revvel

Hello dancing, Interesting post. Before I directly respond, I’d like to know if you believe what Christ said to Nicodemus: Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!” “Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:1-7) dancing… Do you believe Christ… that we must be born again? Are you born again? If you are in the body of Christ... curious... what were you taught about Christ’s descent for the church? “Signless” event? After the wrath? What do you believe today about Christ’s return in the clouds for the church? I look forward to hearing from you. God bless. revvel

Hello CWF and everyone following this, This post is about Christ's final revelation to John... Is it possible that Christ’s final revelation to John ends all debate regarding the chronological sequence of events that pertain to “the day of the Lord”? Is it possible that all pieces of the end-time prophetic puzzle given throughout the Old and New Testaments are in agreement with the Revelation framework? Why else would Christ number the prophecies but to show us the chronological order of end-time events? Christ’s final revelation to John marks the last book of the Bible, but it is the first place we look to understand how all pieces of the puzzle—given by both prophets and apostles—fit together. In other words, Revelation explains the relative nature of what the prophets said and what the apostles said about “the day of the Lord.” Therefore, Christ’s final revelation to us is the key that unlocks the entire Bible regarding “the day of the Lord.” There are questions fundamental to “the day of the Lord” that we as Christ’s church cannot afford to avoid… If Christ’s revelation to John places the church in Heaven after the sixth seal opens, then how can any prophet or apostle contradict this? If Christ’s revelation places the church in Heaven after the sixth seal opens, then how can the church be on the Earth during the wrath of the seventh seal? On Pentecost, Christ’s revelation said the church will be “saved.” What does it mean that we as the church will be “saved”? To begin, Peter’s prophecy on Pentecost applies only to those who follow the New Covenant. Christ shall descend from Heaven for the followers of the New Covenant when the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red. According to Christ’s revelation to John, it is the time of the sixth seal. THE SIXTH SEAL: SALVATION EXCLUSIVE TO THE CHURCH John: Rev. 6:12-14 Peter: Acts 2:20, 21: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” According to Christ’s revelation, what does it mean that we as the church will be “saved”? Christ’s revelation given to us after he ascended to Heaven revealed the fullness of our salvation. Paul: 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9 Paul: Rom. 5:9: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Paul: 1 Thess. 4:15-17: According to the Lord’s own word. . . [T]he Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thess. 4:15-17) “According to the Lord’s own word” … Who among us in the body of Christ believes that the transformation of the church is the salvation of the church--and that it is “according to the Lord’s own word”? The sixth seal marks the resurrection of the followers of the New Covenant. How else can all of Christ’s church stand before the throne of Heaven unless the dead in Christ were first resurrected? After the church is gathered in the clouds/sky, what happens next? John: Rev. 7:9-17 Look at our cry of triumph… This is our cry of salvation in Heaven when we are with our Lord: “SALVATION BELONGS TO OUR GOD, WHO SITS ON THE THRONE, AND TO THE LAMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” (REV. 7:10) That’s us. This is what we as Christ’s church will proclaim when we stand before the throne of Heaven. This is what Christ meant on Pentecost when he said we will be “saved.” After Christ descends from Heaven to transform and transport the church, then comes the seventh seal. It is the time of wrath foretold by the prophets and apostles. Salvation exclusive to Israel will not come to pass for another seven years. At the end of the seven years, the Jews who are still “standing” will be rescued from the grip of the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon when the Lord roars from Zion. THE SEVENTH SEAL: THE WRATH: SEVEN YEARS Christ’s revelation to John: Rev. 8 – 18. This is the time of “Jacob’s trouble”—not the church’s trouble. How can the church get into trouble? It’s in Heaven. During the “wrath,” the world shall witness three and a half years of God’s prophets and then three and a half years of Satan’s prophets: And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. (Rev. 11:3) The beast [the Antichrist] was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. . . . Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. (Rev. 13:5, 11) This seven-year prophecy of John was first given by the prophet Daniel. Known as the seventieth “seven,” this is the final seven years of prophecy decreed for Daniel’s people, which is Israel (Dan. 9:24). While in the Holy Land, Christ himself foretold of this future time: Matthew: 24:21-28. From Heaven, Christ gave revelation to Paul about this time: 2 Thess. 2:3, 4, 9-12. THE SEVENTH SEAL: SALVATION EXCLUSIVE TO ISRAEL John: Rev. 19:11-21 Paul: 2 Thess. 1:7-9; 2:8 Jude: 14, 15 Matthew: 24:29-31 Luke: 17:22-37 Isaiah: 66:15, 16 Joel: 2:32b, 3:1-16 Zech.: 14:3-5 At the end of the seventieth “seven,” Christ shall descend from Heaven again, this time to save Israel—and Christ shall do so with his church. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. . . . Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints. (Rev. 19:14, 8) We are the saints, and after being in Heaven for seven years, we shall descend from Heaven with our Lord to destroy the Antichrist and rescue Israel. Whereas the sixth seal marks the resurrection of the followers of the New Covenant, the seventh seal marks the resurrection of the followers of Old Covenant (Dan. 12:1, 2)—as well as those martyred under the beast. Finally… …Christ's church is fractured along so many different lines. Imagine for a moment that we all embrace Christ’s final revelation to John: the church is in Heaven after the sixth seal opens. If we as Christ’s church believe Christ’s revelation, we could finally speak with one voice—Christ’s voice—on the subject of our own future “salvation.” God bless. revvel

Hello again, On the first day of the church, Peter also referred to the sun turning dark and the moon turning blood red. Why? This is what Peter quoted from Joel: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood…. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Why did Peter quote this from Joel’s prophecy? What is the point that Peter is making? Who are those who call on the name of the Lord? Why else would Peter quote Joel on the first day of the church unless it applied to church? Could it be that through Peter, Christ revealed to the “world” Heaven’s wisdom hidden within Joel’s prophecy of “the day of the Lord”? What follows is Joel’s prophecy about “the day of the Lord.” What is in bold is what Peter declared on Pentecost. JOEL: The day of the Lord The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?. . . Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls. “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. . . . . Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, “I am strong!” Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord! “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow—so great is their wickedness!” Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. THE LORD WILL ROAR FROM ZION AND THUNDER FROM JERUSALEM; THE EARTH AND THE SKY WILL TREMBLE. BUT THE LORD WILL BE A REFUGE FOR HIS PEOPLE, A STRONGHOLD FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. (Joel 2:11, 27-32; 3:1, 2, 9-17) Why did Peter quote what he quoted? Could it be that Peter revealed the wisdom hidden within Joel’s prophecy: there are two separate prophecies that shall be fulfilled at two different times for two different groups of people? The Church: The Sixth Seal: The first arrival of Christ: “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Seven years after Christ ascends to Heaven with the church… Israel: The Seventh Seal: The second arrival of Christ: “The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.” Could it be that there is a dual prophecy contained in “the day of the Lord,” meaning, there are prophecies throughout the entire Bible about “the day of the Lord” that apply exclusively to the church and prophecies about “the day of the Lord” that apply exclusively to Israel? Allow yourself to consider this: Satan wants the church to ignore Peter’s prophecy; Satan wants the church to read Joel’s prophecy as if Peter never said anything on Pentecost. The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?. . . Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls. “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. . . . . Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, “I am strong!” Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord! “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow—so great is their wickedness!” Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. THE LORD WILL ROAR FROM ZION AND THUNDER FROM JERUSALEM; THE EARTH AND THE SKY WILL TREMBLE. BUT THE LORD WILL BE A REFUGE FOR HIS PEOPLE, A STRONGHOLD FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. (Joel 2:11, 27-32; 3:1, 2, 9-17) Why should we as the body of Christ read this prophecy the way Satan wants it read? Why shouldn’t we read this prophecy the way Christ wants it read? On the first day of the church, Peter proclaimed God’s hidden wisdom: a unique section of Joel’s prophecy about “the day of the Lord” applied exclusively to the church—and applied exclusively to Christ’s coming for the church. It is a prophecy that once was hidden, and then was revealed. It is a prophecy within a prophecy. Why not proclaim to your Bible study group what Peter proclaimed on Pentecost? The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To everyone in the body of Christ … We call on the name of the Lord and we will be saved when the sun turns to darkness and the moon turns blood red. According to Christ’s revelation to John, it is the time of the sixth seal. This is the hidden wisdom of God: “the day of the Lord” marks a span of time that shall witness not a single, divine event, but a single, divine event for each group that God will rescue: the church and Israel. This is the dual prophecy; this is Heaven’s hidden wisdom as revealed by Christ after he ascended into Heaven. Why else did Peter quote Joel but to show us this? This revelation that Christ revealed about the church on Pentecost is nowhere to be found in the Gospels. In other words, the revelation that Christ revealed about Joel’s prophecy (from Heaven) went beyond the revelation he revealed while in the Holy Land. If anyone following this disagrees with the divine harmony Christ’s revelation given to Peter and John, then please share with me your thoughts about Peter’s prophecy… Why did Peter quote Joel on Pentecost? What is Peter telling the church on the first day of the church? I honestly would like to know your thoughts regarding Peter’s prophecy on Pentecost. God bless. revvel

