Is the Rapture Deception?

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DM25 said in post #230:

When is tribulation going to happen? Are we close?

Possibly, because Matthew 24:34 can mean that the temporal generation which would see the 1948 AD reestablishment of Israel, which could be symbolized by the rebudding of the fig tree (Matthew 24:32-34; cf. Matthew 21:19,43, Hosea 9:10, Joel 1:6-7, Luke 13:6-9), will not pass, that is, will not die off completely, until the future Tribulation and Second Coming of Matthew 24 and Revelation chapters 6 to 19 are fulfilled. A temporal generation may not pass until 80 years (Psalms 90:10), or 120 years (Genesis 6:3).

This does not require that Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming will occur right before, like one year before, that generation will pass: that is, 79, or 119 years after 1948: in 2027, or 2067. And if the Tribulation which will immediately precede the Second Coming and rapture (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6) will last seven years (Daniel 9:27), the Tribulation's first year will not have to be in 2021, or 2061, but could be in a future year (e.g. 2020) earlier than 2021.

Matthew 24:34 could also include the meaning that the figurative, all-times generation of the elect (Matthew 24:22, Luke 16:8b; 1 Peter 2:9, Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4) will not pass away from the earth during the future Tribulation of Matthew 24 and Revelation chapters 6 to 18, but that some elect people will survive (Matthew 24:22) until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53), which will occur immediately after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
 
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YeshuaFan said in post #232:

Could the rapture be tied into the 2 witnesses being raised up by God to heaven then?

No, the future raising of God's Two Witnesses' physical bodies from the dead (Revelation 11:11) will not occur at the Church's resurrection into physical immortality at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53), but will be like, for example, the past resuscitation of the physical bodies of Lazarus and Tabitha (John 11:43-44, Acts 9:36-40). And the future, physical ascension of the Two Witnesses into heaven (Revelation 11:12) will not occur at the Church's physical rapture at the Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), but will be like, for example, the past ascension of the physical bodies of Elijah and Enoch into heaven (2 Kings 2:11, Hebrews 11:5).

For God's Two Witnesses' physical resuscitation and ascension will occur at one point during the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 as part of the second woe/sixth trumpet (Revelation 11:14, Revelation 9:12-13), before the Tribulation's seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15). And then out of the seventh trumpet's heavenly-temple opening will come the seven plagues of the seven vials of God's wrath (Revelation 11:19, Revelation 15:5 to 16:1), the Tribulation's final stage (Revelation 16). But the Church's physical resurrection into immortality and then its being raptured (gathered together to Jesus) will not occur until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,52-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:30-31), which will not occur until after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6), after the seventh-and-last vial has been completed (Revelation 16:17,19, Revelation 19:2 to 20:6).

Also, God's future, Two Witnesses, like Elijah and Enoch did (and also like the apostles Paul and John each did, temporarily, at one point during their lifetime: 2 Corinthians 12:2,7, Revelation 4:1-2), will ascend all the way into the third heaven (Revelation 11:12). But the Church will be raptured only as high as the clouds of the sky (the first heaven), to hold a meeting in the air with Jesus Christ at His Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

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There are three literal heavens (2 Corinthians 12:2b). The first heaven is the sky, the atmosphere, in which the birds fly (Genesis 1:20b). The second heaven is outer space, where the sun, moon, and stars reside (Deuteronomy 4:19). Where God resides is the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2b, Revelation 4:1-2). And so it is beyond outer space, in the sense of it being in a higher (a fourth) spatial dimension. And it is a physical place. For Jesus Christ ascended there in His physical resurrection body (Acts 1:9-11, Luke 24:39). And the apostle Paul said that he could have visited there in his mortal, physical body (2 Corinthians 12:2). Also, Elijah and Enoch were taken up there in their mortal, physical bodies (2 Kings 2:11, Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5). And God's future, Two Witnesses will be taken up there in their mortal, physical bodies (Revelation 11:11-12).

In the third heaven there is currently a literal city, 1,500 miles cubed (Revelation 21:16), called New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2), the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22), the Jerusalem which is above (Galatians 4:26), and God the Father's house (John 14:2, Revelation 21:2-3). In the future, God will create a New Earth (a new surface for the earth) and a New Heaven (a new first heaven/atmosphere for the earth) (Revelation 21:1). And then God will come down in New Jerusalem from the third heaven to live with Christians on the New Earth (Revelation 21:2-3, Revelation 3:12b). It is New Jerusalem which has the literal pearly gates and streets of gold (Revelation 21:21) which Christians ascribe to heaven. So what Christians think of as heaven, in the sense of living in bliss with God, will eventually be on the New Earth.

Currently, the third heaven is where paradise is (2 Corinthians 12:2,4). And paradise is where obedient Christians go when they die (Luke 23:43,46). So obedient Christians go to the third heaven when they die. Also, paradise is where the literal tree of life is (Revelation 2:7). And the tree of life is in New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:2). So when obedient Christians go to paradise, they go to New Jerusalem.

The earth's third heaven could be high above the north pole. Compare the connection between heaven and the north in Isaiah 14:13, KJV. Regarding what we today call "the northern lights", even though they can be explained by physics, they could still point to the location of the glory of the earth's third heaven. And Psalm 48:2's reference to the north could refer to the location of New Jerusalem in heaven.
 
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ewq1938 said in post #234:

The two witnesses are brought to heaven prior to the 7th trump, which is when the rapture occurs.

Regarding the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19), note that it does not refer to any coming of Jesus. Instead, Revelation 11:15 refers to the future point in time (to us) (Revelation 4:1b) when Jesus Christ will take ultimate, legal, physical authority over the earth, away from Satan (cf. Luke 4:5-7) and Satan's fallen angels (Ephesians 6:12), and away from the future Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") and his ten kings (Revelation 13:4-18, cf. Revelation 12:9; Revelation 17:12-13) right when the seventh trumpet sounds. It will not be until a little later that Jesus will physically return and take de facto, physical control of the earth at His Second Coming and during the subsequent Millennium (Revelation 19:11 to 20:6).

Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming will not occur immediately after the sounding of the future Tribulation's seventh trumpet and the declaration of the legal replacement of the future Antichrist's literal 3.5 year worldwide reign (Revelation 13:5-18, Revelation 12:6,14) with Jesus' reign (Revelation 11:15). For a "time" (Revelation 11:18) can last awhile (cf. Revelation 12:14). It is like if someone said: "It is time to sell this house"; this does not mean that it will get sold immediately. The only part of Revelation 11:18 which will happen immediately after the seventh trumpet sounds is: "thy wrath is come". For the plagues of the vials of God's wrath (Revelation 16), the Tribulation's final stage, will come out of the seventh trumpet's heavenly-temple opening (Revelation 11:19, Revelation 15:5 to 16:1).

So the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19), even though it will be the last trumpet to sound during the Tribulation, will not be the resurrection "last trump" of 1 Corinthians 15:52. The latter will not sound until after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16), which will not occur until Revelation 19, and which is when the Church will be physically resurrected into immortality (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16).

Before Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, the Tribulation's final, Revelation 16 stage could last for 75 days. For the first vial in Revelation 16 could be poured out immediately after the 1,260 days of the future Antichrist's worldwide reign (Revelation 13:5), which 1,260 days could begin when the abomination of desolation (possibly a standing, android image of the Antichrist) is set up in the holy place (the inner sanctum) of a future, third Jewish temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15, Daniel 11:31,36). And Jesus could return on the 1,335th day after the setting up of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 12:11-12, Revelation 16:15). An analogy for the possible, 75-day, vials-delay between Jesus Christ taking legal possession of the earth (Revelation 11:15) and His return to take de facto, physical possession of it (Revelation chapters 19-20), would be someone in New York legally inheriting a house in California, 75 days before he moves there to live in that house.

At Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming, only the Church (of all times) will be physically resurrected and judged (1 Corinthians 15:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Psalms 50:3-6, cf. Mark 13:27). And then Jesus will marry the obedient part of the Church (Revelation 19:7-8, Matthew 25:1-12). Then Revelation 19:11-21 will occur. So both the resurrection and rewarding of the Church in Revelation 11:18, as well as the destroying of the destroyers of the earth in Revelation 11:18, could occur 75 days after the seventh trumpet's sounding. And because a "time" can last awhile (cf. Revelation 12:14), this would still be well within the "time" referred to in Revelation 11:18.

Everyone not physically resurrected and judged at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming will not be physically resurrected and judged until Revelation 20:11-15, which will not occur until sometime after the returned Jesus and the physically resurrected Church have reigned on the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29), a time period commonly called the Millennium. Both of the resurrections and judgments can still occur within Revelation 11:18's "time". For the original Greek word (kairos: G2540) translated there as "time" can refer to even quite a long period. For example, the same Greek word is used in 2 Corinthians 6:2 to refer to the "time" of people becoming Christians, which has been going on for thousands of years.
 
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Regarding the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19), note that it does not refer to any coming of Jesus.


It implies it plus Paul wrote Christ returns at the last trumpet and the 7th is the last so we do know Christ comes when the last of 7 trumps sound...also depicted in the 6th seal from the point of view of the unsaved, again depicted in Rev 19 in a military/battle scenario with the enemy being defeated and killed.
 
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ewq1938 said in post #238:

[Re: The 7th trumpet doesn't refer to any coming of Jesus]

It implies it . . .

How?

ewq1938 said in post #238:

. . . plus Paul wrote Christ returns at the last trumpet and the 7th is the last . . .

There will only be seven trumpets during the future Tribulation (Revelation 8:1-2) of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24. But note that there will be a subsequent, post-tribulation trumpet (Matthew 24:29-31), which will be, in effect, an eighth trumpet.

ewq1938 said in post #238:

. . . also depicted in the 6th seal from the point of view of the unsaved . . .

Note that there is no coming of Christ or trumpet in the sixth seal (Revelation 6:12-17). This is because Revelation chapters 6 to 22 are chronological, insofar as the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 will begin with the events of the second through sixth seals, occurring in the order shown in Revelation 6:3-14. After the events of the sixth seal, Revelation 7 will occur. Then the seventh seal will be unsealed, and out of it will come the Tribulation's seven trumpets (Revelation 8:1-6). Then the events of the first six trumpets in Revelation 8:7 to Revelation 9:21 will occur in the order shown there. Then Revelation 10 will occur. Then the literal 3.5 years of the future Antichrist's worldwide reign will occur, which time period is shown from four different angles in Revelation chapters 11 to 14 (Revelation 11:2b-3, Revelation 12:6,14, Revelation 13:5,7, Revelation 14:9-13).

Then the seventh trumpet will sound, announcing the legal end of the future Antichrist's reign (Revelation 11:15). Out of the seventh trumpet's heavenly-temple opening will come the seven plagues of the seven vials (Revelation 11:19, Revelation 15:5 to 16:1), the Tribulation's final stage. Then the events of the seven vials will occur in the order shown in Revelation 16. Jesus Christ's Second Coming will occur right after the seventh-and-last vial (Revelation 16:17,19, Revelation 19:2-21), and He will rapture (gather together) and marry the Church at that time (Revelation 19:7, Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). Then Jesus Himself will completely defeat the world's armies (Revelation 19:11 to 20:3), and reign on the earth with the physically resurrected Church for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). Then the events of Revelation 20:7 to Revelation 22:5 will occur in the order shown there.

ewq1938 said in post #238:

. . . also depicted in the 6th seal from the point of view of the unsaved . . .

Do you mean that the Second Coming is being referred to in Revelation 6:16? If so, note that the "face of him that sitteth on the throne" part of Revelation 6:16 is not the world actually seeing the face of God sitting on His throne in the third heaven (Revelation 4:2), or the world seeing Jesus Christ on His white horse at His future, Second Coming (Revelation 19:11), but rather the world expressing its fear of dying during or immediately after the sixth seal cataclysm. For seeing the face of God means death (Exodus 33:20).

