Sign #20:  The Rapture of the Church

See Prophecy Sign #1

George Eldon Ladd, in his 1956 classic The Blessed Hope explains, "Redemption is not completed until we are delivered from the very effects of sin in our mortal bodies.  The Biblical doctrine of the resurrection is a redemptive truth: it means salvation of the body.  This salvation will be realized only by the second coming of Christ... God will not permit Satan to exercise his power in human history forever.  Man will not destroy himself from the face of the earth, nor will this planet become a cold, lifeless star.  The day is surely coming when the knowledge of God shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, when peace and righteousness shall prevail instead of war and evil.  The day is surely coming when God will take the reigns of government into His hands and the kingdom of God will comeon earth and His will be done even as it is in heaven.  This glorious destiny for man will be achieved only by the personal, visible, glorious return of Christ.  He is destined to be Lord of lords and King of kings.

Rapture - End Times 

The Rapture:  The gathering together, deliverance of, or rescue of the true living church (by His angelic "reapers") to Christ in the clouds at His second coming.  This will occur on the last day of the church age, sometime during Antichrist's persecution of the elect of God (the great tribulation), and it will initiate the wrath of God (the Day of the Lord) against the wicked who remain.  It will occur immediately after the sixth seal (the sign of the end of the age) and before the seventh seal (the Day of the Lord), sometime during the second half of Daniel's 70th week when God cuts short the great tribulation by Antichrist.  "But of the exact day and hour no one knows."  Are you ready?

The Messiah's Gate

There is an interesting prophecy about the Eastern Gate in Jerusalem.  The Eastern gate of Jerusalem, also called the Golden Gate, is located along the long eastern wall of the Temple Mount. This gate has been sealed for many years. Christians believe that it is to be the entrance of Christ upon His return.  Click on each photo for a better understanding of this remarkable prophecy.

Posted by brittgillette on December 17th, 2007.  In the near future, the world will witness the most awesome event in all of human history. Jesus Christ will physically return to earth in order to exact vengeance on the enemies of God. Known as the "Commander of Heaven's Armies," Christ will appear in sky like lightning, and every eye will see Him. His feet will touch down on the Mount of Olives, on the very place from which He ascended, and thus fulfill a prophecy made almost 2,000 years by two angels on the Mount of Olives:

"After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!'" Acts 1:9-11 (NLT)

When Christ returns, He will enter Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate of the Old City walls. In so doing, He will fulfill not only the prophecy of these two angels, but innumerable prophecies recorded by God's prophets for the benefit of mankind.

Arise My Love by Newsong

 Easter Sunday (3.23.08).  A review of the order of the Resurrections as outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:20-24:

²⁰ But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.  ²¹ For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. (When God looks upon the world, He sees those who are either "in Adam" or those who are "in Christ.")

²³ But each in his own order:

Group #1 - Jesus' Resurrection and "The First Fruit Saints"

Christ the first fruits, (This resurrection occurred at Jesus' First Coming.  Matthew 27:52-53 tells us that when Jesus rose from the dead, many other graves were opened and saints who had previously died, arose.)

Group #2 - All the Saints that are both Dead and Alive at His Second Coming

after that those who are Christ's at His coming, (This resurrection occurs at Jesus' Second Coming and is called the Rapture. It will include all the saved, those who have died and those who are living, both Old Testament Saints and New Testament Saints.)

Group #3 - All the Unsaved of all ages at the end of the Millennium

²⁴ then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (This resurrection occurs 1000 years after the Rapture Resurrection at the end of the Millennium.  This group includes all the unsaved of all ages.)

'Saved'? Site Lets You Send E-mails Post-Rapture

In the News...

ABC News.  By ASHLEY PHILLIPS.  June 10, 2008

A new Web site is offering a first-of-its-kind service: sending e-mails to nonbelieving friends and family who are "left behind" after you are whisked away by God in the rapture.   In evangelical Christian theology, the rapture is marked by a sudden visit from God, in which Christians will be whisked away to heaven while remaining nonbelievers will live on earth for seven years under the rule of the anti-Christ, until God returns with his followers to rule heaven and earth.  Billed as the last chance to "snatch them from the flames," Youvebeenleftbehind.com is the month-old brainchild of Mark Heard, a 49-year-old supermarket shelf-stocker who lives in Cape Cod, Mass...  Not all of this is being done out of the kindness of Heard's faithful heart; he does charge $40 a year for membership, a fee he hopes to lower as more people join...  "I was shocked that there was no place on the site where you could find out more about the Rapture...  You don't know who these people are," Frykholm said. "My first thought: 'This is someone who wants $40.'"

