Are You Ready?

[th1bill]

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33, ASV)


There are three major theories of the Great Tribulation and a case for all three has been made from the scriptures. Personally I hold fast to the Pretribulation position. However I am prepared to be wrong also. The world we live in is changing daily right now and if a man converts to Christianity in the Middle East there is a great chance he will be executed for for his faith. He will be disowned by his family, fired from his job and beaten for daring to follow the One True God and for dumping his idols.


Why should we be concerned, it has been the last days for the past, almost 2,000 years, hasn't it? The answer is yes and no. It is well understood by all believers that to the LORD, our God, a thousand years is as a day to the LORD. What in the world does that mean? I read the book “Heaven Is For Real” a couple of years back where a four year old boy was dead for, something like 3 minutes. The meeting with the sister that he had never heard about because of the pain of a Still Birth, the horses and other animals he saw and interacted with there, sitting with God the Father, Jesus and others would take hours to days for him to have done but he did it all in three minutes, earth time.


Further proof of the truth he was teaching his Pastor father and mom, he told them he had met his dad's father there. His dad showed him a photo of his dad in his later years but the youngster told him that was not his dad. Then dad remembered the scriptures and asked his mother for a mid-life picture of his dad and on receiving it, he placed it for display in the Dinning Room. When the little man passed it he pointed and proclaimed there is the man he met that was the grandpa he had never seen until he died on the Operating Table.


But let's not chase this rabbit to far. Israel, the Fig Tree, bloomed or was born in a day in May of 1948, marking the season for the return of our LORD. (Matt. 24:3-33) Remember that a thousand years is as a day unto our LORD and that all through scripture we see, from the very beginning, God views completion to be filled in sevens. (Be careful not to fall into the trap of numerology here,) The Earth is either entering into it's seventh millennium or has just entered it and the Fig Tree has bloomed, we are entering into a time of world wide tribulation for the Christians. Are you ready?

 

[1watchman]

Reasoning by men can go far astray by their limited knowledge and logic, but I can say in all confidence that God will not pour out His wrath on "the Bride of Christ" --the Church; and the Word of God shows the Translation of the Church up away from this world before God unleashes His judgment time. When the Lord Jesus comes down at the close of the tribulation time the Bride will be with Him and the heavenly host, including the OT saints. Then He will vanquish all His enemies and establish His Kingdom.

We don't have time here to show the full picture, but anyone who wishes to look in depth at this event can PM me. Look up always, and praise and honor the Lord!

 

[th1bill]

Reasoning by men can go far astray by their limited knowledge and logic, but I can say in all confidence that God will not pour out His wrath on "the Bride of Christ" --the Church; and the Word of God shows the Translation of the Church up away from this world before God unleashes His judgment time. When the Lord Jesus comes down at the close of the tribulation time the Bride will be with Him and the heavenly host, including the OT saints. Then He will vanquish all His enemies and establish His Kingdom.

We don't have time here to show the full picture, but anyone who wishes to look in depth at this event can PM me. Look up always, and praise and honor the Lord!

Nice, I posted this on three forums and while it generated few posts here on the other two forums it is still busy and you are exactly the second person that understood the context... sad, the lack of contextual comprehension today.

You are, of course, correct about God's Wrath but then, that is not for at least a thousand years more.

 

[1watchman]

Hmmmm! What "thousand years" are you referring to, brother, and in what sequence of the end time events?

 

[th1bill]

Hmmmm! What "thousand years" are you referring to, brother, and in what sequence of the end time events?

The millennial reign of the Christ. The Preterists hold to the idea that His reign has or is happening but I can't float that ship at all.

 

[alex2165]

Good post Th1Bill.

Yes, in 1948 Israel was acknowledged as a sovereign country by majority of the nations of the world, but as we know Israel was not born in that year. Israel was born when GOD took them out of Egypt and in the desert formed for Himself a nation of the priests to serve and to worship Him, and it was I assume about 4.000 year ago.

