The Second Coming differs from the Harpazo 519-2 - 23 - 2

Always interesting to write on a familiar subject and compare today's and past thoughts.

According to “The Doctrine of Immanency” we can expect Jesus at any moment; there is nothing more required for the Rapture of the Church to occur. The Church will have been caught up to the Lord in the "Blessed Hope" before the Second Coming of Christ. There are many names for the Second Coming of Christ such as “Day of the Lord” and as “The Day of Vengeance of our God” in Isaiah 61:2.

Past leanings. “While the rapture can occur at any time, the Second Coming of Christ will be predictable once future events have set it in motion. The seven year tribulation starts with the signing of a covenant between the Anti-christ and Israel. Horrific as the first 3 1/2 years will be, the last half of the tribulation will be the time of Jacob's troubles with a Holocaust unlike anything ever occurring before.  The Second Coming of Christ will bring the tribulation to an end.”

While I want to believe that we, the Church, will be caught up before the start of the seven year Tribulation, I’m not so sure. Revelation 12 has the woman being pursued by the dragon while holding a baby. The baby ascends and the woman is transported to Petra to be protected during the three and a half years of Jacob's troubles. The baby is Jesus and the woman is the remnant of Israel. We, the Church, are the body of Christ so do we get caught up with Jesus, the Head of the Church? This strongly suggests a mid-tribulation rapture.

Pre-trib, mid-trib aside, we will not be here to go through all or half of the seven year tribulation which starts with the covenant between Israel and the Anti-Christ. A preview of the Second Coming of Christ is detailed in Isaiah 63:1-4 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.”

Again, the Church will not go through wrath of God, the final three and a half years of the tribulation. Rather we will return with Jesus to witness Him “treadeth in the winefat” and more as He destroys the army of the son of perdition. Then a thousand year Millennium. And finally one last unsuccessful attempt by Satan to overthrow Jesus and the "New Heaven."

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is a guide to give evidence that our hope is not tied to this world but is found in Christ 540 - 4 - 4

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 13, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

Unlike unbelievers we are assured that someday we will be in the presence of Jesus as is the case with those believers who have passed.

2 Corinthians 5:8, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." So those present with the Lord will come with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, “15, For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16, 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:”

First those who are present with the Lord will rise.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18, 17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18, Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

While we wait for the Blessed Hope we are to be a separate people. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

I have to constantly remind myself that I’m just passing through on the way to my eternal home. That said, it is so easily to get caught up in the day-to-day drama of world politics and with friends and family drama. Good words to live by in this fallen world: Psalm 34:14, "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."

As a believer, I strive to honor God and not to be a stumbling block to others. I’m fortunate in the fact that I passed the biblical threescore and ten and yearly feel more removed from this secular world. Evil is growing exponentially and seems to be more persuasive as many are rushing through the wide gate that leads to destruction.

Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

the three major viewpoints of the rapture of the Church: Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation and Post-Tribulation 544 - 8 - 6

Church (capital C) refers believers in the simple message of the Gospel.

Call it the Rapture, The Harpazo or the Blessed Hope, it will be the greatest event in a believers life. Jesus will call us home, what a wonderful day that will be. CM calls it “The most preposterous doctrine in Evangelical Christianity.” A preposterous doctrine with a scriptural bases.

1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught (G726) up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

G726 - harpazō - From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

Pre-Tribulation Rapture is Jesus coming for His Church before the start of the seven year tribulation and this view is in accordance with “The Doctrine of Imminency.” We can expect Jesus at any moment; there is nothing more required for the Rapture of the Church to occur. 

The Jewish Wedding is analogous to what will happen in the lead up to the rapture. Jesus, the bridegroom, ascended into his father's house to prepare a place for his bride, the Church, just as was done in biblical time. Just as the bride was to be ready as the bridegroom could come at any time, the Church should eagerly anticipate the coming of Jesus for his Church.

A Mid-Tribulation Rapture embraces the belief that the Church will be caught at the midpoint of the seven year tribulation before the start of the final three and half years known as the time of Jacob’s troubles.

A post-Tribulation rapture point of view claims that the church will go through the seven year Tribulation. We would meet ourselves in the clouds as Jesus calls us to him as He descended to earth.  We would be going up and coming down at the same time.  No, the Church will not go through the Tribulation!
Both the mid- trib rapture and a post-trip rapture point of view deny “The Doctrine of Imminency,” however….

While there are several Scriptures that imply that the Church will be removed prior to the Tribulation, I have a question concerning Revelation 12:5-6, “She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.”

The woman is Israel fleeing after the desecration of the Temple as the Son of Prediction breaks his covenant with Israel after 3 ½ years. The Son of the woman/Israel is Jesus and if His ascension to the Father represents the Church, could this be mid-trib rapture?

