

THE RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS

(True, or False?)

tiaan gildenhuys

Copyright © 2017

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PREFACE:

It is with deep gratitude in my heart to God the Father that I could experience this book. For many years I and others like myself who preached this message have prayed that the Lord Jesus would raise up a new generation of "criers" regarding the rapture and the rest of the eschatology.

While the mainstream church has fallen asleep, especially regarding the rapture, **Matthew 25:6** reads: "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."

This book is one of the most comprehensively researched and true-to-Scripture books regarding the rapture that I have read and I trust and pray that a new generation of "criers" will come who will help to distribute this book widely in order to awaken the virgins who have fallen asleep.

May this clarion call excite every reader anew regarding the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ. MARANATHA!

Past.Thys Smit (ret.) (a servant of Jesus Christ)

Apostolic Faith Mission

Potchefstroom, RSA

*******

I thank Jesus Christ of Nazareth for the privilege of writing this preface to this book written by my brother in Christ, Tiaan.

So many people argue these days whether the Bible is true or not, how we must interpret the Bible or in what context it was written. This keeps us away from the truths, guidelines and warnings contained in the Word of God. It is written in **2 Corinthians 1:13** : _"For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end."_ This means that we can read and understand the Bible as it is written. With the Bible I refer to the King James Bible as many other translations have been altered and manipulated to lead us astray.

The Bible is the only "book" containing fulfilled prophecies and prophecies regarding the future. Please study for yourself how hundreds of prophecies in the Bible have already been fulfilled to the letter. So why then would the prophecies regarding the Rapture and the persecution on earth (the wrath of God) not also be true and why will it not also be fulfilled to the letter? Everything will come to pass just as it is written. We are so caught up in opinions of people that we do not make time to read God's Word and ask Him to confirm it through His Holy Spirit. Please go through your own Bible and see if you can find the "Book of Opinion". If not, let us read and the Bible as it is written, also regarding things to come!

Dear reader, I pray that you will read this book with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I pray that only the Holy Spirit will convict you and that He will help you to be in line with God's Word so that you will be prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ. I pray that you will have an urgency to warn others so that they too will be prepared.

May you be blessed and prepared by the warning from God our Father through this book.

Cobus van Heerden

Authority in Christ Ministries,

Roodepoort, RSA

*******

Eschatology is one of those very intricate subjects where one can never exactly know for a fact what would happen in the end times and many Bible scholars differ in their various approaches concerning Biblical understandings relevant to the end times. I personally have studied dozens of different viewpoints over the last two decades and never found a one hundred percent satisfactory exposition on the entire subject until I read Dr. Tiaan Gildenhuys' book: "The Rapture of the Saints (True, or False?)"

The material contained in this book is not the result of verse-juggling, nor is it just rough conclusions about some sort of "absurd idea" or perception. It is definitely not founded on "mythological viewpoints" or allegory as some postmodern theologians proclaim.

The information in this book is very meticulously researched over a wide spectrum of disciplines and provides insights in such a comprehensible way that one is astounded at the chronological method by which my brother Tiaan managed to compose the facts and confirmation of the statements based on true contextual understanding of scriptures and Biblical prophecy.

By understanding the paradoxical differences between Israel and the Bride of Christ one cannot refute the evidence Tiaan presented from Biblical confirmations through parallels or shadow narratives in Old and New Testament texts that reflect directly on the huge difference between the end time consequences for Israel and the Bride of Christ.

Tiaan even went further and proved through Biblical assertion and derivation that in the Church structure, not all participants are bride nor will all people who call themselves "Christian" necessarily be raptured to join the Bridegroom (Jesus) in Holy Matrimony.

One other outstanding section of the book that intrigued me personally, is the simple but significant revelation concerning the tabernacle and its formulated layout of objects therein, the process that priests had to undergo before entering the Holy place daily and the chronological procedure the High priest had to undertake to eventually end up in the Holy of Holies on the day of atonement. All this detail given to reflect on the spiritual and physical cleansing process to become Bride of Christ and partake in the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Finally, in the last chapters of the book concluding the discussion of all topics and narrowing it down to one culminating challenge to every believer, ARE YOU READY FOR THE RAPTURE?

This book will be a great benefit to eager-hearted Christian believers who have a passion to know the truth and are earnest in their faith to conform to God's standards and to break away from traditional carnal viewpoints and vague opinions regarding this very important subject.

Dr Frans Nortje

Turning Point Counseling Network

Doornpoort, Pretoria, RSA

*******

The rapture of the bride of Christ is very similar to gravity. How can you compare the rapture to gravity, you may ask? Well, gravity is a physical law that we cannot see but it exists. You don't have to believe in gravity, but the fact remains that when you jump off anything, you will fall to the ground. Even if you don't believe in it, it remains an absolute truth. The same applies to the rapture of the bride of Christ. It is an absolute truth.

Any serious Bible scholar who understands God's pattern/s will know that throughout the Word of God, we find the pattern of the rapture from Noah in Genesis, through to Revelation. In this book, Tiaan has shown that pattern and with all the supporting Scriptures we can be assured that the rapture is real, is God's truth and as the prepared bride of Christ we can look forward to Yeshua's (Jesus) imminent return.

The critical factor to this is that the bride needs to be prepared. As Tiaan has mentioned in detail in the book, it is not the entire church that will be bride, but only the bride who has prepared herself for the imminent coming of the Groom. The question is, are you prepared?

As I have mentioned before, we need to follow God's pattern to understand His plan of

salvation and also who will qualify as the bride of Christ. The American evangelist, Dick Reuben, once said: "If the pattern is right, the glory will fall." This means that when we understand Abba Father's pattern we will be able to experience the glory of His salvation.

God gave us the pattern of who will qualify as the bride in the story of Abraham, sending his servant to fetch a bride for his son (Genesis 24). Abraham sends Eliezer away with gifts and 10 camels and instructs him to fetch a wife from his own people. He insists that the bride must come to the groom. When Eliezer arrives at the well, he agrees with God that the bride will be the one who gives water to him as well as the camels. When the bride follows him back to Isaac the groom, she rides upon the camels, led by Eliezer. On arrival, the groom meets the bride and the marriage is consummated.

What is the pattern that we need to see? Abraham represents God. Eliezer represents the Holy Spirit, for he is the one bearing the gifts. As bride, we need to be part of the body of Christ, be baptized in water and the Holy Spirit to receive the gifts of the spirit. The 10 camels represent the 10 commandments. So, the bride will be identified as those ones, focusing on and giving attention to the Holy Spirit as well as the Word/law /instructions of God.

The bride will be led by the Holy Spirit and will rely on the Word of God to prepare herself as holy and blameless before the Lord. She will go to meet the Groom. He will not come to the earth, but we will meet Him in His "domain" or as scripture says, in the air. Then will the marriage be concluded.

It is important that the believers in God understand the importance of being prepared to be bride or at least to be part of the wedding guests. If we are not prepared and ready to meet the Groom, we will stay behind and experience the terrible time of the tribulation.

Tiaan has given us a detailed explanation of the rapture and being prepared to be worthy of being the bride of Christ. After reading this book, no serious child of God should have any doubt about the rapture or the timing thereof and we should all be prepared and await the imminent return of Yeshua, the Groom, with eager anticipation.

The groom is coming. Be prepared and ready.

**Matthew 25:6:** _"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."_

Dr Chris van Niekerk

Christ the Way, Truth and Life Ministries

Centurion, Pretoria, RSA
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PREFACE

1. Introduction

2. The Signs of the Times

3. The Book of Revelation

4. Rapture? What rapture?

5. What is the Roman Catholic view of the rapture?

6. Tribulation vs. Wrath

7. Examples in the Bible of the righteous being protected and the unrighteous being destroyed

8. He will come FOR His saints....

9. ...And He will come WITH His saints

10. Our Bodies will Change

11. As in the Times of Noah

12. The Apostasy and the Antichrist

13. Israel versus The Church

14. Joseph and his brothers. Jesus and His Jewish brothers

15. The Ancient Jewish Marriage Ceremony.

16. The Seven Feasts of the Lord

17. The 144 000

18. One Wedding Supper, two brides

19. Learn from the Ten Virgins.

20. Saved during the tribulation

21. The "Imminent Return" of Jesus

22. Various Trumpets

23. What will Happen to the Nations?

24. Who will we rule over?

25. The End from the Beginning

26. Is the Pre-Tribulation Rapture a "Modern" doctrine?

27. False Rapture

28. Problems with the Post-Tribulation Rapture View

29. The Proof of Luke 21:34-36

30. Conclusion

31. Aftermath. Message to those who stayed behind...
1.  
INTRODUCTION

"Father, our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. I come to You now in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Lord, You are the God of all gods, You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. There is no other God like You and there is no other God but You. You are the Great I am, the one who is and who was and who is to come. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, You are the Name above all Names, Yahweh and Yeshua (Jesus), our heavenly Father and our heavenly Brother.

Lord I pray that Your Holy Spirit will now take charge of the writing of this book, that You will take me out of the way, so that it will not be me writing this book heavenly Father, but that your Holy Spirit will speak through me in this book.

I pray that you will use my fingers:

"Blessed _be_ the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, **and my FINGERS to fight**..." ( **Psalm 144:1** )

to write this book to Your glory and to help many of Your children be set free from the lies that abound in the world regarding this very important message Father.

Be glorified in me, through me and by the revelation of this message to those who have not understood the importance of this message yet, or those whose eyes might still be veiled by the god of this world according to **2 Corinthians 4:4**. I specifically pray against and bind the demon spirit of religion and the spirits of doubt, error, division, laziness and mind control, who will try to steal this message from the hearts of Your children Lord. Please render the working of these spirits ineffective as people read this book, I pray in Your Name Lord Jesus.

Father God, Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I pray that You alone will be glorified through this book and through the revelation of Your Word, in Jesus Name. Amen."

*******

I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus on August 28th, 1999. And since then the Holy Spirit started revealing awesome truths in the Word to me. Things like **2 Corinthians 1:13** :

"For we write **none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge** ; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end..."

Since the Holy Spirit showed me this verse, I started reading my Bible in a total new way. I learned to read my Bible as it is written, to understand what it says, and then to DO what it says. And since I started doing that all the awesome truths in the Word became real to me in my personal life.

In this book we will read what the Bible CLEARLY says regarding the rapture of the believers, and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need not do any strange interpretations or contextual contortions to try and understand what the Bible says about this very important subject. You will see for yourself what the text says just as it is written.

The second thing I soon learned after being born-again is that I - like most believers - did not know my Scriptures, as Jesus warned in **Matthew 22:29** :

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, **not knowing the scriptures** , nor the power of God."

The more I speak to other believers, also regarding the message of this book, the more I see the truth of this verse. People, including Christians, don't know their Scriptures and because they don't know their Scriptures, they don't know the power of God, neither in their personal lives, nor regarding the prophecies about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the question is WHY don't they know their Scriptures? The answer is because they don't know the AUTHOR of the Scriptures on a personal basis. That was my own problem previously. I was so busy with dead religion that I never knew that I may also have a personal relationship with the living God. Only when I met the Lord Jesus Christ personally did I realize that **religion is DEAD, only intimate relationship with Jesus Christ is and gives LIFE!**

May this book help you the reader receive new knowledge and a plainer understanding of this very important end-time message because it only came alive in my own life after entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and being set free from the demon spirits of religion and of doubt and unbelief in my life.

To start, I would like to show you this little picture I drew myself to try and show you some of the different views in the world regarding the rapture and/or the end-times.

1. The arrow in the middle depicts the "time-line", from the beginning of time, into eternity.

2. 2000 years ago Jesus came to earth for the first time, died on a cross and returned to His Father in heaven. Since then we entered the period we call the "Church dispensation", the "time of the church" in which we still are living today.

3. Then we have the view of a "Pre-Tribulation Rapture", which believes that the Lord Jesus Christ will remove His obedient followers from the earth PRIOR to the seven year tribulation that is to come, according to the Bible. I personally believe in this view myself and in this book will show you how the Lord revealed it to me from the Scriptures itself and with confirmation from other sources.

4. Another view held by some believers, is that there won't be a "pre-tribulation rapture", but only a "mid-tribulation rapture", meaning the believers need to go through one half of the tribulations that are to come before they will be removed from earth by the Lord Jesus, and that they will then escape the last half of the seven year tribulation.

5. Then there is the view that there will only be a "post-tribulation rapture", meaning that all believers need to go through all seven years of the tribulation and after that the Lord Jesus will come down, that we will meet Him halfway in the air and immediately come back down with Him to be with Him here on earth.

6. Upon Jesus' return after the seven years of tribulation, the thousand years of Jesus' Millennial reign starts. I will discuss some of the things that will happen during the millennium in detail in this book.

7. Below the timeline you will find some other differing views on the end-times:

7.1. The Preterists believe that the book of Revelation came to an end when the second temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD and that it therefore was only applicable to the first century believers.

7.2. Believers in futurism believe that the book of Revelation is still to be finalized as from Chapter 4 thereof and onward. I personally believe this view and will share this view in this book.

7.3. The Amillennialists e.g. the Seventh Day Adventists don't believe in a thousand year period with believers being here on earth, but rather that we will only be in heaven during that time.

7.4. The pre-millennialists believe that Jesus wil return before the thousand years.

7.5. The post-millennialists believe that Jesus will return only after the thousand years.

As you can see, there is quite a lot of DIVISION and CONFUSION "out there" regarding the specific details of the second return of Jesus Christ... And of course division and confusion is NOT of God.

"For God is **NOT the author of confusion..."  
(1 Corinthians 14:33)**

That obviously means that all the division and confusion regarding the rapture is from the devil himself! And just that thought alone should let many people re-evaluate their views regarding the rapture. Unfortunately many millions of Christians participate in perpetuating all that confusion...

But the point is:

Jesus IS coming back! Are...YOU...ready?

In order to give a short and concise explanation of the times we find ourselves in and will still experience in the future, I would like to also use the following little graph, which you can come back to every time as you work through this book, as these will be the things I will discuss in more detail during the course of this book:

1. Firstly we see that Jesus came to earth from heaven two thousand years ago. He then died on the cross, was physically raised from the dead and returned to His Father's house in heaven.

2. We presently find ourselves in the two thousand years of the "church dispensation" as I explained above.

3. Very soon Jesus is going to return from His Father's house to come and take us to be with Him in heaven. That will be the rapture of the saints.

4. Just before or at the rapture we will experience the war of Gog and Magog that we read about in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This might be the Third World War everyone is talking about.

5. This will lead to a period of seven years of tribulation and great tribulation here on earth as I will explain in detail in this book.

6. This period will be divided into two "halves" of three and a half years each, with the antichrist declaring himself to be "God" after the first three and a half years of the tribulation.

7. In the meantime those righteous saints who were ready for the rapture and went to the Father's house in heaven with Jesus will appear before the judgment seat (bema) of Christ and will enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb during those seven years.

8. At the end of the seven years, Jesus will return to earth with all His saints. This will be His second coming.

9. The antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown in the lake of fire and brimstone and satan will be bound in a bottomless pit.

10. Then there will follow one thousand years of peace upon the earth, with Jesus Himself reigning from Jerusalem.

11. At the end of the thousand years satan will be loosed to deceive the nations again and will get the Gog and the Magog to rise against Jersualem. This time it will not be a war. They will just be consumed by fire from heaven and satan will then also be thrown in the lake of fire and brimstone where the antichrist and false prophet will by then already have been for a thousand years.

12. Thereafter the Great White Throne Judgment will take place where all the unbelievers will be judged.

13. And only AFTER ALL THAT the new heaven and the new earth will come and eternity will start.

**With this book, I am only repeating what thousands of other Christians before me have also spoken about or have written about, in no way is it new, nor do I claim to have received any "new" or "hidden" revelation or knowledge that those who have gone before me did not have**. And by no means do I purport it to be a complete study of all the prophetic word contained in the Bible regarding this very important subject. It most definitely is not, as there are many other books and/or DVD's and/or YouTube videos available that will give even more information about other parts of the prophetic word regarding the rapture and the second coming of Jesus Christ and I strongly recommend that any serious Bible believer also make a study of other material on this very important subject in order to get ready for that event described in this book.

What I am doing with this book, is to only add a few more pieces of God's puzzle to other believers' lives because maybe... just maybe... I might say something in a different way than those others, or may just have a different slant on this very important subject that will break it open for someone who never did believe or wanted to believe in the rapture before. If that may be the case, I am content and was my time spent in writing this book, time well spent to the glory of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

So let us proceed to discuss all this, in more detail....
2.  
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES

The one thing that sets the Bible apart from all other "holy books" in the world, is the prophetic word contained in it. And exactly that is what causes us to know that we can place our trust in this Book for our eternal salvation.

We read that the apostle Peter says:

"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

**We have also A MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY; whereunto ye do well that ye TAKE HEED** , as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that **no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost**."  
**(2 Peter 1:16-21)**

We must take note of a few very important things that Peter is saying here. Firstly he states that they were eyewitnesses to the majesty of Jesus, they didn't just read it in a book somewhere. But yet, even though they SAW His majesty and HEARD the voice from heaven speaking, he says: _"We have also A MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY..."_ So what he is actually saying is that even though they SAW the glory and majesty of Jesus and HEARD the voice from heaven, **the word of prophecy is even more sure than that and must very definitely be taken heed of**. And it must be taken heed of until Jesus comes.

Furthermore he states that no prophecy is of any private interpretation because they did not come from the will of any man, but they were written down as the holy men of God were led by the Holy Spirit to speak. That is why if I am still busy with dead religion and if I am still bound by the spirit of religion I will not understand the sure word of prophecy, as I need to be led by the Holy Spirit for the words in the Bible to become alive to me.

"For as many **as are led by the Spirit of God** , they are the sons of God."  
**(Romans 8:14)**

"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: **for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life**."  
**(2 Corinthians 3:6)**

That is why we must understand that if we are not led by the Spirit of God, the prophecies written down in letters in the Bible will be veiled to us ( _"the letter killeth"_ ). It is only when the Holy Spirit reveals these things that HE Himself led the people of old to write down in the Bible in our spirit that we really start to understand the truth and the importance of the prophecies in the Bible today. Are you being led by the Spirit of God yet dear reader? If not, won't you pray and ask the Lord Jesus to baptize you with His Holy Spirit and then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal these things regarding the end-times prophecies, the rapture and the second coming of Christ to you as well?

For example there are three hundred and fifty three prophecies regarding Jesus Christ as Messiah in the Old Testament which have all been fulfilled to the letter in the New Testament. No other being or person could ever do that, but our living God.

And the Bible is the only "holy book" in the world that contains prophecies that were ALL fulfilled to the letter – 100%. No other "holy" book in the world can lay claim to that, not the Q'uran, nor the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas or the Upanishads of the Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus.

**Clarence Larkin** in his book: **"Dispensational Truth"** , which was written in 1918, gives the following "requirements" a genuine prophecy must have:

"1. It must have been made PRIOR to its fulfilment.

2. It must be BEYOND all HUMAN FORESIGHT.

3. It must give DETAILS.

4. A SUFFICIENT TIME MUST LAPSE between its publication and fulfilment to exclude the prophet, or any interested party, from fulfilling it.

5. There must be CLEAR AND EVIDENT FULFILMENT of the prophecy."

And interestingly enough, even the atheists came up with some ideas on how to test a "genuine prophecy", even though they don't even believe in the Bible.

"Some criteria are needed in order to distinguish cases of lucky guesses from those of true prophecy. Let us define a genuine prophecy as one that satisfies the following five criteria:

1. The prophecy MUST BE CLEAR, and it must contain sufficient detail to make its fulfillment by a wide variety of possible events unlikely.

2. The event that can fulfill the prophecy must be UNUSUAL OR UNIQUE.

3. The prophecy must be known to have been MADE BEFORE THE EVENT that is supposed to be its fulfillment.

4. The event foretold must NOT be of the sort that could be the result of an educated guess.

5. The event that fulfills the prophecy CANNOT BE STAGED, OR THE RELEVANT CIRCUMSTANCES MANIPULATED, by those aware of the prophecy in such a way as to intentionally cause the prophecy to be fulfilled."

("WHAT IS ATHEISM - A Short Introduction" - Douglas E. Krueger, an atheist. Pages 96-98)

When you make a study of the prophetic word in the Bible you will see that ALL the prophecies in the Bible fulfill all ten the requirements stated by Brother Clarence Larkin AND by the atheist Mr. Douglas Krueger. I don't know whether Mr. Krueger is still alive but if so I don't know what he will answer God one day when he appears before God's throne and is asked why he didn't read the Bible himself to see whether it fulfilled his own criteria in his own book? Because if he did that he would have known from his own writings that the Bible is absolutely true.

There are approximately 2500 prophecies in the Bible of which around 2000 have already been fulfilled to the letter. The last outstanding prophecies will all be fulfilled between the time we are now living in, the second coming of Christ and the new heaven and new earth that we will one day see after the millennium.

So if God has already proven a 100% average on fulfilling ALL his prophecies from the past to the present day, don't you think the last outstanding prophecies regarding the second coming of Christ and the end of the world will also be fulfilled 100%?

A well-known preacher in South Africa produced a comprehensive set of DVD's on the second coming of the Lord Jesus, and he counted the verses:

1. 1400 texts in the Bible refer to the second coming of Jesus.

2. There are 216 chapters in the New Testament (with 318 references to the second coming).

3. On average 1 out of every 30 verses in the New Testament refers to the second coming.

4. All 9 authors of the New Testament refer to the second coming.

5. In 23 of the 27 books of the New Testament we read about the second coming.  
**("Die Wederkoms van Christus" ("The Second Return of Christ") – Dr. Hennie Prinsloo)**

From all these verses in the Bible it is very clear that the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to planet Earth is an absolute certainty. But what will be the details of that second coming? Jesus Himself gave His disciples a number of pointers:

(1) "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." **(Matthew 24:5)**

"There are presently no less than 27 people across the world all saying that they are the Christ. E.g. Matreiya, who has millions of followers across the world. Then there is the famous Sai Baba, who also has thousands of followers. People sell al their possessions just to go and stay close to him. In the same manner there are others who have smaller groups following them, and most of them do great miracles."  
("Die Opraping van die Bruid van Christus" ("The Rapture of the Bride of Christ") – Dr. Monty Eloff)

Even in Pretoria in South Africa in the year 2017 we have a person staking claim to also being Christ – the Word made flesh. His people even call him "Christ" and "King".

Clearly then, this sign that Jesus warned about, is already fulfilled and in the process of being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

(2) "And ye shall hear of **wars** and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be

(3) **famines** , and

(4) **pestilences** , and

(5) **earthquake** s, in divers places."  
(Matthew 24:6,7)

Many people ask why all these things are happening on earth? Because Jesus Himself said in the quoted verses: _"...these things MUST come to pass..."._ He is God and He gets to make the rules, as we always say. And the fact that these things are indeed happening exactly as God said they would, proves beyond a shadow of doubt that He is the only true God who can ensure our salvation for eternity.

Let us look at the statistics for WARS (just in the 20th century):

Approximately 65 million people died in World War 1 and World War 2.

From 1900 – 2000, 130 million people died in wars.

From 1945 (the end of World War 2) – 2000, more than 143 countries participated in wars throughout the world.

So this sign is also clearly fulfilled and if we watch the world news on television we see that it is still in the process of fulfilment on a daily basis as many millions of people all over the world in different countries are still participating in wars to this very day. You can just Google: "Ongoing wars in the world" for yourself and you will see the updated lists.

Now let us look at some statistics regarding FAMINE:

According to the World Health Organization – 11.3% of the world's population is hungry. That's roughly 805 million people who go undernourished on a daily basis... In 2010, an estimated 7.6 million children - more than 20,000 a day - died.

This sign is therefore also fulfilled and in an ongoing process of being fulfilled on a daily basis around us.

Now some statistics regarding PESTILENCES on earth:

There are presently one hundred and fifty different types of cancer, killing approximately six million people per year.

Malaria causes approximately three million deaths per year.

The World Health Organisation says in the next twenty years, about seventy million people will most probably die from tuberculosis.

AIDS/HIV? – Already more than one hundred million people dead or dying from that in the world.

And then we don't even take into account people dying from the so-called SARS-virus, Bird flu, Ebola, Mad-cow disease and other diseases running rampant across the globe.

These statistics prove that this sign of the times is also already being fulfilled on a daily basis all over the world.

Now let's see what we can learn from EARTHQUAKES around the world:

In the 17th century (over a period of 100 years): 278 earthquakes were measured across the globe.

In the 18th century (over a period of 100 years): 640 earthquakes were measured across the globe.

In the 19th century (over a period of 100 years): 2119 earthquakes were measured across the globe.

In the 20th century: Approximately 1 million earthquakes per year, averaging 2700 earthquakes per day!

As we will see later, the Bible says some of the signs of the end-times will be like a woman going into labour before giving birth. What happens to such a woman? Her contractions intensify and come closer together until she starts to give birth. When we look at these statistics regarding the earthquakes, we can easily see that the "contractions" are getting closer together and that they are definitely becoming more intense.

And interestingly enough, the Bible also says there will be earthquakes in "divers places", meaning places that are not normally known for earthquake activity. If we just watch the world news, we will also see this prophecy being fulfilled on an ongoing basis, as many countries that normally are not known for earthquake activity, are reporting earthquakes - even Botswana and some places in South Africa that never recorded any earthquakes before.

(6) "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth **distress of nations, with perplexity** ; (e.g. because of financial depressions and recessions that are becoming more regular. There is hardly a country that is not in one kind of "distress" or another) the sea and the waves roaring (e.g tsunamis and floods that we see on TV on a regular basis); Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. **And when THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME TO PASS, THEN LOOK UP, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh**."  
 **(Luke 21:25-28)**

These verses say: _"...when these things begin to come to pass, THEN LOOK UP..."_ If we just read the things I have mentioned so far, it is very clear that these things have definitely begun to come to pass, so we must LOOK UP - for our redemption (Jesus Christ) draweth nigh!

(7) "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; **and THEN shall the end come**."  
 **(Matthew 24:14)**

Through TV and the many different aspects of social media and evangelization efforts of thousands of churches throughout the world, the gospel of the kingdom has now been preached in all the world... And then?... And THEN SHALL THE END COME!

Clearly just from these few signs that Jesus Himself referred to, we are very very very close to the end. Are YOU READY to meet your Maker dear reader?
3.  
THE BOOK OF REVELATION

All students of the Bible that have done a complete study of the book of Revelation are in agreement that Chapters 1 to 3 refer to the "church dispensation", or the "period of the church" in which we find ourselves today. We learn this from the fact that these first three chapters contain the seven letters to the seven church congregations, and we read seven different times:

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith UNTO THE CHURCHES" **(Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:29; Revelation 3:6; 3:13; 3:22.)**

But then in the first verse of **Revelation 4** we read:

"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard _was_ as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter." **(Revelation 4:1)**

John was a "type" or a "shadow" of the believers who are to be raptured at some time in the future. And here he sees an open door in heaven and a voice telling him to _"come up hither"_ after which he is taken into heaven (raptured) and shown the things that will happen _"hereafter"_ , in other words after the end of chapters 1 to 3, AFTER the end of the church age.

Between **Revelation 1:1** and **Revelation 3:22** we read about the church. After **Revelation 4:1** we do not read about the church at all, until we read about it again in **Revelation 19** from verse 11, where the bride/church returns to earth WITH the Lord Jesus Christ.

**Revelation 4:2** to the end of **Revelation 18:24** refer to all the things that will happen in heaven and on earth during the seven year tribulation period, which things are described in much detail in those chapters of the Bible. A friend of mine who is a well-known end-time preacher in South Africa, pastor Thys Smit once said that it is like using a camera with a telephoto lens (zoom-lens). Sometimes the Biblical "camera" zooms in to the finer detail of certain things that will happen during that time, and sometimes it zooms out to focus on the larger picture. So everything we read in the book of Revelation between chapter 4 to chapter 18:24 explain to us what will be happening DURING the seven year tribulation period. The moment we understand this, the book of Revelation is not "so difficult to read" anymore, as many people thought – and were actually told or taught - for many years.

And so we read a little later in the book of Revelation:

"If any man have an ear, let him hear." **(Revelation 13:9)**

That means **Revelation 13:9** is after **Revelation 4:1** but before **Revelation 19:11** , in other words DURING the tribulation period, and the words _"what the Spirit saith_ _unto the churches_ _"_ are not contained in this verse because at that time the true church is not on the earth anymore.

**Revelation 19** refers to the second coming of Jesus out of heaven, WITH His bride.

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him _was_ called Faithful and True... and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies _which were_ in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."  
**(Revelation 19:11-14)**

Many believers say that these armies coming from heaven are only the angel armies. I have no problem to believe that the angels will be PART of those armies coming from heaven, but those armies are very definitely also believers (the bride of Christ), which is proven by the clothes they are wearing:

"And to her _(the bride)_ was granted that she should be **a** rrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."  
 **(Revelation 19:8)**

Angels do not wear the _"...righteousness of the saints",_ only the saints wear the righteousness of the saints. Therefore we know that the armies following Jesus out of heaven consist of the angels AND the righteous (glorified) believers. The reason why some believers think those armies will only consist of the angels are found in the words of the following verses:

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory;..."  
 **(Matthew 25:31)**

"...when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,..."  
 **(2 Thessalonians 1:7)**

And because of these two verses people think that those armies consist only of the angels. Yet they lose sight of the old prophecy contained in the following verses, which also confirm that those armies coming WITH Jesus will include the righteous saints:

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which _is_ before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, _and there shall be_ a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south... and the LORD my God shall come, and ALL the SAINTS with thee."  
**(Zechariah 14:4,5)**

The Bible always explains itself and we need to take note of the Bible as a whole when studying Bible prophecy regarding the end-times and not just cling to one or two verses on which to build our personal view regarding the end-times. Very obviously then on that day the angels AND the saints will come from heaven with Jesus. What a glorious day to look forward to! We will discuss these verses in **Zechariah 14:4,5** in more detail in Chapter 9 hereafter.
4.  
RAPTURE? WHAT RAPTURE?

In the Bible we effectively read about SEVEN different "raptures" and you can study those for yourself:

Enoch – **G** enesis 5:24

Elijah – 2 Kings 2:1-11

Jesus – Mark 16:19

Philip – Acts 8:39

Paul – 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

Bride of Christ – 1 Thessalonians 4:17

John – Revelation 4:1

The standard argument you get confronted with when you speak to people about the coming rapture of the saints is: "I don't believe in the rapture because the word "rapture" is not found anywhere in the Bible!"

(For purposes of this book, when I just use the word "rapture" I refer to the "pre-tribulation" rapture, except if I specifically refer to either the "mid-tribulation" or "post-tribulation" views of the rapture - Author.)

The fact that the specific word is not contained in the Bible does not mean that the rapture is not a reality. The word "Trinity" is also not found anywhere in the Bible yet when we study the Bible as a whole, we learn that the Trinity is an absolute fact. The word "satanism" is also not found in the Bible and yet we know today that satanism is an absolute fact.

Now where does the controversial word "rapture" come from then? It comes from Latin!

"... the term "rapture" is derived from the text of the Latin Vulgate of 1 Thessalonians 4:17: "we will be caught up," [Latin: "rapiemur"])."  
(www.catholic.com/tracts/the-rapture)

Unfortunately just because it comes from the Latin which is used in the Roman Catholic Church, one "general" argument that Protestant believers that don't believe, or don't want to believe in the rapture, USE AGAINST the rapture, is that the rapture is actually a heresy which was brought in by the Roman Catholic Church. And just because it is something which comes from the Roman Catholic Church THEREFORE Protestant believers CAN NOT and SHOULD NOT believe the rapture - they say.

But is it really true that the rapture comes from the Roman Catholic Church or is that also just another lie that satan brought into the world for the specific reason to STOP many Protestant believers from believing in and getting ready for the rapture?
5.  
WHAT IS THE ROMAN CATHOLIC VIEW OF THE RAPTURE?

So what IS the Roman Catholic view of the rapture then? Let's read some of their own material:

"The phrase "shall be caught up together," in the Latin is "simul rapiemur." The word 'rapture' comes from the Latin of this passage. The verb 'rapio' refers to carrying something away quickly. Since this passage is a part of Sacred Scripture, the idea of a rapture cannot be dismissed as being non-existent. However, the exact meaning of this passage and of "shall be caught up together ... to meet the Lord in the air" must be carefully considered.

**There is a** widespread idea among Protestants **that the rapture is an event whereby God takes a select group of faithful Christians out of the world** BEFORE the tribulation. THIS IDEA OF THE RAPTURE IS INCORRECT and contradicts Sacred Scripture.... Since the dead rise first, the rapture occurs at the time of the Resurrection. And since those who are left do not precede the dead who rise, the rapture CANNOT OCCUR BEFORE THE TRIBULATION, nor anytime before the Resurrection.

