• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • THE RAPTURE
    • RAPTURE LETTERS
      • Letters to Loves Ones
  • RESOURCES
    • BOOKS
    • NEWS FEEDS
    • LINKS
    • GLOSSARY
  • NEWS
  • SUPPORT
  • CONTACT

Pretribulation Rapture

The Rapture of the Church Explained

  • MEDIA
    • RAPTURE VIDEOS
  • FAQ
  • END TIMES
  • SIGNS
    • Times of the Signs
      • News Feeds
  • PROPHECY
  • YOU DECIDE
  • PASTORS
You are here: Home / Archives for pre-tribulation

pre-tribulation

In Case We are Strangely Missing

January 9, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

Dear One and All,

I am writing to you because I know that if anyone in the family is concerned about our whereabouts, it will be you who bothers to check on us if possible, by making a trip down here unless Marshall Law has been declared because of the current chaotic condition. It has been my desire for a number of years to leave something behind in case we are strangely missing, along with many thousands (or millions) of other people.

I know how strange this must sound, and I feel rather ridiculous to be writing such a page, yet feel an unexplained urgency to do so. It is currently the end of February 1998, however when you read this it will be later on in the future sometime at an undetermined date. I’m afraid you will someday look back on past conversations, and see that we were right all along. By then it may be too late, unless it’s early in the game and you will listen now…please, your life is at stake here.

My first piece of advice to you is…don’t trust anybody…especially the government or news media. What they are telling you regarding this massive disappearance is NOT, I repeat NOT the truth! If you are believing them, you are under a strong false delusion. Right now, however you need to know what happens next. Please leave room for human error…I never claimed to be a prophet. For truth and accuracy regarding what will be happening right now and for the next 7 years, read the book of Revelation in the Bible starting with chapter four.

And what do we say to you, now that we are gone and you all remain? I guess, study. Study, read, see if what I am saying to you and what is happening in the world is consistent with Biblical scripture. If what I am saying to you is true, then consider who Jesus was. Read the Gospel of John for that information. We would plead with you to recognize who He is and invite Him to be your Lord and Savior now, while you still have a chance… before you must stand before Him in judgment. It will be too late then. The world is now in judgment; there is still time, albeit short. Like a woman in labor with pain increasing intensity and frequency, so the events soon to take place will deliver you up to the battle of Armageddon.

Where’d Everybody Go?
Right now, I’m sure there’s a tremendous battle going on, with various points of view trying to explain why millions of people just suddenly vanished. (And we are assuming at this particular point in time, and from what the Bible seems to indicate, that this will be a literal physical disappearance). Because it’s likely that the media will be teaming with possible explanations for the disappearances, most likely the final explanation will be that we were all abducted by aliens. Don’t buy it! What I will do is tell you what did cause this supernatural event, and it was supernatural. The mass disappearance of all these people was the result of the Lord Jesus Christ removing all true believers, [those of us who acknowledge Jesus Christ as being the only true God Who died in our place, rising from the dead three days later, and who we have asked personally to forgive our sins and be the Lord of our lives], from off the earth. This catching up of the true believer into heaven is referred to as the rapture the Church. Maybe you remember us talking about that in times past. Those of us who are true believers have been looking forward to Jesus returning for some time now, and especially because most of the signs of His coming have taken, or are taking place right now. Anyway…this is what happened…

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:16-17)

This event is known as, the rapture (or the catching up) of the church. The original Greek word for “caught up” means to “snatch by force”. Don’t look for the word “rapture” in the Bible…it’s not there.

Why Didn’t He Take Me?
Because you are reading this after the rapture, you need to realize that you have been left behind.

At this time you may be feeling rejected by God. You might be saying to yourself, “Why didn’t he take me?” or “I don’t understand; I’ve led on good life.” The problem wasn’t that God rejected you; the problem is that you have rejected Him. By not believing and committing your life to Jesus, you have left him with no other choice but to leave you behind. God is a gentleman and won’t force Himself on anybody.

“And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son, has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” (1 John 5:11-12)

Is There Hope For Me?
Depending on how early you read this, you may have heard people say, “Because we’ve missed the rapture, we are lost forever.” If you do hear something like this, whoever they are, there assumption is flat wrong. As long as you have breath in your lungs, you can gain salvation by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior.

“… him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.”(John 6:37)

“Come unto me, all that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.(Matthew 11:28)

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”(John 1:12)

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”(Isaiah 1:18)

According to Revelation, there will be a huge number of people saved during the tribulation. Some scholars have predicted that tribulation believers would grow to out number the saints that were just raptured.

“After these things, I looked, and, behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, and all tribes and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands;” (Revelation 7:9)

“…And he said to me, These are the ones who come out of great tribulation, and they have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)

Why do I need Jesus Christ to be my Savior?
To be allowed to pass through the gate’s of heaven you need to have all your sins removed, and the only industrial strength cleanser that I know is strong enough to thoroughly remove sin stains is the blood of Jesus Christ. You could say heaven is much like the “clean rooms” where computer companies make their microchips, or an operating room where sin is like dirt or any other airborne contagion that might try to find its way into one those rooms.

The manufacturing process for microchips requires “clean rooms” to be absolutely spotless, having virtually zero free-floating dust or dirt particles that could damage the delicate microchips. Because humans are naturally contaminated with all kinds of dirt and dust particles, whenever a worker enters one of these “clean rooms,” they need to wear a special suit that prevents them from giving off particles. To prevent heaven from becoming contaminated with sin particles, God has long set the requirement that anyone desiring to enter into his untarnished dwelling place needs to be covered in the blood of Jesus.

The sin decontamination process is very simple – your simply ask Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for it. First you admit your sinful state, then you ask Jesus to forgive you of your wrong-doings, and then you ask Him to become the Lord in your life.

By dying on the cross, Jesus has made it possible for each of us to be granted a full pardon from the punishment of eternal damnation. The reason so few people take God up on the offer of being pardoned is that most people don’t think they need a Savior or they want to find their own way of salvation. Your wealth cannot get you into heaven any more than your good works. Your wealth means nothing to God and is of no value…

‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” (Revelation 3:17)

“Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” (Proverbs 11:4)

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9-10)

There is absolutely nothing we can do to obtain righteousness, not infant baptism, the faith of our parents, or other good works included. When we accept Jesus, we put off our old filthy rags and put on Jesus’ righteousness.

‘Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6)

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”(Matthew 16:24-26)

“…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved; for with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:9-10)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”(John 3:16)

There Will be Strong Delusion
Jesus foretold that false prophets would arise using “great signs and wonders” to trick people into believing satanic lies. Now, the Antichrist arrives on the scene. A man who is the head of a ten-nation confederacy, most probably the EU, who makes or confirms a peace contract with Israel. He seems to solve all the problems of the world and he will seem like the most benevolent leader that has ever held office. However, by the end of the tribulation, he will easily make the likes of Hitler and Stalin look like,” good ole boys.”