The sixth seal (Revelation 6:12-14) could be fulfilled in our future by a huge volcanic eruption (possibly of the Yellowstone Caldera), which will occur during only the first stage of the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24. This eruption could begin with a large earthquake (Revelation 6:12), signaling the sudden rising of magma within the volcano. When it erupts, it could shoot so much ash and smoke into the sky that the sun will appear darkened and the moon blood-red (Revelation 6:12b), like happens during large forest fires. The volcano could also shoot blobs of red-hot magma into the sky, which as they fall back down could appear like falling stars (Revelation 6:13). And it could shoot so much super-heated ash and smoke so high and so quickly into the sky that they could form a gigantic mushroom cloud, which will make the sky (the first heaven) look like a scroll being rolled up (Revelation 6:14). Earthquakes connected with the eruption could be so large that they set off a chain reaction of other earthquakes in nearby faults and volcanoes, which could set off even more earthquakes farther away, and so on, so that earthquakes will end up affecting every mountain and island, moving each of their positions at least a little bit (Revelation 6:14b).

ewq1938 said in post #238:

. . . also depicted in the 6th seal from the point of view of the unsaved . . .

Do you mean that the Second Coming signs are being referred to in Revelation 6:12-13? If so note that Revelation 6:12-13 and Matthew 24:29-31 are two different sets of events. For Revelation 6:12-13 will occur during only the first stage of the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, whereas Matthew 24:29-31 (like Revelation 19:7-21, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) will occur immediately after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29). Also, when Revelation 6:12-13 occurs, the moon's light will appear blood-red, whereas when Matthew 24:29 occurs, the moon's light will not be seen at all. There will also be one point between the time of Revelation 6:12-13 and the time of Matthew 24:29 when the moon's light temporarily will not be seen at all, during one-third of the night (Revelation 8:12).

Also, the sun temporarily appearing darkened in Revelation 6:12-13 will be only the first time during the Tribulation that something like that will happen. For it will happen again during the fourth trumpet (part of the Tribulation's second stage), for one-third of the day (Revelation 8:12), and then again during the fifth trumpet (Revelation 9:2), and then again during the fifth vial (Revelation 16:10), part of the Tribulation's fourth and final stage, the third stage being the literal 3.5-years of the future Antichrist's worldwide reign (which time period is shown from four different angles in Revelation chapters 11 to 14). Also, what will appear like "stars" falling from the sky in Revelation 6:12-13 will be only the first time during the Tribulation that something like that will happen. For subsequently, during the third trumpet, what will appear like a star will fall from the sky (Revelation 8:10-11), and then again during the fifth trumpet (Revelation 9:1). And then again, mid-tribulation, what will appear like stars will descend from the sky (Revelation 12:4).

ewq1938 said in post #238:

. . . again depicted in Rev 19 in a military/battle scenario with the enemy being defeated and killed.

Revelation 19 is indeed the Second Coming. But it will occur months after the seventh trumpet, and years after the sixth seal.
 
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CodyFaith said in post #9:

[Re: Matthew 24:36-44]

Yeah. That's called the Rapture. Notice how it says things are going to be like they were when the flood came... eating, drinking, marrying, laughter etc... things clearly won't be like that during the Tribulation scripture and Jesus talks about... during the tribulation it will be horror after horror, trouble after trouble; hell on earth.

Thus it has to be before the tribulation.

Note that Matthew 24:37-41 refers to "the coming of the Son of man" (Matthew 24:37,39), which Jesus Christ had just finished saying will not occur until immediately after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-30).

Matthew 24:37-41 means that non-Christians will have no idea that most of them are going to be killed (by Jesus Christ Himself: Revelation 19:15-21, Isaiah 63:3) at His future, Second Coming, until it actually happens. For they could think that the Second Coming had already occurred with the coming into power of the future Antichrist's miracle-working False Prophet (of Revelation 13:13-14, Revelation 19:20), who could claim to be Jesus returned (via "reincarnation"). And just as the people of the world shortly before Noah's Flood, even though they could see or hear about Noah building his huge ark, no doubt rejected the idea that YHWH God had the power to actually cause a global flood which would kill them, so non-Christians at the end of the future Tribulation could reject the idea that YHWH has the power to actually defeat and kill them.

For during the future Tribulation's second half, the world will see the power of Lucifer (Satan, the dragon) and his fallen angels (Revelation 12:9); and the power which Lucifer will give to the Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") to take over the entire earth (Revelation 13:4-8), and to utterly revile YHWH year after year without being destroyed (Revelation 13:5-6, Daniel 11:36); and to physically overcome and kill people in the Church (not in hiding) in every nation (Revelation 13:7-10, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4-6, Matthew 24:9-13). And the world will see the amazing miraculous powers which Lucifer will give to the Antichrist's False Prophet, by which he will be able to even call fire down from heaven in the sight of everyone (Revelation 13:13, cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9).

And near the end of the future Tribulation, the world will see the Antichrist's defeat of YHWH's amazingly-powerful Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:3-9), after which defeat the world will rejoice and make merry and send gifts to each other because the Two Witnesses had been sending plagues on the world (Revelation 11:10,6). And even though those plagues will be shortly followed by even more plagues from YHWH, poured out directly from heaven (Revelation 16, the Tribulation's final stage), the people of the world will not lose their confidence that YHWH can still be defeated. For after almost all of the plagues from heaven are over, the world will see the amazing miraculous powers of some unclean spirits, convincing the world's armies to gather together for a battle against YHWH (Revelation 16:13-14, Revelation 19:19). And so the world could come to that battle at the very end of the Tribulation with the same careless attitude as some people at the start of the American Civil War who held picnics at the expected first battleground of Bull Run/Manassas to watch the battle and what they expected to be a quick and easy victory.
 
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Southernscotty said in post #13:

[Re: The rapture]

Since God divinely spoke it through the authors of the canon of scripture :]. Revelation explains itself if taken as it is.

Amen (2 Timothy 3:15 to 4:4).

