By Way of Introduction...

Hello my blogfriends. I'm assuming that if you are here you either found me via my other blog or that you did a search for Bible prophecy b/c you are curious about the things that are happening in the world with the weather, Iran, the EU, etc.

A friend of mine at work said a couple months ago with the hurricanes that were ripping us apart on the coast, "I'm not a particularly religious person, but I think that someone's trying to get our attention down here." He couldn't be more right about that. It's not a product of Global Warming, it's a product of God's Global WARNING.

The events that are happening today are part of God's plan for the world in the end times.

Hopefully this blog will allow you to maybe understand what is going on and that the most impressive part, that these events were foretold as much as 2,500 years ago. It's time to make a stand and make your choice on whose side you want to be on. This blog will cover posts that are from my other blog but have been moved over here so that this blog will cover nothing but prophecy, the Bible and the Christian life. My other blog will focus on my personal life and things I enjoy.

Believe me, some of the things you will read on this blog, if you're not a Christian or if you don't believe in stuff like this, may seem like an episode of the Twilight Zone, but be assured that they are very real, they are coming, they were predicted as far as 2,500 years ago.

When all is said and done, I hope that you are not left behind reading this blog as my way of saying "I told you so" after millions of people around the earth have inexplicably vanished...disappeared. If you know people who vanished, what did they all have in common? They were Christians. True Christians who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. But if you are one of those who have been left behind in the future from the date that this has been written and are reading this, it is my most fervant prayer that you choose to follow the TRUE Messiah, Jesus Christ of Nazareth and not the Man of Sin, the future AntiChrist who is has ushered in "7 years of peace" between Israel and the Middle East. Better to take the death by beheading for not taking the mark of the Beast in your right hand or forehead than to take it and spend your enternity in the Lake of Fire.

It's best to start at the bottom of the page and read up to get a full understanding of everything that is posted. Or start in the archive section from the bottom up.

God Bless, Shalom and Read On!

Special Report: The Rapture of the Church Part Four (Pre-Trib Part 1)

Last time I posted we discussed the doctrine of the Post-Tribulation Rapture and how that didn’t line up with Scripture. In this post, which will be broken up into at least two posts due to the amount of matter on this subject, we will be discussing the doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and why it is the only Rapture doctrine that lines up with what the Scriptures say. We will also be discussing the Tribulation a little in order to further understand why the Pre-Tribulation doctrine is the only one that makes sense.

Our next several posts after the discussion on the Rapture will be about the Tribulation, what will happen during it, who the key players will be, etc. The Tribulation is a horrible event that you will only be able to avoid by accepting Jesus as your Savior now, before the Rapture occurs. Once the Rapture has happened, there will be a chance to still become a Christian and choose an eternal destiny with God and those loved ones and friends of yours taken in the Rapture rather than the choice of siding with the “Father of Lies” and damning your soul for eternity to be separated from everyone and from God.

Once again my thanks goes to Jack Kinsella of the Omega Letter for the majority of the information contained within. For further information regarding the Rapture, a completely fascinating online and downloadable ebook that discusses the world-wide vanishings that will occur in the future can be found at Hal Lindsey’s website. The book is appropriately entitle "Vanished". It is available to download for any denomination/donation amount. Just follow the link and it is the second book available on that page.

Also, if you are looking for further information you may want to check out such websites as Harpazo.net, RaptureAlert.com, DivineIntervention.ws, Prophecy Central and (my personal recommendation) RaptureReady.com.

So, let’s jump in to the discussion on the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and the Tribulation and see what conclusions can be drawn about its validity and how it lines up with the Scriptures and what the prophets of old foresaw as long ago as over 2,500 years. It’s going to be an interesting ride. In order to soak it all in you might want to go ahead and take breaks from reading it in order to avoid overload b/c there is a whole lot to discuss.
===========================
What is the purpose of the Tribulation period? That should go a long way toward helping us to understand whether or not the Church will be Raptured before the Tribulation Period, out of it, or after it.

We begin with the Prophet Daniel. Daniel was given a vision of history as it would unfold. Daniel foretold the rise and fall of three great empires and the rise, fall and revival of the last great world empire -- that of Rome.

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." Daniel 9:24

The Hebrew prophet Daniel was given a complete outline of Israel’s future history, broken into subdivisions of time of seven years each. In Hebrew, “shabua”, translated as “week” in Daniel 9:26, is a ‘week of years’, in much the same way the Greek system is in use today. A ‘decade’ denotes ten years in the way a ‘shabua’ or ‘week’ denotes a period of seven years.

Daniel was told by the revealing angel that “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” [Daniel 9:24]

In this verse, we see a six-fold purpose to be accomplished in Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” or 490 years. First, to finish Israel’s sin – the rejection of the Messiah at the First Advent. Then there is a skip forward in time to His Second Advent, at which time, an end will be made of sin, reconciliation will be made for Israel’s iniquity, everlasting righteousness will introduced to Israel, Israel’s Scriptures will be vindicated by the fulfillment of all prophecy and finally, the return of Christ at the conclusion of the war of Armageddon, at which time He will be anointed and will take His seat at the Throne of David.

The angel went on to lock in the time. “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks . . . And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:” [Daniel 9:25, 26].

Beginning at a specific point in history and moving forward in time from there, the angel said that after sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, the Messiah shall be cut off [killed] but not for Himself [He was blameless].

History records only one decree that authorized the rebuilding of the city. “And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king . . . I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. [Nehemiah 2:1, 5]

According to modern dating research, the 20th year of the Persian king Xerxes would have been 444 BC. The reference to the ‘month of Nisan’ with no reference to the day indicates the first day of the month. Using the Hebrew calendar, the first day of Nisan, BC 444 corresponds to the modern date of March 5. Counting forward 483 years from 444 BC to AD 33 is 477 years. But BC 1 and AD 1 are the same year, so deducting that year leaves us with 476 years. Four hundred seventy-six years times 365.24219879 days is 173,855 days. Jesus was crucified on March 30, AD 33, so there are an extra 25 days to add to the equation, giving a grand total of 173,880 days. (Calculations courtesy of "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell)

So, from the going forth of the commandment on March 5, BC 444 until March 30, AD 33 was exactly 173,880 days divided by 360 day lunar equals exactly 483 years.

Daniel 9:26 goes on to say that after Messiah is ‘cut off but not for Himself’, “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city.”

Within a generation of Israel’s rejection of the Messiah, General [and future Emperor] Titus of Rome led his legions into Jerusalem where the city was sacked and the Temple utterly destroyed.

The ‘people’ identified by the angel to Daniel are proved by history to be the Roman Empire, currently embodied by the European Union. The ‘prince’ of that ‘people’ is the antichrist.

As an aside, according to the Jewish historian [and eyewitness] Josephus, the Romans burned the Temple so completely its ornate gold fixtures melted and ran between the stones of the Temple.

To recover this rich booty, the soldiers dismantled the Temple, stone by stone, fulfilling Jesus' prophecy of a generation before; “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” [Matthew 24:2].

The coming prince of Daniel 9:26, the antichrist, kicks off the Tribulation Period – and starts the clock running -- with an event as historically definite as was Artexerxe’s Decree. According to Daniel 9:27, the antichrist ‘confirms a covenant’ between Israel and her enemies. This ‘covenant’, or treaty, is confirmed as an agreement of seven year’s duration. [Not coincidentally, the exact length of the Tribulation Period – Daniel’s 70th Week].

The Book of Daniel says that from the signing of that treaty until it is broken by the antichrist is three and one-half years [time, times and a half’ (Dan 12:7)]. To further confirm it, from the breaking of that treaty at the midpoint until the return of Christ is precisely 1260 days – three and one-half years.

We have already seen the precision with which God counted down sixty-nine weeks of years. One week remains. There is no reason to think God has fired His accountant.

So, logically, anyone familiar with the Scriptures who observes the breaking of the treaty with Israel by antichrist could know exactly, to the day, when Jesus was to return.

But wait! What about what Jesus Himself said of His coming? He said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” [Matthew 24:36].

Clearly, He could not have been speaking of the same event that could be so easily calculated. Is this a contradiction?

According to 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, there is a secret return of Christ, the one of which Jesus spoke.

Paul writes, “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 [precede] 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.”

This secret Advent, in which the Lord comes for His Church in the air, is not the same event as the one in which He puts His foot upon the Mount of Olives, splitting it in two [Zechariah 14:4] Paul’s description of the Lord’s coming has Him coming in the air, not touching down to earth.

Paul is referring to what is commonly called the Rapture of the Church. Since this secret Advent’s timing cannot, according to Jesus, be calculated, it cannot be the same event as the Second Coming. That Triumphant Return can be calculated precisely one minute after the antichrist signs the 7-year treaty.