Donnie's Remarks...

My initial thoughts... Save yourself $40.00.  Send me your email address, and once Daniel's 70th week (aka The Tribulation) begins, I will send you multiple emails, for free, no charge!  On a more serious note, the timing of the Rapture is a topic of debate among Christians.  Perhaps the clearest text in all the Word of God for determining the timing of the Rapture is found 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV)
⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Paul declared that it will occur "at the last trumpet."  The Rapture will occur at the last trumpet of God.  But what is the last trumpet?  And when does it occur?  In the Book of Revelation I believe we are given the answer.  Revelation suggests the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven bowls run consecutively, one after another.  That position is critical to an understanding of the chronology of Revelation and the timing of the Rapture.  The chart below is helpful.  While we cannot set dates for the Rapture, it will occur sometime after the seven seals are opened.  When the 7th seal is opened, the seven trumpets are sounded.  I'll leave it up to you to decide which trumpet is the last trumpet of God, but my point is that the Rapture occurs after all the seals have been opened.

Prophecy Signs 'End Times Overview' 

Donnie's Remarks...

I thought it might be helpful to put together an 'End-Times Overview' chart of all the key events prophesied in the book of Revelation.  In general, the book of Revelation maintains a sequential order of the prophesied visions concerning Daniel's 70th week.  The exception is when the Apostle John is told to 'prophesy again' (Rev 10:11).  At that point, we are graciously and repeatedly provided with many more new details of the last 3 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th week... and even beyond.

I believe that one of the purposes of prophecy is to prepare God's people for extremely difficult times.  Please note that no where on this chart will you find the Rapture of the Church.  This is intentional.  I have purposely left it out so that you can put it wherever you like.  Too often our discussions of the end-times get bogged down on the timing of the Rapture, and we fail to have a thorough understanding of the big picture and what's next to come.  No two people agree on all the details of the end-times, but the Church should recognize the world is destined for a crisis and the Bible has prophesied exactly what will come to pass.  The only 'Rapture Advice' I have is this...  Hope for the best, and plan for the worst!

Finally, don't be surprised if we are all a little confused on the exact details of the Second Coming.  After all, John the Baptist, one of the most righteous men in the history of the world, was very confused with the details of the First Coming.  It seems God loves mysteries and is pleased when we struggle with His Word.  It forces us to rely more upon Him.  There are at least three commands we are given that produce a lot of tension when considering end-times:  First, the one who endures to the end will be saved.  It begs the question, the end of what?  Second, we are to watch for the specific prophesied signs of His coming so that we are not caught off guard.  Third, Jesus will come at an hour we do not expect.  So, no one is going to figure out, to the day, when He will return.  We are all going to be surprised in one way or another!

Five Ways the World Can End

In the News...  Fox News.  By Paul Wagenseil.  January 7, 2009

How many ways can the world end? We can think of at least five. But before we get into detail, let's dismiss two things that won't cause the demise of the planet.Global warming is bad for people who live in low-lying coastal areas and at the edges of deserts, but the truth is that Earth been much warmer throughout most of the past 500 million years, and life did just fine.On the other side of things, a new ice age would end most human habitation of Canada, northern Europe, the northern U.S. and Russia, but the tropics would stay about the same - and there'd be a lot more land to go around in south Florida as sea levels dropped.
Since we're currently in the second half of an interglacial period, it's a pretty safe bet that the glaciers will indeed advance again within the next 10,000 years.But at any given time, four of the five following scenarios really could cause the end of life on Earth - and the fifth almost certainly will.  Read More

Donnie's Remarks... 

Bible prophecy is written to help us find out what God has in store for us.  Regardless of the many scenarios that could cause the end of life on earth, this world is not going to end.  In fact, God has a wonderful plan for the future and all eternity. 

Romans 8:18-25 (NIV)
¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. ²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Jesus Christ secured 'the kingdom to come' when he died and rose from the dead.  All who believe in Him have a future hope that will be fulfilled when He returns to this earth to set up His heavenly kingdom, exactly as prophesied in Matthew 24.  Matthew 24 is one of the key prophetic passages in the entire Bible and focuses on the Tribulation along with the signs that will precede the Second Coming.  My friend, Mike Andrus, Senior Pastor of E Free Wichita, recently preached two thought-provoking sermons on the "Signs of the Second Coming"  and "Stage Four: Delivery."  He divides the Second Coming into four stages and employs the 'labor metaphor' that Jesus mentions in Mt. 24:8: "All these things are the beginning of birth pains."   Stage one is connected with the four signs of "Early Labor."  Stage two signs are referred to as "Transition."  Stage three introduces us to 'Heavy Labor." The signal for the beginning of this stage is the Abomination of Desolation.  It is the sign that starts the last 3 1/2 years, often called the 'Great Tribulation.'  Stage four is "Delivery" and the glorious return of the King.  