And what you said applies even to the book of Revelation, which many people mistakenly avoid, thinking that it is filled only with unintelligible symbols.

But the truth is that the book of Revelation is almost entirely literal, for it is unsealed (Revelation 22:10), meaning that it should not be difficult for Christians of any time to understand it if they simply read it as it is written: chronologically, and almost-entirely literally. The few parts of it which are symbolic are almost always explained afterward (e.g. Revelation 1:20, Revelation 17:9-12). And Revelation's few symbols not explained afterward (e.g. Revelation 13:2) are usually explained elsewhere in the Bible (e.g. Daniel 7:4-7,17).

Just as Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming in Revelation 19:7 to 20:3 will be fulfilled almost entirely literally, so the events of the just-preceding Tribulation in Revelation chapters 6 to 18 will be fulfilled almost entirely literally. Also, the Millennium in Revelation 20:4-6 will be literal, and will begin right after Jesus' Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Zechariah 14:3-21), when He will reign on the earth with the physically resurrected Church for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29, Psalms 66:3-4, Psalms 72:8-11). After that, the events of Revelation 20:7 to 22:5 will occur literally.
 
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HTacianas said in post #15:

[Re: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Matthew 24:29-31]

None of that says that anyone is going to escape any sort of tribulation.

That brought to mind:

Luke 21:36 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.

This does not require a pre-tribulation rapture. For some in the Church will escape all of the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 by dying before it begins (Isaiah 57:1). And others in the Church will escape all of it by being physically protected on the earth during it (Revelation 12:14-16, Psalms 91). Those who will escape the Tribulation by dying before it begins will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven (cf. Philippians 1:21,23; 2 Corinthians 5:8). And those who will escape the Tribulation by being miraculously protected on the earth during it will stand before the Lord in the sky at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17), which will not occur until immediately after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).

*******

HTacianas said in post #22:

The Rapture, as a protestant tradition, teaches that Jesus will return in secret and remove all Christians from the earth prior to any tribulation.

Note that that is only the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture, as opposed to the idea of the post-tribulation rapture, or a mid-tribulation rapture, or a pre-wrath rapture.

The mistaken idea of a secret, pre-tribulation rapture is partially based on:

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

But note that this refers to "the day of the Lord", and the future Day of the Lord (Christ) (2 Thessalonians 2:2) will begin at the Lord Jesus Christ's Second Coming (1 Corinthians 1:7-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10), which will not occur until Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, "immediately after" the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8), which is when the rapture (the gathering together) of the Church will occur (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).

The mistaken, pre-tribulation-rapture view feels that the "thief" part of 1 Thessalonians 5:2 supports the idea of an imminent, pre-tribulation, secret coming of Jesus Christ to rapture the Church and begin the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24. But not all thieves in the night come secretly, like cat burglars. Some like to rob homes via what is called a home invasion, which is quite obvious, and which can involve the thieves not only stealing, but also killing and destroying (John 10:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10, Revelation 19:7-21).

Jesus Christ's future coming as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2, Matthew 24:43-44, Revelation 16:15) does not mean that He will come secretly. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God" (1 Thessalonians 4:16), "with a great sound of a trumpet" (Matthew 24:31). And "as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:27,43-44). "Behold, I come as a thief" (Revelation 16:15), "Behold, he cometh with clouds [1 Thessalonians 4:17]; and every eye shall see him" (Revelation 1:7).

Similarly, Jesus Christ's coming as a thief in the night does not mean that His coming is imminent. For He cannot come until immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).

Also, Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2) means that He will come even upon Christians when they are not expecting Him, if they stop watching (staying awake, spiritually) during the future Tribulation. Compare the if principle of Revelation 3:3. Also, some in the Church will still be alive on the earth during the Tribulation's final stage, still watching (staying awake, spiritually) for Jesus' Second Coming as a thief (Revelation 16:15). So His Second Coming will not overtake them like a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:4, Matthew 24:43).

Regarding Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming as a thief to non-Christians, when they are not expecting Him (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, Matthew 24:39), note that nothing requires that non-Christians will be expecting Jesus' Second Coming after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24. For during the Tribulation, non-Christians could come to think that His Second Coming has already occurred (Matthew 24:24-26).
 
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When I was in Bible School long before many here were born many of my fellow classmates sat around arguing about this. I never participated because I put myself into the hand's of G_d long ago. My faith and my hope is in my Lord to call me at His pleasing and His Timing. I may not even live to see a Rapture if there is one. I will not deny my Lord to my death. How do I know? Because the US Army could not make me deny my faith. I would rather die tomorrow than live one day, one hour or even one minute without my Lord. Without my Lord and savior; I am nothing.
 
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The Gryphon said in post #244:

I will not deny my Lord to my death.

Praise God; and that brought to mind Job.

For Job should be looked to by obedient Christians as an example of patient endurance through suffering (James 5:11). For just as God allowed Satan to bring suffering to righteous Job (Job chapters 1-2), so God sometimes allows Satan to bring suffering to even obedient Christians (Revelation 2:10). And during the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, Satan will be allowed to unleash his wrath against even obedient Christians (not in hiding) in every nation (Revelation 12:9,17, Revelation 13:7-10, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4-6, Matthew 24:9-13).

By the power of Satan working against Job (Job 1:12), Job first suffered the loss of his wealth and servants from murderous robbers (Job 1:14-15,17) and from a natural disaster (Job 1:16), and suffered the death of all of his children in a natural disaster (Job 1:18-19). Then, again by the power of Satan working against him (Job 2:6), Job suffered the loss of his health (Job 2:7). But he remained patient through all of his loss and suffering, never cursing God because of it (Job 2:9-10, Job 1:20-22), but wholly trusting in God through it all (Job 13:15).

