I'm still working through this Rapture series of mine. Thankfully, the Lord has seemed to have led me to those who have the ability to connect and explain all the things I've been wondering about myself lately as it pertains to this topic.
As before, it is on their shoulders that I stand and write to you today all in an attempt to give you encouragement and hope while simultaneously bring glory and honor to our Lord.
Here we see something often found in the Word of God, which is a "promise" and a "warning" tied together and presented to mankind:
2 Peter 2:4-10 - - "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government." (emphasis mine)
What's being said here? The same thing said in John 15. That is, that a 30-second "decision" you made 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years ago won't save you if you have been living in faithlessness, disobedience, and sin still to this day because that's not a GENUINE conversion because there was never any GENUINE repentance.
The clear promise? "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations..."
The clear warning? "To reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished..."
As with many things in the Word of the Most High God, there are layers upon layers of meaning here. Of course, we take the face value for what it is. When we dig a little deeper to see what other treasures are hidden here, what else do we find?
In the above passages of Scripture, we see which words? "Noah" and "Lot" and "to deliver the godly out of temptations" all right there for the taking. What about the rest of the Bible? Can we find other verses that connect to all of this?
Revelation 3:10 - - "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." (emphasis mine)
Luke 17:26-30 - - "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 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. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed" (emphasis mine)
We see a recurring theme here: Noah and Lot ------> on the same day they left ------> there was destruction ------> Son of Man revealed ------> keep us from temptation ------> being kept from the hour of temptation ------> lead us not into temptation.
Reassuringly, there's even more Scriptural evidence:
Matthew 6:13 - - "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (emphasis mine)
Mark 14:38 - - "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." (emphasis mine)
Luke 22:40 - - "And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation." (emphasis mine)
Luke 8:13 - - "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." (emphasis mine)
Time appears to be VERY SHORT indeed. I don't know if you have perceived it, but there is an invisible horde at the starting gate, waiting to break out onto the stage of this world. I wrote about what I believe this "horde" is when I referenced Sue Bradley's latest chilling column HERE. People can sense spiritually that something's not right, something big is afoot, but many can't quite put their finger on what's happening. What we are seeing and feeling today is the close proximity of the servants of Satan; the satanic hordes who are ready and waiting to flood this world, but are being restrained. Remember - - as in the days of Noah!
1 Peter 3:20 - - "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." (emphasis mine)
In other words, God waited patiently while the Ark was being built. Many, many people sense something is afoot, and that something big is about to happen. Their spirit senses the impending flood or the brimstone about to fall, and they see that day-by-day, life still goes on seemingly "normal." What they don't understand and do not perceive is that our God's patience is running thin. It is He that is restraining what's about to happen. The same day that Noah entered the Ark was the same day the rain started. The same day Lot left Sodom was the same day the brimstone fell. It will be the same - - exactly the same - - the day the Son of Man is revealed.
I cannot impress upon you enough what this means. It cannot be overstated. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." is what the Holy Bible tells us. We either believe all of it, or none of it. We don't merely pick-and-choose the parts we like, and discard and ignore the ones we don't like. A Christian is someone who stands FIRMLY on the Word of God and believes it - - ALL OF IT - - to the very letter.
How does God deliver the godly out of "temptations" when He points us directly to Noah and Lot? SOME SORT OF PHYSICAL REMOVAL. There's no question, no debate, no way to weasel out of it. Both Noah and Lot were physically removed from the Flood and the fire and brimstone.
We could go round and round arguing over where we will be physically removed to, but why bother, what does it matter? Noah was physically moved into the Ark (a place of safety) and Lot was physically moved into a safe city (Zoar), and we will be physically moved into a place of safety. When will this happen. When did it happen for Noah and Lot? Before the Flood, and before the fire and brimstone.
