood the meaning and said: "Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?" (Gen. 37:10 NxJv). In the interpretation, Jacob is the sun, Leah (or perhaps Rachel) is the moon, and the 12 sons of Jacob are the 12 stars.

The woman was present at the birth of Christ (12:5) and will also be present on earth during the 1260 days prior to Christ's return to the earth (12:6,13-17). In using the "law of previous reference" as a principle of interpretation, only the nation of Israel would qualify as the meaning of the woman. This position finds support in the Old Testament passage (Gen. 37:9-10), in the actual historical situation at the time of Christ's birth, and in the promise of a restored, regenerated nation of Israel.

Where is the church in Revelation 4-19? An investigation into those chapters will show that the church will be in heaven with Jesus Christ. When will she go there? She will be raptured there before the events of Revelation 4-19 occur.

BEHOLD THE DEATH HORSE

- Pete Garcia - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=7561

The Rapture of the Church can also be referred to as the Blessed Hope after Titus 2:13. Many feel that the topic of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is outdated and old news. It's been covered by so many teachers and pastors for so long, it is 'the theological equivalent to beating a dead horse'.

I would like to emphatically counter this idea, and say, that if we had a 1,000 more years on planet earth, we would not even begin to scratch the surface of God's wonderful plan of love and redemption He has for His people.

The Wedding

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture (catching up) is a beautiful picture in type of a Jewish wedding, and is the ONLY model of the Rapture that so perfectly fits it. For me, once I understood not only was there a Pre-Trib Rapture, but understood why there was one, I've never looked back.   In order to understand why the Rapture has to happen prior to any portion of the Tribulation, one has to have a firm grasp on Ecclesiology, and the role and nature of who the Church is.

Being a Pre-Millennial Dispensationalist, I understand that when Christ was here on earth, His role then was as a Prophet (Deut 18:15,18, Acts 3:22-23). At His trial and crucifixion He was our Sacrifice (1 Cor 5:7). The purchase price for His bride was His life. In His resurrection, He is both our Kinsman Redeemer and Priest and even now, serves as our Mediator (1 Tim 2:5) before the throne of God. One day He will return in power and in glory as the King of Kings before the whole world, but in the context of the Jewish wedding, He must return first to retrieve His bride at the conclusion of the betrothal period which only the Father knows. When He returns for His bride, He does so as a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2), NOT with war, the sky receding back as a scroll and the peoples of the earth mourning at His appearing (Matt 24:30).

We see in the Old Testament over and over, how national Israel ignored Moses's warnings and went chasing off after other gods subsequently prompting their subjugation to pagan nations. We read in the Old Testament the explicit instructions to the sons of Aaron in that a Priest could NOT be married to anyone who wasn't a virgin (Leviticus 21:13-14) because if he did, he could not go before God in the Temple to offer any sacrifices.   So it is not that the Church is purer, because we aren't. We fail God daily, I fail God daily. What makes us different from Israel then, is that we are now hidden in Jesus Christ and His righteousness.

His righteousness is what God sees when He see's the Church. His relationship with His church reinforces this principle as High Priest and Mediator today. The Church is the Bride of Christ. The Church is not Israel. One cannot simultaneously be both the 'harlot' and the 'chaste virgin'. Things that are different are not the same.

The Faith

The Church has not replaced Israel, nor have we become her, and we are certainly no more deserving of salvation than Israel was. National Israel, who came from the Patriarchs, was and still is God's elect from among the nations. We (Christians-wild branches) are grafted into the common vine of salvation through and because of Abraham's like-faith (Rom 4:16, Gal 3:7-9,14). Abraham pre-dated the Law given to Moses at Mt. Sinai by some 500 years. He was not justified by his circumcision, nor by his willingness to sacrifice his only son at Mt. Moriah. Abraham was justified by his faith that God would not only give him a son and many heirs, but could also raise Isaac back from the dead when God asked him to sacrifice his son.

