How Do We Explain the Similarity in Imagery of the
Rapture/Resurrection Event and Christ Returning at the End of the Wrath of God?
The imagery that we saw in
Isaiah with the sun and moon turning to darkness during the wrath of God is
very similar to Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s description of the rapture event. In
Mark we read as thus,
Mark 13:24 But
in those days, after that tribulation, (Remember the tribulation consists of
the seven trumpets of Revelation 8-10 and ends with the seventh trumpet which
is the rapture/resurrection event), the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven
shall fall, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. 26
And then shall they see the Son of man (Spoken of by Daniel the prophet in
Daniel 7:13-14) coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
It may be at that particular
point, when the Son of God can be seen in the clouds coming for His bride, the
true believers, that the remnant of the Jewish nation shall be saved and
fulfill Revelation 1.
Revelation 1:7
Behold, he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him:
and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
We have shown that the
rapture/resurrection event takes place at the seventh trumpet, the last
trumpet. However, the wrath of God is yet to take place, and yet, the imagery
is very similar. Perhaps during the great tribulation some nuclear exchange
will take place and cause the plagues that are experienced. As a result of the
nuclear exchange the light from the sun and moon are affected. We saw during
the trumpets of tribulation there was 1/3 destruction, while the vials of wrath
that come later are much more severe.
Remember, the wrath of God is
only 75 days, or two and a half months and occurs immediately after the
rapture/resurrection event. In other words, all these events are happening very
close to one another. The prophets seeing them from a distance would have a
hard time to differenciate them from one another. No doubt, as these events
come closer to be fulfilled, God will open His word to our understanding if He
believes it is to our benefit.
Mark 13: 27 And
then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of the
heaven.
Mark is putting the rapture/resurrection
event at the end of the great tribulation period as we have seen elsewhere in
Matthew. Let us look now at Luke’s version.
Luke 21:25 And
there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon
the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which
are coming on the earth: for the power of the heavens shall be shaken. 27 And
then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great
glory.
We see Luke likewise placing
the rapture/resurrection event after the distress of nations, after the
tribulation period with similar imagery in the heavens.
Luke 21:34 And
take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your heats be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkedness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon
you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the
face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand
before the Son of man.
Again we are warned to
watch and be sober less these days come upon us unawares.
It is at the end of the wrath
of God that we see the defeat of the Antichrist at Christ’s hand.
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and
with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which
he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that
worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning
with brimstone.
Having a world empire under
his command may be the goal of the Antichrist, but he is not able to realize it
completely. He reigns for the a short 3 and ½ year period of the great
tribulation and into the wrath of God. However, sometime during the 75 days of
wrath of God, most likely towards its end, the Antichrist is taken by Christ
and cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Whether the destruction
of Babylon the Whore takes place at the beginning of the 3 and ½ year
tribulation period, or at the end, or during or at the end of the wrath of God
period we do not for sure. It does seem from the verses we have just read that
it occurs during the wrath of God. What we do know for sure is that all the
nations of the world will be judged. In Isaiah we read,
Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the
Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to
render his anger with fury, and
his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by sword will the Lord pleade with all flesh:
and the slain of the Lord shall be many.
Christ will come and make wars to cease unto the end of the earth. He will break the military might of man and burn it in fire. Then the world and all that dwell therein will know that the Lord, He is God. He will be exalted among the heathen. He will be exalted in the earth. Let us therefore be sober and be vigilant to warn others and do our best to bring them into relationship with Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
From all that we have
read in the Scriptures, we can conclude that “the mighty and the holy people” destroyed
by the Antichrist may consist of the leading nation of the present day
comercial system called in the Bible “Babylon the Whore,” and the Christians
believers who refuse to take the mark of the beast and worship His image. Those
believers would be truly “holy.” Many of the Christians in the world today live
in American. Much of the Christian literature and media is produced in America.
America is also said to have the most advanced military in the world.
Therefore, America, at present, seems to fit the description of “the mighty and the holy people.”
If America is the present
day Babylon the Whore, which will be destroyed in one hour by fire, then both “the
mighty and the holy people” would be destroyed at the same time. The Antichrist
would destroy “the mighty and the holy people” with the help of the ten nations
that give "their power and strength unto the beast." Could that destruction encorporate
the destruction of the American Empire and her Christians? If it did, that
would seem to push her destruction to a time before the wrath of God. The
reason being is that the Christians will be raptured before the wrath and will
not be present during it. The “holy people” would not be on the earth during
the wrath of God. Some scholars believe that not all the “Christians” will be
raptured, but only those who followed Jesus closely. They use the imagery of
the ten virgins in Matthew 25 to justify their belief. Let us read from
Matthew.
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom
of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth
to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise,
and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took
their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise
took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins
arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said
unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But
the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but
go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And
while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in
with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Matthew 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to
us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you,
I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Do the above verses mean that
some of the so-called Christians are really not followers of Christ and are not
saved and therefore will not be raptured? We see that Scripture is veiled
enough to give us a glimpse of the future and yet has enough mystery to keep us
guessing and seeking the Lord that we may escape those things that are to come
to pass.
Revelation 3:10 Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep
thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the
earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou has, that no
man take thy crown.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has
not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which
stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble,
such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Let us hope and pray that
we are worthy and that our names are found written in heaven's book!
To back to Part 1 click HERE. For more on why God should judge America, go to Where is America in Bible Prophecy? To go to Part 6 and read some comments click HERE.
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