Since the Tribulation Period is the time of ‘Jacob’s Trouble’ – Daniel’s 70th Week, it is a time reserved for Israel, not the Church. Remember, it is to make ‘reconciliation for sin’ and to ‘bring in everlasting righteousness’.

For the Church during the Church Age, those goals were already accomplished at the Cross.

But the Tribulation Period is the final week of the Age of the Law. The Temple will be in full operation and the Mosaic Law in full force. The Church Age is concluded with the antichrist’s treaty.

Given the current situation in the Middle East, some kind of confirmation of a seven year agreement [like Oslo] is an absolute necessity, either to prevent all out war or at the conclusion of any such war.

Bible prophecy says it will happen. The Bible also says it begins a time of judgment against Israel and the Gentile world. The Church was already judged at the Cross.

Here’s what it all means, boiled down into a single sentence. At some point before that treaty is signed, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven with a shout, and the voice of an archangel, and all those living who placed their faith in Christ will be snatched away, to be forever with Christ.

That treaty could happen at almost any moment. And that means the Rapture of the Church is even closer.

What a time to be alive!

The Tribulation's purpose is to give Jews and Gentiles one final opportunity to repent of their ways, trust Jesus for their salvation and be transformed into the new creation before the Books are closed on them forever.

Note several things. First, our scapegoat, upon Whom all our sins were carried away and our names were written into the Book of Life.

Second, the penning of our names into the Book at salvation is part of our transformation into a new spiritual creation. Like a moth into a butterfly, a Christian's spiritual transformation is permanent.

One cannot, by an act of his own will, revert back to his old spiritual form, whether Jew or Gentile, anymore than one can become an angel. All four are distinct and different from one another.

Third, the Tribulation Period is the 'time of Jacob's Trouble' -- a last chance for Jews and Gentiles to turn to Christ and be saved. All three books are open. Those who enter into the Tribulation are those whose names are currently written into the Book of 'In-Between' -- unregenerate Jews and Gentiles.

One can accept Jesus and have one's name written into the Book of Life, as the Bible says the Tribulation saints and martyrs will do.

It is also a time during which one can write his name into the Book of Unrighteousness by accepting the Mark of the Beast.

The Church, having already been written into the Book of Life, has no role to play in the Tribulation Period. The Bible says that God will 'seal' 12,000 of each of the 12 tribes of Israel as His chosen evangelists during the Tribulation (Revelation 7) who will carry on the work the Church does during the Church Age.

We find then, a number of truths confirmed. First, our eternal security. One cannot revert back to his or her previous spiritual state, since, at regeneration, the old man no longer exists to revert back TO.

Instead, "he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Second, it is obvious that the Church not only has no role to play during the Tribulation, but it plays no role. The task of the Church is given to the 144,000 Jewish evangelists.

Third, the Tribulation Period is the time when the Book of 'In-Between' is opened. Rosh Hashanah is the Feast of the Trumpets, and the feast concludes with the blowing of the last trumpet.

After Rosh Hashanah, there is a ten-day period during which one has an opportunity to have his name registered in the Book of Life before the Day of Atonement when the Books are closed for the Day of Atonement.

The Body of Christ is already recorded in the Book of Life. All our sins were atoned for before the last trumpet sounded. To the Church, all the Books are already closed. We don't belong. A pretribulation Rapture isn't a 'great escape' for the Church, it is an utter necessity to the Plan of God moving forward.

Without a Pre-Trib Rapture, the purpose of the Tribulation Period reverts from a final opportunity to write one's name in the appropriate Book to a period of indiscriminate judgment inflicted on a trusting Church, who by virtual of irreversible spiritual transformation, cannot possibly benefit from the 'last chance' period between the 'last trump' and the Day of Atonement on the plains of Megiddo at the Second Coming.

In fact, if one moves the 'last trump' into the middle or to the end of the Tribulation, it no longer has an discernible purpose apart from punishing the inhabitants of the earth indiscriminately.

Think of it this way. If the purpose of the Tribulation is to punish the wicked, it seems like a case of overkill, since the wicked are already slated for eternal punishment. On this side of the Tribulation, God doesn't punish evildoers on earth.

As far back as David, believers lamented, "how long shall the wicked triumph?" (Psalms 94:3) Psalms 73 asks the same question, before answering it in verse 17: "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end."

If God reserves punishment for the wicked until eternity on this side of the Tribulation Period, why would He design a seven year period that, apart from a last chance at redemption, constitutes a special, dual punishment for one wicked generation out of all generations in human history?

Bottom line: Salvation is an eternal condition that begins at that point when one trusts Jesus. Once becoming a new spiritual creature, the old one no longer exists to revert back to, even if one were so inclined.

Those who are saved are written in the Book of Life. Those in the Book of Life have no further need of a last opportunity at atonement during the Tribulation Period.

The work of the Church during the Tribulation Period is carried on by Jewish evangelists chosen and sealed by God for that purpose.

The Church has no purpose assigned to it during the Tribulation, apart from being martyred, which makes Paul's admonition to 'comfort one another with these words' [of the Rapture] somewhat meaningless.

Without a period between the last trumpet and the Day of Atonement, there is no opportunity offered for those whose name is written in the 'Book of In Between' to choose either the Book of Life or the Book of the Unrighteous.

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST TRUMP: for the trumpet SHALL sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:52 )

The 'mystery' must happen first, before the Tribulation can begin. And NOW, Paul's admonition finds a context:

"Wherefore, comfort one another with these words." (1st Thessalonians 5:18)

To make the above more concise for our purposes, here is a quick review of the salient points:

1. 'Weeks' refer to 'weeks of years' - 70 7 year periods equalling 490 years using the Hebrew 'shabua' or 'heptad' the way we use the Greek 'decade' in our culture to divide years into groups of ten years each.

2. The angel specifically said this period was for Daniel's people (Jews) and Daniel's holy city (Jerusalem).

3. Within this time frame six things will be accomplished; 1) finish the transgression, 2) make an end of sin, 3) make reconcilation for sin, 4) bring in everlasting righteousness, 5) seal up the vision and prophecy and 6) anoint the Most Holy.

All of these are clearly directed at Israel. Points 1-3 were settled for the Church at Calvary, points 4-6 take place at the end of the Tribulation, after the 2nd Coming, with the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom.

The first 69 weeks --483 years, concluded with the Messiah being 'cut off, but not for Himself" (Dan 9:26). Then there is a pause in God's Plan for Israel while He turns His attention to the Church. Daniel is told the 70th week opens with the antichrist 'confirming a covenant between Israel and the many' (Daniel 9:27)

Daniel indicates the Tribulation Period is for Israel's national redemption. That theme is picked up by Zechariah 12-14 and is further outlined in Revelation Chapters 4-20.

Jeremiah says it is the 'time of Jacob's trouble'.

"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of JACOB'S TROUBLE, (emphasis mine) but he shall be saved out of it." (Jeremiah 30:7)

"For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished." (Jeremiah 30:11)

There is also a second group of people that go through the Tribulation. "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Revelation 3:10)

Note the phrase, 'them that dwell upon the earth'. We find it six other times; Rev. 6.10, 8:13, 11:10; 13:8; and 17:8.

In 8:13 a threefold woe is pronounced against them because of the final three trumpets, which are to come.

They are the ones who gloat over the death of the two witnesses in 11:10; and worship the beast from the sea in 13:8.

In 13:14 they are the individuals who are deceived by the beast from the land into making an image of the first beast.

The earth dwellers gaze in wonder at the scarlet beast in 17:8, while 13:8 and 17:8 adds that their names are not written in the Book of Life.

By contrast to the 'earth-dwellers', Jesus says of the Church in His prayer at Gethsemane;

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:16)

Clearly, since the Tribulation period is the time of Jacob's Trouble, was pronounced upon Daniel's people and Daniel's city, and its purpose is to accomplish for Daniel's people in the last days the same thing accomplished for the Church at the Cross, the Tribulation period is for the Jews.

Just as clearly, according to Jesus, it is also to judge the earthdwellers whose names are not written in the Book of Life.

If there is a purpose for the Church in the Tribulation Period, there is no express mention of that purpose in Scripture, although Scripture is clear regarding both Jews and 'earth-dwellers'. And the 'earth dwellers' can't be the Church, since their names are not written in the Book of Life.

Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10, specifically at verse 10: "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

What 'wrath to come'? Romans 8:1 says I am already delivered from being condemned to hell.

"There IS therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. . " Romans 8:1

Now skip forward to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9.

(v3) "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." (Note the pronouns 'they' and 'them')

(v5) "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: WE are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let US not sleep, as do others; but let US watch and be sober." (Note the change -- 'they'- 'them' become 'we'- 'us')

(v7) "For THEY that sleep sleep in the night; and THEY that be drunken are drunken in the night."

