Search the Community

On another thread, a few people seemed interested in talking again about the Partial Rapture Theory. (I say again, because we did a thread on this about 1.5 years ago that got to over 90 pages before George closed it!) Here's a few of the comments I thought to bring over from that other (current) thread: Below posted by me (as a response to @AnOrangeCat on that other current thread: We had quite the thread going on this over a year ago (actually may have been a couple threads) - I can see if I find them if you'd like. But the basics are this: many argue incessantly for either pre or post trib rapture, and some also for mid trib. I subscribe to the notion that there are some merits for all these in scripture, therefore multiple, partial raptures. There have been God's people who have been caught away at various points, so I don't understand why Christians insist on dogmatically staking claim to just one rapture at the end. To me, we are all saved equally, and He puts His Spirit of life into us to make us children. Therefore we are all on equal footing in that regards - saved by grace period. But then there is the matter of how we grow and what we do with this grace and life we've been given. The Bema Seat judgement will address this and differentiate between God's children. So why should the rapture idea be any different, that is, ones taken up according to how well they have allowed the seed of life in them to grow? Much more could be said, but after some digging I found this thread I started in December 2022. (FYI - there were over 90 pages to this thread and it was closed by George, but if you read a few of the beginning pages I think you'll get the idea.) Below posted by me responding to @Dennis1209 on that other current thread: I don't know much about what the anti-Nicene church fathers held regarding the rapture(s) . . . and I would defer to @AdHoc regarding any teachings from back then about multiple/partial reapings. And even if no church father source for the idea comes from that period, I would maintain that this, in and of itself, certainly does not negate the idea. I do agree that much of the partial rapture teaching did get promulgated by 19th century authors. Here's something from Wikipedia in an article on "Rapture" subsection "Partial pre-tribulation premillennialism": As stated by Ira David (a proponent of this view): “The saints will be raptured in groups during the tribulation as they are prepared to go.”[98] Some notable proponents of this theory are G. H. Lang, Robert Chapman, G. H. Pember, Robert Govett, D. M. Panton, Watchman Nee, Ira E. David, J. A. Seiss, Hudson Taylor, Anthony Norris Groves, John Wilkinson, G. Campbell Morgan, Otto Stockmayer and Rev. J. W. (Chip) White Jr. Found here - an interesting read on the whole matter of the rapture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture I am familiar with a number of these authors and many were in the 19th century. If anyone is interested, here is a website I found today that promotes Partial Rapture Theory (PRT): https://www.bible-prophecy.co/partial-rapture-theory/ I have just started to look through it, so I can't vouch for its veracity. UPDATE: Just realized this website is by an author whose book I have on my shelf: "The Partial Rapture and the Left Behind Church" by Paul Shoenbarger Below posted by @Dennis1209 as a response to me (on that other, current thread): To coin an old secular adage, “The closer to the bone, the sweeter the meat.” The closer we get to the source material and references, the more detail and accuracy. My point is: 1 Thes. 4: 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore lcomfort one another with these words. [emphasis mine] On scripture: I am not dogmatic, but I see nowhere in scripture that teaches a partial rapture. How could we comfort one another knowing some of our beloved brethren and loved ones missed the church age (age of Grace) Rapture and Resurrection? It seems the pronoun WE is all-encompassing and all-inclusive. I mentioned the early so-called church fathers. Polycarp was a personal friend and disciple of John the Revelator, studying under John, not to mention Irenaeus under Polycarp and all the other so-called Ante-Nicene fathers. None of them knew what is spouted today as partial raptures. Short of reverifying, I do not recall any Reformation leaders of the sixteenth century mentioning partial raptures. This doctrinal introduction is a product of the 19th century, which is very late in Biblical terms. It is not to say there will only be one rapture and one glorification. I believe those Tribulation martyrs (and ourselves) will return with Christ at His 2nd coming, then having their glorified bodies. And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. (Revelation 6:11) The final resurrection is the Great White Throne judgment, where those not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are bodily resurrected, condemned, and join the Antichrist and False Prophet in the Lake of Fire. I also would like @AdHoc to chime in. I consistently learn from you both, getting alternate views and thoughts.

Hello brothers and sisters, Since the forums got a little jumbled, I decided to go ahead and start a few new threads. This thread is the defense of the post-trib rapture theological position. Why do you believe in a post trib rapture? Your brother in Christ with much agape love, George

Hello brothers and sisters, Since the forums got a little jumbled, I decided to go ahead and start a few new threads. This thread is the defense of the pre-trib rapture theological position. Why do you believe in a pre trib rapture? Your brother in Christ with much agape love, George

Those who hold the pre-tribulation rapture position, usually site 1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" But this verse cannot possibly refer to Christians suffering here on earth, because Christians have been persecuted since the first days of the church. We find the timing of the Rapture in Revelation 14:14-16 where the Angel harvests the earth - right in the middle of the tribulation, and just before the time of Jacob's Trouble. This timing is affirmed by two passages where we see saints pulled out of the Tribulation in Revelation 7:13-15 and Revelation 20:4. We are giving the church faults hope by suggesting we will not have to endure the Tribulation. We need to prepare for these troubled times.

As we know the end is very near, what are your feelings about the rapture? Are you excited? Are you afraid? Do you feel prepared? I used to be afraid because of the scary time surrounding the event, and also, I was afraid of God, that I wasn't worthy of being with Him. But praise God for his grace! It's not by works but by faith that we are His! Thoughts?

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Thessalonians 4%3A16-18&version=KJV The appearance of Lord Jesus to raise the death saints and gather them to the cloud with the living saints is the ultimate testimony of the truth of our Bible. Saints be taken by angels to the cloud is their ultimate testimony of the Bible to their neighbourhood, family, friends and society. While the foolish virgins will be left behind and scream "Lord Loord, take us in". "I know you not". Why oh why. Maranatha.

Hello brothers and sisters, Since the forums got a little jumbled, I decided to go ahead and start a few new threads. This thread is the defense of the mid-trib rapture theological position. Why do you believe in a mid trib rapture? Your brother in Christ with much agape love, George

Jesus said he would come on the last day. He is not coming twice. True Christians want to stay to proselytize and lead people to Christ and to save them from the All Consuming Fire.

In Hebrews 9: 27 we are told, without qualification, and by an apostle himself, that each of us will die and then face judgment. This seems to me to be in direct contravention to the belief in the Rapture which. ad I understand it, means that potentially billions of people will never die or face judgment. A question to (preferably but not exclusively) those who believe in the Rapture: How is this possible without contradicting the Bible where it says otherwise? What part of scripture explains this or is Hebrews just in error? FWIW, I neither believe or disbelieve the Rapture and am just trying to understand the doctrine itself so that I might gain an insight about it, but I do believe without reservation what is written in Hebrews 9:27.

