Part #4, The Rapture

The Rapture is another eschatological term used by certain Christians, particularly within branches of American Evangelicalism, to depict or describe an end time event when all elect Christian believers, living and the resurrected dead, will rise into the sky and join Christ in Heaven.  This can be a hotly debated subject in bible study sessions where we are more concern about the present rather than the future.  The point of contention seems to be the use of the translated word "Rapture". 

John Darby supposedly invented the rapture doctrine in 1830, but there is a problem with this assessment seemly how the scripture predicts this event.  “For the Lord, Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1^st Thessalonians 4:16–17).  Either we can allow these verses to stand or we can explain them away.

In Matthew 25:1-10, Jesus give us, an account of the coming of the bridegroom to claim his bride, which is the church and this scenario, illustrates a type of rapture or being "caught up".  It was not a call to the general populace; it was a call to a selected few.  There were those that were ready and there were those who were not ready. "And while they went to buy, (or get ready) the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut." (Matthew 25:10)  Now we need to remember that a marriage ceremony is a transforming event, "we become as one". Those that went in with him were transformed into Holy angels, given crown and ruled with him in Heaven for a thousand years.

Belief in the rapture tends to debunk the dying and going straight to heaven ideology that has become prevalent.  Lack of belief allows us to shape the scripture. In today's society, our loved ones are usually in Heaven looking down on us long before the casket is in the ground.  Even rock stars are called home early because they are needed to sing in the heavenly choir. 

Matthew 25:31 begins with Christ returning with his Holy angels to establish his kingdom on earth.  "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:" A detailed study of this event can be found in "The Five Judgments Part #4." Where is the throne of Glory?  There are different thrones mention in the Holy Scripture.  The Throne of Glory which is on Earth is the key to understanding this verse, it must not be confused with The Great White Throne which is in Heaven. 

Some adherents believe this event is predicted and described in Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians in the Bible, where he uses the Greek "harpazo" (ἁρπάζω), meaning to snatch away or seize. Though it has been used differently in the past, the term is now used by certain believers to distinguish this particular event from the "Second Coming" of Jesus Christ to Earth mentioned in Second Thessalonians, Gospel of Matthew, First Corinthians, and Revelation.  In the second coming of Christ, he returns with his Holy angels.  The rapture is usually viewed as preceding the Second Coming and followed by a thousand year millennial kingdom.  The error in this thesis occurs when we place the millennial kingdom here on earth before the tribulation.

Adherents of this perspective are sometimes referred to as premillennialist dispensationalists, but amongst them, there are differing viewpoints about the exact timing of the purported event.  The reason for the lack of a Consensus is the desire to protect the church and its mission.  If the church is still here on earth then 1^st Thessalonians 4:16-17 has not been fulfilled, thus the event is still in the future.   If this event is in the future then the fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation also must be in the future. Thus the church, a divided body, all 30,000 different denominations is still a functioning entity.

The rapture of the church is the event in which God “snatches away” all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment or wrath to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period. The rapture is described primarily in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1^st Corinthians 15:50–54. God will resurrect all believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along with all living believers, who will also be given glorified bodies at that time.  This will be the beginning of the tribulation.  Salvation will still be available for those who live during the tribulation and wish to live forever and be ruled by Christ.  Remember the huge number John saw that no man could number coming out of the tribulation.

The verse that set the timing of this and other controversial events is often overlooked because it places the modern day church with its grand edifices and rock-star preachers in an untenable position.  In Revelation 1-3, after the church had digressed into a state of apostasy and suffered the indictment of Jesus, John vision, and the church ceased to exist on earth.  "After this, I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." (Revelation 4:1)

"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." (Revelation 18:23)

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." (Revelation 21:9)

The events outlined in Revelation 20 is not a new or continuation of the prophecy, it is a recap of all of the events that are set to take place at the end-time and in the order that they are to set to happen.  Some believe this event took place before the church become polluted and divided, other believe the last days started sometime this century, most likely in 1947 AD when Israel became a nation and the Jews returned to their homeland, (Jeremiah 16, Jeremiah 23:7-8).  Whether this is true or not the tribulation began with Satan being bound for a thousand years.  (Revelation 20:1-2).  During the tribulation, the church is safe in heaven ruling with Christ (Revelation 20:4).   The binding of Satan is to give humanity a chance to mend its ways and turn to the one true God, but the antichrist spirit has infected the hearts of humanity and initiated a war against the Holy Spirit.  The time of the Gentiles is upon us.  "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison," (Revelation 20:7), and all of the forces of darkness will be unleashed for a short period, then there will be judgment.    

