Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Three Descriptions But One Event

The standard teaching on the 6th Seal, 7th Trumpet and 7th Vial in Revelation has always been that these are three separate events. However, recently I've begun to believe that they are three different descriptions of the same event.

Of course, the only way this would be possible is if you understand that the Seals are an overview, like being out in space and seeing the United States land mass on the spinning blue marble called earth. You can see the mountains, rivers and clouds, and at night even the lights of the large metropolitan areas.

The trumpets are a closer look at what is happening, and would be like flying over the landscape on the US in a helicopter. You can see what happening in a lot more detail, and actually notice that there are lights in areas outside the metropolitan areas visible from space.

The Vials would then be a close up look at the lightbulb or candle emitting the light. Close enough to reach out and touch and get burned.

If that's the case, then there should be some descriptions in these three events that are the same. Well there are:



6th Seal:

Rev 6:12-17  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places

 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?


Two Witnesses Earthquake:

Rev 11:11-13  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. Could this actually be describing the rapture of the saints?
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.



7th Trumpet Sounds:

Rev 11:14-19  The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.



7th Vial

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.


Are these three describing the same event? All three describe an earthquake:

Seal: a great earthquake
Trumpet: and an earthquake
Vial: a great earthquake

Other things described as occurring in the Seals, the Trumpets or the Vials:



Sun darkened - 6th seal,
Moon as blood - 6th seal
Stars of heaven fell unto the earth (meteorites?)
Mountains and islands were moved out of their places - 6th Seal, 7th Vial
Lightnings - 7th trumpet, 7th Vial
Voices- 7th trumpet, 7th Vial
Thunderings- 7th trumpet, 7th Vial
Great Hail- 7th trumpet, 7th Vial
Mentions wrath has come/it is done: 6th Seal, 7th Trumpet, 7th Vial


Now above you can see that three of those items are only mentioned in the 6th Seal: sun darkened, the moon into blood, and the stars falling. However, you can see that throughout the rest of the Bible the Day of the Lord mentions those three things.

Day of the Lord:

Sun darkened - Isa 13:10, Mat 24:29
Punish wicked (wrath?) - Isa 13:11
Moon darkened - Joe 2:10, Mat 24:29
Stars fall from heaven - Mat 24:29
Moon into blood - Joe 2:31
Earthquake - Joe 2:10

Sound of trumpet:
Mat 24:31, Joe 2:16 (description of rapture?)

I would suggest that you study the following scriptures that describe the Day of the Lord:

DAY OF THE LORD...
WHAT "DAY" IS IT?

Eze 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.


The Day of the Lord


Zep 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 6th Seal


Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: Matches what's happening in the Vials where the vials are pouring out on the wicked


Isa 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.


Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.


Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.


Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.




Day of Wrath/Anger


Isa 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.


Lam 2:21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied.


Lam 2:22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD's anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.


Job 20:28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.


Psa 110:5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.


Zep 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,


Zep 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.


Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;


Job 21:30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.


Psa 21:9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.


Pro 11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Now notice what Jesus Himself said:
 
Mat 24:29-31  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  (30)  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.  (31)  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.

That is describing the rapture of Believers!!!






Sunday, March 10, 2013

The Next Epic Disaster About to Hit the US?

If you have studied the correlation between the US's attempts to divide the land of Israel and subsequent natural, costly, disasters in the US, then you need to be aware of something. On March 20th Obama is going over to Israel (coincidentally entering six days before Passover, like Jesus did on Palm Sunday). The purpose of this visit will be to put pressure on Israel to divide her land and create a Palestinian homeland.

If that happens, Katrina, Rita, the recent mega tornadoes, and other natural disasters are going to seem like child's play. It won't just impact one small portion of the country; the entire nation will suffer in the aftermath of God's judgment for presuming to divide what He has given to the Jews.

From a Facebook friend:
Obama's trip to Israel could signal the onset of certain endtime events here in America. Click on this link to learn more. It is more than interesting! It could be vital to your very survival. The Lord has warned repeatedly through dreams and visions that when America allows Israel's land to be divided, our own land will also be divided right down the middle.