This may seem kind of strange to some, but when I got saved in the summer of 1989, the Lord told me I was going to write, even though I wasn’t even a writer at that time, far from it. I’ll spare you the long story of how all of that unfolded, but learning how to type, write and biblical studies was a very slow process. Only after decades of diligent study would I finally go on to publish a book, which seemed amazing to me. And not only was the Lord faithful to keep His promise, but there was another unexpected surprise when I had finished. And that was, that my book also contains a brand new rapture theory that just seemed to have developed accidentally. I mean, it was never my intention to create a new rapture theory. That thought had never even crossed my mind. This new theory just seemed to develop somehow when I was breaking down the scriptures and adding commentary, while writing my manuscript. I had no idea my words were going to design a new theory. I didn’t even realize it until I finished proof-reading the first proof-copy of my book. I was checking for errors and typos before it went to print and that’s when it finally hit me! I was totally surprised, as the Lord never said anything about a new rapture theory. . I realize I’m arriving very late to the rapture debate, but I have no doubt this is my calling nonetheless. And it comes at a time, it seems, when many have grown weary of the rapture issue, as it’s become very controversial these days, with all of the different theories and beliefs. Some Christians don’t even believe there will be a rapture. Still, others try to avoid this subject altogether by proclaiming a belief in a so-called pan-theory, saying that everything will all pan out in the end – end of subject. No doubt, all biblical prophecies will certainly pan out, but that, in my view, is really just a cop-out. This is not a subject that Christians should be trying to avoid, not when Christ repeatedly warned us to keep watch and be ready, saying that His coming will occur when we least expect it. He also gave us signs and seasons so that we might know when His coming is near. . What are the odds of an ordinary Joe like me, creating a brand new rapture theory? It’s crazy, I know. We can count all of the rapture theories on one hand, and now there’s a new theory on the other hand. I’ll never be able to prove that God told me I was going to write, so I won’t even try. There’s no need to, not when the proof is in the pudding. Continue reading and you’ll find that the Readiness Rapture theory is very unique. The only reason I call it a theory, though, is because it hasn’t happened yet. You’re about to discover, in this blog post, without reading my book, a few different aspects that set this theory apart from all others. God did not call me to echo what other scholars are saying, so this message should be completely different, groundbreaking, and even revolutionary, not to be confused with popular. I don’t want to say much about the older more established theories, but I will explain one grave error they have all made, and it regards Matthew 24. . Lets take a brief look at the two most popular rapture theories. Pre-tribulation rapture scholars have given us the popular Left Behind series. They believe Matthew 24 only relates to the physical second coming of Christ, not the rapture. They also believe Matt. 24 speaks to Israel and/or the Jews only, not the Church. On the other hand, Post-tribulation scholars believe Matt. 24 relates to both, the rapture and the second coming, and that both events will happen on the same day. I disagree with both positions above, but I’d have to give post-tribbers some credit for at least recognizing the rapture in Matthew 24, and that it will occur after the tribulation; but they are still incorrect about the second coming in Matt. 24. In my view, there’s no physical second coming in Matt. 24, only the rapture alone. I’ll say it again. The appearing of the sign of the Son of man is the rapture only, not His physical second coming to the earth. And this is not only what I believe, but I can also prove it. . The grave mistake that scholars have made regarding Matthew 24 is that they have all reached their conclusions after studying only half of the text. The rapture and second coming will be two separate events. The pre-tribbers were right about the two separate events, however, they will not be separated by seven (7) years. Both events will be fulfilled during the fall feasts in the same year, just as the spring feasts were fulfilled during His first coming. Most scholars believe Matthew 24 relates to the second coming, but it’s actually just the sign of His coming, not His physical second coming to the earth. If only they had read Christ’s entire answer instead of just half of it, they might have discovered this truth long ago. . Jesus’ disciples didn’t just ask Him about the sign of His coming only, but the end of the age as well (Matt. 24:3). Christ’s answer did not conclude at the end of chapter 24, where most scholars end their study. His answer actually ran through to the end of chapter 25, where He told them about His second coming and the end of the age. The trouble is that Christ also included a very complex series of parables in between, which has been a stumbling-block to scholars for nearly two millennia. He purposely made it difficult, and to fully understand His answer we must correctly interpret not just one, but all of these parables, and only then can we finally see the big picture. Then we can unlock the clues that were hidden in these amazing parables; but we must be careful, because there are some well placed stumbling-blocks in these parables as well. . Matthew 24:3 (KJV) – “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” . One of the things I’ve discovered in my study of both chapters, is that Christ actually told us about both events, the rapture and the second coming. Verse (31) is a key verse in both chapters, and we should never lose sight of this groundbreaking revelation. . Matthew 24:31 = Sign of His coming/Gathering of His elect/Rapture Matthew 25:31 = Second coming/Judgment of the nation/End of the age . Hopefully, this discovery will eventually end the rapture/second coming debate regarding Matthew 24. But still, the parables in between these two events have been a stumbling block that has baffled scholars for nearly 2000 years. In fact, most Christians disregard Christ’s teaching altogether, believing instead that Paul was the one who actually introduced us to the mysterious rapture, but that is incorrect. The truth is that Paul was the first to reveal this mystery to Gentile believers. But Christ had already revealed this mystery to His disciples, even though they were slow to understand it all. Their slowness to understand was because He told them about it before they had received the Holy Spirit, before they could understand spiritual things. On another occasion, He told them that He was going away to His Father’s house to prepare a place for them, and promised He would come again and receive them to Himself…And He filled in the rest of the blanks in Matthew 24 and 25. . John 14:2-3 (KJV) – “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” . Now I’m not trying to minimize the apostle Paul’s part in this mystery, not in the least. He added some very important clues as well, when he was discussing the resurrection. And when all of the clues are added together collectively, then we can finally begin to see the big picture emerge. It seems that Paul gave us random clues about this mystery, but it was none other than Christ, Himself, that laid it all out for everyone to see, even though we have failed to see it all these years. This mystery has remained unsolved all this time because of all the parables He used when He laid it all out. In some of His other parables, He would sometimes give His disciples the interpretation, but not in these parables about the sign of His coming and the end of the age. No, He left this series of parables for us to figure out, even though no one would for nearly 2000 years. No doubt, it would be impossible to solve this mystery by reading chapter 24 alone, so I’m glad I was led to keep going and read the rest of His answer to His disciples question. It was then that He began to open my mind so that I could understand His parables, which also confirmed my calling into this great mystery. . Now that we’ve established that Christ told us about both the rapture and the second coming, with several parables in between, what is the significance of these parables? In my book I gave a complete breakdown and interpretation of these puzzling parables, but that takes up three (3) entire chapters, so I won’t be able to do that in this short post. I will, however, tell you what these amazing parables represent and what they mean, but let me warn you, this is revolutionary, so don’t be surprised if your current beliefs are challenged. At first, I thought discovering the second coming and the end of the age in Matthew 25 was very significant, but then He also gave me the insight to finally understand these parables, and it totally blew my mind and still does to this very day! . So His second coming is in Matthew 25, where Christ actually returns to judge the nations. However, the judgment of the nations is the second judgment. Before Christ can judge the nations, according to scripture, He must first judge the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17-18), and this is precisely what we’re seeing in the parables that are in between His appearing, the sign of His coming (Matt. 24) and His second coming (Matt. 25). In a word, these parables also provide the missing clues about the judgment seat of Christ. The rapture and second coming are both two separate judgments, with the hour of trial in between (Rev. 3:10-11). The apostle Paul briefly told us about the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), but he failed to give us any clues about it whatsoever. Nor did he tell us when or where the judgment seat of Christ would be held. . 1 Peter 4:17-18 (KJV) – “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (18) And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” . Notice the Two Judgments: 2 Timothy 4:1 (KJV) “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;” . Many scholars simply assume the entire Church will be raptured into the clouds, for the judgment seat of Christ, but scripture in no way supports this assumption. This is a common belief now, but assumptions like this can keep us from seeing the truth. Jesus simply said the angels will gather together His elect (chosen). Many also claim the Church or all born again believers will be raptured based on their salvation experience, but the scriptures do not support this either. My theory offers another possibility. . Some have recognized that not every believer will be ready, as they believe that only true believers will be raptured instead. However, the Bible mentions nothing about so-called true believers, but instead, Jesus did mention cold, hot and lukewarm believers that none of the other theories mention; and He also warned that His servants must be ready. This assumption is why I believe the other rapture theories are inferior, and leave many believers with a false sense of security. They don’t go deep enough, and have too many holes that are just filled with assumptions. This is why His parables are too important to neglect or ignore, because they contain all of the clues about the rewards believers will receive when He returns. Did you know the parable of the sower also provides clues about the three different types of believer (cold, hot & lukewarm)? . Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV) – “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” . Paul mentioned the Judgment seat of Christ, but failed to tell us much about it. Christ was the only one that mentioned anything about the cold, hot and lukewarm believers. He warned us to be ready, not to assume we will all be ready. His parables are important because they contain the clues about His judgment seat. And once we understand these parables, then we can finally see what becomes of the cold, hot and lukewarm believers, as He laid it all out so beautifully . Contrary to popular belief, we will not be rewarded for receiving Christ as our savior, as many assume. That was a free gift (God’s grace) to everyone who receives His Son. We receive that gift the very moment we receive Christ as our Lord and savior. But that is only our first step in the beginning of our new life in Him. Our rewards, on the other hand, will not be known or given until He returns, and scripture tells us these rewards will be based on the works we’ve done after we received Him. No one ever teaches this, but these scriptures should never be ignored. Three different rewards will given for cold, hot and lukewarm believers, and it should be noted that punishment is also involved (see Luke 12:35-48). . 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV) – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” . Matthew 16:27 (KJV) – “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” . Revelation 22:12 (KJV) – “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” . Many believe the Church will be raptured and meet in the clouds at the judgment seat of Christ, but again, I’d stress caution with this assumption. I see another possibility. God’s ways are higher than mans’ ways. On the earth, men must make an appearance in a court of law, where they present their case before a judge. But this will not be necessary in the Supreme Court of the universe. Jesus is already seated on His throne. There’s no need to present any evidence. Why, because He already knows, and scripture tells us that nothing we say or do on this earth is hidden from Him. All of the evidence will already be recorded in the books in heaven as a permanent record. I can’t prove this, of course, but I strongly believe this is the way it will be when the books are opened. It seems that His judgment will already be made by the time He departs His throne, because He said He’s bringing our reward with Him when He comes. He will give to each their portion, and some servants, He says, will be left with the unbelievers (Luke 12:46). I implore you to read that for yourself. This is why He warned us to be ready when He returns, unlike the Jews that failed to recognize Him in the 1st century. . Hebrews 4:13 – “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” . Revelation 3:15 – “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! . Luke 12:46 – “The master of that servant will come in a day when he thinketh not, and at an hour when he is not aware of, and will cut him off, and give him his portion with the unbelievers.” . Luke 21:34-36 – “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts become burdened by excessiveness and drunkenness and anxieties of life, and that Day comes on you unexpectedly. 35 For as a snare it will come on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Therefore watch always and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.” . Malachi 3:2 – “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:” So Paul wasn’t the only one to teach about the rapture. He was only part of this equation. In fact, we might even say that he was the one who summed it all up and/or confirmed what Daniel and Christ had said about this subject previously. Let’s not forget what Paul, himself, has said, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall a word be established (2 Cor. 13:1, Deu. 19:15, Matt. 18:16). By that standard, he should not be the only one proclaiming a previously unknown truth in scripture. . 2 Corinthians 13:1 (KJV) — “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” . My book actually begins in Daniel 12, where the prophet Daniel was given a prophecy about the time of the end, a future time of trouble (tribulation) not seen since there was a nation, followed immediately by the resurrection. Then he was suddenly told to shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Many scholars believe Daniel’s prophecy foretells the increase of modern technology, but I disagree, and this is precisely where my first major discovery began in my book. I contend that the increase of knowledge has more to do with the resurrection/rapture than it does modern technology. As I proved in my book, the New Testament is the increase of knowledge, when Daniel’s prophecy was actually continued. In short, Daniel was ordered to shut up the words and seal the book right after he was told about the resurrection…and then hundreds of years later, Christ and then Paul increased knowledge about this mystery in the New Testament. . My new mathematical/biblical formula for the increase of knowledge: Resurrection (Dan. 12:2, 1 Thes. 4:16); Rapture (Matt. 24:31, 1 Thes. 4:17) . Increase of Knowledge by Christ and confirmed by Paul: . Resurrection (Daniel 12:1-2) – Daniel + Rapture (Matt. 24:29-31) – Christ ————————————————————— = Resurrection/Rapture (1 Thes. 4:16-17) – Paul . The resurrection was taught in the Old Testament, but the rapture wasn’t taught until the New Testament. Just as Christ was concealed in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament, the same can be said about the resurrection and rapture. Daniel told us about the resurrection just before he was told to shut up the words and seal the book and that knowledge would increase later, even to the time of the end. This new knowledge relates directly to the mystery of the rapture, which was withheld from the Old Testament. So Christ later added the rapture of the living to Daniel’s limited knowledge of the resurrection, and later Paul would confirm both. . Interestingly, Daniel knew nothing about the rapture of the living, and Christ said nothing about the dead when He concluded Daniel’s prophecy (increased knowledge). But a beautiful thing happens when we add the two together, as Paul did in 1 Thes. 4:16-17. This gives us the dead in Christ rising first, then we who are alive and remain at that moment will meet them in the clouds/air. Unfortunately, most scholars and teachers tell us the entire Church will be raptured, as if we will all be ready. I must stress that this is only their assumption that is not backed by scripture. Many will fall away (cold), some believers will be ready (hot), and still others (lukewarm) will be left with the unbelievers (Luke 12:46) and become martyrs during the hour of temptation, which also proves that not all believers will be ready when our Lord appears. . Revelation 3:10-11 (KJV) — “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. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” . Revelation 6:9-11 (KJV) – “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” . Revelation 13:7-8 (KJV) — “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” . Revelation 14:13 (KJV) — “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” . Revelation 20:4 (KJV) — “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” . There is one other important thing I should briefly discuss before I close, which is why the rapture and second coming cannot occur on the same day. I wrote about this in the last chapter of my book, and this is where the fulfillment of the fall feasts comes into play. These are the Lord’s Holy days, which declare His appointed times, that can only be fulfilled by Christ alone. These are the times and seasons we should be watching, even though most believers today are celebrating pagan holidays past down from the ancient Roman culture instead. I’m so glad I repented of my former ignorance. . Christ fulfilled the spring feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits & Pentecost) during His first coming, and He will likewise fulfill the fall feasts (Trumpets, Atonement & Tabernacles) upon His return. These ancient feasts are still very relevant today, as they foretell the Lord’s appointed times and the world will witness some major biblical events when our Lord returns to fulfill them. . Just as Christ fulfilled the spring feasts (death, burial and resurrection), His second coming will fulfill the fall feasts, which will include the rapture, saving Israel and the second coming/judgment of the nations/end of the age. The fall feasts will take three (3) weeks to complete, and other events in between them will include the wedding supper for those who are ready, and the hour of temptation for those believers who aren’t, when many martyrs will be killed. And finally, the end of the tribulation is not the end of the age as many believe. There will be an additional 45 days after the tribulation, as Daniel was given the timeline. And the additional 45 days allows plenty of time for a post-trib/pre-wrath rapture, as well as the judgment of the nations, followed by God’s wrath. . Daniel 12:8-13 (KJV) – “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? (9) And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (10) Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. (11) And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (12) Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (13) But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” . So there it is, the Readiness Rapture theory in a nutshell. I didn’t want to say too much about the rewards and what becomes of the cold, hot & lukewarm believers or give away too much information regarding His parables in this post because I didn’t want to ruin the suspense for those who want to read my book (Who Will Be Ready When the Trumpet Sounds?). I highly doubt this new theory will ever become popular, but then again, neither was Noah’s warning of coming judgment; and we all know that judgment is coming again. Like the days of Noah, I believe this is an urgent message for today, because many are searching for truth at a time that Paul warned would come, when people will not endure sound doctrine, but will gather many teachers who’ll say what their itching ears want to hear, turning away from truth and teach myths and fables instead (2 Tim. 4:1-4). If this message has touched you, please consider sharing it with others. All praises to God and glory to His name! . Matthew 13:33 (KJV) – “Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Brothers and Sisters beloved above all things, even though I do not belong directly to your community, I nevertheless feel in my heart and through my most intimate love and humblest gratitude to The One God united with you in heartfelt love. The time has now come for which the great saints and prophets, your fathers and teachers have long prepared you, guiding and directing you with joy, patience and great wisdom. The prophecies of entry into the heavenly Paradise are about to be fulfilled! Many people will soon enter this wonderful Paradise with its overwhelming beauty and live together eternally in peace and harmony and in their love for The One. In all directions and across all faiths, the departure of your brothers and sisters now begins for the final part of a long journey. There is not much time left to complete your preparations. You may wonder what kind of preparations there are that still need to be completed. You may also wonder what awaits you on the last part of your journey. And I am sure you have many more questions. The heavenly paradise that was announced to the sincere believing and virtuous brothers and sisters at the end of their long journey, and which they will enter in the living but transformed body, remained a secret for a long time, hidden in the mist of future uncertainty. Your brothers and sisters who honor and love The One, but have joined a faith different from yours, may have chosen a slightly different name for it. Nevertheless, it is one and the same gift of overwhelming beauty and splendor from The One to His children, whom He loves supremely and eternally. Although at first glance it may seem that your faith is incompatible with the contents of other faiths, only respectful contemplation with your open heart across all faiths allows for a complete picture that is breathtaking in its grandeur and beauty. The time has now come, in love and great anticipation with all brothers and sisters to overcome these apparent barriers and celebrate the joyful message together. The mist of uncertainty, which holds within it the mystery of Paradise, is receding at this time and before your eyes, giving way to the radiant light of certainty. So now open your loving heart to the revelations that will accompany you on your final journey of the long journey. Listen with your heart The Coming Paradise - The Miracle of the Garden of Eden Together with many brothers and sisters you will very soon enter into a new world full of harmony and beauty, with blossoming landscapes, whose purity, color and diversity will delight you. Before that, a little flock, who has earned merit through its work in the vineyard of The One, will be transformed, unnoticed by this world. You will not experience the decay and death of your body for this entry into the paradise of the New Earth, as has been the case since time immemorial. However, you will receive a new body alive, for the old body will be transformed. You will possess a human body, which, unlike now, equals to condensed, pure light. You will be rejuvenated and vital and live eternally. There will also be no more illnesses. The brothers and sisters who remain behind, will, however, continue to follow the course of birth and earthly death. Together with your loving brothers and sisters, you will bathe in bliss in the love of The One. The loving coexistence in great harmony concerns not only your brothers and sisters but also all animals and all plants in a manner that will appear as a miracle to you. The coming paradise will not be of this world, but in a realm much closer to The One. For the brothers and sisters who remain behind and choose another way, the coming heavenly paradise will remain hidden. The New Earth will be perceived by you as a planet of breathtaking beauty, the sight of which will delight you. There, on the paradisiacal New Earth, Jerusalem will blossom as the New Jerusalem in unimaginable beauty, adorned with a temple of great glory as an expression of your love for The One. On this heavenly New Earth, Jesus with His innumerable saints in great joy has created a wonderful dwelling place for each one of you. He will look after the welfare of the New Earth, for the pleasure of The One. In the last moments that you will still spend on the Old Earth, He will accompany you closely in deep love to give you strength and power. King David will also welcome you with the greatest joy and with heartfelt love. It is King David who has left you in ancient times and now returns with a new body. On the New Earth he will look after the welfare of all brothers and sisters, for the pleasure of The One. You will not hear the seven trumpets of the angels, you will not see the seven bowls of wrath, and never again will darkness touch you. Listen with your heart Entering Paradise After the entrance into the coming paradise brothers and sisters of all faiths will live together in peace, harmony, bliss and joy. They are those brothers and sisters who, in their heartfelt faith in The One always strive for the perfection of their virtues. Their heart glows through their love for other people and the animals and shines like a sun through their compassion, gratitude, kindness and gentleness. Always strive, in your love for The One, to return to the path of virtue, should you stumble in these final moments. Use the power and strength of prayer, to ease the last part of your long journey. and to walk it in great anticipation. This last part of your journey will be illuminated by the love in your heart. Listen with your heart Those who are left behind Those brothers and sisters who have strayed on their path into the darkness and are now trapped by the darkness, have chosen a different path. They are those whose hearts are not shining anymore and whose bodies will not be transformed on that day. Open your loving heart to them with compassion, for their hearts will shine too dimly in the time remaining to find their way back to their path. A multitude, however, that is not yet ready on this coming day, will, by the great grace of The One, be given a final opportunity for transformation. Until the return of Jesus in the time after your transformation, those who remain will undergo a deep purification, to make them ready for the transformation at the end. So those who, by the great grace of The One, have found their way back to the path and are ready on that last day will also be transformed and enter Paradise. Listen with your heart The time of entry into Paradise The entrance into the coming paradise can take place at any moment from now on, but no later than the end of the year 2028 of your calendar. In all directions, your brothers and sisters, who are ready for this moment, will be transformed at the same time and in an instant, but this transformation will be unexpected. So strive in these final moments, and do not stray from your path, so that the call of The One does not leave you unprepared. Listen with your heart Preparation for entry into Paradise Pray according to your faith and ask for guidance, insight and encouragement. Joyfully begin interchanging in your faith communities, across the boundaries of your faith. Listen to the wise words of your spiritual leaders. Use possible doubts as an impetus to deepen your wisdom. Let your anticipation of entering paradise grow with every moment of the day, as a beautiful flower stretches towards the sun. Share this joyous message with your beloved brothers and sisters, across the boundaries of your faith. Strive to, to please your body and your soul. Respect the commandments according to your faith concerning the purity of your body. Prepare your body by drinking plenty of fresh, pure water daily. Prepare your body by cleansing and detoxifying it. Prepare your body, by starting to dedicate yourself to healing and strengthening the mitochondria in your body, for they are essential to the moment of your transformation. Prepare your body, by striving to avoid and replace impure or unnatural foods. Fill your soul with joy, by enjoying the wonderful foods according to your faith. Fill your soul with joy, by making jollity the daily companion of your day. Fill your soul with joy, by experiencing the restorative and refreshing power of nature. Fill your soul with joy, by listening with an open heart and a loving smile to the wise words of your brothers and sisters, even beyond the confines of your own faith. Strengthen your soul, by beginning to practice letting go, for it will facilitate your entry into the paradise to come. To this end, begin the exchange with your brothers and sisters, even beyond the boundaries of your own faith. Do not be discouraged, if you think you have no strength left, and use the power of prayer according to your faith. Very soon, an adversary will enter the stage of your world, whose aim is to impede you on your path in the remaining time. The enticements to win you over, will become very strong and seductive. These will test your firm faith in the last moments before your entrance into the heavenly kingdom. Seek the loving connection with your brothers and sisters, even beyond the boundaries of your faith, for it will give you strength and confidence in this time. The prayers according to your faith, and your unwavering trust in The One will lift you up and give you strength and power. The vast love of The One will carry you in these last moments. Listen with your heart The arrival in Paradise For your arrival the great saints and prophets of your faith will gather in the greatest joy. You will be in tears of happiness, when you return to the arms of Our beloved Father Abraham, through whom We are all united, and Who already awaits your arrival with the greatest longing and joy. For from the love of His tribe you have grown and now ripened into most precious fruits. Brothers and Sisters beloved above all things, I am in greatest joy to see you soon! In deep love and gratitude to The One, With deep love for you, Alfred For the pleasure of The One