So no matter what the nations of the world proclaimed or acknowledged concerning Israel, Israel already have more than 4.000 years history on this planet, and will remain as Israel for eternity as long as our physical world exist, which the Book of Revelation and other prophets predicted it long ago. So the opinion and desire of the nation of the world really not important in this matter, and we as Christian who know well the history of Israel, we do not need their approval.

But concerning you question about tribulation, if we are ready or not, this is very difficult question to answer.

The only thing I will do if I will enter such time of test, I will pray to the Lord to give me strength to endure, because I know that I would never succeed on my own in anything without His help.

First Corinthians 10.13
13.”No testing has overtaking you that is not common to everyone. GOD is faithful and He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”

To Hebrews 2.18
18.”Because He (Jesus Christ) Himself was tested by what He suffered, He is able to help those who are being tested.”

Revelation 2.10
10.”Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.”

We actually can avoid to be tested by tribulation but only under one condition, if we throughout our life have observed and obeyed the Word of GOD. And I think, if any of us who will reach the time of tribulation, those who obeyed and observed the Word of GOD will be participants in the first resurrection, taken to Heaven alive without experiencing physical death.

Revelation of John 3.10
The message of the Lord to the church in Philadelphia

10.”Because you have kept My word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trail that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitance of the Earth.”

 

[1watchman]

The millennial reign of the Christ. The Preterists hold to the idea that His reign has or is happening but I can't float that ship at all.

Oh, I thought you might be saying the "thousand years" (Millennium) was a period beginning from now. The Millennium will begin after the Tribulation time and we can only surmise when the trib. will begin (though I have a hypothesis about it).

 

[OzSpen]

Reasoning by men can go far astray by their limited knowledge and logic, but I can say in all confidence that God will not pour out His wrath on "the Bride of Christ" --the Church; and the Word of God shows the Translation of the Church up away from this world before God unleashes His judgment time. When the Lord Jesus comes down at the close of the tribulation time the Bride will be with Him and the heavenly host, including the OT saints. Then He will vanquish all His enemies and establish His Kingdom.

We don't have time here to show the full picture, but anyone who wishes to look in depth at this event can PM me. Look up always, and praise and honor the Lord!

The pre-tribulation rapture seems to be a recent innovation in church history, thanks to J N Darby. But others say not. Dan Corner has explained another evangelical view HERE.

There have been and are many godly people who are amillennial and premillennial post-trib in their eschatology. I consider that it behooves us to be open to other interpretations in this controversial area. See Three Views on the Rapture.

Oz

 

[th1bill]

The pre-tribulation rapture seems to be a recent innovation in church history, thanks to J N Darby. But others say not. Dan Corner has explained another evangelical view HERE.

There have been and are many godly people who are amillennial and premillennial post-trib in their eschatology. I consider that it behooves us to be open to other interpretations in this controversial area. See Three Views on the Rapture.

Oz

Oz,
A careful read of the OP without knee-jerk reactions will reveal that I am a Prebe and I am never fool enough to debate that point but I felt, when I wrote the OP that I should allow other Baptists here know I am a solid Baptist but that is not the contextual subject of this string. the subject is about being ready, or not, for the persecution that has already began overseas before the Rapture, no matter when it happens. So I ask, are you ready to die by having your head lopped off with a sword for the Christ?

 

[OzSpen]

Oz,
A careful read of the OP without knee-jerk reactions will reveal that I am a Prebe and I am never fool enough to debate that point but I felt, when I wrote the OP that I should allow other Baptists here know I am a solid Baptist but that is not the contextual subject of this string. the subject is about being ready, or not, for the persecution that has already began overseas before the Rapture, no matter when it happens. So I ask, are you ready to die by having your head lopped off with a sword for the Christ?

Please inform me that a 'Prebe' is? I'm ignorant of the meaning of that abbreviation.