Regardless of my question concerning Revelation 12:5-6, I am still of the belief that the rapture of the church will take place before the start of the seven year tribulation. That said, does it mean that there’ll be no persecution of Christians prior to the start of the tribulation.

Christians are being imprisoned, tortured and murdered in many parts of the world. Evil as the jihadists have been over the years, there is a new group quickly developing that appears to be demonically possessed. Members of ISIS are murdering Christians and non-Christians alike. They also are murdering their fellow Muslims due to differing beliefs. While we in America have been relatively safe since 9/11, we live under the growing threat of jihadists within our country.

How can we hasten His Coming? How are you doing these things? 501-2 - 8 - 7.

Much as I long for the blessed hope, I wake up every morning and find myself still here on planet earth. I say “not my will but Thy will be done” and think but please hurry. So daily I long for His appearing. In 2 Timothy 4 Paul writes: 6 for I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day —and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” I long for Jesus to come for us and should I get “A crown of righteousness,” just the icing on the cake. In Revelation 22:20 we read, “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

If praying for His appearing will hasten His coming I can be counted on. The example given in our teaching is from Revelation 22:8, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.” The angel added, 9 “But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” So….I do.

I seek to win souls as the saved person will have a far better eternity then the unsaved person. Also just that one more soul may be the one that completes the “full number of the Gentiles,” We are told in Romans 11:25, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,” I love Israel and long for them to have the scales removed from their eyes.

I’m back at it on the eBay Soapbox chat room and the discussion thread “So let me get this straight, if Evolution is now considered a scientific...” After much back and forth with one member his latest, “So you prefer to ignore my questions. That's fine. Thought your job was to educate me. Are my questions not valid or you doing have an answer for it?” I took a short cut and referred him to an article in May 2012 Personal Update NewsJournal. Much as I seek to being this individual into the Kingdom, he is wearing me down. The up-side is that I have an opportunity to post information that might reach someone with “ears to hear.”

Which Pauline epistle is your favorite? Explain why and quote your favorite Pauline verse.BIB501-2-7-1

Who was there like Paul? Before his conversion, Paul, then known as Saul, persecuted the followers of Jesus. He was given the awesome privilege of seeing the risen Christ and went from persecuting those of the Way to being one of the persecuted. Earlier Paul, then Saul, witnessed the stoning of Stephen and held the coats of the men who accused Stephen. As an aside, when Stephen saw heaven opening up he saw Jesus standing at the right side of God. Standing not seated as usually described; a special honor for Stephen.

Paul may have spent several years after his conversion on the road to Damascus being tutored by the Master Himself. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul speaks to the simplicity of the gospel; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Paul also tells of the wonders of “The Blessed Hope.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53,”Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

For those who will pass/ have passed before the Blessed Hope, there is hope through the risen Christ, 42 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.”

As for my favorite Pauline verse(s): 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

At the end only Luke and possibly Mark were with Paul. However one quick bite of the axe and Paul was alive in Christ.

PRO501 WK3 DQ#4 Will the Church go through the Great Tribulation? Defend your position.

There is the church lower case c, the building and the Church upper case, the believers in salvation through grace. These believers, and I count myself as one, will not go through the Great Tribulation. I also believe that the Church will not even go through the first half of the Tribulation.

The Seven churches of the Book of Revelation reflect a time-line of the churches.
1. Ephesus - The Apostolic Church
2. Smyrna - The Persecuted Church
3. Pergamos - The Married Church
4. Thyatira - The Medieval Church
5. Sardis – The Denominational l Church
6. Philadelphia – The Missionary Church
7. Laodicea - The Apostate Church

Thyatira is tied to “that woman Jezebel”. I’m reading “The Woman Rides the Beast: the Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days” written by Dave Hunt and referred to by Dr. Missler. It is both an interesting book and very controversial, so my kind of reading.

Many who call themselves Christians are in a modern day Laodicea church, lower case c. These are the churches that Jesus will spit out. 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Jude had much to say about the apostate church as well. We sure don’t want to be counted as a church member in a Laodicea church.

The Blessed Hope known as the Rapture, or Harpazo, involves Jesus coming for His Church in the clouds. The Second Coming is when Jesus actually comes to the earth to establish His kingdom. Those of us who believe that the Church will be removed prior to the seven-year period (the 70th Week) are known as pre-tribulationalists. References to the Rapture are found in John 14:1-3, 1 Thess. 4:13-18 and 1 Cor. 15:51-53. If the Church were to go through the seven year Tribulation, we would meet ourselves in the clouds as Jesus called us to him as He descended to earth. No, the Church will not go through the Tribulation!

The purpose of the "time of Jacob's trouble, the Great Tribulation is to drive Israel to return to God: Hosea 5:15, "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”

Those left behind who become believers and survive the tribulation will be blessed with quite a sight. Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”