I recently checked out a fellow online who I once thought was a great man of God. He took over a national apologetics ministry when its founder passed away almost 40 years ago. I even met him once at a lecture / book selling in the mid 1990's. I since found (from the founder's daughter who heads up a ministry) that this fellow gained control of her father's legacy through unscrupulous methods and methodically eradicated her father's legacy of all that her father spent a lifetime building to succeed him in his death. This fellow I refer to packed the apologetics ministry off to an eastern location in the U.S. and many of the Christian radio networks that carried the on air program dropped it. He has since converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. I lost interest in this fellow years earlier, but dropped in to the online feed to listen to the questions and answers sessions / format of the apologetics show to see if it had gotten any worse. This fellow now teaches that there will be no rapture whatsoever at all... that the traditional texts (1 Corinthians 15:51-55 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) are about the second coming of Christ not some mysterious vanishing act before it gets rough down here on planet Earth. The thing is... he is part right. The texts he mentions are about he second coming / general resurrection of the dead. The tradition that cites them as being about the Rapture (generally attributed to Darby) is wrong. But! The fellow I mention is dead wrong about there not being a rapture at all. There will be a taking out of believers before the Great Tribulation (the last half of the 70th Week of Daniel) when God pours his wrath out on men and angels. God's wrath for believers was poured out on Jesus on the cross. He will not just believers again. This does not mean believers will not suffer or be persecuted... Chuck Missler pointed out that most believers in most of history have suffered and that mainly for their faith. The first half of the 70th Week of Daniel (3 1/2 years roughly) will be the tribulation of the saints (Revelation 12:17-13:18). Then will come the taking out of the few that remain alive before the wrath of God is poured out (Revelation 3:10 / Daniel 12:12). The term "rapture" is from the Latin Vulgate translation (rapturo) for the taking up in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (at the second coming of Jesus). The taking out is a more accurate description of what will take place before the Great Tribulation. Interesting to note in the prophetic Passover Seder: The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus 6:6–7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take." The Vilna Gaon relates the Four Cups to four worlds: this world, the Messianic age, the world at the revival of the dead, and the world to come. What is traditionally called the rapture is actually the taking out.