In summary, the rapture IS NOT AN EVENT WHEREBY THE FAITHFUL ARE REMOVED FROM THE WORLD BEFORE a time of suffering.

As Christ suffered, so also MUST the Church suffer."

("A Catholic View of the Rapture" – Ronald L. Conte Jr.)

From this we can clearly see that the Roman Catholic Church does NOT believe in the "pre-tribulation rapture" but only in a "post-tribulation rapture" \- type view.

And if perhaps you also believed the lie that the rapture is a Roman Catholic heresy and FOR THAT REASON you did NOT want to believe in or get ready for the rapture, what OTHER lies regarding the rapture did you ALSO believe that stopped you from understanding and believing the truth about the rapture – and getting ready for it?

Just take notice of that one last sentence they used: _"_ _As Christ suffered, so also must the church suffer_ _"_. This is a very important view of the Roman Catholic Church which has been preached by them for centuries. This view also led to their doctrine that when believers die they need to first go through "purgatory" before they can enter heaven because they must first suffer for their own sins. But is that true? No, according to the Bible there is no such thing as "purgatory" and does no believer who has received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, ever have to suffer for his or her own sins anymore. Jesus did it all at the cross of Calvary! We will also see what the Bible says regarding their view that as Christ suffered, so also must the church suffer.

But yes, unfortunately there are many Protestants who ALSO don't (want to) believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. One of the more well-known persons in this area is a lady called Corrie ten Boom who suffered immensely in World War 2 in the Nazi concentration camps. She wrote:

"There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution. In China, the Christians were told, "Don't worry, BEFORE the TRIBULATION comes you will be translated - raptured."

Then came a terrible PERSECUTION. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, "We have failed. We should have made the people STRONG FOR PERSECUTION rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes - to stand and not faint."  
("Escape Tribulation? – WRONG!" – Corrie ten Boom)

According to this lady, people believing in and teaching others about the rapture, are false teachers. After having read this book, and checking all the Bible verses that I will be showing you in this book for yourself, you will make up your own mind whether she was right, or not.
6.  
TRIBULATION versus WRATH

The problem is that most Protestant believers confuse the tribulation that we as believers experience here on earth BECAUSE OF PERSECUTION by the devil and other people, and the seductions and temptations of this world, with the (great) tribulation that will happen during those seven years that the Bible speaks about, which will in fact be DAYS OF GOD'S WRATH. **It is NOT the same thing that will be happening during those seven years.**

Let's see what we learn from the Bible about the "normal" TRIBULATION that we will experience here on earth when we start to follow Jesus. (If any kind of tribulation can ever be called "normal")...

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. IN the world ye SHALL have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  
 **(John 16:33)**

Did Jesus refer to the tribulation of the seven year period of (great) tribulation here? No, He was teaching His disciples that they WILL experience tribulation/persecution here on earth when they start to stand up for Jesus. And that tribulation is and was experienced by all obedient followers of Jesus Christ, since His ascension to this very day. It has nothing to do with that "abnormal and intense" tribulation which will be experienced during those seven years.

"These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: **yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service**. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me."  
 **(John 16:1-3)**

Oh wow! So this "normal" tribulation that we as followers of Christ will experience here on earth will be so intense that we may even be killed! And that is what those people in China did not understand. They thought that they would be spared the "normal" day to day tribulations and persecutions because they are Christians, by believing in and waiting for the rapture, yet that is not what the Bible teaches! The Bible teaches that tribulation and persecution WILL arise when we stand up for the Word of God - and persecution of such a nature that we may even be killed for our faith – as they were killed in China. And many Christians still are physically persecuted and killed to this very day in 2017 all over the world.

Let's read further that persecution and tribulation will arise because of the Word of God and that we must not be offended because of that...

"But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: **for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word** , by and by he is offended."  
 **(Matthew 13:20,21)**

The Bible teaches that men will hate us and separate us from their company and cast out our names as evil for Jesus' sake, but that we should actually leap for joy when that happens.

"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you _from their company,_ and shall reproach _you,_ and cast out your name as evil, **for the Son of man's sake**. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward _is_ great in heaven..."  
 **(Luke 6:22,23)**

The Bible teaches that we must even glory in these tribulations, knowing that it works patience in us while we are here on earth.

"And not only _so,_ but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." **(Romans 5:3-5)**

The Bible teaches that we must endure hardship and afflictions like good soldiers of Christ.

"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."  
 **(2 Timothy 2:3)**

The Bible teaches that Paul also suffered persecutions and afflictions, and it also teaches that ALL of us who wish to live godly lives in Christ Jesus SHALL be persecuted.

"Persecutions, afflictions,...what persecutions I endured: but out of _them_ all the Lord delivered me. **Yea, and ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL suffer persecution**. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."  
 **(2 Timothy 3:11-13)**

From these verses it is very clear and there is no doubt – when you give your heart to Jesus and really stand up for His truth and the truth of His Word, **you WILL be persecuted and suffer tribulation of different kinds** here on earth **BECAUSE YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN and satan hates you for that**.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND... God will recompense us for that...

"So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: _Which is_ a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: **Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to RECOMPENSE TRIBULATION TO THEM THAT TROUBLE YOU**..."  
**(2 Thessalonians 1:5,6)**

What we learn from these two verses is that the tribulations and persecution that we presently endure is actually a token of the righteous judgment of God, because our suffering such persecutions and tribulations makes us worthy for His Kingdom - and that is why in His righteousness He is going to recompense tribulation to those that presently persecute and trouble us.

And HOW is He going to do that? Let us now read about GOD'S WRATH/VENGEANCE - during the seven years of (great) tribulation:

" **For these be THE DAYS OF VENGEANCE** , that all things which are written _(prophecies)_ may be fulfilled...And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations,... for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And THEN _(in other words AFTER the days of wrath/vengeance)_ shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."  
 **(Luke 21:22-27)**

In these verses Jesus is explaining to His disciples what some of the things will be that will happen here on earth before His second coming and very clearly He says that those days will be days of VENGEANCE. And why, does He say, must these things happen? So that all the things that were written may be fulfilled!

Now the question is upon whom will that vengeance be exacted by the Lord? We find the answer in the following verses:

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire **taking VENGEANCE on**

**(1) them** that KNOW NOT God, and

**(2)** that OBEY NOT the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ"   
2 Thessalonians 1:7,8)

"God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take VENGEANCE on HIS ADVERSARIES, and he reserveth WRATH for HIS ENEMIES."  
(Nahum 1:2)

These verses are unambiguous that God's vengeance or wrath in those days will be exacted upon those that (1) know not God and those that (2) do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ and upon His adversaries and His enemies. **Nowhere in the Bible do we read that He will take vengeance and exact His wrath upon His OBEDIENT children.**

But there is no doubt from all the different verses in the Bible, that it will most definitely be a day of wrath:

"The great day of the LORD is near, _it is_ near, and hasteth greatly, _even_ the voice of the day of the LORD:... **That day is a day of WRATH** , a day of TROUBLE and DISTRESS, a day of WASTENESS and DESOLATION, a day of DARKNESS and GLOOMINESS, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, **because they have sinned against the LORD** : and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in **the day of the LORD'S WRATH**..." **(Zephaniah 1:14-18)**

There are also differences of opinion about what _"the great day of the Lord"_ refers to. Some say it just refers to the specific day of the rapture, others say it refers to the single day of His second coming, some say it refers to the seven year period between the rapture and the second coming, while still others believe that it refers to the whole PERIOD of His second return, starting with the rapture and ending after the thousand years. The reason for this view is found in the verse that says to God one day is as a thousand years...

"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that **one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."  
(2 Peter 3:8)**

I am personally inclined to agree with the last view, as God's wrath and vengeance on those who are disobedient to Him will start from the day He raptures the saints, up to the end of the millennium. We will see what will happen to the nations that are disobedient to Him DURING the millennium in Chapter 23 and 24 hereafter, as the Bible says He will rule them with a rod of iron.

"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, **that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a ROD OF IRON** : and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."  
**(Revelation 19:15)**

In the following verses in the book of Zephaniah however, we do read that there will be a possibility for some to be HIDDEN in the day of the Lord's anger. This can refer to one or two different things, and that is the rapture of the obedient saints, who will not be in the day of the Lord's wrath because they will have been taken out of the world, AND it can refer to the remnant of Israel that we will discuss later, because they will have been hidden in the mountains by the Lord Himself.

"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, _before_ the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, **before the day of the LORD'S ANGER come upon you.** Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be YE SHALL BE HID in the day of the LORD'S ANGER." **(Zephaniah 2:1-3)**

We find another confirmation about God's wrath being poured out upon those that do not know Him, in the following verse:

" **Pour out thy WRATH upon the heathen** that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name." **(Psalm 79:6)**

And in **Revelation 6** (after **Revelation 4:1** but before **Revelation 19:11** – in other words during the time of the tribulation) we read that the mighty people of the world will try to hide themselves from God's wrath:

"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth... And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, **hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains** ; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: **For the great day of HIS WRATH is come** ; and who shall be able to stand?"  
(Revelation 6:12-17)

Just as another confirmation of how literally true the Bible is, just look at where the _"...kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men..."_ will try to hide themselves in that time – _"..._ _hid themselves in the dens_ _and in the rocks of the mountains..."_ We see the precursor to the fulfilment of this prophecy in that the elite of the world – the Illuminati, Freemasons, and world governments - are already preparing for themselves underground bunkers, which are being built using the "excuse" of global emergencies or "disasters".

" **Underground bunkers are becoming popular among the elite and rich and famous as the world progresses to theactivation of the New World Order.** Considering that about ninety percent of the world are severally deluded concerning the powers of the darkness that include the... Illuminati Occult, and all organizational offshoots—anyone who seeks salvation underground will be trapped into the dark enslavement of the New World Order.

The Governments of the world and the Media Giants are deceptive liars that are fabricating and staging so-called terrorist events. Through a deception event (possible staged alien war) which will cause trauma and emotional shock that will inhibit the power to troubleshoot that will set-up the collective consciousness to surrender their free-will to the powers of the darkness.

Luxury Underground Bunkers: Practical or Paranoid?

Ask Robert Vicino about the future of civilization and it's not a bright picture.

"We're seeing almost a quickening convergence of major disasters. It seems like every week there's a major one," he states over the phone. " **Sooner or later, al-Qaida, they could get lucky. Or it could be a tornado or an economic collapse like we're seeing in Greece. There is a very good chance that in your lifetime you will need an underground shelter to survive."**

So that's exactly what he's creating.

As the managing director of Vivos, a Del Mar, Calif.-based company that's building a network of luxury bunkers throughout the U.S., Vicino and his firm sell shares in 200-person underground pods designed to weather catastrophes ranging from volcanic eruptions to nuclear attack.

Available at five undisclosed locations, each bunker is approximately 20,000 square feet, buried 30 to 40 feet beneath the earth's surface — far enough down to survive a 50-megaton blast within 10 miles."

(<http://adventofdeception.com/underground-bunker-preparation-for-the-new-world-order/>)

Here is an artist's rendering of such underground bunkers which are called "survival-condos":

You see, all the rich and the elite of the world will try to hide in bunkers like these when the days of the WRATH of God come. But the Bible says that God's hand will pull them out of there so they won't get away from Him on His day of wrath no matter how deep they go underground.

" **Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them** ; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:..."  
**(Amos 9:2)**

Then we find another confirmation regarding the fact that this tribulation period will be the time of God's wrath, in:

"And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and **pour out the vials of THE WRATH OF GOD upon the earth**."  
(Revelation 16:1)

Remember **Revelation 16** is after **Revelation 4** but before **Revelation 19** in other words during the tribulation period.

So from all this we learn that all true born again children of God already experience "tribulation" and persecution in many different forms during our lifetimes, just as a result of the fact that we are children of God, and because satan HATES US, and we CAN and we MUST learn to handle all such tribulations and persecutions in the faith of and by the power of, Jesus Christ.

But the tribulation that is to come during those seven years **has to do with GOD'S ANGER and WRATH and VENGEANCE as we have now clearly seen** , and the Bible is clear that God's obedient children are NOT appointed to wrath. It is NOT true when the Roman Catholic Church states: _"As Christ suffered, so also must the church suffer."_ We get the confirmation of this fact that we will NOT be in His wrath, in the following verses:

"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, _even_ Jesus, which delivered us FROM THE WRATH TO COME."  
(1 Thessalonians 1:10)

The words of this verse are unambiguous that Jesus delivers us FROM the WRATH to come. And when will that wrath come? **During the seven year tribulation period**. God's wrath has not been poured out yet. The next verse is also clear that God has not appointed us to wrath:

"For God hath NOT appointed us TO WRATH, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,..."  
(1 Thessalonians 5:9)

So if God has not APPOINTED US TO WRATH why would He let those children of His - who are totally OBEDIENT to His Word and His instructions and who PREPARE themselves for His return - go THROUGH His wrath? Is God divided against Himself? No, He isn't because Jesus said:

" **Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation** ; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand..."  
**(Matthew 12:25)**

And we all know that God's Kingdom is definitely not brought to desolation because it is not divided against itself. What kind of a father CHASTIZES his children in WRATH when they are OBEDIENT to his instructions and when they really do everything he told them to do, before he returns home? Definitely NOT my/our heavenly Father! This fact is confirmed by the words of the following verse in **Revelation 3** :

"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."  
(Revelation 3:10)

Thus we as Christian believers MUST learn and teach others to handle the "normal" kind of tribulation as a result of satan's persecution as we discussed it earlier on a daily basis - YES! And as I said these tribulations and persecutions may even be so intense that we may be killed as a result thereof, as we saw earlier in **John 16:1-3**.

The problem is that believers do not discern that we are reading about TWO different "kinds" (if I may call it that) of "tribulation" in the Bible. One kind of tribulation is experienced by the **BELIEVERS** prior to the rapture and a totally different kind of tribulation is experienced by the **UNBELIEVERS and the disobedient ones** after the rapture.

Those of us who believe in the rapture of the saints do NOT think or expect for one moment that the rapture will remove us from the "normal" daily tribulations and persecutions that come from satan and the world.

And that is why we teach people wherever we go HOW to be able to HANDLE those tribulations and persecutions on a daily basis, as a result of and in their FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ and the POWER and AUTHORITY they receive from Him to be able to do so. But at the same time we also teach them HOW TO MAKE READY for the rapture and His second coming.

In this way believers can be equipped BOTH for the daily attacks by the enemy - satan, AND also for the rapture and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our goal is definitely NOT to let people become weaker in their faith. ON THE CONTRARY! Every believer who understands the reality of the rapture has a burning desire to SHAKE UP AND WAKE UP all nominal and lukewarm believers to GROW in their faith, to STRIVE for sanctification, righteousness and holiness and to PREPARE for the soon coming return of Jesus!

"And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom _his_ lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? **Blessed is that servant, whom his lord** when he cometh **shall find so doing** _(busy)_."  
(Luke 12:42,43)

Unfortunately there are many scoffers (Protestant believers included) in the world sarcastically alleging that people who believe in the pre-tribulation rapture have an "escapism mentality" and are only waiting to "fly away", but in the meantime they are apparently not doing much more to help others around them get ready for Jesus' return. There have even been allegations that those believers who believe in the rapture have been satanically influenced. That is very definitely NOT true.

Those believers who are READY for the rapture, do not sit and wait "to fly away" as many people scoff. They are ACTIVELY BUSY to give the Lord's household their _"meat in due season"_ in other words their spiritual food, which will make them spiritually ready for their Lord's return. They actually have a BURNING DESIRE to get ALL other people around them ready for the return of Jesus too.

R.A.Torrey, a well-known Christian Evangelist who lived between 1856 and 1928 wrote the following regarding the rapture and believers who are getting ready for that:

"When it comes to belief in the Lord's return there are two kinds of Christians – gazers _(those gazing up in the air when the rapture happens)_ and goers _(those going with the rapture)_... **The** imminent return **of our Lord is the great Bible argument for a PURE, unselfish, DEVOTED, unworldly, ACTIVE life of service**."  
**(R. A. Torrey)**

Can you see what he says? If you believe in the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ for the rapture, **it works in you a pure, unselfish, devoted, unworldly, ACTIVE life of service.** Not a dead or lukewarm attitude towards the rapture and the second coming of Jesus.

Those Christian believers who do NOT believe in the rapture of the saints prior to the second coming of Jesus, allege that we who do believe in the rapture are actually lulling other people into a "false sense of security" and are thereby not getting people ready for everything that will happen with the return of Jesus - so they say. That is also totally untrue.

To try and stop us from teaching people about the rapture just because SOME people may thereby "become lukewarm" does not carry any weight. Because then we may just as well say that we also shouldn't teach people about the second coming of Jesus at all, as SOME people may then become so afraid because they aren't ready for His return that they may totally fall away from Him. It is nonsensical.

But I ask the question: \- WHY are Christian believers fighting against each other – and trying to prove each other as "false" about this - **when we are ALL supposed to get THE WHOLE WORLD READY for the return of Jesus?**

What are you who believe in the post-tribulation rapture "winning" or "achieving" by trying to prove that the coming of Jesus for His saints with the rapture prior to the seven years tribulation is false? We are still teaching the people **about the same event in time and about the same Person, Jesus Christ of Nazareth**! You just believe He will come seven years AFTER we believe that He will come. So why do you waste so much time trying to prove that believers who believe in the rapture prior to the tribulation are "false", when all they are doing is trying their best to ALSO just get people ready for the RETURN of Jesus?

Does that period of seven years that we differ about, really make those of us who believe in the rapture "unbelievers" or "ungodly" or "unsaved" or "false teachers" or even "satanic" suddenly? Or do we actually STILL believe in the SAME Jesus Christ that you do, and WHO IS SOON TO RETURN? Is it possible that we can disagree about the time-frame but still all get the people READY for the return of Jesus at least, without all the name-calling and back-biting and bad-mouthing that Christians (who believe in the rapture) experience from other Christians (who don't)?

Because when the unbelieving world read about all this division and hear what Christians call other Christians regarding this very important subject, what will make them want to get closer to that Jesus whose followers, instead of "agreeing to disagree", are trying so hard to bad-mouth each other if they can't get the others to see their point of view? What do we show them or what do we have that they don't already have in the world - that will want them to get closer to Jesus? What we are showing them is definitely not something they would want.

However, if we teach people from the Bible HOW INTENSE and BAD that period of God's ANGER, WRATH and VENGEANCE is going to be here on earth, they will realize and understand that they really don't WANT to be here when THAT happens. Then they will start to ensure that they do everything in their walk of faith so that they may also be deemed worthy to escape all these things that will come upon the earth and to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ as I explain in Chapter 29. That makes people STRONGER in their faith, it does NOT make them lukewarm or cold in their faith!

None of the verses containing the word "wrath" in the Bible ever say that God will pour out any of His wrath on His church or His OBEDIENT children. They all say that God's wrath will be poured out on **those who do NOT believe in Him AND those who are DISOBEDIENT to Him and to His gospel**.

Because if God is to pour out His wrath on His OBEDIENT children then Jesus died in vain and was His blood not a sufficient sacrifice as we still have to be punished for our own sins, thereby carrying our own sins. And that is EXACTLY what the Roman Catholic Church has been teaching their people for centuries, that we still need to be punished for our own sins. The Bible is clear that that is NOT true. His single sacrifice was enough!

"For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now ONCE in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself... So Christ **was ONCE offered to bear the sins of many** ; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."  
**(Hebrews 9:26-28)**

These verses are very clear that His sacrifice that happened ONCE in the history and existence of the earth was ENOUGH! Those of us who believe in Him, who are obedient to Him and who are getting ready for His return, do NOT have to carry our own sins and do NOT have to be punished in very extreme ways for our sins for seven years before He returns.

Lastly we see another confirmation about this very important fact that God only pours out His wrath on the DISOBEDIENT ones, in the following verses:

"But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? **And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, BUT TO THEM THAT BELIEVED NOT?** So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."  
**(Hebrews 3:17-19)**

Thus if we are OBEDIENT to Him and His gospel, His wrath will NOT be poured out on us, as we will NOT be IN those days of His wrath here on earth. I just pray that you will not be one of those that will also not enter the rapture because of your unbelief in what the Word teaches about this very important subject.
7.  
EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE OF THE RIGHTEOUS BEING PROTECTED AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS BEING DESTROYED

When we study the Bible it is also easy to see that God does not let the same things happen to the righteous and the unrighteous, especially not when He pours out His judgments or wrath.

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."  
(Hebrews 11:7)

The righteous Noah and his house were saved while the rest of the world died in their unrighteousness. Abraham also confirmed that the Judge of all the earth will not do such a thing to destroy the righteous with the wicked.

"And Abraham drew near, and said, **Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?** Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that _are_ therein? **That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked** : and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"  
(Genesis 18:23-25)

We also see that when God destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, He kept Lot and his two daughters safe because of their righteousness.

"And he _(the angel)_ said unto him _(Lot)_ , See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither... And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, **and sent Lot OUT OF the midst of the overthrow** , when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."  
(Genesis 19:21-29)

"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day **THAT LOT WENT OUT** of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and DESTROYED them all _(except Lot and his daughters)_. **Even thus shall it be in the day** when the Son of man is revealed."  
(Luke 17:28-30)

Peter also shows us that God knows how to deliver the godly OUT of temptations but to reserve the unjust for punishment.

"The Lord knoweth how **to deliver the godly OUT OF temptations** , and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished."  
(2 Peter 2:9)

We saw the same thing when God smote the firstborn of the Egyptians, yet not one child among the Jews perished.

"For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and **will NOT suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses** to smite _you._ "  
(Exodus 12:23)

Even Rahab who was a harlot received a different fate than the rest of her city because she put her faith in the God of Israel to save her.

"By faith the harlot Rahab perished NOT with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace."  
(Hebrews 11:31)

And lastly the Holy Spirit showed me this little gem in the book of Psalms, which very clearly also prophecies about things that will happen during and after the rapture.

"For in the time of trouble **he shall hide me in his pavilion** : in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock."  
(Psalm 27:5)

This verse can refer both to the church who will not be upon the earth during the time of trouble because they will be hidden in his _"pavilion"_ in heaven, and it can also refer to the remnant of Israel who will be hidden in the mountains by God during the _"time of Jacob's trouble"_ as I discuss it in Chapter 13. The word which was translated as "pavillion" in this verse, in the Hebrew also means "tabernacle".

But the one important point to take note of from all these verses is that God does NOT let the same thing happen to the righteous and the unrighteous, to the just and to the unjust – especially during times of His judgment or wrath or vengeance.

"The typical teaching of the Scriptures demand that the Church be caught out "before" the Tribulation. Joseph was a type of Christ and he was espoused to, and married Asenath, a Gentile bride, during the time of his "rejection by his brethren" and "before the famine" which typified the Tribulation, because it was the time of "judgment of his brethren".

This is the time of Christ's "rejection by His brethren" – the Jews, and to complete the type He must get His bride – the church, "before" the Tribulation. Moses, who is also a type of Christ, got his bride, and she a Gentile, "after" his rejection by his brethren and "before" they passed through the Tribulation under Pharaoh."  
**("Dispensational Truth" – Clarence Larkin, 1918)**

So God will NOT let His faithful believers who obediently prepared themselves for the rapture go through His wrath, anger and vengeance here on the earth during the seven years of tribulation.
8.  
HE WILL COME FOR HIS SAINTS...

Most people and even many Protestant believers struggle to see Jesus' second coming as TWO events (i.e. the "Parousia" is understood as two phases; phase one a secret or "mystery" referring to Church age believers only [ **1 Cor. 15:51** ] and phase two a global public event "every eye will see him" [ **Rev. 1:7** ]) - firstly FOR His saints (bride) to take them TO heaven with Him, and then a little later returning WITH His saints FROM heaven.

"Christ came into the world as a baby. After Jesus' birth, Scripture is silent. We have no other report until about thirty years later... for thirty years there is a period called the silent years in the life of Christ. That is a very important period, yet we are told almost nothing about it... This coming of Christ is for redemption. The first aspect or appearance was INCARNATION; the second aspect or appearance was REDEMPTION. Now there is a wide difference between the two - a little Baby (incarnation) and a Man on a cross (redemption). Anyone, I am sure, would recognize the difference. But we do not call THAT the first AND second coming of Christ. We package it up in ONE COMING **, which is proper.**

We do the same thing for His coming for the church, then later His coming to establish His Kingdom on the earth. We put BOTH IN ONE package \- and I can see nothing wrong with that. There is a wide difference, though, between the Rapture and the Revelation. The difference is not only in time. At the Rapture, He comes as the Bridegroom to take His Bride, His church, OUT OF THE WORLD. Remember that He does not come to the earth at that time at all. At the Revelation He comes as a King TO THE EARTH to establish His Kingdom."  
**(McGee, J. V. – "On Prophecy: Man's Fascination with the Future")**

Jesus said in very clear terms:

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if _it were_ not _so,_ I would have told you. **I GO to prepare a place for you**. And if I go and prepare a place for you, **I will come again, and receive you unto myself** ; that where I am, _there_ ye may be also."  
(John 14:2,3)

So we see Jesus is coming again to take us to be with Him where He is. And where is He at present? In heaven, in the home of His Father! From this we understand that He is firstly going to come FOR His obedient saints TO GO TO HEAVEN WITH HIM. At this rapture only those who are ready and are to be raptured will see Him, NOT the whole world.

That verse does not refer to the day that we die, because then we who accepted Him and became born again will be going to heaven in any case, He does not have to COME and take us to be with Him where He is. He just needs to wait until we get to heaven. And the Bible teaches us that the angels take us to be with Him when we die, He doesn't come Himself when somebody dies. From this we understand that these verses refer to a specific event when He Himself will COME to RECEIVE US UNTO HIMSELF, in other words to take us to be with Him where He is now and that is in heaven!

Furthermore the words He used stated plainly that He GOES to PREPARE a place for us IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. He does not say that He is coming back to prepare a place for us HERE ON EARTH.

"In verse 3 Jesus says: _"...I will come again and receive you unto Myself."_ The words: _"...receive you unto Myself"_ in Greek is "paralepsomai" coming from the root word "paralambo" which means: "to take by force". What Jesus is really saying here, is: _"...I will come again and take you to me by force._ "

("Die Opraping van die Bruid van Christus" ("The Rapture of the Bride of Christ") – Dr Monty Eloff)

It is also interesting to note how Thayer's Greek Lexicon explains the meaning of the word: "Paralambo":

"...to take to, to take with oneself, to join to oneself – an associate, a companion... to take with one in order to carry away... **to take one's betrothed to his home**..."

Oh wow! So very clearly then, the word that Jesus used in **John 14:2,3** , refers to taking His companions (friends) yes, His betrothed - to His home! And that home is in heaven.

If the meaning of the word is that we will only go up into the air at Jesus' second coming (post-tribulation), meet Him in the air and then summarily make a "u-turn" and come back to earth with Him, when are we going to get to enjoy those "mansions" and "places" that He went to PREPARE for us? Are we supposed to believe that we will only get to enjoy those mansions AFTER the millennial reign of Christ, when the new heaven and the new earth commences?

As I explain in Chapter 15 on the ancient Hebrew marriage ceremony, the bridegroom first prepared a room for him and his bride IN HIS FATHER'S house and then he went to take his bride FROM her father's house to bring her back to that room IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. That is why we know that Jesus is not just coming back to the house of His bride (earth) to just stay with her here.

There is no talk of a RETURN WITH HIS BRIDE TO HIS FATHER'S HOUSE, if according to the post-tribulational view we just go up in the air to meet Him there, and then immediately turn around and COME BACK with Him to earth.

Let's now read how Paul explained this event:

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive _and_ remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For

(1) the **Lord himself shall descend** from heaven

(2) **with a shout** , with the voice of the archangel,

(3) and with **the trump of God** :

(4) 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. Wherefore COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS."  
(1 Thessalonians 4:15-18)

For the people who believe that we as obedient children of God will be IN the tribulation, how can we _"...comfort one another with these words"_ , because it is NOT very comforting to think we must go THROUGH that extreme tribulation period that I have already explained in Chapter 6.

But it is indeed extremely comforting to KNOW that if we are obedient to His Word and His gospel that we will NOT be in the tribulation, because we will then be with Him IN HEAVEN. And for this reason we can really _"comfort one another"_ with the words that we will: _"..._ _be CAUGHT UP together with them_ _in the clouds, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR"_...

And from then on we will be with the Lord for ever after He raptured us. Firstly we will be with Him IN HEAVEN during those seven years, thereafter we will return to earth with Him to spend the thousand years of His millennial reign with Him here on earth, and finally we will be with Him for eternity in the new Jersualem, the new heaven and the new earth.

Just a question – Who are those who are _"dead in Christ"_ , and why do they have to rise first? Many people believe - and these include the Seventh Day Adventists and other Amillenialists - that when we die we go into a period of "unconscious" sleep until the day that the trump blows, and that we will only rise then and either go to be with Jesus or go to eternal judgment. And they build their argument/case on the verse that reads: _"...and the dead in Christ shall rise first..."_ stating that that verse proves that those who "died in Christ" will just be "sleeping" until that day.

But that is NOT what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches in **1 Thessalonians 5:23** that we as human beings consist of three "parts" if I can call it that, namely a spirit, a soul and a body.

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and _I pray God_ your whole spirit AND soul AND body be preserved blameless **unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ**."

Note very clearly that the verse states: _"...spirit AND soul AND body..."_ , thereby confirming that those are **three different things** and that the spirit and soul is not the same thing, as Seventh Day Adventists are taught.

Those who are _"dead in Christ"_ are those believers who have gone before us, who believed the message of the Word and who got saved. All of them died "in Christ" and are _"dead in Christ"_. And the moment they died their bodies went to the grave. And what happened to their spirits AND their souls? They went to be with Jesus in heaven! How do we know their spirits went to be with God and with Jesus? Read what both Jesus and Stephen, the first martyr for Jesus cried out when they died:

"And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands **I commend my spirit** : and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."  
**(Luke 23:46)**

"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon _God,_ and saying, Lord Jesus, **receive my spirit.** "  
**(Acts 7:59)**

Here we see that when Jesus and Stephen died they both gave up their SPIRIT to God. And as we know, our soul consists of our will, intellect and emotions, which we will still have in heaven. We will not be beings without any will or intellect or emotion in heaven. And that is why we know that our souls do also go to heaven WITH our spirits when we die.

But our bodies stay behind in the grave UNTIL that day that the trump of God will sound. Why? Read how plainly the Bible teaches:

"Therefore _we are_ always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:... We are confident, _I say,_ and willing rather **to be** absent from the body **, and to be** present with the Lord."  
**(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)**

So when we are still alive in our bodies, (with all three those "parts" we have), we are absent from the Lord, but when we lose our bodies one day (at death), we will be present with the Lord in spirit and soul.

But when Jesus comes for us at the rapture we who will still be alive and who consist of those three "parts" will immediately be translated and receive a glorified body, which I will discuss in Chapter 10 hereafter. So in order for those who are _"dead in Christ"_ to also receive a glorified body with the same three "parts" like us, the bodies in the graves here on earth need to rise first so that they can be re-united with that deceased person's spirit and soul from heaven. And all this will happen in the _"twinkling of an eye"_ the Bible says.

"In a moment, **in the twinkling of an eye** , at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be CHANGED."  
**(1 Corinthians 15:52)**

But let us proceed. Those verses referring to being "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air can not refer to the second coming of the Lord (post-tribulation), because at his second return all of us _(those who were raptured, those who were part of the first resurrection - and those who died during the tribulation period here on earth, - which aspect I will discuss in Chapter 20 hereafter)_ will RETURN WITH HIM to come and rule and reign with Him HERE ON EARTH, not in heaven.

"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: **and we shall reign ON THE EARTH**."  
(Revelation 5:9,10)

Nowhere in history has it ever happened yet that people who died and went to heaven returned to reign here on earth, so it most definitely refers to something that will still happen in the future. The words that were translated _"caught up"_ in Greek is "harpazo" and it means the following:

"Harpazo": "This is a Greek word which has various meanings. It is not translated by one uniform English word. The meanings are as follows: "to seize"; "to CARRY OFF by force"; "to claim for one's self eagerly"; "to SNATCH OUT OR AWAY".