Because of this, God greatly rewarded Job after his suffering was over, giving him twice as much wealth as he had before (Job 42:10,12, Job 1:3) and the same number of children as he had before (Job 42:13, Job 1:2), and giving him a very long life (Job 42:16), so that he lived to see his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren (Job 42:16). While he was still suffering, Job mistakenly thought that his suffering was God's wrath against him (Job 19:11), when in fact God had no wrath against him, because he was righteous in God's eyes (Job 1:1,8, Job 2:3). Instead, Job was suffering from the hand of Satan (Job 1:12, Job 2:7). Similarly, during the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, the suffering of obedient Christians will not be God's wrath against them, but Satan's wrath against them (Revelation 12:9,17, cf. Revelation 2:10).

God allowed Satan to bring loss and suffering to Job to prove that Job did not love God just because God had made him wealthy and secure (Job 1:9-12) and healthy (Job 2:4-6), but that Job would continue to love and trust God even if all of his wealth, family, and health were stripped away from him. Indeed, Job would have continued to love God even if God had killed him (Job 13:15). This is the kind of love for God which Christians will need to have during the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24. They will need to continue to love God even when He allows Satan (the dragon) and the future Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") to make war against Biblical Christians (not in hiding) and to physically overcome them in every nation (Revelation 12:9,17, Revelation 13:7-10, Revelation 14:12-13, Matthew 24:9-13), stripping away all of their wealth and family, and leading them away to be beheaded (Revelation 20:4-6). Christians must so love God and so trust Him that they have no fear of suffering or death (Revelation 2:10, Hebrews 2:15), knowing that even death will only bring their still-conscious souls into the presence of Jesus Christ Himself in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8, Luke 23:43, Revelation 6:9-10), which is far better than remaining in this fallen world (Philippians 1:21,23).

Christians must not love their mortal lives to where they will deny Jesus Christ and the Bible to keep from getting killed (Mark 8:35-38, John 12:25, Revelation 12:11), just as Christians must not love their families to the point where they will deny Jesus Christ and the Bible to keep their families from starving or getting killed (Matthew 10:37, Luke 14:26). And Christians must not love their wealth to the point where they will deny Jesus Christ and the Bible to keep their wealth from being taken away (Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:9-10, Hebrews 10:34). Jesus Christ requires Christians to forsake everything, even their own lives, for His sake (Luke 14:33, Luke 9:23, Matthew 10:38-39), just as He forsook everything (2 Corinthians 8:9), even His own life, for their sake (Philippians 2:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3).

1 Peter 4:12 ¶Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
 
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Southernscotty said in post #28:

[Re: The Tribulation]

. . . the Holy Spirit will not be restraining evil at this time

Are you thinking of:

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [Greek: katecho: holds down] will let [hold down], until he be taken out of the way.

The restrainer of the future Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8) could be a powerful, good angel, like the one who will restrain Satan himself at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Revelation 20:1-3). The restrainer cannot be God's Holy Spirit, because in the future the restrainer will be removed (2 Thessalonians 2:7b), while the Holy Spirit can never be removed, because He is always omnipresent (Psalms 139:7-10). Similarly, the restrainer cannot be the Church, or the Holy Spirit in the Church, because the Church will not be removed (John 17:15,20, Proverbs 10:30). And there are no Christians outside of the Church (Ephesians 4:4-5); and no one can be a Christian without the Spirit (Romans 8:9); and the Antichrist will be allowed to physically overcome Christians in every nation (Revelation 13:7-10, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4-6, Matthew 24:9-13), just as, for example, the Roman emperors and Satan were allowed to physically overcome some Christians in the first century AD (e.g. Revelation 2:10). Also, Mark 13:11b expressly shows that the Holy Spirit will still be with Christians during the future Tribulation.

Also, the Tribulation passage of Revelation 14:12-13 is the same idea as 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11, meaning that obedient Christians can have the comfort of God's Holy Spirit at any time (John 14:15-17), in any tribulation (2 Corinthians 1:4-7), no matter whether they live or die.

*******

Southernscotty said in post #44:

Rightly dividing the Word is dividing what and to whom it is written.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

This refers to how the Bible was originally written down in manuscripts which had no spaces between the words, no punctuation, and no distinguishing capitalization or non-capitalization. That is, it was just an unbroken stream of upper or lower-case letters. So, for example, Genesis 1:6-7 would have looked like this:

andgodsaidlettherebeafirmamentinthemidstofthewaters
andletitdividethewatersfromthewatersandgodmadethefir
mamentanddividedthewaterswhichwereunderthefirmam
entfromthewaterswhichwereabovethefirmamentanditw

This meant that those who studied the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15a) had to rightly divide between the words to arrive at the correct meaning. So, in the example above, if one mistakenly divided: "watersandletitdividethewaters" into the words: "water: sand, let it divide the waters", one would come away with the mistaken idea that Genesis 1:6-7 refers to God creating sand bars, instead of Him creating the atmosphere (the firmament, the first heaven, in which the birds fly: Genesis 1:20b) to hold water up in the air (such as in rain clouds), above and separate from the water in the ocean.

Southernscotty said in post #44:

Paul is the apostle to us gentiles as he brings the mystery gospel- Eph 3

Regarding Ephesians 3:4, note that it is the same "mystery" as in Romans 16:25-26 and Colossians 1:26, which is "made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets" (Romans 16:26). For example, Isaiah 49:6 and Isaiah 42:6 foretold that Jesus Christ's Gospel of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4), made only with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34), would save both Jewish and Gentile Christians (Acts 26:22-23, Luke 24:46-47). The New Covenant includes Gentile Christians by grafting them into Israel (Romans 11:17,24, Ephesians 2:12,19, Galatians 3:29, John 10:16). Isaiah 49:6b started to be fulfilled at Jesus Christ's first coming (Luke 2:32, Acts 26:23), and His sending forth of His apostles to the Gentiles (Acts 13:47, Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 26:17-18, Acts 22:21).

Also, the apostle Paul quotes four Old Testament verses in Romans 15:9-12 which foretold the salvation of Gentiles (2 Samuel 22:50/Psalms 18:49, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalms 117:1, Isaiah 11:10). And God chose the apostle Peter to be the first apostle to take Jesus Christ's Gospel of salvation to Gentiles (Acts 15:7, Acts 10:34-48), to make Gentile Christians partakers of the Jews' spiritual things (Romans 15:27, John 4:22b), just as the apostle Paul sometimes preached the Gospel to Jews (Acts 13:16-41).

