TOPIC I : FUTURE EVENTS / RAPTURE, REBUILDING OF THE 3RD TEMPLE, JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB, TRIBULATION PERIOD, RUSSIAN INVASION, BATTLE OF ARMAGGEDDON, SECOND COMING IN GREAT POWER, SATAN IN BOTTOMLESS PIT, ETC....

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WHEN SHALL JESUS CHRIST RETURN?

The next great event in prophesy is often referred to as the rapture. Some time ago I received a call from a very upset reader and in essence, he said, “you keep on talking about something not even found in the Bible!” In answering this, I think most preachers err when they accept that the word ‘rapture’ is not in the Word of God. Maybe it could nowhere be found among the 774, 747 words in the King James Version of the Bible. But I then pointed out that in I Thessalonians 4:17, however, the expression, ‘caught up’ was translated ‘rapere’ (rapturos) in the Latin translation of scriptures. Moreover, if one so desires that the root of the word ‘rapture’ from Greek, we could scripturally refer to it as the ‘harpazo,’ (sounds like rapture) which is the Greek word translated ‘caught up’ in the same verse mentioned (same words used in Acts 8:39 and II Corinthians 12:2,4 when Philip was ‘caught away’ by the Holy Spirit and Paul was ‘caught up’ in the third heaven).

Or, if you’d really insist… the rapture could be known as the ‘allaso’, from Greek translated ‘changed’ in I Corinthians 15:51, 52. SO THEN, USE WNATEVER NAME SUITS YOUR FANCY. Of course, the important thing is, as that I told the caller: NOT WHAT YOU NAME IT, but rather, CAN YOU CLAIM IT? That is, WILL YOU PARTICIPATE IN RAPTURE? JESUS CHRIST IS COMING VERY SOONER THAN YOU THINK! WHEN SHALL HE RETURN?

Matthew 24:36 through 52 tells us, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,] And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. WATCH THEREFORE: FOR YE KNOW NOT WHAT HOUR YOUR LORD DOTH COME. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing (but not knowing- the date). Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,…”

It is very clear expressed in this passage of scriptures that although we cannot know the exact hour and day of Christ’s return- we may know it if our heart is prepared when Jesus Christ comes. The underlined word, ‘but’, sets an exception - despite the emphasis made by Christ Himself that it is His Father only who will know His coming because our God mentioned in His word that we ought to watch and pray. If we take heed to this instruction, ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST SHALL BE PREPARED WHEN OUR LORD JESUS RETURN TO PRIVATELY TAKE US UP INTO HIS BOSSOM IN HEAVEN! As Christ will never be a thief to us when He comes back in an unknown date! The coming of our Lord was only likened to a thief to those who are in darkness (unbelievers) who will surely suffer loss when He gets own. The Lord’s coming as a thief in the night should alert the unbelieving world!

I Thessalonians 5:2, 4 clearly warns the believers that we ought to prepare… “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. BUT YE BRETHREN ARE NOT IN DARKNESS, THAT DAY SHOULD OVERTAKE YOU AS A THIEF, But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but LET US WATCH AND BE STRONG! For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. BUT LET US WHO ARE OF THE DAY , BE SOBER, PUTTING ON THE BREAST PLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE; FOR AN HELMET, THE HOPE OF SALVATION. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”

At this time we know all the technology Antichrist shall use to control the peoples of the world are already prepared and that all signs of His return are evident in our time today. WE SHOULD NOW MEAN OUR HEAVENLY FATHER’S BUSINESS. Instead of backbiting and faultfinding, we should obey what this verses command us to put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the gospel of salvation (evangelism). We ought to respect our church pastors as they are the men of the hour at end times!

WHEN SHALL JESUS CHRIST RETURN TO RAPTURE US? We do not say, He shall return on January 1, 2009. Neither 2010. Do not misinterpret us when we say that the globalists begin to launch its One World Government already by giving power to the United Nations as the power behind world governance. This is their agenda, but God could always break their plans. JESUS COULD RETURN NOW, TODAY, or TOMORROW (next week, months, or years maybe!). What is really very important is our witness to those who do not have Christ yet in their hearts and how we live life in holiness today as though He could return at any moment! We must practically plan and work as though He may not come back for two more years any more. If the Lord delays, may he still find faith on earth (Luke 18:? LET US PREPARE OUR HEARTS FOR HIS SOON COMING!!!

IS THERE ANY BIBLICAL PROOF THAT CHRIST WILL RETURN BEFOREE THE REIGN OF THE ANTICRHIST DURING TRIBULATION PERIOD
(Ezekiel 3:17-21)