“…the one coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not love the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11)

” For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matt. 24:24)

Because the lies of the Antichrist and false prophets will be so pervasive, you will need to assume everything and anything in the mass media is tainted doctrine. Your only source for the truth must now exclusively come from the Bible.

Do Not Trust Christian Leaders
In the coming days, you are going see and hear messages from some of the biggest names in Christendom on radio and TV, and these messages won’t be ones recorded before the rapture. The broadcasts you’ll be hearing will be either be live or taped after the rapture. They will be from religious leaders that have also been left behind. Millions of people may be being reassured by the religious media that their favorite Christian celebrity is still here on earth. I expect most of these well-know leaders, possibly out of embarrassment, will be working feverishly to disprove the rapture event. Many religious and political leaders will be attempting to persuade you into believing some logical explanation for the rapture-all will be contrary to the word of God.

Enduring to the End
Well, here comes the unpleasant news. You will likely have to choose martyrdom if you wish to maintain your commitment to Jesus Christ. There will be no middle ground. During this period of time, you will have to choose between two masters – the new World Leader (Antichrist) or Jesus Christ.

Your decision to follow Jesus will not be a popular one. The majority of the world’s populous will soon be falling captive to the Antichrist’s hypnotic words. Because true believers will refuse to join the chorus of praise, the Antichrist will demand that all nonconforming Christians be put to death.

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindred’s, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man has an ear, let him hear. He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.” Revelation 13:7-10)

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” (Revelation 6:9-11)

At first it may seem rather easy to secretly be a follower of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, very soon the Antichrist will be requiring everyone to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead. This electronic implant or tattoo will be the means by which everyone buys and sells goods and services. If you do not have this implant, it will become quiet obvious.

“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”( Revelation 13:17)

Because the Bible says that everyone who receives this implant (mark of the beast) will be eternally lost, I’m going to highly advise you to decline the offer when the government informs you, they have your implant ready for insertion.

“And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:11)

In the coming persecution, you will likely be faced with the greatest amount of trials that Christians have ever had to endure in world history.

The good news here is that you will know how long you will have to endure. >From the time the Antichrist declares himself to be God (in the newly rebuild Jewish temple in Jerusalem) , there will be only 1260 days until Christ returns to earth.

“And you shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:22)

Post-Rapture Survival Guide
Let me be real frank with you. If you are reading this manual and the rapture has already occurred, then you probably are not going to physically survive; you most likely will die. This manual is about the survival of your soul. The horrible things which are about to come upon the earth are listed below, however, some are interpretations or speculations of scriptural passages. Whether they are literal or only somewhat accurate, you are going to go through terrible suffering. The first 3-1/2 years will be a picnic, the last 3-1/2 years will be a literal hell. The only question is whether you will go to heaven or go to hell when you die. Know this, however, that you have the longest seven years of your life ahead of you right now.

Definition: Rapture- This is the event that will occur when Jesus calls His followers (both gentile and Jewish believers) with a trumpet blast, and in the “twinkling of an eye” they will be removed from the earth and transported to be with Jesus in the heavens.

Biblical Foundation for the Rapture
“Take notice, I am telling you a secret. We shall not all die but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed. ” I Corinthians 15:51-52

“For with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven, and those who died in Christ will rise first. Afterward we, the living who remain, will be caught up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall forever be with the Lord.” I Thessalonians 4:16-17

“…For I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when I have gone and have prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself so that where I am, you also will be.” John 14:2-3

Signs of the Times
When Jesus disciples asked Him about the signs that would be a precursor to His coming and the end of the age He responded that there would be (Matthew chapter 24):

� Wars and rumors of wars
� Nation will rise against nation. It is very interesting to note that the Greek word that is translated as nation is “ethnos” which deals with ethnic background and race. Most of the wars and conflicts in the 1980’s and 1990’s were wars amongst ethnic groups and tribes.
� Kingdom will rise against kingdom
� Famines
� Earthquakes “these will be like the early pangs of childbirth”, that is, as the time grows nearer and nearer to His coming, the frequency and intensity of these five signs will increase.
� The followers of Jesus will be handed over to be persecuted and killed -This is happening with more frequency in the Moslem controlled nations in the Middle East and in Africa where Black Moslems are enslaving Black Christians.
� Christians will be hated by all nations on account of His name. In many parts of the world Christians are jailed and killed for their beliefs; in the United States those who are Christians are hated by the media and liberals and are known by the code words “religious right”.
� Many will fall away…that is, many who claimed to be Christians will recant their faith and betray and hate Christians.
� Many false prophets will ariseand deceive many.
� Due to excessive lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold

After the Rapture
Shortly after the rapture, a seven year period known in the Bible as the Great Tribulation will take place. It will begin with the confirmation of a peace agreement between Israel and her enemies and it will end with the physical return of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom on earth. In between will be seven years of terror for those on earth. The following events and trends will take place in increasing intensity during that seven year period (these events are not necessarily chronological):

� A man will arise who will achieve victory after victory both in politics and in war. This man, who should be easily identified by his rapid rise and popularity, is THE anti-christ. Many people believe that this person must be Jewish. That is, in order for Jews to accept him as Messiah, only a Jew will suffice. This is not necessarily the case; the Bible does not specify that he is a Jew, and it does not specify nationality. Only God-fearing Jews will require a Jewish Messiah. He is to come from a ten nation confederacy, the “revived Roman Empire”, most likely the European Union. The liberal ungodly Jews who dominate Israel will be as lost when it comes to Biblical truth as the gentiles of the world and will be deceived by his charisma, and more than likely, the desires of the world’s media.
� The “world dictator” (anti-christ) will allow the Jewish Temple to be re-built in Jerusalem where three and a half years after confirming a peace contract with Israel will break that contract and will go into the Jewish Temple and proclaim that he is God and is to be worshipped. He makes an image of himself to be worshipped.
� People will be required by the world dictator to receive a mark (possibly a tattoo or an implant) in their right hand or forehead in order to buy and sell. Those who receive this mark will develop a “loathsome and malignant sore” on their bodies with short period of time.
� A third of the earth, one-third of all trees and all the green grass will be burned up due to a comet or meteor (speculated), that hits the earth.
� Violence will increase in all parts of the world both nation against nation (ethnic wars) and domestically. Men will indiscriminately slay one another as peace will be removed from the earth.
� There will be extreme inflation, poverty, and lack of food. One day’s wages will buy enough food for one day for one person. The richer you are, the better.
� In a very short period of time, one-quarter of the earth’s population will be killed due to wars, famine, pestilence and wild beasts. These wild beasts could be literal and/or could very well be viruses, bacteria and other microbes. In late 1995 Time magazine ran a cover story on the rise of new infections and called microbes “malevolent little beasts”.
� Many people will experience a religious conversion and become followers of Jesus Christ and most of these people will be hunted down and killed.
� There will be a great earthquake, the sun will be blackened, the moon will turn red and all mountains and islands (which are underwater mountains) will be moved.
� There will be a brief period of calm on the earth following this great earthquake which will give those who survive a false sense of security.
� A meteor, a nuclear weapon, or maybe a volcanic eruption (speculated), will hit the earth causing the sea to become like blood (possibly coagulated), killing one-third of all sea creatures and destroying one-third of all shipping.
� A “star” named Wormwood (bitterness) will fall from the sky and poison one-third of all fresh water killing many people. It is interesting to note that the Russian word, “Chernobyl” means bitterness.
� The sun, moon and stars will be darkened by one-third. The day and night will be reduced by one-third. There is some speculation that this means the rotation of the earth will be changed so that a day lasts only 16 hours instead of 24 hours.
� Fearsome locust-like beings will be released from underground who only attack people who have the mark in their forehead or right hand, who are not followers of Jesus Christ. These attacks will be very painful but last only 5 months. People will try to commit suicide, but can’t die.
� Two men (known as witnesses, see item 6 below) of Jewish origin will preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ for 3 1/2 years and be killed at the midpoint of the 7 year tribulation. These two will be responsible for a 3 1/2 year world-wide drought
� The oceans will chemically change and become like the blood of a dead man (coagulated?) and everything in the sea will die.
� The fresh waters will become like blood.
� The sun will scorch the people on earth with fierce heat.
� The throne of the world leader (anti-christ) and his kingdom will become darkened.
� The Euphrates river will dry up allowing the armies from the orient to march westward.
� Possible nuclear exchange, modern warfare escalating to the point of near destruction of mankind and the earth.
� The kings of the world will gather their armies together to battle God at the Valley of Mageddo. There will be a great earthquake, so great that all the mountains and islands will disappear. There will be hailstones weighing close to 100 pounds that will crush the armies that have gathered.
� Shortly after this great earthquake, Jesus Christ will return with His army to claim the earth as His possession.