A megaquake will strike near the heartland of America and sever the commericial trafficways and the waterways of mid-America, bringing the US to its knees within hours. Bridges will collapse and the Mississippi River will become uncrossable. Semi-trucks will be stranded, as well as barges on the rivers. Life as we know it will immediately grind to a halt, and chaos will ensue.

The fragile economy will collapse. Starvation will set in. Looting. Killing. Death in the streets of America.

God will allow it. Those who bless Israel will be blessed. Those who curse Israel will be cursed.

If you live ANYWHERE in the US, you need to read this article. You will indeed be affected by the coming catastrophe.

New-Madrid-Fault-Earthquake-Zone

For more information: Urgent Warning! Be Prepared!

03/16/13 - For all you who take scripture out of context to prove a pre-trib rapture...it ain't gonna happen yet. How can you continue to take a verse here and a verse there and say that it means that the rapture is going to occur at the end of March, as the things above are occurring (if they do)?



Friday, March 8, 2013

Who's Taken?

Yesterday I had a conversation with someone and we were discussing Biblical prophecy, the timing of the rapture and why one should prepare. As I was explaining that the Bible doesn't teach a pre-tribulation rapture, she brought up the verse about the two in the field, one taken and one left.

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. Mat 24:40-41

That's the standard verse used by pretribbers to prove that when the rapture happens, that Believers will suddenly disappear, leaving the sinners to go through the Tribulation.

Sounds good, right?

Maybe not. I believe that when you read the Bible you should not just take a scripture here and a scripture here, OUT OF CONTEXT, to prove a point. Unfortunately, that's what happens here.

Proponents of the PTR (pre-trib rapture) totally ignore the entire teaching of the Lord that comes before...especially, immediately before verse 40.

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Mat 24:37-39

So let's look at those verse, especially verse 39:

"knew not until the flood came..." Who "knew not"? "They" who were "eating, drinking, marrying...". Afterall, it couldn't be talking about Noe/Noah, since he obviously "knew" what was coming.

So "they knew not until the flood came (judgment) and took them away..."

Who got taken away? "They". The unbelievers. The ones that "knew not"

Then the Lord goes on to say "...so shall ALSO be coming of the Son of man be..."

So what was going on in Noah's day before, during, and after the flood will be what we can expect at the second coming. Right?

Are we are the same page?

Immediately, the Lord continues by saying "Then..." What's the "then" referring to?

Well, He just said "the coming of the Son of Man be. Then..."

It's a continuation of the same thought.

"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."

Then...one shall be taken and one left.

So the Lord is saying there's a connection between those that the flood "took away" - the flood being judgment - and the one in the field who shall "be taken". Who was taken in the flood? The unbeliever. Therefore, who is taken from the field and the mill? The unbeliever?

WHAT?!!! 

Yep. If you read the Word, NOT taking verses out of context, but reading them in conjunction with those verses that come before and after, then you will see Jesus was explaining one single thought...and that is that those taken (destroyed) in the judgment of the flood, and those who will "be taken" in the coming judgment are the same...the unbelievers.

While those who survive or remain are Noah and other Believers.

Now if this is the case, there will other scriptures to show this. Right? Right.

Psalm 37.

Here's what the Word says about the outcome of the evildoers:

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb
. Psa 37:1-2 

For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psa 37:9

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. Psa 37:10

The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. Psa 37:12-13

The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Psa 37:14-15

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. Psa 37:17

But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. Psa 37:20

For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:28


Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Psa 37:34

But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:38

So there you have 11 in just one portion of scripture that makes it obvious that God is going to destroy the wicked. Well, that's something that no matter which side of the timing of the rapture you are on, we can agree upon. God is going to destroy the wicked.

But...what about the righteous? If it is the wicked who are "taken away" and the righteous "left" then, there should also be confirmation of that. There is...

For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psa 37:9 To "inherit" something you have to be there...be present to inherit.

For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:28

Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Psa 37:34 Again, "inherit". And the righteous will see the wicked "cut off" or destroyed..."taken away."

The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. Psa 37:29 Again, for the 3rd time in the same passage we see  the righteous will "inherit the land".

Now, you can search elsewhere in the Word and you will see that it is consistent. 

The wicked are destroyed, taken away, while God preserves the righteous who will inherit the land/earth.

In the next study, we'll look at the other favorite concept of PTR theory...God has not appointed His saints to suffer His wrath.

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