(v8) "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."

Ok - let's stop here. There is clearly a distinction between Jews, 'earth-dwellers' and 'us' -- the Church. Now look up at verse 8's reference to 'the hope of salvation'.

What does that mean -- 'hope' of salvation? Salvation from what?

My salvation comes with an iron-clad guarantee, signed in Blood. I don't 'hope' for salvation -- I am saved now.

Clearly, taken in context, the 'hope of salvation' referenced by Paul can't be salvation from hell.

But salvation from the 'wrath to come' is indicated by the context and consistent with the doctrine that says "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them from my hand." (John 10:28)

And the 'wrath to come' is the Tribulation period - the time of Jacob's Trouble.

The argument for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church is consistent with Scripture.

As we progress, keep in mind that the salient point is not so much 'when' as it is "Who" is coming.

In Part Three we discussed the doctrine of Dispensationalism. We view unfolding prophecy through the systematic theology of Dispensationalism because, without rightly dividing the Word, prophecy makes no sense.

For example, Jesus said the Comforter would remain with the Church until He comes. Yet the only reference to the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation is Revelation Chapter 7 when Jewish evangelists are miraculously 'sealed' (indwelt) by the Holy Spirit the way Church Age believers are now. That indwelling gives the Jewish evangelists 'power' to preach.

Together with 2 Thessalonians 2:7 we see the Restrainer is taken out of the way, saying that once that is accomplished, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." (v8)

If the Church goes through the Tribulation, then Jesus' promise of a Comforter until He comes needs rewriting to say, "I will send you a Comforter Who will stay with you until you need Him most, and then you are on your own for seven years."

Without an understanding of the divisions between the Dispensations, (like the Church Age and Daniel's 70th Week) prophecy is contradictory.

Jesus promised the Church in Matthew 16:18 that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." But we then read in Revelation 13:7 "And it was given unto him (the religious beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them."

Which is it? Do we prevail, or does the antichrist? Apart from Dispensationalism, the two statements contradict.

But if the Church Age is over and the Tribulation period is the time of 'Jacob's Trouble' and judgment against 'them that dwell upon the earth' rather than for the Church, then Scriptural harmony is restored.

As I pointed out in Part Two, the major problem with the Mid-Trib view is that it fails to explain what role the Church plays in the time of Jacob's Trouble -- even the first half.

The major problem in the Post-Tribulational view as discussed in Part Three adds to that problem the problem of mathematics.

Revelation 13:15 says of those who do not worship the beast and accept his mark that he would "cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed".

So we see two kinds of people in the Tribulation period. Those who take the mark and those who are killed. When the Tribulation is over, where are the living believers who get Raptured?

For there to be believers left to Rapture, they will have to escape the antichrist's global positioning surveillance systems, satellite thermal imaging systems, police and military dragnet, unable to buy or sell, living in caves for seven years.

And the antichrist is unlikely to follow the same civilized rules of engagement Washington must observe today to avoid global condemnation.
We conclude the Pre-tribulation Rapture scenario is the view that is most harmonious with Scripture, particularly when given the added dimension of actually watching the preparations unfold before our very eyes.

But our faith isn't in WHEN Christ comes, it is in the fact that Christ IS coming soon. And the Rapture Debate is one more evidence of that fact.

Notice that the debate isn't over whether or not the Lord will come in this generation. For most, that is not even an issue.

A century ago, they were debating over whether He was coming at all. Today, we're fighting over His coming within a seven-year time frame.

Regardless of what you believe concerning the timing of the Rapture, the soon coming of the Lord is proved by the fact such a debate exists at all. And no matter what you believe about the timing of the Rapture, and no matter who turns out to be right in the end, the important thing to remember is WHAT we are debating.

We are living in the last generation in history. There are people reading my words -- right now -- who will never, ever die in the traditional sense, but will be caught up bodily to be with the Lord.

"Wherefore comfort one another with these words" - 1Thessalonians 4:18
===========================
Ok, so I will let you chew over what you have just read for a few days and then we’ll get back in to the discussion of the Scriptural evidences for a pre-Trib Rapture.

I began this series with the intent, not to change anybody else's view, but to explain why I hold to the view that I do.

In the end, it’s not going to matter WHEN we are called home because all people who have put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord of their life will be going home at the same time. The Rapture will happen when it happens and nobody will know for sure who was right until it doesn't matter any more anyway.

My purpose was not to argue FOR a Pre-Tribulation Rapture so much as it was to clearly outline what I believe and why I believe it.

It is my hope and prayer that if you are reading this right now and do not have Jesus as your Savior, that you will start thinking about what is to come and make that decision in honesty and humility because that is the only way to escape the wrath of God which is to come.

Three Views of the Rapture, Part Three

In the previous post we talked about the doctrine of mid-tribulationism as one of the three views of the Rapture. In this post we are discussing another possible Rapture view, which is called post-tribulationism.

Once again my thanks goes to Jack Kinsella of the Omega Letter for the information contained within. For further information regarding the Rapture, a completely fascinating online and downloadable ebook that discusses the world-wide vanishings that will occur in the future can be found at Hal Lindsey’s website. The book is appropriately entitle "Vanished". It is available to download for any denomination/donation amount. Just follow the link and it is the second book available on that page.

Also, if you are looking for further information you may want to check out such websites as Harpazo.net, RaptureAlert.com, DivineIntervention.ws, Prophecy Central and (my personal recommendation) RaptureReady.com.

So let's go ahead and jump into the second part of the discussion on the three differing views of the Rapture.
===========================================
Post-Tribulationism holds to the view that the Church goes through the entire seven year Tribulation Period, together with the 'earthdwellers' and Israel, but then is Raptured at the end of the Tribulation, just before the 2nd Coming of Christ.

As in the case of the other views, this view can be supported by Scripture. Supporters of the post-Tribulation position are sincere, as are those who hold to either the pre-trib or mid-trib scenarios.

As mentioned in my first post regarding the timing of the Rapture, the timing of this event is a subject of great division among Christians. Those who take the post-trib view think that pre-tribbers are preaching a 'Great Escape' that won't happen.

They believe that teaching a pre-trib Rapture does a disservice to the Church and when the Tribulation comes, Christians expecting a 'Great Escape' will not be prepared to endure and might succumb to the Mark of the Beast.

Consequently, to many who hold the post-trib view, pre-tribbers are false prophets preaching a lie of Satan, and, some from that camp believe pre-trib teachers are deliberately spreading error.

In Matthew 24:30-31, Jesus speaks of a great gathering.

"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."

It certainly sounds like the Rapture, and it sounds like it occurs at the end of the Tribulation. But Matthew 24, as I pointed out previously, is given, not from the perspective of the Church, but from the perspective of the Jews.

Jesus spoke of the abomination of desolation (25:15) -- a distinctly Jewish blasphemy, followed by a warning to those in JUDEA (16) to flee, and for them to pray their flight be not on the Sabbath Day (20).

Now compare Matthew 24:30 with Zechariah's description of the coming of Christ from the perspective of the Jews. "and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for His only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his Firstborn." (Zechariah 12:10)

In Matthew 24:31 we see that the 'elect' gathered by His angels are gathered, not from the earth, but from 'one end of HEAVEN to the other'.

Revelation 19:14 says "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." Stated in Revelation 19:6-9, those in white linen are the Bride – the True Church comprised of all those people who have accepted God's saving invitation to be joined to Him at this marriage feast and have prepared themselves (as seen by their garments).

The post-trib position is that 'one end of heaven to the other' really means the Rapture of earthbound believers at the end of the Tribulation Period.

But reading what Scripture SAYS, rather than interpreting what it 'really means', indicates the elect gathered AFTER the Tribulation are gathered FROM heaven, which is consistent with the pre-trib view that says that is where the Church was all along.

Bible prophecy is unfolding according to a systematic theology that shows that God dealt at different times throughout history in different ways through a system of progressive revelation. This systematic theology is called Dispensationalism.

The main points of dispensationalism are:

1. The recognition of a distinction between Israel and the Church.

2. A consistently literal principle of interpretation -- particularly of Bible prophecy.

3. A basic working and conception of the purpose of God as His own glory rather than as the single purpose of salvation.

Dispensationalism demands:

1. The O.T. prophecies of the restoration of national Israel to the land in the last days will be literally fulfilled. (Any newspaper confirms that prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes.)

2. The 70 weeks of Daniel spoken of in Daniel 9 refers to a period of 490 years and apply only to Israel. The first 69 weeks have been fulfilled historically, ending at the first coming of Christ.

3. When the Jews rejected the Messiah, the 70 weeks were suspended and a new age or dispensation called the Church age began. The Last or 70th week of Daniel, the last seven years, has yet to be fulfilled.

