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Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Who Are the Mighty and the Holy of Daniel 8:24? - Part 5

Dennis Edwards

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. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 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. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 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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