But Isaac was not Abraham's only son. I distinctly remember Abraham having another through his handmaiden Hagar and his name was Ishmael. The beauty and the reality of it is, Ishmael was born out of Abraham's disobedience and sin. God in His forgiveness will not remember our sins when we ask for forgiveness even though we still might have to deal with the physical ramifications. And Abraham's sin is still being dealt with today between the Arab's and the Jews.

The New Testament Church, and Israel, both share in this common salvation. Neither is better, but we are different, separated unto God and unto His purpose He has chosen us. Just like that generation of Israelites who journeyed out of Egypt after 400 years of bondage in their Exodus to the Promised Land, we too are that chosen generation about to journey out of 6,000 years of bondage to sin and death, to the real Promised Land. The Church does not and never was promised a kingdom here on earth, nor do we have a city to call our own. We are looking for that city above, whose builder and maker is God.

The Apocalypse

The Book of Revelation (Greek- Apocálypsis) was meant to reveal or unveil God's future plans for mankind. Jesus mentions the Church 19 times, and deals with 2,000 years of Church history in in two chapters (2-3)...yet reveals to John in 13 chapters (6-19) the seven year Tribulation and doesn't mentions the Church at all. Think about that for a moment.

The reason should be obvious, for had the Church been destined to go through the Tribulation, God wouldn't have needed to go into such great detail because we would be living through it. In fact, if man had written the book of Revelation apart from divine revelation, the material would have been reversed.   Men would have spent most of the 22 chapters describing the Church age and would have included a small section on the Tribulation about the same length and depth as the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21).   Then at the end, there would have been at least five or six chapters, painfully detailing the account of the 2nd Coming. What is interesting though, is that the most glorious, culminating and catastrophic event in human history only warrants half of one chapter (Rev 19:11-21). And to those who would scoff at the idea that Chapters 2 and 3 do not chronicle the age of the Church, would do well to read Revelation 12 and see that this one chapter also covers thousands of years.

Discernment

I remember attending the Pre-Trib Conference in Dallas back in 2009. I was 35 then and I remember looking across the audience of the 500 people sitting there, thinking there was only about five of us who were under the age of 40. I would venture to say that the median age then was around 55 or higher. It was right then at that moment, that I realized that our little Eschatological community of Pre-Trib/Pre-Millennial Dispensationalists was a dying breed. I asked myself then, was it because the message was wrong? Was it too antiquated and outdated? I don't think so.

People always want something new and exciting, and Dispenationalism was new and exciting 160 years ago. But today, people either have prophecy fatigue and have dropped by the wayside, or they are bored and migrate towards the sensational. Simultaneously, many Pre-Trib ministries are trying to remain relevant and draw in newer, younger, and energetic crowds by providing that sensational teachings. The Emergent Church uses a similar technique by watering down the message and ramping up the experience.   But we in the Bible Prophecy community have begun doing this by introducing conspiracy theories, extra-biblical texts (as proof), and the extra-terrestrial into prophetic matters. In other words, we are both angling to remain relevant, but were attacking this problem from two different directions. There is an issue with both.

One doesn't have to embrace the doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture to be a Christian. I liken those who don't accept it to the seeds that fell among the stony places, but were scorched by the sun, because they had no depth to their eschatological roots. These are they that understood this promise superficially or were never taught it to begin with. People, who are not grounded in the Blessed Hope, are the ones who get swept up by false dates and false teachings. The most hardened Preterist's and skeptics I know personally were at one time in their life, Pre-Trib Dispensationalists. Somewhere along the way, they fell under the sway of a false teacher and got burned and then swore off the Blessed Hope forever. They allowed their shame at being duped, into bitterness...and bitterness became the root that took hold.