4. This last week will immediately precede the second coming of Christ.

The book of Revelation after the letters to the seven churches is a prophecy concerning events that will occur during the last seven years before the second coming or 70th week.

This 70th week is called the tribulation period. The last half of this week (the last 3.5 years) is the Great Tribulation spoken of in Dan. 9 and in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24). This tribulation period is a time when God will pour out His wrath on a sinful world (earthdwellers).

It is at this point that the mid-tribulationists believe the Rapture occurs.

The coming of Christ will occur in two phases. The Rapture, and His Second Coming at the conclusion of the Battle of Armageddon.

Dispensationalism concludes the Church cannot be here during the tribulation period because God has ended the Church age and resumed dealing with Israel.

The Church is also Raptured to keep the Christians from the wrath of God which according to Romans 5:9 Christians will not experience.

The second phase is Christ's second coming at the end of the tribulation with His saints to begin the Kingdom Age dispensation.

History consists of different dispensations or 'economies'. A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God.

Systematic theology reveals seven distinct Dispensations of God:

•Creation to fall - Innocency
•Fall to flood - Conscience
•Flood to Abraham - Human Government
•Abraham to Moses - Promise
•Moses to Christ - Law
•Church Age - Grace
•Millennium - Kingdom

A new period or dispensation begins when God introduces a change in the principles or ordinances valid up to that time. For example a number of ordinances are introduced at the time of Noah. With the coming of the Church Age, the Mosiac Laws or ordinances are annulled.

In order to hold to a mid or post position it is necessary to deny Dispensationalism, claiming it is a recent invention. But at the same time, all three scenarios recognize the Church Age as a distinct dispensation.

The post-Tribulation view shares the same glaring problem as the mid-Tribbers; the denial of imminency. It will be even easier to pinpoint the return of Christ, given the Bible gives the exact number of days between the 'abomination of desolation' (Matthew 24:15; 2nd Thessalonians 2:4) and the return of the Messiah.

"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."(Daniel 12:11)

Compare that to Jesus' Words; "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matthew 24:36) If the post-Trib view is correct, that secret is hidden only until the revelation of Antichrist. So it shares the same second flaw with the mid-Trib view; both of these interpretations make the coming of Antichrist the seminal event in prophecy, with the secret coming of Christ for His Church a secondary Plan.

The post-Tribulation view also doesn't pass the logic test. The post-Trib interpretation is that Jesus Raptures the Church, who then return with Him at the Battle of Armageddon. "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." (Revelation 19:14) The 'fine linen, white and clean' are the garments of those Washed in the Blood of the Lamb.

So, Jesus leaves heaven with 'ten thousands' of empty white horses. As He descends, God's people are Raptured, presumably translated from this earth to the back of a white horse on its way back!

Scripture tells us that, as the return of the Lord for His Church draws near, it will be as in the days of Lot and Noah. Noah warned of impending judgement for 120 years without a single convert. Life went on as normal, until the floods came, and 'took them all away'. (Matthew 24:39)

Similarly, Lot lived in a big city, surrounded by immorality so repugnant to God that He decided to judge the wicked city with Divine judgment. Lot was secretly removed from the unsuspecting city before judgment was executed. But to the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, life went on as usual until the moment of judgment fell.

Consider the consequences of the Tribulation Period. Widespread death and destruction, the annihilation of 3/4's of the human race, miraculous judgments like the sea turned to blood and a ruined ecology, disease, famine and catastrophe . . . hardly fits with the days of Lot OR Noah.

"And as it was in the days of Noe (Noah), so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:28-30)

The next problem with this view is what happens next. According to Scripture, the earth is repopulated during the Millennial Kingdom period.

If all God's people are Raptured as the Lord Jesus returns that will leave only the wicked on earth when He returns. The wicked will be destroyed as they will NEVER inherit the kingdom of God.

So if the wicked are destroyed and God's people are all Raptured then who will be left to enter into the 1000 year Kingdom?

When people go into the 1000 year kingdom they will not have their eternal bodies but will be just like we are today.

They will marry and have children. After the Rapture all God's people will have their eternal bodies leaving no mortals left on earth to go into the 1000 year kingdom.

The post-Trib view is widely received, despite its problems. It's adherents generally also believe that Israel plays no important role in the last days, since the promises of God to Israel were passed on to the Church after the Jews rejected their Messiah.

That is also one of the reasons that post-Tribulationists are so hostile to Dispensationalists and pre-Tribulationists; our 'wrong-headed' support for Israel based on our belief that God has a Plan for Israel that doesn't include the Church. It explains the blatantly anti-Semitic nature of many mainstream churches. It is at the root of the 'Christian anti-semitism' that was responsible for centuries of persecution of the Jews by the Church.

It explains the 'Christ-killer' label that is used to incite anti-Semitic actions and to justify anti-Semitism as a worldview. To some Christians, the crowd's demands, "Then answered all the people, and said, His Blood be on us, and on our children," (Matthew 27:25) carries more weight than Jesus Himself, when He said, " Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," (Luke 23:34)

That is not intended to characterize all people who hold to a post-Tribulation worldview, but explain the teachings of post-Tribulationalism and some of the reasons for their hostility to the pre-Tribulationist view.

I began this series on the Rapture with the intent, not to change anybody else's view, but to explain why I hold to the view that I do and also to explain to others what will happen in the very near future (or if this is being read after the Rapture has occurred to explain what has already occurred).

The Rapture will happen when it happens and nobody will know for sure who was right until it doesn't matter any more anyway.

My purpose is not to argue FOR a pre-tribulation Rapture so much as it was to clearly outline what I believe and why I believe it.

I view unfolding prophecy through the systematic theology of Dispensationalism because, without rightly dividing the Word, prophecy makes no sense.

For example, Jesus said the Comforter would remain with the Church until He comes. Yet the only reference to the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation is Revelation Chapter 7 when Jewish evangelists are miraculously 'sealed' (indwelt) by the Holy Spirit the way Church Age believers are now. That indwelling gives the Jewish evangelists 'power' to preach.

Together with 2 Thessalonians 2:7 we see the Restrainer is taken out of the way, saying that once that is accomplished, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." (vs. 8)

If the Church goes through the Tribulation, then Jesus' promise of a Comforter until He comes needs rewriting to say, "I will send you a Comforter Who will stay with you until you need Him most, and then you are on your own for seven years."

Without an understanding of the divisions between the Dispensations, (like the Church Age and Daniel's 70th Week) prophecy is contradictory.

Jesus promised the Church in Matthew 16:18 that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." But we then read in Revelation 13:7 "And it was given unto him (the religious beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them."

Which is it? Do we prevail, or does the Antichrist? Apart from Dispensationalism, the two statements contradict.

But if the Church Age is over and the Tribulation period is the time of 'Jacob's Trouble' and judgment against 'them that dwell upon the earth' rather than for the Church, then Scriptural harmony is restored.

As I pointed out in the previous post, the major problem with the mid-trib view is that it fails to explain what role the Church plays in the time of Jacob's Trouble -- even the first half.

The major problem in the post-tribulational view adds to that problem the problem of mathematics.

Revelation 13:15 says of those who do not worship the beast and accept his mark that he would "cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed".

So we see two kinds of people in the Tribulation period. Those who take the mark and those who are killed. When the Tribulation is over, where are the living believers who get Raptured?

For there to be believers left to Rapture, they will have to escape the Antichrist's global positioning surveillance systems, satellite thermal imaging systems, police and military dragnet, unable to buy or sell, living in caves for seven years.

A couple of decades ago, that seemed at least possible. But not so likely today. We saw how effective a strategy that was for al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. And the Antichrist is unlikely to follow the same civilized rules of engagement Washington must observe today to avoid global condemnation.

I conclude the pre-tribulation Rapture scenario is the view that is most harmonious with Scripture, particularly when given the added dimension of actually watching the preparations unfold before our very eyes. I will be making my last post on the Rapture regarding the pre-tribulation doctine of the Rapture and specifically why it makes the most sense.

But our faith isn't in WHEN Christ comes, it is in the fact that Christ IS coming soon. And the Rapture Debate is one more evidence of that fact.

Notice that the debate isn't over whether or not the Lord will come in this generation. For most, that is not even an issue.

A century ago, they were debating over whether He was coming at all. Today, we're fighting over His coming within a seven-year time frame.

Regardless of what you believe concerning the timing of the Rapture, the soon coming of the Lord is proved by the fact such a debate exists at all. And no matter what you believe about the timing of the Rapture, and no matter who turns out to be right in the end, the important thing to remember is WHAT we are debating.

We are living in the last generation in history. There are people reading my words -- right now -- who will never, ever die in the traditional sense, but will be caught up bodily to be with the Lord.