It was used proverbially in the sense of: **"TO RESCUE FROM DANGER OR DESTRUCTION."**

It was used also of: **"DIVINE POWER TRANSFERRING A PERSON marvelously and SWIFTLY FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER..."**

Pay especial attention to 1 Thess. 4:17 and see how much new truth you obtain regarding the Rapture of the Church."  
**("Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament" – K.S.Wuest)**

"Harpazo": - "... to seize (in various applications): \- catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force)."  
**(Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries)**

When I did my research on this word "harpazo" the two specific meanings that really caught my eye were: _"...to rescue from danger or destruction"_ and _"...divine power transferring a person marvelously and swiftly from one place to another"_. That is exactly what will happen with the rapture. God will "rescue" those of us who prepared for the rapture FROM the "danger and destruction" that will hit earth during His days of wrath/anger/vengeance, and His divine power will transfer us "marvelously and swiftly" from earth to heaven in the twinkling of an eye. Where else do we read about the word "harpazo" in the Bible? In the following two verses:

"And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away _("harpazo")_ Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing."  
(Acts 8:39)

In other words the divine power of the Spirit of the Lord transferred Phillip "marvelously and swiftly" from the desert where he had baptized the eunuch, to Ashdod where he was found later. It was a divine moment and yet we tend to miss the significance of this little event in the Bible. It looks ahead to the greater event that is to come in the future where thousands of believers will be transferred from earth to heaven "marvelously and swiftly" by the divine power of God. The other verse is:

"I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up _("harpazo")_ to the third heaven."  
(2 Corinthians 12:2)

All Bible scholars agree that this last verse refers to Paul himself who was caught up into the third heaven. And this is exactly what will happen again with the rapture, that same divine power which transferred Paul from earth to the third heaven, will transfer all who are ready for the rapture "marvelously and swiftly" from earth to meet Jesus in the air.

A last thought in this chapter is that only those who are ready for the rapture will see Jesus, the rest of the world will not. We find the same principle after His resurrection from the grave where only SOME OF His disciples/believers saw Him for the forty days that He was still here on earth before He ascended to heaven. Nobody else saw Him during that time.

Most believers in the rapture believe this fact can be proven by the following verses:

"I tell you, in that night _(when the Bridegroom comes)_ there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be TAKEN, and the other shall be LEFT. Two _women_ shall be grinding together; the one shall be TAKEN, and the other LEFT. Two _men_ shall be in the field; the one shall be TAKEN, and the other LEFT."  
(Luke 17:34-36)

These verses explain that it will be an event that will happen right around the world - on one side of the earth it will be night and on the other side of the earth it will be day when that sudden event happens.

And some people will be taken to go with Jesus in an instant, while the others will be left behind. It also warns clearly that a husband may be ready for the rapture but his wife not, and she will wake up to find him gone. Or the other way round, with the wife making ready to meet her Bridegroom but her husband not caring to heed the warnings his wife gave him for years. And one night he will hear a noise and turn to ask his wife whether she heard it too – and she will be gone.

Or two friends working together and chatting about something and the one disappearing while the other stays behind, staring open-mouthed at her friend's suddenly empty chair. Or two good friends who go hunting together year after year, and that day while they are stalking an animal the one suddenly disappears, while the other one stays behind.

Which one will you be?

This event is also discussed in **Matthew 24:40,42** :

"Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two _women shall be_ grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."

Some other believers say these verses actually refer to something that will happen at His second coming, AFTER the tribulation, which means that the ones who will THEN be taken away are the unrighteous ones, while the righteous ones will stay behind for the millennium. This is AFTER the tribulation and prior to the millennium, so according to them it refers to the "sheep and goats" judgment where the nations that came through the millennium will be judged and the righteous ones (sheep) will stay behind on the earth while the unrighteous ones (goats) will then be taken away and thrown in hell.

That point of view also makes sense when we look at the wording of the following verses:

"But **the meek shall inherit the earth** ; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace...

For **such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth** ; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off...

**The righteous shall inherit the land** , and dwell therein for ever..."  
**(Psalm 37:11,22 and 29)**

And yes it is most definitely true that the meek, the blessed and the righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell therein forever upon the second coming of Jesus and further.

I can also understand why many people may think the verses I quoted in **Luke 17:34-36** and **Matthew 24:40,41** refer to the second coming of Jesus, yet if you look at the wording of **Matthew 24:36-39** and when you understand what the true meaning is of the "imminent return" of Jesus Christ as I explain it in Chapter 21 hereafter, it is clear that these verses still refer to what will happen at the time at which Jesus will come _"as a thief in the night"_ , which is only at the rapture. Because from the wording of these verses it is clear that it will be at a time that no one expects it, which means there will be no specific signs before it happens.

Yet as I will discuss in Chapter 21, there are certain specific signs that will happen before the second coming of Christ that people will be able to take note of and prepare accordingly.

We can also understand that it does refer to the rapture when we look at the last verse Jesus used in **Luke 17:37** :

"And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, **Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together**.

This verse refers to the time when the birds of the air will feed upon the bodies of the Gog and Magog, which will be at the war of Gog and Magog, which most scholars agree will be just before or just after the rapture as I will discuss it later.

"Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that _is_ with thee: **I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured." (Ezekiel 39:4)**

However, whether you believe that those verses refer to being taken or left behind at the rapture itself or at the second coming of Jesus, the question remains, which one will you be?

The one **left behind IN the tribulation** , if the first view is correct,

Or the one **taken away with the UNrighteous** , if the second view is correct?

Sometimes I get the question: "But what will happen to our children at the rapture?" I personally believe all children under the age of twelve years will automatically go to meet Jesus in the air at the rapture. The reason why I believe this I firstly find in the fact that Jesus was twelve years old when He first made the declaration that He must be doing His Father's things.

"And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast... And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? **wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?** "  
**(Luke 2:42-49)**

That was the first time Jesus made a public declaration that He must be about His Father's "business". This is understandable when we understand a little bit about the Jewish customs and traditions.

"According to Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they become accountable for their actions and become a bar mitzvah. A girl becomes a bat mitzvah at the age of 12 according to Orthodox and Conservative Jews, and at the age of 13 according to Reform Jews. **Prior to reaching bar mitzvah age, the child's parents hold the responsibility for the child's actions. After this age, the boys and girls bear their own responsibility for Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics, and are able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life.**

Traditionally, the father of the bar mitzvah gives thanks to God that he is no longer punished for the child's sins (Genesis Rabba, Toldot 23:11). In addition to **being considered accountable for their actions from a religious perspective** , b'nai mitzvah may be counted towards a minyan (prayer quorum) and may lead prayer and other religious services in the family and the community."  
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_and_Bat_Mitzvah)

"Under the Old Testament, the Jews recognized that children could not be held personally accountable to the law of Moses. They set the arbitrary age of twelve as the year when a child assumed adult status IN RELIGIOUS MATTERS."  
(http://www.theopedia.com/age-of-accountability)

We see nothing about this specific age in the Bible, except the little glimpse as to how old Jesus was when He made that declaration about what He chooses SPIRITUALLY. As I said this is just my personal view, but I truly do believe that the same Jesus who said:

"But Jesus said, **Suffer little children, and FORBID THEM NOT, TO COME UNTO ME** : for of such is the kingdom of heaven.  
(Matthew 19:14)

will NOT allow little children who cannot really yet decide about spiritual matters for themselves, to remain behind in His wrath and vengeance during the seven years of tribulation. However all children above the age of twelve will still need to make their own decision regarding who they want to serve and spend eternity with and will also have to decide for themselves to get ready for the rapture as well. And that is why we must teach our children to enter into an intimate personal relationship with Jesus from a very young age so that when they do get to the age of twelve they will have no doubt as to HOW to do all that.
9.  
...AND HE WILL COME WITH HIS SAINTS

From the Word it is clear that Jesus will return to earth a short time later after He had come FOR His saints at the rapture, but this time He will come WITH His saints. This is His second coming at the END of the seven year tribulation period at which event He will set His feet upon the earth for the second time. Then He will come WITH His saints to come and rule and reign here on earth for a thousand years.

During this second coming the WHOLE WOLRD will see Him PHYSICALLY.

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and EVERY EYE shall see him, and they _also_ which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."  
(Revelation 1:7)

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall ALL the tribes of the earth mourn, **and they shall see the Son of man coming** in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."  
(Matthew 24:30)

Many believers say this is not possible that all eyes will behold Him, as earth is round so people on one side of the world will not be able to see Him if He comes from the other side of the earth. Firstly let us not try to fit the infinite divine power and majesty of God into our finite little brains. The Bible says that even the heaven of heavens cannot contain God, so if the Bible says ALL eyes will see Him then that is exactly what it means. The minute details thereof and the exact way it will happen we will see when it does happen.

But secondly we must not forget that when that huge SUPERNATURAL event physically happens, every camera of every television station ACROSS THE EARTH will be pointed towards heaven with "Breaking News!" flashing all over the people's television screens. And so technology will also contribute to every eye across the globe seeing Him come to earth. However at some stage many of those screens will quickly darken as the people manning those cameras will throw down their cameras and start to flee in fear as they realize what is actually happening before their very eyes and that they are not ready for His return.

Why do those two verses say that all the nations of the earth will _"wail"_ and _"mourn"_ when they see Him come upon the clouds? Because they will immediately be convicted of their sins and unrighteousness when they understand that they have been lied to in all their different faiths and that Jesus Christ is the ONLY true God and Messiah who is at that very moment returning to earth. Those two verses in **Revelation 1:7** and **Matthew 24:30** prophetically refer to the event in **Revelation 19:11-16** that we already discussed earlier in this book.

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him _was_ called Faithful and True,... His eyes _were_ as a flame of fire, and on his head _were_ many crowns;... and his name is called The Word of God. **And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses** , clothed in fine linen, white and clean.... And he hath on _his_ vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS..."  
(Revelation 19:11-16)

Can we in our finite little minds even try to imagine what it may look like on that day when Jesus descends from heaven with His heavenly armies (the believers and the angels as I discussed before)? I don't think we can ever give it due credit in our limited way of thinking. However, over time some artists did try to put it on canvas and one of the pictures that were painted looks like this....

Will your face also be somewhere behind Jesus on one of those white horses? Or will you still be suffering below in all the hell of the tribulation/God's wrath/ anger/ vengeance here on earth?

Furthermore we see that the prophet Zechariah also wrote about this day, and he wrote the following prophecy approximately five hundred years BEFORE the disciple John wrote the book of Revelation. And yet they clearly referred to the same event, with Zechariah explaining what is going to happen in Jerusalem when Jesus comes down:

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which _is_ before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, _and there shall be_ a very great valley;... And ye shall flee _to_ the valley of the mountains;... and the LORD my God shall come, **and ALL THE SAINTS with thee**."  
**(Zechariah 14:4,5)**

This prophet couldn't explain it any clearer. Jesus will physically come and set His feet on the mount of Olives **and ALL the saints will be WITH Him.** It does not say "some" of the saints. ALL those who "died in Christ" and ALL of those who were ready for the rapture and who were in heaven during the seven years of tribulation, AND the saints who died during the tribulation will be with Him on that mountain on that day.

And what will happen to that mountain? It will split in two and move to the east and to the west. Just to prove how literally true the Word of God is again, we have been in Israel a number of times and it is a well-known fact that some hotel group wanted to build a hotel on the mount of Olives many years ago but they couldn't proceed with the project because there is a split in the mountain! If God says something will happen, you can be certain IT WILL HAPPEN!

The Bible also gives us a clear picture of what will happen to us on that day:

"When Christ, _who is_ our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."  
(Colossians 3:4)

When will Christ appear? On that day that we read about in **Revelation 19:11-16** and in **Zechariah 14:4,5**. What will also happen on that day? We will appear WITH Him IN GLORY! That also means that we will have glorified bodies like His, as I will discuss it in Chapter 10 hereafter.

"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."  
(Romans 8:19)

The word used as "creature" here, in the Greek also means "creation". WHEN will those sons of God be manifested? On that day when we return with Jesus in glory and with glorified bodies. But why does creation still wait for the _"manifestation of the sons (children) of God"_? Because on that day we who will have received the same glorified bodies as Jesus will be able to walk to a dead tree and command: "Live!" and that dead tree will immediately be in bloom. So all creation is waiting for that day of the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ together with all His glorified saints who will be able to speak life into all of creation with Him.

Another one of the things that Jesus will do when He returns is to handle the "sheep and goats" judgment:

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: **And before him shall be gathered ALL NATIONS** : and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth _his_ sheep from the goats: And he shall set the SHEEP on his right hand, but the GOATS on the left."  
(Matthew 25:31,32)

Those nations that will be gathered before Him when He returns are not those believers who will have been raptured, or those who died in Christ prior to the rapture or those who died during the seven years of tribulation, as we will already have our glorified bodies which will not be judged again.

We read about three different judgments in the Bible:

1. The "bema"-seat of Christ, which will be the place where the raptured saints will appear before the Son of Man to receive their rewards/crowns. **(2 Corinthians 5:10)**

We must understand that the seven years that we will be in heaven after the rapture will not just be a time of enjoying the marriage supper of the Lamb, but it will also be the time in which all righteous believers who were raptured will appear before the judgment seat of Christ, where their works will be judged and where they will then receive their rewards for those works.

That means the rapture has more than one "purpose", namely to allow the righteous believers access to the marriage supper of the Lamb AND to receive their rewards.

There is also a point of view that the "bema" seat of Christ will take place in the "air" which is what up to then used to be satan's stronghold – as he is known as the "prince of the power of the air" ( **Ephesians 2:2** ) -, and that therefore there will also be a war in the heavens during the first three and a half years of the rapture. That means that the raptured saints will receive their crowns of glory and of victory in the place where Jesus and His angels will have their victory in the heavens over satan and his demons.

2. The "sheep and goats" judgment which will take place at the return of Jesus as we read above. **(Matthew 25:31,32)**

This judgment will be a judgment upon the nations that came through the seven years of tribulation/God's anger/wrath/vengeance with mortal bodies as I will explain in more detail in Chapters 23 and 24 hereafter. It will not be applicable to those believers who either "died in Christ" or who were raptured, or who died for their faith during the tribulation as we will see later.

3. The Great White Throne judgment, which will take place at the end of the thousand years of Christ's millennial reign here on earth. **(Revelation 20:11)**

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is _the book_ of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."  
**(Revelation 20:11,12)**

Only the first judgment is applicable to the righteous saints. The second judgment is applicable only to those people ("the nations") who will survive through the period of tribulation and who will enter the thousand years of Christ's millennial reign with normal mortal bodies, as I will discuss in Chapter 24. The Great White Throne judgment will be for those who died in UNrighteousness and will not be applicable to us who will have glorified bodies at that time. How can we be certain that the Great White Throne judgment is not applicable to us?

"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. **This is the second death.** "  
**(Revelation 20:13,14)**

We find the confirmation that the "second death" is not applicable to us a few verses earlier:

"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This _is_ the first resurrection. **Blessed and holy is he that hath PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION: on such** the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."  
**(Revelation 20:5,6)**

The _"first resurrection"_ refers to those people who "died in Christ" (the righteous) and who rose at the rapture and of course those that were raptured at the same time that those deceased ones rose, as I explained in the previous chapter. The unrighteous will stay in their graves – or wherever their remains were when they died, e.g. on the bottom of the ocean because of a shipwreck etc. - until AFTER the millennium and will THEN rise to appear before the Great White Throne to receive their judgement. That is the second death. And we who will be part of the _"first resurrection"_ will not be touched or harmed by the _"second death"_.

I would like to share a diagram which I saw on the Internet the other day which shortly explains the three judgments that we read about in the Bible and where they all fit into God's greater plan.

And just a last confirmation that when Jesus returns, He will be seen visibly, we find in the words of the angels when He ascended to heaven:

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so COME in like manner _(visibly)_ as ye have SEEN him go INTO heaven."  
(Acts 1:9-11)

There is therefore no doubt in my mind, when Jesus returns at His second coming, EVERYBODY will see Him physically. And many will wail and mourn, and many will rejoice and glorify Him!

LET'S NOW SHORTLY COMPARE THE RAPTURE WITH THE SECOND COMING TO CONFIRM THE FACT THAT THEY REALLY ARE TWO SEPARATE EVENTS:

Some believers are quick to argue that the Bible only speaks about a first and second coming of Jesus Christ and if there is to be a rapture, according to them that means it then becomes a first, second AND THIRD coming of Jesus and that is why they don't believe in the rapture. But that is not true.

Jesus will only put His feet on the earth TWICE - at His first and second coming. With the rapture we will only meet Him in the air and return to heaven with Him, He will not set His feet upon the earth.
10.  
OUR BODIES WILL CHANGE

Let us now look at the FACT that our bodies will change into glorified bodies the same as Jesus' body.

"Behold, I shew you a MYSTERY; We shall not all sleep _(die)_ , **BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED,** **In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye** , at the last trump _(when the Bridegroom comes)_ : for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible _(first resurrection)_ , **and we shall be CHANGED**. For this corruptible _(body)_ must **put on incorruption** , and this mortal _(body)_ _must_ **put on immortality**."  
(1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

From these verses we learn that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye those who died in Christ will be raised _"incorruptible"_ , in other words they will receive glorified immortal bodies and then we who are still alive at that time will also be changed into the same incorruptible and immortal bodies in that same _"moment"_. The Bible gets even more definite in its description of what our glorified bodies will be like:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, **and it doth not yet appear what we shall be** : but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be LIKE HIM; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."  
(1 John 3:2,3)

This verse confirms what I said in the previous chapter, that the sons of God will only be really "manifested" on that day when we return with Jesus. How can I say that? Because this verse states that _"...now we (already) are the sons of God, but it does not yet appear what we SHALL be"_. So even though we already are sons of God upon the earth today, we will CHANGE to become sons of God that are LIKE HIM \- in other words who will have the same glorified bodies as His. And THAT will be the _"manifestation of the sons of God"_ that creation is waiting upon as I explained earlier.

A further confirmation of this fact we read in:

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, **that it may be fashioned LIKE unto HIS GLORIOUS BODY** , according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."  
(Philippians 3:20,21)

The word _"conversation"_ in this verse in the Greek also means "citizenship". So we as believers in Jesus Christ have our citizenship in heaven and not on earth anymore. Why? Because we have mansions that Jesus prepared for us there! And He will be coming from there and will then CHANGE our mortal bodies into bodies that are exactly LIKE HIS GLORIOUS IMMORTAL INCORRUPTIBLE BODY! Isn't that awesome to know?

And the moment we understand that we have citizenship in heaven, we also understand that that means we are presently just strangers and pilgrims here on earth who must stop acting like the people of the world.

"Dearly beloved, I beseech _you_ as strangers and pilgrims, **ABSTAIN from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul** ;..."  
**(1 Peter 2:11)**

Okay, so what does a glorified body really look like or how does it function? The Bible always explains itself in no unclear terms. We read what happened that evening after Jesus was resurrected.

"Then the same day at evening, being the first _day_ of the week, when THE DOORS WERE SHUT where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, **came Jesus and stood in the midst** , and saith unto them, Peace _be_ unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them _his_ hands and his side."  
**(John 20:19,20)**

Here we see that the disciples are together in a room with a shut door. Yet Jesus appears in that room in the midst of them. From this we learn that a glorified body is not stopped by material things like walls or doors. It can travel through space and time without being hindered or blocked by any material things. Yet that same glorified body is not a spiritual body but a body that you can touch and that can even eat and drink.

"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace _be_ unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? **Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: HANDLE** _(touch)_ **me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye SEE ME HAVE**. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them _his_ hands and _his_ feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took _it,_ and did eat before them."  
**(Luke 24:36-43)**

There are many arguments among very learned theologians in the world regarding whether Jesus arose only "spiritually" or "metaphorically" or whether He arose from that grave physically. From these verses in Luke we see that even His disciples thought that He only arose "spiritually" because they thought _"...they had seen a spirit"_.

But then Jesus dispels any doubt about this when He tells them to TOUCH Him because a spirit does not have FLESH AND BONES as they could SEE He HAD. And when they could still not believe what they were seeing, He asked them to give Him something to eat, which they did and He ate it before their eyes. Did you know that a spirit can not eat anything? So now we know that a glorified body is a body that is not stopped by material things or time or space but it still has flesh and bones, can be touched/handled AND can eat food.

The moment we understand this we can also understand why **Romans 10:9,10** teach us:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, **and shalt believe in thine heart** that God hath raised him from the dead **, thou shalt be saved**. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

So in order to be saved we must believe in our hearts that God has raised Jesus from the dead. Raised Him how, spiritually or metaphorically? No - PHYSICALLY! If anyone doesn't believe that, he or she may be putting their salvation at risk. That includes those learned theologians, professors and doctors who try to argue that He only rose spiritually or metaphorically. And eternity is very very long...

But coming back to the characteristics of the glorified body we must start to realize and understand that we will receive exactly the same kind of a body that Jesus has, a body that will be able to travel through time and space, a body that will not be stopped by material things, a body that will be able to eat and a body that can be handled/touched. Isn't that an awesome thing to know?! To know these things makes me so excited I can't wait for Jesus to come!

Do you also have that expectation yet friend?

Yet when you start teaching people these awesome TRUTHS from the Bible, they immediately accuse you of watching too many movies! Why? Because what I have just described in this chapter sounds like nobody else but Superman Clark Kent who is not stopped by any material things (except kryptonite according to the movies of course) and who travels through time and space in the blink of an eye.

So what is going on here?

Firstly, where does satan come from? He was initially a part of the hosts in heaven so he knows exactly how things operate in the spiritual and heavenly realms. He knows exactly what a glorified body looks like and what a glorified body can do. So what does he try to do through his world famous "media agents" – Hollywood? He creates movies and animation stories about Superman and a myriad of "otherworldly beings" that also fly through the air and can't be stopped by any material things. Why? Because he is desensitizing people to not WANT to believe the truth of what the Bible teaches, or when they DO hear the truth of the Word to think it is just another "story" or a "fable". Remember Hollywood – we will get back to the movies a little later in this book.

Secondly, what do people do at a wedding feast? They partake in the food of the feast and they enjoy their time with family and old friends, where they hug each other and dance with each other and celebrate the wedding. And that is exactly what we will be able to do at the marriage supper of the Lamb, namely to eat and drink of the heavenly food prepared for us by our Bridegroom Jesus and His angelic hosts, and we will really enjoy our time with our Christian family and friends who were also saved and died in Christ or who were raptured, where we will hug each other and dance like David danced and celebrate the wedding supper. To be able to do that, we are going to need a glorified body like that of Jesus which can move between earth and heaven and which can be handled/touched, and which can eat food.

What a wonderful and glorious time to look forward to! No wonder the Bible says we have a hope and a future!

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, **to give you an expected end.** "  
**(Jeremiah 29:11)**

The words _"expected end"_ in the Hebrew also means "hope" and "future" and interestingly enough it also means: "...end (time)... reward". This confirms that God's thoughts for His children and obedient ones are not thoughts of evil, but thoughts of peace to give them a hope and a future and an end-time reward. That is what we can make ready for and look forward to!

Just a last interesting thought about this, is that the people who will be raptured are actually the only ones in history who will be able to proclaim the words of the following verses VICTORIOUSLY:

"So WHEN this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality _(this will happen at the rapture as I explained),_

THEN shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,

Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory?"

(1 Corinthians 15:54,55)
11.  
AS IN THE TIMES OF NOAH...

Many people – even believers that do not believe in the rapture, are quick to point out what happened in the times of Noah. Initially I personally also did not believe in the rapture and was also quick to quote what happened during the time of Noah as so-called "proof" of why I didn't believe in the rapture at that time. The normal argument that most people use is that in the time of Noah only the righteous Noah and his family were left behind on the earth while all the sinners and unrighteous people were consumed and "taken away". So I also did not believe in the rapture of the righteous believers because actually only the UN-righteous will be "raptured" I argued – as others do to this day.

But as I said in the introduction to this book, we err not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

What can we learn from what Jesus taught us about the time of Noah?

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. **But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.** For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."  
(Matthew 24:36-39)

Firstly we learn that Jesus says NO MAN or NO ANGEL knows the day or the hour that it will happen, but only His Father in heaven. So if any person gives you a: _"I received a personal revelation/vision/prophecy from God/personal visit from an angel, confirming the specific date of the rapture/return of Jesus"_ , you have my consent to start laughing. The past three years since 2014 I have received literally hundreds upon hundreds of e-mails carrying YouTube video links of "prophets" who claimed that they had had such _"personal visitations/personal visions/dreams from God"_ telling them what the exact date of the rapture will be. And each one of those dates have since passed by, 2014... 2015... 2016.... Now in 2017 I am receiving a stream of new ones for this year.

Apparently some of these "prophets" hope to eventually "hit the right date" so that they can tell the world that THEY had it right!

How do we know whether a prophet has really spoken of the Lord? The Bible says we will know by the following signs:

"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow NOT, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath NOT spoken, **but the prophet hath SPOKEN IT PRESUMPTUOUSLY** : thou shalt not be afraid of him."  
**(Deuteronomy 18:22)**

"...when the word of the prophet SHALL COME TO PASS, **then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him**."  
**(Jeremiah 28:9)**

In other words if a prophet prophesies something and it does NOT come to pass, then the prophet was NOT sent by God and he/she has actually spoken _"presumptuously"_ so you don't have to be afraid of such a "prophet". That means such a "prophet's" credibility is immediately gone and can he unfortunately not be trusted at a later stage. So since 2014 I have already seen a number of "presumptuous prophets" losing all their credibility. Because if that vision/dream they had or that "voice they heard" so "clearly" (sometimes even audibly some say) was obviously NOT from God, who was it from then? Nobody else but the devil - of course. Transforming himself into an "angel of light" - of course. And why does the devil give some people (even sincere believers) these "visions" and "revelations"?

Because satan knows the Bible much better than most Christians and he knows that many believers will start to become lukewarm and will eventually even fall away from God, or at least will stop believing in the rapture if they listen to all these "prophets" "confirming the date" and really believe it will happen on that specific date the prophet gives – and then it doesn't happen. Over and over and over again... Year in and year out... And unfortunately he succeeds in this, because many Christians would rather believe the word of the "prophets" than to study their own Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so, as **Acts 17:11** teaches us to do.

There's nothing easier to "test" the word of a prophet than when he or she gives a specific date - because if that date passes and that which he or she has "prophesied" does not come to pass then in that matter he or she has NOT spoken of the Lord, no matter who he or she may be.

Okay so now we know how to test the true prophets of God and to know when we are dealing with a "presumptuous prophet".

Secondly let us study the Scriptures to see what really happened in the time of Noah.

"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man _was_ great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  
_(This is true today.)_

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD....

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.  
_(This is true today.)_

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them;  
_(This is true today)_

and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood..."  
(Genesis 6:5-14)

We see these same things happening today which means we are definitely in similar times as those of Noah. But let's read further what happened to Noah...

"...and the LORD shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.... And all flesh died that moved upon the earth... and Noah only remained alive _,_ and **they that were with him in the ark**."  
(Genesis 7:16-23)

Now people are quick to say: _"You see only Noah and those who were with him in the ark stayed behind, the rest were "taken away"! So it will not be the righteous believers being raptured, but the unrighteous people who will be "taken away" as in the time of Noah."_

Yet they miss a few very important words in these verses: " _...and bare up the ark, and IT WAS LIFT UP ABOVE THE EARTH..._ "

So Noah and his family were LIFTED UP above the earth, while the fury of the flood consumed all the unrighteous people ON THE EARTH.

Did you know that the ark of Noah was also a "type" of Jesus Christ?

So those who are "in Jesus Christ" will also _"be lifted up above the earth"_ to go to be with Jesus when the rapture happens, while all the fury of God's wrath will break out upon the earth as we have already discussed earlier. THAT is what will happen when the rapture comes.

And what will the rest of the world still be doing at that specific moment? They will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, working, partying, fornicating, stealing, lying, drinking, smoking, swearing, killing other people, watching sports on TV, participating in sports, deceiving, corrupting, gambling, manipulating, going to church... Until the very moment that the rapture happens... And then it will be too late for them.

There were three "arks" in the Old Testament with specific symbolism regarding the end-times in the Bible:

1. Noah's ark - (Jesus keeps you safe) - (Refers to the rapture - rising above the earth).

2. Moses' ark of bulrushes covered with pitch - (Jesus keeps the people of Israel safe in the desert) - (The same will happen during the tribulation period).

3. Ark of the covenant ("Mercy seat") - (Jesus sits on the throne as God) - (Second coming (sheep and goats judgment) and eventually the Great White Throne judgment).
12.  
THE APOSTASY AND THE ANTICHRIST

From the Word we also learn that there will be an apostasy BEFORE the second coming of the Lord Jesus and also that the antichrist will be revealed after the rapture but before the second coming of Christ.

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and _by_ our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall NOT come _,_ **EXCEPT** there come a falling away first, AND that man of sin _(antichrist)_ be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."  
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)

"Paul says there must come a "falling away" first. The Greek word which was used here is "apostasia". The root word is "aphestemi" and this is an intersting word as it has TWO meanings.

Liddle & Scott declare in their Greek Lexicon that the word can mean:

a) "a FALLING away" ór

b) "a GOING away"...

John Parkhurst Lexicon – London:

a) "First meaning: a falling away".

b) "Second meaning: properly, a DEPARTURE..."

("Die Opraping van die Bruid van Christus" ("The Rapture of the Bride of Christ") – Dr Monty Eloff)

The moment we understand what Dr Monty Eloff is trying to explain to us, we will understand that before the second coming of Christ there will first be a "falling away", an "apostasy" **AND a GOING AWAY/DEPARTURE** \- BEFORE Jesus can return. And looking at the wording of the verses I quoted, we also see that the antichrist will be revealed before the return of Jesus.

So there will be a FALLING AWAY and in that same period of time also a GOING AWAY (rapture), WHEREAFTER the antichrist will be revealed and only AFTER all that has happened, THEN Jesus will return.

This means that the antichrist will be revealed DURING the time of the tribulation, BETWEEN the rapture where we will go to meet Jesus in the air and the SECOND COMING when all who were raptured will return to earth with Jesus as I already discussed earlier. So these verses cannot be used as an argument that the antichrist must FIRST be revealed BEFORE the rapture can happen. For this reason I believe that those who are ready to be raptured will not know who the antichrist will be, as they will not be on earth anymore when he is revealed.

The Bible is also clear that the antichrist can NOT be revealed until _"he that withholdeth"_ him is taken out of the way. So WHO or WHAT is withholding the revelation of the antichrist?

"And now ye know WHAT WITHHOLDETH THAT HE MIGHT BE REVEALED IN HIS TIME. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth _will let,_ UNTIL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY. **And THEN shall that Wicked** _(antichrist)_ **be revealed** , whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, AND SHALL DESTROY WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING: E _ven him,_ whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."  
(2 Thessalonians 2:6-10)

Remember that in the introduction of this book I used **2 Corinthians 1:13** which states that we can read and understand the Bible just as it is written. So from these verses that we have just read we see that the antichrist will only be revealed AFTER he that "withholds" is TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY. There are also different points of view on who that "he" refers to. Some people believe it refers to the church as a whole, some say that it refers only to the bride of Christ and some believe that it refers to the Holy Spirit. I personally believe that it refers to those members of the church who have prepared for the rapture and are part of the bride of Christ who will be _"taken out of the way"_ with the rapture and THEN the antichrist will be revealed.

I personally do not believe that it refers to the Holy Spirit being _"taken out of the way"_ , as many people will die for their faith during the tribulation period of seven years as we will see later. And to be able to do so they will need the strength of the Holy Spirit. One can only be strong enough to be willing to die for your faith in Christ if you have the strength and the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

In his excellent YouTube video series with the title: "The Blessed Hope", which can be watched at: <http://www.dougriggs.org/Videos.html>, pastor Doug Riggs explains that the Holy Spirit won't be removed, but that the "RESTRAINING MINISTRY of the Holy Spirit is removed when the church is removed". And the antichrist will be revealed only after the church and the RESTRAINING of the Holy Spirit is removed.

The antichrist will first be revealed as a world leader who brings peace and then later, three and a half years after the commencement of the tribulation period, as the true "antichrist" who will sit in the third temple that will be built in Jerusalem and he will declare himself as "God".

"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; **so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.** "  
(2 Thessalonians 2:4)

We will also look at this in more detail at a later stage. From the Bible we see that the antichrist will be destroyed upon the return (second coming) of Jesus Christ.

"And THEN shall that Wicked _(antichrist)_ be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, **AND SHALL DESTROY WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING**..."  
**(2 Thessalonians 2:8)**

We read about the future fulfilment of this prophecy by Paul in **Revelation 19:19,20** :

"And I saw the beast _(antichrist)_ , and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse _(Jesus)_ , and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. **These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.** "

If we could draw a little "time"-line it may look like this:

1. At the end of the church dispensation...

2. First there will be a falling away (apostasy) and in that same time the going away (rapture) will happen...

3. After the rapture the antichrist will be revealed, first as "world peace bringer" and then after three and a half years as the "God" of all religions...