Hello all, According to Scripture, when will Christ return for the rapture of His Church? Varying interpretations of Scripture relating to this question have resulted in various views. Each view is made up of a virtual forest of interpretations, and everyone has his or her varying reasons for accepting this or that forest as being the better. Interestingly, four major forests full of interpretations concerning the timing of the rapture have become popular: the Pre-Trib forest, the Mid-Trib forest, the Post-Trib forest, and the Pre-Wrath forest. Over time, as in a literal forest, some trees that have been a part of this or that forest have gotten quite huge, while others have fallen, and in some cases, others have been planted which have experienced varying degrees of growth. Of course, each person considers the forest where he or she dwells to be more full and vibrant, while seeing the others as being more spindly and weak. Common to us all is the element of faith, because for now, "we see through a glass darkly" (I Cor. 13:12). As God's children, we quite naturally should want to dwell in forests of truth. I know for me, I delight in what I consider to be forests of truth, and I like to share concerning these forests with others. It looks like this is a common desire with many in God's family! With a forum, a thread will often concern only one tree in a forest that makes up a view. And, as we often say in Kentucky, sometimes its hard to see the forest for the trees. In the course of my experience on Worthy Christian Forums, I have started some threads having to do with the trees (if you will) that are in a different forest that I have had my eyes opened to, a forest that represents a totally different Pre-Trib, or Pre-Daniel's 70th Week rapture view. Over time, I have sometimes wondered if some will be able to appreciate this different forest at all, until they have seen all of it. That is what this thread is all about. The following 36 propositions (trees) are divided into two parts and represent the A,B,C's and 1,2,3's of a different forest that God has drawn my attention to. PART I concerns things up to and including the time of the rapture. PART II concerns things after the time of the rapture. Also, for the purpose of heightening the reader's awareness of the great significance of the Seven Sealed Book (Rev. 5), PART I concerns things up to---and just prior to---the last seal of this book being removed. PART II continues from there and, for me, further substantiates PART I. PART I A. The Revelation reveals things that were "at hand" to begin to take place, even in John's day. B. The Revelation is in chronological order, and chapters 11-20 overlap consistent with this order. C. The Revelation is a grid into which all end time prophecies will fit and find their order. D. The rapture of the Church is imminent and has been since early in the Church Era. E. The rapture will occur pre-The Seven Year Tribulation Period, or pre-Daniel's 70th Week. F. The rapture closes the Church Era and will occur right before the Day of the Lord begins. G. The word "day" in phrases like "the Day of the Lord" can have a strict or a broad sense meaning. H. The book sealed with seven seals could rightly be entitled, THE DAY OF THE LORD. I. The seals of the Seven Sealed Book represent those things leading up to what is within the book. J. The first four seals parallel what Jesus warned of in the opening verses of His Olivet Discourse. K. The Olivet Discourse pertains to both Church Era Christians and Last Day's Israelites. L. The Lamb opened the first four seals as early as the first century of the Church Era. M. The 1st Seal reveals Satan's Church Era scheme to conquer truth by deceivers and false Christs. N. The 2nd Seal reveals Satan's Church Era scheme to take away peace and bring about wars. O. The 3rd Seal reveals Satan's Church Era scheme to effect poverty for most, but luxury for some. P. The 4th Seal reveals Satan's Church Era scheme to martyr Christians, but with a specified limit. Q. The "fourth part of the earth" spoken of in Rev. 6:8 is a geographical, not a population reference. R. The 5th Seal reveals the cry of Church Era martyrs for justice, nearer the end of the Church Era. S. The prophecy quoted by Peter in Acts 2:16-21 points to the Church Era and precisely spans it. T. The Second Advent of Christ will be preceded by His Sign Appearance, shown in Matt. 24:30. U. The Sign Appearance of Christ will be accompanied by signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars. V. The tribulation Jesus spoke of in Matt. 24:29 is in reference to the tribulation of the Church Era. W. The Sign Appearance of Christ includes the rapture and occurs after the opening of the 6th Seal. X. The 144,000 of Rev. 7:1-8 and those in Israel's hemisphere will see Christ's Sign Appearance. Y. The great multitude John beheld in Rev. 7:9-17 is the just resurrected and the raptured Church. Z. The "great tribulation" spoken of in Rev. 7:14 is what the Church has so long been through, OR, The "great tribulation" spoken of in Rev. 7:14 is what the Church will have just escaped from. PART II 1. The Day of the Lord will begin the day the 6th and 7th seals of the Seven Sealed Book are opened. 2. The geographical setting for Daniel's 70th Week will be the same as it was for the first 69 weeks. 3. The first four trumpets will effect the destruction of the 1/3 of Earth not in Israel's hemisphere. 4. The Western Hemisphere (the Americas+) represents the 1/3 of Earth not in Israel's hemisphere. 5. The time elapsing for everything from the 6th Seal through the 4th Trumpet can be one day. 6. The 5th and 6th trumpets will complete the stage of the Bible lands for Daniel's 70th Week. 7. The "little book open", which John gives an account of in Rev. 10:1-11, is the little book of Daniel. 8. The account of Daniel's 70th Week runs from Rev. 11:1 thru Christ's Second Advent in 19:11-21. 9. The 7th Trumpet heralds a period that isn't over until Rev. 20:15, after the Last Judgment. 10. The period heralded by the 7th Trumpet results in COMPLETE CLOSURE FOR THIS WORLD. Realize that as I have likened each of these 36 propositions to a tree, some have many limbs. In time, as I have time, I plan to start other threads that will go into more detail concerning these propositions. In the post that follows this one, I plan to keep a running list of these threads. Hopefully, the threads that I have already started, which stem from the above and are rooted in Scripture, will be able to now be better appreciated. For me, I believe it is important to humbly confess that I may be wrong on something. Moreover, because I am a relative unknown, I have experienced no temptation concerning the thing of trying to save face with anyone or any organization. Rather, if another in the family of God is able to show me where I may be in error, I will be thankful and will gladly do the work necessary to make the foregoing a better forest of truth. I know that when I am considering what others put forth, I often wonder what they believe concerning other things. If this is a concern of yours, I would like to invite you to consider my thread, My Testimony and More in the Testimonies section of the forum (https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/252050-my-testimony-and-more/). Your brother in Christ, for the cause of Christ---not an echo I would like to dedicate this opening post of this thread to the Church, "the pillar and ground of the truth" (I Tim. 3:15b), of which I am most grateful to be a part.