The growing Emergent church for the most part is either Preterist or Pan-Millennialist (no bother studying it, it will all pan out in the end). They see prophecy as fulfilled and largely irrelevant to their social-gospel agenda here on earth today. A secondary and unfortunate repercussion of their form of eschatology allows anti-Semitism and Supersessionism to creep in due to their confusion over who the Church is, and how it has somehow replaced Israel. Aside from the anti-Biblical stances on homosexuality, abortion, socialism, and core doctrinal issues like hell, salvation by grace through faith, and the inerrancy of Scriptures, Preterist and Pan-Millennialist are blinded to the lateness of the hour. I caution against these views, because when you take your attention off of looking up, you end up focusing on the drama here on earth...and that day will catch you unawares.

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Luke 21:34-35

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church really is the Blessed Hope, because when one really understands it, it has a way of sanctifying the believer in three distinct ways. First, it prevents one from ever being deceived into believing a false prophet's claims of date setting, because you would know that the Rapture is imminent, and no one knows the day or hour (Matt 24:36). Secondly, a believer grounded in the Blessed Hope doctrine also has a well-grounded understanding of who the Church is and what our role is (John 14:1-3). Lastly, the believer who hold's to the Blessed Hope doctrine is focused on looking up, not looking around (Luke 12:37-39).

Your standing with Christ is not dependent on your Eschatological viewpoint, but not holding to the Blessed Hope will wreaks havoc on your understanding of the Word of God. There should be no excuse for us today, since we have a complete Bible and 2,000 years of history to look back upon. We are instructed to study to show ourselves approved by rightly dividing the Word (2 Tim 2:15).

Be cautious in following the teachings of just any one person. I've seen hopes dashed and hearts harden within our community because so many people had their hopes pinned to 2011. Certain teachers taught them that Christ had to return by then for a 7 year Tribulation to be complete by 2018 (70 years from 1948). Living out your hope with these kinds of changing expectations is an emotional rollercoaster. We shouldn't be hung up on any dates, whether they are Jewish feasts, blood moons, solar eclipses, wars, or anything else. The Rapture isn't dependent upon those things.

When you pin your hope on some specific event that some teacher taught, and that day comes and goes, you're the one whose left standing there picking up the shattered pieces of your hopeful expectations which are laying scattered about on the ground. Put your hope in the ONE who will never let you down. He is coming back, and I believe it is sooner rather than later.

"I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name...Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Revelation 3:8,10

ISRAEL : THE THIRD TEMPLE AND THE COMING JEWISH HOLOCAUST

by Don Koenig

Many books have been written on the planning that is now taking place to rebuild the third temple in Jerusalem. Virtually all the instruments that will be used in the third temple have now been precisely recreated. Red heifers required for purification of the sanctuary and the people are being bred. The only thing that is stopping the rebuilding of the third temple is the present political situation and disagreement among Jews whether Elijah needs to come first to oversee the building project.
Part of the peace plan that Israel will accept will include permission to rebuild the third temple on the temple mount or north of the temple mount as discribed by the millennial temple of Ezekiel. It is not a coincidence of time that preparations for animal sacrifices are now underway for the first time in nearly 2000 years.
Only in modern times could the genetics of Jews be tested to determine without question the true descendants of the priestly tribe (by law only Levites can serve in the temple).
The Jews have re-established their Sanhedrin. These seventy-one men are the supreme religious authorities in Israel. It was not in existence for 1580 years. Their first order of business was to find out exactly where on the temple mount the third temple should be built.
When the time of grace for the Gentiles is fulfilled, the third temple will be rebuilt and God will again deal with the Jews for the final week of years as prophesied in the book of Daniel.

Israel is once again a nation in the land given to them by God

The Jews are returning to Israel and those who think that Islam will prevail against Israel are ignorant of Bible prophecy. The scriptures indicate that a large confederation of nations will come against Israel in the last days and some scriptures even names them by tribal root. Today we see the very real possibility of this alignment of nations among the Arab/Islamic nations of the world. The Bible also foretells that apart from Israel's military power God Himself will supernaturally protect Israel for His own name's sake and He will destroy all the nations who come against Jerusalem to make it their own possession. The scriptures indicate that Jerusalem will become a burdensome stone for all the nations and all that trouble themselves over it will be cut in pieces. The nations of the world will soon learn that it is not wise to harm God's Jewelry.