4. Three and a half years after the antichrist reveals himself as "God" in the temple, Jesus will return...

5. Upon His return the antichrist and false prophet will both be taken and thrown into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Please also just take note of the fact that the Bible says that before the return of Jesus, there will be a FALLING AWAY, it does not say there will be a huge revival. I have been studying the Word of God for quite a number of years now and also specifically regarding the prophetic word about the end-times, and have not yet found the verses that state that there will be a huge revival BEFORE the second coming of Christ.

The word in Greek which was translated as a _"falling away"_ is "apostasia" which literally means: "... **defection FROM truth: - falling away, forsake**." This means that in the end times many will DEFECT FROM truth, fall away from it and forsake it. What truth? The truth of the Word of God and of Jesus Christ Himself as the Way, the Truth and the Life. This means they will not get saved by the multitudes BEFORE the rapture/ tribulation as many believers may think, they will actually defect FROM truth.

Jesus Himself confirms this when He speaks about the end-times and then He states in **Matthew 24:12** :

"And because iniquity shall abound, **the love of many shall wax cold**."

He does not say here that because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall burn hot and that many will be saved. No He says that the love that many DID have before, will actually grow cold during that time. This means that even believers who previously had a love for Jesus and His Word, will fade in their love. He even said:

"Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, **shall he find faith on the earth**?"  
**(Luke 18:8)**

This again confirms the fact that instead of a huge revival coming in the end-times, we will have a huge falling away, a "defection from truth", even by believers.

However I DO READ about a huge revival DURING THE GREAT TRIBULATION. Read with me if you will:

" **After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;** And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.... 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."  
(Revelation 7:9-14)**

That, I believe will be the "great revival" that people mistakenly believe will happen before the great tribulation. Yet these verses clearly state that that multitude of people which no man could number will come out of great tribulation to end up before the throne of God. So yes, I do believe in a great revival happening in the end-times, not prior to the rapture but prior to the second coming of Jesus, in other words during the seven years of tribulation and more specifically during the last three and a half years thereof.
13.  
ISRAEL versus THE CHURCH

There are different sections of theology:

Bibliology – the study of the Bible

True Theology (Greek - "Theos logos") – the study of the characteristics of God

Christology – the study of the Lord Jesus Christ

Pneumatology – the study of the Holy Spirit

Angelology – the study of Angels, fallen ones and holy ones

Anthropology – the study of man

Soteriology – the study of salvation

Ecclesiology – the study of the church

Eschatology – the study of the end times

Yet... many believers don't understand that we MUST also include...

" **Israelogy" – the study of Israel as God's instrument.**

This is a very very very important point that many believers don't understand or even want to take heed of. Either because they believe the view of the heretical "replacement theology" that the church has "replaced" Israel, or because they believe that we must all just return to our Hebrew "roots" as we are actually all part of the dispersed Israel today.

However Israel and the church are clearly distinguishable in the Bible. They have DIFFERENT origins, DIFFERENT instructions from God and also DIFFERENT destinies in the end-times.

**Clarence Larkin** in his well-known work: **"Dispensational Truth"** puts it as follows:

"While the "Word of Truth" is written FOR all classes of people, and FOR our learning, it is not addressed to all peoples in general, but part of it is addressed to the JEWS, part to the GENTILES and part to the CHURCH. These three constitute the THREE CLASSES into which humanity is divided. **1 Corinthians 10:32:**

"Give none offence, neither to **the** Jews, nor to **the** Gentiles, nor to **the** church of God:..."

It follows therefore that **while the whole Bible was written for the INSTRUCTION of the church, it is not all written ABOUT the church**. The church is not mentioned in the Old Testament. It was hid from the Old Testament prophets and was a "mystery" first revealed to Paul, and disclosed by him in **Ephesians 3:9,10:**

"And to make all _men_ see what _is_ **the fellowship of THE MYSTERY, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God** , who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly _places_ might **be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God** ,..."

The Old Testament is mostly taken up with the history of one nation, that of Israel. In the first five chapters of Genesis we are given the history of Creation, and 1700 years of human history. In the next four chapters we are given the account of the flood. The tenth and eleventh chapters give the account of 400 more years of human history, and then God singles out one man, Abraham ( **Genesis 12:1-3** ), and from there on the whole of the Old Testament centres around the Jewish race.

When we take the Old Testament promises and apply them only to the church we rob the Jew of that which is exclusively his... **what happened to Israel was written for our ENSAMPLE (example) and ADMONITION, but we must not apply to the Church what does not belong to it**."

Pastor Doug Riggs also explains this very important subject about the three different classes of people in the Bible, and the different origins of Israel and the church on his YouTube video series with the title: "The Blessed Hope". This series and other videos regarding the rapture and second coming of Christ which I can strongly recommend to any serious Bible student, can be viewed at: <http://www.dougriggs.org/Videos.html>

We can also see the different "origins" of Israel and the church, in the following verses:

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you **FROM the foundation** of the world:..."  
**(Matthew 25:34)**

This verse refers to the remnant of Israel who will be part of the nations who will survive through the tribulation period, and who will find themselves before the throne of Jesus at the sheep and goats judgment upon His return AFTER the tribulation. And here Jesus tells them to come inherit the kingdom which was prepared for them FROM the foundation of the world.

And then we read what Paul says about the origin of the church:

"According as he hath chosen us in him **BEFORE the foundation** of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:..."  
**(Ephesians 1:4)**

In short this means that Israel was chosen as the "elect" nation of God FROM the foundation of the world, while the church – as God's "mystery" to the world – was chosen to one day form the Body of Christ (comprised of BOTH Jews and Gentiles) even BEFORE the foundation of the world, in other words even before Israel was chosen as the elect nation of God through which He wanted to show His glory.

**This is the "mystery" that Paul was writing about, the fact that none of the prophets in the Old Testament ever knew about, or "saw" the church or the church dispensation.** And that is why Orthodox Jews in Israel who only study the Old Testament Scriptures do not believe in the rapture, because they are still only studying the books of the prophets that did not "see" the period of the church or the rapture.

"From this we see that the church was UNKNOWN to the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets. That the Gentiles were to be saved was no mystery.  
 **(Romans 9:24-20)**.

**The "Mystery" was, that God was going to form an entirely "NEW THING", composed of BOTH Jew and Gentile, to be called "THE CHURCH"** It is a "called out" body..."  
("Dispensational Truth" – Clarence Larkin)

But unfortunately one HUGE LIE was brought into the world which caused many believers to not be able to understand the differences between Israel and the church, and that lie is called the "replacement theology", which was spawned by the Roman Catholic Church as early as the third century AD. According to the replacement theology Israel was "replaced" by the church in the plans, prophecies and promises of God. And that is totally untrue.

The replacement theology DENIES Israel's place in God's plan for humanity (in relation to the Gentile nations), and through that has made God a liar (because then He is not true to His own Word and what He said and prophesied about Israel) and it laid the basis for all the anti-semitism (hate of all Jews) in the world.

Throughout all the centuries God has had a very specific plan with his ("elect") nation Israel, AND He has a very specific plan with His ("elect") church. And these two things must NOT be confounded or confused. But it is very true that we as members of the New Testament church became part of the PROMISES that were made to Abraham as the "father" of Israel, **through our faith in Jesus Christ**.

Therefore when we read about certain things that will happen to the "elect" **DURING the seven years of tribulation HERE ON EARTH,** it does NOT refer to the church, BUT to the nation of Israel. Because those in the church who are ready for the rapture will not be here anymore, as I have said more than once so far.

But as the replacement theology caused many Christian believers to believe that the church "replaced" Israel in the plan of God, they now believe that the "elect" that we read about DURING THE TRIBULATION, HAS TO BE THE CHURCH and that is why according to them there can NOT be a rapture BEFORE the tribulation. Such is the danger of the deception of the replacement theology.

The prophetic "seventy weeks" that Daniel speaks about in **Daniel 9:24-27** refer specifically to God's plan with ISRAEL as a nation and NOT with the church. The differences between Israel and the church become very clear AFTER **Revelation 4** , as Israel will NOT be raptured but will stay behind in the tribulation and days of God's wrath/anger/vengeance.

Now the question is: - why would Israel as God's "elect" NOT be raptured BEFORE the tribulation? Why do THEY need to go through the tribulation?

Because firstly, for centuries God Himself proclaimed specific prophecies over Israel over and over again since He brought them out of Egypt. Those prophecies were spoken over them by God because of their stiff necks and obstinacy and He told them precisely what will happen to them in the last days (end-times). And seeing that God never goes against His own Word or His own prophecies, ALL those terrible things that He declared will indeed happen to Israel in the end-times.

(Author: I would suggest that you the reader also study the following information for yourself: _Ezekiel 20:33-44_ with _Jeremiah 30:7_ with _Zechariah 12:10-14_ and to also read: "The Tribulation" by Dr. Randall Price at the following link:  
(<http://www.worldofthebible.com/Bible%20Studies/The%20Tribulation.pdf>)

And secondly they actually brought it upon themselves at the crucifixion of Jesus by crying out:

"When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but _that_ rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed _his_ hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye _to it._ **Then answered all the people, and said,** His blood be on us, and on our children **.** "  
**(Matthew 27:24,25)**

The only Jews that will miss those seven years of tribulation are those who became Messianic Jews by also receiving the Lord Jesus as their Saviour during the church dispensation and who will then also be raptured, or who will "die in Christ" before the time of the tribulation.

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: **hath he said, and shall he not do it?** or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"  
(Numbers 23:19)

"My covenant will I not break, **nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.** "  
(Psalm 89:34)

The rest of the orthodox Jews who do not yet believe in Jesus Christ as Messiah and who are still waiting for Him to come, will have to pass through the results of the prophecies that were spoken over their nation by God because God does not lie and He will not alter the things that have gone out of His lips.

The reason for the great tribulation and Israel's being left behind in it, is to get Israel to acknowledge their rejection of Jesus Christ as Messiah as a nation, and to repent thereof and thereupon to acknowledge Him as their Messiah, God and King. So what is the real reason that there HAS to be a rapture? Actually not for the church as many Christians always believed. No, there has to be a rapture because of the fact that God needs to fulfil His prophecies regarding Israel to the letter, just as He fulfilled all His other prophecies in the Bible to the letter.

So contrary to what many believers may think or believe, the rapture is actually not so much about the church, but it has EVERYTHING to do with Israel! By that I mean that there isn't going to be a rapture because the church is so "special", **there is going to be a rapture because God is SO TRUE TO HIS OWN WORD and to the prophecies that He spoke over Israel.**

And because God has different plans for Israel and for the curch in the end-times, the church needs to be "out of the way" as I explain in Chapter 14 hereafter regarding Joseph and his brothers, so that God can - TRUE TO HIS WORD - deal with Israel according to His prophecies.

When we start to understand the DIFFERENCE between Israel and the church, we will also start to understand that when the Bible speaks about His "elect", sometimes it refers to Israel and sometimes to the church. All the references to His "elect" do not ALWAYS have to do with the church. Let's read a few verses that confirm this fact:

"For Jacob my servant's sake, **and Israel mine elect** , I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me."  
(Isaiah 45:4)

"...for as the days of a tree _are_ the days of my people, **and mine elect** _(Israel)_ shall long enjoy the work of their hands."  
(Isaiah 65:22)

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? _It is_ God that justifieth."  
**(Romans 8:33)** – This verse refers to the church.

"For there _(_ _during_ _the tribulation)_ shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive **the very elect**."  
**(Matthew 24:24)** – This verse refers to the Jewish remnant.

From these verses it is clear to see that when we read about God's _"elect"_ we cannot just accept that it refers to God's New Testament children or church.

Now let us look at some of God's prophecies regarding what is going to happen to Israel during the tribulation.

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he _is_ like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit _as_ a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi _(Israel)_ , and PURGE THEM as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. THEN shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years."  
(Malachi 3:2-4)

Firstly we understand from these verses that they refer to the day of Christ's coming so it is a future prophecy that still needs to be fulfilled. Secondly we learn from them that He will purify and purge _"the sons of Levi"_ (one of the tribes of Israel, but in this prophecy referring to what will happen to Israel as a nation) as gold and silver. It takes a VERY HOT fire to purify gold and silver.

Remember I already explained in Chapter 6 that it will be the days of God's wrath/ anger/ vengeance and that wrath will be terrible. So terrible in fact that many millions of people will die upon the earth.

"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."  
**(Revelation 6:8)**

This verse tells us that one quarter (25%) of the people of the earth will be killed during this time. There are presently just a little over seven billion people on earth. If one quarter are to die today, that means one billion seven hundred and fifty thousand people will die when this happens. And these people will die by the sword, with hunger, with death and will also be killed by animals.

"And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter."  
**(Revelation 8:10,11)**

That means notwithstanding that twenty five percent we read about in **Revelation 6:8** , "many" other people will die because the waters were made bitter by this _"star from heaven"_ (comet). But that is not all...

"And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen _were_ two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses _were_ as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths."  
**(Revelation 9:15-18)**

Here we read further that one third of all people will die by fire and smoke and brimstone.

Dear unbeliever, do you really WANT TO STAY BEHIND in all that?

But then people are quick to say: "How can a God of love allow all these TERRIBLE things to happen on earth?" The problem is that people don't understand that just because God's love and His mercy are so great and infinite, His righteousness and His wrath are proportionately just as big. As I said before: "He is God, so He gets to make the rules!" His Word says these things will come to pass so that means they will literally come to pass, whether you want to believe it or not and no matter how terrible they may be.

And it doesn't help to say: "I don't want to serve such a terrible God!" because then you are placing your eternity squarely in satan's hands and will you spend eternity in hell with satan and his demons if you don't want to serve the righteous God who in His awesome mercy has put plans in place for you NOT to have to go through those terrible times - just as long as you start to become obedient to His Word. It is your decision.

Rather ensure that you enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that you get ready for the rapture, because then all those terrible things that will happen will not touch you and will not be applicable to you. So instead of becoming angry with God because of all those terrible things that WILL happen, rather thank Him for His infinite grace that makes it possible for you and me (and everybody else – read **2 Peter 3:9** again) to also be able to escape all those things that are to come, just as long as you appropriate His grace by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can start to do that by first praying a prayer similar to the one I wrote in Chapter 31 at the end of this book.

But what will happen to the nation of Israel in that same time? When you read the book of **Zechariah chapter 12** you will see that the prophet is prophesying about what will happen at the return of Jesus. Then we read in the following chapter:

"And it shall come to pass, **that in all the land, saith the LORD, TWO PARTS therein** shall be cut off and die **;** but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring **the third part through the fire, and will REFINE THEM as silver is refined, and will TRY THEM as gold is tried:** they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God."  
(Zechariah 13:8,9)

Here we see that TWO THIRDS of all the people in Israel are going to die. It will be much worse than the holocaust of the Second World War where six million Jews died under Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime. Only one third will remain as a remnant. And what do we see will happen to that one third remnant? God says He will bring them through the fire and refine them as silver. This is a confirmation of the prophecy that we read in **Malachi 3:2-4** that I quoted above. We also read that God spoke to Israel through Moses:

"When thou art IN TRIBULATION, and all these things are come upon thee, even IN THE LATTER DAYS, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God _is_ a merciful God;) **he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee** , nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them."  
(Deuteronomy 4:30)

This means that God will not totally destroy Israel, as we already saw that one third will be kept alive, thereby fulfilling this prophecy that God gave to Israel through Moses in the book of Deuteronomy that He will not forsake or destroy Israel. The next verse also confirms that in their affliction Israel will start to seek God.

"I will go _and_ return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: **in their affliction they will seek me early**."  
**(Hosea 5:15)**

What does the Bible teach us, WHERE will God protect that remnant of Israel?

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. **And the woman** fled into the wilderness **, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days**." **(Revelation 12:1-6)**

Most Bible scholars agree that this woman clothed with the sun refers to the nation of Israel, because the twelve stars refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. Satan tried to kill the child that she bore, who is none other than Jesus Himself who was born as a Jew. And we know that verse refers to Jesus because He is that man child who is to "rule all nations with a rod of iron" as I will discuss it in Chapters 23 and 24 hereafter, and He was caught up to sit at the right hand of God at His ascension.

And what will happen to Israel during the last half of the tribulation? (Three and a half years - or one thousand two hundred and sixty days - or forty two months?) They will flee into the wilderness and God will protect the remnant of Israel in that wilderness.

We also read about the way that God will protect them in the wilderness in the following prophecy by the prophet Hosea:

" **Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her**. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, _that_ thou shalt call me Ishi _(husband)_ ; and shalt call me no more Baali _(master)_. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and _with_ the creeping things of the ground: **and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely**."  
**(Hosea 2:14-18)**

And what will then eventually happen with Israel? That mentioned one third remnant will ALL be saved.

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. **And so ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED:** as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this _is_ my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins."  
(Romans 11:25-27)

We also see that that remnant of Israel will be saved in one day.

"Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they _are_ men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone _shall be_ seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, **and I will remove the iniquity of that land IN ONE DAY.** "  
**(Zechariah 3:8,9)**

I personally believe that that day when all Israel shall be saved and the iniquity of the land be removed in one day, will be the day of the final fulfilment of the feast of the "day of atonement" (Yom Kippur) as I explain in Chapter 16 hereafter about the seven annual Feasts of the Lord. That will be the day when the nation of Israel will be reconciled with Jesus Christ (Yeshua ha Maschiach) as their Messiah, King and Lord upon His second coming.

Here I want to sound a word of caution to all those New Testament believers in different countries - including in South Africa - who so dearly want to be part of the PHYSICAL twelve tribes of Israel and are so eager to try and find out whether they don't have "Jewish blood" and who are quick to say: "I believe that I am of the tribe of Ephraim, or Reuben or Naphtali" or whatever, and they do all kinds of research to find out whether they can prove such descent. They are also very eager to go back to their "Hebrew Roots", starting to study the Bible only in Hebrew and starting to participate in certain distinct Jewish practices like wearing the "tzitzit" or "ephod" and only praying under a "tallit" (prayer shawl), or ONLY using the "Sacred Names" of YHVH (pronounced in various different ways depending on which group you are part of), etcetera.

Just take note that if you really ARE from one of the physical twelve tribes of Israel you are firstly OBLIGED to go back to the physical country of Israel according to the Bible, you can't stay in South Africa or wherever you are.

"For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: **and I will cause them TO RETURN TO THE LAND that I gave to their fathers** , and they shall possess it."  
**(Jeremiah 30:3)**

Secondly you must understand that then you will not be taken away in the rapture but will stay behind to face the vengeance/wrath/anger of God with the rest of the tribes of Israel during _"the time of Jacob's trouble"_. Thirdly you must then hope that you will not be a part of the two thirds of Israel that will die during those seven years of tribulation, but that you will be part of the one third remnant that will be protected by God Himself in the mountains in the wilderness.

I am quite happy to know that I, tiaan gildenhuys, definitely am NOT from any of the physical tribes of Israel, although some people try their best to convince me that I am. I WAS a Gentile who had the privilege of also getting saved by faith in Jesus Christ **(Ephesians 2:8)** and I am very thankful for that. Now I am part of that "new creation" called the "Body of Christ" **(Galatians 6:15)**.

I know that salvation is of the Jews **(John 4:22)** as Jesus said, so if it wasn't for Israel I would not have had the privilege to be saved. Therefore I pray for the peace of Jerusalem **(Psalm 122:6)** and I pray for the people of Israel and we visit Israel on a regular basis by taking Christian tour groups to that country, but I definitely have no desire to be part of the physical Israel, especially when one knows what is going to happen to them as a nation very soon.

We are definitely nearing the end of the end-times so the rapture, the tribulation and the _"time of Jacob's trouble"_ are VERY imminent. And my dear Jewish brother or sister reading this book, yes you can also escape these terrible things that are to come upon your nation during the tribulation period, by already receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Redeemer now, according to **John1:12,13** and also **Romans 10:9,10** , thereby becoming "Messianic Jews" and thereby ensuring that you can also be in the rapture when the time comes if you also do the rest of the things I wrote about in this book, or if you "die in Christ" before the time.

People who know me know I always say that EVERYTHING in the Bible is applicable to me as a New Testament believer - in other words that I can learn something from every single verse in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation - to be able to apply it to my personal life.

However, it is very important for New Testament believers to take note of the fact that even though I can learn something, or can be admonished or reproved from every verse in the Bible – from Genesis to Revelation - even though I am not a Jew and many parts of the Bible was written about and for them, when it comes to the end-times and the rapture and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, **there are certain verses in the Bible that are EXCLUSIVELY applicable to ONLY the Jews/Israel regarding things that will only happen to THEM as a nation and not to us as the church** , as I have explained in this chapter.

Where are you going to be in those seven years of tribulation/anger/wrath/vengeance dear reader? Safely in heaven OUT of the tribulation/wrath with the ones in the church who have really prepared themselves for the imminent return of Jesus at the rapture or IN the _"time of Jacob's trouble"_ WITH Israel and the rest of the unbelievers and disobedient ones here on earth?

The decision is yours to make.
14.  
JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS. JESUS AND HIS JEWISH BROTHERS.

Once during my study of the history of Joseph and his brothers I suddenly realized that what had happened there in the time of Joseph is a "type" or a shadow of what happened (at His first coming) (and will happen at His second coming) between Jesus and His Jewish brothers. Let us study the history of Joseph and his brothers.

"Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt... And Joseph _was_ the governor over the land, _and_ he _it was_ that sold to all the people of the land: **and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth**. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them... And Joseph knew his brethren, **but they knew not him.** "  
(Genesis 42:1-8)

If we take a few steps back in time we remember that Joseph's brothers hated him because his father Jacob showed him preference and made him a very special coat. And then ten of them wanted to kill him in the field where they were watching over their father's sheep. But his one brother, Reuben did not agree and eventually they sold him into slavery and he ended up in Egypt. There he worked in the house of Potiphar, was accused falsely by Potiphar's wife and ended up in jail where he helped two inmates with their dreams. Out of that encounter he met the Pharaoh and was eventually appointed as governor/king over Egypt.

Egypt is a "type" of the world. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. But then when Joseph's brothers appeared before him many years later, they did not recognize him and were very afraid that he was going to lock them up. You can do yourself the favour to read **Genesis 42** again. Then there followed the following conversation between the brothers:

"And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, **and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.** "  
(Genesis 42:21)

In the same manner during the great tribulation the people of Israel will tell each other that they are _"...verily guilty concerning our brother_ (Yeshua (Jesus)) _..."_ because centuries ago they saw the anguish of His soul and they _"...would not hear"._

But after testing them thoroughly and seeing that they really had had a change of heart Joseph revealed himself to his brothers.

"Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. **And THERE STOOD NO MAN WITH HIM** _(of the Egyptians and his other servants)_ **, WHILE JOSEPH MADE HIMSELF KNOWN UNTO HIS BRETHREN**. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I _am_ Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I _am_ Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: **for God did send me before you to preserve life**."  
(Genesis 45:1-5)

Just note that Joseph sent all the Egyptians and his other servants out of the room BEFORE revealing himself to his brothers.

The history of Joseph and his brothers is also a TYPE/SHADOW of Jesus and His Jewish brothers as I said.

1. Joseph's brothers sold him to Egypt (a "type/shadow" of the world in the Bible).

Jesus' brothers sold Him to the world.

2. Joseph became the king of Egypt.

Jesus will return as the King of the world and the whole universe.

3. Joseph's brothers did not recognize him at their first visit to Egypt.

Jesus' Jewish brothers also did not recognize Him as their Messiah Yeshua at His first appearance before them.

4. Joseph's brothers ended up bowing before him just as he dreamt as a young boy even though they denied that they would ever do such a thing.

Jesus' Jewish brothers will also bow before Him at His second coming even though they initially refused to accept that He really is the King before whom they all will bow one day.

5. Joseph revealed himself to his brothers at their SECOND appearance before him.

Jesus will reveal Himself as the Messiah and brother of the Jews at His SECOND appearance in Jerusalem.

6. But before Joseph reveals himself to his brothers he first sends all the Egyptians and servants OUT of the room.

Jesus will also send those members of the Gentile church who are ready for the event, OUT of the world with the rapture before revealing Himself to His Jewish brothers at His second coming.

The removal of the Egyptians from the room happened in time before Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. In the same manner the rapture will happen in time before Jesus is reconciled to His Jewish brothers as I explain in detail in Chapters 13 and 18.
15.  
THE ANCIENT JEWISH MARRIAGE CEREMONY

I always say that people won't understand the rapture if they don't understand the symbolism of the ancient Jewish marriage ceremony. But the moment you do understand the old marriage ceremony the nation of Israel used, you can do nothing other but to understand the rapture as well. As we proceed with this chapter, take note of the similarities and parallelisms between that ancient ceremony and what Jesus said and did, and will still do at His second coming.

1. Marriage covenant and contract price

If a young man wanted to marrry a young girl, the bridegroom and his father would prepare a contract price/covenant to submit to the bride and her parents. It showed his willingness to marry her. The contract price was usually very high.

Jesus came to the house of His bride (the world) to submit the marriage covenant that He and His Father prepared for us, to us. The marriage covenant with us was the forgiveness of our sins. He then paid the extremely high bridal price with His own life.

2. The cup is given and drunk

When the bridal price/covenant was accepted, the intended bridegroom would offer his bride a cup of wine. If she accepted it and drank the cup, they were deemed to be engaged and it was just as legally binding as the marriage itself. The engagement period was between one to two years in which the couple prepared themselves for the marriage and DID NOT SEE EACH OTHER.

Jesus also offered a cup to His bride with the institution of communion. And we as His disciples and potential bride have accepted the covenant by drinking the cup. He has now been gone approximately two (thousand) years, in which time WE HAVE NOT SEEN HIM...

3. Gifts for the bride

After the cup was accepted the bridegroom gave the bride special gifts. The purpose of these gifts were to remind the bride about the bridegroom during the long period of the enagagement where she will not see him.

Jesus gave His bride the gifts of the Holy Spirit and He (Holy Spirit) continually reminds us of our Bridegroom who will be returning soon.

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, _that_ shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."  
**(John 16:13,14)**

4. The Mikveh

During the engagement period the bride went through a bath-/cleansing process. The word "mikveh" in Hebrew is the same word that is used for the baptism.

The Mikveh that Jesus provided for His bride as a similar "cleansing process", was the BAPTISM IN WATER and the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. This is why I believe that the baptism in water and the baptism in the Holy Spirit are essential elements for getting ready for the rapture. I will explain this in more detail in Chapter 19 hereafter.

5. Preparation of the bridal chamber

During the engagement period the bridegroom would return to his father's house to prepare a bridal chamber IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. It had to be a beautiful place because the bride and bridegroom would spend **seven days** in it. The bridegroom could only go fetch his bride WHEN HIS FATHER WAS SATISFIED with the preparation of the bridal chamber.

Jesus told His bride that he goes TO HIS FATHER'S HOUSE to prepare a place for us **(John 14:2,3)** and He also said not even the angels know when he will come for His bride, only the FATHER knows **(Matthew 24:36)**. We already discussed this in detail earlier. And the marriage supper will be for the period of **seven years** in heaven while the tribulation happens here on earth.

6. The waiting bride is sanctified and prepared

While the bridegroom was busy preparing the bridal chamber the bride was deemed to be sanctified, set apart for her bridegroom. However she never knew when he would return so she would prepare herself physicaly and spiritually and would buy herself cosmetic gifts. It was the tradition that the bridegroom would come to "steal away" his bride in the middle of the night, so she and her bridesmaids had to be ready at all times.

We as God's people are now also sanctified and set apart for the return of our Bridegroom and we prepare ourselves for our Bridegroom's return physically and spiritually. The parable of the five wise and the five unwise virgins shows us that we must be ready at all times and prepare ourselves for His return at all times. We will discuss that in more detail in the next chapter.

7. The bridegroom comes for his bride

When the bridegroom's FATHER was satisfied with the bridal chamber he gave his son instructions to fetch his bride. The bridegroom then went secretly at night to "steal away" his bride and take her to the bridal chamber. But just before reaching the bride's house he and/or one of his friends would shout aloud and blow on the shofar so that the bride could have a warning. (Noah also had 7 days of warning.)

In the same manner Jesus will come for us during the rapture because the Bible says that He will come with the shout of an angel and with the blowing of the trump of God to take us away to the place that He has prepared for us in His Father's house.

8. Seven days in the bridal chamber

The bridegroom and bride then went to the bridal chamber where the marriage was consummated. In that time the marriage guests came together outside and in his father's house. The bridegroom's friends waited outside the door until the bridegroom confimed that the marriage was consummated sexually. His friends then told the marriage guests who then celebrated until the two came out of the chamber and for the rest of the seven days they celebrated together.

This refers to the seven years of the marriage supper of the lamb in heaven and the great tribulation here on earth that we read about in the Bible. In that time we who made ourselves ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb will be with our Bridegroom in heaven and not in that great tribulation here on earth.

9. Wedding feast

The seven day long wedding feast brought an end to the marriage ceremony.

In the same way our Bridegroom will have a wedding feast with us in heaven, as we read in **Revelation 19:7-9:**

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and HIS WIFE HATH MADE HERSELF READY _(the Bride)_. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, BLESSED ARE THEY WHICH ARE CALLED UNTO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER _(the Guests)_ of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."

There are always three parties at a wedding, namely the bridegroom, the bride and the wedding guests.

10. The return home

After the wedding feast the bridegroom and bride would depart from his father's house (where the bridal chamber was) to the new house that the bridegroom had also built for them during the long period of engagement.

In the same manner Jesus and His bride will depart from His Father's house (with His second coming to earth) to the new "house" that He has prepared for us (first the thousand years here on earth and then later the new heaven and new earth).

Can you now see what I meant when I said that if you understand the ancient Jewish marriage ceremony that you will also understand what will happen at the rapture?
16.  
THE SEVEN FEASTS OF THE LORD

Now we need to take note of another very important fact and that is that the seven annual Feasts of God that we read about in the Bible all refer to Jesus Christ - and find their fulfilment in Him and what He did at His first coming - and will still do at His second coming. They are all prophetic in nature and cannot just be discarded by born again New Testament believers.

Let us read the verses in the Bible.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, **Concerning the feasts of the LORD** , which ye shall proclaim _to be_ holy convocations, **even these are MY feasts.** "  
**(Leviticus 23:2)**

Here we see the confirmation of the fact that these feasts are THE LORD'S feasts, they are NOT just "Jewish feasts" as many believers try to argue. Even though they were initially given only to the people of Israel to celebrate, we need to take note of what they mean to all New Testament believers to this very day.

" **These are the feasts of the LORD** , even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. **In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S PASSOVER**. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is **the feast of UNLEAVENED BREAD unto the LORD** : seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then **ye shall bring a sheaf of the FIRSTFRUITS of your harvest** unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD."  
**(Leviticus 23:4-12)**

Here we find the institution of the first three feasts of the Lord, namely the Passover ("Pesach" in Hebrew), the feast of unleavened bread ("HaMatzot" in Hebrew) and the feast of firstfruits ("Yom HaBikkurim" in Hebrew).

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: **Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD**."  
**(Leviticus 23:15,16)**

Fifty days after the feast of firstfruits was the feast of weeks (Pentecost) or ("Shavuot" in Hebrew). These first four feasts of the Lord all took place in the spring, symbolic of the "birth" period of Christ's church after His death and resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Then in the fall He instituted the last three feasts:

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first _day_ of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, **a memorial of blowing of TRUMPETS** , an holy convocation."  
**(Leviticus 23:24)**

This was the first fall feast, the feast of blowing of trumpets ("Yom Teruah" in Hebrew).

Ten days later we find the next feast:

"Also on the tenth _day_ of this seventh month _there shall be_ **a day of ATONEMENT:** it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: **for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God**."  
**(Leviticus 23:27,28)**

This feast was known as the day of atonement ("Yom Kippur" in Hebrew).

And then there was one last feast:

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month _shall be_ **the feast of TABERNACLES for seven days unto the LORD.** "  
**(Leviticus 23:34)**

This last fall feast was known as the feast of tabernacles ("Succoth" in Hebrew). This feast had to remind Israel about the time when they sojourned in the desert and had to stay in tents. The last three feasts in the fall are symbolic of what will happen at the "end" of the church of Jesus Christ and just as they were celebrated in short succession after each other in the seventh month the fulfilment thereof will be in short succession af the second coming of Christ.

The above verses all refer to the institution of the seven different feasts by God Himself.

Now let us take note of the fulfilment of all these feasts of the Lord:

1. Pesach or Passover was fulfilled in **the crucifixion of Jesus Christ**. He was the final Passover Lamb.

2. The feast of unleavened bread was fulfilled in **His sinless body** hanging on the cross and being laid in the grave for us. Remember leaven was a symbol of sin in the Old Testament and that is why the Jews had to remove all leaven from their homes during the feast of Passover.