Sunday 12-18-22 1st. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Kislev 23, 5783 86th. Fall Day Can Yeshua Come At Any Moment? There is one school of thought which believes Jesus may return at any moment – even this very night. Those who suggest this, believe Jesus is returning to rapture away His saints to heaven, first, and then will come a second time, after a few years, to punish the Antichrist and the rebellious earth and to install the Kingdom of God. They call it “two phases” of one coming. Is there any truth at all to this view? If popularity is any criteria, then it must be true, because – most Christians sincerely believe it. Bumper stickers on automobiles announce: “IF I AM RAPTURED, TAKE THE WHEEL.” But popularity is no basis of knowing what is right or wrong; we must search the Scriptures to find out what is the real truth (John 17:17). Jesus warned first of all to beware of false prophets and ministers disguised as ministers of Christ. Then He said: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6-8, NKJV). We certainly live in an age where the fear of war, even World War III, is a breathtaking reality. The terrors of modern warfare are unimaginable, causing the mind to reel. They are becoming so horrible that multitudes will go into a catatonic state of shock (Luke 21:26). How many wars, rebellions, revolutions, invasions, threats and rumors of war, can you count on your fingers right now? How many since World War II? Since Korea? Since Vietnam? The Gulf War? The genocide currently continuing in the Sudan! The threat of war over Taiwan! North Korea rattling its missiles! Pakistan and India, both of which have nuclear weapons! We are always hearing of wars and revolts in Africa, eastern Europe, Asia, central America, and the Middle East! Yeshua’s words have been fulfilled to the very letter. And famine? Never was the threat of world hunger ever any worse than right now – and growing worse daily. World population is burgeoning, because few if any nations really practice birth control, and the food supply is beginning to show signs of strain, faltering, and failing. Many millions are soon destined to die from famine and starvation. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions – these too are increasing. Jesus said these signs would. be the “beginning” of sorrows or tribulation. Next He prophesied increased persecution upon His true Church, His dedicated followers. Whereas the Church of God has enjoyed relative peace and harmony with the neighbors around us for several decades, times are beginning to change. Anti-Christian sentiment is spreading. The tax favored treatment of religious non-profit institutions is being severely threatened. The secular government and society is becoming increasingly hostile toward religion! A bizarre sect of Sabbath keepers were cremated at Waco, Texas, by Federal BATF agents, in a fiery holocaust which consumed men, women, and children indiscrimately. Jesus told us it would happen. He said: “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:9-11). Jesus foretold: “And because INIQUITY [lawlessness, sin] shall abound, the love [natural affection for neighbor, for others, as well as love for God] of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). Next on the Agenda -- The Great Tribulation! Then what did the Messiah say would happen? What comes next? What is the next sign or event which would happen before His return? The very next sign or event to look for, He said, is war in the Middle East! Notice it! Let’s pick up the story flow in Matthew 24: “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoso reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judaea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take any thing out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But WOE to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. “For then will be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were SHORTENED, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:15-22, NKJV). The abomination of desolation will involve foreign Gentile armies surrounding Jerusalem – the standards of an invading army hoisted, raised, over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem! Luke’s account of this same prophecy makes the picture even clearer. Notice: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; for these are DAYS OF VENGEANCE, as a fulfillment of all that is written. “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be GREAT DISTRESS on the earth and WRATH against this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24, NRSV). Notice! We have seen there will be awesome, devastating events which will presage the coming of Christ, including the Great Tribulation itself – and up to this point, Yeshua has said absolutely NOTHING about the “rapture of the saints”! How could He have left it out? If it is supposed to occur somewhere in the middle of those fateful signs and events, then why didn’t Christ even MENTION it? The answer is simple – because it isn’t going to happen that way! Modern proponents of a rapture before the Great Tribulation have it all backwards! In this prophecy, Yeshua told His elect, His true disciples, who are living at the End Time, “So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS; the one on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your FLIGHT may not be in winter or on a Sabbath” (Matt.24:15-20, NRSV). He made no mention whatsoever of a secret plan to RAPTURE the church to heaven. But He DID warn His saints – His elect – to be ready to FLEE to the mountains, to pray that their FLIGHT would not have to occur in winter or on a Sabbath, when travel is curtailed. These things would not matter if they were to be whisked off to heaven! A Place of Safety Thus far, we have seen absolutely no evidence to support the rapture of the saints to heaven before the Tribulation, or midway through it. But if there is no “secret rapture” to protect the saints, how will they be protected? What is all this about “fleeing”? Let’s notice other Scriptures which bear on this important subject. Those Christians who are watchful, vigilant, and pray continuously to be worthy to escape those horrifying events to come, will be spared (Luke 21:34-36). They are the ones who will be protected on earth, through the Tribulation, not taken to heaven! God says of the Philadelphia Church – the church which TRULY expresses His divine love and brotherly compassion – “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” (Rev.3:10, KJV). The word translated “from” here is the Greek ek and the Englishman’s Greek New Testament interlinear has it, “I will keep thee out of the hour of trial.” Young’s Analytical Concordance says it means “out of.” The question is, HOW will He do this? There is no scriptural evidence that He will take them to heaven for the duration. Jesus Christ told His disciples that when they see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, that its desolation is nigh, and at that time those in Judea (modern “Israel”) should “FLEE to the mountains” (Matt.24:16; Luke 22:20-21) – in other words, “get out of Dodge” before the trouble erupts! The “mountains” mentioned here means the mountains of Israel. In the first century, the early church fled to the Qumran region, to caves in the mountains near the Dead Sea, and later fled across the Jordan River to a small town called Pella. David also fled from king Saul to this same general region, to En Gedi, a mountainous area west of the Dead Sea where many caves existed. To be continued By William F. Dankenbring Love, Walter and Debbie

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Not trying to oversimplify, but this is one verse that suggests that the Church is removed before the bowls of God's wrath are poured out during the Final Tribulation. If this is Truth, then the Lord would have brought the Israelites out of Egypt first, then poured out judgments on them, as this is clearly the type and foreshadowing. No, they went through unscathed, then plundered the Egyptians. Isaiah 23: 17 And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. 18 Her gain and her pay will be set apart for the Lord; it will not be treasured nor laid up, for her gain will be for those who dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for fine clothing.

Sunday 12-18-22 1st. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Kislev 23, 5783 86th. Fall Day Many people have been misled by a pseudo-rapture or variant rapture theory which does not hold water. When Christ returns, He returns just as He went to heaven (Acts 1:9-10). He went up in a cloud, once; He will return in the clouds of heaven – once – not twice. He marries the church when He returns to the earth, after He is upon the earth, before God’s throne (at His footstool – the earth). Remember, the presence of the Father is EVERYWHERE (Psalm 139). The man who did not have on a wedding garment does not refer to some spirit being, fallen angel, or demon, but to a human being who did not qualify to be part of the marriage of the Lamb. The wedding garment is righteousness – “fine linen which is the righteousness of the saints” (Rev.19:8). This man was not obedient to God and His commandments; so He did not qualify, as he did not have on righteous garments – garments which typify righteousness, which is obedience (Psalm 119:172; I John 3:4). He had apparently not truly, in his heart, accepted Christ as His one true Saviour, and had not given himself to Him in total, abject surrender, to obey Him – to say, “I do” – to make the full “marriage commitment”! . He tried to enter the sheepfold by a “different door” (John 10:1-10). This individual may have “thought” he was a true Christian, but he will be cast in outer darkness – together with the wicked hypocrites (Matt.22:13). He will not enter the kingdom of God. He is like the ones Christ mentioned in Matthew 7 who say “Lord, Lord,” but don’t DO God’s will in their lives (Matt.7:21). He is like the ones who claim to be Christians – even various ministers, who preach and teach and even do “mighty works in His name” – but will be cast out of the kingdom because they “work iniquity” – which is sin, lawlessness (I John 3:4) in their lives, despite their claims of serving God and being ministers of Christ (Matt.7:22-23). Let’s really understand this! The “secret rapture” theory espoused by Tim LaHaye and most “Christians,” today, is a serious and fatal error. It will likely cause immense multitudes to be unprepared for the diabolical reign of the Beast, or the Antichrist! They assume they will be taken up to heaven before the Great Tribulation, but God promises no such thing! Be sure to read our article, “The Secret Rapture – Fact or Fallacy?” They will be completely, utterly unprepared for the great travail and suffering that will come upon them! Joseph Goode and other teachers claim that Christ will take His church up to heaven for a period of seven years. While there, the marriage feast will occur in heaven. The saints then will have to watch the horrible agony of the people “left behind” on the earth! They will have to see the poor Jewish Messianic believers go through savage hell on earth. Is this what God really intends? Others claim that the Messiah returns to take His flock up to heaven after 3 ½ years of the seven-year tribulation period have passed. Still others say the saints are taken to heaven for only a few months, and then return with the Messiah to this earth. All these theories are DEAD WRONG! The “secret rapture” is a serious deception of Satan the devil, to destroy God’s people by misleading them into a totally false sense of security! When Christ returns, it will be a loud, shining, shattering, incredible event. The archangel will blow a loud trumpet. Paul wrote, “Listen! I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (I Cor.15:51-52, NRSV). When the Messiah returns, there will be a mighty shout – the thundering voice of an archangel – which will shake up the nations (I Thess.4:16). It will be heard worldwide, and at that point the dead in Christ will rise, and the living saints will be changed and given a glorious new body, and rise to meet Him in the sky as He returns to earth. When the Messiah comes, and the saints are resurrected, and meet Him in the air, it will be accompanied by THUNDER! And the nations will “SEE the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with POWER and GREAT GLORY. And he will send out his angels with a LOUD TRUMPET CALL, and they will gather his elect, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt.24:30-31, NRSV). The saints will be with Him as He sets His feet on the Mount of Olives (Zech.14:4), “in that day” – that very day. Not 3 ½ or 7 years later! He will come in “clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt.24:30), and “every eye shall SEE him” (Rev.1:7). Does that sound like a “secret” coming? The only thing “secret” about it will be its TIMING! No one will know the “day or the hour” (Matt.24:36). In that sense, His coming will be like a thief – totally unexpected by the vast majority of people (v.42-44). The Second Coming will not be a silent, clandestine, secretive, invisible event, with people “disappearing” suddenly from wherever they are, as rapturists proclaim. Such a theory is in denial of the plain scriptures. Such a hope is a false hope, a satanic delusion, a deception of the devil who seeks to entrap and seduce God’s people into a false sense of security. They will stumble unwatchful and heedless into the Jaws of Great Tribulation. A Point-by-Point Sequence of Events FIRST! Before Christ returns, there are many things which must occur on earth first! Notice! In the prophetic chapter of Matthew 24, the Mount Olivet prophecy, Yeshua gave His disciples a point by point sequence of events which must take place BEFORE His second coming. Read the entire chapter very carefully. Yeshua’s disciples wondered about the return of the Messiah and the end of the world. “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’” (Matthew 24:3, NKJV). They were referring to the end of this present evil age, not the end of planet Earth itself, but the end of this present evil civilization under the sway of Satan the devil. What did Jesus tell them? “And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am Christ,’ and will deceive many” (verses 4-5). Can you imagine that? The very first thing Yeshua warned His followers was to beware of deceivers – false prophets – who would deceive MANY! How true His words have become! Millions are deceived, confused, today, even about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ! His words have been misinterpreted, misunderstood, misconstrued, and manhandled by many who simply refuse to believe He meant exactly what He said! There are many deceivers on earth today – many false prophets – and many of them even come “in His name,” – that is, claiming to be His ministers, His servants, His prophets. They claim to worship Him. The apostle Paul warned about such Christians leaders who preach Christ while they deny His true teaching, His true message: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their words” (II Cor.11:13-15, KJV). Yeshua Himself had severe words for those ministers who claim to represent him, but in truth deny Him. He warned: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16, NKJV). Consider these weighty warnings of Jesus. Let us then read very carefully His own words in Matthew 24, about His second coming, and not listen to the pied pipers of modern religion! Yeshua clearly indicated God has not told us the day or precise hour of His coming! If anyone claims to know the day or hour, then, I would conclude he is a false prophet. Jesus meant what He said! Guessing games with prophecy will do us no good. Speculation will not help. But, notice what Jesus did NOT say. He did NOT say we couldn’t know the approximate time of His return. In fact, He gave us signs to watch for. He said: “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (verse 33). To Be Continued By William F. Dankenbring Love, Walter and Debbie