This mystery (Ephesians 3:4) is also explained in Ephesians 3:6, which means that Gentile Christians become fellowheirs with Jewish (Israelite) Christians, and of the same body as Israel, and partakers of God's promise in Jesus Christ made to Israel. Both Jews and Gentiles are saved by believing the same Gospel (Romans 1:16). And this Gospel of Jesus Christ includes His suffering and dying for our sins, and His physical resurrection (Matthew 20:18-19, Matthew 20:28, Matthew 26:28). And this Gospel, which is the same as the apostle Paul's in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, was explained to the apostle Peter (and to the other apostles) directly by Jesus Christ before the time of Peter's preaching in Acts (Luke 24:44-49). So the apostle Peter's subsequent preaching during the time of Acts would have included this Gospel, just as his writings did (1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18). Just because Acts does not record the apostle Peter preaching this at the time of Acts does not mean that he did not. For Acts is not an exhaustive record of every word which was preached by Peter (or the other apostles) during that period of time.
 
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Devin P said in post #45:

Noah was watching, and was preparing, and was saved, because of the oil that was in his lamp, because he was watching, and was prepared for the wrath, and was kept up safe.

That brought to mind:

Isaiah 26:20 ¶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.

This verse is sometimes put together with Isaiah 26:19 and asserted to be pre-trib. But Isaiah 26:19 refers to the physical resurrection of the Church (of all times), which will not happen until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:14-16; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-57, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).

Isaiah 26:20 starts a new idea, a new paragraph, like is indicated in some copies of the KJV. And Isaiah 26:20 also takes a step back chronologically from Isaiah 26:19, like how, for example, Matthew 14:3 takes a step back chronologically from Matthew 14:2. For Isaiah 26:20 is addressing those in the Church who will still be alive on the earth at the time of the seven vials of God's wrath (Revelation 16), the final stage of the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24. These Christians will still be waiting for Jesus Christ's Second Coming as a thief (Revelation 16:15). And they will not be appointed to God's wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). So Isaiah 26:20 refers to them going into protective chambers which they will have prepared for themselves on the earth, just as Noah and his family went into the protective ark which they had prepared for themselves on the earth (Genesis 7:7). There would be no reason for resurrected, immortal people in heaven to hide (Isaiah 26:20b) from any events happening down on the earth.

Also, Christians can prepare their Isaiah 26:20 chambers now, and hide in them out in the wilderness at some point in our future (Revelation 12:6a), not only during the time of the seven vials (Revelation 16), but also during the just-preceding, literal 3.5 years (Revelation 12:6b) of the future Antichrist's worldwide reign (Revelation 13:5-18). For his reign will involve the wrath of Satan coming against those in the Church (not in hiding) who will still be alive on the earth (Revelation 12:17, Revelation 13:7-10, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4-6, Matthew 24:9-13).
 
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All throughout the prophets, we have them warning God's children to hide and keep themselves shut up until the trouble passes.

Isa 26:20 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.
Isa 26:21 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.

Isa 24:1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
Isa 24:2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
Isa 24:3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
Isa 24:4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
Isa 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
Isa 24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Isa 24:13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is
done.


(Basically it's saying that the world will have few people left in it, because of the great destruction God will cause to be upon the earth in the last days, because of their transgressions. Really read this entire chapter, because all of it applies to what I'm talking about, I just didn't want to link an entire chapter in here)

I feel that the idea of the rapture, is a deception given to us by the enemy, because when the world is destroyed due to our transgressions and unholiness, those believing in and waiting on the rapture will not know what's going on. They would've been expecting to be taken out before these things happen, and then their faith will fail them, because they weren't prepared to have to go through this time of trouble. We even have the words of our Savior describing that time. His children are wheat, and the devil's children are tares.

Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together FIRST the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Mat 13:40 Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of the age.
Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness
Mat 13:42 and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 THEN the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!”

Mat 13:49 That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, cull out the evil people FROM AMONG the righteous ones,
Mat 13:50 and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Here we see Jesus saying that His chosen, will still be on earth. That the unrighteous will be taken from among them. So we see that, for example, the verse where two will be in a field, one taken the other left, you want to be the one that is left. You don't want to be taken, because to be taken, means you're not a wheat. Because as Matt 13:30 says, tares will be taken first, not wheat.

Several problems in denying the two Raptures that will come upon those who are faithful to Christ (i.e. The Pre-Trib and Pre-Wrath Rapture).

If you think that Pre-Trib Rapture saints are not being prepared for the end times by stocking up, etc., then why does Jesus say these things?

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:34).

We also see in:

Matthew 6
25 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

Furthermore, Luke 21:36 says,

"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."

What things can we escape?

All these things that Jesus just talked about in regards to the End Times.

But you need to be counted worthy. You need to pray. You need to watch for His return.
 
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Jason0047 said in post #248:

If you think that Pre-Trib Rapture saints are not being prepared for the end times by stocking up, etc., then why does Jesus say these things?

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:34).

We also see in:

Matthew 6
25 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Regarding Matthew 6:25, note that there the original Greek word (merimnao: G3309) translated as: "take no thought" for what you will eat means: "do not be anxious" about what you will eat, just as Philippians 4:6 uses the same Greek word to mean do not be anxious about anything. This does not mean that we cannot do anything to prepare for the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24.

As an analogy, imagine that a woman was shopping with her little daughter at the supermarket, buying the week's groceries, and the cart started to get kind of full. So the woman asked her daughter if she wouldn't mind coming out of the seat in the cart so that the mother could put some food there.

"But, Mommy, I like this seat."

"I know, honey, but I just need a little more room. It will be good for you to walk about a little bit, anyway."

"No, Mommy, this is wrong. You're buying too much food."

"Why do you say that?"

"At Sunday school, they said that Jesus said that we aren't to even think about what we are going to eat tomorrow. And we are buying much more food than we can eat today."