Hello to everyone following this, If the New Testament is divine revelation, then every prophecy given by our Lord must be in harmony with one another—from Matthew to Revelation. If the Old Testament is divine revelation, then all prophecies about “the day of the Lord” in both Testaments are in perfect harmony with one another. I believe each Testament is divine revelation, and I have to believe that many of you reading this feel the same way. If you have been following this, you have a fairly good idea of what my interest is: to search through the divine harmony of divine revelation given by our Lord, and see the parallel prophecies given by the Old Testament prophets. What follows is revelation given by our Lord to John and Peter. In these two posts, I pose a number of questions… They are designed to provoke thought for all of us in the body of Christ… If you are inspired to do so, please share your thoughts as you see fit. You have my apologies regarding 2 Thessalonians. It will follow. I’m just not sure when. ............................................................ First, If the good news of Christ ended with the Gospels, then why didn’t Heaven end the New Testament with the Gospel of John? Why did Christ need to continue to give revelation to his apostles after he ascended to Heaven? Is it possible that Christ’s revelation given to his apostles shed additional, divine light upon end-time prophecies first given in the Old Testament and the Gospels? Why else would Christ continue to give revelation from Heaven unless he was expounding upon the good news he first gave during his earthly ministry? This additional information includes the vision of the church in Heaven—marked at the sixth seal… When the sixth seal opens, the sun will turn black and the moon will turn blood red, and this marks a dramatic, divine threshold: every human being on the planet will be impacted. Shouldn’t we as Christ’s church seek to understand what Christ is revealing to us about this time? My question is this: How can any prophecy Christ gave in the Gospels, or any prophecy in the Old Testament, contradict Christ’s own vision of the church in Heaven when the sixth seal opens (Rev. 7:9-17)? Doesn’t it make sense that we as the body of Christ, together, should honestly research why our Lord would give us this vision? Shouldn’t it be important for us to understand why our Lord numbered the visions he gave us in his final revelation to John? Why else would Christ number the visions but to show us the chronological order of end-time events? Is it possible that Christ’s final revelation pulls together all the prophets and apostles in one book, Revelation, and sets in order their prophecies that speak to “the day of the Lord”? This is where I am coming from: Not only was Satan blind to the MYSTERY (1 Cor. 2:7, 8; Eph. 3:4–6; Col. 1:27), and blind to God’s hidden wisdom regarding “Jacob” (Jacob’s trouble), Satan was blind to God’s hidden wisdom regarding “the day of the Lord.” This hidden wisdom was fully revealed by our glorified Lord after he ascended into Heaven. Central to this hidden wisdom is the vision Christ gave to John of the church in Heaven… in the Book of Revelation. Look at how John begins Revelation: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. (Rev. 1:1-3) According to the revelation given by our Lord… What will happen to Earth’s population when the sixth seal opens, and the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red? . . . Christ’s revelation about the sixth seal gives us three separate visions about three separate groups of people… Paul revealed that Heaven sees Earth’s population as follows: “THE JEWS. . . THE GENTILES. . . THE CHURCH OF GOD” (1 Cor. 10:32 kjv). In his revelation about the sixth seal, Christ gave three separate visions of three separate groups of people with three separate fates. Is it possible that Christ gave three separate visions to describe what shall become of the three separate groups of people: the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church of God? CHRIST’S REVELATION: THE SIXTH SEAL Here is one vision given by Christ: Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. (Rev. 7:4-8) Is Christ referring to “the Jews [israel],” “the Gentiles,” or to “the church of God”? Israel. Where is this group of people after the sixth opens? Heaven? Or Earth? This is how the vision of the 144,000 is introduced: After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” (Rev. 7:1-3) The “sea” and the “trees” are on the Earth and so is Israel. This is also seen when the wrath actually begins: “They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads” (Rev. 8:4). The 144,000 who have “the seal of God on their foreheads” shall be shielded from this harm. Without question, at the time of the sixth seal, Christ’s revelation places Israel on the Earth. Here is another vision: After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:9-17) Is Christ referring to “the Jews [israel],” “the Gentiles,” or to “the church of God”? Which group of people washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb? The church. According to Christ, where is this group of people? Earth? Or Heaven? To everyone in the body of Christ… When we stand before our Lord in Heaven, our robes will be white because of the blood of the Lamb. Why else would Christ give us a vision of the church in Heaven after the sixth seal opens, unless the church is in Heaven after the sixth seal opens? How can we as Christ’s church—with clear conscience before our Lord—just dismiss this vision? What can we hope to gain by not embracing it? How can any theologian, any minister, any Christian, any human being successfully overturn or explain away Christ’s vision of the church standing before the throne of Heaven after the sixth seal opens? Here is another vision from the sixth seal: Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Rev. 6:15-17) Is Christ referring to “the Jews [israel],” “the Gentiles,” or to “the church of God”? Who are those who want to hide from Christ? Is Christ referring to the church hiding from their own Lord? Or is this vision describing those who reject Jesus as the Messiah: the Gentiles and the Jews? Doesn’t it make sense that those who reject Christ would seek to hide from Christ? This third vision is referring the Gentiles and the Jews. According to Christ, where are they? Heaven? Or Earth? Earth. So, what did our Lord show us about will happen to the three groups of people when the sixth seal opens? 1.The Gentiles and the Jews will hide throughout the Earth from the Messiah that they rejected. 2.144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel will be sealed on the Earth. 3.The church of God will be standing before the throne of Heaven. The sixth seal marks the onset of “the day of the Lord” and our Lord revealed to us what shall become of everyone when he descends in the clouds. If the visible Christ were not descending in the clouds at the opening of the sixth seal, then why would those left on Earth say, “hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb”? Whose face are they looking at when the sixth seal opens? Why shouldn’t we as the body of Christ refer to the revelation already given to John? [Christ] is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him (Rev. 1:7). If every eye will see Christ, then wouldn’t they see his “face” too? …What did Christ reveal to us regarding the signs of the sixth seal? I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. (Rev. 6:12, 13) When the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red… God will signal us that “the day of the Lord” is upon us: we as the church will rejoice, 144,000 of Israel will be sealed, and everyone else will be in a state of fear. What reason could we offer to Christ to justify not taking his revelation at face value? In other words, how can we as his church justify not believing his revelation as literally given? What did Christ’s revelation to John reveal to us? It revealed the wisdom hidden within “the day of the Lord”: a unique section of prophecy about “the day of the Lord” applied exclusively to the church—and applied exclusively to Christ’s coming for the church. When the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red… the onset of the day of the Lord is upon us. It is then that Christ shall descend from Heaven to transform and transport the church—not seven years later. Without question, “the day of the Lord” is the span of time marking Heaven’s intervention. The Old Testament prophets clearly spoke of this, but it wasn’t until Christ gave revelation to the New Testament apostles about the church that the fullness of this intervention was made known. Enter: the sixth seal. There, Christ gave us information not found anywhere else in the Bible. What should we as the body of Christ do with it? Perhaps some of you coordinate or participate in a Bible study group… Why not introduce the sixth seal as a topic for discussion? I invite anyone reading this to share his or her thoughts on the sixth seal. God bless. revvel