YES! Remember that when Christ returns he is going to remove his own from off the earth! This ‘rapere’ or ‘rapturos’ (Latin word of ‘caught up’/ ‘rapture’ in 1 Thessalonians 4:17) experience will take place at the same time when the Holy Spirit will have to be ‘taken out of the way’ as mentioned in 11 thess. 2:7. [NOTE:THE WORD RAPTUR IN ‘THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUEGE,’ P. 1081 DEFINES IT AS THE ‘TRASPORTING OF A PERSON FROM ONE PLCE TO ANOTHER, ESPECIALLY TO HEAVEN.’ (ETYMOLOGY: MEDIVAL LATIN RAPTURA, “ECSTACY FROM LATIN RAPTUS.)] the holy spirit within context of the book of 11 Thessalonians chapter 2, is referred to here as the restrainer, “and now ye know what with oldeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightest of his (second) coming (in great glory, after the tribulation period).”
It is clear from his passage of scriptures that the person ministries (indwelling, infilling and anointing) of the Holy Spirit will stop during the tribulation period. I do not believe that the Holy Spirit by the phrase “taken out of the way” would mean vacate or leave the world totally. In the first place, the Holy Spirit being God is omni-present or everywhere present and this would make the Holy Spirit impossible to really withdraw himself from of earth. By the term, “taken out of the way,’ it simply means that the holy spirit during the tribulation period will no longer stay to dwell in the hearts of those who will not betray Christ nor will he ever be able to empower a tribulation saint inasmuch as ACCEPTING CHRIST BY FAITH THEN WILL MEAN BEHEADING! Once beheaded (the proof of true acceptance that time), how could the Holy Spirit indwell his heart when his head is already cut off, meaning he’s dead already!
Let us read the book of Revelation 20:4, “and I was thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the SOALS OF THEM THAT WERE BEHEADED FOR the (1) WITNESS OF JESUS and (2) FOR THE WORD OF GOD, and (3)WHICH HAD NOT WORSHIPED THE BEAST, (4) neither HIS IMAGE, (5) neither HAD RECEIVED HIS MARK UPON THEIR FOREHEADS, OR IN THEIR HANDS; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” [note: when john saw the vision of these martyred saints, it was during the second part of the tribulation period (the great tribulation period) before Christ finally usher in his own to his 1,000- year world government, the millennial reign,
As in a play, a number of actors will render their parts and their lines during the earth’s most sobering drama- the tribulation period. One of them is the Holy Spirit. Contrary to some, the Holy Spirit will not be removed when the gentile believers are raptured. He will instead (it would seem) perform a ministry similar to his work in the Old Testament. It is concluded that he will remain on earth due to the fact that many will be saved during the tribulation (Rev. 7:9-17). The word of God makes it crystal clear that no mortal can ever be saved apart from the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit (see john 3:5-8; 16:8-11; 1 Cor. 2:1-13). Conviction is much different than indwelling as it is very clearly stated in the foregoing verse that the person who will accept Christ as Lord and personal savoir will have to be beheaded. This gives no place anymore to the three (3) ministries of the Holy Spirit under Church age when he indwells, fills and anoints the believers. At any rate, his presence will still be felt in the tribulation, as indicated by the prophet Joel (ch. 2:28, 30-32; see also Rev. 11:11; 17:3.
Salvation like Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Why? Because it is only in the name of Christ, salvation of souls is possible! From the Old Testament time to the Church age up to the Tribulation period, the same name saves! During the O.T., one gets saved through the animal sacrifice obedience under the law – and this blood sacrifice looks forward to the death of Christ! We who belong to the church age or grace dispensation are the most blessed in the sense that it is the actual, physical blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that covers and saves us. All we need to do is accept him as our Lord and Savoir, and ‘by grace, through faith” we are saved!
However, during the tribulation period, one has really to prove his faith in Jesus Christ and by his own blood that looks backward to the death of Christ will he ever validate true acceptance. The Holy Spirit’s work is the same: CONVICT SINNERS. But he will not have anymore part in their heart considering that acceptance on the part of the gentile tribulation saints (all Israel will be saved, accdg. To Romans 11:26) will mean sacrificial death!
Another consideration is that God the father and Jesus Christ will not permit that the ministry of the Holy Spirit will co-exist with the reign of the antichrist. If the Holy Spirit will permit the beast to come out to rule his one-world government, then and then only, will the beast be able to reign. The antichrist is subject to the will of the Holy Spirit! “Only he who letteth will let!”
To close this discussion, I will quote a famous illustration of Dr. H.L. Wellmington which is worth considering: “a man is cleaning out his garage and discovers a small box filled with a mixture of iron nails, wooden splinters, sawdust, and pieces of paper. Suppose he desires to save the nails. How could he quickly separate them from the wooden splinters? If a magnet is available, the task would be quite simple. He would simply position the magnet over the box. Immediately all those object possessing the same physical nature would be caught up to meet the magnet in the air.
If his wife were watching all this, spotting a particular object in the box, she might say: “look at the sharp point on that! I bet the magnet will zap that up!” but unknown to her, that tiny item might be a sharp silver of wood which would not be taken up. Or, she might conclude: “hat fragment over there is a piece of wood for sure.” However, in reality it could be a too rusted nail. Rust is no longer metal. But in both cases the magnet would quickly and accurately discern the character of the piece and act accordingly.”
Christ is coming and automatically when he comes people with the seal and presence of the Holy Spirit in their heart will be caught up into him in the air! But the original metal, Jewish people, who were set aside, will go through the tribulation period or Jacob’s trouble!
When Christ appears, he will not come especially for black or white people, for Baptist or evangelicals, for many poor or few rich persons, but only for those individuals who possess the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
This is the biblical proof that Jesus Christ will come before the tribulation period when the holy spirit will be ‘taken out of the way’ and so with gentile Christians. [Note: the taking away of the Holy Spirit will mean rapture of saints because it is impossible that the present (3) ministries of the Holy Spirit will stop during the tribulation period, s explained, and there would still be believers with this period.] And unbelieving Jews or gentile will remain to live under the one world government rule of the antichrist!
I will discuss in my next column why ENDTIMES UPDATES hold on to the pre-tribulation stand!





I Wish We'd All Been Ready

Life was filled with guns and war,
And everyone got trampled on the floor,
I wish we'd all been ready
Children died, the days grew cold,
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,
I wish we'd all been ready,
There's no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you've been left behind.
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A man and wife asleep in bed,
She hears a noise and turns her head, he's gone,
I wish we'd all be ready,
Two men walking up a hill,
One disappears and one's left standing still,
I wish we'd all been ready,
There's no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you've been left behind.
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Life was filled with guns and war,
And everyone got trampled on the floor,
I wish we'd all been ready,
Children died, the days grew cold,
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,
I wish we'd all been ready,
There's no time to change your mind,
How could you have been so blind,
The Father spoke, the demons dined,
The Son has come and you've been left behind.