"I know, honey, but I don't want to have to come to the grocery store every day. That's why we come once a week."

"But that means that today you are thinking not only about what you are going to eat tomorrow, but the next day, and the day after that [she pulls out her fingers to keep track], and the day after that! And the day after that! And the day after that! And even the day after that! Mommy, you're breaking what Jesus said seven times worse than even what He said!"

"Oh, honey, Jesus didn't mean that we can't plan ahead for food farther in advance than the day that we're in right now. For then no farmer who was a Christian would grow any food, for that would be taking thought about food in the future. Jesus meant that we aren't to be anxious about our food in the future. We can think about it and plan ahead about it, but we aren't to be consumed with worry over it."

"Mommy, I saw on TV where a hurricane was coming, and the people were fighting over the food in the store because there wasn't much left."

"That was wrong, honey. We should never fight anyone over food. Just let them have it, and go look for food somewhere else."

"Were they worried about food?"

"Yes, they were so worried that they thought if they didn't fight for the food they would die of starvation when the hurricane came and broke everything to pieces."

"Then they shouldn't have been at the store at all?"

"There's nothing wrong with going to the store to stock up on canned food and bottled water if you know that a hurricane is coming, and the store might not be there anymore after the hurricane has passed."

"But that's worrying about the store not being there."

"No, it's just being wise, and calmly thinking ahead about what could happen, so that you and your little ones won't have to go hungry needlessly."

"Another time in Sunday school, they said that this man named Joseph was sent by God to store up food for everyone in Egypt for seven years."

"That's right, honey. But he wasn't worried or anxious when he did that. God had revealed to him that there were going to be seven years of famine, when no food would grow. So He had Joseph calmly store up seven years of food to get everyone safely through the famine."

The little girl quickly climbed out of her seat in the cart.

"Should we go get another cart? We need to store up seven years of food!"

"No, honey, we don't. A week's worth is good enough for now. But when God shows us that a long, bad time is about to start, then we can calmly store up a lot of food."
 
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Jason0047 said in post #248:

You need to watch for His return.

Amen.

But note that in the Bible, when Christians are told to "watch" for Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Mark 13:35-37), the original Greek word (gregoreuo: G1127) translated as "watch" does not mean to stare with one's eyes hoping to see someone appear at any moment. Instead, it means "to keep awake" (Strong's Greek Dictionary), like in Matthew 26:40, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, and Mark 13:36-37.

Christians are to keep spiritually awake as they wait for Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming. For if they fall spiritually asleep, that is, fall into backsliding, there is no assurance that they will recover their right relationship with Jesus before His Second Coming (Matthew 24:48-51), just as if they fall physically asleep waiting for something to happen, there is no assurance that they will wake back up in time to see it happen.

During the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, Christians will have to "watch" (stay awake, spiritually) for Jesus Christ's Second Coming (Matthew 24:42-43, Matthew 25:13, Luke 21:36), which Jesus has just finished saying will not occur until "immediately after" the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). For if a Christian is not "watching" (staying awake, spiritually) for the Second Coming, it will take that Christian by surprise (compare the if principle of Revelation 3:3b). And that Christian will lose his or her salvation at that time because of such things as unrepentant sin (Luke 12:45-46, Hebrews 10:26-29; 1 Corinthians 9:27), or unrepentant laziness (Matthew 25:26,30, John 15:2a, Romans 2:6-8), or apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-8, John 15:6; 2 Timothy 2:12b).

Also, even when Christians know the truth that Jesus Christ's Second Coming will not occur until immediately after the future Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31), they still need to live each day knowing that any of them could die at any time (Luke 12:20, James 4:14).
 
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Regarding Matthew 6:25, note that there the original Greek word (merimnao: G3309) translated as: "take no thought" for what you will eat means: "do not be anxious" about what you will eat, just as Philippians 4:6 uses the same Greek word to mean do not be anxious about anything. This does not mean that we cannot do anything to prepare for the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24.

As an analogy, imagine that a woman was shopping with her little daughter at the supermarket, buying the week's groceries, and the cart started to get kind of full. So the woman asked her daughter if she wouldn't mind coming out of the seat in the cart so that the mother could put some food there.

"But, Mommy, I like this seat."

"I know, honey, but I just need a little more room. It will be good for you to walk about a little bit, anyway."

"No, Mommy, this is wrong. You're buying too much food."

"Why do you say that?"

"At Sunday school, they said that Jesus said that we aren't to even think about what we are going to eat tomorrow. And we are buying much more food than we can eat today."

"I know, honey, but I don't want to have to come to the grocery store every day. That's why we come once a week."

"But that means that today you are thinking not only about what you are going to eat tomorrow, but the next day, and the day after that [she pulls out her fingers to keep track], and the day after that! And the day after that! And the day after that! And even the day after that! Mommy, you're breaking what Jesus said seven times worse than even what He said!"

"Oh, honey, Jesus didn't mean that we can't plan ahead for food farther in advance than the day that we're in right now. For then no farmer who was a Christian would grow any food, for that would be taking thought about food in the future. Jesus meant that we aren't to be anxious about our food in the future. We can think about it and plan ahead about it, but we aren't to be consumed with worry over it."

"Mommy, I saw on TV where a hurricane was coming, and the people were fighting over the food in the store because there wasn't much left."

"That was wrong, honey. We should never fight anyone over food. Just let them have it, and go look for food somewhere else."

"Were they worried about food?"

"Yes, they were so worried that they thought if they didn't fight for the food they would die of starvation when the hurricane came and broke everything to pieces."

"Then they shouldn't have been at the store at all?"

"There's nothing wrong with going to the store to stock up on canned food and bottled water if you know that a hurricane is coming, and the store might not be there anymore after the hurricane has passed."

"But that's worrying about the store not being there."

"No, it's just being wise, and calmly thinking ahead about what could happen, so that you and your little ones won't have to go hungry needlessly."

"Another time in Sunday school, they said that this man named Joseph was sent by God to store up food for everyone in Egypt for seven years."