 The account of this judgment is in Revelation 20:11-15. It will take place at the close of the Millennium and before the "Great White Throne." The "Great White Throne" will not be on the earth, for the "Great White Throne Judgment" will take place during the renovation of the earth by fire.  The "renovation" of this Earth is reserved or kept until the time of that judgment, which Peter calls "The Day of Judgment and Perdition of Ungodly Men" (2^nd Peter 3:7), because the judgment of the "Great White Throne" is the judgment of the wicked dead.

 All the Righteous dead will arise at the First Resurrection. If any Righteous die between the First Resurrection and the Resurrection of the "wicked" or Second Resurrection, they will rise with the wicked dead at that Resurrection and become a part of that great number seen by John.   The words-- "Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life" (vs. 15) imply that there will be "some," righteous at the second resurrection.

 At the close of the Millennium and just before the renovation of the earth by fire, the living Righteous will be translated to a place of safety like in the days of Noah and the living Wicked or Ungodly will be destroyed in the flames that will consume the earth's atmosphere and an exterior surface.  

This entire thesis has been leading up to a rhetorical question.  Have you ever considered the possibility that the rapture has already taken place and we are enduring the tribulation?  Numerous ancient societies or civilizations seem to have vanished, leaving behind only relics of their existence.    Science attempt to explain these events is nothing but speculations and conjectures.  The dark cloud that overshadowed the ancient cities of Africa, Egypt and even North America poses many unanswered questions.  In America, names such as "Maya", "Aztec" and "Inca" immediately come to mind.  In the Bible, it began with the Tower of Babel, a dispersal implemented by God that left behind the remains of a lost civilization.    Is there something that connects these sites - a hidden key that will disclose the riddles of our past?   Did God call his children home leaving those left behind to wander in darkness?

Continues in Part #5

The End Of Days

Part #3 Armageddon

Since my early childhood days, the battle of Armageddon has always filled me with a sense of dread.   The scary end of times scenario explained to me in such a manner that caused fear to overcome me. Much of my fear was because of the lack of understanding of this Bible prophecy by those who sought to use it as a whip to scare church members into compliance.   The shaped truth can be an effective tool when seeking to intimidate and influence the mind of Christian worshippers.  We must remember when it comes to rightly dividing the word of truth; there is the truth, the myth, and the big lie.

The ancient Kings James Bibles often showed pictures of angels and humans engaged in bloody battles.  Supernatural beings against mortal man did not depict a level playing field.  These biblical pictures often fueled many of my childhood nightmares.  My hope was simple; I did not want to be around when this battle began.  Even making that assessment did little to calm my fear, because not being here would mean that I was dead, the same outcome of that of the battle with the Angels.   The outcome of all scenarios was that irreconcilable unknown.

Just as there are many different denominations in the Christian or Religious community, there are numerous interpretations of the end time prophecies.  As stated earlier in part #1 of this study, one error many Bible students make is to insert the "church" in the place of "nations" or "Jews".  Paul's meaning should be clear, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:" (1^st Corinthians 10:32)  In essence whats for the Jews must remain for the Jews, the same as with the church.  Another error is to place all of the events mention in the end time prophecies in our future, rather than acknowledging the possibility of the fulfillment of the prophecies in our lifetime. 

As long as we can keep all of the events of the end-time prophecies in a future realm, we are justifying our inane existence in a feudal attempt to prolong the inevitable.  Bible prophecies set in motion one millennial, not two or three as some propose.  After the millennium then there is an eternity.  There is a timeline and there is a starting point which we can choose to overlook.  Where are we in the timeline set forth in  Revelation?  These questions should be at the forefront of our Bible Study.  Join me as I in a rambling fashion attempt to sort through the conflicting and often self-serving rhetoric with the hope of arriving at a common sense conclusion.