3. The feast of firstfruits was fulfilled on the day of **Jesus' resurrection** from the dead, when early in the morning He told Mary not to touch Him, yet later that same evening he told Thomas to touch Him. What happened between those two appearances is that Jesus ascended to heaven to appear before the throne of God the Father as the "firstfruits" of all who would never die again and then He returned to appear to His followers for a further forty days before He finally ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God.

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: **And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.** "  
**(1 Corinthians 15:3-7)**

4. The feast of weeks or "Shavuot" was fulfilled fifty days after Jesus' resurrection, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit **at Pentecost**. This happened on exactly the same date as when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.

These four feasts have all been fulfilled at the FIRST coming of Jesus Christ. The last three will be fulfilled at His SECOND coming.

5. The feast of blowing of trumpets will be fulfilled **when the trumpet blows for the rapture.**

On the lunar calendar used by the Jews this feast takes place on the first day of the seventh month, known as the month Tishri in Hebrew. There are ten days between the feast of trumpets and the day of atonement. They are known as "the days of awe" or "the terrible days" in which people are reminded to get rid of their sins and return to God. During those ten days a shofar is blown every morning to remind them to return to God.

Interestingly enough a long series of shofars are blown between the first day of Elul, - the month preceding Tishri – up until the second day of Tishri, when it is blown just before sunset. Those shofars being blown proclaim the end of the harvest season. Shortly after the last trumpet/shofar is blown, the "seven days of awe" start from the third day of Tishri until the ninth day of Tishri. And those seven days refer prophetically to the seven years of tribulation/God's anger/wrath/vengeance that will take place between the fulfilment of the feast of trumpets and the fulfilment of the feast/day of atonement.

Now why do I say there are ten days between the feast of trumpets and the feast of atonement but that only seven days of awe are symbolical of the seven years of tribulation? The answer lies in the fact that the feast of blowing of trumpets actually takes place over TWO days, namely the first and second of Tishri which days are known in Israel as Rosh Hashannah - the beginning of their new year. And that is why the calculation of the "terrible days" or "days of awe" is done only from the beginning of the third day of Tishri until the ninth day of Tishri – seven full days.

From the last trump that will be blown at the rapture, until the return of Jesus at His second coming, Israel will be continually reminded to return to God as a result of the terrible things that will be happening to them during the seven years of tribulation.

Which will then lead to the fulfilment of the next feast at the second coming of Jesus...

6. The feast of the day of atonement will be fulfilled **when the nation of Israel accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah** upon His second coming.

We know that this feast will be fulfilled three and a half years (forty two months or one thousand two hundred and sixty (1260) days) after the time when the antichrist will declare himself as God in the third temple in Jerusalem, when Jesus returns.

Yet it is interesting to note the following words in the prophecies of Daniel:

"And from the time _that_ the daily _sacrifice_ shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, **there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety (1290) days.** "  
**(Daniel 12:11)**

One thousand two hundred and ninety days are FORTY THREE months from the day that the antichrist will proclaim himself as God. What is that extra month (thirty days) all about? Many Bible scholars agree that those extra thirty days (which will then be AFTER Jesus returned and put His foot on the mount of Olives), most probably refer to a thirty day period of mourning which the nation of Israel will go through when they realize that they had been wrong about Jesus as Messiah all along.

We see the confirmation of this fact in the way that the nation of Israel had a thirty day period of mourning for both Aaron and Moses.

"And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, **they mourned for Aaron thirty days** , _even_ all the house of Israel."  
**(Numbers 20:29)**

"And the children of Israel **wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days** : so the days of weeping _and_ mourning for Moses were ended."  
**(Deuteronomy 34:8)**

We know that Israel will also mourn when Jesus returns, as we read in **Revelation 1:7** :

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him _(Jews)_ : and ALL kindreds of the earth _(including the Jews)_ **shall WAIL because of him**."

And when the thirty days are over their mourning will end and they will be with their King and Messiah for the millennium and further into eternity.

7. The feast of tabernacles will be fulfilled **at the millennium** when Jesus will again "tabernacle" with His people here on earth.

As you can see we as New Testament believers must undoubtedly still ACKNOWLEDGE the feasts of the Lord as they all find their application in the fulfilment thereof by the Lord Jesus Christ in His first and second comings to earth.

Unfortunately many New Testament believers who initially believed the lie of the "replacement theology" – that the church "replaced" Israel in God's plans and purposes, as I explained in detail in Chapter 13 – are so disappointed and even angry when they realize that they were lied to for many years, they unfortunately fall straight into a new lie **, claiming that WE are now ALL part of the twelve tribes of Israel that were dispersed all over the world during the diaspora and/or that we must all return to our Hebrew (Jewish) "roots"**.

This causes them to start to also participate in the feasts but very specifically according to certain Jewish traditions regarding specific foods to eat or specific clothes to wear at the times of the feasts, that all come from the Talmud, Midrash, Mishnah etc., which are **rabbinical laws** applicable to the Jews ONLY \- and which are NOT from the Bible.

Unfortunately many of these believers don't take careful note of the fact that we can't go back to our "Hebrew Roots" because we are the wild olive that was ingrafted into the root, because of the fact that the branches were broken off as a result of their disobedience and unbelief. Those "branches" that were broken off are the nation of Israel and we can't be grafted into the broken off branches. **We are grafted into the ROOT and who is that? Jesus Christ Himself.** That means we can't go back to our "Hebrew Roots", we must go back to our "Jesus Root".

The verses in the Bible that confirm this fact are:

"And in that day there shall **be a ROOT of Jesse** , which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."  
**(Isaiah 11:10)**

This "root" that Isaiah prophesied about, was none other than Jesus Christ Himself. This was later confirmed by Paul in:

"And again, Esaias saith, There shall **be a ROOT of Jesse** , and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; **in him shall the Gentiles trust**."  
**(Romans 15:12)**

Jesus Himself also said:

" **I am the vine** , ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."  
**(John 15:5)**

Then we also read in the book of Revelation:

"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, **the Root of David** , hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."  
**(Revelation 5:5)**

And finally, in the last chapter of the Bible, Jesus Himself says:

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. **I AM THE ROOT and the offspring of David** , _and_ the bright and morning star."  
**(Revelation 22:16)**

Very clearly then we see that the ROOT, yes the VINE is NOT ISRAEL, the ROOT IS Jesus Christ. Israel is only part of the olive tree and the branches and what happened to them?

"The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, _and_ of goodly fruit: with the **noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.** For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal."  
**(Jeremiah 11:16,17)**

"For if the firstfruit _be_ holy, the lump _is_ also _holy:_ and **if the root be holy** , so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them **partakest of the ROOT and fatness of the olive tree** ; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Thou wilt say then, THE BRANCHES WERE BROKEN OFF, **that I might be graffed in**. Well; **because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith**. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, _take heed_ lest he also spare not thee."  
**(Romans 11:16-21)**

From these verses we learn that although Israel is called the green olive tree, the "branches" (Israel, the Jews, the Hebrews) were BROKEN OFF because of their evil and their unbelief, while we (the New Testament church) stand by faith. **That means we CAN'T go back to our "Hebrew Roots" because the BRANCHES are NOT our roots, even the olive tree itself is not our root, Jesus Christ is.** If we want to return to the broken-off branches and side ourselves with them, that means we are also coming under their curse of their evil and unbelief and then we are making a mockery of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he did for us all at the cross.

So we as Gentile believers who were ingrafted into the ROOT (Jesus Christ) can't "return" to something we were never part of in the first place (Israel/Hebrews), but on the other hand we must beware that we also don't start to think that we are better than the nation of Israel in any way (that is anti-semitism), because if God did not spare them, He surely has the same right not to spare us if we become proud and think we are better than they are.

No, as we can see from what I have already written in this book, **God has got very specific plans for the physical nation of Israel in the end-times, but He also has very specific plans for His church in the end-times.** And these two things must not be confused with each other or else satan may lead us into error regarding the Word.

Now how can or should we as New Testament believers acknowledge the Lord's seven annual Feasts then? As the secular world does not use the same calendar as the nation of Israel it is necessary to get the specific dates of the different feasts from one of their calendars every year. Our calendar operates according to the sun (solar calendar), while their calendar operates according to the moon (lunar calendar) as God taught them to do from the beginning.

1. **Passover, Unleavened bread and Firstfruits** – we simply acknowledge the fulfilment of these three feasts by sharing communion with our family - as Jesus said that that was the sign of the New Testament in His blood - and by reading the following verses from the Word which teach us about the institution of those three feasts and also the fulfilment thereof. **(Institution: Exodus 12:1-14; Leviticus 23:5; Deuteronomy 16:1,2; – Fulfilment: Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7)**

2. **Pentecost** – by sharing communion with our family and reading the following verses regarding the institution and the fulfilment thereof: **(Leviticus 23:15-21; Numbers 28:26; – Acts 1:1-8; Acts 2:1-4; Luke 24:49)**

3. **Trumpets** – by sharing communion with our family - as Paul teaches us that the communion reminds us about what Jesus did at His first coming but it also looks to the future to His second coming - and reading the following verses regarding the institution and the coming fulfilment thereof: **(Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6,10; Nehemiah 8:1-12; - Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Corintians 15:52)**

4. **Atonement** – by sharing communion with our family and reading the following verses regarding the institution and the coming fulfilment thereof: **(Leviticus 16:1,2 + 29 -34; Leviticus 23:26-32; Deuteronomy 16:3-4; - John 11:49-52; Hebrews 13:10-14; Hebrews 9:1-15 + 25 - 28)**

5. **Tabernacles** – by sharing communion with our family and reading the following verses regarding the institution and the fulfilment thereof: **(Leviticus 23:33-44; Deuteronomy 16:13-15; - John 7:2-53; Zechariah 14:16-19; Revelation 21:3)**

In this way we as New Testament believers **DO ALSO PARTICIPATE IN AND ACKNOWLEDGE** the seven annual Feasts of the Lord and their fulfilment in the two comings of Jesus Christ to the earth, without trying to become "Jewish" about the feasts of the Lord.
17.  
THE 144 000

Another thing that many people have wondered about for many years, is who are the 144 000 that we read about in the book of Revelation? Some groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that only 144 000 people will be in heaven one day, while the rest will stay here on earth. This causes many people to wonder whether they will be good enough to be a part of those 144 000 and whether they will be in heaven or not?

But what does the Bible teach very clearly who are the 144 000 really?

"Sometime during the first part of the Tribulation or possibly right at the beginning of it, God is going to choose and mark 144,000 JEWISH people out of the 12 main tribes of Israel. **These 144,000 JEWS will receive some kind of mark on their forehead from God**. As a result of this mark and seal, the judgments that will fall upon the earth during the 7 year Tribulation will not touch or harm them.

God also calls these 144,000 the "firstfruits to God and the Lamb." The Lamb is Jesus. God is making a statement that these 144,000 will be the first set of Jews to get saved and accept Jesus as their true Messiah ( _during the tribulation)_. Though Scripture does not specifically state that these 144,000 Jews will actually be witnessing to others, the conclusion among many students of Bible Prophecy is that they definitely will be witnessing and preaching the Gospel to others just due to the fact that they have now been saved and will physically be protected from all the judgments that will be hitting the earth during this time.

It is only logical to conclude that God will use these 144,000 Jewish witnesses to preach the Gospel, as they will now have the power of the Holy Spirit operating in them to be able to preach. I seriously doubt if God will just have them lying around and doing nothing, especially with the Church having been possibly raptured before they are sealed and come forth.

God is going to need as many people as possible to be preaching, witnessing, and getting people saved, **especially if the main body of believers are no longer on the earth to preach and witness to others**."  
(http://www.bible-knowledge.com/after-the-tribulation/)

Now let us read the verses in the Bible for ourselves in **Revelation 7**. Now remember **Revelation 7** is AFTER **Revelation 4** but BEFORE **Revelation 19** , so that shows us it is something that will happen DURING the seven years of tribulation.

"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, **Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads**. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: **and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand OF ALL THE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL**."  
(Revelation 7:1-4)

Reading these verses JUST AS THEY ARE WRITTEN, without trying to interpret anything or trying to INSERT anything into the Bible that it does NOT say, there is no doubt that **those 144 000 are all from the physical tribes of the children of Israel.** It is confirmed in the very next verses:

"Of the (1) **tribe of Juda** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (2) **tribe of Reuben** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (3) **tribe of Gad** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (4) **tribe of Aser** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (5) **tribe of Nepthalim** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (6) **tribe of Manasses** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (7) **tribe of Simeon** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (8) **tribe of Levi** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (9) **tribe of Issachar** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (10) **tribe of Zabulon** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (11) **tribe of Joseph** _were_ sealed twelve thousand. Of the (12) **tribe of Benjamin** _were_ sealed twelve thousand."  
(Revelation 7:5-8)

And when we do the basic calculation of 12 000 x 12 we get 144 000.

From the Bible we learn that although these 144 000 are to be sealed upon the earth there will be a time when all 144 000 of them will be in heaven too. That means that they will most probably also die during the seven years of tribulation (possibly in the same period of time as the "two witnesses") and that they will then go to heaven to stand upon the heavenly Mount Sion with the Lord Jesus, OR it may be that they will also be raptured at some stage during the tribulation although the Bible does not say exactly which one will be applicable. When we read the next verse we do find that the bigger probability is that they will also be killed by the antichrist.

"I beheld, and the same horn _(antichrist)_ **made war with the saints, and prevailed against them** ; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."  
(Daniel 7:21,22)

Obviously the antichrist will only make war with the saints AFTER he was revealed as such (false "God"/antichrist), in other words AFTER the first three and a half years of the tribulation period. And by then those who prepared for the rapture will not be on earth anymore so these "saints" that the antichrist will make war with and prevail against, in other words will most probably kill, will be those believers that will stay behind after the rapture, and might also include the 144 000. The specific details we will only see when those things do happen one day.

Whatever the case may be, we read that the 144 000 will stand on the heavenly Mount Sion with Jesus and sing a very special song in heaven at some stage in the future.

"And I looked, and, lo, **a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads**. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: **and no man could learn that song** but the hundred and forty and four thousand **, which were redeemed from the earth.** "  
(Revelation 14:1-3)

We also read what specific characteristics these 144 000 Jewish MEN will possess. There will not be women among them.

" **These are they which** (1) were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which (2) follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were (3) redeemed from among men, _being_ the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And (4) in their mouth was found no guile: for (5) they are without fault before the throne of God."  
(Revelation 14:1-5)

Very clearly not many people on earth will or do have these five specific characteristics. Actually, there will be only those specific 144 000 Jewish men in the whole history of earth who will qualify.

And just as a final thought, if you are not sure about the fact that I said they will stand on the heavenly Mount Sion, read the following:

" **But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God,** the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,..."  
(Hebrews 12:22,23)

From this we understand that there is also a mount Sion/Zion in the heavenly Jerusalem just as there is a physical mount Zion in the physical Jerusalem. And that is where the 144 000 will stand with Jesus and sing a very special song to the Lord and to all those in heaven.

So from Scripture itself we now very clearly know who the 144 000 will be and we don't have to wonder who they are as a result of lies spread by other false religions any longer.
18.  
ONE WEDDING SUPPER, TWO BRIDES

Because of the fact that people mostly do not differentiate between Israel and the church as a result of the "replacement theology" as I explained in Chapter 13, they also do not take note of the fact that the Bible speaks about TWO brides, but only ONE wedding supper.

What am I talking about?

The nation of Israel is the bride of God the Father (YHVH).

The church is the bride of the Lamb (Jesus/Yeshua).

Can this be proven from the Bible? Most definitely so yes, if you don't cling to the heretical teaching of the replacement theology any more, and if you don't believe that you just need to return to your "Hebrew Roots" any longer. **Because the one view takes away Israel's rightful place in God's eternal plan and the other view takes away the church's rightful place in God's eternal plan.** And both those views cause people to err from the truth.

"Turn, O backsliding children, (Israel) saith the LORD (the word used in Hebrew for "LORD" here is YHVH, the Name of the Father); **for I AM MARRIED UNTO YOU** : and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."  
(Jeremiah 3:14,15)

Very clearly God the Father (YHVH - Yahweh) says in this verse in the book of Jeremiah that **Israel is MARRIED to HIM**.

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her _(Israel)_ , and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD _(YHVH)_ , that thou shalt call me Ishi _(husband/man)_ ; and shalt call me no more Baali _(master)_... And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and _with_ the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

**And I will BETROTH THEE** unto me for ever **; yea, I will betroth thee unto me** in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies."  
(Hosea 2:14-19)

In Hosea it is stated that God the Father betrothed Himself TO ISRAEL for ever.

But then we also read that the Lamb has His own bride.

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: f **or the marriage of the Lamb is come, and HIS WIFE hath made herself ready."  
(Revelation 19:7)**

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, **the Lamb's wife**. _(Jesus)_ "  
(Revelation 21:9)

" **I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches**. I am the root and the offspring of David, _and_ the bright and morning star. **And the Spirit and the bride say, Come**. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."  
**(Revelation 22:16,17)**

From these verses we understand that the Father has His bride, and the Lamb has His own bride. Now read how other authors also explain this very important principle about the different brides.

"The relationship between Israel and God is dramatically different than what the New Testament records concerning Christ and His bride. **Perhaps the most significant difference is that the marriage of Jehovah (YHVH) to Israel** OCCURRED IN TIME PAST **,**

whereas the marriage of Christ with His bride HAS NOT YET TAKEN PLACE...

Israel in her land was the wife of God (Jehovah) (Jer. 3:14-20; Isa. 54:1), but the wife was divorced because of her iniquity. Israel, however, is to be reinstated in God's favour.

But a divorced wife can never again be a virgin, and it is not a divorced wife BUT A VIRGIN whom the Lord (Jesus) marries –

"And he shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, _or_ an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife." **(Leviticus 21:13,14)**."  
 **(Walter Scott, "** _Exposition of The Revelation"_ **(London, England: Pickering & Inglis.)**

Walter Scott makes a few very important points to take note of here namely that the marriage of YHVH to His bride Israel took place in time past as we clearly saw from the verses I quoted earlier, while the marriage of Jesus to His bride has not yet taken place. The following very important point he makes is that YHVH divorced His bride but took her back again, and Jesus is NOT going to marry a divorced wife but a virgin bride.

Now let's read how dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum describes this topic.

"There are certain key distinctions in the Scriptures. If one does not understand these biblical distinctions, the Scriptures become contradictory because one part of the Bible says "you may" and another says "you may not" concerning the very same subject.

One of these key biblical DISTINCTIONS is the one between Israel and the Church. In the Bible, Israel is represented as the "Wife of Jehovah" (YHVH), whereas the Church is represented as the "Bride of Christ (Messiah). **A failure to maintain that distinction will only result in a misinterpretation of what the Scriptures teach**."    
("The wife of Jehovah and the bride of Messiah" - Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum)

And the moment that we understand this distinction we also understand why the divorced (but reinstated) wife will stay behind so that God can deal with her according to all His prophecies, while the obedient virgin bride will be taken away to the "honeymoon suite" in heaven to be with her Bridegroom.
19.  
LEARN FROM THE TEN VIRGINS

Now let us see what we can learn from the parable of the ten virgins that Jesus spoke about.

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five _were_ foolish. They that _were_ foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: **But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps**."  
(Matthew 25:1-3)

The virgins refer to the believers. The oil refers to the baptism with the Holy Spirit, but I personally believe it ALSO refers to the believers' water baptism AND a life of sanctification as I explain in this book.

"While the bridegroom tarried, **they ALL slumbered and slept**."  
(Matthew 25:5)

Our Bridegroom is presently "tarrying". He has been gone for nearly 2(000) years, exactly because of His unfathomable grace and mercy that does not want anyone to be lost **(2 Peter 3:9).** Remember the ancient Jewish marriage ceremony where the bridegroom would be away for one to two years after having asked his bride to marry him and her accepting the cup he held out to her.That is why we must beware that we are not also caught asleep by our Bridegroom "tarrying" a little longer.

According to the Collins English Dictionary, sleep is defined as: "Sleep is the natural state of rest in which your **eyes are closed,** your **body is inactive,** and your **mind does not think**."

No doubt this is exactly the state many believers find themselves in today, in that their **eyes** are closed to the truths contained in the Bible, especially regarding the rapture, their **bodies** are inactive in that they don't try to do anything to get ready for the return of the Bridegroom or to spur others into readiness, and their **minds** don't think or want to think what the consequences will be when He does return and they are not ready.

"And AT MIDNIGHT there was A CRY made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; GO YE OUT to meet him. **Then ALL those virgins arose** , and trimmed their lamps."  
(Matthew 25:1-13)

Please note that the Bridegroom comes at MIDNIGHT when no one will expect it. And what must happen? We must GO OUT to meet Him. In our case OUT of the world and into the air as we already discussed. Also note that there was A CRY at midnight so there was a warning which means we will also get a warning just before our Bridegroom comes.

But that also tells me that SOMEONE was awake, although all the virgins were asleep, and the ones who were awake were the "crier/s", who were usually the friends of the bridegroom. Will you be a friend of the Bridegroom and a "crier" who will stay awake to warn the virgins when Jesus comes, or will you be asleep with the rest when He comes?

"And the foolish said unto the wise, **Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you** : but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came..."  
(Matthew 25:8-10)

These verses warn us to ensure that we go through the believer's baptism AND the baptism with the Holy Spirit NOW so that we don't have to run around looking for someone to baptize us or to pray for us for the baptism with the Holy Spirit when the Bridegroom comes, because then it is going to be too late.

"...and **they THAT WERE READY went in with him** to the marriage: and the door was shut."  
(Matthew 25:10)

**Note that ONLY those THAT WERE READY could ENTER into the marriage supper WITH the Bridegroom.** But also remember that the bridegroom always went to fetch his bride and then BROUGHT HER BACK to the bridal chamber WITH HIM. From this we can deduct that those five wise virgins were still not the bride, because the bride will come with the Bridegroom.

But they will be part of the WEDDING GUESTS. This tells me that not everybody in the rapture will be "bride". At any marriage ceremony we always have three parties, the bridegroom, the bride and the wedding guests as I said before.

I personally do not share the view that the whole church will be the bride of Christ. But I do believe that the bride will come OUT OF the church, as they are the _"hundredfold"_ believers that Jesus speaks about and the _"father"_ believers that John speaks about.

"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth _it;_ which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, **some an hundredfold** , some sixty, some thirty."  
**(Matthew 13:23)**

"I write unto you, FATHERS, **because ye have known him that is from the beginning**. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father."  
**(1 John 2:13)**

From these two verses we can see that there are always three "classes" of believers, who bring forth either thirty-fold, sixty-fold or hundred-fold fruit, or who are either _"little children"_ in the faith, _"young men"_ in the faith or _"fathers"_ in the faith. And this has nothing to do with physical age, because I personally know certain _"fathers"_ in the faith who are still in their early thirties, while I also know many _"little children"_ in the faith who are seventy and even eighty years old physically. It all has to do with spiritual maturity and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. And yes, the spiritually mature ones will be the "bride" Christians as I explain down below about the tabernacle of Moses.

Another reason I do not believe that the whole church wil be the bride of Christ we find in the history of Adam and Eve. When Adam was created by God, where was his bride, Eve? She was IN his body as ONE single rib! She did not consist of his WHOLE body - she came OUT OF his body.

Now the Bible teaches us that Christ is the "last Adam".

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; **the last Adam** _(Jesus)_ _was made_ a quickening spirit."  
**(1 Corinthians 15:45)**

The same way that the first man Adam's bride was IN his body, the bride of Christ will also come OUT OF the body of Christ, it will not consist of His whole body, the church.

But let us proceed to learn from the ten virgins.

"Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, **Verily I say unto you, I know you not.** Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."  
(Matthew 25:11-13)

From these last verses we understand that those who are NOT READY for the return of the Bridegroom will BE LEFT BEHIND in the tribulation, even though they are VIRGINS, in other words, believers. **This means that there WILL BE BELIEVERS LEFT BEHIND in the tribulation.** But these will be the "disobedient" believers, those who were not obedient to His gospel and therefore they too will go through the days of the wrath of God.

"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, **and that OBEY NOT the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.** "  
(2 Thessalonians 1:7,8)

They are the ones who were not willing to strive after sanctification and righteousness in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. They were happy to stay lukewarm in their dead religion, even though deep inside they knew the warning words of the following verse:

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."  
**(Revelation 3:16)**

The word used in the Greek for _"spue"_ also means: _"vomit" thee out of my mouth"_. And this has nothing to do with going to heaven or hell, but also with being ready for the rapture, or not. The lukewarm ones will be part of the five unwise virgins staying behind in the tribulation/wrath/anger/vengeance of the Lord.

That is why we must WATCH AND PRAY at all times to ensure that we are ready, that we have gone through the believer's baptism AND the baptism of the Holy Spirit and that we live lives of obedience in sanctification and righteousness.

Now why do I keep on saying that we must go through the believer's baptism AND the baptism with the Holy Spirit? Because Jesus Himself said:

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, **Except a man be born of water AND of the Spirit** , he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."  
(John 3:5)

The _"born of water"_ refers to the believer's baptism in water (immersion) and _"of the Spirit"_ refers to the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Some believers think _"born of water"_ refers to the physical birth and the amniotic fluid in the mother's womb. But that is definitely not what it refers to, because **1 Corinthians 15:50** teaches us:

"Now this I say, brethren, that FLESH AND BLOOD cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."

And that is why we know the water that Jesus refers to in **John 3:5** , is the believer's baptism according to the Word and NOT the physical amniotic fluid in the mother's womb, because flesh and blood is not allowed in the kingdom of God.

It also becomes clearer when we learn more about the symbolism of the tabernacle that Moses built in the desert according to God's specific instructions.

This following picture I took in 2008 at Timna in the Negev desert in Israel where they built a replica of the original tabernacle of Moses.

What we see here, is the inner court, which consists of all the white sheets around the tent of the tabernacle. As we can see, it only had one door (to the left of the picture), and we will discuss the reason for that in a little while. Then we see the bronze altar where the sacrifices were burnt and next to it the bronze laver where the priests had to wash themselves before they could enter the tent of the tabernacle. Beside the bronze laver we see the tent of the tabernacle itself, which was split up into two parts namely the "Holy place" and the "Holy of Holies".

The moment you enter the door of the tabernacle and walk up to the entrance of the tent of the tabernacle and then look back towards the entrance where you came in from, it looks like this:

What we are now looking at - looking back toward the entrance - is the bronze laver and the bronze altar which both stood in the inner court of the tabernacle. Then you turn around and walk through the entrance of the Holy place and what you then see in front of you, is the following:

This is the golden candlestick or "menorah". It consisted of seven lampstands on which seven oil lamps were put.

Then we have the altar of incense on which some of the sacrifice and incense were mixed before being burned as an offering to the Lord. It stood right in front of the veil that covered the Holy of Holies.

And the third and final item in the holy place was the table of shewbread. Twelve pieces of fresh shewbread were placed on this table every Sabbath day and it referred to the twelve tribes of Israel appearing before God's countenance on a daily basis.

To explain the practical workings of the tabernacle in short and leaving out a few details here and there, is as follows:

A person who had sinned or committed a trespass would bring the prescribed animal to the priests who would slaughter it in the inner court and then sacrifice its meat according to God's prescriptions on the bronze altar. The priest would take some of the sacrifice, and wash himself in the bronze laver. Then he would enter the Holy place and walk past the golden candlestick and table of shewbread to the altar of incense where he would mix the sacrifice and some of the prescribed incense and burn it on that altar in front of the veil covering the Holy of Holies. This was done by the priests on a daily basis. They could never go further than the altar of incense in front of the veil before the Holy of Holies.

But once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the High Priest would do the prescribed sacrifices for the whole nation and his own house, and then he would take some of the blood of the sacrifice and he would wash himself at the bronze laver, walk right through the holy place and enter THROUGH the veil into the Holy of Holies, where he would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on and around the mercy seat to make atonement for his sins and for that of the whole nation.

And this is more or less what he would see when he pulled back the veil covering the Holy of Holies...

This last picture is a replica of the ark of the covenant containing the mercy seat and two cherubim all made out of beaten gold.

So we see that the tabernacle of Moses was split up into three parts namely the inner court, Holy place and Holy of Holies. This is absolutely no "coincidence" but a very specific "God-incidence". Why? Because those same three parts are applicable to us as New Testament believers in our walk of faith today. Let's look at that now.

The tabernacle only had one door. Jesus said:

" **I am the door** : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."  
**(John 10:9)**

To get saved we need to "enter through the door" – Jesus Christ! Please note that the cross is NOT the door, Jesus Christ Himself is!

And the moment we do get saved we soon learn that we have to die to ourselves. That refers to burning away my old "self" on the bronze altar.

"And he said to _them_ all, If any _man_ will come after me, **let him deny himself** , and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  
**(Luke 9:23)**

Then the bronze laver refers to the baptism in water because the priests had to wash themselves here BEFORE they could enter in the Holy place. Remember that Jesus said in **John 3:5** that we had to be born of WATER AND of Spirit before we can enter the kingdom of God? This is confirmed by the bronze laver standing OUTSIDE the entrance to the Holy place.

" **He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved** ; but he that believeth not shall be damned."  
(Mark 16:16)

Note the sequence of the words here – _"...he that believes AND is baptized..."_. In other words a person must believe FIRST and THEN be baptized. That is why infant baptism is NOT found anywhere in the Bible. A baby cannot believe first before being baptized. And the setup of the tabernacle of Moses also confirms this fact in that you had to go through the door of the tabernacle (salvation) FIRST - BEFORE you got to the bronze laver (baptism). The bronze laver was not found on the OUTSIDE of the door of the tabernacle - so it is NOT baptism first like many people who advocate infant baptism, believe.

Also take note that the word in Greek which was used for "baptized" in **Mark 16:16** is "baptizo" and it means: **"...to make whelmed (that is, fully wet)** ; used only (in the New Testament) of ceremonial _ablution_ , especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian _baptism:_ \- baptist, baptize, wash." Thus, if you were not made "fully wet" then you have not been baptized yet.

The next step is that you must be baptized in the Holy Spirit, confirmed by the symbol of the golden candlestick ("menorah"), which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.

"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God."  
**(Revelation 4:5)**

The table of shewbread refers to the fact that in your new walk of faith you will appear before God on a daily basis and you will also eat of the "bread of life", Jesus, on a daily basis.

"And Jesus said unto them, **I am the bread of life** : he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."  
**(John 6:35)**

The altar of incense refers to our prayer life intensifying and our prayers rising before the throne of God.

"Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands _as_ the evening sacrifice."  
**(Psalm 141:2)**

Now we must remember that when Jesus died on the cross the temple veil was rent from top to bottom. The Bible also teaches us that He is our Great High Priest. And because He did that for us, we can now walk straight through into the Holy of Holies, we don't have to wait for a human high priest to do it for us only once a year anymore.

So we may now all have an intimate relationship with God Himself and we can go before His throne of grace ("mercy seat") boldly.

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as _we are, yet_ without sin. **Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace** , that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."  
(Hebrews 4:15,16)

When we look at the tabernacle of Moses with its three "parts", we see that the outer court refers to the five unwise virgins, because they did not get "washed" in the believer's baptism (symbolized by the bronze laver).

The Holy place refers to the five wise virgins who took enough "oil" (- water baptism - symbolized by the bronze laver in the inner court AND – baptism in the Holy Spirit – symbolized by the golden candlestick in the Holy place).

And then the Holy of Holies refers to the bride **who took enough "oil" by getting baptized AND baptized in the Holy Spirit, BUT who also LIVED in an intimate and righteous and sanctified relationship with God and in His presence on a daily basis, and who came boldly unto His throne of grace throughout their walk of faith.**

So if we look at the tabernacle, where do we find the "cut-off point" for the rapture?

Between the bronze laver and the golden candlestick, because that is the door to the Holy place. That is why people who refuse to get baptized in water because they keep on believing the lie of infant baptism, may find themselves part of the "five unwise virgins" STAYING BEHIND during the tribulation period, and hearing the words:

"Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, **Verily I say unto you, I know you not.** Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."  
(Matthew 25:11-13)

The words _"I know you not"_ refer to intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father. People who REALLY have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ UNDERSTAND FULLY that they HAVE NO OTHER OPTION but to be baptized in water AND baptized in the Holy Spirit AND to live lives of righteousness and sanctification according to the Word of God. We must STRIVE after righteousness, holiness and sanctification because we are on our way to stand before the judgment seat of a HOLY God!