MOSES, ISAIAH, JEREMIAH, EZEKIEL, DANIEL, PAUL, and JOHN Prior to moving on to Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, I would like to introduce Paul’s letter by setting the stage; it is a stage given by Jeremiah: "it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it" (Jer. 30:7 KJV). This prophecy of Jeremiah had an immediate fulfillment relative to the Babylonian captivity, and this prophecy has an ultimate fulfillment relative to the captivity under the Antichrist. God delivered the followers of the Old Covenant out of trouble when he set them free from Babylon, and God will again deliver the followers of the Old Covenant out of trouble when he sets them free from the Antichrist. Paul prophesied of this ultimate fulfillment (2 Thess. 1:7–9). Many Old Testament writings contain a dual purpose: an immediate fulfillment before the time of Christ and an ultimate fulfillment in the presence of the Christ. How do we know this? The precedent given to us by God through Moses enables us to see God’s vision. “The law is . . . a shadow of the good things that are coming” (Heb. 10:1). This precedent established by Moses carries throughout the Old Testament. The Old Testament writings foreshadowed what would ultimately come to pass in New Testament times. Not only was Satan blind to the MYSTERY (1 Cor. 2:7, 8; Eph. 3:4–6; Col. 1:27), he was blind to God’s hidden wisdom regarding “Jacob”—which was interwoven in the prophecies of Moses and of other Old Testament prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. What follows is Jeremiah’s prophecy regarding “Jacob’s trouble.” What you are about to read applies to Jacob's captivity under Babylon and the Antichrist. The terminology that reflects end-times is capitalized. JEREMIAH: Jacob’s Trouble The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I WILL BRING [bACK FROM] AGAIN THE CAPTIVITY OF MY PEOPLE ISRAEL AND JUDAH, SAITH THE LORD: AND I WILL CAUSE THEM TO RETURN TO THE LAND THAT I GAVE TO THEIR FATHERS, and they shall possess it. And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, AS A WOMAN IN TRAVAIL, and all FACES ARE TURNED INTO PALENESS? Alas! for THAT DAY is great, so that NONE IS LIKE IT: IT IS EVEN THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in THAT DAY, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: But they shall serve the Lord their God, and DAVID THEIR KING, WHOM I WILL RAISE UP UNTO THEM. Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; AND JACOB SHALL RETURN, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. (Jer. 30:1–10 KJV) The capitalized terminology reflects end-time prophecies given by Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. Each prophecy is in the context of the day of the Lord, which includes the time of the Antichrist. ISAIAH Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe LIKE A WOMAN IN LABOR. They will look aghast at each other, THEIR FACES AFLAME. See, THE DAY OF THE LORD is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. (Isa. 13:8, 9) The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in THAT DAY. 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. (Isa. 2:11, 12 KJV) DANIEL At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people [DANIEL’S PEOPLE: JACOB], will arise. There will be a TIME OF DISTRESS SUCH AS HAS NOT HAPPENED from the beginning of nations until then. (Dan. 12:1) EZEKIEL MY SERVANT DAVID WILL BE KING OVER THEM, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. THEY WILL LIVE IN THE LAND I GAVE TO MY SERVANT JACOB, THE LAND WHERE YOUR FATHERS LIVED. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and DAVID MY SERVANT WILL BE THEIR PRINCE FOREVER. (Ezek. 37:24, 25) Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I WILL NOW BRING JACOB BACK FROM CAPTIVITY AND WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, and I will be zealous for my holy name. (Ezek. 39:25) Through his prophets, God’s vision of deliverance for his people stretched far into the future. Prophecies given over 2500 years ago about Jacob’s deliverance are still future tense. Jeremiah gave one of those prophecies: “Jacob’s trouble.” Jeremiah is speaking about Jacob’s trouble, not the church’s trouble: “But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend” (Isa. 41:8 KJV). It is Jacob, not the church that will have “trouble” under the reign of the Antichrist. Jeremiah’s prophecy applied to the followers of the Old Covenant before the time of Christ and it will again apply to the followers of the Old Covenant in the presence of the Christ. The NIV Study Bible states the following about “Jacob’s trouble”: “A description of the day of the Lord. . . . Jeremiah’s immediate reference is to the foreseeable future [babylon] (see vv. 8, 18), but a more remote time in the Messianic age is also in view.” Prophecies that have the “Messianic age in view” are given by numerous Old Testament prophets, and find parallels with the New Testament apostles. The prophecy of Jacob’s trouble drops right into the chronological sequence of end-time events: 1.Christ’s descent from Heaven with the church to rescue Jacob out of the grip of the Antichrist, and, in addition, gather Jacob. 2.The 1000-year kingdom of Christ. 3.The destruction of Gog and Magog. The prophecies given by Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Paul, and John combine to give us this picture. EZEKIEL, JEREMIAH, PAUL, AND JOHN Prophecies given by Ezekiel and John are clearly linked by virtue of the fact that they both spoke of Gog and Magog. In addition, the prophecies given by Ezekiel and Jeremiah (about Jacob’s trouble) overlap, and therefore, both make reference to what will ultimately be fulfilled in the presence of the Christ. Ezekiel’s prophecy had an immediate fulfillment before the time of Christ, and will have an ultimate fulfillment in the presence of the Christ. EZEKIEL: 38 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against GOG, OF THE LAND OF MAGOG, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.’” (Ezek. 38:1–4) This is what will happen in that day: When GOG ATTACKS THE LAND OF ISRAEL, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. . . . I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I WILL POUR DOWN TORRENTS OF RAIN, HAILSTONES AND BURNING SULFUR ON HIM AND ON HIS TROOPS AND ON THE MANY NATIONS WITH HIM. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. (Ezek. 38:18, 22, 23) John’s reference to Ezekiel, and the ultimate fulfillment of his prophecy, is found in Revelation 20. REVELATION: 20 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive THE NATIONS which are in the four quarters of the earth, GOG AND MAGOG, TO GATHER THEM TOGETHER TO BATTLE: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. AND THEY WENT UP ON THE BREADTH OF THE EARTH, AND COMPASSED THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS ABOUT, AND THE BELOVED CITY: AND FIRE CAME DOWN FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN, AND DEVOURED THEM. (Rev. 20:7–9 KJV) God linked Ezekiel and John by using the same terminology: Gog and Magog. Without question, Ezekiel’s prophecy will be ultimately fulfilled in the presence of the Christ. After the 1000-year kingdom of Christ, the enemies of God will be destroyed, and this time, never will they rise again. The following is taken from Nelsons’ New Illustrated Bible Dictionary: “Gog—The leader of a confederacy of armies that attacked the land of Israel. Described as “the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal,” Gog is also depicted as being “of the land of Magog” (Ezek. 38:2–3), a “place out of the far north” of Israel. Ezekiel prophetically describes Gog and his allies striking at Israel with a fierce and sudden invasion (Ezekiel 38-39). According to Ezekiel’s prophecy, Gog will be crushed on the mountains of Israel in a slaughter so great it will take seven months to bury the dead (Ezek. 39:12). In the Book of Revelation, Gog and Magog reappear as symbols of the nations of the world that will march against God’s people in the end times (Rev. 20:7–8).” Take a look at the greater context of Ezekiel’s prophecy. God is referring to the millennial kingdom. EZEKIEL: 37 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I AM GOING TO OPEN YOUR GRAVES AND BRING YOU UP FROM THEM; I WILL BRING YOU BACK TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT IN YOU AND YOU WILL LIVE, AND I WILL SETTLE YOU IN YOUR OWN LAND. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord. (Ezek. 37:12–14) I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. THERE WILL BE ONE KING OVER ALL OF THEM and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. MY SERVANT DAVID WILL BE KING OVER THEM, AND THEY WILL ALL HAVE ONE SHEPHERD. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. THEY WILL LIVE IN THE LAND I GAVE TO MY SERVANT JACOB, THE LAND WHERE YOUR FATHERS LIVED. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and DAVID MY SERVANT WILL BE THEIR PRINCE FOREVER. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. (Ezek. 37:22–26) The NIV Study Bible states the following about Ezekiel 38 and 39: “The future restoration of Israel under the reign of the house of David (ch. 37) will bring about a massive coalition of world powers to destroy God’s kingdom. But the vast host [Gog and Magog] that comes against Jerusalem will end up as dead bodies strewn over the fields of the promised land. Israel will become the cemetery of the enemy hordes (cf. ch. 37).” Ezekiel and Jeremiah provide unique pieces of the divine puzzle and together give us a picture of what shall be for Jacob. Just as the ancient enemies of Gog and Magog foreshadowed the end-times enemy of Revelation 20, so likewise the Babylonian captivity of Jacob foreshadowed the end-times captivity of Jacob under the Antichrist. The revelation Christ gave to Paul explained how Jacob would be delivered out of his trouble in the end times: Christ shall descend from Heaven with his armies (2 Thess. 1:7–9). Next: Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. revvel

Hello Sunesis, Thank you again for your thoughts, and for your heart-felt presentation regarding our free-will choice: the decision to live with or without our Creator now and for eternity. Truly, the decision yields permanent life with, or permanent separation from, God. I would like to respond regarding the lake of fire... Take a look at what King David said: Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. (Ps. 69:27, 28) 3000 years ago David prayed this prayer. 2000 years ago Christ revealed this to us: If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. . . . The lake of fire is the second death. (Rev. 20:15, 14) The book of life gives us a reference point to understand the prophecy about the lake of fire. In his prophecy about the lake, Christ revealed that David’s prayer will be answered: On judgment day, those not found in the book of life will be without salvation and shall die the second death—which means they will be dead forever. Those not found in the book of life on judgment day shall have no life abiding in them. Christ and David are in agreement on this, and no one in the Bible disagrees with them. “[F]or the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Christ didn’t say the wages of sin is eternal life separated from God. There is a significant difference between Hades (the place of the first death) and the lake of fire (the place of the second death): everyone in Hades will live again (by resurrection to life or condemnation); everyone cast into the lake of fire, however, will never live again. In other words, there is salvation after the first death (for those who chose it), and there is no salvation after the second death (because those in the lake chose none). God shall honor their free-will decision. God is not the God of the dead but of the living—in the resurrection. Christ said this to the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him [Jesus] with a question (Matt. 22:23)…. Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (Matt. 22:29–32) “The only conclusion being that they must rise and live again in resurrection in order that He may be their God [bullinger].” Christ was not teaching the Sadducees that there would be eternal life for all souls, but that God is the God of the living at the resurrection of the righteous (which these religious authorities rejected). What does salvation in Christ mean? Eternal life. What does no salvation mean? Eternal life? Or eternal death? Christ answered that question: the second death. On the subject of death itself… There is no life or awareness in the first death: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. (Eccl. 9:10) How can there be no life or awareness in the first death, and yet there be life and awareness in the second death? They are both “death.” In Christ’s revelation about the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10–15), everyone and everything thrown into the lake is literal. Honestly, it is not our place as God’s creation to decide that the lake of fire is figurative when everything else in the prophecy is clearly literal. . . Take a look at the same Greek word for “fire,” found in the context of judgment: It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:28, 29) How could Christ be referring to a figurative “fire” that “destroyed them all”? The fire Christ spoke of was literal energy that “destroyed” (or changed the form of) matter. Just as literal fire from Heaven changed the form of matter among the morally bankrupt cities, so shall the literal fire in the literal lake of fire change the form of matter for those not found in the book of life, and they shall remain eternally in the literal second death. I know you see it differently. Perhaps on this subject we should agree to disagree. God bless. revvel

PAUL AND JOHN: THESSALONIANS AND REVELATION Both Paul and John received—and wrote down for us—divine revelation. In Christ’s revelation to John, he revealed not only what must be hereafter, but he placed the end-time prophecies in chronological order by numbering them. In essence, Christ took all the guesswork out of what will happen and the order in which it will happen. Herein, Paul’s prophecies are clearly ordered by John. What else could we as Christ’s church believe… but that Paul and John… together… would give us the divine harmony of divine revelation… providing unique pieces of the same prophetic puzzle. REVELATION Here is what John heard: “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” (Rev. 1:19 KJV). “The things which shall be hereafter” begin in chapter 4: “After this I [John] looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Rev. 4:1 KJV). What must be hereafter? End-time events. For this thread, the most important picture of Christ’s revelation to John is this: The Book of Revelation contains the chronological sequence of events pertaining to the day of the Lord. In this sequence of events, Christ revealed that he would descend from Heaven not once, but twice. 1. THE SIXTH SEAL: THE CHURCH How do we know the sixth seal refers to the church, and the rapture of it? Christ gave us the “sign” of his arrival for the church (Rev. 6:12), first spoken by both Peter and Joel (Acts 2:20; Joel 2:31): the sun will turn black and the moon will turn blood red. 2. THE SEVENTH SEAL: ISRAEL The 7 years of Daniel’s 70th “seven” corresponds to the 7-year prophecy that follows the 7th seal… Both Daniel and John prophesied of the Antichrist in the context of the seven-year prophecy. According to the Old Testament prophets, Christ, and John, the seven-year span of time pertains to Daniel’s “people” (Dan. 9:24): Israel. The culmination of this time is the arrival of Christ with the saints: Revelation 19. The prophetic picture given by John was first given by Paul. 1 THESSALONIANS 1. Our Lord shall descend for us, the church, and gather us in the clouds—at the onset of the day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:2, 4, 9; 4:16, 17). According to John, it is the time of the sixth seal. 2. The church is saved from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9). According to John, the wrath commences after the seventh seal opens. 2 THESSALONIANS 1. The rise and fall of the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:3, 4, 8–10). John expounded upon Paul’s prophecy in Revelation: chapters 13 – 19. 2. Christ shall descend with his angels in judgment (2 Thess. 1:7–9; 2:8). Revelation states that Christ will descend from Heaven with the saints (the church) and this will come to pass seven years after the seventh seal opens (19:8, 11–21). Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians focused on Christ’s second descent and the destruction of evil. In doing so, Paul reinforced what he already gave the church in his first letter: comfort. Paul gave comfort in the knowledge of the following: Christ shall gather and save the church before the time of wrath, and the Antichrist cannot rise to power until after the church is gathered. Whereas the church will be saved “away from” the wrath by being drawn off the Earth at the time of the sixth seal, Israel will be saved “out” of the wrath seven years after the seventh seal opens—when Christ descends with the saints. It is Israel, not the church that will be on the Earth during the time of the seventh seal. This is the time of great distress for Israel foretold by Jeremiah; it is “the time of Jacob’s [israel’s] trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7 KJV). Yet, some of our religious ancestors used Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians to teach the church will be on the Earth during the rise of the Antichrist and will remain on the Earth throughout the wrath of the seventh seal. If Christ’s revelation to Paul places the church in the clouds at the onset of the day of the Lord, and Christ’s revelation to John places the church in Heaven before the seventh seal opens, then how could Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians state the complete opposite? How is it possible that our religious ancestors could have come up with this interpretation of 2 Thessalonians? We have to ask this: Why did Paul need to write a second letter? Next: Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. revvel