There is a 7 year period before us known as the Time of Jacob's Trouble or Daniel's 70th Week. Week 70 is just ahead. What calls itself the "Christian Church" today is a mess. When we read Revelation 2-3 where Jesus is specifically (definitely not in veiled references) speaking to the churches, He points to one church in particular, the Church of Philadelphia, telling them He knows they are weak, but they have held onto His Word, and they will be kept from the hour of temptation coming on the entire world. How will they be kept? They will be physically removed as we have seen from the Lord's references to Noah and Lot.
That means that today we have both a promise and a warning before us. There is an escape promised to those found worthy of it (Luke 21:36). There is also a warning to those who continue to practice lawlessness (2 Peter 2:4-10). One way or another, we are about to find out soon enough what the Lord meant by "escape all." If there are "disappearances"in the near future, this world will use its "lame-stream" media propaganda arm to call those disappearances anything but the Rapture/Escape. You can count on it.
I think there will be many people who will be shocked at how many are "left behind." Heck, you and I could be one of them. I say that with a sense of real sorrow, and I hope and pray that I'm wrong. I would not wish what is coming on the worst of men. What's about to take place will appear like something out of Science Fiction books, and Ancient Mythology all combined into a Hellish cauldron, and poured out on the Earth like some epic Hollywood blockbuster film. That's why we all need to pray that we're counted worthy to escape what's to come.
Instead of choosing peace and quietness, righteousness and justice, every man has gone his own way just like in the days of Noah. The Earth was filled with violence and corruption then, and it is that way again today. Today is a "pre-Flood" day. The "Restrainer" still restrains what's waiting to get at this world. Lot has not yet walked out of Sodom, but "that day" is coming. It may be today, or it could be tomorrow. When this happens, its going to be a whirlwind of events that will cause men's hearts to fail them for fear of what has come on the Earth. The devil and his evil princes will walk the Earth once again, maybe as "gods" interacting with men openly. Our God never wanted this, but men have chosen it with their own free will.
Seek the Lord's face today while His grace is still extended. Seek Him before the rain begins to fall, and before the fire and brimstone begins its decent on this world. Be assured, it is coming.
(RESEARCH: Christian Apostasy / March 2009)
What We're Praying/Talking About
April 19, 2009
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13 Comments:
Yup, yup It seems the faithfull are bieng truly focused on the getting outa here senerio. more /more seeing what going on being set up just behind the scene, but showing itself more /more ,to the faithfull so much more obvious to the sleepy not so much. reminds me of the scene in moses when they were other side but rebellious God told moses gather all with you on one side ,,sidestep sidestep sidestep then earthquake and evil fell in. those who didnt want to obey. So We sidestep... away from world and focus of it and toward heaven because we see whats about to happen.Num.16/20-32
Since Jesus has been called
The Great Physician and came for the sick, not the healthy,
(Luke 5:31, et al.)
then we, the Bride of Christ are going to be marrying a Doctor, and good thing too, because we are fallen, sinful
and terribly ailing and need the touch
of an excellent Healer.
Let’s assume that Jesus’ motto - as He practices his unique form of medicine – is not only just as good, but far better than the motto of Hippocrates, a prominent physician called “The Father of Medicine”,
who practiced in the 5th century.
Are most of us familiar with
The Hippocratic Oath?
It is: "Above all, do no harm"Would a Doctor who once said, “Come unto me, all that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”, would that conscientious of a Doctor allow his patients - who compositely form His Bride – to go through The Most Harmful Period In Human History?!?
I don’t think so.
So we have not only a Groom
who is very protective of His Bride,
but we have a Bride who is the patient
of the Groom
who is also a Doctor.
And some would say that this Physician would allow his Patient/Bride to be subjected to harm and risk injury of a physiological or psychological nature by experiencing
ANY part of The Great Tribulation?
I don’t think so.
Joe, Even if we must go through the tribulation, don't think any less of Him. Every good thing that you wrote about Him will still hold true, and remember, He will give you the strength to overcome and endure until the end.
Bob,
gotcha.