What is Armageddon? In the King James Version, the word is mention only one time.  "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." (Revelation 16:16)  Who gathered them (who) together?  This event precedes Revelation 16:12.  "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."  The uptake from this verse is that when the sixth angel poured out his vital the Euphrates River become crossable.  The Euphrates River is a marker used in the Old and New Testaments.  September 26, 2017, The Russian military has built a bridge across the Euphrates River near Deir al-Zor to move troops and vehicles to the other side to support a Syrian army offensive.

According to the Book of Revelation, Armageddon is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or a symbolic location. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario. 

The traditional viewpoint interprets this Bible prophecy to be symbolic of the progression of the world toward the "great day of God, the Almighty" in which the great looming mountain of God's just and holy wrath is poured out against unrepentant sinners, led by Satan, in a literal end-of-the-world final confrontation. Armageddon is the symbolic name given to this event supposedly based on scripture references regarding divine obliteration of God's enemies.  Are we guilty of creating our own end time scenario? 

"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather ALL NATIONS, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,' and will plead with them there for MY PEOPLE and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the Nations, and parted my land." (Joel 3:1-2)  This verse references a point in time when Israel was not counted among the nations, she was a scattered people and the land promised her by God was divided among other nations.  The use of the word plead seems to imply a type of negotiation.  This verse does not depict a war or judgment of the Nations and it should not be merged with Matthew 25:31-32.

The history of the 1948-9 Arab-Israeli war is deeply controversial. Israelis and their supporters have traditionally referred to the conflict as the War of Independence, seeing it as a defensive war to prevent the destruction of the fledgling Jewish state in the face of overwhelming Arab aggression. Many believers have interpreted the victory of the new Jewish state over five Arab armies as a miracle. 

"When the son of man shall come in his glory, and all of the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him he shall gather all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a Shepherd divides his sheep from the goats." (Matthew 25:31-32)  This is the Judgment of the nations and remembers the judgment of the nations is based upon how they treated the brethren. 

The visualization of this verse is clear, but the use of the words holy angels can cause several questions to emerge.  Through Bible study and reading we are told, "The Saints shall judge the world".  We will revisit that question in the timeline set forth in Revelation 20.  Now another question that is emerging is are we looking for the battle of Armageddon to take place or has it already happen.  We shall ask the same question about other end-time events.

At the close of the Great Tribulation, the devil will deceive the entire world into worshipping him.  Some interpretations will say he will come in the form of The Antichrist, but there is no scripture to support the coming of "The" antichrist.  When John made the statement about antichrist, he said antichrist, which was a spirit, was already here.  "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1^st John 4:3)  There is the Devil and there is the spirit of the Devil.  There is Christ and there is antichrist. Throughout the tribulation, it is the spirit of antichrist that will cause men to turn away from God. 

The battle of Armageddon taking place at the close of the millennium is not entirely scripturally sound.   This scenario achieved through the twisting of scriptures and combining bible verses that should not be combined to support the myth surrounding Christianity.

Revelation 20 is not a separate prophecy, it encapsulates all of the events that have taken place or set to take place.  It is a recap of all of the events prophesied by John in the order that they are to take place.  For this study, we have divided Revelation 20 into four sections: 

1.     The account, of the binding of Satan for a thousand years, Revelation 20:1-3. 

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." (Revelation 20:1).  Most theologians set the time of this event in the future, and is said to be at the close of the millennial.  This is one of those confusing aspects of Christ rulership.  Why would he rule on earth for a thousand years then turn the Devil lose?  

2.     The reign of the saints with Christ at the same time, Revelation 20:4-6.

In these verses, it seems that while the saints are reigning with Christ in Heaven the Devil on Earth is bound.  This is not acceptable to most Christian who proclaim the Devil is loose on earth and is causing destruction.  Also the word of Paul who stated, The Devil is as a roaring Lion walking to and fro upon the earth seeking whom he may devour." 