SEE MY POST: https://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=213977

Sunday 12-18-22 1st. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Kislev 23, 5783 86th. Fall Day Many people have been misled by a pseudo-rapture or variant rapture theory which does not hold water. When Christ returns, He returns just as He went to heaven (Acts 1:9-10). He went up in a cloud, once; He will return in the clouds of heaven – once – not twice. He marries the church when He returns to the earth, after He is upon the earth, before God’s throne (at His footstool – the earth). Remember, the presence of the Father is EVERYWHERE (Psalm 139). The man who did not have on a wedding garment does not refer to some spirit being, fallen angel, or demon, but to a human being who did not qualify to be part of the marriage of the Lamb. The wedding garment is righteousness – “fine linen which is the righteousness of the saints” (Rev.19:8). This man was not obedient to God and His commandments; so He did not qualify, as he did not have on righteous garments – garments which typify righteousness, which is obedience (Psalm 119:172; I John 3:4). He had apparently not truly, in his heart, accepted Christ as His one true Saviour, and had not given himself to Him in total, abject surrender, to obey Him – to say, “I do” – to make the full “marriage commitment”! . He tried to enter the sheepfold by a “different door” (John 10:1-10). This individual may have “thought” he was a true Christian, but he will be cast in outer darkness – together with the wicked hypocrites (Matt.22:13). He will not enter the kingdom of God. He is like the ones Christ mentioned in Matthew 7 who say “Lord, Lord,” but don’t DO God’s will in their lives (Matt.7:21). He is like the ones who claim to be Christians – even various ministers, who preach and teach and even do “mighty works in His name” – but will be cast out of the kingdom because they “work iniquity” – which is sin, lawlessness (I John 3:4) in their lives, despite their claims of serving God and being ministers of Christ (Matt.7:22-23). Let’s really understand this! The “secret rapture” theory espoused by Tim LaHaye and most “Christians,” today, is a serious and fatal error. It will likely cause immense multitudes to be unprepared for the diabolical reign of the Beast, or the Antichrist! They assume they will be taken up to heaven before the Great Tribulation, but God promises no such thing! Be sure to read our article, “The Secret Rapture – Fact or Fallacy?” They will be completely, utterly unprepared for the great travail and suffering that will come upon them! Joseph Goode and other teachers claim that Christ will take His church up to heaven for a period of seven years. While there, the marriage feast will occur in heaven. The saints then will have to watch the horrible agony of the people “left behind” on the earth! They will have to see the poor Jewish Messianic believers go through savage hell on earth. Is this what God really intends? Others claim that the Messiah returns to take His flock up to heaven after 3 ½ years of the seven-year tribulation period have passed. Still others say the saints are taken to heaven for only a few months, and then return with the Messiah to this earth. All these theories are DEAD WRONG! The “secret rapture” is a serious deception of Satan the devil, to destroy God’s people by misleading them into a totally false sense of security! When Christ returns, it will be a loud, shining, shattering, incredible event. The archangel will blow a loud trumpet. Paul wrote, “Listen! I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (I Cor.15:51-52, NRSV). When the Messiah returns, there will be a mighty shout – the thundering voice of an archangel – which will shake up the nations (I Thess.4:16). It will be heard worldwide, and at that point the dead in Christ will rise, and the living saints will be changed and given a glorious new body, and rise to meet Him in the sky as He returns to earth. When the Messiah comes, and the saints are resurrected, and meet Him in the air, it will be accompanied by THUNDER! And the nations will “SEE the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with POWER and GREAT GLORY. And he will send out his angels with a LOUD TRUMPET CALL, and they will gather his elect, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt.24:30-31, NRSV). The saints will be with Him as He sets His feet on the Mount of Olives (Zech.14:4), “in that day” – that very day. Not 3 ½ or 7 years later! He will come in “clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt.24:30), and “every eye shall SEE him” (Rev.1:7). Does that sound like a “secret” coming? The only thing “secret” about it will be its TIMING! No one will know the “day or the hour” (Matt.24:36). In that sense, His coming will be like a thief – totally unexpected by the vast majority of people (v.42-44). The Second Coming will not be a silent, clandestine, secretive, invisible event, with people “disappearing” suddenly from wherever they are, as rapturists proclaim. Such a theory is in denial of the plain scriptures. Such a hope is a false hope, a satanic delusion, a deception of the devil who seeks to entrap and seduce God’s people into a false sense of security. They will stumble unwatchful and heedless into the Jaws of Great Tribulation. A Point-by-Point Sequence of Events FIRST! Before Christ returns, there are many things which must occur on earth first! Notice! In the prophetic chapter of Matthew 24, the Mount Olivet prophecy, Yeshua gave His disciples a point by point sequence of events which must take place BEFORE His second coming. Read the entire chapter very carefully. Yeshua’s disciples wondered about the return of the Messiah and the end of the world. “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’” (Matthew 24:3, NKJV). They were referring to the end of this present evil age, not the end of planet Earth itself, but the end of this present evil civilization under the sway of Satan the devil. What did Jesus tell them? “And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am Christ,’ and will deceive many” (verses 4-5). Can you imagine that? The very first thing Yeshua warned His followers was to beware of deceivers – false prophets – who would deceive MANY! How true His words have become! Millions are deceived, confused, today, even about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ! His words have been misinterpreted, misunderstood, misconstrued, and manhandled by many who simply refuse to believe He meant exactly what He said! There are many deceivers on earth today – many false prophets – and many of them even come “in His name,” – that is, claiming to be His ministers, His servants, His prophets. They claim to worship Him. The apostle Paul warned about such Christians leaders who preach Christ while they deny His true teaching, His true message: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their words” (II Cor.11:13-15, KJV). Yeshua Himself had severe words for those ministers who claim to represent him, but in truth deny Him. He warned: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16, NKJV). Consider these weighty warnings of Jesus. Let us then read very carefully His own words in Matthew 24, about His second coming, and not listen to the pied pipers of modern religion! Yeshua clearly indicated God has not told us the day or precise hour of His coming! If anyone claims to know the day or hour, then, I would conclude he is a false prophet. Jesus meant what He said! Guessing games with prophecy will do us no good. Speculation will not help. But, notice what Jesus did NOT say. He did NOT say we couldn’t know the approximate time of His return. In fact, He gave us signs to watch for. He said: “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (verse 33). To Be Continued By William F. Dankenbring Love, Walter and Debbie