The Two Witnesses
These two Jewish men are God’s gift to the people of the earth who refused to submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ prior to the rapture, but who will recognize the error in their life and seek God knowing the terrible mistake they have made. These two men will proclaim the gospel and provide hope for those left behind. Their message is for the salvation of the soul and to eternal life. Listen to what these two men are preaching and turn to God.

The Bible does not say who these two men are. Many speculate that they are Elijah and Enoch, who never died, or Elijah and Moses, two ancient prophets of God . Regardless of who they are, they will be responsible for many of the natural catastrophes that will reek havoc on the property and economy of the earth. They will have the power to prevent rain, and there will be a 3 1/2 year draught on earth until they die. They will turn water into blood and cause all kinds of plagues on earth and in general make life miserable for those who are living on earth. If anyone tries to harm them, the witnesses will “consume them with fire out of their mouths.” They will be invincible. Only the world dictator will be able to kill them, and only then, when God allows it.

The purpose of all the misery that these two witnesses inflict on the earth dwellers is to turn people back to God in repentance. The misery will be so great that when the world dictator does finally kill these two men, the world will rejoice in a Christmas-like celebration, giving gifts to one another. It will have world-wide TV coverage. Three and one-half days after their death they will be resurrected and in full view of the entire population of the world ascend to heaven at the command of God when He calls them to “Come up here”.

The 144,000 Jewish Witnesses
Shortly after the rapture, God will call His army of 144,000 new Jewish believers into service to provide a voice of hope for Jews throughout the world.

Money
Hard currency will become obsolete. However, at some point after the rapture, probably right after the two witnesses are killed, everyone will be required to get a mark on their right hand or forehead in order to buy and sell. Do not, do not, do not under any circumstances participate by receiving this mark. All those who receive this mark known as “the mark of the beast” are doomed for eternity. By taking this mark you are swearing allegiance to the anti-Christ. God will render judgment on those with the mark by inflicting them with a disgusting looking and very painful ulcer covering their bodies. So how can a person without the mark survive and still buy and sell? Again, this will almost be impossible, therefore, you may profit from saving up for you elf gold; gold has always had value as money and always will, even in a cashless society

Safety Concerns
This era will be the most violent of times in the history of the world. In order to survive this time, you need to remove yourself from society and live in a remote area that is difficult to access.

Health Concerns
You must build a supply of multiple vitamins with particular emphasis on anti-oxidants such as C and E and minerals. It will also be necessary to have a supply of disinfectants, particularly one that can be added to water to make it potable. If possible a get a portable water filter.

Above all, do not accept the mark of the beast on your right hand or forehead. If you do take the mark then nothing can be done for you. I hope and pray that we will have the privilege of welcoming you into the heavenly kingdom in seven years, but to do that the choice you make now to ask Christ into your life is now up to you. You can ignore our warnings as in the past, or you can watch and see what happens. See if what I am saying is true or not. But, don’t wait too long, and don’t take your life for granted that it will be here tomorrow. Regardless of what, or in whom your personal belief is in right now…remember that one day, “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

* Please note that most of this information has been downloaded from: http://www.raptureready.com

Please go there for more comprehensive information.

Filed Under: Letters to Loves Ones Tagged With: Bible, catching up, heaven, in case, missing, pre-tribulation, Rapture, shout

At the Doors!

January 9, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

at the doors, Noah's ark and the raptureJust a personal note.

This morning the picture that’s stuck in my mind is what it must have been like when the doors were shut to Noah’s Ark.  The chosen were invited in at the right time and saved from God’s wrath.  All the others who were left behind must have experienced  confusion, intense fear, panic, and possibly regret before they died, mostly by drowning as the waters quickly rose and violent torrents of mud and debris swept people away like the Christmas Tsunami of 2004.

In his mercy, God’s wrath will not be fully unleashed again until half way through the Tribulation Week, at the 3 1/2 year mark.  The first half of this period is marked by a false, non-lasting peace under the reign of the world’s new ruler and is an opportunity for people to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus so they can face death boldly and confidently that no matter what, Jesus is there for them, forever.

Soon, at the right time, the trumpet will sound and doors of Heaven will be open for God’s chosen to enter in, to be sheltered in safety from the coming storm like Noah and his family.  The doors will open for a fraction of a second, in the twinkling of an eye.  Then the doors will shut.

The bridegroom came, and those who were ready WENT IN with him to the wedding; and the DOOR was SHUT. Matthew 25:10

 

Always BE READY.

 

Filed Under: Thoughts Tagged With: at the door, at the doors, be ready, closed, locked out, near, Noah's Ark, pre-tribulation, Rapture, shut, soon, too late

In Case You Find Me Missing

January 9, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

Dear friends and family,

I am writing this note in case you find me missing and you are Left Behind.

As you know I have been a Christian for 23 years and have depended on Jesus Christ as a truly live and active God in my life. The Bible has said that Jesus would come again and claim those who believe and take them to heaven to escape the Tribulation on earth.

God the Father has allowed this coming tribulation for 7 years from the signing of the Israeli peace treaty to show mankind that only Jesus can save them not only from the horrors on earth but from their sins and eternal damnation.

All of you that know me, realize that God can provide for YOU, as He has for me and my family. I have many Bibles please take the time to read at lease the New Testament and through prayer ask the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding in the Name of Jesus.

It is only through the blood of Christ that we can obtain forgiveness and ask for ANYTHING in Jesus’ name, as He rose from the dead and intercedes with the Father on our behalf.