"Five Ways the World can End?"  Don't you believe it! 

Billy Graham Association Makes 'End Times' a Focus in 2009

Pat Robertson: Dividing Jerusalem a Call for War of Armageddon

In the News...

By Eric Young.  Christian Post Reporter.  Feb. 05 2009
This year, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will focus on the return of Jesus Christ and help prepare believers for life in the last days, according to a recent announcement.  "People ask me, 'Do you really believe that Jesus Christ is going to come back to this earth again?'" writes the Rev. Billy Graham in one of the several resources that the ministry is providing on the End Times.   "Yes, I do," he continues. "The Bible teaches that Jesus is coming again. And I don't see any other hope, because we're heading toward a catastrophe in our world." 

"The most important question, however, is this: Are you ready for Christ's return?" Graham writes after offering his response. The BGEA is hoping that through its compilation of resources on the Second Coming of Christ, believers will learn how they can fulfill God's plan for their life, increase their love for the Savior and grow their faith during these times - as if it were their last days.   "If that happens today, are you ready?" Graham poses. The world renowned evangelist also reminds believers that regardless of when Christ returns, the end of the world does come for each and every single person - the moment that they die.

Donnie's Remarks...

Earth's final battle will be fought at Armageddon. 

Revelation 14:19-20 (NIV)
¹⁹ The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.  ²⁰ They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Isaiah 63:1-3 (NIV)
¹ Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."  ² Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress?  ³ "I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing.

Revelation 19:11-16 (NIV)
¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

In the meantime, Christians leaders are warning the church to heed the prophecy signs and to be ready for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  

Jerusalem Bears Witness to Greatest Story

The Jewish Jesus: Lamb of God

In the News...

CBN News.  By Chris Mitchell.  April 10, 2009.

JERUSALEM, Israel - Jerusalem itself bears witness to the greatest story ever told; the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Two thousand year old olive trees still thrive in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus agonized before his death... Ken Trestrail, a guide at Jerusalem's Garden Tomb says the greatest benefit of the Resurrection is what Jesus does for every man's soul.  Trestrail said, "The moment in time we do business with Him, He takes us in our arms, His blood will deal with our sin problem. And He lifts us out of time and He plants our fate with His in the Heavenlies. Here's good news in a day of bad news. Two thousand years ago, death couldn't hold Jesus and two thousand years on, death won't hold those of us who die in Christ Jesus."  READ MORE

Donnie's Remarks...

Isaiah's prophecies about the Messiah's Second Coming are to be literally fulfilled because his prophecies regarding the Messiah's First Coming were literally fulfilled.

Isaiah 52:13-15 (NIV)
[13] See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
[14] Just as there were many who were appalled at him-- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--
[15] so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Isaiah 53:1-11 (NIV)
[1] Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
[2] He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
[3] He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[4] Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
[6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
[8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
[9] He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
[11] After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Jerusalem Bears Witness to Greatest Story

Posted by on 10 April 2009 | 0 Comments

The Jewish Jesus: Lamb of God

In the News...

CBN News.  By Chris Mitchell.  April 10, 2009.

JERUSALEM, Israel - Jerusalem itself bears witness to the greatest story ever told; the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Two thousand year old olive trees still thrive in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus agonized before his death...

Ken Trestrail, a guide at Jerusalem's Garden Tomb says the greatest benefit of the Resurrection is what Jesus does for every man's soul.  Trestrail said, "The moment in time we do business with Him, He takes us in our arms, His blood will deal with our sin problem. And He lifts us out of time and He plants our fate with His in the Heavenlies. Here's good news in a day of bad news. Two thousand years ago, death couldn't hold Jesus and two thousand years on, death won't hold those of us who die in Christ Jesus."  READ MORE

Donnie's Remarks...

Isaiah's prophecies about the Messiah's Second Coming are to be literally fulfilled because his prophecies regarding the Messiah's First Coming were literally fulfilled.

Isaiah 52:13-15 (NIV)
[13] See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
[14] Just as there were many who were appalled at him-- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--
[15] so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Isaiah 53:1-11 (NIV)
[1] Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
[2] He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
[3] He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[4] Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
[6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
[8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
[9] He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
[11] After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

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Five Ways the World Can End

Posted by on 7 January 2009 | 0 Comments

In the News...

Fox News.  By Paul Wagenseil.  January 7, 2009

How many ways can the world end? We can think of at least five.

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