3.     Of the loosing of Satan and the conflict of the nation, become intense, with Gog and Magog, Revelation 20:7-10.

The evilness on man has flourished and before the final consummation of things, the Devil and the nations are given their last chance. 

4.     Of the Day of Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15

For the above verses and the timeline to hold true, the events must proceed as follows.  First, the devil is bound, Christ comes for his Church, "the Saints", and at the close of the millennial, the devil is released.  Christ comes back with his Holy angles to judge the nations.  

What makes the interpretation of Revelation so complicated is the attempt to include the church in the end-time prophecies.  In John's past, Jesus was seen interacting with the church.  In John present day, Jesus addressed the church and issued an indictment against a Church that had lost it way.   In Chapter 4 John is caught up into Heaven and the prophecy proceeds with John's view from Heaven.  The Church is no longer mention as being on earth. 

Have you ever considered the possibility that we are enduring the tribulation?  Remember the huge number John saw?  He was asked the question, "Who are these?"  "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14)  

Part #2, The Tribulation

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants' things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:" (Revelation 1:1)

Revelation is a book written using signs and symbology to present a message.  Jesus sent and signified it by his angel unto John. The purpose of using signs and symbology was to ensure that the message maintains it clarity down through the ages.   Often the intent of signification is not sustainable; as many will reject reality and common sense in favor of a delusional or denominational narrative.  To understand the book we must take the time to study the signs and symbology with the same patience researchers study the hieroglyphics of ancient civilizations.   Rather than rushing to interpret the book to fit our sometimes ancient denominational indoctrination, we should study the book to discover the fruit of new knowledge that is waiting for us to uncover.

To validate the above thesis, in the 1800's, the theory and application of nuclear fission were undeveloped, yet the knowledge of nuclear fission was waiting discovery.  

The basic problem with the interpretation of this Bible is the desire to incorporate too much into a verse through the substitution of a word and without regards to the order of the events.   This process is supportive of a false narrative.  False narratives regardless how small tend to shape our interpretation and lead us down a darkened path.  For instance, 1^st and 2^nd John used the word antichrist to describe those that seek to deceive the Children of God.  To promote an ideology that is acceptable to the mass we substituted, "the antichrist" for "antichrist", made him a person and sought to set a time for his arrival.    This does not seem to be the intent of the writer.  John is the only Bible writer to use the word "antichrist", but he never mentions "the antichrist". John's definition of antichrist was as follows: "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1^st John 4:3)  

"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." (2^nd Thessalonians 2:3)  "That man of sin, not the devil but a spawn of the Devil, the son of perdition."  Now, substitute the words, "the antichrist" for "the son of perdition", and we become at ease, deceived and distracted as we await the coming of, "The Antichrist".  

Here again substitution plays and part in the understanding of this verse.  "And shall go out to deceive the 'nations' which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea." (Revelation 20:8)  In this verse, if we substitute the "churches" for the word "nations", the prophecy is changed.  We now become guilty of changing the meaning of the verse.  The word "Church" is used seven times in the book of Revelation, after the third chapter, it is no longer used, in Revelation 18:23 the church has become the bride of Christ.  It is unthinkable that the devil would be able to deceive the church once transformed into the bride of Christ.

The conscious of many is the church will not go through the tribulation.  If we use today's church as a marker then we are yet to see the beginning of the tribulation. "Because thou hast 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." (Revelation 3:10)

This promise was true for the historic church at Philadelphia because they had the hope of the Lord’s return before the tribulation. If this church prefigures the true church as a whole, as many believe, it points to a further conclusion that all true believers in this age will have the same hope. This seems to follow a pattern found even in the Old Testament. Noah was saved from the flood. He was borne safely above it. Lot was led out of Sodom before its destruction. Rahab was saved before Jericho fell. Enoch was translated before the flood. While analogies are not conclusive, the translation of the church before the tribulation would be in keeping with these precedents.  This can pose a very thorny question as to the status of the church we will exploit this later.

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." (Revelation 21:9)

In this study, I will not use scriptures to try to prove a point, because if you are reading this you have basic scripture knowledge and you have a basic interpretation of the scripture.  Understanding the Word of God taught to look at how we interpret the scripture.   I intend to challenge you to look at how you interpret the knowledge that you have attained.  It is simple as the question of the earth, is it flat or is it round.  The pollution of God's Word is in full effect with shaped scriptures.