Hello Allan, Good to hear from you... I trust all is well down unda. revvel

Hello dmiller, Good to hear from you again... Let me say that I did respond to your inquiry on the return/rapture question. Please check my March 23, 10:45am and March 29, 6:14pm responses. I admit that a few days can go by between posts... Allow me to share this: My access to the internet is through library computers, and therefore is subject to library hours and availability. Plus, as a rule, I don't normally respond immediately because I want to think through the heart of what is being said/asked. That's all. God bless. revvel

Hello CWF, Many thanks for your thoughts. I agree. Far too many of us who want the truth of the Scriptures spent countless hours pouring over dogma... Where knowledge ends, imagination begins... Personally, I have no interest in the religious circus... just the truth of the Scriptures... thank you. JESUS CHRIST AND DANIEL, ISAIAH, AND MOSES The day of the Lord refers not only to Christ’s descent from Heaven for the church but also to Christ’s descent for Israel. Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets foretold what would become of the followers of the Old Covenant. Elements of these prophecies can be found in the very words of Christ in Matthew 24. To set the stage to view Christ’s prophecy in the Gospel of Matthew, this text moves back to Old Testament times. What follows are prophecies given by Daniel, Isaiah, and Moses, respectively. These prophets foretold of the following: the Antichrist, the time of wrath, the signs that mark Christ’s return to the Holy Land, and the gathering of the remnant of Israel. What Christ referenced in his prophecy is capitalized. DANIEL: He [the Antichrist] will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven” [seven years]. In the middle of the “seven” he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an ABOMINATION THAT CAUSES DESOLATION, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him [the Antichrist]. (Dan. 9:27) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people [Daniel’s people: Israel]: AND THERE SHALL BE A TIME OF TROUBLE, SUCH AS NEVER WAS SINCE THERE WAS A NATION EVEN TO THAT SAME TIME: AND AT THAT TIME THY PEOPLE [iSRAEL] SHALL BE DELIVERED, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Dan. 12:1 KJV) ISAIAH: 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. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 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. (Isa. 13:10–13 KJV) In that day the Lord will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be GATHERED up one by one. And in that day A GREAT TRUMPET will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. (Isa. 27:12, 13) MOSES: That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and GATHER THEE FROM ALL THE NATIONS, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. IF ANY OF THINE BE DRIVEN OUT UNTO THE OUTMOST PARTS OF HEAVEN, FROM THENCE WILL THE LORD THY GOD GATHER THEE, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it. (Deut. 30:3–5 KJV) During his ministry, Christ also prophesied of what would become of Israel. In a single prophecy about his second coming to Israel, the Son of God spoke forth the collective voice of the three Old Testament prophets referenced above. Christ prophesied of the Antichrist, the time of wrath, the signs that would mark his return to the Holy Land, and the gathering of the remnant of Israel. He introduced his prophecy by referring to Daniel and the final years of prophecy that lead up to the Apocalypse. What Christ referenced from the Old Testament is capitalized. 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: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: FOR THEN SHALL BE GREAT TRIBULATION, SUCH AS WAS NOT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO THIS TIME, NO, NOR EVER SHALL BE. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall THE SUN BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON SHALL NOT GIVE HER LIGHT, AND THE STARS SHALL FALL FROM HEAVEN, AND THE POWERS OF THE HEAVENS SHALL BE SHAKEN: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a GREAT SOUND OF A TRUMPET [THE GREAT TRUMPET], and they shall GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS [OF THE EARTH], FROM ONE END OF HEAVEN TO THE OTHER. (Matt. 24:21–31 KJV) Daniel, Isaiah, and Moses testify that this prophecy speaks of gathering Israel—not the church. Zechariah prophesied of this future time—revealing how Israel would suffer grievously, but that there would be those who would emerge victorious. “In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people, and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” (Zech. 13:8, 9) The prophecies given here by Christ and the Old Testament prophets drop right into the revelation given to John: it is the time of the seventh seal. The revelation written down by Matthew (chapter 24) directly corresponds to the revelation written down by John (chapters 8 – 19). Christ’s revelation to John dramatically expounds upon the revelation he initially gave to Matthew. Note: “A great sound of a trumpet” is a figure of speech known as Hendiadys, where it is “not two things, but one,” (E. W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1990], 1366. In essence, Christ referred to what Isaiah referred to: the great trumpet. The great trumpet marks the arrival of Christ for Israel, and the last trumpet marks the arrival of Christ for the church. According to Hebrew authorities, the great trumpet and the last trumpet are not one and the same. They mark completely different sounds, and according to the Scriptures, they mark completely different arrivals of Christ. Next: Paul and John: Thessalonians and Revelation. revvel

Hello sirguessalot, My apologies for taking liberty with the word "it." My own context is this: Taking God's Word for "it" ... "it" is whatever subject you would like to study in the Scriptures... and finding the truth. And... relative to the sentence you quoted... Allow me to summarize: Life filled with truth. That's "it." Grace and peace to you too. revvel

THE APOSTLES PAUL AND JOHN: DISMISSED When in our religious history did unsound doctrine regarding Christ’s return for the church first emerge? The first century. Church leadership actually dismissed both Paul and John—and Paul and John documented this deplorable state of affairs. The apostle John revealed the mind-set of a church leader so twisted that he rejected not only an apostle of Christ but also cast Christ’s followers out of the church. “I [John] wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church” (3 John 9, 10). How did Diotrephes handle John (someone who spoke out about the truth)? Vicious personal attacks and dismissal… Sound familiar? If that wasn’t bad enough, church leadership in Asia Minor saw fit to pull the entire flock of Christ away from the apostle Paul. “You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me [Paul]” (2 Tim. 1:15). Church “leaders” “trashed” the apostles. How pathetic is that… Our religious ancestors saw fit to keep “their” flock away from John and Paul. How many doctrinal mutations could have come out of this corrupt environment? Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, wrote the following: Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. (2 Tim. 2:16–18) Hymenaeus and Philetus “wandered away from the truth” and taught “godless chatter” about the resurrection of those who died in Christ. Why would God document this revolting picture from our spiritual past? What is to be learned from this historical record? We within the church must be honest with ourselves and examine what we have assumed to be true. This must include the doctrine of the “signless” rapture. Just what exactly did we inherit from our religious ancestors? Compare the “signless” rapture to what Paul said to the Thessalonians. “Now, brothers, about times and dates.” So what is Paul going to talk about? Signs? Or time? “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly.” Is it “signless” destruction? Or is it sudden destruction? Paul is not speaking of the “signless” nature of Heaven’s intervention, but of the sudden nature of Heaven’s intervention. It is not a “signless” rapture; it is a sudden rapture: "We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—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" (1 Cor. 15:51, 52). How could it have happened that we ended up believing and teaching the “signless” arrival of Christ? Why should we just accept the corruption of Scripture handed to us by our religious ancestors? The dogma of the “signless” rapture is nothing more than godless chatter and this teaching has spread like gangrene. Enough of this “signless” dogma… This is what I believe: There is one author, God, who gave us the “books” in the Bible. The Creator speaks with one voice, but with different perspectives on identical subjects. Consider Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Why four Gospels? They speak to the same subject, only with different perspectives so as to paint the fullness of the whole picture. God designed the whole Bible this way: different writers speaking to identical subjects providing unique pieces of the divine puzzle. The divine harmony between the Old and New Testaments cannot be broken. It is by the multitude of writers (witnesses) that our God has given us in the Bible—who testify to the truth—and reveal the harmony within and between the Old and New Testaments, that we as Christ’s church can take God’s Word for “it,” and know what is truly sound doctrine. It is our enemy, Satan, who wants us to isolate verses, divide apostles one from another, and separate the prophecies of the Old Testament from the New Testament in order to produce unsound doctrine. As pointed out by sirguessalot, there was confusion at the ascension scene.... This record serves to reinforce the importance of allowing the multitude of witnesses to guide our thoughts... especially the collective voice of Peter, Paul, and John... regarding the day of the Lord. We as God’s human creation are at war with spiritual darkness and Satan seeks to out maneuver us at every turn of history. Satan has spent countless years covering up the signs that shall mark the commencement of the day of the Lord and the gathering of the church. Let our generation be remembered as the generation that ended the cover-up. This text now turns to prophecies spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ, and the references he made to the Old Testament prophets. To be continued… revvel

Hello sirguessalot, I know that you posted to provoke thought—and that’s good. Allow me to do likewise… by posing a couple of questions... If the prophecies about the first coming of the Messiah turned out to be about the literal, personal presence of Jesus the Christ, then is it logical, or illogical, to believe that the prophecies about the second coming of the Messiah will turn out to be about the literal, personal presence of Jesus the Christ? If God spoke of the lake of fire as literal, and in the future tense, then why should we conclude that it is figurative, and in the present tense? This is the testimony of what shall come to pass: And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev. 20:10) According to Heaven’s revelation, the lake of fire is just as literal as Satan, the beast, and the false prophet. How can Heaven throw (a literal) Satan into a figure of speech? The lake of fire is a literal, burning “prison” that will be (future tense) the permanent residence of Satan and company. This is what I believe: The angel said to me [John], These words are trustworthy and true.” (Rev. 22:6) The truth… it is about the truth… and where to find it… and that’s what you want, sirguessalot… isn’t it? God bless. revvel