Most of Christianity is in denial or is even hostile toward Israel

It is totally astounding to me that the majority of those who call themselves Christians see no prophetic significance for Israel becoming a nation in 1948 and many have even become hostile toward the nation of Israel and are now siding with Israel's enemies. What fosters this hostility toward Israel in Christianity is heretical dominion replacement theology and the humanistic view that man is basically good. Therefore, they believe truth is relative and all the world's problems can be solved by compromise and appeasement. The Jews of Israel with religious beliefs and land promises that conflict with those of other beliefs (i.e. Islam) cannot be tolerated by these heretical types of Christians.

Even the land of Israel is a witness

Many scriptures speak of a second return of the Jews to their land prior to the restoration of their kingdom but none speak of a third return before the return of their Messiah. Further, before Israel became a nation again in 1948 the land was desolate. Since that time the rains have increased 50 percent. The land of Israel is now a garden that produces fruit for all of Europe. Even the hills that were barren for over two thousand years are now reforested. God's hand on Israel should be evident to all who believe in God.
This witness is not the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy because that fulfillment only occurs after a time of great trouble for Israel. After this time known as "Jacob's trouble" all that survive in Israel will acknowledge that Jesus is their Messiah. Jesus will deliver Israel from all enemies and thus become the Savior of a nation that once rejected Him.
Paul tells us that the Jews were blinded due to unbelief until the times of the gentiles are fulfilled. Now that we see that the Jews are back in their land and that the nations are aligned as foretold by the prophets, it should be obvious to us that the times of the Gentiles are just about complete. Israel's Messiah was cut off for 2000 years because of Israel's unbelief but the promised kingdom still must come. Israel's Messiah must return in power and glory because man breaks covenants and promises but God never does. Jesus will establish the Jewish Kingdom on earth promised to them by God. At that appointed time God will deal with Israel for spiritual restoration as He purges the land of all unbelievers.
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Fuel for the sacrificial fires

When Israel rebuilds its third temple it will also have to sacrifice animals as offerings to the Lord. The world will find this practice obnoxious. Animal rights people will wage war against what they will see as an abominable practice. Today we see eating meat coming into disfavor among many. Within one or two decades it is likely that sacrificing animals and eating meat might be more than just frowned upon. It might even be outlawed by the world government. Some of the fuel to instigate more intense hatred of the Jews might just come from the sacrificial fires of their third temple.

The Ethiopian Jews return and Israel returns to Hebrew

Zep 3:9 For then will I turn to the peoples of a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one consent.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

We may have a partial fulfillment of Zephaniah 3:9 since Hebrew is now the official language of Israel. In the next verse we see another partial fulfillment when Israel air lifted out Ethiopian Jews thought to be descended from the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. Some speculate that the original Ark of the Covenant or an exact copy of it is being protected by these black Jews that converted to Christianity (through the interaction that Philip had with the Ethiopia eunuch of great authority, Acts 8:27). Could the offering spoken of in Zephaniah actually be the Ark of the Covenant or the black Jews?

Prior verses of Zephaniah make it clear that the complete fulfillment of this prophecy about a return to a pure language is after the destruction of the nations. We cannot say that these verses have been fulfilled in the version of Hebrew spoken in Israel today but if we see these partial fulfillments today, then how close are we to the actual fulfillment?

After two days I will revive you

There is a very interesting bible prophecy in Hosea 6:2 about Israel that has not been fulfilled in two literal days. It says "After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him." If a day is a thousand years with the Lord (as indicated in two places in scripture and also inferred in Revelation) then we should expect Israel's revival in two to three thousand years from when the prophecy was written. The prophecy was written well over 2,000 years ago and it is prophetic that we now see the partial revival of Israel with her return to her covenant land. The third day of this prophecy is already upon us and the prophecy to raise Israel spiritually is about to be fulfilled.