Many people who do not yet have an intimate relationship with Jesus and who still follow after dead "religion" only on Sundays, instead of a living "relationship" with Jesus Christ on a daily basis, do not think they NEED to be baptized and baptized in the Holy Spirit, or that they NEED to live lives of righteousness and sanctification, until that day that the rapture will happen, and then it might be too late...

How do we know from the Bible that your lack of immersion baptism in water may keep you OUT of the marriage supper of the Lamb? Read the following parable by Jesus:

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, **which made A MARRIAGE for his son** , And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and _my_ fatlings _are_ killed, and all things _are_ ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of _it,_ and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise...

Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

**And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on A WEDDING GARMENT: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness** ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few _are_ chosen."  
**(Matthew 22:2-14)**

Clearly this parable refers to the marriage supper of the SON OF THE KING, who is none other than Jesus Christ. From this we learn that somebody got in without a wedding garment and was then thrown out of the marriage feast. It does not refer to people being thrown into hell as some think, but being thrown OUT OF THE MARRIAGE SUPPER and into _"outer darkness"_ which refers to the days of God's anger/ wrath/ vengeance here on earth.

That is why we must understand being ready for the rapture or not does not mean being ready for heaven or going to hell. Believers who might be staying behind in the tribulation because they did not prepare for the rapture, will still be able to go to heaven when they die, even though they may not be in the rapture, as I will explain in the next chapter. **The rapture of the saints is also about being worthy and ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb**.

So what does the "wedding garment" refer to? Read with me in **Galatians 3:27** :

"For as many of you **as have been baptized into Christ** have put on **Christ**."

This tells me that part of that wedding garment is the baptism in water AND the baptism in the Holy Spirit as I have been saying all along so far. Because the words which were translated as _"put on"_ in Greek here, is:

" _Enduo" -_ (in the sense of **SINKING INTO a garment** ); to _invest_ with clothing (literally or figuratively): - array, clothe (with), endue, have (put) on." **(Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries).**

Being baptized into Christ means I SINK INTO _(like into water = baptism, AND into the Holy Spirit)_ that wedding garment and by that I am clothed for the marriage supper/rapture.

And when I get baptized with the Holy Spirit, it is also done by the Lord Jesus Himself.

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: **he** _(Jesus)_ shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost **, and with fire** :..."  
**(Matthew 3:11)**

The baptism with fire also refers to a life of righteousness, sanctification and holiness, as that fire that Jesus baptizes us with when He baptizes us with the Holy Ghost and with fire, firstly refers to a zeal and a fire starting to burn inside you to become radically obedient to Jesus and His Word and secondly it also refers to all uncleanness and sin being burned away in our lives.

And there we have the "oil" that we need to get ready for the rapture: -

Water baptism (immersion), baptism with the Holy Spirit, and a CONTINUOUS life of righteousness, sanctification and holiness – until Jesus comes.

But coming back to the tabernacle itself, we also understand from the Bible that this tabernacle was built by Moses according to "the pattern" that God showed him on the mountain, which pattern was of the true tabernacle in heaven.

"...as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."  
**(Hebrews 8:5)**

"We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, **and of THE TRUE TABERNACLE,** which the Lord pitched **, and not man.** "  
(Hebrews 8:1,2)

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, **by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, NOT MADE WITH HANDS, that is to say, not of this building** _(creation)_ ; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."  
| **(Hebrews 9:11,12)**

These verses teach us that there is a true tabernacle in heaven, set up with an inner court, a Holy place and a Holy of Holies as well.

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, **and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament** : and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail."  
**(Revelation 11:19)**

From this verse we understand that there is a temple in heaven containing the true "ark of the covenant/his testament". The one Moses constructed was made according to the pattern God showed him and was TEMPORARY to act as a "type" or a "shadow" of the true items in heaven.

In my mind's eye I can picture that the "inner court" in heaven might refer to the gardens in heaven. The "Holy place" refers to the position believers will have in front of the throne.

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, **stood BEFORE the throne** , and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;..."  
**(Revelation 7:9)**

Lastly the "Holy of Holies" with the "mercy seat" may refer to the Throne of God in heaven.

"To him that overcometh **will I grant to sit WITH ME IN MY THRONE** , even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."  
**(Revelation 3:21)**

And when we start to understand the symbolism in the tabernacle of Moses, we ALSO understand why I said that to be ready for the rapture we need to be baptized in water, baptized with the Holy Spirit AND live a life of holiness, sanctification and righteousness. Why? Because the bronze laver in the outer court refers to the baptism in water and the golden candlestick ("menorah") refers to the baptism in the Holy Spirit, while the altar of incense and the ark of the covenant with the mercy seat both refer to living righteous and sanctified lives in the presence of God as I explained earlier.

Somebody once asked me why the five wise virgins acted so "un-Christlike"? When I asked what he meant he asked why they didn't share their oil with the five unwise virgins? And the answer is - the moment you understand that the "oil" refers to the water baptism, baptism with the Holy Spirit and a life of righteousness and sanctification, you understand why the five wise virgins won't be able to share.

You can't "share" your water baptism, your baptism with the Holy Spirit and your walk of righteousness and sanctification with anybody else. Someone else can't piggy-back on your baptism in water, your baptism with the Holy Spirit or your life of righteousness and sanctification. They each need to get - and live - their own!

Before it is too late...
20.  
SAVED DURING THE TRIBULATION

The question remains, will the people who remain behind in the tribulation/ anger/ wrath/ vengeance still have the opportunity to also get saved and get to be with Jesus Christ in heaven? Without any doubt, when we read the following verses:

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of ALL NATIONS, AND KINDREDS, AND PEOPLE, AND TONGUES, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb...

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. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them."  
(Revelation 7:9-15)

I hear a lot of preachers preaching about a huge revival coming BEFORE Jesus returns. Yet I don't read that in the Bible when we read the verses regarding the end-times as I wrote earlier in Chapter 12. What I DO read in the Bible will happen before His return is:

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come _,_ **except there come A FALLING AWAY FIRST** , and that man of sin be revealed...;"  
**(2 Thessalonians 2:3)**

From this verse I understand that there will not be a revival before His return, especially before the rapture, but rather a massive "falling away". But where DO we see such a huge revival as I said in Chapter 12? DURING the great tribulation when that multitude of people will die and then end up standing before the throne of Jesus Christ.

So they will be people who will stand up for the Word and die for their faith during the time of the great tribulation. And that is why I said earlier that the Holy Spirit can not be taken away from earth during that time of great tribulation, because those millions of people will need the strength of the Holy Spirit to be able to stand up against the antichrist and his legions/soldiers, especially if they have to be strong enough to face death for their faith in Christ.

For the Bible is clear that the only way people will be able to get out of the great tribulation during that time, is to die. But HOW will they die?

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of **them THAT WERE BEHEADED** for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, AND WHICH HAD NOT WORSHIPPED THE BEAST, NEITHER HIS IMAGE, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands (during the great tribulation); and they lived and reigned with Christ A THOUSAND YEARS."  
(Revelation 20:4)

When people read this verse they usually argue that John wrote this part of the book of Revelation taking into consideration the way that people were beheaded in his time here on earth. But that is not true because God showed him what is going to happen IN THE FUTURE.

Now let me ask you a question, if many millions of Christians are taken away from earth, what is the second largest faith left on earth? Islam. And how do the Muslims get rid of people that they don't agree with? They behead them. Millions of people have already seen the videos on social media which were sent around the world of Islamic soldiers beheading Christians and other people they believed did them wrong or mocked their faith. I personally believe that many of those people standing up for their Christian faith during the time of the great tribulation will be beheaded in the same manner by Islam.

And what about the rest, how will they die? They will be beheaded with this old tool, well-known as the guillotine:

Are you serious, you may ask? Yes I am very serious. Many guillotines are being prepared for the end-times all over the world, and people are slowly but surely being desensitized to accept the use of the guillotine in "normal" day to day usage as can be seen in the following article:

"A nationwide shortage of a key ingredient used in lethal injections has led some states to experiment with new, untested drug cocktails for executing death row inmates. The practice has raised moral and constitutional questions, and unleashed a wave of litigation. At this point, as a society, we should be asking whether we can stand by and watch as this barbaric practice continues. Are these iffy drug combinations really any better than the guillotine?

**BRINGING BACK THE GUILLOTINE may sound crazy, but it's certainly better than the current alternative**. It's better for prisoners because quickly severing the head is believed to be one of the quickest, least painful ways to die. And it's better for organ recipients because the bodies of guillotined prisoners could be more quickly harvested for viable parts, unlike organs that may become unsuitable after lethal injection due to hypoxemia."  
 (www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/11/guillotine_death_penalty_lethal_injection_is_cruel_and_unusual_punishment.html)

You see? First get the people used to the "humane" use of the guillotine to help death row inmates to be killed more quickly. And from there onwards it will become a "normal" thing in our societies until such a time as it will eventually be used to kill millions of believers during the time of the great tribulation.

We see that in the state of Georgia in the USA that a bill was introduced in 1996 already to make provision for death by guillotine.

" _Georgia House of Representatives_

HB1274 - Death penalty; guillotine provisions First Reader Summary

_A BILL to amend Article 2 of Chapter 10 of Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the death penalty generally, so as to provide a statement of legislative policy;_ _TO PROVIDE FOR DEATH BY GUILLOTINE_ _; and for other purposes. 1/12/96. Read 1st Time"_

The past few years there were even articles on the internet that the American government under president Barack Obama had ordered thirty THOUSAND of these guillotines but as always in other articles this was quickly alleged to have been a "hoax". I personally believe it quite possible NOT to have been a hoax as it proves that the spirit of the antichrist is getting the world ready to be able to get rid of multitudes of people quickly and efficiently by beheading them. _(Just as the Bible says, because once again the Bible is literally true!)_

I do not have enough space in this book to cover everything that is being put in place by the proponents of the New World Order to get rid of all those people when the time comes, but you can do yourself the favour to do an internet search on "FEMA camps". These are concentration-type camps which are already being built all over the world and which presently stand empty. Waiting... What for? For multitudes of people to be herded into to be beheaded or killed in various ways, probably in some instances even in gas chambers like the Germans under Hitler used in Auschwitz and their other death camps.

But of course there are also enough internet articles trying to prove that all the information on these camps are actually just the "lame brainchild" of some "loony conspiracy theorists". Of course nobody wants to acknowledge that what the Bible teaches will actually happen in such a literal way, so it is easier to label the people (like me) who are showing the world how things are slowly but surely being put into place for the New World Order and the coming of the antichrist – "conspiracy theorists", thereby TRYING TO DISCREDIT THEM/us and the truth that they/we are warning people about in the eyes of the world and nominal Christian believers.

What they actually don't realize or understand is that just by saying that about us and by trying to disprove the signs of the imminent return of Jesus and the coming of the antichrist, **those people are actually literally fulfilling the following verse, so we can thank them for proving the Bible to be true by their own actions** :

"Knowing this first, that **there shall come in the last days SCOFFERS** , walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as _they were_ from the beginning of the creation."  
**(2 Peter 3:3,4)**

I am quite sure that their scoffing will turn into wailing and mourning that day when Jesus Christ returns. So I am quite happy to allow them their little "moment in time" as I know that when Jesus returns, the truth of the Word will be revealed and I have no doubt that at that moment their scoffing will immediately stop and be exchanged for fear, trepidation, terror, wailing, screaming and mourning when the truth really hits them.

I pray for them, as I fear for their souls.
21.  
THE IMMINENT RETURN OF JESUS

(compared to the post-tribulation view)

The more I discuss the rapture and the prophetic word in the Bible with Christian believers, I realize all the more that most people have no idea what the "imminent return" of Jesus really means. Neither did I truly understand it myself initially.

The following authors explain it as follows:

WHAT IS IMMINENCY?

"In doing some research on the doctrine of imminency, I noticed few people take the time to actually define what prophetic imminency means. First, let us look at the general definition of the key word "imminent": **"** The quality or condition of BEING ABOUT TO OCCUR". Imminency, as it relates to Bible prophecy, simply means that the return of Jesus Christ for the Church can happen AT ANY MOMENT.

No warning signs will indicate a short-term countdown. **We as Christians remain on alert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week**. Because we have no way to refute the fact that we will not know the timing of our Lord's return, the tribulation is a barrier to the rapture. No wonder the late John Walvoord called imminency "the heart of Pre-tribulationism".

This type of "any-moment" language DOESN'T FIT A POST-TRIB RAPTURE. If Jesus were prevented from coming until AFTER the battle of Magog, the rise of Antichrist, and the Mark of the Beast, we would have no need to watch for Him BEFORE the tribulation."  
("Imminency" – Tod Strandberg)

" **WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF IMMINENCY?"**

"Dr. Renald Showers defines and describes imminence as follows: An imminent event is one which is always "hanging overhead, is CONSTANTLY READY TO BEFALL OR OVERTAKE ONE; close at hand in its incidence." ("imminent," _The Oxford English Dictionary_ , 1901, V, 66.) **Thus, imminence carries the sense that it could happen AT ANY MOMENT. Other things** _MAY_ **happen before the imminent event, but nothing else** _MUST_ **take place before it happens.**

If something else must take place before an event can happen, then that event is NOT IMMINENT. In other words, the necessity of something else taking place first DESTROYS the concept of imminency.

The early church had a special greeting for one another, as recorded in **1 Corinthians 16:22** , which was "Maranatha!" Maranatha consists of three Aramaic words: "Mar" ("Lord"), "ana" ("our"), and "tha" ("come"), meaning: "our Lord, come." As with other New Testament passages, Maranatha only makes sense IF AN ANY-MOMENT OR IMMINENT COMING IS UNDERSTOOD. Such an understanding supports the pre-trib position.

No wonder these ancient Christians coined such a unique greeting which reflects an eager expectation of the Blessed Hope as a very real presence in their everyday lives. The life of the church today could only be improved if "Maranatha" were to return as a sincere greeting on the lips of an EXPECTANT people."  
 **("** Perhaps Today: The Imminent Coming of Christ" – **Dr. Thomas Ice)**

I cannot put it any clearer than these authors already did, so let us now read how the Bible explains it:

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when THEY shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon THEM, as travail upon a woman with child; and THEY shall not escape. But YE, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake YOU as a thief."  
(1 Thessalonians 5:1-4)

There are two very important things to take note of in these verses. Firstly the fact that the coming of the Lord will be _"as a thief in the night"_ which means that no one will know when that will be. Who knows when a thief plans to enter and rob a house? Nobody does. And what happens when the thief enters the house? **He steals all the most valuable things in the house and then HE LEAVES IMMEDIATELY - he does not stick around in that house.** That is exactly what Jesus will do when He comes for us at the rapture. He will come at a time that NO ONE will expect Him, He will "steal away" the valuables (His bride) and then He will leave immediately to return to heaven. He will not hang around here on earth at that time.

Secondly we must note that it says: "... _when THEY shall say,_ _Peace and safety_ _; then sudden destruction cometh upon THEM_ ,... _and THEY shall NOT escape_."

Let us now read what some political leaders have been saying the past number of years.

Remarks by President Obama in Address to the United Nations General Assembly

September 21, 2011 - 10:12 A.M. EDT

"PRESIDENT OBAMA: Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen: It is a great honor for me to be here today. I would like to talk to you about a subject that is at the heart of the United Nations -- the pursuit of peace in an imperfect world... yes, this has been a difficult decade. But today, we stand at a crossroads of history with the chance to move decisively in the direction of peace. To do so, we must return to the wisdom of those who created this institution. The United Nations' Founding Charter calls upon us, "to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security."

(<https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/21/remarks-president-obama-address-united-nations-general-assembly>)

Maintain International Peace and Security

"The United Nations came into being in 1945, following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN does this by working to prevent conflict; helping parties in conflict make peace; peacekeeping; and creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish. These activities often overlap and should reinforce one another, to be effective. The UN Security Council has the primary responsibility for international peace and security. The General Assembly and the Secretary-General play major, important, and complementary roles, along with other UN offices and bodies."

**(**<http://www.un.org/en/sections/what-we-do/maintain-international-peace-and-security/index.html> **)**

" **Women at the forefront of peacebuilding  
** Sixteen years since the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 1325 in 2000, the women, **peace and security agenda** remains relevant and critical in the face of rising violence, extremism and deadly conflicts."  
 **(**<http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-peace-security> **)**

"Peace and Security is, indeed, important to the African Agenda. Without **peace and security** there can be no sustainable development, and without sustainable development there can be no **peace and security** and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Africa will remain a dream deferred. We therefore need peace, not war."  
**(Speech by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, on South Africa's Foreign Policy at the Atlantic Club in Sofia, Republic of Bulgaria on 2 September 2011)  
**(http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/speech_foreign_ policy.html)

Can you see that the whole WORLD is and has been talking about _"peace and safety/security"_ for quite a while already? And what does the Bible say will happen soon thereafter? "... _then sudden destruction cometh upon THEM_ , as travail upon a woman with child; _and THEY shall NOT escape_." And from the Bible we know that the world that is not ready for the rapture and believe they can create their own peace and safety/security, **will NOT escape the wrath of God that is to come**.

But as we already discussed in Chapter 4, God's obedient children WILL ESCAPE as is also clearly defined in the following words of verse 4:

"But YE, brethren, are NOT in darkness, that that day should overtake YOU as a thief."

That means the children of God who are ready for the rapture will NOT be overtaken like the rest of the world. Let us look at another confirmation about Jesus coming like a thief in the night...

"But the day of the Lord **will come as a thief in the night** ; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."  
(2 Peter 3:10)

"Watch therefore: for YE KNOW NOT WHAT HOUR your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. **Therefore be ye also ready: for IN SUCH AN HOUR AS YE THINK NOT the Son of man cometh**."  
(Matthew 24:42 - 44)

"Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: **behold, the judge standeth before the door**."  
(James 5:9)

" **Behold, I come quickly** : hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."  
(Revelation 3:11)

" **Behold, I come quickly** : blessed _is_ he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."  
(Revelation 22:7)

"And, **behold, I come quickly** ; and my reward _is_ with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."  
(Revelation 22:12)

"He which testifieth these things saith, **Surely I come quickly.** Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."  
(Revelation 22:20)

From all these verses we can see that the imminent return of Jesus is an absolute fact.

ON THE OTHER HAND:

If the post tribulation rapture view is correct, there is no such a thing as Jesus coming _"as a thief in the night"_ anymore, because if He only comes AFTER the tribulation, then according to the Bible the following very specific things must happen FIRST before He CAN come:

Numbers (1), (2), (3) and (4) in the graph above. Firstly the antichrist will enter into a seven year covenant with "many". This will be a peace covenant between Israel and many of the world governments.

"And he _(antichrist)_ shall confirm the covenant with many for one week _(prophetically seven years)_ : and in the midst of the week _(after three and a half years)_ he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make _it_ desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."  
(Daniel 9:27)

In the same time the third temple in Jerusalem will have been (or will be) physically rebuilt which will allow the orthodox Jews to start sacrificing in the temple again. At this present time (2017) they can't do physical sacrifices yet, as the second temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD. However, to again confirm the fact that the Bible is literally true and that these things will literally happen soon, the Jews are already preparing the Levitical priesthood for those sacrifices that will be starting again. They have even appointed the next High Priest already.

"A significant step was recently taken towards reinstating the Temple service when the nascent Sanhedrin selected Rabbi Baruch Kahane as the next Kohen Gadol (high priest). The selection was made as a precaution for Yom Kippur. **If the political conditions should change, allowing the Jews access to the Temple Mount, they will be required by Torah law to bring the sacrifices. Rabbi Kahane is confident that if that should happen, Temple service could begin in less than one week**...

This year has already seen much Temple-oriented activity: the Temple Institute has created a registry of kohanim (priests); established a school for educating men of the priestly class in the details of the Temple service; and performed re-enactments on all the holidays, including the especially significant Passover sacrifice." By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz August 29, 2016  
(http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/74772/sanhedrin-appoints-high-priest-preparation-third-temple/)

Note that this article was written in August 2016.

But then the Bible teaches that in the midst of that prophetic "week", in other words after three and a half years the antichrist will stop those sacrifices by the Jews as he will declare himself as the only "God" who must be worshipped. For the antichrist to be able to STOP such sacrifices of course those sacrifices will need to START again at some stage. And that they can't do until the third temple is rebuilt.

"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; **so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.** "  
**(2 Thessalonians 2:4)**

From that moment in time the "Great Tribulation" will start on earth and after this God will send His two witnesses to come down to earth. Number (5) in the graph.

"And **I will give power unto my two witnesses** , and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days _(3½ years)_ , clothed in sackcloth."  
(During the Great Tribulation)  
(Revelation 11:3)

We read that they will really IRRITATE the world and the antichrist with their prophesying and by destroying their adversaries with fire from their mouths and by calling plagues down upon the earth. Then we see that the antichrist will eventually succeed in killing these two witnesses and they will be dead for three and a half days before God will raise them from the dead and call them back to heaven.

"And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast _(antichrist)_ that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified _(Jerusalem)_. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

**And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud;** and their enemies beheld them **."  
(Revelation 11:5-12)**

Numbers (6) and (7) in the graph. The false prophet which I personally believe is the Pope, will have the people erect an image (a statue) for the antichrist in the temple in Jerusalem and will tell the people to worship that image, failing which they will be killed. And this same false prophet will have the people receive a mark on their foreheads or on their right hands without which they will not be allowed to buy or sell anything.

"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by _the means of_ those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; **saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast...And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed**. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 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... and his number _is_ Six hundred threescore _and_ six."  
(Revelation 13:14-18)

We see the commencement of the eventual fulfilment of this in the different RFID "chips" that are presently being planted in the hands of thousands of people all over the world. But these are just to start "desensitizing" the people to THAT eventual "mark" that they will be forced to receive during the last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation - or die. The present implants are not that mark yet but they are definitely "frontrunners" to that.

And the present pope (2017 – pope Francis) has already stated that the Roman Catholic Church have found that there is nothing against the receipt of such a chip:

"Pope Francis has come out in support of RFID technologies and the great potential they hold for mankind. Francis assured his many followers that no spiritual harm can come from receiving a Radio Frequency Identity implant. "We have examined the scriptures thoroughly, **and I can conclusively say that there's nothing to indicate that RFID chips are Satanic in any way. If anything, these devices are a blessing from God** , bestowed upon humanity to solve many of the world's ills."

Without any doubt this is the false prophet speaking, as what he is saying is directly contradictory to the Word. And if people believe him about the _"mark of the beast"_ , they will also believe him about the person of the antichrist and they will listen to him when he says people must erect a statue for the antichrist in the temple in Jerusalem.

How can I say that the Pope is the false prophet of the Bible and NOT the antichrist himself as the Seventh Day Adventists and other believers have propagated for years?

Read the following verses with me:

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and **saw A BEAST rise up out of the sea** , having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as _the feet_ of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: **and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority**. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

**And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who** _is_ **like unto the beast?** who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; **and power was given unto him to continue forty** _and_ **two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.**

**And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them** : and power was given him over all kindreds, 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 have an ear, let him hear."

(Revelation 13:1-9)

This first "beast" refers to the antichrist who will receive his power and authority from satan (the dragon). And all the world whose names are not written in the Book of Life will worship him and go after him in "wonder". He will continue with his blasphemy for the forty two months or three and a half years of the Great Tribulation (the last half of the seven years of tribulation). The blasphemy against God will be when he sits in the temple of God and declares himself as "God" as we discussed earlier and against the tabernacle of God will be when they erect an image/statue for the antichrist in either the Holy place or the Holy of Holies of the third temple. This first beast is NOT the Pope.

In my personal view the following (second) beast is the pope...

"And I beheld **ANOTHER BEAST coming up out of the earth** ; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. **And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast** , whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; **saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast** , which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

**And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads** : 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. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number _is_ Six hundred threescore _and_ six."  
**(Revelation 13:11-18)**

Very clearly we see that the Bible discusses TWO DIFFERENT BEASTS here in **Revelation 13**. This second "beast" is the false prophet which is nobody else but the Pope because the Bible says he has two horns like a lamb but he speaks like a dragon. Anybody who has ever made an objective study of the Roman Catholic Church and the papacy knows that that is the Pope, who appears meek like a lamb but speaks directly from the mouth of satan. And note very clearly what this second beast will do:

1. He will get the whole earth to worship the first beast (antichrist). How will he do that? Well, most religions of the world have already pledged their allegiance to the Pope through various rituals the past number of years, most of which have been shown on international television stations. So if the Pope tells all the different religions of the world that the antichrist is in fact the "messiah" they have all been waiting and praying for in one form or another, they will believe the Pope and will all worship the antichrist.

Here is a confirmation that the present pope is trying to unite all world religions:

"Vatican City - Pope Francis heads to Egypt on Friday (April 28, 2017) **to bolster relations with Muslims** and show solidarity with the largest Christian community in the Middle East following devastating attacks...During the two-day trip, Francis will meet privately with the grand imam of Al Azhar mosque, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, an Islamic philosophy professor who visited the Vatican last year, easing a decade of tensions... **"The pope wants to try to reestablish fraternal ties" with both Al-Azhar and Egypt** , said Samir Khalil, a specialist in Islamic-Christian studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome."

(<http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/pope-to-boost-muslim-ties-on-security-tight-egypt-trip-20170427?isapp=true>)

And there are many more similar stories available on social media regarding the papacy heading the "ecumenical" movement of "inter-faith" relations, and telling other faiths all over the world that we all actually serve the same God, etc., which are all lies.

2. He will do great signs and wonders in the presence of the people and of the antichrist even so much as to call down fire from heaven.

3. He will get the people of the world to make an image/statue for the antichrist, whereafter he will through his false miracles let that image of the antichrist come to life and speak and then he will tell the people that if they do not worship that image of the antichrist they must die.

4. He will cause all the people in the world to receive a mark on their foreheads or on their right hands otherwise they can't buy or sell. I have already quoted Pope Francis a little earlier, saying there is nothing wrong with the implants of the RFID chips, it is actually a "blessing from God". That is just the beginning of what is to come eventually. People are already being desensitized by the present Pope, who might just still be in office when all these things prophesied about in the Bible, will happen.

But let's proceed...

"When ye therefore shall SEE the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) THEN let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes... For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION _(for another three and a half years)_ , such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."  
(Matthew 24:15-22)

In these verses in **Matthew 24** , Jesus is talking to His Jewish followers and He tells THEM (not other people across the world who think they have "replaced" the Jews in God's greater plan), that when THEY PHYSICALLY SEE (in Jerusalem) that image of the antichrist standing in the Holy place in the third temple (it might also refer to when they see the antichrist himself standing in that place), then THEY WHO ARE IN JUDAEA must flee into the mountains (where God Himself will protect them). We read that prophecy in **Revelation 12:1-6** :

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.... and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and _to_ his throne. **And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days**."

This "woman" refers to Israel and the twelve stars to the twelve tribes of Isarel. The "man child" refers to Jesus Christ who was born in Israel, because He is the one who will "rule all nations with a rod of iron" as I discuss it in detail in this book in Chapter 23 and 24. And He is also the one who was "caught up unto God and his throne". And because we know this, we also know that this same "woman" that will flee into the wilderness will be the nation of Israel – the remnant I spoke of earlier – where God has prepared a place to protect them for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, or forty two months, which are the last three and a half years of the tribulation period as I discussed it in Chapter 13.

However I find that many people in South Africa and other countries are also preparing themselves to _"flee into the mountains"_ , by stacking up cases of tinned food in caves in mountains and/or in bunkers that they dig into the ground. There are even TV programs about these people, who call themselves "Doomsday preppers". The reason for that is that most believers do not DIFFERENTIATE between the prophetic word in the Bible regarding Israel, and the prophetic word regarding the church in the end-times as I explained it in Chapter 13.

And because they don't differentiate between those two, they believe that when Jesus refers to the "elect" in **Matthew 24:22** that it therefore refers to us as the church who must flee into the wilderness or into the mountains. But that is not true, as we see that God says that Israel is His elect.

The "church" only originated AFTER His ascension to heaven.

"For Jacob my servant's sake, **and Israel mine elect** , I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me."  
(Isaiah 45:4)

Number (8) in the graph above refers to the fact that those seven years of tribulation will be the time of "Jacob's trouble" in other words the time of fulfilment of all prophecies regarding Israel.

"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: **it is even THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE** ; but he shall be saved out of it."  
(Jeremiah 30:7)

So when we look at the graph above and all these verses, we see that according to the Bible there will be at least EIGHT clearly distinguishable things that prophetically MUST AND WILL happen PHYSICALLY BEFORE Jesus returns to set His feet on the earth for the second time.

If the post-tribulation view of the Roman Catholic Church and many other Protestant believers is correct, then there is NO coming _"as a thief in the night"_ anymore, because when people will SEE those specific things happening, they will KNOW EXACTLY how many months or even YEARS there are left BEFORE Jesus returns and will they then be able to prepare themselves accordingly.

The same is true for the believers that believe in the mid-tribulation rapture because there will be at least FOUR of those eight clearly distinguishable things that MUST AND WILL happen BEFORE Jesus returns according to their view of a mid-tribulation rapture. That means they will still have three and a half years time to prepare for the return of Jesus, and is there also no return _"as a thief in the night"_.

Thus it is clear that the Biblical teaching of "Imminency" DESTROYS BOTH the mid-tribulation rapture AND the post tribulation rapture views.

"The unscriptural teaching of a mid-tribulation or a post-tribulation rapture leads to a warped perspective and wrong priorities. Instead of awaiting the coming of Christ, people are awaiting the Antichrist. In this way they compromise their commitment to Christ. Instead of STRIVING FOR SANCTIFICATION IN EXPECTATION OF THE IMMINENT COMING of the heavenly Bridegroom, they start planning an earthly survival strategy for the tribulation period. Such activities are irrelevant as they are motivated by a distorted prophetic vision of future events."  
("The Pre-Tribulation Rapture – What does it Mean and how does it Differ from the Second Coming of Christ?" - **Prof. Johan Malan)**

A person may argue as much as he wants, there is absolutely NO WAY that he can say he still believes in **the imminent return of Jesus AND in His second coming AFTER the seven years of tribulation** at the same time.

These two views are and will stay IN DIRECT CONTRAST to one another.

You can't say: _"Be prepared Jesus can return AT ANY MOMENT – but relax there will still be three and a half years or even seven years to prepare for His return before He REALLY REALLY returns!"_

The Bible even teaches us that those who love the return of Jesus, in other words who are looking for an IMMINENT return of Jesus will receive a crown of righteousness because of that.

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, **but unto all them also that love his appearing.** "  
(2 Timothy 4:8)

Dear reader do you REALLY _"love His appearing"_ yet? Or are you also one of those saying that "there is still time" to prepare before He returns, and He actually shouldn't return just now as YOU have so many things that YOU still want to do before He returns? I believe you may not receive that crown then.

Because the ones who REALLY _"love His appearing"_ is the bride of Christ, as we see in **Revelation 22:17** :

" **And the Spirit and the bride say, Come**. And let him that heareth say, Come."

Here we see that the bride Christians are the ones who keep on saying: "COME, LORD JESUS!" So if you still say "...no DON'T COME yet, Lord Jesus..." then I am not too sure about your claim that you think you are part of the bride of Christ...
22.  
VARIOUS TRUMPETS

Some Christians believe that there will only be one "last" trumpet that will blow during the time of the second coming of Christ and because of that according to them there is no pre-tribulation rapture but only the second coming of Christ. Yet that is not what the Bible teaches...

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, **at the last trump** : for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."  
(1 Corinthians 15:51,52)

"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."  
(1 Thessalonians 4:16,17)

Please note that this trumpet will be the _"trump of God"_ and at the sound of this trumpet at the rapture those who are ready in the church will be caught up to meet the Lord Jesus IN THE AIR. Then we read about another trumpet that will sound one day...

"Immediately AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. **And he shall** send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet **, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds** , from one end of heaven to the other."  
(Matthew 24:29-31)

In **Matthew 24:29** we clearly see the time frame of this event in that it will be AFTER the days of tribulation when Jesus returns, when the angels will be sent out by the Lord Jesus to gather His elect from the four winds, and those ANGELS will also sound a trumpet. That means that during the sounding of the trumpet of the angels, God's elect (Israel) will be gathered to meet Jesus HERE ON EARTH.

Just from this we see that those are two different trumpets that will sound at the second coming of Jesus. With the one we will go up in the air and with the other one the Jewish elect will meet Jesus in Jerusalem here on earth.

"At the Feast of Tabernacles TWO silver trumpets were used to summon the people. **(Numbers 10:1-10; Leviticus 23:24)**. So a trumpet shall be used to summon the "saints" at the Rapture, and the "elect of Israel" at the Revelation."  
**("Dispensational truth" – Clarence Larkin, 1918)**

But interestingly enough BETWEEN the blowing of the trump of God for/at the rapture and the trumpet of the angels after the tribulation, a further SEVEN trumpets are still going to sound during the tribulation period.