THE APOSTLES PAUL AND JOHN, AND THE PROPHET ISAIAH What did Paul communicate when he said “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”? Firstly, Paul did not say Christ will return like a thief in the night, but that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Why did Paul refer to “the day of the Lord”? What is “the day of the Lord”? Is it the single day of Christ’s return? Or does it refer to a span of time that applies to Heaven’s intervention upon Earth? The Old Testament prophets give God’s precedent—God’s answer. Isaiah (among other prophets) testified that “the day of the Lord” is not one day but a span of time that speaks of God’s intervention into earthly affairs. Why would Paul refer to “the day of the Lord”? Because God’s intervention into earthly affairs shall begin with Christ’s descent from Heaven to gather the church into Heaven to save it from the wrath to come. To set the stage to understand Paul’s prophecy about “the day of the Lord,” this text moves back in time to the precedent established by God. What follows are prophecies given by Isaiah: Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man’s heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. See, the day of the Lord is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. (Isa. 13:6–9) Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 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: . . . And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. (Isa. 2:10–12, 19–21 KJV) The “day of the Lord” described by Isaiah is the same “day of the Lord” described by the New Testament apostles: it is the prophecy of Heaven’s intervention. The prophecies given by Isaiah bare a striking resemblance to John’s prophecy in the Book of Revelation because John marked the onset of the day of the Lord: I [John] watched as he [Christ] opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Rev. 6:12–17) This wrath described by John is the same wrath described by Isaiah. Without question, the day of the Lord is the span of time marking Heaven’s intervention. The Old Testament prophets clearly spoke of this, but it wasn’t until Heaven gave revelation to the New Testament apostles about the church that the fullness of this intervention was made known. When the sixth seal opens, the Lord Jesus Christ will gather God’s possessions, and the sky will be filled with souls marked by Heaven. Then the sky will recede upward like a scroll, and the church shall ascend to Heaven. The remaining population will erupt into chaos, seeking to be hidden from the God whom they rejected. (Whereas the sixth seal announces the coming wrath, the seventh seal initiates its actual commencement.) This wrath spoken by John in the Book of Revelation is the same wrath spoken by Paul; it is the wrath the sons of God are saved from: “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:10). Jesus Christ shall rescue the church “from” the coming wrath. “From” in the Greek language is apo and means “away from,” denoting “motion from the exterior.” In other words, the church is not just protected from the wrath while “sitting” on the Earth, but is saved “away from” the wrath by literally being drawn up away from the Earth’s surface: “motion from the exterior” of the Earth to Heaven, which is the gathering. In contrast to the church gathered into Heaven, those who remain on the planet will understand the impending wrath. How do we know this? John’s prophecy reveals the collective voice of those left behind: “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” If the religious tradition of the “signless” return is true, and no one on Earth can see Christ descend from Heaven, and the church simply disappears, then how could those left on Earth know “the great day of their wrath has come?” Why would those who reject Christ say, “hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb”? Those who are left on Earth must awake to Heaven’s judgment and Christ’s presence. How? God shall mark the onset of the day of the Lord with divine signs: There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth. (Rev. 6:12, 13) [Christ] is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him (Rev. 1:7). This is the testimony of God: Those who are on the Earth will see and understand Heaven’s divine power and the presence of Christ and then will recognize their own reality and fate. Without question, before Heaven’s judgment strikes the Earth, divine signs will mark the divine threshold: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.” The belief that Christ’s arrival to save the church is a “signless” event is rooted in religious history—not in the Scriptures. Our religious ancestors neglected the harmony between the Old and New Testaments, misunderstood one figure of speech, and consequently were deceived—and the deception continues to this day. For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, there is no intent to create traditions or stories, but to be worthy of the divinely inspired story already written. Let us not silence the witnesses God gave us who prophesied about “the day of the Lord.” The testimony of God stands: signs—not the absence of them—shall mark Heaven’s timetable. Heaven gave revelation to the New Testament apostles about the day of the Lord to inform the church about this future time. Here is Paul’s prophecy: Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people [who are not in the body of Christ] are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly [from wrath], as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day [the day of the Lord] should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert [watch] and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath [during Heaven’s intervention on Earth] but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. (1 Thess. 5:1–10) This prophecy is not speaking about signs, nor is it speaking exclusively about Christ’s return for the church. Rather, it speaks of Heaven’s intervention and the destiny of those within the body of Christ and the destiny of those not within the body of Christ. When Christ descends from Heaven to gather the church, the opposing fates shall be delivered concurrently. With regard to the church, Paul said: “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise [overtake] you like a thief.” The word “surprise” means “to lay hold of, [to] seize suddenly, [and to] come suddenly upon.” The day of the Lord will not overtake the church like a thief. Why? “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Wrath will not lay hold upon the church because of the salvation of the church. What salvation? The same salvation Paul described just a few sentences earlier in his letter to the Thessalonians: the gathering in the clouds when we “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17). Salvation means deliverance. Next: When in our religious history did unsound doctrine regarding Christ’s return for the church first emerge? To be continued… Note: Heaven’s revelation about “the day of the Lord” is found throughout the Old Testament: Isaiah (2:12; 13:6, 9), Ezekiel (13:5; 30:3), Joel (1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14), Amos (5:18, 20), Obadiah (15), Zephaniah (1:7, 14), Zechariah (14:1), and Malachi (4:5). revvel

Hello CWF, The coming (parousia) of Christ has very distinct characteristics, for there are two stages that are separated by time. In the first stage, Christ will descend from Heaven for the church. Seven years later, Christ will descend from Heaven with the church to rescue Israel. CM: When it comes to salvation, we are talking about justice. To address the question of universal salvation, we need to look to where the Bible speaks of justice. In essence, what is Heaven’s definition of justice? Does God speak of justice that will eventually culminate in universal salvation, or does God speak of justice that yields eternal blessings for the righteous and permanent consequences for the unrighteous? We both know the heart of God: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. (Ezek. 33:11) Perhaps you see God’s heart regarding his creation and you just can’t accept how a loving God would allow his creation to perish with no hope of redemption. God is a loving God, which means he is a just God, which means he must be just in the way he approaches his creation. Consider these prophecies that shall be fulfilled: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. . . . Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. . . . Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:31, 34, 41) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Rev. 21:8) According to the Scriptures, the lake of fire is the culmination of Heaven’s justice toward the unjust. The eternal fire is the eternal fire… there is no thought in the Scriptures that this fire is used as a temporary cleansing pool. It is the second death. “Death” means “the sentence and punishment of God against sin, not merely an occurrence, but a state.” Universal salvation is not to be found in the context of judgment because universal salvation is without justice. God is a just God and he will fulfill the prophecies spoken in the Scriptures: the unjust will have no place in eternity for they will die the second death and never will they live again. That is justice. CM: Why not allow yourself to accept what God is saying about justice? Perhaps you won’t fully understand it yet, but you will be in harmony with the Scriptures. God bless. revvel

Sunesis Thank you for your thoughts… THE APOSTLE JOHN AND THE PROPHET DANIEL When Peter prophesied, “the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood,” he wasn’t the only apostle who spoke of these signs. There were two apostles (witnesses), not one, who spoke of the sun turning dark and the moon turning blood red: Peter and John. John’s prophecy marked the same signs as Peter—as well as other celestial and earthly signs. I [John] watched as he [Christ] opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red. (Rev. 6:12) Are we in Christ’s church supposed to believe that two apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who prophesied of the sun turning dark (black) and the moon turning blood red, are referring to two entirely different events? Why couldn’t John and Peter be two witnesses given to us by God who are referring to the same event, only providing different pieces of the same puzzle to help us understand more of the same picture? What will happen to the church after the sun turns dark and the moon turns blood red? Peter said, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How is the church saved? Paul said it will be gathered off the Earth into the clouds with Christ. What is the ultimate destination? Look at the vision Heaven gave to John: After this I [John] looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation [not wrath]; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:9–17) Who is the “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb”? Who are they who “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”? The Gentiles? The Jews? Or are they the saved in Christ? John and Peter both spoke of the signs that would mark the time of salvation (deliverance) for the saved in Christ. The multitude described by John is the same multitude described by Peter: “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” John’s revelation added a piece to the divine puzzle by expounding upon the revelation first spoken by Peter: “The sky [filled with those who call on the name of the Lord] receded like a scroll, rolling up [to Heaven]” (Rev. 6:14). John is in agreement with Peter, and both are in agreement with Joel: the sun will turn dark (black) and the moon will turn blood red when Christ arrives to save those who call on the name of the Lord. This is the divine harmony of divine revelation, which contradicts the religious tradition of the “signless” rapture. In the Book of Revelation, John identified the chronology of end-time events. 1. The church shall be “saved”… gathered into Heaven (Rev. 6:12–14; 7:9–17). 2. The time of “wrath” shall follow. The world shall witness three and a half years of God’s prophets and then three and a half years of Satan’s prophets: God's prophets: And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. (Rev. 11:3) Satan's prophets: The beast [the Antichrist] was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. . . . Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. (Rev. 13:5, 11) This seven-year prophecy of John was first given by the prophet Daniel. Known as the seventieth “seven,” this is the final seven years of prophecy decreed for Daniel’s people, which is Israel (Dan. 9:24). He [the Antichrist] will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven [seven years].” In the middle of the “seven” [after three and a half years] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him [at the time of the Apocalypse] (Dan. 9:27). 3. Finally, like Daniel, John marked the culmination of this time: the Apocalypse. Christ shall descend from Heaven with the church to destroy the armies of Satan and rescue the remnant of Israel. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. (Rev. 17:14) I [John] 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. 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. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. [Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:8).] 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. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, “so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.” Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Rev. 19:11–21) John’s prophecy expounded upon prophecies first given by the Old Testament prophets—which include Zechariah and Joel. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zech. 14:3–5 KJV) The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. . . . [F]or on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls. (Joel 3:16 KJV; 2:32) According to the prophets and apostles, the coming of Christ has very distinct characteristics, for there are two stages that are separated by time. This text now turns back to the apostle Paul. What piece of the prophetic puzzle did Paul provide when he referred to “the day of the Lord”? To be continued… revvel