I have laid aside provisions as Joseph did during the Egyptian famine. If you pray over these meager supplies, I know Jesus can perform a Loaves and Fishes miracle to fill your needs and those whom you love and are in your household.

May God Bless you and hold you in the palm of His hand until we meet again during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord Of Lords.

Maranatha.

Lee

Filed Under: Letters to Loves Ones Tagged With: God, Jesus Christ, letters, missing, pre-tribulation, provision, Rapture

People seem to have Just Vanished

January 9, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

If you are one that is searching for the truth about what has happened to all the people that seemed to have just vanished, you have come to the right place. My heart goes out to you right now as I am writing this, even though this event has not yet taken place……Now, a little step into the future……Many graves have been opened and many others that were alive have gone. But where? I’m sure you are hearing many explanations by different authorities on your local news or CNN.

I’m sure the many theories concerning these disappearances widely vary. It must be a very confusing and scary time to be living through. Why believe my answer any more than all the others? #1) I am one of the vanished, but most importantly, #2) The very One that has created you, given you the very eyes you are now using, the fingers to type this search, and has led you to this page, must really love you. He obviously wants you to know the truth.

In His word, the Bible, there is a verse that states “For God is not the author of confusion…” (1 Cor. 14:33) I’m sure you are confused along with countless others. If God is not the author of confusion, the answer to this event must be clearly stated in His word, the Bible. It is. “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 together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1Thes.4:16-17)

Well, that is the truth about what has happened. Why did the Lord take them? Another verse from His word will give the answer. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Rev 3:10) You may have heard about a seven year tribulation period in which the Lord pours out judgments on an unbelieving world?

This is the time frame in which you are now living. However, I did not feel led by God to write this to install fear into you, or to quote to you all of the terrible things to happen in the next few years to come. With tears in my eyes and wishing I would have been a bolder witness for God of His word…..I now want to give to you the very words of eternal life that myself and the others who were taken have. Please, ask God to calm your fears as you read His words of salvation for you.

First know that He loves you. I know He does because Jesus said in the Bible “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44) You have been led here to read this…or drawn here to read. That is enough that you should already feel loved by God. But there is more. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)

Here you are, you have come to Him for answers. What love He has for you! A man in the Bible once asked “what must I do to be saved?” The answer from scripture was very simple “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:30-31) I will now give you with a few more verses from scripture. Scripture is what God uses to speak to His people until we see Him face to face. I want to see your face there too.

If I could reach down and pick you up and bring you to God myself, I would. That is for God to do though….just as He did with me…..enough of my words…..now may God speak to you through His word. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one..” (Romans 3:10) “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3,5) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

More words from Jesus…”Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20) And finally take comfort in the words of Jesus “..and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Rev.28:20)

If you have believed the words of God written in His word, the Bible, you have a wonderful and glorious future just as we have that were taken. This will be a fearful time for believers to be living in….Jesus said there would be much deception and evil will be rampant…I pray that you grow quickly in the word of God and find other believers to be with you….most of all do not fear because God said “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” And now finally, you must be wondering, what will become of me if I become a believer in the Lord Jesus?

First of all, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Well, He says that you will never perish…meaning you will live forever with Him and that you sins are forgiven and that you will not face the judgment of unbelievers. What about right now, during this terrible time?

Scripture says that believers that have gone through the tribulation are destined to heaven “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev.7:13-14)

The time is short that you will endure tribulation…take comfort in the words of the apostle Paul “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) Also, remember that we that were taken a little before you are no better than you. We came in our sin to the savior for mercy the same exact way that you and whoever else that will repent will come also. I will see you there, in His Kingdom

Agape, Deanna

Filed Under: Letters to Loves Ones Tagged With: God, letters, love, people vanished, post rapture, pre-tribulation, saved

Dear Lost Sheep of the Human Race

January 9, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

Dear Family, Friends, and other Lost Sheep of the human race left behind:

If you’re reading this, then I’ve left you behind to fend for yourselves. I’m sorry I failed you. I’m sorry I didn’t do more to spread God’s word to you, or to demonstrate the truth of it by example in the way I lived my life. But I’ve always been weak, and a sinner. I’m the first to admit I was never perfect.

My quick temper, my greedy collecting of material things during my life, my laziness. Oh sure, there were times when I tried to live more by Jesus example, but most often it ended in failure because of my own arrogance, pride, or stupidity. I’ve failed so many times. I’ve only managed to survive this long because I prayed to Jesus and to God to help me find the strength and wisdom to become a better person. I know I never did anything to deserve their love, but somehow through faith it found me. As you read this letter, I hope I can give you the encouragement to find it too, so that you too might be saved.

The first step is believing. But nothing I can say or do can force you to believe in God or Jesus. Like so many things in life, it’s just one of those truths that has to reveal itself to you over time, if you are open to it. It’s a common saying that people can’t accept the truth when it’s dictated to them, and that the only thing that makes the truth palatable is the thrill of self-discovery. So don’t look to prophets, preachers, miracles or rituals for proof. Don’t spend so much effort looking for scientific or physical proof, but rather look to your own human experience, and deep within your own soul.

Somewhere inside you, deep within, you eventually will come to know with all certainty the truth behind the teachings in the Bible. The truth of the word of God is self evident. Love is the only way. Eventually you will know this to be true, because the brief time you have spent on earth has revealed to you the sheer destructiveness of greed, anger and hatred. How could the human race live in such a way forever? Somewhere along the way God had to intervene. In the Bible you will find truth if you have perseverance to study it.

The second step is humbly seeking help to change your life. In prayer, ask God and Jesus to help you find the strength to live the life the way they want you to. But don’t assume that they are obligated to help you. You must honestly feel that you are not worthy. You must be humble, and realize that you are a sinner and you often fail to live up to their ideals. Despite all this, have faith in them. Ask them for help in understanding the teachings in the Bible.

Ask them for help in learning from the real life lessons that will confront you every day for the remainder of your life. And ask them to help you to be gentle and tolerant in the way you accept the suffering that you will have to endure throughout the remainder of your life, and not to reflect that suffering back onto others. Pray for them to forgive those people that do spread the suffering to others and to you. Pray for them to heal those people that you personally have hurt during your life as well. Please try to put others needs ahead of your own.

If you have followed the above steps, you will have come a long way toward understanding love. I apologize if I have offended you for the tone of my letter being instructional in a bossy sort of way. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, because even where I am now I am learning every day. If you have found your way to my letter, then you must be somewhat open minded to have come this far. If you can go a little farther then perhaps we will meet again. I love you. I miss you and pray for you every day. If there is any task I can endure to help you in your journey, then I ask Him to let me be there for you. Although my own heart and soul are weak, through His love you can be saved.

Sincerely,

Mark

Filed Under: Letters to Loves Ones Tagged With: letters, lost sheep, loved ones, post rapture, pre-tribulation, you can be saved

IT’S CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

January 9, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

Snatched away in mercy, raptured in His care One moment you will see us, the next, we won’t be there. In the twinkling of an eye, the time of half a blink Millions in Christ will disappear it’s closer than we think.