"And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets."  
**(Revelation 8:2)**

Just a reminder again, **Revelation 8** is after **Revelation 4** but before **Revelation 19** , so it refers to things that will happen DURING the tribulation period. Let's read what will happen when they sound their trumpets during the tribulation.

"And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

(1) The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and **the third part of trees was burnt up** , and all green grass was burnt up.

(2) And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And t **he third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed**.

(3) And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and **the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.**

(4) And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; **so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise**.

And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!"  
**(Revelation 8:6-13)**

"(5) And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads _(in other words EVERYONE except the 144 000)._

**And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they** should be tormented five months **: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.** And the shapes of the locusts _were_ like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads _were_ as it were crowns like gold, and their faces _were_ as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as _the teeth_ of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings _was_ as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: **and their power was to hurt men five months**. And they had a king over them, _which is_ the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue _is_ Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath _his_ name Apollyon. One woe is past; _and,_ behold, there come two woes more hereafter."  
**(Revelation 9:1-12)**

"(6) And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men **.** And the number of the army of the horsemen _were_ two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses _were_ as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths **.** For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails _were_ like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt."  
**(Revelation 9:13-19)**

"(7) But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."  
**(Revelation 10:7)**

Dear reader, **do you REALLY want to stay behind** and go through all those things during the tribulation period? Does the thought of staying behind in all that _"comfort"_ you? And please don't tell me that it is only "spiritual" or "metaphorical" and that those things will not really happen in a physical manner. Those things will literally happen just as they were written! Remember **2 Corinthians 1:13**?

"For **we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge** ; and I trust ye shall acknowledge EVEN TO THE END..."

Just a reminder again: \- Why will all those things happen?

**Because God is no man that He should lie and He will NOT say something and NOT LET IT HAPPEN!** As I wrote right at the beginning of this book, all prophecies contained in the Bible have so far all been LITERALLY fulfilled by God, so what makes us think He will not also LITERALLY fulfill these outstanding prophecies regarding what will happen at the end?

As we said, those seven angels will blow their trumpets DURING the tribulation period, and what will be the terrible results of those trumpets being blown?

1. Hail and fire mingled with blood falling upon the earth, killing one third of ALL trees and burning all green grass.

2. A comet (or something similar) falling into the sea causing one third of the sea to become blood, one third of ALL sea creatures to die and one third of ALL ships to be destroyed.

3. A second comet (or something similar) falling onto the rivers and fountains of water and one third of ALL water becoming so bitter that "many" people will die as a result thereof.

4. One third of the sun and the moon and the stars being darkened so that one third of the day and the night will be darkened.

5. Terrible beings being set free from the bottomless pit to torment the people on the earth for five months in such a way that people will wish they could die but they would not be able to.

6. Four angels and their terrible armies being loosed to kill one third of ALL men through smoke and fire and brimstone.

7. God's mysteries coming to an end, as revealed to His prophets.

Now it is interesting to note how people err not knowing their Scriptures nor the power of God...

President Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the USA at the end of 2016. And suddenly people started sending me text messages saying that he was the FULFILMENT of the SEVENTH TRUMP that the Bible speaks about. Excuse me? If that was true, what happened to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth other trumpets and their terrible consequences?

When did all those things happen on earth without the world taking notice of TWO comets hitting the earth, one third of ALL men dying, one third of ALL trees and one third of ALL sea creatures and one third of ALL ships on the oceans being destroyed etc., without even reporting about it on any news station? And no, nothing like any of those things mentioned have ever happened in the history of the earth so they definitely all refer to things that will still happen in the future, more specifically during the tribulation period.

Again that proves the truth of **Hosea 4:6** that God's people perish/are destroyed for lack of knowledge of what the Word says.

And that also proves why people don't understand what the Bible teaches about the rapture and the end-times. Mostly because they want to "spirualize" everything in the book of Revelation, they are not willing to read it and understand it literally.
23.  
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE NATIONS?

Now remember - those people who will be going through the period of tribulation/ wrath/ anger /vengeance here on earth will not ALL die, as we have just seen in Chapter 22, so many of them will enter the millennium after the return of Jesus with normal mortal human bodies. And what will happen to all of them?

First let us read what will happen to all the nations that will come against Jerusalem and Israel upon the second coming of Jesus.

"And this shall be the PLAGUE wherewith the LORD will smite all the people THAT HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST Jerusalem; **Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth**. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour."  
(Zechariah 14:12,13)

Remember I referred to the movies being made in Hollywood earlier? I accept you have also seen some of the movies where Hollywood actually depicts this specific scene - where some kind of "apocalyptic" event happens and then the people standing there start to consume away exactly in the way the Bible describes, with their flesh being consumed (rotting) away while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes being consumed (rotting) away in their holes (sockets) and their tongues being consumed (rotting) in their mouths.

Why do they do this? Because satan wants to "desensitize" the world against the truth as it is contained in the Word of God, so the moment a Christian tells someone how those people will be consumed in exactly that way by God, they will say: "You've been watching too many movies, that is just a story! You can't read the Bible in such a literal way!"

Let's read some more about what will happen to the people of those nations that are left after their friends have been so consumed...

"And it shall come to pass, **that every one THAT IS LEFT of all the nations which came against Jerusalem** shall

(1) even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and

(2) to keep the feast of tabernacles.

And it shall be, that whoso will NOT come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. **This shall be the PUNISHMENT of Egypt, and the punishment of** all nations that come NOT up to keep the feast of tabernacles **.** "  
(Zechariah 14:16-19)

From this we learn that AFTER the first bunch of people that will have fought against Jerusalem having been so "consumed" as we saw earlier, that the rest of the nations will thereafter do two things on an annual basis namely:

(1) go up to Jerusalem to worship before the King, Jesus Christ AND

(2) keep the feast of tabernacles.

As I discussed in Chapter 16 on the Seven Feasts of the Lord, the feast of tabernacles will find its fulfilment in the thousand year millennial reign of Jesus Christ and that is why it is the only feast that will be celebrated throughout the millennium. By that time the first six feasts will all have been finally fulfilled as I explained.

Yet we also see from these verses that some of those nations will refuse to go up to Jerusalem and to participate in the feast of tabernacles. How can that be possible, as satan will not be on the earth causing people to sin at that time as he will be bound for a thousand years, remember? So how is it possible that those nations will still find it in them to refuse direct instructions from the Lord Jesus Himself?

We must not forget that those people will come through the seven years of tribulation with human, mortal bodies. They will not have glorified bodies like the saints that were raptured and who returned with those glorified bodies at the second coming of Jesus. That means they will still have the old sin nature of their fleshly mortal bodies and they will still have the mortal human flesh tendency to rebel against authority. And what do we see will happen to them as a result of that rebellion?

"And it shall be, that whoso WILL NOT COME UP of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, **even upon them shall be NO RAIN**. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that _have_ no _rain;_ **there shall be THE PLAGUE, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen** that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles."  
**(Zechariah 14:17-19)**

They will receive no rain and they will be hit with the plague. Hit by whom? The Lord Himself! The Bible is clear that in that time Jesus will be very strict with those nations that are left upon the earth when He returns.

"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: **and he shall rule them with a rod of iron** : and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."  
**(Revelation 19:15)**

Now let's read what will happen in Jerusalem during the millennial reign.

" **But IN THE LAST DAYS it shall come to pass** , that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

And MANY NATIONS shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make _them_ afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken _it._ "  
(Micah 4:1,2)

"And **it shall come to pass IN THE LAST DAYS** , _that_ the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."  
**(Isaiah 2:2-4)**

The things written in these verses by both the prophets Isaiah and Micah have never happened since the origin of the earth, so it most definitely is still awaiting fulfilment in the future, more specifically during the millennium. From this we learn that the house of the Lord, in other words the temple of God will be established in Jerusalem and many/all nations will go up there to Jerusalem to be taught the ways of the Lord. And in Jerusalem Jesus will judge among many people and rebuke other nations. This will all result in that those people who will at that time still have a "mentality of war" because of their fleshly human nature, starting to beat their own swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruninghooks. Why? Because they will now start to learn the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the Prince of Peace!

We also see in the Bible that Jesus Himself will build the FOURTH physical temple in Jersualem. Fourth temple? Yes, we had the first temple in Jerusalem which was built by king Solomon and which was destroyed by the Babylonians when they took the people of Israel into exile. That temple was then rebuilt by Zerubbabel in the time of Nehemiah and Ezra and was later extended by king Herod the Great, and that temple was known as the "Second temple" which stood in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. The second temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD by the Roman general Titus and his armies and the people of Israel were then scattered throughout the world in what was called the "diaspora".

From what I have discussed in this book so far we understand from the Bible that a physical third temple will be built in Jerusalem in which the antichrist will sit and declare himself as "God". Upon the return of Jesus that third temple will ALSO be destroyed and then Jesus Himself will build the fourth temple in Jerusalem from which He will rule and reign for the millennium.

Jesus will not sit in the same temple in which the antichrist sat and declared himself as "God".

At the second coming of Jesus the following will happen...

" _And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH (Jesus); and he shall grow up out of his place, and_ **HE shall build the temple of the LORD: Even HE shall build the temple of the LORD** _;_ and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

(Zechariah 6:12,13)

Here we see the fulfilment of Jesus in His role as King and Priest sitting in that fourth temple in Jerusalem. We read about the specifications of this temple in **Ezekiel 40 to 47**. Grant R. Jeffrey explains it as follows:

"The new Temple Mount area in the Millennium will be enormous. The Bible states: "There shall be for the sanctuary five hundred (rods) in length, with five hundred (rods) in breadth, square round about." (Ezekiel 45:2) A rod is equal to 6 cubits or 9 feet, when a cubit is defined as eighteen inches, so each side of the Fourth Temple will measure 4500 feet – almost one mile long! (1,6 kilometres). **THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN SUCH A MASSIVE STRUCTURE.**

This measurement would yield a Temple area of 20.25 million square feet (1,8 millon square metres.). For the sake of comparison, the Second Temple, built and enlarged by King Herod, was the largest Temple enclosure in history: it encompassed almost thirty five acres. The entire Temple Mount area that survives today remains thirty five acres. _(Approximately fourteen hectares)._

In other words, **Ezekiel's prophecy revealed that the future millennial Temple will be THIRTY SIX TIMES LARGER than the Second Temple!** " _(1260 acres! = approximately 509 hectares!).  
_ ("The New Temple and the Second Coming" – Grant R.Jeffrey)

Now let us take a step back in time, and look at an artist's impression of what the second temple probably looked like in the time of Jesus. From this we see that the normal view is that the temple with the outer court, Holy place and Holy of Holies stood quite in the middle of what is called "the temple mount".

This was the temple that was destroyed by the Roman legions of general Titus in 70 AD and it has never been rebuilt. The temple mount stood empty and over time was flattened for many centuries. And then during one of the Muslim conquests of Jerusalem, a new structure was built on the same site.

"The Dome of the Rock (Arabic:‎ Qubbat al-Sakhraha) is an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was initially completed in 691 AD at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik during the Second Fitna, built on the site of the Roman temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, which had in turn been built on the site of Herod's Temple, destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The original dome collapsed in 1016 and was rebuilt in 1021. The Dome of the Rock is in its core one of the oldest extant works of Islamic architecture."

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dome_of_the_Rock)

Anybody that has ever seen a picture of Jerusalem has seen this well known picture of that Islamic structure that was erected in 691 AD:

This "Dome of the Rock" is the fifth most holy site of the Muslims in the world, while the adjacent Al-Aqsa mosque (bottom left in the picture with the smaller black dome) is the third most holy site to the Muslims, after the Grand Mosque Al-Haram in Mecca and the "Prophet's Mosque" Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina. And because of that specific fact the whole world anticipates the outbreak of the Third World War should the Jews ever take over the temple mount and maybe destroy those two sites to rebuild the third temple on the temple mount in Jeruslalem.

What they don't understand is that neither the Dome of the Rock, nor the Al-Aqsa mosque are going to be destroyed for that third temple to be built on the temple mount. Why not?

Because the Bible tells us that that specific piece of real estate was GIVEN to the Gentiles (heathen). Read with me:

"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein."  
(Revelation 11:1)

Now take notice again of the fact that **Revelation 11** is after **Revelation 4** but before **Revelation 19** , so it refers to something happening within the tribulation period. So this temple that John gets the instruction to measure is the third temple DURING the tribulation period. And in the next verse we read something very interesting, that John gets the instruction NOT to measure the outer court part, because it was given to the gentiles (heathen).

"But the court which is without the temple LEAVE OUT, AND MEASURE IT NOT; **for it is given unto the Gentiles** : and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty _and_ two months. _(three and a half years)_ "  
(Revelation 11:2)

That means the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque will NOT be destroyed but the third temple will be built RIGHT NEXT TO IT on the same temple mount. Why and how is that possible? In the first instance it is very possible because the antichrist will sit in that temple and declare himself as the "God" of ALL religions, INCLUDING that of Islam.

And secondly in the light of the present situation in Israel (2017) where pressure is being put on Israel to split Jerusalem in two and to "give back" certain ground to the Palestinians (which have never been theirs in the first place), which Israel will not do without a war, it is quite possible that a "compromise" might somehow be reached between the Jews and the Muslims in order to negotiate "peace" that may lead to the temple being allowed to be built right next to the Dome of the Rock.

Interestingly enough, archeological digs that have been done under the temple mount by the Jews, have actually uncovered proof that the second temple did in actual fact NOT stand in the middle of the temple mount as drawn by that artist in the first picture I showed you above, but if you look at that artist's impression again it stood quite a bit more to the RIGHT in that picture. That means the third temple will be built on the same place the second temple initially stood, but that will put it NEXT TO the Dome of the Rock, just to the north thereof and NOT exactly on the same spot as the Dome. In his book which I quoted earlier, Grant R.Jeffrey also drew a diagram to confirm this same fact, as to where the third temple will be erected.

Now why can it be said that that would in more probability have been the exact spot of the second temple, and therefore also the same spot where the third temple will be built? Because if it stood at that specific spot (as indicated by the above diagram), you can draw a STRAIGHT line from Gethsemane through the Eastern Gate, through the Holy place and the Holy of Holies and end up exactly at Golgotha on the opposite side of the temple mount. However if the temple stood in the middle of the temple mount as indicated in the initial picture I gave of an artist's impression of the temple mount, there would not have been a straight line coming from Gethsemane through the Eastern Gate, through the Holy place and the Holy of Holies to Golgotha...

And after getting to know our heavenly Father and His Word a lot better the past eighteen years of my life, I have learnt that NOTHING He does is ever a coincidence.

But what is to happen to this third temple? Well, there is no verse in the Bible that gives us exact detail about the end thereof, but we can make our own deductions from a verse that we already looked at earlier.

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which _is_ before Jerusalem on the east, **and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be** a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south."  
**(Zechariah 14:4)**

The mount of Olives is only about half a mile or approximately eight hundred metres from the temple mount. There can be no doubt that when Jesus sets His feet on that mountain and it splits in two (likely by way of a type of earthquake) to cause "A VERY GREAT VALLEY", that the whole temple mount including the Dome of the Rock, the Al-Aqsa mosque AND the third temple in which the antichrist sat just a few months before will become just so much rubble and will be swallowed up in that great valley.

And after that Jesus Himself will start building His own temple from which He will reign during the millennium, a temple we have already seen will encompass approximately five hundred and nine HECTARES, the biggest building the world has EVER seen!

"And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name _is_ The BRANCH _(Jesus)_ ; and he shall grow up out of his place, **and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD** ; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both...

**And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD** , and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And _this_ shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."  
**(Zechariah 6:12-15)**

We also see from these verses that even people from "far off" will come to help Jesus build His temple. I think that will be a time of great rejoicing and excitement to all people from around the world who will experience that and who will participate in that building project! Can you imagine the singing and praising and worship that will take place during that immense building project? By people who love their King, and are personally IN His PHYSICAL presence for ever and ever, who will be able to enjoy His presence among them, see Him laugh with them and listen to Him instructing them on what and how to build according to what the Bible said. What an awesome time to look forward to!

And in that huge fourth temple Jesus will sit as King and as Priest. He will not share the puny little third temple that the antichrist sat in earlier, because the Bible also teaches that God does not share His glory with anyone!

"I _am_ the LORD: that _is_ my name: **and my glory will I not give to another...** "  
**(Isaiah 42:8)**

"For mine own sake, _even_ for mine own sake, will I do _it:_ for how should _my name_ be polluted? **and I will not give my glory unto another**."  
**(Isaiah 48:11)**

So Jesus will not "share" His glory with the antichrist by sitting as eternal King and Priest, in the same temple where the antichrist proclaimed himself as "God" earlier and where he also erected the "abomination of desolation".
24.  
WHO WILL WE RULE OVER?

Seeing as we read in the Bible that we will rule as kings upon the earth, who will we rule over? Obviously if we are to rule as kings, we will need somebody to rule over? And we can't rule over the other members of the body of Christ who died in Christ before the rapture, or who received glorified bodies at the rapture, or who died during the tribulation, because those people will all return to earth with exactly the same glorified bodies.

Let us see what the Bible teaches...

"For I _know_ their works and their thoughts: **it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and SEE my glory**. And I will set a sign among them, AND I WILL SEND THOSE THAT ESCAPE OF THEM UNTO THE NATIONS, _to_ Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, _to_ Tubal, and Javan, _to_ the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren _for_ an offering unto the LORD out of all nations..."  
(Isaiah 66:18-20)

The events discussed in these verses have not yet been fulfilled and refers to the millennium when people of all nations will come to SEE the glory of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. And Jesus will send "those who escaped" the terrors of the tribulation to go throughout the world to declare His glory among the Gentiles and to bring His Jewish brothers to Jerusalem. Who are those who "escaped"? Well it can either refer to those people with mortal human bodies who escaped the terrors of the tribulation by surviving through that terrible time, or it can also refer to those who "escaped" that terrible time at the rapture and who have returned to earth with glorified bodies. But those verses also tell me that there will definitely still be people that will need to hear about and learn about the glory of Jesus Christ during the millennium.

From all this we can understand that we will not be lying on a fluffy cloud playing harp for all of eternity. We are going to be very busy, especially during those last thousand years here on earth.

Now let us again read some of the same verses we discussed in the previous chapter.

"And it shall come to pass, **that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem** shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, _that_ whoso will NOT come up of _all_ the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that _have_ no _rain;_ there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the PUNISHMENT of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come NOT up to keep the feast of tabernacles."  
(Zechariah 14:16-19)

Please note the words: _"...every one THAT IS LEFT OF ALL THE NATIONS_ _which came against Jerusalem_ _..."_

This means that AFTER Jesus returned to the earth to rule and reign in Jerusalem there will still be nations who DO NOT have glorified bodies - HERE ON EARTH – people who were not "consumed" at the second coming of Jesus and have not been thrown in hell at the sheep and goats judgment. And as we have seen in the previous chapter they will be hit with no rain and with plagues if they do not go up to Jerusalem to worship before the King and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

That will definitely be during the millennium. And those verses do NOT refer to us who at that time will have glorified bodies because we will not be part of the nations that _"came against Jersualem"_. So those plagues and other things that will happen to those nations will NOT affect us at all.

We also read about what will happen during the millennium in **Isaiah 65:20,21** :

"There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: **for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed**. And they shall build houses, and inhabit _them;_ and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them."

To what period of time do these verses refer where a child will die a hundred years old? It has never happened before in all of earth's history. It clearly refers to people with MORTAL BODIES during the millennium because we who will have glorified bodies will be IMMORTAL at that time.

And what are those people going to do during the millennium? Build houses and inhabit them, plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them... What other interesting things will happen here on earth in the millennium?

"But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. _(This refers to the time of the millennium)_.

The **wolf also shall dwell with the lamb** , and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp _(snake)_ , and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' _(adder)_ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."  
**(Isaiah 11:4-9)**

"The **wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and** the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust _shall be_ the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD."  
**(Isaiah 65:25)**

From these verses we can see that there will also be peace in the animal kingdom and even snakes won't bite little children and predators won't eat other animals any longer. Why? Because do you remember this verse that I discussed earlier?

"For the earnest expectation of the creature _(creation)_ waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."  
**(Romans 8:19)**

Even creation will be at peace when the sons of God are manifested in glory together with Jesus Christ when He returns, as we discussed in Chapter 9 above.

And just for interest's sake - take note that there are TWO verses that say the WOLF shall dwell with the lamb and the WOLF and the lamb shall feed together. There is NOT ONE verse in the Bible that says the LION shall lie with the LAMB, although many preachers use that quotation as if it can be found in the Bible. Even gospel singers sing it as such in songs about the New Jerusalem. Yet it is not true as it is stated nowhere in the Bible. Do you see why Jesus said that we err, not knowing the Scriptures?

In any case, those people still having mortal bodies are going to need somebody to teach them about that King they did not know before, Jesus Christ. And who will that be? Those of us with immortal bodies who will reign as kings with Christ for the thousand years.

The moment we start to understand what is going to happen in the millennium then some of Jesus' parables also start to make more sense, e.g. **Luke 19:12-26** :

"He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country **to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return**. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come... **And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom** , then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained...

Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, **have thou authority OVER TEN CITIES**. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, **Be thou also OVER FIVE CITIES**. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, _here is_ thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee,... And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, _thou_ wicked servant... And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give _it_ to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) **For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given** ; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him."

Clearly Jesus is NOT just telling us a "parable" here. He is actually referring to Himself who will travel to a "far country" to receive the kingdom AND THEN TO RETURN. And upon His return He is going to reward His faithful servants with authority OVER THE DIFFERENT CITIES of the world.

Why?

So that we who will have immortal and glorified bodies can go and rule over those cities of those nations who will NOT have immortal bodies. And we will do it on behalf of our King, Jesus Christ so that we can teach them about our King and His Word and His law.

We also see the confirmation of this fact in other verses that we also discussed in the previous chapter:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, _that_ the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; **and ALL NATIONS shall flow unto it**. And many people shall go and say, **Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem**. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."  
(Isaiah 2:2-4)

From these verses we learn that "in the last days" ALL NATIONS will go up to Jerusalem to learn the ways of the Lord. This has never happened before on earth so we know it still lies in the future, more specifically during the millennium. And Jesus shall JUDGE among the nations (that is not us who will have glorified bodies because we will not be judged again) and He will rebuke MANY people.

And those nations who will go up to Jerusalem to learn the ways of the Lord also do not refer to us who will be with Jesus with glorified bodies because at that time we will probably not need to learn anything anymore, as we will then have full knowledge:

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."  
(1 Corinthians 13:12)

The reason we will have such full knowledge is also found in the fact that we will have exactly the same glorified bodies as that of Jesus Christ as we already discussed in Chapter 10 above:

"...the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, **that it may be fashioned LIKE unto HIS GLORIOUS BODY** ,..."  
(Philippians 3:20,21)

With all due respect and with some awe and trembling about what I am about to write, I can't help but think that if we have the same glorified BODY as that of the Lord Jesus Christ then that really means we may at that time also have the same knowledge/mind that He has... Too awesome an idea for my finite little mind to even try and contemplate at this moment in time... Let's just wait and see.

From all this we now understand that **during the millennium we will find people with MORTAL bodies here on earth AND we will find people with IMMORTAL bodies here on earth**. And the moment we understand this we also suddenly understand the further use of Hollywood by satan to desensitize people to the truth of the Word, because there are hundreds of movies flowing out of Hollywood on a regular basis where situations are depicted where earth is destroyed or partially destroyed by some apocalyptic event. And in most of those movies a few human MORTALS remain and then some IMMORTALS come down to earth to either help them or to fight AGAINST those mortals.

Whichever way, as I wrote in an earlier chapter, these things are all used by Hollywood to make people disbelieve or doubt the truth of the Bible. Because the moment you tell people that in the millennium there WILL BE mortals AND immortals here on earth, they react with either a shrug or a sarcastic: "You have been watching too many movies!"

But the fact of the Word of God is that there WILL BE PEOPLE WITH MORTAL BODIES who survived the tribulation period and who will live here on earth and who will need to learn about Jesus and His Kingdom in that time. And there WILL BE PEOPLE WITH IMMORTAL BODIES on the earth at that time too, who returned from heaven with Jesus at His second coming.

To me this proves yet again the awesomeness of God's great MERCY in that He will give those mortal people a further chance (another thousand years) to really choose for Him and to become obedient to Him during the millennium.

Now **Revelation 5:9,10** makes more sense:

"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; **And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: AND WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH**."

That means we shall reign as Jesus' _"kings and priests"_ , yes as His "governors" or "administrators" HERE ON EARTH over those people who do not yet have glorified bodies, and over their cities, during those thousand years. In order to be able to reign on behalf of Jesus Christ obviously there must be somebody to reign over as I said earlier.

And no, it also does not mean that we will ONLY rule over nature like Adam did. We will rule over all of creation with Jesus as we will have the same glorified bodies as His, as I explained earlier. Kings do not just rule over land and animals, they rule over other people as well.

But the point is that in the millennium we will not reign according to the previous selfish, self-serving or self-enriching worldly standards but exclusively according to the Godly standards given to us by Jesus Christ from Jerusalem so that we can implement them in the cities under our command/reign.

That means it will be the fulfilment of a perfect theocracy and Godly Kingdom. **A "theocracy" is a form of government IN WHICH GOD IS RECOGNIZED AS THE SUPREME** CIVIL **RULER.**

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and _I saw_ the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received _his_ mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; **and they lived and REIGNED WITH CHRIST** a thousand years **.** But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This _is_ the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, **but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and SHALL REIGN WITH HIM** a thousand years **.** "  
(Revelation 20:4-6)

From these verses we learn that those who died during the tribulation and all the others of us who have part in _"the first resurrection"_ either by having died in Christ or by being raptured will ALL reign WITH Christ for a thousand years here on earth.

And after the thousand years the following will happen to satan according to **Revelation 20:7,8** :

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, **And shall go out TO DECEIVE THE NATIONS which are in the four quarters of the earth** , Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."

It is clear therefore that at the end of the thousand years satan will be loosed out of his prison, to do what? TO DECEIVE THE NATIONS which are in the four quarters of the earth. We who will have received glorified bodies at the rapture WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE DECEIVED ANYMORE.

That means that those nations who will be deceived by satan at the END of the thousand years will be those nations with mortal bodies and whose flesh will still have the sin nature that can and will be easily deceived by the devil. Even after having met the Lord Jesus Christ personally in Jerusalem and worshiping Him personally during those thousand years and also knowing those of us with glorified bodies living among them. And the scariest part is that after all THAT they will still be so deceived by the devil that they will come up against Jesus and the city of Jerusalem in numbers _"...as the sand of the sea"_.

But even though satan will _"...gather them to battle"_ , this time there will be no battle but only fire from heaven consuming them all and satan being thrown in the lake of fire and brimstone where the antichrist and the false prophet will have been for a thousand years already by that time.

"And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city _(Jerusalem)_ : **and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them**. And **the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone** , where the beast and the false prophet _are,_ and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

(Revelation 20:9)

From these last verses we also learn that there are TWO instances where we read about Gog and Magog. First we read about the Gog and Magog war in **Ezekiel 38 and 39** after which the bodies of the slain dead will be buried for seven months.

"Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I _am_ against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:...

**Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee** : I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and _to_ the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken _it,_ saith the Lord GOD... and the heathen shall know that I _am_ the LORD, the Holy One in Israel...And it shall come to pass in that day, _that_ I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the _noses_ of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call _it_ The valley of Hamongog.

**And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land**. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury _them;_ and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD."  
**(Ezekiel 39:1-13)**

Although there is no clear indication as to when this war with Gog and Magog will take place, most Bible scholars agree that it will most probably be just before or just after the rapture as I said earlier. And the second time we read about Gog and Magog is after the millennium as I discussed above from **Revelation 20:9**. But as I said, this second appearance of Gog and Magog will only be after the millennium when they are so deceived by satan, and there will be no war then, as fire from God in heaven will just devour/consume them.

Then the devil who deceived them will be thrown in the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented for ever. So don't let anyone tell you that satan rules in hell, no he will burn in hell just as all the others who were disobedient to God.

And just as a last thought in this chapter, what is going to happen to Israel in the millennium? We find the answer in a promise God made to them through the mouth of Moses in **Deuteronomy 28:1-13** :

"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe _and_ to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that **the LORD thy God will set thee on high ABOVE ALL NATIONS OF THE EARTH** :...

And **all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD** ; and they shall be afraid of thee...

**And the LORD shall MAKE THEE THE HEAD,** and not the tail..."

This has never happened before with Israel – instead for many centuries they have only been reviled, persecuted and ridiculed by the whole world - so we know this is something that will also happen during the millennium where God will set the remnant of Israel above ALL the nations of the earth and make them the "head of the nations".

Because remember they will also still have mortal human bodies during that time, just like the rest of the nations that survived through the seven years of tribulation.
25.  
THE END FROM THE BEGINNING

The Bible says:

" **The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be;** and that which is done _is_ that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."  
(Ecclesiastes 1:9)

That means the things that were or happened in the past will be or happen again in future. We actually see the fulfilment of this verse on a daily basis around us, especially in the fashion world where people start to wear the same kind of clothes that they wore many years or even decades ago, or where they buy or manufacture "retro" furniture or "retro" cars, which are all items that look like they came from many decades ago.

We also see it in the way some religions are worshiping other gods and goddesses in exactly the same way as ancient peoples in the Bible used to do. That which was, we see again...

But the ONLY Person who can really tell the things that will happen at the end right from the beginning, is God Himself:

"Remember the former things of old: for I _am_ God, and _there is_ none else; **I am God, and there is none like me, DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done** , saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure..."  
(Isaiah 46:9,10)

And interestingly enough God Himself challenges anybody to show the things that are to come hereafter, which according to Him will then prove that whoever can do that are actually also gods...

"Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. **Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know** that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you."  
(Isaiah 41:21-24)

These verses tell me that to be able to tell the things that are to come at the end right from the beginning according to God, will prove that you are also a "god". And that is why so many spiritualists, mediums, New Agers, fortune tellers etc. all try to foretell the future because there is a hint of "divinity" in being able to do that. And since the time of Adam and Eve to our present day mankind is still trying to "be like God" or even "to be God". Yet nobody except God Himself has ever been able to tell us from the beginning what will happen at the end.

Some other religions claim that they can also do that, but they are never 100% correct. God has proven Himself 100% correct in His Word regarding ALL the prophecies contained therein. No other religious book in the world can do that as I said before.

So, let's see what happened in the beginning according to the Word of God. And we specifically look at what happened in the first eight chapters of the book of Genesis. This interesting information I received from a YouTube video produced by Dr. Perry Stone of the USA, where he discussed his book: "The Noah Code".

**Genesis 1** – The world is perfect and COMPLETE and God walks and fellowships with man in the garden.

**Genesis 2** – Heaven and earth are completed and TIMES and seasons are set.

**Genesis 3** – The prophecy regarding the victory over SATAN by Jesus is spoken.

**Genesis 4** – Cain receives the MARK on his forehead.

**Genesis 5** – ENOCH is translated and taken to heaven while still alive.

**Genesis 6** – The signs of the times in the time of NOAH _("...that the_ _wickedness_ _of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only_ _evil continually_ _...for the earth is_ _filled with violence_ _through them...")_

**Genesis 7** – Great upheaval and chaos in NATURE (with and during the flood).

**Genesis 8** – The DOVE exits the ark.

Now let's look at the same eight chapters from the beginning of the Bible and see how they also confirm what has already started happening and will still happen at the end...

**Genesis 8** – (DOVE) – The outpouring of the HOLY SPIRIT over all flesh.

**Genesis 7** – (NATURE) – The chaotic things that have already started happening in nature all around us, e.g. the tsunamis, floods, extreme bush fires, earthquakes in divers places, etc.

**Genesis 6** – (NOAH) – Today we already have exactly the same signs as in the time of Noah: (" _...that the_ _wickedness_ _of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only_ _evil continually_ _...for the earth is_ _filled with violence_ _through them..._ ")

**Genesis 5** – (ENOCH) – Translation and RAPTURE of the righteous saints.

**Genesis 4** – (CAIN) – The MARK of the beast/antichrist (as we saw it will only happen AFTER the rapture).

**Genesis 3** – (SATAN) – Jesus returns and SATAN is bound for a thousand years.

**Genesis 2** – (TIMES) – One housand years of peace reigns upon the earth.

**Genesis 1** – (COMPLETENESS) – God lives and walks among His people and fellowships with them in the New Jerusalem and in the new heaven and new earth in ALL ETERNITY.