Hello CWF, Well said about our Lord’s ministry and Peter’s declaration. Hello CM, When Paul spoke of every knee bowing before the Lord, he introduced it by referring to “it is written.” For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (Rom. 14:11 KJV) Consider the context of Paul’s prophecy, and how Paul referenced an Old Testament prophet, and that he is writing to the church: But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we [the church] shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us [in the church] shall give account of himself to God. (Rom. 14:10–12 KJV) Paul spoke of the same “judgment seat” in his second letter to the Corinthians. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:10) “Good” things refer to actions of the heart that are worthy of admiration; “bad” things express a lack of moral character, unbefitting for someone who claims to represent the Son of God… It is from the judgment seat that the Lord Jesus Christ will judge his church, determining the impartation of his “reward.” This is where, and when, every knee will bow… When Paul referred to “it is written,” he referenced Isaiah: By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. (Isa. 45:23) What did God mean by this? Paul told us: Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in us, the church, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. …Many concepts and prophecies spoken by the apostles—and by Christ himself—were first spoken in the days of the Old Testament prophets. In essence, God provided multiple witnesses in both Testaments who testify to God’s truth. So no matter the time or culture, Heaven’s message could be understood as originally given when the prophecies are “framed” by both Testaments. CM… Give thought to this: If everyone is a part of a grand plan of universal salvation, then why would God speak of the lake of fire and the second death? If everyone (no matter what they believe) is saved, then who is going into the lake? And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:15 KJV) God bless… revvel

Hello dmiller, I understand what you are saying, for we were both taught to focus on the New Testament… since the church was a mystery in Old Testament times. ...Although the church was a mystery to the Old Testament prophets, the church was in the mind of God. Therefore, God could give revelation about the church to the prophets—without the prophets understanding the implications of that revelation. How do we know that God gave revelation to the Old Testament prophets about the future time of the church? The apostles. The apostles are our guides to help us see where God marked the church in the Old Testament. For example, in the Book of Romans, Paul referenced Habakkuk: For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Rom. 1:17 kjv) This is what Habakkuk foretold: “but the just shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4 kjv). God gave revelation to Habakkuk about a future time when those made righteous by the blood of Christ would be “just,” and live by “faith.” Even though the Old Testament prophets didn’t understand the fullness of their revelation, and even though the church was a non-entity, and even though Satan and his rulers were oblivious to God’s plan, it doesn’t mean prophecies about the church are absent in Old Testament writings. If God can give revelation to Habakkuk about the church, can God give revelation to Joel about the church? Just as Paul marked Habakkuk’s revelation about the church, Peter marked Joel’s revelation about the church. With regard to signs, we both agree that the unique administration of the church began with dramatic, divine signs on Pentecost… If dramatic, divine signs marked the beginning of the church, why can’t dramatic, divine signs mark the gathering of the church? This is what Peter foretold on Pentecost: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Dmiller… You call on the name of the Lord and you will be “saved” (delivered) at the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. It is the same “salvation” foretold by Paul: “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9). Salvation means deliverance. CM... You asked, “does this mean it will happen to everyone at the same time?” The testimony of the New Testament is “Yes.” The descent of Christ from the right hand of God is a one-time occurrence to gather the church. Allow me to unfold this thought in future postings. CM... The church begins for a person when he accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and believes the miracle of his Resurrection from dead (Rom. 10:9, 10). At that time, we do have the eternal, spiritual seed within us, but Christ himself is seated in Heaven... so his coming (which is his personal presence) will not be from within, but from above. Dmiller and CM... The parousia of Christ is what we are talking about… In the first century, Christ ascended to the right hand of God. Next, he will descend for the church and then later for Israel. This is the “advent” of Christ, or arrival of Christ… which has two stages and two purposes. If God used the same word (Greek: parousia) to describe Christ’s descent from Heaven for the church and for Israel, then why can’t we do likewise? That’s all I’m saying. God bless. revvel

Hello CWF, I understand where you are coming from on this. Classic Christian thinking is this: The pre-tribulation folks believe the signless rapture and the post-tribulation folks disbelieve the signless rapture. Where I am coming from on this thread is this: Prophecies mark a rapture that is accompanied by signs, and that this rapture will precede the wrath (pre-tribulation). In essence, the coming of Christ has two stages: First, the coming for the church and then seven years later the coming for Israel. Prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments reveal that the arrivals are marked by unmistakable, divine signs. Allow me to share a vision for this thread: We have twenty centuries of Christianity that have gone before us. The light of Christ has been passed on to us, our generation. My interest is to follow the lead of those who had greater honor in the Bible: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). The Bible speaks with one voice, for there is one author: God. Let this thread be a place of sanctuary where together we see the perfect harmony of end-time prophecies given to us in the Old and New Testaments. Impossible? Not if God is the author. Anyone game? CM... Perhaps the best way I know to respond is to continue with the posting. THE APOSTLE PETER AND THE PROPHET JOEL When Paul stated “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night,” he was not the only apostle who spoke of the “day of the Lord.” There were two apostles (witnesses), not one, who specifically prophesied of the “day of the Lord”: Paul and Peter. ...How important was the first day of the church to God and to us? How important was the revelation spoken by Peter on the first day of the church? On the first day of the church—Pentecost—Peter stood up and addressed the crowd. [T]his is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Acts 2:16–21) Who are those who call on the “name of the Lord”? Who are those who “will be saved”? When will “the sun be turned to darkness and the moon to blood”? “Before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord”—the same “day of the Lord” spoken by Paul. Are we in Christ’s church supposed to believe that two apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who specifically spoke of the “day of the Lord,” are referring to two entirely different concepts? Why couldn’t Peter and Paul be two witnesses given to us by God who are referring to the same concept, only providing different pieces of the same puzzle to help us understand more of the same picture? On the first day of the church, Peter spoke to the crowd and referenced Joel. Why? Why did Peter quote Joel? Why did Christ quote Isaiah in the synagogue of Nazareth? Because it was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Why did Paul quote Isaiah in the context of speaking in tongues? Because it was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Why did Christ quote Daniel in the context of the Antichrist? Because it would be the ultimate fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. Who established the precedent to help the church understand why a New Testament apostle would quote an Old Testament prophet? Christ. Peter quoted Joel on Pentecost because it was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (and it would be the ultimate fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy). Isn’t there something fundamentally wrong with any man making an exception to the precedent established by Christ regarding why an Old Testament prophet would be quoted in New Testament times? Here is Peter’s statement on Pentecost: “[T]his is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.” It was not “like” what was spoken by Joel; it was what Joel spoke. To witness the magnitude of what Peter accomplished on the day of Pentecost, the prophecy first given by Joel is now presented. What Peter quoted from Joel’s prophecy is capitalized. The following is taken from the second chapter of Joel: And afterward, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL PEOPLE. YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY, YOUR OLD MEN WILL DREAM DREAMS, YOUR YOUNG MEN WILL SEE VISIONS. EVEN ON MY SERVANTS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS. I WILL SHOW WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS AND ON THE EARTH, BLOOD AND FIRE AND BILLOWS OF SMOKE. THE SUN WILL BE TURNED TO DARKNESS AND THE MOON TO BLOOD BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND DREADFUL DAY OF THE LORD. AND EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls. (Joel 2:28–32) When Peter quoted Joel, he stopped before he quoted “for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.” Why did Peter stop at the semicolon? Why didn’t he at least finish the sentence? Why didn’t he read the whole prophecy given by Joel? What is Peter telling the church on the first day of the church? When these questions are answered, the harmony between the Old and New Testaments is revealed. Why did Peter stop where he did? Truly, on the first day of the church, Peter carved out that section of Joel’s prophecy that directly applied to the time of the church. Peter marked the signs that initiated the church (“I will pour out my Spirit on all people”); he marked the signs that mark the presence of the church on Earth (“prophesy,” “visions,” etc.); finally, Peter marked the signs that mark the gathering of the church into Heaven (when “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord”). It’s the MYSTERY revealed. The MYSTERY unfolded with dramatic signs on the Feast of Pentecost, the MYSTERY would be made known by God through divine signs, and the MYSTERY will end with dramatic signs on the Feast of Trumpets. Hundreds of years prior to Peter’s declaration on Pentecost, God had already established the irrefutable signs that would mark the MYSTERY. Not one Old Testament prophet understood it. It was Peter who made it known to the “world” on the holy day of Pentecost. On the first day of the church, Peter did not speak about “Mount Zion” and “Jerusalem” because that part of Joel’s prophecy is about the future of the twelve tribes: “Israel.” This is the time of great distress foretold by Jeremiah; it is “the time of Jacob’s [israel’s] trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7 KJV). Jeremiah foretold precisely what Joel foretold: there will be “deliverance” for Israel—“among the survivors whom the Lord calls.” This is what Peter didn’t quote because it applied not to the church but to Israel. What is the significance of Peter’s reference to Joel? Regarding Christ’s return for the church, God has given the church two witnesses: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Therefore, it is impossible that God is relying upon one New Testament apostle (Paul) to be the single witness to communicate the “picture” of Christ’s return for the church. This text now turns to another apostle: John. What divine light did John give us regarding the signs that mark Christ’s return for the church? To be continued… revvel

Hello dmiller, coupcake, and CM, To address your posts, I would like to refer to Greek words found in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. “Coming” is translated from the Greek word parousia, which means “advent, return, coming, presence.” “Caught up” is translated from the Greek word harpazo, which means “to seize, catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take.” The Latin word for “caught up” is raptus and is translated into the English language as rapture. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming [parousia] of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [harpazo/raptus] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:15–17 kjv) Another record of Christ’s parousia for the church to catch away the church is found in Corinthians: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming [parousia]. (1 Cor. 15:22, 23 kjv) Parousia itself does not identify a specific event, for this Greek word is found in the context of gathering the church and rescuing Israel. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul spoke of Christ’s parousia in the context of destroying the Antichrist: 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 [parousia]. (2 Thess. 2:8 kjv) Note: The Greek definitions are taken from Strong’s Greek Dictionary. God bless. revvel