That's why I put the "think" in my last sentence. And I'm certainly not in any position to argue with God or his timetable or his endtime
arrangements,
but here on this board there is a lot of Solid Spiritual Ruminating
(i.e.,"speculation") going on, so I'm just joining in the fray.
2 Peter 2:9 "if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment."
I have provided the NIV translation as well here. Please notice that the godly are delivered "out of" and "from" "trials" or "temptations". Look up the Greek word used for temptations. It carries with it the idea of a testing. He knows how to deliver us out of a testing, or from the testing. We are not going to be removed prior to it. We will (if we pass the test) be delivered out of it. When? It will be before the "Day of Judgment" - the Day for which the unrighteous will be held unto.
At the end of the Tribulation (The days of trial and testing) those who have passed the test that are still alive will be caught up on the feast of trumpets (Tishrei 1) and the Lord will judge wickedness on the earth on the Day of Atonement (Tishrei 10). This is the Day that is spoken of. It happens at the END of the age, right before the start of the Millenial Reign of Christ on the earth.
Noah and Lot were indeed protected from the flood and the fire and brimstone, but saying they were physically removed is a bit of a stretch. Noah was in the ark in the midst of the flood waters. He was protected through the judgment. Not removed from it. Lot was pretty much the same. He was still close enough to the action that his wife was affected because she looked back. Then again we have the Israelites in Egypt, who is also a type of the church but I notice is completely absent from your analysis. They were in Egypt, the Land of Slavery (as are we). God sent plagues on Egypt with His people right in the middle of it and they were "protected through" the plagues, but not "removed from" them. Also, they did suffer some persecution from Pharoah during this time. It was not until after this that they were set free from Egypt to go to the Promised Land.
Also, the verses about Noah and Lot seem to be mainly as a warning to those who are not watching and ready. "They" did not know until the flood and fire came. It will be the same in the Tribulation, because the "Day" is the last event, not the first. In Lot and Noah's days, there was no need of seven years of continuing punishments on the wicked. That "Day" was all that was necessary. The same will be true in the near future. The seven years will end with the "Day of the Lord" and that will be it. His wrath will be finished. (not just starting...)
But "UnWorthy", when you say:
He knows how to deliver us out of a testing, or from the testing. We are not going to be removed prior to it. We will (if we pass the test) be delivered out of it. When? It will be before the "Day of Judgment" - the Day for which the unrighteous will be held unto.
...it seems to me that you are completely missing the point of:
"pray that you are counted worthy to escape all these things that are coming"At that point of Rescue/Rapture/Escape, do you really think that Christians need MORE testing?
IF we are "counted worthy", to escape all, then we have already been tested and we have passed the test. We have our passing grade. We graduate to Heaven.
Greetings JoeBenLow.
I don't think I'm missing anything. You have to remember that Jesus was talking to His disciples when He said these things. He said "when you see all these things..." That has to make sense with "pray that you are counted worthy to escape all these things". If we are removed prior, we will not see all these things, so Jesus makes no sense. But sense Jesus always makes sense, then we have to understand that "escaping all these things" does not mean we don't experience them at all if we are obviously going to "see all these things". God is going to bring His wrath on those who are not worthy. Those who are worthy will be protected from His wrath, and will be removed just prior to the Great Day of Judgment, which is obviously at the end, and not at the beginning.
And what great test have we undergone? Most American Christians I know sit in their air-conditioned churches in their comfortable pews and listen to a nice, comforting sermon - The greatest test they have ever been though is trying to get agreement on where to eat lunch.
No Joe, we have not really been tested yet. But the way things are looking, it's probably right at the door. Summer is near.
As for being "tested"...
Job was tested by God.
Abraham was tested by God.
The Israelites were tested by God and it did not go well with them when they failed.
The early church - now they were tested by God. All the apostles but John were killed for their faith, as were thousands after them...