Only a living God could do something like that in His Word to show His plan for what will happen right at the end of time in the first eight chapters of His Book!

Truly we serve an awesome God!
26.  
IS THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE A "MODERN" DOCTRINE?

Mostly when you start speaking to other believers about the rapture, (especially those who believe in the post-tribulation view) they are quick to assert that the pre-tribulation rapture is a "modern" doctrine which was never preached or taught about prior to the early 1800's.

But although this is a widely held OPINION, is it really true?

"Post-trib believers are the most vocal in their claim that the concepts of imminency and the pre-trib rapture only date back to the early 1800s. For several years, their charges went unanswered, **but recently a number of men have dusted off old manuscripts and found** several EARLY CHURCH FATHERS who were clearly looking for an imminent return of the Lord Jesus **.**

History has proven that mankind is a dreadful biblical guide. The apostasy that swept over the Church caused a lack of prophecy commentary from about 450 AD until the 1600s. People stopped thinking for themselves. Their interpretation of the Bible became what the institutional church spoon-fed them. _(This is true to this very day in 2017 – Author)_

Premillennialism largely disappeared after it was condemned as heretical by the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. It wasn't until the reform movement of the early seventeenth century that we see a rebound in the number of statements that reflect the pre-tribulational view."  
("Imminency" – Tod Strandberg)

From this we ALSO see that the pre-tribulation rapture was NOT a doctrine which was taught or believed in by the Roman Catholic Church because they were the ones who actually banned it, forbade it to be preached and tried to kill the doctrine outright as early as 431 AD in one of their Councils. Now if this doctrine about the pre-tribulation rapture was banned at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD, how can people say it is a "modern" doctrine which was only preached since the early 1800's?

So the OPINION that the pre-tribulation rapture is a "modern" doctrine is clearly also not true.

Now let us read how far back in the Bible we can glimpse certain references about the rapture.

"Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: **hide thyself as it were for a little moment** , until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place **to PUNISH the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity** : the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."  
(Isaiah 26:20,21)

The moment you understand the rapture, you understand that this verse in the book of the prophet Isaiah already foretold what will happen at the rapture.

1. First the reference to _"my people"_ that must enter into their chambers and hide themselves _"for a little moment"_. That can refer to BOTH the church believers that made ready that will be raptured and taken out of the way for those seven years, AND to that one third remnant of Israel who will be hidden in the mountains by God Himself.

2. Second the confirmation that they must so be hidden until the _"indignation"_ is over. The word which was translated as such in Hebrew also means "fury", "rage" or "anger". This clearly refers to the wrath/anger/vengeance of God. So God's people – both that remnant of Israel and the church – must hide themselves until God's fury/wrath is over.

3. Thirdly we find another confirmation that this refers to the time of God's wrath in the words of the verse that reads: _"For, behold,_ _the LORD cometh out of his place to PUNISH the inhabitants of the earth_ _for their iniquity..."._ This has never happened before in the history of mankind so it definitely refers to a time that is still to come in the future and that can be nothing other than during the seven years of tribulation/ wrath/ anger/ vengeance.

We also read about that same time in **Isaiah 57:1,2** :

"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth _it_ to heart: **and merciful men are taken away, none considering that THE RIGHTEOUS IS TAKEN AWAY** FROM THE EVIL TO COME **.** He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, _each one_ walking _in_ his uprightness."

1. Here we see the confirmation that the righteous will be TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EVIL TO COME. This has not happened before so it also refers to an event that will happen in the future more specifically the seven years of tribulation.

2. And secondly we see that those righteous people who walk in their _"uprightness"_ and who have so been _"taken away"_ will enter into peace and _"rest in their beds"_. This means they will not be in the chaos that will ensue during the tribulation. Which beds are referred to and where are they? Those beds which we will find in the mansions that Jesus went to prepare for us in His Father's house in heaven as we discussed earlier regarding **John 14:2,3**.

Now let us take note of other preachers and authors who also spoke about and preached about the pre-tribulation rapture:

1. The epistle of Barnabas **(100 AD)**

2. Irenaeus in "Against Heresies" **(125 AD)**

3. Hippolytus, a disciple of Irenaeus **(2nd century)**

4. Justin Martyr in: "Dialogue with Trypho" **(2nd century)**

5. Ephraem, the Syrian also known as Ephraem of Nisibis **(307-373 AD)** – who wrote: "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.")

6. Peter Jurieu – "The Approaching deliverance of the church" – **(1687)**

7. Philip Doddridge's "Commentary on the New Testament" – **(1738)**

8. Dr. John Gill, "Commentary on the New Testament" – **(1748)**

9. James Macknight – "Commentary on the Apostolical Epistles" – **(1763)**

So we see that MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE from various centuries **LONG BEFORE the 1800's ALSO taught on the rapture**. In the so-called "modern era" it was again given new "popularity" by the following people:

10. Emmanuel Lacunza (also known as Rabbi Ben Ezra) – **(1812)**

11. Edward Irving – **(1816)**

12. John N. Darby – **(1820)**

13. Margaret McDonald – **(1830)**

Most critics of the rapture allege that this whole "modern" doctrine regarding the rapture ONLY STARTED with Margaret McDonald in 1830 or at the earliest with John N. Darby in 1820 but clearly we have now seen that that view is not true.

Here is one of those views:

" **The idea of the Rapture developed as part of a larger movement in nineteenth-century England called "dispensationalism." Led by John Nelson Darby** , a former priest in the Church of Ireland, a group known as the Plymouth Brethren began to study the Bible in an attempt to map out the future of the world. They divided history into seven "dispensations" or ages.

Darby endeavored to read the Bible as literally as possible and believed that Jesus Christ would soon physically return to the world. However, in his study, he found several seeming contradictions within the Bible. This was particularly true in regard to the promises made by God to Israel through the Old Testament prophets, such as a rebuilt temple of immense proportions.

**To help reconcile such instances, Darby formed some theological conclusions that influenced his teachings.** For example, Darby believed that there are two "peoples of God"—Israel and the Church—and God has separate plans for each of them. In order for God to fulfill all his promises to the nation of Israel, there must be a time in the future when the Church is no longer present and the Jewish temple in Jerusalem can be rebuilt."

(<http://www.exploregod.com/what-is-the-rapture>)

This author tries to argue that the ideas regarding Israel and the church and the rapture were only "formed" by Darby to try and reconcile certain "contradictions" he couldn't explain in the Word, e.g. that immense temple that was to be built that I discussed earlier. Yet I have now already shown that MANY other people centuries BEFORE John Nelson Darby also preached on the same topics as I also discuss them in this book, so this view regarding a "modern" rapture doctrine as held by many people is unfortunately flawed and only works toward causing many people not to make ready for the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ and the rapture.

Other authors also confirm the fact that the early church fathers did also indeed preach and teach about the rapture:

" **The Apostolic Church was Pre-Millennial, and for over 200 years no other view was entertained**. The writings of the "Church fathers" abound in evidence of the fact.

But about A.D.250, Origen, one of the Church fathers, conceived the idea that the words of scripture were but the "husk" in which was hid the "kernel" of spiritual truth. At once he began to "Allegorize" and "Spiritualize" the Scriptures, and thus founded that school of "Allegorizing" and "Spiritualizing" interpreters of Scripture, from which the Church and the Bible have suffered so much.

The result was that the Church largely ceased to look for the Lord to return and set up an earthly kingdom."  
("Dispensational Truth" - Clarence Larkin, 1918)

_(In the book I wrote on the different Bible versions: "Why do Bible versions differ?" I explain in more detail what huge problems Origen caused to the Bible and also to Bible translation through his school of "allegorization" and "spiritualization". That book may be ordered from our website at_ www.oicb.co.za _under "eshop/tiaan gildenhuys" – Author.)_
27.  
FALSE RAPTURE

Did you know that it is NOT possible to forge or counterfeit a US $90 note? Why? Because it does not exist and can therefore not be counterfeited! But you CAN counterfeit a US $100 note. Why? Because a US $100 note does exist and is therefore capable of being counterfeited as any police agency in the USA or over the world will attest to!

You cannot produce counterfeit "ZABARADOO" clothes. Why? Because at the time of writing of this book there is no clothing brand line called "ZABARADOO". But you CAN produce counterfeit GUCCI clothes. Why? Because GUCCI is a well-known clothing brand and their products do get counterfeited on a massive scale all over the world as any police agency will attest to.

What am I trying to say?

**IF the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture really** is false ALREADY as many people (Protestant believers included) allege, WHY is the kingdom of darkness planning a "false rapture"?

Remember you CANNOT counterfeit a FALSE PRODUCT as no-one will fall for that. **But you CAN counterfeit a TRUE PRODUCT...**

I would suggest that you do some of your own research on the internet on:

" _The New Age and the false rapture"_

or about:

" _Preparing for the false rapture."_

Because when you do that you will quickly find that the worldwide New Age movement has for many years already been planning a "false rapture" and describing it in various ways in many of their books and teachings. Why?

Just so that ON THAT DAY they can explain away the SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE of millions of people from the earth by saying things to the left behind ones like: _"But haven't we been warning you for years and years that this thing would happen where many people who were disobedient to "Mother Earth" (or "the cosmos") would be TAKEN AWAY by UFO's (or something similar) in an instant to go and live on planet X (or wherever)...",_ etc. etc.

Why do you think do we suddenly find such a renewed interest on the television and in movies of UFO's, Science Fiction (Sci-Fi), Star Wars, Star Trek, Ancient Aliens, etc.? It is done for a very specific purpose and that is to brainwash and desensitize the world (including lukewarm and nominal Christians) and to PREPARE them for that day – but in the wrong way. They even have a specific word for that in the kingdom of darkness, they call it: "PREDICTIVE PROGRAMMING".

Oh yes, but the moment you tell people about this you are immediately labelled as a "conspiracy theorist" again, thereby trying to discredit people standing for the truth of the Word of God.

However there are many men and women of God who have an intimate relationship with God the Father and who study the word of God in depth and who all agree about the reality of the rapture and who also have knowledge of what the kingdom of darkness is planning, as is explained in the following quotation from a book by the well-known Dr. Chuck Missler and Dr. Mark Eastman (who are also regularly labelled as "false teachers" and "conspiracy theorists" even by other Christians, in order to try and discredit them too).

"The New Age Movement is Preparing the Masses So the Rapture Won't Come as a Shock to the World. The disappearance of millions of people will be explained away USING SEVERAL DIFFERENT TACTICS.

(1) THE FIRST EXPLANATION is that certain groups of people will have to be evacuated by our extra-terrestrial "space brothers" because of catastrophic earth changes..."  
("Alien Encounters" - Chuck Missler and Mark Eastman)

They then proceed to quote some New Age authors who have written about this:

"The people who leave the planet during the time of Earth changes do not fit in here any longer, and they are stopping the harmony of Earth. When the time comes that perhaps 20 million people leave the planet at one time there will be a tremendous shift in consciousness for those who are remaining."  
(Barbara Marciniak, "Bringers of the Dawn" (a New Ager))

See how this lady says that those people who are to disappear will not "fit in" here any longer as they are stopping the "harmony of the Earth". (And of course we know that will only be because they do not participate in the sin of the rest of the world and stand up for the truth of the Word of God). The next New Age author explains it in even more detail:

"Our rescue ships will be able to come in close enough in the twinkling of an eye to set the lifting beams in operation in a moment. And all over the globe where events warrant it, this will be the method of evacuation. Mankind will be lifted, levitated shall we say, by the beams from our smaller ships. These smaller craft will in turn taxi the persons to the larger ships overhead, higher in the atmosphere, where there is ample space and quarters and supplies for millions of people.

There is method and great organization in a detailed plan already near completion for the purpose of removing souls from this planet, in the event of catastrophic events making a rescue necessary...The Great Evacuation will come upon the world VERY SUDDENLY. The flash of emergency events will be as a lightning that flashes in the sky. So suddenly and so quick in its happening that it is over almost before you are aware of its presence...

DO NOT BE CONCERNED nor unduly upset if you do not participate in this first temporary lift-up of souls who serve with us. This merely means that your action in the plan is elsewhere, and you will be taken for your instructions or will receive them in some other manner. Do not take any personal affront if you are not alerted or are not a participant in this first phase of our plan. Your time will come later, and these instructions are not necessary for you at this time..."  
(Channeler Thelma Terrell, who goes by her spiritual name, "Tuella," – Book: "Project World Evacuation")

See how she uses Biblical terms like "in the twinkling of an eye" and "as a lightning that flashes in the sky", but they just call that event the "great evacuation". It again confirms the fact that satan knows the Bible and even quotes it to this day, as he did to Jesus in the desert many centuries ago. But also note how they want to desensitize people to the rapture and want to soothe those who will remain after the rapture to not be concerned by telling them that their time "will come later"...

Chuck Missler and Mark Eastman proceed to explain the plans of the New Age Movement:

(2) "ANOTHER EXPLANATION that will be offered for the disappearance of all the believers of Jesus Christ is one of an evolutionary purge. The basic concept is that as earth and humanity is evolving into a higher spiritual consciousness, those whose thought patterns ARE OF THE PAST, and which HINDER THE EVOLUTIONARY PATH, will appear to vanish. It is explained that these souls will be taken elsewhere to evolve at their own rate and they will miss their chance to participate with the rest of the earth's inhabitants..."  
("Alien Encounters" - Chuck Missler and Mark Eastman)

Here they quote the following New Age authors:

"There is much happening on your planet at this time. The Mother (earth) is cleansing. It is all she knows to do at this time to clear herself of the pollution that exists within her body. But you as light bearers can help your Mother cleanse in such a way that does not destroy all life on this planet... "  
(New Age author Kay Wheeler (known by her spiritual name, Ozmana), who describes herself as a Pleiadian star seed and channeler, published an article entitled, "The Time Is Now", in the New Age journal "Connecting Link" magazine)

Also read what the New Age author Barbara Marciniak writes about this "cleansing":

"Much of this is necessary. Many of these beings have appointments to leave at this time. Earth's population needs to be decreased to bring forth the necessary changes upon this planet to move into the fourth dimension... Your Earth is a fourth-dimensional being at this time. She has moved into this energy pattern, and those who plan to stay must be of this ("fourth-dimensional") vibration..."

A friend of mine used to say: "There is always real cheese in a mouse-trap!" See how she very subtily brings in certain "truths" between her lies, e.g. that many of these people "have appointments to leave at this time". Those people who are ready for the rapture do surely have an appointment with their Bridegroom Jesus Christ, oh yes!

"Many of these beings who are leaving this planet at this time have completed that which they came to do. It is a time of great rejoicing for them. Do not feel sad about their leaving. They are going home. Many are waiting to be with them again... Many beings must move on, for their thought patterns ARE OF THE PAST. They hold on to these thoughts that keep Earth held back."

It will definitely be a joyous occasion to those who will be leaving and they will definitely not feel sad. And they are most definitely going "Home" where many saints who died in Christ are waiting to be with them again. But it is not the "home" that the New Agers have in mind.

"If human beings do not change -- if they do not make the shift in values and realize that without Earth they could not be here -- then Earth, in its love for its own initiation, is reaching for a higher frequency, will bring about a cleansing that will balance it once again. There is the potential for many people to leave the planet IN AN AFTERNOON."  
(Barbara Marciniak, "Bringers of the Dawn" (a Newager))

Here again we see the confirmation that the members of the kingdom of darkness are preparing their people for a day when "many people" will leave the planet in one day... Why?

Because you CANNOT counterfeit a false product as no-one will fall for that. But you CAN counterfeit a TRUE PRODUCT as I said before... Satan KNOWS the rapture is TRUE and therefore he tries to get people (even many Christians) to DISBELIEVE it or to see it as just another "theory" or "heresy", thereby stopping them from preparing and getting ready for that day.

Now let's see what the kingdom of darkness plans with what they call "the Blue Beam Project".

WHAT IS THE BLUE BEAM PROJECT?  
by David Openheimer

"It involves two things. A technologically simulated "second coming" and the re-emergence of new "MONTAUK" type projects that have the ability to take up a whole bunch of people as in a "rapture" type of situation and whisk the whole bunch into never-never land. Ironically, portions of the holographic projections have the potential for changing the planet into oneness with God. Unfortunately, this operates on the premise that Man shall somehow become God in human form and control other Men and dictate all actions and thoughts.

The calculated resistance to the new religion, the New World Order and the new "Messiah" will entail human loss on a massive scale in the ensuing "holy wars". The "BLUE BEAM PROJECT" will PRETEND to be the universal fulfilment of the prophecies of old; as major an event as that which took place 2000 years ago. **In principle, it will make use of the sky as a holographic projection screen for space-based laser-generating satellites (star wars). These projectors will project simultaneous images to the four corners of the planet, in every language by region.** It deals with the religious aspect of the NEW WORLD ORDER.

I believe it quite possible that such a fake rapture might occur.

It would cause the truly Born Again Believer to thoroughly examine his/her belief, their faith, and **TO HOLD ON TO THEIR FAITH UNTIL THE TRUE RAPTURE OCCURS** \-- which is quite possibly after the fake rapture, and after staged appearance of Antichrist, but before he "confirms the Covenant" with Jewish leaders.

**WOULD YOU BE SPIRITUALLY READY FOR A FAKE RAPTURE? Would your faith be mature enough?** Is your soul anchored to the Rock of Jesus Christ? Can you say with the Apostle Paul, "I know in Whom I have Believed?" Would your understanding of Bible prophecy be mature enough to realize you have been misled? Or would you throw your faith and the entire Bible, into the trash heap, and abandon Jesus Christ?

I do not know enough about the specific technology to know exactly HOW such a fake rapture would be carried out; however, I do know that such an event is technologically possible. **I believe it would take only a couple of elements to deceive the unsaved world** and the undiscerning Christian.

1. If all the major networks suddenly simultaneously broke through to announce that tens of thousands of people are suddenly missing.

2. If these networks showed a film prepared beforehand, where people will be shown to be here on earth one second and mysteriously gone the next.

3. If "experts" were suddenly interviewed saying that this may be the foretold Rapture of the Church.

(I personally have no doubt that many of those "experts" will be cardinals or bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, if not the Pope himself, again deceiving the people... Author.)

4. Maybe, just maybe, 3-dimensional holographic images might project people on sparsely occupied streets, seemingly walking down the street, and then having them disappear right in front of real people's eyes."

(http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n2101.cfm)

Dear reader will YOU be ready to see such a happening for what it is as a FALSE rapture and thereafter still make ready for the TRUE rapture? Will your faith be strong enough to NOT fall away from Jesus when the false rapture happens and you find that you were seemingly so "left behind"?

For interest sake, feel free to watch the following YouTube videos as long as it may still be available on the Internet for confirmation on how they can use project Blue Beam:

"Project Blue Beam - Floating city appears in sky **over China** ":

(<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoUMZOMavB8>)

"Floating 'Interdimensional' City-Like UFO Witnessed by Hundreds **in Africa** "

(<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeNI-kF7pSU>)

These things really already exist and will be used by satan to try and deceive even the wise virgin and the bride Christians...
28.  
PROBLEMS WITH THE POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE VIEW

This chapter just shortly deals with some of the problems people who follow the post-tribulation rapture view, have to explain and really cannot answer. Most of these I have already covered in some detail throughout this book. Chuck Missler shortly notes them as follows:

1. It DENIES the New Testament teaching of IMMINENCY (We are to expect Him at any moment...)

As I explained in detail in Chapter 21 above.

2. It requires the church on earth during the 70th week of Daniel (Israel and the church are mutually exclusive – **Daniel 9:26** )

As I explained in detail in Chapter 13 above.

3. It teaches that the church will experience God's wrath (Which the Bible promises it will NOT experience – **1 Thessalonians 5:9, Revelation 3:10** )

As I explained in detail in Chapter 6 above.

4. How can the Bride come WITH Him after the tribulation, if she hasn't been raptured before the tribulation?

As I explained in detail in Chapter 9 above.

5. How can the virgins of **Matthew 25** buy oil without the Mark of the Beast?

This is a very important point Chuck Missler makes here. If there is no pre-tribulation rapture and only a post-tribulation rapture, then the five foolish virgins will not be able to buy oil without having ALREADY received the mark of the beast during the last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation.

And if they did receive that mark they would not be "virgins" awaiting the Bridegroom anymore as they would then have forsaken God. So the parable of the ten virgins also proves an imminent return of Jesus Christ which is only possible at a pre-tribulation rapture as I explained in detail in Chapter 21 above.

6. In times of war, ambassadors are always called home – 2 Cor.5:20  
(Chuck Missler – "Post-Tribulation problems")

This last point is also very interesting. Let us read that verse together:

"Now then **we are ambassadors for Christ** , as though God did beseech _you_ by us: we pray _you_ in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."  
**(2 Corinthians 5:20)**

It is a well-known fact that when countries enter into war with neighbouring countries, the ambassadors of other countries in that war-ravaged country are always called back home. In the same way we as "ambassadors for Christ" will be "called back home" – our heavenly home - out of the war-ravaged world, with the rapture.
29.  
THE PROOF OF LUKE 21:34-36

When people ask me whether there is ONE verse in the Bible that makes me believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, I say yes! That verse is **Luke 21:36**. But read with me if you will...

"And take heed to yourselves... and _so_ **that day** _(the day of the return of Jesus for the rapture)_ **come upon you UNAWARES**. For as a snare shall it come ON ALL them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, **that ye may be accounted worthy TO** ESCAPE ALL THESE THINGS **that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.** "  
(Luke 21:34-36)

Jesus is talking to His disciples about His second coming and everything that will happen in those days. And then Jesus Himself uses those words that NOBODY can explain away:

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, **that ye may be accounted worthy TO** ESCAPE ALL THESE THINGS **that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man**."

The word "All" in Greek is – "Pas" and it means – "... _a primary word_ ; _all_ , _any_ , _every_ , **THE WHOLE** _:_ \- **all** _(manner of, means_ **)**... _whatsoever, whole..._ "

(Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary)

Firstly His words prove that some will be FOUND WORTHY to ESCAPE all these things that will happen (during the seven years of tribulation) and to stand before the Son of man (Jesus). Of course that immediately implies that there will be others who will NOT BE FOUND WORTHY to escape all these things that will happen upon the earth.

Also note the words "...ALL THESE THINGS that shall come to pass..." it does not read: "...to escape SOME of these things that shall come to pass...".

That means the wording of these verses in **Luke 21:34-36 also cancels out BOTH the mid-tribulation rapture view AND the post-tribulation rapture view**.

It cannot refer to being found worthy to "escape" His second coming AFTER the seven years of tribulation because we will then be with Him already. So if we as His obedient children are supposed to go THROUGH those days of God's wrath and of the tribulation as the believers of the post-tribulation rapture view contend, then WHAT do we have to watch and pray about and WHAT must we "escape" if we are told by everyone that we are definitely NOT GOING TO ESCAPE those days?

The word "escape" in Greek is "ekpheugo" which also means: "to flee out". What else do we need to escape/flee out from in the end times? Nothing other than the seven years of God's wrath/ anger/ vengeance/ tribulation here on earth.

Let us also take note of the following very important words:

"Take ye heed, **watch and pray** : for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter **to watch**. **Watch ye therefore** : for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you **I say unto all, Watch.** "  
**(Mark 13:33-37)**

These words urge us to watch and pray always, as we do not know WHEN our Master will return.

Are you watching and praying yet my brother/sister? Or are you still believing the lies of the world telling you there is still time,...

...enjoy your life and don't worry about the return of Jesus,...

...don't worry about repenting and turning back and giving your life to Jesus...

...I pray for you, because I fear for you...
30.  
CONCLUSION

I grew up in a church denomination that does not believe in the rapture and therefore does not preach or teach about it – to this very day. So I never had any knowledge about the rapture and if anyone asked me about it I would rather flippantly use the saying: "...if He comes He comes, if He doesn't come He doesn't come, whichever way I am ready..." How arrogant was I! Today I know very definitely that had Jesus come at that time in my life I would NOT have been ready and would have stayed behind. Terrible terrible thought!

I can just pray that if you dear reader also shared the same view that I had then, that what you have read in this book of mine has helped in a little way to convince you about the truth of the rapture.

In **Matthew 9:28 - 30** we read that when Jesus gave sight to the blind He said:

"And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, **Believe ye that I am able to do this?** They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, **According to your faith be it unto you.** And their eyes were opened..."

I have a dear old lady friend who has been making a study of eschatology and the end- times and the rapture for more than forty years and she always says if you believe that there will be no rapture, _"...according to your faith be it unto you!"_ I on the other hand can only pray that this book of mine will serve to help you "open your eyes" and not be "blind" about the pre-tribulation rapture anymore so that you can get ready.

This same lady friend of mine told me one day that I must really have hurt Jesus' heart earlier in my life by saying: "If He comes He comes, if He doesn't come, He doesn't come!" When I asked why, she said because He is an expectant Bridegroom. Then she asked me: "Before you and your wife got married, if you heard her telling one of her friends: 'You know, if tiaan and myself get married, we'll get married but if we don't get married that is also okay', how would you have felt?". Then it hit me for the first time how Jesus must feel about the lukewarm attitude of most of His people regarding His IMMINENT return to be united with His bride...

In conclusion I would like to quote the late prof. Johan Malan of South Africa who really described the full significance of the rapture in a short and concise manner.

THE GREAT SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RAPTURE

"In the light of all the Biblical facts about the rapture it is clear that this is AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TEACHING to all believers. There are at least 12 different aspects of the rapture that need to be properly understood and taken account of:..."

(1) \- It is a DIRECT INTERVENTION by God.

The supernatural nature of the rapture, in which millions of Christians will be caught up in the air, will be so clearly an intervention by God that no scientific explanation will ever account for this astounding phenomenon. "The Lord Himself" will remove the saints from planet earth **(1 Thessalonians 4:16)**.

(2) \- It is a MEETING with the Lord Jesus.

When the Lord Jesus descends from heaven with the sounding of the trumpet of God, those who died in Christ will be raised from the dead, while the living believers will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Together they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air **(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)**. The unsaved people will not see Him on this occasion.

(3) \- It is associated with the FIRST RESURRECTION.

The rapture is directly related to the first resurrection when all believers will receive glorified resurrection bodies. Those who have died in Christ will be raised first – then the living believers will be miraculously changed while they pass from mortality to immortality without dying **(1 Corinthians 15:52)**.

(4) \- It SEPARATES true and nominal believers.

Apart from the division that the rapture will effect between the saved and unsaved people in the world, it will also separate born-again believers from the nominal Christians within the professing church **(Matthew 25:1-13)** , many of whom have only "a form of godliness" **(2 Timothy 3:5)**.

(5) \- It marks the END OF THE CHURCH AGE.

It is important to consider the rapture in its dispensational context – i.e. at the end of the church age and just before the beginning of the tribulation period, which will be a distinct dispensation with its own characteristics **(2 Thessalonians 2)**.

(6) \- It makes way for the REVELATION OF THE ANTICHRIST.

The rapture is directly related to the revelation of the Antichrist. The true church of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is withholding the Antichrist, who can only be revealed after the church has been taken out of the way **(2 Thessalonians 2:6-10)**.

(7) \- It is an ESCAPE from divine wrath.

The rapture also constitutes a dramatic rescue operation in which true believers will be removed from the scene of impending divine judgements upon earth, since they are not the objects of God's wrath **(1 Thessalonians 1:10; + 5:9; Luke 21:36)**.

(8) \- It is a MOTIVATION for steadfastness.

There will be a great end-time falling away from the truth of God's Word. Christians having the hope of Christ's coming, purify themselves as He is pure **(1 John 3:3)** , and resist any tendency to grow cold in their love for Him **(Matthew 24:12)**.

(9) \- It is a SUMMONS to the judgement seat of Christ.

The certainty of the rapture confronts us with the solemn prospect of appearing before Christ at His judgement seat to give account of our lives **(Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10)**.

(10) \- It is a journey to the MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB.

After appearing before the judgement seat, believers forming the bride will be united to the heavenly Bridegroom never to be separated from Him again **(Revelation 19:7-8; Psalm 45:9)**.

(11) \- It is a journey TO OUR ETERNAL HOME.

The Lord Jesus promised that He would return to take the saints away to their heavenly abode in His Father's house with the many mansions **(John 14:2-3)**. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" **(1 Corinthians 2:9)**. What a wonderful future to look forward to!

(12) \- It will PROMOTE US to be co-rulers with Christ.

After the rapture and the tribulation period, the glorified saints will return with Christ and reign with Him as kings on earth **(Luke 19:17-19; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 2:26-27; + 5:10)**."

(Prof. Johan Malan – www.bibleguidance.co.za)
31.  
AFTERMATH: MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO STAYED BEHIND...

This might sound strange, why would I include this chapter to those who were left behind? Because maybe, just maybe dear reader, at this very moment you find yourself in a world that is absolutely apocalyptic and chaotic and you don't understand what is happening around you.

May this book that you picked up somewhere among the debris of a building or amidst the chaos in a street, help you to understand what has happened and is presently happening around you and what happened to your Christian family and/or Christian friends who all suddenly disappeared on a specific day.

I urgently suggest that you take time to read this whole book so that you can have a clear understanding of what it is that happened to you and your family and friends, but make a more specific study of Chapter 21 in which I discuss the things that will specifically happen DURING the seven years of tribulation. From that you will be able to understand exactly where in the "time-frame" of the tribulation you find yourself at the moment of reading this book of mine.

And if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ yet, I urge you to pray the following prayer to ensure that you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to say NO to the "mark of the beast", which will most definitely cost you your life, but remember that means you will immediately be in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ and the rest of us who prepared for the rapture before it happened.

Because if you do not say no to that mark, you will be spending eternity in hell and away from the Lord Jesus Christ. So in your instance it is an eternally safer "bet" to rather loose your life for Jesus, than to be afraid to say no to the mark of the beast thereby condemning yourself to hell for ever.

You must understand, the fact that you are in this very moment in time physically experiencing the truth of the Word of God regarding the aftermath of the rapture around you, that means the Bible is just as true regarding salvation in Jesus Christ ALONE and also just as true about hell and eternity - and you DEFINITELY don't want to gamble with that.

Where you are standing in this moment you can't afford not to want to believe it any more! And I know the only way that you will be able to stand up to die for your faith, is to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and to receive the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

If you are already a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, but just did not always believe your parents or friends when they warned you to earnestly prepare for the rapture, by now you KNOW that you KNOW that what they said WAS and still IS the truth as they are all gone and you stayed behind. Take heart then, because if you make a study of this book of mine you will be able to calculate exactly how many months or years are left before Jesus returns to earth with all your loved ones and friends.

But it still means that you will be hunted and persecuted for your faith by the armies of the antichrist and you will also need the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to say no to the mark of the beast and you will also most probably loose your head to the guillotine or something similar. As callous as it may sound, take heart of the fact that you will open your eyes before the Throne of Jesus Christ seconds later. But please do NOT accept that mark of the beast and don't let anybody deceive you any further during this time. You have been deceived by your "traditional views" long enough in the past!

Yes, your parents and/or friends were right, Jesus Christ really, really, really exists, the rapture did really happen and Jesus Christ is REALLY on His way back to earth again very shortly. Stand up for the truth of His Word, find yourself a Bible somewhere and study it like never before in your life, ask for the power and strength of the Holy Spirit and if necessary go valiantly to the guillotine knowing you will be re-united with your loved ones in a very short space of time.

Prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. I confess that I did not believe the truth of the Bible, either regarding Yourself as only Saviour, or the reality of the rapture. I confess that my sins have withheld me from entering into a relationship with Yourself and I pray that You will forgive me for all my sins Lord. I know now that everything that the Bible says, is true and I need Your power to be able to get through these times of wrath and tribulation upon the earth, and if necessary to die for my faith and be united with You in heaven.

Lord Jesus Christ I confess that I need a Saviour and I now confess that I believe that You are the true King and Saviour of this world, that You are God who was made flesh, that You died on a cross and was physically resurrected to be seated at the right hand of God. I now ask that You will fill me and baptize me with Your Holy Spirit so that I will be able to withstand the evil onslaught of the enemy in these troubled times and that I will have the power to face death valiantly when it comes my way, knowing that I will be united with Yourself shortly after that.

So Lord Jesus I thank You for Your grace and mercy and I receive You now as my only Lord and Saviour and I also receive the power of the Holy Spirit which only You can give. Please help me touch other people's lives for You until You return very soon or until I have to loose my life to be united with You and my loved ones and friends in heaven.

In Jesus Name I pray. Amen."

My dear friend, I hope to see you in heaven soon!

dr. tiaan gildenhuys

(B.Proc. (UP) D.Div. (TICU))

Authority in Christ Ministries

Pretoria

RSA

June 2017

www.oicb.co.za

e-mail: tg@oicb.co.za
