Saturday, September 3, 2011

NOT APPOINTED TO GOD'S WRATH


1st Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

This is the cornerstone verse for the pre-trib rapture theory, but what is Paul really talking about here? Does it mean we are exempt from the great tribulation as believers ? When interpreting scripture, context is king. If we back up to verse 2 we see that Paul sets the context..

1st Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Paul is talking about the wrath that will occur on the day of the Lord!! The day of the Lord is after the great tribulation as we have already learned from scripture !!!
Paul's point in 1st Thessalonians 5:9 is that the church is not appointed to the wrath that will occur on the day of the Lord, after the tribulation. 

The book of Revelation agrees...
Revelation 6:12-13 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

Again we encounter a description of celestial events that can only take place after the tribulation. What else does the 6th seal reveal?
Revelation 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Notice that his wrath is come and not has come! The wrath of the Lamb is present tense. This is the time the wrath of God actually begins, after the tribulation on the day of the Lord!! 

The 6th seal continues with a description of a great multitude coming out of the great tribulation.
Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
This is the church of Christ being resurrected and raptured/spared from the wrath of God on the day of the Lord, just as Paul wrote about in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5! The truth remains, the wrath of God will not begin until after the tribulation ! 

A quick study of the tribulation reveals that God is with holding his wrath during that time. The 5th seal describes events that occur throughout the great tribulation.
Revelation 6:9-10 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:  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?
The question posed by the martyrs proves that God does not pour out his wrath during the great tribulation. Another clue can be found in
Revelation 13:3-4 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
We all know the answer to that question. God is able to make war with the anti-christ but the inhabitants on earth during the tribulation have not recognized God as entering the equation yet!!! Why? God's wrath isn't poured out during the tribulation. It is poured out after the tribulation on the day of the Lord

The bible teaches that the church is to only be spared from the wrath that occurs on the day of the Lord, after the tribulation!
If the tribulation isn't a time of God's wrath, then what is it all about ? Satan's wrath!!!!!
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time
12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The tribulation is a short time set aside for satan to pour out his own wrath against those with a testimony of Jesus Christ .It is a time of great persecution for those who love Jesus Christ.
Question: Is there a passage in the bible that says we will not have to endure the wrath of satan?

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

LAST DAY RAPTURE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DAY OF THE LORD!!

Notice how easily that the last day rapture and the day of the Lord go hand in hand in the following versus. Pay special attention to the highlighted areas!

1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 5:1-2 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: 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. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

This passage deals with the timing of the rapture. As you can see, it will occur at the day of the Lord. Now that brings up a question, when is the day of the Lord?

Joel 2:30-31 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Isaiah 13:9-10 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine


I have highlighted the celestial events because our Lord uses these same events to describe the timing of his coming in Matthew 24:29-31: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The bible is our best source for truth. It clearly shows that the day of the Lord will come immediately after the tribulation.

Question: Paul is clear in speaking to the Thessalonians, the rapture will not occur until the day of the Lord. How can the day of the Lord come before the tribulation when Jesus said immediately after ?

Monday, August 22, 2011

JESUS SAID "AT THE LAST DAY"

When it comes to the timing of the rapture, no one has more authority than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Take a look at the following scripture and pay close attention to the highlighted sections. If there are any questions or comments, leave them at the bottom and I will do the best I can to answer them.
1st Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For 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. 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: 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.

These verses are about the timing of the rapture. Paul makes it very clear that we will not be caught up (rapture) until the dead in Christ rise first.

When do the dead in Christ rise ? Jesus tells us in the gospel of John 6:39-44
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus also tells us in John 6:53-54
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

4 times our Lord says that the dead in Christ will be raised at the last day.

Even Martha knows that the dead in Christ will rise at the last day!
John 11:23-24 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus is the best source of truth. He taught everyone that the dead in Christ will rise on the last day.

Question: The last day occurs after the tribulation, how can there be a pre-trib rapture when there are so many days afterwards?