A coming Jewish holocaust is planned by Satan

The survival of the Jews as a race is remarkable. Many times in history the Jews have been slaughtered with the last major slaughter being the holocaust in Germany when one third of the world's Jews were murdered. In spite of this the Jews survive as a race and religion and many are now back in their land just as was foretold by their prophets.
There will be a final attempt to exterminate the Jews by satanic forces. At that time scripture indicates that two thirds of all the Jews in the land will be killed and one third will be refined through the fire. Satan understands that the promised Messiah is Jewish and by exterminating the Jews he knows the promised Jewish Kingdom on earth can never take place.

It is my theory that Satan wishes for all Jews to return to the land of Israel so that he can finally destroy all of them there in one place. This is why the world United Nations under the authority of Satan allowed the creation of Israel in the first place. However, God has allowed the return of the Jews to His land for other reasons. He will judge the nations there by how they treat the Jews dwelling in His land and then God will restore the kingdom to Israel with Jesus on the throne of David.

Two thousand years ago Jewish leaders agreed that it was expedient for Israel that one man (Jesus) should die and not that the whole nation perish (Joh 11:50). Today we will soon hear it is expedient for the world that one nation (Israel) be cut off than have the whole world perish through war. The same Messiah the Jews delivered to be cut off for the sake of the nation, will by his death, resurrection and mercy for Israel, save the nation that asked for Him to be cut off.

Signs of the time

Israel is a nation. The Jews have returned first from the East, then from the West, next they came from the North and finally they are coming from the South in the exact order as Isaiah 43:5-6 foretells. The preparations for building the third temple are complete. Israel is surrounded by enemies and anti-Semitism is rising all over the world. A peace plan is being brokered with those who hate the Jews and want no peace. Prophetic scripture is being fulfilled in this generation whether those who identify with Christianity acknowledge it or not.

MOON INTO BLOOD

- Paul McGuire - http://www.paulmcguire.org/?p=1072#more-1072

America and the world are racing to what the Bible calls "the End of the Age." Mankind is quickly approaching what the ancient prophets called "The time of Jacob's trouble" or "The Tribulation Period." A seven year time period where God pours out the most horrific judgments described as, "the wrath of God."

At the beginning of this Tribulation Period a world charismatic leader called the First Beast or the Antichrist rules a kingdom that the prophet Daniel interpreted in a dream for the King of Babylon as consisting of ten toes composed of iron and clay. This is the Fourth Beast, or Revived Roman Empire, that consists of a fragile alliance of ten regional global governments.

The Second Beast, or the False Prophet, leads a coming one world religion where the world is ruled by the Antichrist as God, and the False Prophet heads up a one world economic system where a biochip implant or microchip implant is distributed as the mark of the beast.

In order for that to happen there must be the deliberate destruction of the current world economic system based on capitalism and replaced by a New International Financial Order, which is based on a World Socialist or Communist Government. This New International Financial Order was conceived by the occult society called the Illuminati in a document called the "Illuminati Manifesto" in the late 1700's which called for Communism. The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx in 1948, was a duplicate of the Illuminati Manifesto. The pyramid structure on the back of our dollar bill illustrates the Illuminati plan for a New World Order. The world's elite just met at the World Economic Forum in Davis, Switzerland to replace the old capitalist system. Over the past couple of weeks, George Soros, the IMF and the World Bank have all issued incredibly chilling warnings about the possibility of an impending economic collapse. Considering the power and the influence that Soros, the IMF and the World Bank all have over the global financial system, this is very alarming. Super-billionaire, George Soros said in Newsweek Magazine:

"I am not here to cheer you up. The situation is about as serious and difficult as I've experienced in my career," Soros tells Newsweek. "We are facing an extremely difficult time, comparable in many ways to the 1930s, the Great Depression. We are facing now a general retrenchment in the developed world, which threatens to put us in a decade of more stagnation, or worse. The best-case scenario is a deflationary environment. The worst-case scenario is a collapse of the financial system."