"Wherefore comfort one another with these words" - (1st Thessalonians 4:18)
==========================
In the last post we will discuss the doctrine of pre-tribulationism and why that really is the only view of the Rapture that scripturally, logically and mathematically makes sense. Or at least to me anyway. After that we will get into the discussion of what the Tribulation is and what will happen during it, who the key players are and why you really don't want to go through it.

Three Views of the Rapture, Part Two

My thanks goes to Jack Kinsella of the Omega Letter for the information contained within. For further information regarding the Rapture, a completely fascinating online and downloadable ebook that discusses the world-wide vanishings that will occur in the future can be found at Hal Lindsey’s website. The book is appropriately entitle "Vanished". It is available to download for any denomination/donation amount. Just follow the link and it is the second book available on that page.

Also you may want to check out such websites as Harpazo.net, RaptureAlert.com, DivineIntervention.ws and RaptureReady.com.

===========================================
The timing of the Rapture is easily one of the most divisive issues within the Body of the Christ, something I find extremely interesting. It would seem to me that the issue of when He is coming is important only in understanding the signs of the times, but not terribly important in terms of salvation or issues of eternity, or even in terms of living a Spirit-filled life.

Taken separately from following Bible prophecy, believing in Who is coming, and the certainty of His return, are all that is truly necessary to be a Christian. The timing of that event itself, is largely one of academics.

That being said, we ARE students of Bible prophecy; watchmen on the wall, as I like to express it, and the timing of the Rapture is extremely important to understanding the signs of the times.

We see evidence all around us, and we use that evidence to warn of His soon return. To us, understanding the Rapture is understanding how to rightly divide the Word of Truth. The key to this is understanding Dispensationalism and the division between the Age of the Law, the Age of Grace (Church Age) and the Tribulation (Daniel's 70th Week).

Dispensationalism teaches that the Dispensation of Grace (Church Age) concludes with the secret Rapture of the Church, followed by the the final 7 years of the Age of the Law. During the Tribulation, the Temple is rebuilt, Temple sacrifice reinstituted, and the price of salvation is martyrdom at the hands of the antichrist. (Tribulation Saints)

There are three basic interpretations of the Rapture; Pre-Tribulatonal, Mid-Tribulational and Post-Tribulational.

Pre-Trib holds to the view the Lord returns BEFORE the Tribulation. Mid-Trib teaches that the Rapture of the Church will occur in the middle of the 7 year Tribulation period. It will occur sometime around the abomination of desolation when the anti-Christ goes into the rebuilt Jewish temple and there claim to be God.

The Post-Trib view teaches that as the Lord Jesus is returning back to earth, God's people will be 'caught up' or raptured at that point in time. They will return to earth with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Each of these views can be supported, to some degree, by Scripture, but only one is correct. I believe it is the one with the fewest problems, which is a Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church.

In this post we will discuss the problems with the Mid-Trib point of view. The next post will discuss the Post-Trib point of view and then we will move on to discuss the Pre-Trib point of view and why I truly believe that it is the only view that Scripture truly does support.

One of the problems with a Mid-Trib view is glaring; it denies the doctrine of imminency. Although the Scriptures teach a SECRET coming, (no man knoweth the day or hour) once the Tribulation begins, one just has to sit down with a calendar. It will be no surprise and it will come at a known time.

Another problem with the Mid-Trib Rapture view is that its followers aren't looking for Christ, they are watching for the anti-Christ, from whom they derive their timetable.

By contrast, I am awaiting Jesus Christ. I never expect to know who the antichrist will be, and frankly, I don't really care. My purpose and to remind people that Jesus is coming FIRST!

The Mid-Tribulation view is not widely followed for these reasons, among others.
The Post-Tribulation view shares the same glaring problem as the Mid-Tribbers; the denial of imminency. It will be even easier to pinpoint the return of Christ, given the Bible gives the exact number of days between the 'abomination of desolation' (Matthew 24:15; 2nd Thessalonians 2:4) and the return of the Messiah.

"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." (Daniel 12:11)

Compare that to Jesus' Words; "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matthew 24:36) If the Post-Trib view is correct, that secret is hidden only until the revelation of antichrist. So it shares the same second flaw with the Mid-Trib view; both of these interpretations make the coming of antichrist the seminal event in prophecy, with the secret coming of Christ for His Church a secondary Plan.

The Mid-Tribulational view divides the Tribulation into two periods of 1260 days each, according to Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 12:7 and sees the Rapture of the Church occurring at that Mid-point.

There are plenty of Scripture verses that can be used to support a Mid-Trib Rapture. "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. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matthew 24:9-13

It would seem to indicate here that Jesus is exhorting us to "endure to the end" tying our endurance to being saved from the Great Tribulation.

Similarly, Jesus' reference to the Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15) is followed by a warning to flee, (21)"For then shall be great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

(40-41)"Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."

The Mid-Tribulationist equates the beginning of the Great Tribulation when the antichrist abolishes Temple worship and begins his persecution of Israel with Rapture.

The problem with the Mid-Tribulation view is it fails to explain WHY the Church endures the first half of the Rapture. The final week of Daniel is clearly set aside for the national redemption of Israel. (Daniel 9:24)

In order to make the Mid-Tribulational view work, Jesus must be speaking to the Church when He is answering the question posed Him in Matthew 24:3 "What will be the sign of Thy Coming and of the end of the world?"

If Jesus were addressing the Church in the last days, why would He say, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:" (20).

Jesus makes plain the perspective from which He was speaking and to Whom, saying, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in JUDAEA flee into the mountains: (15-16)

Jesus warning of being delivered up to be afflicted, and killed, and to be hated of all nations for His Name's sake isn't a reference to the Church. He is addressing Israel, who has been delivered to affliction for 2000 years as 'Christ-killers'.

He is NOT addressing the Church. The Church is not here at that time.

But Jesus WAS addressing the Church when He said, "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. 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. (John 14:2-3)

In Rev. 2 and 3 we have Jesus talking to the Seven Churches, but what I want you to notice is where Jesus is in relation to these churches. "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;"

Now, from Chapter 4 to 19, Jesus is no longer on earth, but in heaven. So, if Jesus is no longer on the earth during the Tribulation period and He promised us we would always be with him, it would seem to indicate that we are going to be in Heaven with Jesus during the Tribulation period.

No matter how many ways I look at it, I just can't overcome a few problems reconciling Scripture with the Mid-Tribulation view.

What purpose is served by having the Church participate in the first half of the Tribulation but not the second if the whole 'week' is set aside for Israel? Why have a Rapture at all?

Why would Jesus be positionally in the midst of the 7 Churches for the entire Church Age, but positionally in heaven from Revelation 4:1 forward if the seven golden candlesticks remain on earth during Daniel's 70th Week?

Why is there no reference to the Church from Revelation 4:1 and forward?

These are serious problems from my perspective.

But again, that is not to say that those who hold to a Mid-Tribulational Rapture haven't searched the Scriptures and found answers that satisfy those questions in their minds. They are as sincere as I. We simply disagree.

In the next issue, we'll look at the Post-Tribulational view and how it lines up with Scripture.

Three Views of the Rapture, Part One

This post starts a new section of the prophecy doctrine held on these blog pages. As promised I have gotten around to the start of the discussion of the Rapture. My thanks goes to Jack Kinsella of the Omega Letter for the information contained within. I have edited and changed some of the words as these discussions were covered last year in October. For further information regarding the Rapture, a completely fascinating online and downloadable ebook that discusses the world-wide vanishings that will occur in the future can be found at Hal Lindsey’s website. The book is appropriately entitle "Vanished". It is available to download for any denomination amount. Just follow the link and it is the second book available on that page.

Also you may want to check out such websites as Harpazo.net, RaptureAlert.com, DivineIntervention.ws and RaptureReady.com.

So, without any more delays let’s get started on this new section regarding the Rapture and the three differing views of it.

Every year around the time of Rosh Hashanah, somebody calculates the "exact" day in which the Rapture of the Church will occur. Last year in 2005, the date calculated for the return of Christ for His Church was on October 5. Of course, we’re still here.

So, over the next few days, we will re-examine the Rapture, what it is, and when the Scriptures indicate it will happen.

For many of you, this will be a review. For others, this will be new material. But all of us are commanded to "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. " (1st Thessalonians 5:21)

It would be fair to argue that one of the most divisive doctrines of Scripture for the last days would that of the Rapture of the Church. Specifically, the timing of the Rapture, rather than whether the Bible teaches a Rapture. (Although there is a school of thought within Christendom that denies the Rapture of the Church altogether).

To begin with the Rapture of the Church is the 'Blessed Hope' for believers.
The New Testament speaks of a 'mystery' in which Paul writes that 'we shall not all sleep', (or die), but that 'we shall be changed' (1 Corinthians 15:53).