"That's right, honey. But he wasn't worried or anxious when he did that. God had revealed to him that there were going to be seven years of famine, when no food would grow. So He had Joseph calmly store up seven years of food to get everyone safely through the famine."

The little girl quickly climbed out of her seat in the cart.

"Should we go get another cart? We need to store up seven years of food!"

"No, honey, we don't. A week's worth is good enough for now. But when God shows us that a long, bad time is about to start, then we can calmly store up a lot of food."

Well, you did not know grow up speaking and reading Greek, and I believe God translates His words just fine into the world language of our day (i.e. English). We are told to put our treasures in Heaven and not here upon the Earth.

19 "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:19-21).​

Are you going to also change the English (by pointing to the Greek again) on this passage above (because it does not fit your belief)?
 
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Regarding Matthew 6:25, note that there the original Greek word (merimnao: G3309) translated as: "take no thought" for what you will eat means: "do not be anxious" about what you will eat, just as Philippians 4:6 uses the same Greek word to mean do not be anxious about anything. This does not mean that we cannot do anything to prepare for the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24.

As an analogy, imagine that a woman was shopping with her little daughter at the supermarket, buying the week's groceries, and the cart started to get kind of full. So the woman asked her daughter if she wouldn't mind coming out of the seat in the cart so that the mother could put some food there.

"But, Mommy, I like this seat."

"I know, honey, but I just need a little more room. It will be good for you to walk about a little bit, anyway."

"No, Mommy, this is wrong. You're buying too much food."

"Why do you say that?"

"At Sunday school, they said that Jesus said that we aren't to even think about what we are going to eat tomorrow. And we are buying much more food than we can eat today."

"I know, honey, but I don't want to have to come to the grocery store every day. That's why we come once a week."

"But that means that today you are thinking not only about what you are going to eat tomorrow, but the next day, and the day after that [she pulls out her fingers to keep track], and the day after that! And the day after that! And the day after that! And even the day after that! Mommy, you're breaking what Jesus said seven times worse than even what He said!"

"Oh, honey, Jesus didn't mean that we can't plan ahead for food farther in advance than the day that we're in right now. For then no farmer who was a Christian would grow any food, for that would be taking thought about food in the future. Jesus meant that we aren't to be anxious about our food in the future. We can think about it and plan ahead about it, but we aren't to be consumed with worry over it."

"Mommy, I saw on TV where a hurricane was coming, and the people were fighting over the food in the store because there wasn't much left."

"That was wrong, honey. We should never fight anyone over food. Just let them have it, and go look for food somewhere else."

"Were they worried about food?"

"Yes, they were so worried that they thought if they didn't fight for the food they would die of starvation when the hurricane came and broke everything to pieces."

"Then they shouldn't have been at the store at all?"

"There's nothing wrong with going to the store to stock up on canned food and bottled water if you know that a hurricane is coming, and the store might not be there anymore after the hurricane has passed."

"But that's worrying about the store not being there."

"No, it's just being wise, and calmly thinking ahead about what could happen, so that you and your little ones won't have to go hungry needlessly."

"Another time in Sunday school, they said that this man named Joseph was sent by God to store up food for everyone in Egypt for seven years."

"That's right, honey. But he wasn't worried or anxious when he did that. God had revealed to him that there were going to be seven years of famine, when no food would grow. So He had Joseph calmly store up seven years of food to get everyone safely through the famine."

The little girl quickly climbed out of her seat in the cart.

"Should we go get another cart? We need to store up seven years of food!"

"No, honey, we don't. A week's worth is good enough for now. But when God shows us that a long, bad time is about to start, then we can calmly store up a lot of food."
God has really blessed you with the gift of wisdom Bible2+! :)
 
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Amen.

But note that in the Bible, when Christians are told to "watch" for Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Mark 13:35-37), the original Greek word (gregoreuo: G1127) translated as "watch" does not mean to stare with one's eyes hoping to see someone appear at any moment. Instead, it means "to keep awake" (Strong's Greek Dictionary), like in Matthew 26:40, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, and Mark 13:36-37.

Christians are to keep spiritually awake as they wait for Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming. For if they fall spiritually asleep, that is, fall into backsliding, there is no assurance that they will recover their right relationship with Jesus before His Second Coming (Matthew 24:48-51), just as if they fall physically asleep waiting for something to happen, there is no assurance that they will wake back up in time to see it happen.

During the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, Christians will have to "watch" (stay awake, spiritually) for Jesus Christ's Second Coming (Matthew 24:42-43, Matthew 25:13, Luke 21:36), which Jesus has just finished saying will not occur until "immediately after" the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). For if a Christian is not "watching" (staying awake, spiritually) for the Second Coming, it will take that Christian by surprise (compare the if principle of Revelation 3:3b). And that Christian will lose his or her salvation at that time because of such things as unrepentant sin (Luke 12:45-46, Hebrews 10:26-29; 1 Corinthians 9:27), or unrepentant laziness (Matthew 25:26,30, John 15:2a, Romans 2:6-8), or apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-8, John 15:6; 2 Timothy 2:12b).

Also, even when Christians know the truth that Jesus Christ's Second Coming will not occur until immediately after the future Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31), they still need to live each day knowing that any of them could die at any time (Luke 12:20, James 4:14).

Uh, no. Christ's 2nd Coming will be pretty fairly easy to pin point. Just do a countdown of the breaking of the seals, the trumpets, and the vials, and you got it. I have narrowed it down to the sixth bowl judgment. But Christians are not appointed unto Wrath. So the idea that Christians will be around for Christ's 2nd Coming is not possible. Jesus is returning with His saints to destroy those upon the Earth. The eagles (the saints) will eat the flesh of captains, the flesh of kings etc. Granted, this will not be a cannibalistic event. It merely means that God's people will gain victory over the world (with Jesus fighting the battle or the majority of the battle).
 
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God has really blessed you with the gift of wisdom Bible2+! :)

I do not agree in this instance. The English does not say something different from the Greek because our Bibles were translated from these languages.
 
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