This is the Illuminati strategy of "Order out of Chaos," or the Saul Alinsky strategy of manufactured crisis.

Later on in that same article, Soros is quoted as saying that we could soon see the U.S. government using "strong-arm tactics" (Police State measures) to crack down on rioting in the streets of major U.S. cities.

Look at the steady stream of Executive Orders which gives the President of the United States dictatorial powers to seize and kill American citizens without any trial or justification. Look at the FEMA Detention camps being prepared at lightning speed along with various Internet "Kill Switch" legislation, that will make it illegal to even write about what others perceive as a "conspiracy theory," even though it may be true! This is the Big Brother State rising to power.

The article continues:

"As anger rises, riots on the streets of American cities are inevitable. 'Yes, yes, yes,' he says, almost gleefully. The response to the unrest could be more damaging than the violence itself. 'It will be an excuse for cracking down and using strong-arm tactics to maintain law and order, which, carried to an extreme, could bring about a repressive political system, a society where individual liberty is much more constrained, which would be a break with the tradition of the United States.'"

It almost sounds like George Soros is anticipating the same kind of a breakdown of society that many survivalists and preppers are getting ready for. If the system goes down, and food, water, medical and other supplies are interrupted, how will you survive? What preparations have you made? In addition, you should be part of a community of like-minded individuals who will help you survive. Here at Paradise Mountain Church, we are building a community or network of believes that can help each other if times get bad. Say what you will about Mormon theology, they have developed a tight network or community where they are trained to look after each other, stock supplies and check up on each other. That kind of preparedness will help them survive. We are developing similar communities.

So how bad are things going to get?

Well, George Soros is publicly warning that the coming financial crisis could end up being even worse than 2008. Just check out the following quotes from him that appeared in a recent Businessweek article.

Billionaire investor George Soros said Europe's sovereign-debt woes are "more serious" than the financial crisis of 2008 and that the world faces the prospect of a "vicious circle" of deflation.

"We have a more dangerous situation now than in 2008," Soros, 81, said in response to a question at an event in the southern Indian city of Bangalore today. "The crisis in Europe is more serious than the crash of 2008."

But George Soros is not the only one issuing these kinds of warnings.

Once again, the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, has made a speech in which she openly warned that we are heading for a repeat of the "1930s".

She told an audience in Berlin on Monday [January 23rd, 2012] that the globe is facing "a 1930s moment, in which inaction, insularity and rigid ideology combine to cause a collapse in global demand".

During the speech she called for a trillion more dollars to support financially troubled governments, and she made the following statement:

"It is not about saving any one country or region. It is about saving the world from a downward economic spiral."

As I wrote about the other day, the World Bank has also been using apocalyptic language about the global financial situation. In a shocking new report, the World Bank revised GDP growth estimates for 2012 downward very sharply, it warned that Europe could be facing financial collapse at any time, and it instructed the rest of the world to "prepare for the worst."

The lead author of the report, Andrew Burns, said that the "importance of contingency planning cannot be stressed enough" and that if there is a major financial crisis in Europe the entire globe will be deeply affected:

"An escalation of the crisis would spare no-one. Developed- and developing-country growth rates could fall by as much or more than in 2008/09."

So should we be alarmed that George Soros, the IMF and the World Bank are all proclaiming that a financial nightmare could be just around the corner?

Of course we should be!

Whether their motives are pure or not, they are telling the truth about the global financial situation in this case. As I have written about so frequently, there are a whole host of signs that indicate that we could be on the verge of a major global recession.

