pre-tribulation

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.