In his letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul writes, "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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. " (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

That is the Rapture of the Church. The bodies of those who are 'dead in Christ' -- deceased believers, will be resurrected. Those believers in Christ still alive will immediately be translated bodily from the earth to 'meet the Lord in the air'.

When Jesus ascended bodily to heaven in the presence of the Apostles, an angel appeared to them, saying, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. " Acts 1:11

And it was Jesus Himself Who promised, "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. 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. " (John 14:2-3)

Although the doctrine of the Rapture of the Church is the Christian's 'Blessed Hope', in these last days it has become a doctrine of division within the Body.

There are three basic schools of thought on the Rapture.

The first is the Pretribulation Rapture. Those who hold to this belief expect that Christians will be raptured before the Tribulation period begins.

The second view is the Mid-Tribulation Rapture, (as well as a similar view called the pre-wrath Rapture). They expect the Rapture to occur at the mid-point in the Tribulation, or before the beginning of the Great Tribulation that is the last half of the 7 years of Jacob's Trouble.

Finally, there is the Post-Tribulation which holds to the view that the Church goes through the entire seven year Tribulation Period, but then is raptured at the end of the Tribulation, just before the 2nd Coming of Christ.

All three schools of thought do have some points of common agreement. They all believe that,
1) the 2nd Coming of Christ is a separate event from the Rapture, and,
2) that there will be a Rapture of Christians BEFORE the 2nd Coming.

As I said, the timing of this event is a subject of great division among Christians. Those who take the post-trib view think that pre-tribbers are preaching a 'Great Escape' that won't happen.

They believe that teaching a pre-trib Rapture does a disservice to the Church and when the Tribulation comes, Christians expecting a 'Great Escape' will not be prepared to endure and might succumb to the Mark of the Beast.

Consequently, to many who hold the post-trib view, pre-tribbers are false prophets preaching a lie of Satan. Judging from discussion that has occurred in other areas, some from that camp believe pre-trib teachers are deliberately spreading error.

Those who hold the mid-trib or pre-wrath have espoused similar views. I find it interesting that I seldom encounter mid-tribbers engaged in doctrinal battle with post-tribbers. Most of the forum battles I've witnessed have the mid and post crowd on one side, with pre-tribbers on the other.

So, which view is right? In each of the next three posts, we will look at what the Bible says regarding each view. You can make up your mind for yourself which view lines up best with Scripture.

As we progress through the study, it is important to keep one thing in mind. The issue of interest is WHEN He is coming, but the issue of importance is WHO it is that is coming, and why. 'When' is important, but of secondary interest. People holding all three views are equally saved if they have put their faith in the Jesus Who is coming to begin with.

Whether or not the Church participates in the Tribulation or is Raptured before it begins is a matter of eschatological (doctrine of end-time events and chronology) interpretation and of much less eternal importance than the doctrine of soteriology (salvation). It IS important, but it is proportional.

Members of all three schools of thought will be Raptured at the same time, whether they expect to be or not. That's just how it is. It shouldn't be as divisive an issue as it has become. Unfortunately, a lot of churches are afraid to touch it for that reason.

The entire controversy, as divisive as it is, is unique to this generation. In previous generations, it was just an interesting point of doctrine for which there were several interpretations.

In this generation, it has been elevated almost to the level of salvation in doctrinal importance.

By itself, that fact should set off alarm bells in the back of your head. The fact it is the hottest topic in the Church today sends a signal. Because this IS a debate for the last days (as this time undoubtedly is – read over the last several posts regarding this subject).

Over the next few posts, we'll discuss the purpose of the Tribulation period, specific promises made to the Church Age, what Jesus said about the Tribulation period, what the Bible says about the 2nd Coming of Christ and the three differing views of the Rapture.

When we're finished, I don't expect to have changed anybody's view, but instead hope to provide you with reasons you can tick off for why you hold it.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (1st Peter 3:15)

Next: Three Views of the Rapture, Part Two
=================================
Nic’s Notes. We will cover the Tribulation more in depth after the discussion of the Rapture, however, right now it is necessary to discuss it in regards to the Rapture in order to get an idea of what those who have put their entire faith in Christ alone will be escaping in the terms of a pre-Tribulational rapture view. I myself hold to the pre-Tribulation doctrine of the Rapture and there are Biblical reasons why I believe what I believe regarding the pre-Tribulational view of the Rapture.

What's So Special About THIS Generation Anyway - and who is it? Part (Conclusion)

As we discussed last time, a few weeks ago, this post will focus on Reason Five – The Developing Global Religion and Reason Six – The Explosion of Knowledge and after that we’ll get into the discussion of the Rapture (The time is coming when one day millions of people around the world will disappear, at the same time, without a trace) and the Tribulation and what those are, what they mean to everyone on this earth and how you can hope to escape the Tribulation.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Special Report: Reason Five: The Developing Global Religion

Religion is a hot topic in the news these days. We are in a state of war with al-Qaeda. When three thousand Americans are murdered by people who believe they are doing God's will, it should be cause to put that religion under a microscope.

But something curious happened instead. Rather than putting Islam under the microscope, we elected to lump Islamic killers into a larger religious group called 'fundamentalists.'

In order for the Politically Correct to make that stick, it was necessary to conclude that Islam is really a peaceful religion hijacked by a few Islamic fundamentalists.

It doesn't take too much time to break down this little bit of doublespeak into its component elements.

A religious 'fundamentalist' is one who follows the fundamentals of a religion. If the fundamentals of Islam were peace, then Islamic fundamentalists would be peaceful and violent killer Islamists would be an aberration. That is as plain as the nose on Arafat's face.

It is also worthy of note that a 'religious fundamentalist' and a 'religious extremist' both describe the same thing.

To the dictionary, an "extremist" is 'one who advocates or resorts to measures beyond the norm', whereas a "fundamentalist" is 'usually a religious movement or point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles, by rigid adherence to those principles, and often by intolerance of other views and opposition to secularism."

Clearly, by definition, 'fundamentalism' and 'extremism' are polar opposites, not synonyms. All this double-speak works in the public mind, however, because it is about religion.

An Islamic fundamentalist is one who practices the fundamentals of Islam by rigidly adhering to its principles. An Islamic extremist is one who advocates or resorts to abnormal measures.

Since both describe the 9/11 terrorists, why is the emphasis on 'fundamentalist' and 'extremist' instead of being on 'Islamic?'

Now THAT'S an example of a fundamental question.

Similarly, there are Christian fundamentalists. They are those who rigidly adhere to Biblical principles, are intolerant of any suggestion there is a way to heaven apart from Jesus, and are opposed to secularism, like removing the Bible from public property and removing references to God from the Pledge of Allegiance.

And there are Christian extremists. Like those who blow up abortion clinics to stop the murder of unborn babies or shoot abortionists so they can't abort any more babies.

The polar opposite of a fundamentalist whose adherence to Biblical New Testament principles tells him that judgment against abortionists will be meted out by God, not by the Church.

Note we have two examples of extremism. The kind that can find fundamental religious justification for indiscriminate murder in the name of advancing Islam.

And the kind that can find fundamental religious justification in committing targeted murder in the name of ending the murder of the unborn.

Both are extreme positions.

But the kind of looney-toons that would kill for Christ and think they are following Him makes up a tiny, tiny number that clearly have missed the point of salvation.

And if you were to put them all in one place, it would occupy part of a small-town police department's day to round them all up.

There are enough Islamic extremists for us to have a war with.

Christian fundamentals teach us to love God above all things and love our neighbor as we do ourselves.

Since the worst place anybody can end up is hell, the most loving thing for a Christian to do is to help them avoid ending up there. To most of the world, that is 'hate speech' and is even so defined in some countries, including Canada.

Islamic fundamentals teach that anyone who refuses to convert to Islam is less than a full person, a 'dhimmi' who is without rights and can be persecuted or killed as necessary.

I say all that to say this. The war against Islam continues to morph into a war against religious fundamentalism. Any religious fundamentalism; Islamic, Christian, Jewish, Sihk-- it doesn't matter.

The Bible speaks of the false prophet of Revelation 13 seizing control of the world's religious systems, making them all one religion 'with two horns like a lamb' but that 'spake as a dragon'.

Such a religious system could have no room for fundamentalism, since, to be global, it must be all-inclusive.

It couldn't teach that the only way to heaven is by martyrdom in jihad; neither could it teach that the only way to heaven is the way Jesus said it was.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
Under the supervision of the false prophet, John says, "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."

Clearly, these are the Christian 'fundamentalists' of the Tribulation period.

We are engaged in a global war against Islamic fundamentalism at the expense of ignoring the fundamentals of the Islamic religion that spawned it.

Since this makes absolutely NO sense of any kind in the natural, the only explanation is supernatural. When looked at from the Apostle John's perspective, it makes perfect sense.

