Atlantis Online
March 29, 2024, 07:15:11 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Satellite images 'show Atlantis'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3766863.stm
 
  Home Help Arcade Gallery Links Staff List Calendar Login Register  

The Rapture: What Is It?

Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: The Rapture: What Is It?  (Read 879 times)
0 Members and 57 Guests are viewing this topic.
Keith Ranville
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2387

*


« on: March 05, 2010, 12:47:02 am »

End of the World,

Biblical Account: 

Gospels,  Daniel,    Revelation

 

  Order of the End of the World   

  The 7 Signs   

Abomination of Desolation   Antichrist

  Great Tribulation   

  Second Coming of Christ    Rapture

   Last  Judgment   The Great White Throne

   The 7 Parables of the Second Coming   Armageddon         

   

   Gospels Account

"On the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Jesus privately , saying: Tell us... what shall be the sign of your coming, and the end of the world?" (Matt.24:3).

The disciples tied both events in the same question: "Christ Second Coming", and "the End of the World" (or "the end of age").

 

For many Christians this question is at the heart of their lives, and they are daily expecting the Second Coming of Jesus, and being caught up in the clouds...

... Millions of Evangelicals already died without being part of this Rapture... and many are wrong thinking the Rapture will take place "before" the Great Tribulation, when the Bible account says clearly otherwise: The Rapture will be "after" the Great Tribulation.

... Many Christians are also mistaken when they believe that the "elect" will not have to suffer the Great Tribulation because they will be Raptured before it: The Bible says the "elect", or the "chosen ones", will be in the Great Tribulation, and they will be Raptured after it, and it says it twice! (Matt.24:24, 31).

... Other Christians are confused expecting a "Millennium" of peace and joy on earth, after the "Second Coming of Christ"... and this is wrong!, there is no place for it in the simple, clear description of Jesus of the End of the World, in the three Gospels... and, on top of it, there would have to be a "Third Coming of Christ" at the end of the Millennium... absurd!... no place for that!.

... Millions of Christians are confused, because they do not read the clear description of Jesus about the End of the World in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and they misinterpret the beautiful prophecies of Daniel, Revelation, 1 Thessalonians 4, 2 Thess.2, 1 Cor. 15...

... Among them are many Protestants, Evangelicals, Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses...

... To them I dedicate with love this simple writing.

 

The Order of the End of the World: As described in Matt.24, Mar.13, and Luc.21.

There are 4 main events, in the words of Jesus himself:

1- The 7 "signs" announcing it: Matt.24:4-14.

2- Abomination of Desolation: Matt.24:15-20. (For three and a half years.Dan.8, Rev.13)

   By the Antichrist.

3- Great Tribulation: Matt.24:21-28. (For another three and a half years. Dan.8, Rev.13).

    - The "elect" are on it (the Church!). It says it twice!

4- The Second Coming of Christ: Matt.24:29-41.

    - He will gather the "elect": Matt.24:34:31

    - Like in the times of Noah: Matt.24:36-39).

    - The Rapture: Matt.24:40-41.

    - The Last Judgment: Matt.24: 31-46.

5- The Parables.

The same Chronological Order is shown in Mark 13 and Luke 21, in the words of Jesus.

Then Matthew adds 4 parables, and Mark and Luke 2, to show us the way to live these times. Matt. 25 ends with the "Last Judgment", one the most glorious and practical pages of the Bible.

 

1- The 7 "signs" announcing the End (in Matthew 24:4-14):

They correspond to the "7 Seals" of Revelation, and they are called "labor pains" in v.8, coming every time stronger and with more duration.

1- The many "false prophets" that will deceive many, in v.5, corresponds to the 1st seal, the "white horse" (Rev.6:2). They are also in v.11, and in v.24, during the Great Tribulation.

2- "Wars and rumors of wars" in v.6; corresponds to the 2nd seal, the "red horse", in Rev.6:3.

3- "Famines" in v.7, corresponds to the 3rd seal, the "black horse" of Rev.6:5.