One can only guess at who will endeavor to explain And suspect will be the person who has the most to gain. For one will rise in darkness a world of peace to fix Beware and do not take his mark, the numbers, 666.

Some think that this is fiction, a story over told. In disbelief they are misled I know it sounds too bold! But think for just a moment, open up your eyes and ears Yes, these events have been foretold for many many years.

Wars and peaceful rumors, famine and pestilence. Earthquakes and hurricanes, it’s beginning to make sense. There’s still time to call on Jesus, He wants to call your name, And He will save you from your sin, He already took the blame.

So if you find that you are left behind when those many go, And nagging at your memory is something you don’t know, Remember please these humble words for it’s not easy to relay The grief and desperation that will fill that fateful day.

There’s good information for you, look on the internet. Look up this address here below to see how you can get Through this tribulation, the Lord will keep you steady http://www.raptureready.com, the web page, RAPTURE READY

Filed Under: Letters to Loves Ones Tagged With: closer, letters, pre-tribulation, Rapture, snatched away

He is with Me to the End

January 9, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

To The broken hearted, the afflicted, and the distressed;

Dear LORD be near and mend the broken hearted in this world;

Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalms 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

Comfort the afflicted merciful Father whose “Spirit of Comfort” brings restoration of peace, renewal of love, resurgence of joy, and revival of hope;

Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psalms 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

2 Corinthians 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Hear O’LORD the cries of the distressed and dry their tears, forget not the humble, and deliver the righteous from their troubles; turn death to life, sorrow to joy, cries to happiness, and bring healing where there is pain;

Psalms 9:12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

Psalms 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Psalms 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

Psalms 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

Psalms 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Psalms 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Psalms 89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

Psalms 106:44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

Psalms 107:19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

Psalms 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

Psalms 145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

Psalms 3:4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

Psalms 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Psalms 88:1 O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

You indeed are nearer than near loving God; We trust You and we thank You for the wonderful works You have done; You are true to us and You give us, through faith, understanding of the Truth of Your Word;

Psalms 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

Psalms 75:1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

Psalms 119:151 Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.

Psalms 119:169 Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Who else but You “Victorious GOD” can wipe away every teardrop that falls, bottle them up in Your book of life “which contains Your Words of life written in Your lifeblood”, and change them into rivers of living waters with sparkles of joy;

Psalms 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

Psalms 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

A long, most excellent, story made short from one of the sixty six love letters GOD has written to us (read it if you haven’t or reread it if the LORD leads you to do so) ;

Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Remember that the LORD is the giver of every good and perfect gift, the greatest of which is the LORD Himself. May His loving presence and His grace alone be sufficient for us, even if it seems all else is lost. If the time to say goodbye has come or gone, or if our beloved has departed from this world without time enough to say goodbye, remember that the gain for the departed, who have a living love for GOD and His people, is not only two fold, but it is as infinite in goodness and wonder as He is. Lets have our joy in Him always, give thanks for what He’s given even if it was for a brief period of time, and pray without ceasing. He is there, He is near, and He sustains us no matter what happens to us or may befall us.

Dwell on the words from a few stanzas found in the song “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners”; And, may God bless you, be merciful to you and make His face shine on you in whatever situation you may face;

Words: John Wilbur Chapman, 1910.

Music: “Hyfrydol,” Rowland Hugh Prichard, 1830 (MIDI, score).

“A friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Luke 7:34

Je-sus! What a help in sor-row! While the bil-lows o’er me roll, E-ven when my heart is break-ing, He, my com-fort, helps my soul.

Hal-le-lu-jah! What a Sav-ior! Hal-le-lu-jah! What a friend!

Sav-ing, help-ing, keep-ing, lov-ing, He is with me to the end.

Je-sus! What a guide and keep-er! While the tem-pest still is high, Storms a-bout me, night o-er-takes me, He, my pi-lot, hears my cry.

Hal-le-lu-jah! What a Sav-ior! Hal-le-lu-jah! What a friend!

Sav-ing, help-ing, keep-ing, lov-ing, He is with me to the end.

Je-sus! I do now re-ceive Him, More than all in Him I find, He hath grant-ed me for-give-ness, I am His, and He is mine.

Hal-le-lu-jah! What a Sav-ior! Hal-le-lu-jah! What a friend!

Sav-ing, help-ing, keep-ing, lov-ing, He is with me to the end.

Filed Under: Letters to Loves Ones Tagged With: bible verses, letter, love ones, pre-tribulation, Rapture, the end

China’s Role in the End Times

January 7, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

 

China's role in the end times China's role in the end times

Revelation 9:13-19
The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God.
It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”
And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.
China's role in the end timesThe number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.
A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.
The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

Revelation 16:12
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.

Filed Under: China Tagged With: 000, 200, army, Bible, china, chinese, End Times, kings of the east, Last Days, pre-tribulation, prophecy, Rapture, Revelation

Ephraem the Syrian and the Rapture

January 6, 2017 By sonserver Leave a Comment

Rapture: Three Fascinating Discoveries!

Grant Jeffery and the Rapture

by Grant Jeffrey
(October 5, 1948 – May 11, 2012)

“For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the Tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins”

– Ephraem the Syrian, A.D. 373

Over the last 30 years I have been fascinated with Bible prophecy because it authenticates the Scriptures as God’s inspired Word and it points to the imminent return of Jesus Christ to usher in the Messianic kingdom. I am always delighted when God leads me to new information that confirms His Word. In my ongoing research into recent archaeolological discoveries and into writings of Early Church leaders I have made several exciting new discoveries that I want to share with my readers.

In this chapter we will explore a number of interesting discoveries about the following subjects: the finding of a teaching about the pre-Tribulation Rapture from the first centuries of the Early Church; the archaeological discoveries of the tombs of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus that prove the historical accuracy of the Gospels; and the proof that miraculous healings, raising of the dead, and the charismatic gifts were common among believers during the first three centuries following the resurrection of Christ.

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Was Taught by the Early Church

Obviously, the truth about the timing of the Rapture will ultimately be found only in Scripture. The Protestant Reformation was based essentially on this return to the authority of the Bible. The Latin phrase Sola Scriptura, meaning “Scripture Alone,” became the rallying cry of the reformers who ignored centuries of tradition and church councils in their insistence that truth could only be discovered in the Word of God. While the ultimate resolution of this discussion must be based on our interpretation of Scripture, it is important to answer the errors of our opponents who disparage “the blessed hope” of the Rapture with misinformation about the modem rediscovery of the truth about the pre-Tribulation Rapture.

Many post-tribulationist writers have attacked the pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine by claiming that it cannot be true because no Church writer or reformer ever taught this doctrine until approximately 170 years ago. While the real question for sincere students of Scripture must be whether or not the Bible truly teaches this doctrine, the argument that no one ever saw this “truth” throughout the 1,800 years of Church history has been very effective, causing many Christians to abandon their belief in the pre-Tribulation Rapture. The only problem with their argument is that they are totally wrong.