We don’t often hear much about this, but as I was connecting some dots, as I often do, this just seemed to fall right into my lap. This post will introduce some new details relating to the rapture as well as provide more scriptural evidence in support of the different rewards (cold, hot & lukewarm) believers will receive when Christ returns. It also serves as confirmation for my new rapture theory that isn’t very well known at this early stage, but hopefully that will change as we draw nearer to the time of the end. For those who have never heard of my new rapture theory, I recommend reading part one first. . For those who are familiar with my new theory, you’re aware that the biggest difference between my theory and all others is my discovery of the three (3) rewards that cold, hot & lukewarm believers will receive when the Lord returns, as He said He will be bringing our rewards with Him when He comes, and that these rewards will be based upon our works. . Revelation 22:12 – “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me to give to each one according to his work.“ . 2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.“ . Matthew 16:27 – “For the Son of Man shall come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay every man according to his works.“ . It’s important to understand that believer’s who receive these rewards, whether cold, hot or lukewarm, they must have previously received salvation in Christ, and also that not all believer’s rewards will be the same. I say this because many often get confused between our salvation, which is not based on works, and our rewards which are based on our works or deeds, just as the scriptures I cited above say. Salvation (God’s grace) is a free gift (not earned) that begins the moment we receive Christ as Lord and savior. But on the other hand, our rewards won’t be known or come until the Lord returns, and only then will He render our rewards, based on the things we’ve done while in the body of Christ. As true believers, our sins have already been forgiven, so they will not be judged when He returns. Instead, only our works are judged and He will render our individual rewards when He comes, just as He promised. . 2 Peter 4:17-18 – “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God, and if it begins first with us, what shall the end be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” . Now please allow me to refresh your memory about the three rewards (cold, hot & lukewarm) in my new theory. If you remember, the cold will fall away (depart the faith) long before the Lord appears to judge the house of God. What could cause many believers to fall away, just before the Lord returns? That remains to be seen, but I believe it will be persecution coming from a new global religion that is already forming under the leadership of Pope Francis. . Matthew 24:10-12 – “Then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will rise and will deceive many. 12 Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold.“ . 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 – “Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For that Day will not come unless a falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself as God.“ Have you ever noticed that people often mention the lukewarm in a negative light, but no one ever mentions the cold? They seem to go unnoticed until the Lord briefly mentions them when judging the lukewarm. The cold will actually disqualify themselves, therefore, they won’t even be included in this judgment. Instead, their judgment will be delayed until the Lord returns to judge the nations (second coming), when He separates the sheep from the goats. And since the cold will already be out of the picture, this will leave only the hot and lukewarm to be judged/rewarded when Christ appears (rapture). . Revelation 3:15-16 – “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of My mouth.” . The judgment of the house of God begins with the sign of the Son of man and the gathering together of His elect (Matt. 24:29-31). This is when He will come like a thief and break-up the house, cutting it in sunder (in two)…Two will be in the field, one shall be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding in the mill, one shall be taken and the other left…Those who are ready, faithful servants (hot) will be taken (rapture), while He spits the lukewarm out of His mouth, as they will be left. This also gives us another view of the ten virgins, five were wise and five were foolish. I won’t distract you by going too deep into what happens to them here again, but instead I now want to focus on the two different classes in the kingdom of heaven (the greatest and the least), as I’ll share biblical evidence for both classes. I’ll address the greatest first in the passage below. . Mark 10:35-45 – “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” 38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” 39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” 41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” . So there it is, as Christ said the great in His kingdom will be servants, and whoever wants to be first will be slave of all. So it should be obvious that His faithful servants will be among those who are ready as He gathers together His elect, and they will be rewarded immediately when He comes. Again, two will be in the field, one shall be taken and the other left…This is also precisely when He spits the lukewarm out of His mouth. Lukewarm servants are not always faithful, as they are double-minded and need to be purified, which will occur during the hour of trial (Rev. 3:10-11, 15-18). Unfortunately for them, this is when they will also be overcome by the beast (Rev. 13:7-8) as they will become martyrs when they refuse the mark of the beast. Then they will be rewarded as soon as they are martyred, as their deeds follow them (Rev. 14:13). So His faithful servants (hot) are taken (rapture), while both the cold and lukewarm remain on the earth with the unbelievers’. Now let’s turn our focus to what happens to them (cold & lukewarm) after the rapture, as both groups will be left behind. . Luke 12:45-48 – “But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” . Since this is a parable, I doubt His servants will be literally beaten, but we can clearly see there is punishment involved. I didn’t include verses 42-44 in the passage above, because it refers to those who will be ready when He comes. But as we can see in verse 46 above, those servants that are not ready will be left with the unbelievers. In verses 47 and 48, the rewards for the cold and lukewarm are actually two punishments, and one is more severe than the other. Those who fall away (cold) will receive many stripes (vs. 47). They will forfeit their positions in the kingdom, and they will not be counted or judged among those in the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17-18), but will instead be judged among the nations afterward, which is a very harsh penalty. On the other hand, the lukewarm will receive a few stripes for not being ready (vs. 48), but they will be purified during the hour of trial and re-enter the kingdom as martyrs (Rev. 3:15-18, 6:9-11, 13:7-8, 14:13, 20:4). It’s easy to see, also, that not all saints will be raptured as other theories claim. . Daniel 12:8-10 – “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” 9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.” . At that point (after the rapture), it would be much better to surrender your head, rather than trying to survive to the end, as the cold (sheep) will end up doing. The sheep won’t have enough faith to go through with it, but the lukewarm will. And as a result, the sheep (cold) will witness God’s wrath, but He will protect them through it. In fact, after the martyrs have been killed, they will also want to die, but death will flee from them (Rev. 9:6). They are weak, but God is strong! However, they will become subjects in the millennial kingdom, after they have been separated from the goats (unbelievers) during the judgment of the nations. Don’t be fooled by those popular “Left Behind” books and movies. It will be much better to be subjects during the hour of trial (martyrs), than to be subjects during the millennial kingdom. At least the martyrs will return to reign with Christ, which is a much better reward than being ruled by the returning saints. . Matthew 25:31-46 – “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” . The sheep (cold) will be mortals that will be ruled over by Christ and the saints that return with Him (second coming). These returning saints will include both the hot that will be taken (rapture), and the lukewarm that will be left (martyrs). If we paid close attention, we can see the least of His brethren are briefly mentioned as underlined in the parable above, which, again, is the judgment of the nations (sheep & goats). Many assume the least of His brethren is referring to the poor, but it has nothing to do with our wealth or finances. . According to this parable, the sheep will be allowed entrance into His millennial kingdom because they had in some way ministered unto or with the least of His brethren (martyrs) who were not ready when He came (as both were left). If He actually meant “poor” instead of least, that would be referring to both the sheep and goats. But the fact that He calls them the least of His “brethren” signifies they are saints (believers). Now let’s take a look at a passage that mentions both the great and the least in the kingdom of heaven. . Matthew 5:19 – “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” . John 14:21 – “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (His appearing). – [emphasis added] . Ah yes, now we’re beginning to see what it really means to be ready when He comes. Not only is He coming for His faithful servants, but they must also do and abide by His commands as well. No wonder we are told to be doers of the Word, and not just hearers or believers only. It certainly appears to me that being ready will require both faith and obedience, just as it was required of the old covenant saints as well. God never changes, but since the new covenant was built upon better promises, giving us more liberty, we new covenant saints need to make sure that we don’t take this freedom for granted. Unfortunately, many are using God’s grace as a license to sin. I didn’t mention it in the passage above, when I discussed the two punishments (Luke 12:46-48), but verse 48 says For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required. What could that mean? And why does no one ever seem to talk about this? . Could it be that because we new covenant believers were given more, that more will be required or expected of us? Just think about all that we’ve been given. We’ve been set free from the bondage of sin and death. We’ve been given more liberty and a new covenant built upon better promises. We’ve been given spiritual gifts, and best of all – we’ve been given the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us and guide us into all truth. We are also told that we must produce fruit. We hold God’s Word in our hands, so we will all be without excuse. The old covenant saints had none of these luxuries, and only God’s ancient prophets had the Holy Spirit in them. . I believe those who think they’ve been given a license to sin are heading for a very rude awakening someday and many will not be ready. Many of the old covenant saints who weren’t given nearly as much will have outperformed them by a country mile, and I suspect the cold and lukewarm will likely be very disappointed and even ashamed when the Lord comes to reward His servants, which will also include the old covenant saints as well. However, much less will be required of the old covenant saints. This should be very sobering. Now let’s take a look at what Jesus said to a Gentile about the wedding supper, which only those who are ready will be attending. . Matthew 8:5-13 – “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.” . Yes, many of the old covenant saints will be at the wedding supper of the Lamb. They sacrificed a lamb every year on the Day of Atonement so that Israel’s sins would be forgiven for that year. Each household would have to sacrifice a lamb on the Passover feast, and put its blood on their door-posts as a memorial for what God did in their exodus from Egypt. In keeping these feasts, they were looking forward to the future promises that would ultimately be fulfilled by Christ, the Lamb of God; but we Gentiles believers’ are now looking back at the cross, where Christ died once, for all, which includes the old covenant saints who are also in Christ. He fulfilled the promises the old covenant saints were looking forward to by faith, when He fulfilled the spring feasts, which are the Lord’s appointed times. And when He returns He will likewise fulfill the fall feasts as well. Israel wasn’t ready when He came the first time and very few were able to recognize and receive Him, but He has warned us to be ready next time, and we will be without excuse. Very sobering, indeed! . Now I want to share something Paul said, as he gave an intriguing clue regarding our rewards, which all of the other theories fail to mention. They teach that the Lord will simply rapture the entire Church, as if everyone is going to be ready when He comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Many assume the saints who are overcome by the beast afterward are those who get saved after the rapture. But they have completely overlooked this golden nugget. This is a very powerful clue that should not go unnoticed. Paul said he once knew a man who was caught up to the third heaven, where he saw inexpressible things, things that are unlawful for a man to tell. . 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 – “Doubtless it is not profitable for me to boast. So I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ over fourteen years ago—whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell, God knows— 4 was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words not permitted for a man to say.” . I strongly believe that what I’m about to share is a very strong clue about one of the things he saw in heaven, which he was not permitted to tell, so he gave us this clue about it instead. If you remember, earlier I said that only the hot or His faithful servants will be ready when He suddenly appears, and the cold and lukewarm will both be left. I also said that the lukewarm would be purified afterward during the hour of trial, and that they would re-enter the kingdom of heaven once they finally surrendered all. Better late than never. This means that two of the three groups (hot & lukewarm) will be the saints that return with Him at His second coming, even though only the hot will be ready when He comes. . 1 Corinthians 3:8-15 – “Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” . Notice very carefully the rewards Paul illustrated above, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw. Now if we categorize them into each ones likeness, we see that these actually form three separate groups. I will classify them in a list form below, while also putting them in the proper order, according to the value of each category, beginning with the most valuable first. . THREE REWARDS (1) Precious stones (shine) – great (2) Gold and silver (shine) – least (3) Wood, hay and straw (burn) – poor in spirit . Notice the three distinct classes of rewards: (1) Gems; (2) precious metals; and (3) wood, hay & straw. This is very fascinating, especially when we compare them to what the scriptures say about our rewards. Notice also, that two of these shine (great & least), which I believe represents the saints that will be returning with glorified bodies to reign with Christ on the earth during the millennium (1000 years). . Hot = Christ said He would come like a thief, and would break up the house, cutting it in sunder (in two). It’s also very interesting when you consider that a gem or precious stone displays a brilliant shine immediately as soon as it is cut. The precious stones seem to represent those who will be ready for the rapture. . Lukewarm = Precious metals don’t normally shine right away, because they must first be purified or refined in the fire, to burn off the dross or impurities. Christ spit the lukewarm out and counseled them to buy from Him gold refined in the fire (Rev. 3:15-18). The precious metals seem to represent the hour of trial (martyrs). . Cold = Wood, hay and straw cannot endure the fire. They will suffer loss of reward as these are things that will burn up. The wood, hay and straw are things we find in a barn, which is outside of the house (outer darkness). The sheep will be separated from the goats and enter the millennium. Sheep are kept outside, while the goats will burn. The parable of the wheat and tares is very similar as the angels will first gather the tares to be burned. Then they will gather the remaining wheat and put it in the barn. The wood, hay and straw seem to represent the (sheep) in the judgment of the nations. . 2 Timothy 2:19-21 – “But the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 20 In a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also those of wood and clay; some are for honor, and some for dishonor. 21 One who cleanses himself from these things will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, fit for the Master’s use, and prepared for every good work.” . The “Once saved-always saved” debate is no longer an issue once we understand the three rewards Christ has for those who received Him. We no longer have to assume the saints that are overcome by the beast are believers who get saved after the rapture. There’s no longer any wonder what, “unto whom much is given, much will be required” means. We no longer have to wonder or guess who those people are who will want to die, but death will flee from them (Rev. 9:6). We won’t have to assume the least of His brethren are the poor anymore, and we will also no longer have to assume that Daniel’s increase of knowledge is modern technology. But who would want to give up all these controversial debates with all of the misconceptions, assumptions and myths? Most people probably won’t be able to see it, but I believe my new Readiness Rapture theory is revolutionary, as it goes deeper and fills in many holes left by the other theories. But I certainly hope they’re ready when He comes. May the good Lord bless you richly as you study His Word in search of His truth, the whole truth and nothing but.