Of course I'm ready for persecution and possible beheading or whatever comes. I love Jesus and am longing for his return. When he was on the earth, he didn't know the time of his own return. I don't plan to be estimating when that will happen.

 

[1watchman]

Well, from the prebe (pre-tribulation) view, the "Bride of Christ" -the Church, will be taken out of this world before the wrath of God falls on mankind. If one is left here when they see many saints are suddenly gone from the earth, then one can know that one is not destined for Heaven. The Bride will return with Christ when He comes down later to establish His Kingdom --seven years later. If one is allowed to survive the Trib. time they will be among that "innumerable company" to dwell on the earth during the Millennium. They will only be those who have never had opportunity to hear the Gospel message of salvation before.

One may PM me if they wish more detailed info on this.

 

[th1bill]

Well, from the prebe (pre-tribulation) view, the "Bride of Christ" -the Church, will be taken out of this world before the wrath of God falls on mankind. If one is left here when they see many saints are suddenly gone from the earth, then one can know that one is not destined for Heaven. The Bride will return with Christ when He comes down later to establish His Kingdom --seven years later. If one is allowed to survive the Trib. time they will be among that "innumerable company" to dwell on the earth during the Millennium. They will only be those who have never had opportunity to hear the Gospel message of salvation before.

One may PM me if they wish more detailed info on this.

As I said in the OP, this thread is not about my position on the Rapture aand I am not fool enough to debate that position, it id where my faith lays, period. But if you examine the whole of scripture it becomes clear that no Christian will escape all tribulation. Now, when we look back at recent history, say the ninety’s through today, and look at Sudan, we find real persecution at the hands of the Islamic World, the, professed, Religion of peace. The men have been slaughtered like pigs and the women made sex slaves and the children sold for whatever purpose.

All of this is coming to the US and my post asked the question, will you stand there professing Christ as they cut your head off?

 

[OzSpen]

As I said in the OP, this thread is not about my position on the Rapture aand I am not fool enough to debate that position, it id where my faith lays, period. But if you examine the whole of scripture it becomes clear that no Christian will escape all tribulation. Now, when we look back at recent history, say the ninety’s through today, and look at Sudan, we find real persecution at the hands of the Islamic World, the, professed, Religion of peace. The men have been slaughtered like pigs and the women made sex slaves and the children sold for whatever purpose.

All of this is coming to the US and my post asked the question, will you stand there professing Christ as they cut your head off?

Do you have this information directly from God through the Scripture or is this your pre-trib hypothesis?

Regards, Oz

 

[th1bill]

Do you have this information directly from God through the Scripture or is this your pre-trib hypothesis?

Regards, Oz

If you had read the OP to understand the context and then knew just a small amount about me you would not need to ask that question and this will be the last footstep down this rabbit trail. Anything anyone wants me to respond on must be on topic.

I said in the OP that a logical case can be made for all three positions from the scriptures, that leaves me standing there, all, alone, just as everyone with any position on the Rapture. The Holy spirit does not answer every question, some remain a mystery to even the Christian, that is why it is called faith.

 

[OzSpen]

If you had read the OP to understand the context and then knew just a small amount about me you would not need to ask that question and this will be the last footstep down this rabbit trail. Anything anyone wants me to respond on must be on topic.

I said in the OP that a logical case can be made for all three positions from the scriptures, that leaves me standing there, all, alone, just as everyone with any position on the Rapture. The Holy spirit does not answer every question, some remain a mystery to even the Christian, that is why it is called faith.

In #13, I was responding to what you wrote at #12.

I did read the OP and my #13 response was dealing with your specifics at #12.

 

[th1bill]

In #13, I was responding to what you wrote at #12.

I did read the OP and my #13 response was dealing with your specifics at #12.

That's right but I dislike rabbit trails and I was trying to be polite but, in truth, I should have just been rude and never ran down that trail, so I closed it now. If we are to go there it needs another string, that other interested parties might know the topic.