4- "Earthquakes", in v.7, corresponds to the 4th seal, the "pale green horse" in Rev.6:7.

5- "Persecutions and tortures to the elect", v.9, corresponds to the 5th seal in Rev.6:9-11.

6- "Many will fall away... lawlessness... the love of many will grow cold", v.10-11, corresponds to the 6th seal in Rev.6:12-17... and it is the "apostasy" or "the final rebellion against God" of 2Thess.2:3.

7- "This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world", v.14, corresponds to the 7th seal, in Rev.8:1, the 7 Trumpets!.

 

2- "The Abomination of Desolation" (in Matthew 24:15-20):

By the Antichrist

"When you see the Abomination of Desolation, of which Daniel spoke, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)...", in Matt.24:15.

When you go to "Daniel", he describes the horrors of this "Abomination" in 4 places: Daniel 8:11-17, 9:26-27, 11:31-32, 12:11.

These Abomination refers to the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem... but Daniel states that "the vision refers to the time of the End" (8:17), and Jesus himself refers us to it in Matt.24:15.

This abomination will be the very first thing the Antichrist will do, as reported here by Jesus.

 

This "Abomination" consists of 5 facts:

1- "He magnified himself even to the prince of the host" (8:11).

2- "Abolished the perpetual sacrifice" (8:11): And as a logical consequence, if there is no "sacrifice", there will be no "altar", and   no "priests" to offer it... this is the main and most important feature, described by Daniel in his four descriptions of the Abomination in the Holy Place.

3- "Threw down his sanctuary" (8:11).

4- "Shall destroy the city" (9:26).

5- By his deceit he shall make some who were disloyal to the covenant apostatize (11:26).

The Jews already have this Abomination: They have no sacrifice, no altar, no priests, no temple... as it was prophesied it will happen after  the coming of the Messiah.

For many Protestants this "Abomination" means very little, because they already do not have the "perpetual sacrifice", nor "sanctuary", nor "altar", nor "priests", nor the "prince of hosts", which in Christianity is the successor of Peter, the Pope...

The Orthodox already do not have the "prince of hosts", nor "the city", like the Vatican.

Many Catholics wonder how come the Mass and priests could be abolished... but this already happened partially at the coming of Muhammad when there were 800 Christian bishops in Africa, among them St. Augustine, and in a few years there were reduced to just 5!... the "remnant" always mentions by Isaiah. And when Martin Luther came, in a few years millions of Christians were left without sacrifice, altar, and priests... So, this is what it will happened at the coming of the Antichrist during the Abomination of Desolation, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be abolished, and consequently there will be no need for altars nor priests to celebrate it... and, of course, a "remnant" will be left!.

As described in Daniel 8 and Revelation 13, the "Abomination" will last for 3½ years, and the "Great Tribulation" for another 3½ years.

 

3- The "Great Tribulation" (Matt.24:21-28):

"Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matt.24:21).

... So, it shall be a greater tribulation than the Flood at the times of Noah, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the 10 plagues of Egypt...

The "elect", the Church, will be in the Great Tribulation repeats twice: "for the elect's shake those days shall be shortened... false Christs shall deceive the very elect, if it were possible" (Matt.24:22,24).

- The "restrainer":

St. Paul talks about "that" or "the one" who restrains the Antichrist to appear, or who withholds him to appear, in 2Thess.2:6-7... and that "restrainer" is Jesus in the Eucharist!... when the Eucharist is abolished, the Antichrist will appear with full force!.

 

4- The "Second Coming of Christ" (Matt.24:29-49).

"Immediately after the tribulation... they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (24:29-30).

Jesus tells us many things about this, "His Second Coming":

1- It will be "after the Tribulation"... "Immediately after the tribulation"!.

2- In v.31: "His angels, with a great sound of trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect"... those of  his Church who just passed the Great Tribulation.