Many contemporary writers claim that the pre-Tribulation Rapture theory first originated around A.D. 1820. They ascribe the theory’s initial creation to either Emmanuel Acurnza (Ben Ezra, 1812), Edward Irving (1816), or Margaret Macdonald (1830), and finally to John Darby (1830). For example, Dave MacPherson in The Incredible Cover-Up, written in 1975, stated, “Margaret Macdonald was the first person to teach a coming of Christ that would precede the days of Antichrist.”‘ Before 1830 Christians had always believed in a single future coming, that the catching up of I Thessalonians 4 will take place after the Great Tribulation of Matthew 24 at the glorious coming of the Son of Man when He shall send His angels to gather together all of His elect.” Reverend John Bray, in The Origin of the Pre- Tribulation Rapture Teaching (1980), declared, “People who are teaching the pre-Tribulation Rapture today are teaching something that never was taught until 1812…. Not one of those Early Church fathers taught a pre-Tribulation Rapture…. I make the offer of five hundred dollars to anybody who will find a statement, a sermon, article in a commentary, or anything, prior to 1812 that taught a twophase coming of Christ separated by a stated period of time, such as the pre-Tribulation rapturists teach.

Those writers, among others who despise the teaching of the pre-Tribulation Rapture, dogmatically assert that it was taught for the first time in 1830 by John Darby and the Plymouth Brethren or one of the other individuals mentioned above.

A number of these authors will have to drastically revise the next edition of their books based on two remarkable textual discoveries that conclusively prove that a number of Christian teachers, centuries before John Darby rediscovered this biblical teaching, clearly taught that the Rapture would occur before the tribulation period. During the summer of 1994, after more than a decade of searching, I discovered several fascinating manuscripts that contain clear evidence of the teaching of the pre-Tribulation Rapture in the Early Church.


Ephraem’s Teaching on the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

“For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the Tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins” (On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World, by Ephraem the Syrian, A.D. 373).

The early Christian writer and poet, Ephraem the Syrian (who lived from A.D. 306 to 373), was a major theologian of the early Byzantine Eastern Church. He was born near Nisbis in the Roman province of Syria, near present-day Edessa, Turkey. Ephraem displayed a profound love of the Scriptures in his writings as illustrated by several of his written comments quoted in Works of Nathaniel Lardner (vol. 4, 1788). “1 esteem no man more happy than him who diligently reads the Scriptures delivered to us by the Spirit of God, and thinks how he may order his conversation by the precepts of them.” To this day his hymns and homilies are used in the liturgy of the Greek Orthodox and Middle Eastern Nestorian Church. While the 16-volume Post-Nicene Library includes a number of homilies and psalms by Ephraem the Syrian, the editors noted that he also wrote a large number of commentaries that have never been translated into English.

Ephraem’s fascinating teaching on the Antichrist has never been published in English until now. This critically important prophecy manuscript from the fourth century of the Church era reveals a literal method of interpretation and a teaching of the pre-millennial return of Christ. More importantly, Ephraem’s text revealed a very clear statement about the pre-tribulational return of Christ to take His elect saints home to heaven to escape the coming Tribulation. In addition, Ephraem declares his belief in a personal, Jewish Antichrist, who will rule the Roman Empire during the last days, a rebuilt temple, the two witnesses, and a literal Great Tribulation lasting 1,260 days. It is also fascinating to note that he taught that the war of God and Magog would precede the tribulation period. I discovered another text by Ephraem called The Book of the Cave of Treasure that revealed he taught that Daniel’s seventieth week will be fulfilled in the final seven years at the end of this age that will conclude with Christ’s return at the Battle of Armageddon to establish His kingdom.

The following section includes key passages from Ephraem’s important text, written about A.D. 373, and translated by Professor Cameron Rhoades of Tyndale Theological Seminary at my request.

On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World

1. Most dearly beloved brothers, believe the Holy Spirit who speaks- in us. Now we have spoken before, because the end of the world is very near, and the consummation remains. Has not the first faith withered away in men? …

2. We ought to understand thoroughly therefore, my brothers, what is imminent or overhanging. Already there have been hunger and plagues, violent movements of nations and signs, which have been predicted by the Lord, they have already been fulfilled, and there is not other which remains, except the advent of the wicked one in the completion of the Roman kingdom. Why therefore are we occupied with worldly business, and why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of the world or the anxieties of the ages? Why therefore do we not reject every care of earthly actions and prepare ourselves for the meeting of the Lord Christ, so that He may draw us from the confusion, which overwhelms the world? Believe you me, dearest brothers, because the coming of the Lord is nigh, believe you me, because the end of the world is at hand, believe me, because it is the very last time…. Because all saints and the Elect of the Lord are gathered together before the tribulation which is about to come and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins [italics added]. And so, brothers, most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end of this world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold sickles in their hands, awaiting the empire of the Lord….

3. When therefore the end of the world comes, there arise diverse wars, commotions on all sides, horrible earthquakes, perturbations of nations, tempests throughout the lands, plagues, famine, drought throughout the thoroughfares, great danger throughout the sea and dry land, constant persecutions, slaughters and massacres everywhere….

4. When therefore the end of the world comes, that abominable, lying and murderous one is born from the tribe of Dan. He is conceived from the seed of a man and from a most vile virgin, mixed with an evil or worthless spirit….

5. But when the time of the abomination of his desolation begins to approach, having been made legal, he takes the empire…. Therefore, when he receives the kingdom, he orders the temple of God to be rebuilt for himself, which is in Jerusalem; who, after coming into it, he shall sit as God and order that he be adored by all nations … then all people from everywhere shall flock together to him at the city of Jerusalem, and the holy city shall be trampled on by the nations for forty-two months just as the holy apostle says in the Apocalypse, which become three and a half years, 1,260 days.

6. In these three years and a half the heaven shall suspend its dew; because there will be no rain upon the earth … and there will be a great tribulation, as there has not been, since people began to be upon the earth … and no one is able to sell or to buy of the grain of the fall harvest, unless he is one who has the serpentine sign on the forehead or the hand….

7. And when the three and a half years have been completed, the time of the Antichrist, through which he will have seduced the world, after the resurrection of the two prophets, in the hour which the world does not know, and on the day which the enemy or son of perdition does not know, will come the sign of the Son of Man, and coming forward the Lord shall appear with great power and much majesty, with the sign of the word of salvation going before him, and also even with all the powers of the heavens with the whole chorus of the saints …. Then Christ shall come and the enemy shall be thrown into confusion, and the Lord shall destroy him by the Spirit of his mouth. And he shall be bound and shall be plunged into the abyss of everlasting fire alive with his father Satan; and all people, who do his wishes, shall perish with him forever; but the righteous ones shall inherit everlasting life with the Lord for ever and ever.

To summarize the key points in Ephraem’s text on the last days:

1. Ephraem’s manuscript lays out the events of the last days in chronological sequence. Significantly, he began with the Rapture, using the word “imminent,” then he described the Great Tribulation of three and a half years duration under the Antichrist’s tyranny, followed by the second coming of Christ to earth with His saints to defeat the Antichrist.