A lot of folks in the investment world are warning that hard times are about to hit us as well. For example, the following is what legendary investor Joseph Granville recently told Bloomberg Television.

Joseph Granville, whose "sell everything" call in 1981 sparked a decline in U.S. stocks, said the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) will drop toward 8,000 this year because of waning momentum and volume.

"Volume precedes prices," Granville, 88, a technical analyst who has been publishing the Granville Market Letter from Kansas City, Missouri for about 50 years, said in an interview on "Street Smart" on Bloomberg Television. "You are seeing much lower volume. That tells you that prices are going to go much lower, much lower than most people think possible and very few people have projected."

Considering all of the warnings out there, it only seems prudent to prepare for the worst.

But unfortunately a lot of people are just going to leave their holdings sitting out there like a dead duck, and they are going to be absolutely devastated by the coming financial tsunami.

Those that believe that the United States can somehow escape the coming financial storm don't really know what they are talking about.

In fact, there was very troubling news for the U.S. dollar just the other day. It was announced that India will start paying for its oil from Iran in a currency other than U.S. dollars.

But this is just another sign that the rest of the world is starting to reject the U.S. dollar. For decades the U.S. dollar has been the reserve currency of the world and this has given us a tremendous advantage. Unfortunately for us, that is now changing. U.S. newspapers are not talking about what is going on, but mainstream newspapers in Europe are. Right now some of the biggest countries in the world are working on plans to quit using U.S. dollars for buying and selling oil.

The following comes from a recent article in The Independent.

In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning - along with China, Russia, Japan and France - to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar.

Secret meetings have already been held by finance ministers and central bank governors in Russia, China, Japan and Brazil to work on the scheme, which will mean that oil, will no longer be priced in dollars.

The plans, confirmed to The Independent by both Gulf Arab and Chinese banking sources in Hong Kong, may help to explain the sudden rise in gold prices, but it also augurs an extraordinary transition from dollar markets within nine years. Read the full story here.

This is a very big deal, and if this gets pulled off it is going to have devastating consequences for the U.S. dollar and for the U.S. economy. But that is the entire purpose, which is to destroy the dollar and the Middle Class in the U.K., America and other nations and create a New World Order where there are just two classes: slaves and masters.

Of course when it comes to troubles for the U.S. financial system there are a whole host of issues that could be talked about.

An environment for a "perfect storm" is developing and most Americans have absolutely no idea what is about to happen.

Fortunately, there are some researchers out there that are working hard to sound the alarm bells. For example, the following quote comes from a recent interview with Gerald Celente:

I believe that we have to watch out for something along the lines of an economic martial law. The European system is in collapse. The financial system in the United States is just as tenuous, if not more, and I believe they will not admit there will be a financial crash but rather they will use a geo-political issue to get the people in a state of fear and hysteria whereby they'll then call a bank holiday or devaluation of the currency, or a hyperinflation of the currency, and blame it on somebody else. Read the full story here.

Europe is about to enter a New Dark Age with the planned destruction of the Middle Class and the masses, like the serfs of old, working for their New Age Lords and Masters. America is about to be plunged into economic chaos with riots in the streets, police state measures and a global economic collapse that will usher in a world currency and New International Financial Order.

There is a global convergence of forces predicted by the ancient prophets that are bringing us to a time known as "The Tribulation Period," the most cataclysmic event in all of human history. The Seven Seal judgments are opened releasing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. World War III, mass death, thermonuclear war, global economic collapse, mass starvation and terrible man-made plagues that the Center for Disease Control describes as a "zombie apocalypse."

Earth changes are produced through asteroid impact and earthquakes that cause an environmental holocaust. The elite hide in underground cities. The Transhuman and Posthuman species is the result of interspecies breeding of man, animal and Nephilim mating with human women. This Cyborg army moves east to Israel and Armageddon.