The “Signless” Return: Dogma Author’s Note Most of us in the church have been taught that the return of Christ to gather the church is a “signless” event. Invariably, one verse is used to substantiate this position: “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2). Is it true that God is relying on one apostle and one figure of speech to communicate that Christ’s return for the church is a “signless” event? Or is it Satan who wants us to isolate one apostle and isolate one verse and then misunderstand one figure of speech, leading to the wrong conclusion? How would Christ respond to these questions? How would the apostles Peter, Paul, and John respond to these questions? How would the Old Testament respond to these questions? . . . INTRODUCTION When the apostle Paul prophesied, “the day of the Lord” will come “like a thief in the night,” what did he communicate to the church? Is Paul introducing brand-new concepts, or is he referring to concepts already established by biblical prophets that precede him? How can we as the church understand Paul’s reference to a “thief” unless we look to where “thief” is used relative to end times? In the Book of Revelation, Christ prophesied about his return for Israel: “Behold, I come like a thief!” (Rev. 16:15). Christ spoke this prophecy in the context of Armageddon, which is “the battle on the great day of God Almighty” (Rev. 16:14). If Christ’s return for Israel is like a “thief,” is Christ’s return for Israel a “signless” event? No. The Apocalypse is not a “signless” event. If Christ did not use the word “thief” to mean a “signless” event, then how can we as his church justify using “thief” to mean a “signless” event? What did Christ communicate when he said that he would return for Israel like a “thief”? The prophecy spoken by Christ has a precedent. Isaiah prophesied of Israel’s salvation and how that salvation would be instantaneous. Moreover the multitude of thy strangers [enemies] shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. (Isa. 29:5, 6 kjv) Isaiah spoke of time and marked dramatic signs that shall accompany the second coming of Christ—when he returns “like a thief.” Herein, Christ’s reference to a thief speaks not of a “signless” return, but of the sudden surprise of his return, and how those who are in spiritual darkness will be overtaken, and how those who embrace spiritual light are commanded to “watch” (Rev. 16:15 kjv). Like Christ, Paul’s reference to a “thief” speaks of time, not signs, and addresses those who will be overtaken (1 Thess. 5:3), and those who are commanded to “watch” (1 Thess. 5:6 kjv): Now, brothers, about times and dates [not signs] we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (1 Thess. 5:1, 2) Christ’s sudden return will not overtake those who have embraced spiritual light. A thief arrives as a sudden surprise and overtakes those who are in spiritual darkness. These prophetic truths apply to Christ’s return for the church and for Israel. Like Christ and Paul, Peter’s reference to a “thief” speaks of the sudden nature of Heaven’s intervention and the drama that will follow: [T]he day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10 kjv) In their prophecies, Christ, Paul, and Peter did not equate “thief” with a “signless” event. In essence, there is no scriptural justification to use the symbol of a “thief” to claim that an event is “signless.” The religious tradition of the “signless” return has served only to cast a shadow upon the Scriptures; there is no need to be in subjection to this tradition. Now, prophecies that speak to the church about Christ’s return can open up to us. That said, this text explores both the Old and New Testaments and ends up with one inescapable conclusion: just as dramatic signs shall mark the instantaneous arrival of Christ for Israel, so shall dramatic signs mark the instantaneous arrival of Christ for the church. In the light of Scripture, the true nature the “signless” return is understood for what it is: this dogma is nothing more than a religious tradition masquerading as the truth, causing us to neglect prophecies that directly apply to us. Why would Satan want Christ’s church to believe the lie of the “signless” return? The answer concerns Heaven’s commands. Paul issued the command to “watch.” Without knowledge of Heaven’s signs, the church cannot watch for Heaven’s signs. This text presents prophecies given by Christ, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Joel, Luke, Peter, John, and Paul. To be continued... revvel

Hello David, Let me begin by saying that I wrote the work: "Prophecy: The Seven Holy Days." What appears on this thread is straight from my Web site: www.thetimeline.org. Yes, certainly all quotes need to be documented... and the documentation of what I quote in the "Holy Days" can be found on my Web site. The references are listed below the actual text. God bless. revvel

Allan, LornaDoone, and David, Many thanks for your thoughts. God bless. revvel

Hello Belle, OK… I’ll copy a paragraph from the Introduction… God “wrote” his plan to rescue souls from Satan in the Law—in the holy days; in the writings of Moses, God “embedded” the prophecies that Christ would ultimately fulfill, for within the seven holy days, God painted a “hidden” picture: the chronology, content, and significance of major events that pertain to the first coming of Christ, and the chronology, content, and significance of major events that pertain to the second coming of Christ. While there are a number of concepts to take away from God's plan in the “Holy Days,” I’ll focus on one of them that applies to us (the church)… that pertains to Christ’s command to us… regarding his return for us… and that is to “watch.” Knowing that Christ shall return for us, not “any day” but on the one “holy day” of the year, we are able to add a dimension of time to Christ’s command—which he intended for it to have. In essence, knowledge of God’s plan in the “Holy Days” directly impacts how we carry out Christ’s command. revvel