2. Significantly, at the beginning of his treatise in section 2, Ephraem used the word “imminent” to describe the Rapture occurring before the Tribulation and the coming of the Antichrist. “We ought to understand thoroughly therefore, my brothers which is imminent or overhanging.”

3. He clearly described the pre-Tribulation Rapture: “Because all saints and the Elect of the Lord are gathered together before the tribulation which is about to come and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins.”

4. He then gives the purpose of God rapturing the Church “before the tribulation” so that “they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins.” Ephraem used the word “confusion” as a synonym for the tribulation period.

5. Ephraem described the duration of the “great tribulation” (the last half of the seven-year tribulation period) in sections 7, 8, and 10, as follows: “forty- two months” and “three and a half years,” and “1,260 days.”

6. He summarized: “There will be a great tribulation, as there has no been since people began to be upon the earth,” and described the Mark of the Beast system.

7. He declared that Christ will come to the earth after the “three and a half years” tribulation period in section 10: “And when the three and a half years have been completed, the time of the Antichrist, through which he will have seduced the world, after the resurrection of the two prophets … will come the sign of the Son of Man, and coming forward the Lord shall appear with great power and much majesty.”

Dr. Paul Alexander, perhaps the most authoritative scholar on the writings of the early Byzantine Church, concluded that Ephraem’s text on the Antichrist taught that the Lord would supernaturally remove the saints of the Church from the earth “prior to the tribulation that is to come.” Ephraem wrote that the saints will be “taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins.” Dr. Alexander believed this text was written by some unknown writer in the sixth century, but he concluded that it was derived from an original Ephraem manuscript (A.D. 373). Other scholars, including the German editor Professor Caspari, who wrote a German commentary on this Latin manuscript in 1890, believed that Ephraem’s manuscript was written by the genuine Ephraem in A.D. 373. Professor Cameron Rhoades translated Ephraem’s Latin text into English at the request of my friend Dr. Tommy Ice and myself.

Ephraem and Daniel’s Seventieth Week – the Tribulation Period

A question naturally arises in the mind of Bible students about how long Ephraem believed the Tribulation would last. While Ephraem correctly describes the “great tribulation” as three and a half years, his other writings revealed that he believed the whole tribulation period, “that sore affliction,” would last “one week” of seven years. Ephraem’s book, The Book of the Cave of Treasures, taught about the genealogy of Christ. He wrote that the sixty-ninth week of Daniel 9:24-27 ended with the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah. He stated, “The Jews have no longer among them a king, or a priest, or a prophet, or a Passover, even as Daniel prophesied concerning them, saying, ‘After two and sixty weeks Christ shall be slain, and the city of holiness shall be laid waste until the completion of things decreed’ (Dan. 9:26). That is to say, for ever and ever” (italics added, The Cave of Treasures, page 235). In Daniel’s prophecy he foretold that Jerusalem would be rebuilt “even in troublesome times” during the initial period of “seven weeks” of years (49 years). Daniel’s prophecy declared that this initial period of seven “weeks” of years would be immediately followed by a further period of 62 “weeks” of years ending with the cutting off of the Messiah (483 years). The combined total of 69 weeks of years (7 weeks plus 62 weeks) was to conclude with the rejection of Christ. As quoted above, Ephraem taught that Jesus Christ was slain at the end of the combined 69 weeks of years.

However, in the section of his book dealing with the future war of God and Magog, Ephraem wrote about the final (seventieth) week of Daniel as follows: “At the end of the world and at the final consummation … suddenly the gates of the north shall be opened. … They will destroy the earth, and there will be none able to stand before them. After one week of that sore affliction [Tribulation], they will all be destroyed in the plain of Joppa. . . .

Then will the son of perdition appear, of the seed and of the tribe of Dan…. He will go into Jerusalem and will sit upon a throne in the Temple saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and he will be borne aloft by legions of devils like a king and a lawgiver, naming himself God…. The time of the error of the Antichrist will last two years and a half, but others say three years and six months” (italics added). Although there are some curious elements in his description of prophetic events, it is clear that Ephraem believed that the seventieth final week of Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks will finally be fulfilled during the final seven years of this age when the Antichrist will appear. This evidence of a belief in a “gap” or “parenthesis” between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week of Daniel 9:24-27 from the fourth century of the Christian era is significant. It is worthwhile to note that the teaching that there would be a “gap” or parenthesis between Daniel’s sixty-ninth week and the seventieth week of years was also taught by others in the Early Church, including the epistle of Barnabas (A.D. 110) and the writings of Hippolytus (A.D. 220).

Dr. John Gill Taught the Pre-Tribulation Rapture in 1748

Dr. John Gill, a famous eighteenth-century Baptist theologian, published his commentary on the New Testament in 1748. He is considered a serious Calvinist scholar who wrote many volumes on theology. In his commentary on I Thessalonians 4:15-17, Dr. Gill points out that Paul is teaching a doctrine that is “something new and extraordinary.” Gill calls the imminent translation of the saints “the rapture” and calls for watchfulness because “it will be sudden, and unknown before-hand, and when least thought of and expected.” This is a clear, detailed 1748 teaching on the imminent pre- Tribulation Rapture (80 years prior to John Darby in 1830).

“For this we say to 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” (I Thess. 4:15). Gill’s commentary on this passage is: “The Apostle, having something new and extraordinary to deliver concerning the coming of Christ, the first resurrection, or the resurrection of the saints, the change of the living saints and the Rapture both of the raised, and living in the clouds to meet Christ in the air expresses itself in this manner” (italics added).

“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” (I Thess. 4:17). In commenting on this verse Gill revealed that he understood there would be an interval of time between the Rapture and the return of saints with Christ at Armageddon.

Suddenly, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and with force and power; by the power of Christ, and by the ministry and means of the holy angels; and to which rapture will contribute the agility, which the bodies both of the raised and changed saints will have; and this rapture of the living saints will be together with them; with the dead in Christ, that will then be raised; so that the one will not prevent the other, or the one be sooner with Christ than the other; but one being raised and the other changed, they’ll be joined in one company and general assembly, and be rapt up together: in the clouds; the same clouds perhaps in which Christ will come will be let down to take them up; these will be the chariots, in which they’ll be carried up to Him; and thus, as at our Lord’s ascension a cloud received Him, and in it He was carried up out of the sight of men, so at this time will all the saints ride up in the clouds of Heaven: to meet the Lord in the air; whither He’ll descend… here Christ will stop and will be visible to all, and as easily discerned by all, good and bad, as the body of the sun at noonday; as yet He will not descend on earth, because not fit to receive Him; but when that and its works are burnt up, and it is purged and purified by fire, and become a new earth, He’ll descend upon it, and dwell with His saints in it: and this suggests another reason why He’ll stay in the air, and His saints shall meet Him there, and whom He’ll take up with Him into the third heaven, till the general conflagration and burning of the world is over, and to preserve them from it: and then shall all the elect of God descend from heaven as a bride adorned for her husband, and He with them … then they shall be with Him, wherever He is; fist in the air, where they shall meet Him; them in the third heaven, where they shall go up with Him; then on earth, where they shall descend and reign with Him a thousand years; and then in the ultimate glory to all eternity.