Exactly what the final form of the global religion will be is unclear, apart from it being a counterfeit Christianity (two horns like a lamb) but will preach the all-inclusive siren song of the Dragon (Satan). There can be no room for fundamentalism of any stripe in the global, all-inclusive religious system of the last days.

Whatever its final form will be, one thing is clear.

The Bible says anybody who won't join it, worship its leader and take his mark will be declared an enemy of the state, unable to buy or sell and subject to being put to death.

The war on fundamentalism and the developing anti-fundamentalist, all inclusive religious worldview constitute Reason Five in this part of the series, "Six Reasons Why We Believe These Are the Last Days."

Special Report Reason Six - The Explosion of Knowledge

This generation is unique in all human history. Never has humanity been forced to come to terms with so many issues simultaneously -- issues for which we have no historical precedent to use as a guide.

The explosive growth of knowledge has us reeling from what humanist writer Alvin Touffler terms “future shock.” It is only in this generation that last year’s encyclopedia is about as useful as last month’s newspaper.

It has been said that the sum of human knowledge from the Flood to 1850 doubled once. It doubled again following World War II. The doubling of human knowledge increases exponentially. For example, the XT personal computer of 1981 -- a triumph of human technology -- is the world’s youngest antique!

The personal computer made its debut in 1980. My first one, an Amstrad 8088 unit, cost $1700, had an integrated gray-scale monitor, two 5.25 300K floppies and no HDD. It came with DOS and a pre-Windows three-floppy graphical interface. That was sixteen years ago.

The one I am working on now cost about the same, but bears as much resemblance to my old Amstrad as a WWI bi-plane does to the space shuttle.

And my new one was obsolete before you could finish saying, "Dude! You're gettin' a Dell!" I noted today that researchers at Penn State have just developed a new software that can repair damaged and infected systems as they are damaged -- without requiring any human involvement.

Moore's Law dictates that computer processing speeds double every eighteen months. So it is reasonable to conclude that the capacity for human knowledge doubles at about the same time. We are the smartest generation in history. And the most mobile.

The books of Daniel and the Revelation are not as mysterious to this generation as they were even fifty years ago -- in fact, they seem downright obvious, as if they had been taken from today’s newspapers! That is precisely what Daniel recorded as a sign for this generation -- “many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.”

We live in the most mobile society in history. I've spent a significant portion of most of the last ten years bouncing back and forth from the East to the West coast. For longer stays, I prefer to drive. Flying takes six hours. Driving takes three days.

Back in the 70's as a rookie Texas traffic cop, I once stopped an elderly man for speeding. He was over ninety. He was such an interesting character that from that unlikely introduction, we quickly became good friends. He'd sit for hours and tell me stories of the pioneer days in the Texas Panhandle, when the Comanche Indians still ruled much of the area.

He related how he had moved to the Texas Panhandle in the 1890's from Pennsylvania. It took two months by covered wagon. I stopped him for going 70 mph in a 55 zone. From a covered wagon to a Buick V-8 in a lifetime.

The year I joined the Marines, I saw my first eight track car stereo system. Just imagine! Being able to choose the music, just like at home! And to actually hear it in stereo! Who could have ever imagined such a thing?

Over the years, along came microwave ovens (“you won’t believe it, you can cook a hot dog in less than a minute”) audio cassette tape decks, VCR’s, personal computers, cable television and all the other technical advances that have enriched our lives since.

The pace of change is staggering, when you take the long view. Consider this. Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul traveled around Asia Minor on foot, or aboard a wooden ship moved along by wind power caught in the sails.

Fifteen hundred years later, Christopher Columbus embarked for a journey across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a sea route to China. He went to the dock on foot, and boarded a wooden ship not unlike that of Paul’s. Three hundred years later, Benjamin Franklin walked to the dock to board a wooden sailing vessel for his trip to France.

In 1912, the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic, the pride of the Cunard lines, the latest advance in steamship technology, went to the bottom off the coast of Newfoundland, less than twenty miles from the nearby Californian.

The Californian, a Leyland Line steamer, could have saved the more than 1,500 victims, but its wireless operator had gone to bed and did not hear the SOS signal.

Today there are routine, scheduled flights of the Concorde supersonic airliner that make the trip from New York to Paris in just under three hours.

The last time the space shuttle touched down safely, it didn’t even rate the top news story of the hour on CNN.

Who could have imagined our world in Columbus’ day, or Franklin’s, or even the day the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic went to the bottom in 1912?

While in exile in Babylon, the prophet Daniel was given a vision of the future of Israel, up to the coming of the Messiah. Up to this point in the vision, those things that Daniel saw were relatively familiar, cities, events, people in a context that were not too far removed from his concept of reality. But then he was shown the things to come in the last days.

The angel told him in Daniel 10:14 “Now I am come to make the understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days; for yet the vision is for many days.”

Daniel was so staggered by what he saw it made him faint, verse 18 records that ‘one like the appearance of a man’ touched him, and strengthened him, so that he could go on.

Daniel tried to describe those things he saw using terminology that made sense to him, but it comes to us as a series of baffling symbols, images and beasts. The things he saw terrified him.

Because the visions were so completely removed from his understanding of reality, he was unable to describe them in terms that even he was able to comprehend. And so it remained, for thousands of years.

Great Bible commentators like Calvin and Luther did not even attempt to interpret the books of Daniel, or the Revelation, for that matter, saying they were allegorical or symbolic books.

Matthew Henry, writing in the 18th century, did not fare much better. Even commentators on these books in the early 20th century admitted they had trouble fitting the pieces together. After all, they dealt with a restored Israel, a revived Roman empire, and a one world government. Such things were deemed to be impossible, therefore to be interpreted as allegories.

The revealing angel understood what Daniel did not.

He explained in Daniel Chapter 12, verse 4; “But thou, O Daniel, 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.”

Today, Daniel and the Revelation are the favorite books of Bible expositors. Many of the mysteries have already been unlocked and many more grow less mysterious all the time.

The rapidly expanding pool of human knowledge is Reason Six in this part of the series, "Six Reasons Why We Believe These Are the Last Days."
+++++++++++++++++++++
Nic’s Note: I think that after going back over the last six reasons as well as the signs of the times - or more apropriately "the Times of the Signs", that you may agree that the evidence seems to be in favor of this particular time being the time of the end that was spoken about in the Bible by many of the Bible prophets, the disciples and apostles and even Jesus himself when he gives the "Olivet Discourse" (Matthew 24).

The next post will be rather long. I may try and look for a way to break it up like I did these past posts on the “Six Reasons”. The next post will deal with a subject that has many people debating over it. It is the doctrine of the Rapture. Most people who disagree with it say that the word “Rapture” never actually appears in the Bible. They would be correct about the word not being there. We will discuss the origin of the word “Rapture”, what is the more “Biblically” correct term and what the Rapture actually is.

I know that some of this is a lot to take in at once and to some of you it may seem like a joke, a farce or something along the lines of crackpot theories. That is why I strongly suggest that if you are reading this blog that you print off copies of the information contained herein and study them at your own pace, along with a copy of the Bible (I prefer the King James Version, the Amplified Version or the NIV version (1978/1979 translation) - note!: NOT the "Today’s New International Version" (TNIV) or the "New International Version Inclusive Language Edition" (NIVI)). When the time comes and if you are one of the ones left behind while people you know have vanished – and it is going to happen, you will be glad you did if there is no ready access to computers for a while. These writings will explain to you what in the world is going on, what is to come and what the future truly holds for those on either side of the war between God and Satan.
=================
NEXT: What is the Rapture all about?

What's So Special About THIS Generation Anyway - and who is it? Part 4

It’s been a while since we last had a look at the prophecy series. As a reminder, the Introduction and Reason One of why we believe these are the last days can be found here and Reason Two can be found here. Today we will be looking at Reason Three – The Developing Global Government and Reason Four - The Global Economy.

For those of us who have studied Bible prophecy for a while, we are in awe of seeing all the signs of the birth pangs coming together at once like this. The insistence of Iran to wipe Israel off the map so much so that a map was displayed at a UN meeting where there is no Israel on it, instead it has been replaced with only a state called Palestine, the record-breaking extreme weather, the unprecedented major hurricanes and earthquakes, the rumors of a global currency and the actions to create a global religion, and it goes on and on from there.

There are several posts on this blog regarding the birth pangs and the reasons why I, and millions of others around the world, believe that these are the last days spoken of in the Bible. Nobody knows the day nor the hour of Christ’s return, Only God the Father does, but Jesus gave us signs to watch for so that we would know the season of His return. (See Matt. 24, Luke 21 – Signs of the End of the Age)

My thanks to Jack Kinsella of Omega Letter for allowing the use of these briefings on my blog.
======================
Special Report: Reason Three – The Developing Global Government

The battle at the UN over whether or not the United States has the right to preemptive self-defense underscores the global perception there is a need for a supra-national government to oversee national affairs.