Read these historical accounts from Eusebius, and then let me know if you still think we have been tested:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.vii.xxvi.html
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.x.ii.html
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.xi.xli.html
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.xiii.xiii.html
Can you read these accounts and say with a straight face that we have been tested?
I really hope I am wrong about the Post-trib rapture. I really do. I never wanted to be so wrong in my entire life. Unfortunately, when I consider the whole of Scripture, I have to conclude otherwise.
UnWorthy,
I read your two posts and followed a couple of the links.
I have one question for you and I'm taking a page off of BrotherD's Blog and it is this:
Luke 21:36 commands us to pray that we may be counted worthy to escape all, are you obeying that command?
I am praying that I will be able to escape/avoid/flee all that is coming upon the earth very soon. I pray the Lord's protection over the faithful; over my family. I also acknowledge the reality of Scripture where it states that there will be many of us persecuted and killed for their faith. Therefore, I also pray I/we have strength to endure if/when our faith is truly tested.
UnWorthy,
being "tested", it seems, according to what you've written here involves physical persecution and that's basically it.
I've got a copy of "Fox's Book of Martyrs". I know about the many case of Christians suffering tests of physical persecution in the past and in the present, especially in some 3rd World countries... BUT
Being tested involves more than physical persecution. As you said:
"And what great test have we undergone? Most American "
Christians I know sit in their air-conditioned churches in their comfortable pews and listen to a nice, comforting sermon - The greatest test they have ever been though is trying to get agreement on where to eat lunch."That's the point being made that so-called cHRISTIANS in this country have failed the test of temptation of the things of the world, of failing the test that requires we do NOT make friends with the world and get tangled up in its materialistic ways.
When Christ was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, did it involve physical persecution?
Not in my reading.
You say you pray that you will escape all the things coming upon the earth, but you didn't say you prayed to be "counted worthy".
Why not?
The user name you have "UnWorthy"- is that a reflection of how you feel deep inside? that you will not be counted WORTHY? I hope you can shake that if that is the case.
When the Lord said that we should pray to be counted worthy and to escape ALL the things coming, I can't see how someone would fail to see that 'all' means all.
Do we need a definition of what the meaning of 'is' is?
"Is" is what it always was...
Greetings Joe,
Allow me to explain the moniker "Unworthy1", as some folks will misinterpret the meaning.
Before I came to the Lord Jesus, I was not a very good person. I cussed like a "sailor" (no offense to any of our fine naval personnel out there...), I was an adulterer, I had a pornography problem, I was an alcoholic and I'm sure there were plenty of other issues I had that I'm not proud of.
So, Unworthy1 serves to remind me of who I was, and it reminds me of the great gift I have been given - as undeserving of the grace of God as I was, He still accepted me. He has made me a new creation. I am not who I was.
The reason I stress the physical persection is for two reasons. First, it is probably the ultimate test of faith. Live or die - pain, or freedom from pain. Deny or confess the Lord. Secondly, it is foretold in the Scriptures. No, it is not the only form of persecution that will be going on. Just probably the most difficult.
No, Jesus was not physically persecuted in the Desert, but He was in Jerusalem and on Calvary.
As for "praying to be counted worthy"...
If things play out the way the pre-tribbers believe it will, I don't need to pray for worthiness. Either I belong to Christ or I do not. If I do, (and I do) then I'm outta here. If I do not, then I don't need to pray, I need to get my life right before God.
But, that is not what the Scripture is saying. I am praying that when the Tribulation comes, I will be counted worthy to escape all that is coming on the earth. I am praying that it will not touch me or my family and fellow believers. I'm praying we can escape/flee what IS coming. I hope we are found worthy. Clearly some will have to suffer more than others. Some will have to stumble and be purified. Some will fail the testing.
There was a line in the movie "The Passion of the Christ" that Jim C. (Playing the part of Jesus) said as they were preparing to flog him. He said "My heart is ready Father..."
May all of our hearts be ready as we await our King and His Kingdom.
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