3- It will be "like in the days of Noah", says in verses 37-39: At that time only were saved those who were in the Ark of God, which was the Ark where Noah was, all the other big ships shrunk and the people in them perished... now it will be the same: Only shall be saved those in the Ark of Christ, which is the Ark where Peter is!, or his successor, the Pope... all the other churches shall shrunk, and the people in them shall perish (2Pet.2:5).

4- The "Rapture": "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (24:40-41).

This is the time and order of the "Rapture" described in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, 1Cor.15:52... it will be "after" the Great Tribulation.

The essence of this Second Coming of Christ is "to Judge": The bad ones to Eternal Hell, and the good ones to Eternal Heaven... most beautifully described by Jesus himself at the end of the "Sermon of the End of the World", in the "Last Judgment" of Matt.25:31-46.

Jesus will come this time in glory, and he will not come "to save" anybody, but "to judge"... this is the time of salvation!... right now!... do not wait until the Second Coming of Jesus to be saved (2Cor.6:2).

Armageddon

 

4- The "Last Judgment":

This is the bottom line of the "Sermon of the End of the World", in Matthew 25:31-46, a long description!... its essence, the works!, the fruits!, is also the essence of the "Great White Throne" in Rev.20, and of Rom.2:5-10, 2Cor.5:10, Jn.5:29.

Many Protestants do not like it, do not understand it, and very rarely mention it, one of the most brilliant and practical pages of the Bible.

In the words of Jesus himself, in your Last Judgment, you will not be asked: Did you had faith in Christ, or in Buddha, or in Moses?... you shall only be asked: Did you give bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty?... so, come in!.

.... You shall not be asked: Were you a Catholic, or a preacher, or a Muslim, or a Hindu?... you shall be asked: Did you clothed the naked, and visited the sick and those in prison?... so, come in!...

You shall not be judged for the "free gifts" you received, but for what you did with those gifts, for the "fruits" you produced!...You shall not be judged for the strong hands you have or for your beautiful face, but for what you did with those hands and face... you shall not be judged for the gift of faith, or the gift of the Bible you received, or for the Church you belong to, but you shall be judged for what you did with that faith, and for you did with the knowledge you got from the Bible, and for what you did with the help of the Church...

"St. Paul", repeats the same in Rom.5:2-11, and he is still more specific when he ends up saying "for God shows no partiality", he shall judge with the same measure the Christian, and the Muslim, and the Hindu, and the carnival of 5,000 years ago... each one shall be judged by the "fruits" he produced, not by the "gifts" he received, because "there is no partiality with God" (Rom.5:11).

        In the "Great White Throne" of Rev.20, the "works" are the only reason mentioned. The faith or the church you belong to are not even mentioned!... "And the dead were judged according to the works, as recorded in the books", and repeats it again: "the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Rev,20:12,13)... the "works", the "works", repeats twice!... the "fruits" made with the free gifts, not for the "gifts"!.

Description of the "Last Judgment":

The "King"... and "all of us":

This "Last Judgment" of Matt.25, starts presenting Jesus, the King, on his throne of glory, escorted by all the angels... and there we are, all of us!... since Adam to the last person on earth... the living and the dead... all the nations assembled!, since the beginning of the world... the Egyptians, the Romans, the Chinese, Americans, Christians, Hindus, Muslims... all of us!... the living and the dead, because the dead will be resurrected with same body and soul they had on earth... and they will be first! (1Thess.4:13-16)...

... And each one of us shall be judged by his or her "works", by what he or she did with the free gifts he or she received... because "there is no partiality with God" (Rom.2:11).

It is glorious:

Whatever we do to our neighbor, we do it "to Jesus"... 13 times Jesus repeats it!... nor "for Jesus", but "to Jesus himself"!... though there is a Bible that wrongly translates "for m", instead of "to me" or "unto me" in verses 41 and 45 of Mat.25.

... If we give bread to a nun, we are giving bread to Jesus... if we give water to a Jew, we are giving it to Jesus... if we cloth a Muslim or a Hindu, or a drug-addict, we are clothing Jesus himself!...