Probably the last body anybody would have guessed would immediately bow the knee to the United Nations would be the United States House of Representatives, but to listen to them, that is where the real power to make war is vested -- not in the Congress, but at the United Nations.

The power to make war is often what is referred to as the 'Divine right of kings' -- since war is something that occurs between two sovereign rulers.

The entire world is abrogating that right over to the center. No matter how that is spun, the net effect is that of ceding sovereignty to the UN.

How can America be sovereign while subordinate to the UN when it comes to national security?

Instead, we have something called 'collective sovereignty', as Kofi Annan explained in a recent speech, saying the "UN was chartered to prevent another global war", and that its founders recognized that, "agreeing to exercise sovereignty together, they could gain a hold over problems that would defeat any one of them acting separately". (Kofi Annan to the UN, Sept 11, 2002)

Clearly, sovereign authority rests with the United Nations in 2002. The objections raised by the French, Russians, Chinese, the EU -- all are rooted in the basic principle that no action can be taken without UN authorization.

There is no need to prove either the need for or the existence of a global government. It just isn't a very good one.

The UN's days are numbered -- that much is evident. If it can't control Iraq, how can it lay claim to any genuine global authority?

But it was designed as a global government and has created a massive infrastructure of global institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization and a massive interdependent infrastructure of NGO's [Non-Governmental Organizations].

They can't simply vanish. The ensuing global chaos would be catastrophic.

While the UN's days are numbered, the days of global government are not.

There are three pillars upon which the Bible says the antichrist will build his global government. Revelation Chapter 13 describes his absolute control over a global government, a global religious system and a global economy.

"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." [Revelation 13:7]

The global government foretold by Scripture will stand in opposition to Israel, in particular over the question of the final status of Jerusalem.

"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. " [Zechariah 12:3]

The existing global government stands in opposition to Israel over the final status of Jerusalem.
The global government foretold by Scripture "opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped." (2Thessalonians 2:4)

The existing global government's default position on any issue involving either the United States or Israel is one of opposition.

The US and Israel are also the only two states on earth founded under the authority of Scripture. Israel is the seat of Judaism and America is the seat of Western Christian culture. The phrase 'US-Zionist imperialism' is not uncommon language in UN speeches or in UN resolutions.

The Bible makes it clear that the final form of global government will not be headquartered out of UN headquarters in New York. It will be headquartered out of the revived Roman Empire. (See Reason Two - 'The Revived Roman Empire')

As this generation begins to draw to a close, having created the need for a global government and developed the necessary infrastructure, the UN is on the verge of dissolution.

Add to that the convenient revival of the old Roman Empire, the EU's lust for global power, and the fact it already operates according to a political template that has already absorbed nearly 25 countries and you have a picture entirely in harmony with the prophecies of Scripture for the last days.

The Bible said such a system would exist in a single generation, somewhere in time. At the same time as all the other single generation events, like the restoration of Israel, the revival of the Roman Empire, and the developing global religious system we'll discuss in the next installment of this series.

When you sit down and consider the odds, it isn't hard to see why the developing global government is Reason Three in this part of the series, "Six Reasons Why We Believe These Are the Last Days."

Special Report: Reason Four – The Global Economy

In medieval times, there were no banks where peasants could safely store their small amounts of gold and silver. It became the practice to store that hard money at the local metalsmith/jeweler who had a secure safe.

The jeweler would issue paper receipts, which could conveniently be exchanged instead of hard money for small transactions. Hence, the term 'good as gold'.

The jeweler noticed that he usually had on hand more gold at any given time than he needed to meet withdrawal demands. He began to issue extra receipts, which he loaned out at interest.

As long as everybody didn't show up at the same time, the theft went unnoticed as the jeweler lent out money he didn't have and collected real wealth in the form of interest in return.

Over the years, the practice evolved into what is today the fractional banking system.

The fractional reserve system is the discounting system employed by national central banks. It is also a massive fraud. I'm not here to debate the rightness or wrongness of it or to tilt at windmills. I'll just briefly outline the facts.

The Federal Reserve system is neither 'federal' or a 'reserve'. It is an internationally held private banking consortium. All banks in the Federal Reserve System become Federal Reserve banks by buying Federal Reserve stock.

The largest concentrations of stocks are held by five major US banks who are in turn owned by the international money trust.

Attempts to seize control of the US central bank of issue by the European Money Trust resulted in the US Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Banking Panic of 1837, the US Civil War, and the banking panics of the 1890's and 1906.

(This is incredibly interesting stuff, but it is really detailed. Space doesn't allow for a full explanation, but I will put together a much expanded version in a later Omega Letter report. For now, I have to hit the high points in order to connect the dots to Scripture for the purposes of this series.)

The seizure of control was accomplished by the 1913 passage of the Federal Reserve Act, written by a German immigrant named Paul Warburg. Warburg was the Fed's first governor, from 1913 to 1918.

Paul's brother was Max Warburg, head of the German Secret Service. A partner in their joint banking firm was the head of British intelligence. When the war ended, all three met again in Paris to hammer out war reparations against Germany. The bank selected to handle the transfer of wealth from Germany was the neutral Swiss Bank of International Settlements, headed by brother Fritz Warburg.

Warburg, Kuhn and Loeb are major stockholders in the Fed, and many of the names of European banking aristocracy control major stock control via proxy through offspring US banks.

The Federal Reserve system removed the US from a barter system to a debit system. A barter system was one in which currency was backed by gold. For every dollar issued, there was a dollar's worth of gold in the treasury. (Remember the jeweler?).

In the debit system, the Fed issues fiat dollars to control the economy, but each one is worth fractionally less, since it is just a case of cutting smaller slices from the pie.

That is what creates inflation. The Fed controls inflation by either cutting back or increasing the supply of dollars.

But it is still theft, albeit legal. In 1914, a good suit cost a $20 gold piece. Today, the same suit costs $500 -- or the same $20 gold piece.

Since there is no wealth backing today's money, there is no need to actually issue currency. Paper currency is a temporary measure to create the illusion of wealth. Now that everybody knows the truth but apparently nobody cares, the illusion is unnecessary.

(How much cash do YOU carry compared to your use of debit and credit cards? Me too. It's convenient, isn't it?)

Here are a few numbers to crunch. There is about $48 billion worth of gold in the US Treasury.

The US Gross Domestic Product is about $3 trillion. The US national debt is around $6 trillion.

So? Let's turn those billions and trillions into something easier to understand. A million seconds equals twelve days. A billion seconds equals thirty-two years. ($48 billion in gold, remember)

A trillion seconds equals THIRTY-TWO THOUSAND YEARS! The US national debt is $6 trillion!

That kind of impossible debt is what makes the most powerful man in the United States the Chairman of the Fed, not the President. When the Fed says jump, EVERYBODY from the president of the US to the president of the local branch bank asks, "how high?" The Fed Chairman can tank the market with a word, and tank the whole economy with the stroke of his banker's pen.

President George Herbert Walker Bush still blames Greenspan for his loss to Bill Clinton in 1992, claiming Greenspan created a temporary artificial recession in the months leading up to the election.

All the world's central banks are centralized again as members of the UN's central banking scheme via the IMF and World Bank systems.

The central banking scheme is part of a larger global system that came into being under the UN General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) signed in 1948. The GATT agreement eventually became today's World Trade Organization (WTO)

I hope you are following all of this. I had to skip over a lot to make to this point without having to do a series just on this single topic. Here is where we connect the dots.

The truly global economy was born simultaneously with the Computer Age that made it possible. The Computer Age officially began with the invention of the transistor by Bell Labs in 1948. There were computers before that, but before the transistor, they weren't reliable enough to be practical.

The centralization and integration of the US economy was replayed throughout the industrialized world. Cash is a global anachronism. The only logical next step is electronic money.

Last week, the idea of an 'electronic wallet' was advanced that much further with the approval of the Digital Angel e-chip for human implantation.

Two thousand years ago, John recorded the antichrist's principle method of maintaining control of his government.

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16-17)

It was never possible in any generation in history. Until this one. And, from our vantage point at this moment in history, it seems like the next logical step.

The existence of a manipulated, centralized truly global economic system at this time in history is Reason Four in this part of the series, "Six Reasons Why We Believe These Are the Last Days."
==========================
Next part of the prophecy series will focus on Reason Five – The Developing Global Religion and Reason Six – The Explosion of Knowledge and after that we’ll get into the discussion of the Rapture (The time is coming when one day millions of people around the world will disappear, at the same time, without a trace) and the Tribulation and what those are and what they mean to everyone on this earth.