Prophecy: The Seven Holy Days (PT2) The next grand event on Heaven’s prophetic calendar is Christ’s return to gather his church, and the next feast to be fulfilled is the Feast of Trumpets. The prophecies given by the Son of God, the apostle Paul, and Moses reveal the divine harmony within and between the Old and New Testaments, for they speak with a unified voice regarding the Feast of Trumpets. The apostle Paul unmistakably connected the return of Christ to gather his church to the Feast of Trumpets, for in Paul’s prophecy he referred to “the last trumpet”: “n 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 [transformed immortal]. For the perishable [the dead] must clothe itself with the imperishable [everlasting life], and the mortal with immortality” (1 Cor. 15:52, 53). According to Paul, this prophecy will unfold at “the last trumpet,” which is a specific reference to “the last trumpet” blown on the Feast of Trumpets. During this feast, the religious authorities mark the celebration with a series of short trumpet blasts. The ritual is concluded with a single unbroken blast, held for as long as possible. It is called the Tekiah Gedolah. It is “the last trumpet.” On the Hebrew calendar, the Feast of Trumpets falls during a unique season: Teshuvah. In Hebrew, it means “to return or repent,” and the message is straightforward: God desires that his creation live righteously, and this time of the year was set aside for people to ponder their approach to life—with a view to setting the heart and mind straight before the Feast of Trumpets, for on that day God offers judgment. This feast is also referred to as Yom HaDin, or the Day of Judgment. On a future day in time, on the Feast of Trumpets, those who have been made righteous by the blood of Christ (judged righteous) will receive the blessing of that judgment and will ascend to Heaven. Exactly how does the Feast of Trumpets foreshadow what shall come to pass on this future day? When the trumpet blasts sounded on the Feast of Trumpets, they were more than just ceremonial expressions; they literally summoned the Jewish people. When the Jewish workers in their fields heard the trumpet call, they would immediately cease harvesting and journey to the temple for worship. As it was then (and is now), a Jewish worker could be harvesting alongside a non-Jewish worker, and when the trumpets were heard, the Jewish worker would leave the fields, but the non-Jewish worker would remain. Jesus Christ himself made reference to this phenomenon (and to this feast) when he spoke of his return to gather the believers in his church: As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other left [behind]. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. (Matt. 24:37–41) When “the last trumpet” sounds, “one [who belongs to Christ] will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other [who does not belong to Christ will be] left [behind].” God already marked this glorious, future event by way of the Law. The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.’” (Lev. 23:23, 24) The Feast of Trumpets fell on the first day of the seventh religious month: Tishrei (equivalent to either September or October). Although Tishrei is the seventh month on the Jewish religious calendar, it is the first month on the Jewish civil calendar. The first day of Tishrei is known as “Rosh HaShanah” or, the “head of the year.” It is the start of the Jewish New Year. In the Torah (the books of Moses), Rosh HaShanah is referred to as Yom Teruah: the “Day of the Sounding of the Shofar (trumpet),” or the “Day of the Awakening Blast.” Teruah means “an awakening blast” and is also translated as “shout.” The Talmud (Jewish commentaries on Scripture) associates Rosh HaShanah with the resurrection of the dead. The corresponding prophecy is unmistakable: when the “awakening blast” sounds on Rosh HaShanah, truly the church of Christ shall “awake” to the Lord Jesus Christ. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump [trumpet] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain will 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. (1 Thess. 4:16, 17 kjv) The trumpet blast and the shout will summon all in the church of Christ. When shall this come to pass? Thousands of years ago, God had already marked the very day of the year on the Hebrew calendar when his Son would return for the church: New Year’s Day (Rosh HaShanah). How does the Hebrew calendar mark New Year’s Day? Unlike our modern-day calendar, the Hebrew calendar relied upon the moon to mark the first day of each month. The first day of each month on the Hebrew calendar was marked by the appearance of the new moon. When the first sliver of the new moon appeared in the sky, the Jewish authorities marked the first day of the month. Hence, the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) was determined by the appearance of the seventh new moon. Herein, the heavens marked the start of the Feast of Trumpets: when the first sliver of the seventh new moon appeared in the sky, the first day of Tishrei was marked—and so was the start of the feast. The Feast of Trumpets is also referred to as the “Feast of the New Moon,” for it is the only annual feast of God that commences with this lunar sign from the heavens. In ancient times, Jewish religious authorities could not predict the day or hour the Feast of Trumpets would begin; they had to wait until the new moon was actually seen by reliable witnesses. As stated in the Jewish Encyclopedia, “On the 30th of each month, the members of the [Jewish] High Court (Bet Din) assembled in a courtyard in Jerusalem, named Beit Ya'azek, where they waited to receive the testimony of two reliable witnesses; they then sanctified the New Moon. If the moon’s crescent was not seen on the 30th day, the New Moon was automatically celebrated on the 31st day.” In essence, the Jewish religious authorities did not know when the Feast of Trumpets would actually commence; they did not know the day or hour. Jesus Christ made specific reference to this fact when he spoke of his return to gather his church; he said, “No one knows about that day or hour” (Matt. 24:36). This phrase about “not knowing the day or hour” is a specific Hebrew saying, peculiar to the Feast of Trumpets. To expound upon this thought, Christ’s prophecy about not knowing the “day or hour” refers to two unique segments of time: “day” means “the time from one sunrise or sunset to another,” and the word “hour” means “a definite and limited time. . . . [T]he time of the day . . . the hour.” In essence, “day” literally means a “day” and “hour” literally means an “hour”—two segments of time associated with the Feast of the New Moon (Rosh HaShanah). Hence, Christ’s prophecy about “not knowing the day or hour” of his return is actually a direct reference to a common phrase used to describe the Feast of Trumpets. This conclusion—that Christ is specifically referring to this feast—can be viewed from Hebrew history. Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as Yom HaKeseh, which means the “Day of Hiding,” or the “Hidden Day.” This is because the Feast of Trumpets was the only day on the Hebrew calendar “hidden” from view: no man knew the day or hour that this feast would commence. Herein, Christ and Paul both made direct references to the Feast of Trumpets when referring to the return to gather the church to Heaven. In other words, the day of the return corresponds to the day of the Feast of Trumpets—just like the day of the Crucifixion corresponded to the day of the Feast of Passover. This divine harmony cannot be broken. “I [Christ] tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18). God’s accomplishments through Christ had to correspond to the Law: Christ couldn’t die “any day,” nor could he be in the burial tomb “any day,” nor could he be resurrected “any day,” nor could he send his Spirit to the apostles “any day,” and Christ can’t come back “any day.” To believe that Christ can return “any day” for the church is to disbelieve that Christ has to fulfill the Law of Moses. The belief that Christ can return “any day” is rooted in religious history—not in the Scriptures. Our religious ancestors neglected the voice of Moses and consequently were deceived—and the deception continues to this day. When we stand before the throne of Heaven, what will be our individual testimonies to our Lord and Savior? Will it be the supreme authority of religious tradition? Will it be the supreme authority of famous names of renown? Or will it be the supreme authority of Scripture? For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, there is no intent to create traditions or stories, but to be worthy of the divinely inspired story already written. Let us not silence the prophecy God marked in the Law of Moses. The Old Testament Law stands: the day of Christ’s return for his church corresponds to the holy day marked by God. What we do not know about that day is the hour of the day—on the Feast of Trumpets—that Christ will return for his church. In Christ’s prophecy about this subject, he said: Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. . . . You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Luke 12:35–38, 40) When Christ prophesied of the “hour,” he referred to the thought he just introduced: “the second or third watch of the night.” “Watch” refers to a unit of time into which the night was divided when people were charged to “watch,” or be on guard. In another prophecy about his return, Christ said, “keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn” (Mark 13:35). The Messiah referenced four specific “watches,” or times of the night that could mark his return. (The Romans divided the twelve-hour night into four watches: “evening,” “midnight,” “when the rooster crows,” and “at dawn.”) Whereas God identified the exact hour on the Feast of Passover that Christ would be crucified, God has kept the exact hour of Christ’s return on the Feast of Trumpets a mystery—exhorting the church to “keep watch” throughout this holy day and be ready. Once Christ and his church are both in Heaven, God will fulfill his end-time promises to the followers of the Old Covenant on Earth. Those promises include the next major, divine event: the second stage of the second coming of Christ—his return for Israel. Known as the Apocalypse, this divine event corresponds to the next feast to be fulfilled: the Day of Atonement. The sixth feast given to Moses was the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. It falls on the tenth day of the Hebrew month called Tishrei, and it is the most solemn day on the Hebrew calendar. The ten days that lead up to and include this day are referred to as the “Ten Days of Repentance.” They are the final ten days of the unique season of Teshuvah, and they are High Holy Days. God gave this final ten-day span of time for his people to examine their lives, pray for forgiveness, and return to what is right—before the Day of Atonement. Seven years will separate Christ’s return for his church and Christ’s return for Israel. (The prophet Daniel prophesied of this seven-year time span.) During these seven years, the followers of the Old Covenant will again have the opportunity to examine their lives in light of the Scriptures. As in Old Testament times during the season of Teshuvah, they will have the time to choose “life” before the Day of Atonement. As revealed throughout the Old and New Testaments, God’s track record is to create awareness and warn—before evil consumes the heart. He did so on an annual basis with the Israelites by way of the season of Teshuvah and the corresponding feasts. God revealed what is in his heart, regarding this matter of people living righteously: “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live” (Eze. 33:11). This heart of God can be seen throughout biblical records. In Old Testament times, an entire city received word from God that their evil stretched into the “heavens,” and God did not plan on allowing it to continue. Therefore, he sent a prophet, Jonah, to declare judgment. Jonah proclaimed the following: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” The Ninevites believed God. . . . When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: . . . “Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:4–10) Our Creator desires that we seek “life” through righteousness. Those in Nineveh chose “life” that day when they heard divine revelation. In contrast, when the Son of God came to Jerusalem, the Israelites did not embrace “life.” As he [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Luke 19:41–46) In the first century, God’s own people didn’t recognize the first coming of the Messiah. The religious leadership had a different agenda; they made God’s house of prayer “a den of robbers”; they had no intention of allowing Jesus to change that reality. The religious authorities that rejected Christ were blind to his presence and blind to the timing of God’s prophecy. Christ prophesied about Nineveh and Jerusalem in the same breath when he referred to the ultimate judgment, Judgment Day: “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation [in Jerusalem] and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one [Jesus] greater than Jonah is here” (Matt. 12:41). The inhabitants of Nineveh did not reject the truth when the prophet Jonah spoke it, and they shall testify to it in Heaven—condemning those of the generation in Jerusalem that chose to scoff at the truth. When God gave Moses the Law regarding the Day of Atonement, he gave his people a way to choose to be free from their sins, to be clean. “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you—because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. . . . He [the priest] is to put on the sacred linen garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place . . . and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community” (Lev. 16:29, 30, 32, 33). The high priest acted on behalf of the people to bring about this cleansing of sin. On the Day of Atonement the high priest entered into the holiest of all: the Holy of Holies in the temple. There he sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice (the sin offering) on the mercy seat, and it yielded the cleansing of sin. Of the many prophecies that refer to Christ’s return for followers of the Old Covenant, one given by the prophet Isaiah makes specific reference to the priestly responsibility that takes place on the Day of Atonement: the sprinkling of the blood. Isaiah prophesied, “so will he [Christ] sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him” (Isa. 52:15). In Heaven, Christ now reigns as the great high priest, and he shall return as King—and sprinkle the nations, and cleanse the Earth. The Day of Atonement is the most solemn day of the year because Heaven’s judgment is sealed. On this future day in time—on Yom Kippur—justice will be delivered to the Earth. The King shall return with his angels, which include his church. Those who were transformed immortal and the dead who were raised to eternal life shall return with their Lord: “The armies of heaven were following him [Christ], riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev. 19:14). (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints) (Rev. 19:8). “[T]he Lamb [Christ] will overcome . . . because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Rev. 17:14). This is the prophecy of the Apocalypse; it is the battle of Armageddon; it is the salvation of Israel; it is the Day of Atonement. [T]he Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. (2 Thess. 1:7–9 kjv) [T]he Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the Lord will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the Lord. (Isa. 66:15, 16) [T]he Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. . . . Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (Zech. 14:3–5) “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. . . . I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.” Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, “The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.” . . . “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” (Zech. 12:3–5; 13:1) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. . . . Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever. (Eze. 36:25, 26; 37:28) With evil defeated, and the cleansing complete, God shall establish the millennial kingdom: the 1000-year reign of Heaven on Earth. The seventh and final feast—the Feast of Tabernacles—foreshadows this magnificent time to come for our world. The Feast of Tabernacles calls to remembrance the time the children of Israel lived in the desert (the wilderness), following the exodus from Egypt. The Hebrew word for “tabernacle” means “booth, cottage . . . pavilion . . . [or] tent.” The Old Testament makes reference to the temporary dwellings in which the Israelites lived in the wilderness while on the path to the Promised Land. As recorded by Moses, the Feast of Tabernacles—which begins on the fifteenth day of Tishrei—lasts for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. (Lev. 23:41–43) This seven-day feast foreshadowed the millennial kingdom. This holy time calls to remembrance the wilderness experience and the supernatural presence of God. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (Exod. 13:21, 22) In the desert, the Israelites saw the hand of God, understood his presence, and knew he had delivered them—and built a sanctuary for him. It is written: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I [God] will dwell among them” (Exod. 25:8). As God dwelt with the Israelites and protected them in the wilderness, so shall the Son of God dwell and reign in this world. At this future time, immortal souls shall reign over the Earth and live with the mortal souls (those among the nations who lived through the final seven years of prophecy). For 1000 years, peace shall reign on this planet. What follows are prophecies about this divine, future time: “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.” (Zech. 2:10–12) In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isa. 2:2–4) The Feast of Tabernacles is also referred to as the “Festival of Ingathering” and the “Feast of the Nations.” As prophesied in the Old Testament, during the time of Heaven’s 1000-year kingdom, nations on Earth will celebrate this feast: “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16). The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the “Season of Our Joy.” It is the joy found in God’s deliverance and presence. This can be seen from the following prophecy that speaks of the coming millennial kingdom: e glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I [God] will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. (Isa. 65:18–24) This is the time of the glorious restoration of the nation of Israel by God Almighty—when all those who dwell in the Holy Land and throughout the world shall know the Creator. God’s hand of blessing shall extend not only to the living, but also to the dead; many who currently sleep in the grave shall rise to live in this coming kingdom. Just as there shall be a resurrection of the dead when Christ returns for his church on the Feast of Trumpets, there shall also be a resurrection of the dead when Christ returns for Israel on the Day of Atonement. The believers from Old Testament times shall rise from their graves to live in the millennial kingdom. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep, as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” The hand of the Lord was upon me [the prophet Ezekiel], and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” (Ezek. 36:37, 38; 37:1–14) revvel