... If we do not give the bread of truth to a pagan, we are not giving it to Jesus... if we do not teach an ignorant, we are not teaching Jesus... if we hate an African, or an European, or a Mormon, we are hating Jesus himself...

... 13 times repeats it Jesus, and ends up saying: "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me"... not "for me", as some Bibles translate, but "unto me"... "unto Jesus himself"! (Matt.25:40)...

... And Jesus ends up the long and most practical discourse saying: "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, the righteous into life eternal" (Matt.25:45-46").

... I pray you and I are among those on the right side, who go into "life eternal" on the day of the Last Judgment, at the end of the world.

 

... Then, the "Faith"?:

... Then, if the "works" are the only one requirement in the Last Judgment, what about the "Faith"?... is there a "contradiction" in the Bible?:

No, there is not a contradiction: The "Faith" is a very important "free gift" that God gives to us... we all want to love, but nobody can love, because we all are "selfish", we love ourselves, and "selfishness" is exactly the opposite of love... but if God is in us, then we are going to love, and not us, but God who is in us...

... And the way to have "God in us", is "by Faith"... by Faith in the Son, or faith in the Father, says John 3:36 and 5:24... and that's why is so important the gift of "Faith"... Faith is the foundation of Christianity, because only by Faith we can have God in us... and only with God in us we can do good works to be written in the book of life, for the Great White Throne judgment...

... By faith we are saved from the devil, and receive God in us, becoming children of God... Faith is the very foundation of Christianity... but we are not yet in heaven!... we are still on earth, and still "free" to reject God... by Faith we do not become "robots" nor "animals"... we still can sin!... and , in fact, we all sin after having been saved by faith!... we all still can become another Judas!...

... So, who can deliver us from this body of death that we are?: The grace of God -thanks be to him- through Jesus Christ our Lord... because we, with the mind serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin...

... This is why "Faith" is very essential, the most important treasure-gift we can receive from God... the only one capable of making us erupt in love, and joy, and peace... the only one gift to save us from our selfishness, making us capable of doing "good works"... "Faith in the Son", or "Faith in the Father", says John 3:36 and 5:24...

... We don't have faith because we do good works, but we have faith, as a free gift from God, to do good works... like the Prince: He is not a Prince because he does good works, but because he is the son of the King... but he is a Prince to do good works, though he still can do nothing, or do bad works, becoming a bad Prince, deserving severe punishment, because he had many "talents", many "gifts", but he did use them.

 

... And the "Church", and the "Bible"?:

Again, both are very important free gifts from God, millions did not have them!... and you will not go to Heaven because you read the Bible, or because you belong to the Church of Christ, but because of what you did using these two great treasures!...

... You can be in the Church, or read the Bible, and still sin... and, in fact, we all Christians sin!...

... Otherwise, millions in the world never have the Gospels nor the Church of Christ... nobody before Christ!... and Jesus himself told us that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets are in Heaven (Matt.8:11, Luc.13:28)... because "there is no partiality with God", who wants every human in Heaven, everyone since Adam!... and He shall judge each one of us particularly with the same measure: The "good works" each one did, written in the "books of life" of Rev.20:11-15, in the "Great White Throne" of judgment.

 

5- The "Parables":

The 3 Gospels add "parables" to this "Chronological Order of the End of the World" to show us the way to live these times.

Mark 13, and Luke 21, describe 2 parables. Matthew, in two chapters, 24 and 25, with 4 parables, and ends up with the incomparable "Last Judgment" of chapter 25, with the same substance that the "Great White Throne" of Rev.20.

1- The "fig tree" (Matt.24:32):

This is the first parable described in the three Gospels, to emphasize the importance of reading the "signs" of the coming of the End of the World.

 

2- The Times of Noah (Matt.24:37-39). Already commented.

 

3- The Rapture (Matt.24:40-42). Already commented.