All people of the world have religions. Which they believe can take them to heaven when they die in future. Thats why this world is never a peaceful place and harmony out of misery, tears and fears Because religious people do not love others as much as they love their bellies RIGHT NOW. They only live in religious ritual and parroting verses for the FUTURE HEAVEN. That way this insecure world is shaped with hypochrisy and religions. Thats the way this greatest nonsense of future heaven is running. If we cant love God and others' bellies as much as we love ours RIGHT NOW, there Will be no future heaven but Hell. Lovely heaven can be established on earth right now if men love each others, the absence of peace and harmony in this present world is showing where this world is heading to. The barren and hot realm. God sent prophets for immediate peace and repentance. God wants peace Right Now ! Between man and God and each others. Don't dream of future heaven. If we cant make it now, we wont make it later.

https://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-rapture-under-attack/ God told us to wait for Jesus, not the antichrist. As the whole world will be having deadly birthpangs under satanic antichrist. No save place on the earth. Revelation 3:10 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. The foolish virgins left behind are the picture of christians without OIL and will be married to the antichrist frankenstein who recovered from deadly wound, the kind who beats his bride black and blue for 7 years before the wedding.

What does Paul really teach about the rapture? Does he gives us ANY timing information? 1 The. 4 & 5 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. I am sure we all can read these verses, and most understand that some day God is going to catch up all who are alive and in Christ, and I must add, IN FELLOWSHIP with Him. (I don’t think a born again person out of fellowship with Him will be caught up: that would be people with sin on their conscience that is unconfessed. Some may disagree.) Notice 5:1: “times” and “seasons.” Paul makes it clear he has already told them the times and seasons of the rapture in relation to the Day of the Lord, so here he wrote, “you have no need that I write…”. Why mention the Day of the Lord just 3 verses after the classic rapture verse? It is because the Day of the Lord has a close association with the rapture. We will see that the rapture will be the trigger for the start of the Day of the Lord. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. Paul is giving us timing information here, but not direct. He is telling us that the rapture or catching up will be when people are saying “peace and safety.” Are people of the world thinking “peace” today? I think most are. Are most people in the world feeling safe today? Maybe not so much right now with the Cornoavirus. But concerning war, I think most are feeling safe from war at the present time. Question: will people be feeling “peace and safety” after the entire 70th week has passed? World population will be cut DRASTICALLY. The entire world may be in darkness. I think it is fair to say, most will be scared nearly to death, wondering what is coming next. In my mind, “peace and safety” are FAR more likely to be thought and spoken today than after the days of great tribulation are over. Just my opinion. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Why would Paul associate the rapture or catching up of the church with The day of the Lord which will come as a thief ? This is his second reference to this. Again, it is because there is a very close association between the two. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. Now Paul assures us that God is not setting any appointments for us with His wrath. Paul is associating “wrath” with the Day of His wrath or the Day of the Lord. These terms are interchangeable. If people are not appointed to wrath, then they are to “obtain salvation.” What is Paul’s meaning here? Remember, the theme of this passage is the rapture. It is very clear: Paul is showing us a paradigm: comparing those IN Christ with the sinner not in Christ. Either people have an appointment with His wrath, or they don’t. WE don’t. THEY do. Either people will get caught up (the rapture) (“obtain salvation”) and get to “live together with Him" (So shall we ever be with the Lord) or they get left behind to face wrath. Notice in 4:18 we are to spread comfort, and in 5:11. Both are the result of knowing about the rapture. It is VERY clear Paul is still talking about the rapture, but is giving us timing information. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. What is this “sudden destruction” That will come upon all those left behind? Note that the “peace and safety” time of the rapture is the very same time as the "sudden destruction." WE get caught up, THEY get sudden destruction. Notice what happened when God resurrected the elders of the Old Covenant. Matthew 27: 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, What is happening here? These are the elders of the Old Testament: some, like Adam, would have been dead for many centuries! The particles that once made up their bodies - most especially those from before the flood – could have been scattered for many miles, or be several miles deep. When God brings those particles together in an instant of time, these verses show us that this event caused a great earthquake. Here the earthquake came with Jesus died, God pulled their bodies together when Jesus died, the graves were opened when Jesus died, but they arose when Jesus arose. No one could be raised to a resurrection body before Jesus as He was the firstfruits. Note that when God raised the two witnesses, again there was an earthquake. (I believe the two witnesses will be resurrected with all the Old Testament saints.) The earthquake came from all the Old Testament saints, not the two witnesses. Again people from before the flood will be resurrected. It will be a most terrible earthquake - as shown at the 7th vial. These verses show us a precedent: when the long dead are resurrected, it is going to cause an earthquake. I believe these verses give us proof that when God raises the dead in Christ (bodies buried around the world) that it is going to cause a great, worldwide earthquake. I think this is going to be Paul’s “sudden destruction.” It will begin the moment those alive and in Christ are called up. They may just begin to feel the ground shake when they are caught up. Where then in Revelation could we place the rapture? It must come just before the DAy of the Lord begins. That would be at the 6th seal. It is no surprise then that the 5th seal is for church age martyrs, and they are told they must wait for judgment for the very last martyr killed as they were – as church age martyrs. What would cause a certain church age martyr to be the FINAL church age martyr? Of course, the rapture event that will END the church age, so no more church age martyrs. So in reality they were told that judgment is not going to start until after the rapture of the church ends the church age and brings in the Day of the Lord. Now we can see why Paul wrote of the Day of the Lord just three verses after the rapture: it will be the rapture events that will TRIGGER the Day of the Lord and start God’s wrath on earth. WE have no appointments with His wrath so are caught up, but THEY get the sudden destruction start of His wrath. Therefore I submit that Paul DOES give us timing for his rapture: just before wrath, and as the trigger for wrath. In Revelation that would be at or a moment before the 6th seal start of the Day of His wrath. Does this fit with a posttrib rapture? No. Plain and simple.

Prophet Daniel was promised of his inheritance (heaven) at the end of days, there is no taking of his soul by Jesus at His 3rd day resurrection, as the end of days will begin with the return of Jesus Christ far away in the future unknown to Daniel. Daniel 12:13 "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will RISE to receive your allotted inheritance." When will Daniel RISE ? Its explained by Paul in 1 Thes 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will RISE first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds Jesus told the prisoner crucified beside Him that he shall be with Christ to enter paradise part of sheol (not heaven), the place where the poor Lazarus is comforted in Abraham's bosom. Luke 23:43 : “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise. (greek : paradeiso) Some take conclusion that when Jesus was resurrected He also took the souls of saints from Sheol/Paradise based on this verse : Ephesians 4:8 This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.” But captives here means the captivity of sins being broken by the praching of Gospel by Jesus as He confirmed it in Luke 4:18 ....to preach deliverance to the CAPTIVES....... Thats why its followed by "and gave gifts to men" for the preaching of Gospel as God gave gifts to build up His church in 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, also 1 Cor 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. The souls descended into paradeiso is no longer in captivity of sin but they have been freed and awaiting the day of the Lord with the sound of Trumpet at the end of days. Paradeiso is the place of comfort and only the souls of good people entered it and are rewarded. Apostles and angels were only witnessing Jesus raised to heaven, not carrying the resurrected saints from paradise with Him. Acts 1:11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” The holy people who were raised after Jesus resurrection were not taken with Jesus Christ otherwise it shall be written by the apostles who witnessed His ascension, they were probably be buried again after being used by God to show His power and the same with prophet Daniel they are now resting until the end of days for the sound of Trumpet to the mighty celebration of the glorious Feast of the Lamb, otherwise they wud see Abraham, Daniel, Joshua, Samuel, Elias etc departed to heaven with Jesus. Matt 27:52 The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people 1 Thes 4:14 God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him - Paul wrote this long after Jesus ascension as evidence there are no souls yet taken to heaven after Lord Jesus ascension. Jesus spoke about all souls of saints in paradise whose bodies are still in their graves, they are waiting there n will listen to His voice when the time is due in the end of days. John 5:28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice As Paul said it, paradise is not the destination place for captivity but of victory. 2 Tim 4:7 I hv fought a good fight, i hv finished the race..... Yet all saints must wait a little while in the beautiful paradise until Lord is revealed from heaven (the harvest) : 2 Thes 1:5... and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ....THIS WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE LORD JESUS IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN in blazing fire with his powerful angels. This is about the Harvest, there is no individual soul harvested to heaven but the mass harvest taken to heaven at the end of times (1 Thes 4:16) Matt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest........... John 14:3 ....I will come again n receive you unto Myself. Jesus did not take all the OT saints to heaven when He was resurrected. Because Jesus told Mary not to touch her as He has not yet ascended to heaven, howbeit He took all OT saints to heaven ? John 20:17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. So the saints shall be literally rcvd when Jesus come again to take wise virgins home.