God makes a supernatural promise to deliver His people from the wrath to come. In the next few years the elect will learn to use spiritual weapons in a parallel universe or invisible realm. They will confront demonic entities moving into the earth through occult portals. A massive last day's soul harvest will occur before the Return of the Lord. On the dark side millions will accept the mark of the beast and become slaves of the Antichrist's new world order.

The Illuminati elite are planning for a New World Order, which is represented on the back of the U.S. dollar bill. The base of the pyramid shows the slaves working for those who have received the Luciferian illumination, which is represented by the all-seeing eye of Lucifer higher up in the pyramid. At the very top of the pyramid is a small pyramid which represents the so-called scientific elite who will rule the world.

The elite have been meeting at such places as the Bilderberg Group, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the Council of Foreign Relations. They plan to destroy capitalism and the Middle Class in order to create their World Socialist Government. Using environmentalism and ecology as the Trojan horse, they are establishing a one world government and a one world economic system. World War III is an essential part of this process.

Science fiction authors like Arthur C. Clarke, use the term "dimensions" when really referring to parallel universes, the invisible realm and the spiritual world. In the 1884 novel "Flatland" by Edwin A. Abbott, many people live in a two dimensional world and are unaware of all the other dimensions around them. Christians must be aware that the primary spiritual battlefield is a parallel universe of a spiritual world.

The New Age thinker, French Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), rejected a Biblical worldview to describe the level of complexity and consciousness towards which he believed the universe was evolving. Teilhard described this evolutionary process of the universe becoming aware of itself as the "Omega Point." Transhumanists like Ray Kurzweil believe that we are entering a world where our Transhumanist creation of supermen, along with computers and technology, will become superior and more intelligent than human beings. This event, which Kurzweil calls, "The Singularity," could cause the computers and cyborgs to revolt against man and rule the universe.

In the Book of Revelation we read about how the False Prophet causes men and women to worship the image of the beast. In addition, there are numerous references to strange phenomenon, which could be referring to the Antichrist and Lucifer using "The Singularity" in order to create a soul-less race of Posthumans who will serve Satan.

There is a coming event that will change everything on planet earth which millions of people are being prepared for. This event will either be the announcement of Extraterrestrial or other dimensional life. This event could be, as the Nazi scientist Werner von Braun suggested, a massive delusion produced by technology. It could also be an event that announces the existence of the Nephilim.

America and the world are racing towards the Great Tribulation Period.

Jesus Christ will open the Seven Seal judgments for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The White Horse represents one world government and the Antichrist. The Red Horse comes to bring World War III, mass death and thermonuclear war. The Black Horse represents global economic collapse and food shortages. The Pale Horse represents death, disease and terrible man-made plagues.

The Fifth Seal represents the blood of all the martyrs who were slain for their faith in Jesus Christ and will be avenged. The Sixth Seal begins with a massive earthquake and the sun becomes black and the moon became like blood. Either asteroids hit the planet and/or nuclear war increases. The wealthy and elite hide in massive underground cities or bases, which Revelation refers to when it speaks of the wealthy hiding in the cracks of the rocks. It is now the beginning of the wrath of God being poured out upon the earth in the greatest time of judgment and cataclysm the world has ever seen.

With the opening of the Seventh Seal and the beginning of the Trumpet Judgments hail and fire mixed with blood are thrown to the earth. One third of all the trees are burnt up and all the green grass is burned up. It is an environmental holocaust of unprecedented proportions. A giant flaming asteroid collides into the ocean with deep impact; causing global tsunami's which destroy ships and sea-life.

A star from heaven called Wormwood hits the earth poisoning the waters of the earth. Finally, an angel is given a key to the bottomless pit and demonic beings and or Transhumanist creatures will be unleashed.

At the end of the Tribulation Period all the nations of the earth will go to Jerusalem and attempt to prevent the Second Coming. Jesus Christ rules and reigns from Jerusalem for a thousand year millennium. A New Earth, New Heaven and New Jerusalem come into being. Paradise is restored!