 

4- Coming like a "thief" (Matt.24:42-44):

This is the second parable in the 3 Gospels, emphasizing the need to be "alert" at all times, because Jesus will come at the time least expected, like a burglar does... keep alert!... stay awake!... they repeat on and on... be prepared at all times... because nobody knows the day of his coming, not even the Son, only the Father (Matt.24:36)... the Son as a man, does not know it, in the same way that the Son as a child could not speak, nor walk, and had to be fed... as God He knows it, of course!.

"The day of our Death": This is most important for you and for me, because the End of the World for you and for me will be "the day of our death"... as it was the End of their World for St. Paul, and Kennedy, and Stalin... the day they died!.

Matthew says that "the coming of the Lord will be like lightening striking". Luke describes it saying: "That day will come upon you unexpectedly, like a trap"... so will be the day of your death and mine, "unexpected", "like a trap", all of a sudden, "like lightening striking"... and so will be the "end of the world", as described by 1Cor.15:52: "we shall be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet"... so will be the end of the world, and most important, the end of your world and mine... on the day of our unexpected death!.

 

5- The faithful and wise slave (Matt.24:45-51):

To emphasice that the faithful servant will go to Heaven, and the wicked one to Hell, "where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth"

 

6- The "Ten Virgins", or the "Ten Bridesmaids" (Matt.25:1-13):

In Matt.25, emphasizing again the need to be prepared at all times... the bottom line is again, "stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour" (Matt.3513)... we don't know the time of our death, the "end of the world" for us!.

 

7- The "Parable of the Talents" (Matt.25:14-30):

It is described in Matt.25, mentioned in Luc.21, and also described in Luk.18.

It is most important for us, emphasizing the importance of "our work": We will not be saved for the "talents" or "gifts" we have received, but for what we did with those talents or gifts... for our "fruits"... we will not be saved for the "gifts" of our hands, or heart, or faith, or Bible received, but for what we did with our hands, and our faith, and our heart, and our Bible received...

We will not be saved for the talent of being in the Church, or for the talent of being a preacher or a senator... but for what we did with those talents, with those free gifts... we will be judged for our "talents", but for our "fruits".

Many Protestants do not like this parable, but it is the teaching of all the Bible, and it is overemphasized in the description of the "Last Judgment", as we saw.

 

In the "Book of Daniel":

The same chronological order of the "End of the World" is presented in the Book of Daniel, not with so many details, and called there the "End of Times":

In Daniel 12:

1- There shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations have been until that time (12:1)... this the Great Tribulation.

2- The deed shall awake, some for everlasting life, and some to shame for everlasting contempt... in the Second Coming of Christ.

In Daniel 7:

1- The Antichrist and the great tribulation, in 7:1-12.

2- The coming of one like a Son of man with the clouds, given everlasting dominion, in 7:13-14.

 

In Revelation:

The same chronological order is shown, though is a little more complicated, and there is no space here to deal with it. I have written a book on it, but it is "in Spanish", and I will be glad to send it to you... we already commented the Great White Throne.

Come "for" his saints...:

Some Christians are confused thinking that Jesus has to come "for" his saints, in order to come later "with" his saints.

Jesus does not have to come for the "good thief", because he is already in Paradise (Luc.23:43)... and surely this "good thief" is not in Paradise all alone... surely, Peter, and Paul, and John, and millions of others are already in Paradise with the good thief... Jesus does not have to come "for" his saints, they are already with him!...

... And otherwise, it will mean two more Comings of Christ!, one before the Millennium, and another after it, which has no place in the Bible.

You and I are going to die, and soon!... before 100 years!... and two eternities are waiting for us, believe it or not: Eternally in Hell, or eternally in Heaven...

... I pray that you and I will go to eternal Heaven, with the "good thief" of Luc.23:43, and with Abraham, and St. Peter, and St. Therese... and if you are not a Christian, I pray you to go forever to the same glorious Heaven of  Virgin Mary, and St. Joseph, and Jesus the Messiah (the Christ in Greek). Amen.

 http://www.religion-cults.com/millennium/endworld.htm
Report Spam   Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum
Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy