"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." -Proverbs 30:5&6.
The end of the world, and the return of Christ have been topics of great interest to believers, as well as points of serious stumbling. In light of such challenges, and the mysterious nature of it all, I think many Christians consider this subject to be bothersome, rather than helpful.
My opinion is this; the Lord's return will mark the end of history as we have known it, and it is vitally important. It's SO important that the Lord reveals the timing of it plainly, so that we will be ready, without confusion. It is also my opinion that the pre-tribulation rapture view comes from the private interpretation of prophecy, such as we were told of in 2 Peter 1:20;
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."
What follows are scriptures from the King James Bible which show us plainly the timing of the Lord's return; please consider them carefully. It's my hope that some will acknowledge the message scripture shows us, even though it isn't as comfortable as a pre-trib view.
The danger is this; that while we are expecting to be "raptured" at any moment, that the Antichrist comes; he poses as God, and signs & wonders will be with him. This is potentially a great deception for many to be taken by. It will be far better to study the Word, prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.
First, I will tackle this simply, but afterwards in more detail. We know that the rapture of Christians comes after the tribulation, Matthew 24:29-31. Next, we can know the approximate time of Jesus' return, Luke 21:29-31, I Thessalonians 5:2-5. We know that we must wait for the Antichrist to be revealed before the day of the Lord. It's also clear that God's rescue of His own, and the judgment He will bring happen on the same day; NOT 7 years apart, Luke 17:26-30. We know that the Antichrist reigns 3 1/2 years, Revelation 13:5, and he is overthrown when the Lord returns, in 2 Thessalonians 2:8. So we now wait for Antichrist to be revealed, and then a countdown to the approximate time of Jesus' return. That's the simplicity, and now comes greater detail...
There are 3 main points I see in the way the Lord's return is now popularly portrayed; first, Jesus could come at any time. Second, the time of Christ's return is unknowable. Third, He will rapture His church before this last tribulation period. The Bible has a contradictory view on these points, however.
The time of Jesus' return is knowable:
Matthew 24:32-34, Mark 13:28-30, Luke 21:29-31; I Thessalonians 5:1-6 (4)
The Rapture comes AFTER the last tribulation period:
Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28, Revelation 16:15, 19:6-15
When that time will come:
Matthew 24:3-31, Luke 17:26-30, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, 2:3-6
Reference to a 3 1/2 year period, not 7:
Daniel 7:25, 9:27, 12:7,11,12, Revelation 11:2,3, 12:6,14, 13:5
THE TIME IS KNOWABLE;
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." -Matthew 24:32-34.
Jesus' disciples had asked Him about the end of the world, and His return in the verses preceeding these, and the Lord told them about the condition of things that would come. He tells them plainly that when they would see these things happening, they would KNOW the end was at hand. The passages in Mark & Luke echo the same conclusion.
It should be noted here that many try to stand on Matthew 24:36 in order to declare that the time is altogether unknowable. Yet the testimony of this entire passage is showing that we will know with certainty the season of the end, but the exact time will be hidden from us.
"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 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 sober." -I Thessalonians 5:2-6. Bold type is added to emphasize.
THE RAPTURE COMES AFTER THE TRIBULATION;
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." -Matthew 24:29-31. The underlining has been added for emphasis. The passage in Mark also directly says "after," and the verses from Luke identify the same time period, without saying after.
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:" -2Thessalonians 2:8.
The Lord's return, and the destruction of the Antichrist come the same day; obviously at the end.
WHEN THAT TIME WILL COME;
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time." -2 Thessalonians 2:3-6. Bold type is added to emphasize that the Antichrist must first be revealed before Jesus' return.
The Lord's return, and God's judgment fall on the SAME DAY;
"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." -Luke 17:26-30. Bold type added.
"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." -2 Thessalonians 1:7-10. Bold type is again added. You can see in this verse that God's vengeance is the same day He will be glorified in His saints.
Matthew 24:3-31;
"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" -Matthew 24:3. Bold type is added to emphasize the setting, that Jesus is with His disciples alone, and that's how the answers given in the next 28 verses should be taken. This setting will also apply to the accounts in Mark and Luke, even if not mentioned there.
When we note the Lord's answers here in context, we see that disciples of Jesus are still here on earth during this last tribulation period.
Revelation 16:12-16;
"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." -Revelation 16:15&16. The bold type emphasizes that there are still believers here on the earth when the 6th vial of God's wrath is poured out. You can see here the admonition to be ready for the Lord, just before judgment at Armageddon.
Revelation 19:6-15;
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready...And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war...And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." -Revelation 19:6,11,14. Bold type emphasizes the marriage supper of the Lamb, and the judgment which follows soon after; Jesus said it will be on the same day.
REFERENCES TO A 3 1/2 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD;
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." -Daniel 7:25.
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." -Revelation 13:5.
The scriptures list a 3 1/2 year time period for the time when the Antichrist reigns, but it lists them in different ways. In addition to these 2, see Daniel 12:7,11,12; Revelation 11:2,3, 12:6,14.
In prophecies of that last tribulation period, a 7 year period is never mentioned; you'd think it would be, if it applied. The 7 year period that so many stand on is due to misunderstanding the 70th week prophesied in the book of Daniel 9:27. These 70 weeks listed are well kmown to represent 7 year periods, with only the last one that isn't yet fulfilled.
The first 69 weeks take us to Jesus' earthly ministry, and they are very accurate. What many don't understand is that the 70th week is split into 2 parts; the first half is the 3 1/2 year ministry of our Lord, culminating with His death on the cross for our sins, and His resurrection. Daniel 9:27A;
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease..." Here I use bold type to point out that in the midst (middle) of the week it says the sacrifice & oblation will cease; which we take to mean that by Jesus' atoning death on the cross, other sacrifices are no longer needed. That these verses talk about the Messiah can be clearly seen in the verses before v.27.
We don't have to guess about this serious subject, for God gives us clarity in His Word. The hard part is getting past all of the propaganda that has been thrown our way over the years. My prayer is that you will find peace in the Lord, through faith in His Word.
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before." -Matthew 24:24,25.
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