To summarize Dr. Gill’s 1748 pre-Tribulation Rapture teaching about the sequence of prophetic events it is vital to note that he declared: to all.

1. The Lord will descend in the air.
2. The saints will be raptured in the air to meet Him.
3. Here Christ will stop in the air and will be visible.
4. As yet, He will not descend on earth, because it is not fit to receive Him.
5. He’ll take up the saints with Him into the third heaven, till the general conflagration and burning of the world is over.
6. He will preserve them from it.
7. And then shall all the elect of God descend from heaven to earth with Christ.

Gill then summarizes the sequence:

1) They shall be with Him, wherever He is; first in the air, where they shall meet Him, then Him; then
2) In the third heaven, where they shall go up with
3) On earth, where they shall descend and reign with Him a thousand years.

Therefore, in addition to Ephraem’s pre-Tribulation teaching from the fourth century, we have another clear statement of this doctrine from Dr. John Gill, more than 80 years before John Darby in 1830. Those who have stated that the pre-Tribulation Rapture was never taught throughout the entire history of the Church until 1820 are simply ignorant of these important Christian texts. The French writer Joubert once wrote, “Nothing makes men so imprudent and conceited as ignorance of the past and a scorn for old books.”

Why is it important to teach the doctrine of the pre-Tribulation Rapture? The apostle Peter warned that many people would challenge our Lord’s promise of His second coming in the last days. “Knowing this first; that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’ (2 Pet. 3:3-4).

What does the Bible teach us about the proper attitude of a Christian on the subject of Christ’s return? Paul tells us, “So that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 1:7).

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a true follower of Jesus is that of a faithful, waiting, and watching servant. Dr. Klink, one of the great students of the faith of the Early Church, wrote, “This constant expectation of our Lord’s second coming is one of the characteristic features of primitive Christianity.” Paul also commends a constant expectation of the Rapture in Philippians 3:20 where he said, “For our citizenship is in heaven; from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The great reformer John Calvin wrote of the vital importance of the hope of the Second Coming: “It ought to be the chief concern of believers to fix their minds fully on His Second Advent.” Martin Luther, in his Sermon of Consolation, declared that the hope of Christ’s return is an absolute necessity for a Christian: “If thou be not

filled with a desire after the Coming of this day, thou canst never pray the Lord’s prayer, nor canst thou repeat from thy heart the creed of faith. For with what conscience canst thou say, ‘I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting,’ if thou dost not in my heart desire the same? If thou didst believe it, thou must, of necessity, desire it from thy heart, and long for that day to come; which, if thou doest not desire, thou art not yet a Christian, nor canst thou boast of thy faith.”

Throughout the New Testament we read continual exhortations to hold the hope of our Lord’s soon return as the focus of our spiritual

life. Far from being an unimportant issue, interesting only to students of prophecy, the “blessed hope” of the Rapture should be a cornerstone of every Christian’s spiritual life.

The message and hope of the imminent second coming of Christ to rapture the saints has the following purposes:

1. – It calls us to constant watchfulness for His return (I Thess. 5:4-6).
2. It motivates Christians to witness to unbelievers in light of His imminent coming (John 9:4).
3. It reminds us to walk in holiness in an immoral world while we await His return (I John 3:3).
4. It comforts the saints by reminding them of their eternal destiny with Christ (John 14:1-3).
5. It warns of the coming judgment on those who reject His salvation (2 Thess. 1:8-9)
6. It inspires us to persevere against opposition in light of His reward (2 Tim. 4:1-8).
7. It encourages sinners to repent and accept the Lord while there is still time (Acts 3:19-21).

The promise in the Scriptures of the imminent second coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is the last best hope of mankind. It is the promise of the ultimate vindication of God’s plan to redeem mankind and the earth from the curse of sin and death. The final realization of Jesus Christ’s claim that He is the promised Messiah, and the fulfillment of prophecies about the coming kingdom of God will culminate when the heavens open to reveal Christ coming in all His glory at the Battle of Armageddon. However, the Scriptures teach that another event will occur before Christ comes to defeat the Antichrist and the armies of the world at Armageddon at the end of the sevenyear tribulation period. This separate and earlier event is often called the Rapture. Throughout the Bible the passages that detail the revelation of Christ at the end of the tribulation period describe a totally different event than those passages describing the coming of Christ in the air to take the saints home to heaven.

The longing for the Rapture and the return of Christ has motivated generations of Bible students to examine the Scriptures in a search for clues as to the exact timing of His glorious appearing. Unfortunately, despite clear scriptural warnings against date-setting regarding the time of His return, many have indulged in unhelpful speculation about the time of the Rapture. Harold Camping’s book 1994, for example, claimed that Christ would return on September 17, 1994. Millions of followers of these writings have been deeply disappointed when their foolish predictions proved false. However, despite these disappointments, we must not abandon our hope for an imminent Rapture. We must simply be obedient to Christ’s command that “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).

John Wesley de Fletcher wrote a fascinating letter to Charles Wesley in 1755 that expressed the proper attitude we should have toward the return of Christ. “I know that many have been grossly mistaken as to the year of His return, but, because they were rash, shall we be stupid? Because they say ‘Today!’ shall we say, ‘Never!’ and cry ‘Peace, peace,’ when we should look about us with eyes full of expectation?”

The Bible warns us to live in holiness because Christ could return at any moment, without warning. Jesus, in Luke 12:37 and 40, admonished, “Blessed are those servants, whom the master, when he comes, will find watching …. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Peter, in his second epistle, said, “You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked” (2 Pet. 3:17). We must live in a dynamic spiritual balance. While we are commanded to live in holiness and urgently ‘witness as though He will return before the dawn, we are called to plan and work to fulfill the Great Commission as if He will tarry for another hundred years. We are to “do business [‘occupy’ in the Authorized Version] till I come” (Luke 19:13), fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).

This discovery of texts written before 1820 brings us to the conclusion that a remnant of the faithful, from the beginning of the Early Church until today, have upheld the great precious biblical truth of pre-Tribulation Rapture. Ephraem the Syrian’s A.D. 373 manuscript On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World, along with Dr. John Gill’s 1748 Commentary on the New Testament refute the dogmatic declarations of a post-Tribulation Rapture. In my earlier book, Apocalypse, I quoted from the early Christian writing called Shepherd of Hermas (A.D. 110), proving it taught the preTribulation Rapture as the hope of the Church.

Filed Under: The Rapture Tagged With: Ephraem, Grant Jeffrey, pre-tribulation, Rapture, Syrian

Primary Sidebar

Times of the Signs

Times of the Signs 2018

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
"About the time of the end, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the Prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation, in the midst of much clamor and opposition."
- Sir Issac Newton 1642-1727
"For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the Tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins"
- Ephraem the Syrian, A.D. 373

Copyright © 2021 · Website Services by SonServer