The most common structured belief is, first the millennial, then the tribulation, followed by the battle of Armageddon, then the Rapture.  The common belief is The Millennium described in Revelation describes an important interval lasting for 1000 years when Christ rules here on Earth.  The rulership of Christ on Earth is supposed to coincide with the binding of Satan.  This is often looked upon as a golden era; a time of universal peace. The ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism was the first to propose this concept.   However, this is not entirely scripture.

When we read Revelation 20, there are questions that should form the bases of our quest for knowledge.  Is Revelation 20 about judgment as a whole or is it leading up to a particular judgment?  Where is the church and who is the Holy Angles?   Remember what we have learned so far, "The saints shall judge the world."  During the millennial is Christ ruling in Heaven or is it Heaven and Earth?

 Let us consider that for a moment.  Now I know it is hard for a Christian of faith to admit that the rulership of Christ is not in effect in the world today.  Taught that God is in control and while we are sleep, he is solving our problem have become the mainstay of our Christian faith.   A noble approach to a supernatural God, and when we look around many are tempted to ask, "Is this How Christ rule?"   The event that was confusing to me was, after Christ had established his rulership here on Earth, a time of universal peace and happiness why would he interrupt his rulership and unleash the Devil.   The way the pious prelate explained it to me seems to take some of the events out of sequence and presented Christ rulership in a discombobulated manner to justify the status quo.

Thought by some, the darkest part of the prophecies of Revelation is contained in chapter 20.  Revelation 20 is not a separate prophecy; it is a recap of the events leading up to the conclusion of things.  The conscious is, to justify the belief structure and to maintain the relevance of the organized denominational church it would be wise to content ourselves with general observations, rather than to be positive and particular in our explications of it as future events.  The conscious seems to be flawed.  What if we rearranged the events and show that one or more has already taken place or are in process. The question of why are we taught such things emerge and the answer can only be to justify a false and profitable narrative.

The Tribulation is a time of distress, misery, affliction, and persecution that the followers of Jesus Christ were instructed to expect, also referred to as the time of the Gentiles.  The New Testament sometimes uses this word to denote a period of trial, trouble, and testing that will come to all humanity before the arrival of Christ to rule the world.   (Jesus prayed for the Kingdom to come, on earth as it is in Heaven.  Different views within the Christian community place the time of the tribulation and the arrival of the Kingdom at different points in relation to the Millennium.  

In John's vision, the millennium begins Chapter 4, verse 1;   he caught up, thus symbolizing the church.  "After this, I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter." (Revelation 4:1)

Paul described the event as such; "For the Lord, himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1^st  Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Since the church is considered, an integral part of salvation it is unthinkable to most that a millennial would begin with the church missing.  Based on referenced scriptures (Hebrew 11:7; 1^st Peter 3:20; 2^nd Peter 2:5), it is also unthinkable that Jesus would allow his bride to go through the tribulation.   The problem with the acceptance of this statement is what happens to those who are left to go through the tribulation if the church is missing.

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John describes the vast multitude of people who come out of this time of testing and trial.  "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:13-14) 

To some teachers of prophecy, the above verses are referring to a specific period called Tribulation. Based on a comparison of relevant prophetic scriptures, many people feel this time of trial will last seven years. While some reference the entire seven-year period by this designation, others refer only to the last half or three and one-half years of being Tribulation. This is done because it is believed the last half of the seven-year period will bring far worse suffering and trial than the first half.

Many try to figure out when this time of global tribulation, suffering and trials will begin. Jesus' Olivet prophecies, recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, can be used to help determine when the end will come and the Second Coming occurs.  Remember it is not for us to know the day or the hour, but it is for us to know the time and season.  When his disciples asked Jesus what would be the signs of his coming to earth during the end time he stated several events. He first warned them to watch so that they would not be fooled. 

 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Matthew 24:4-12)

Part #1, The Millennium

Revelation 20 

Millennium is just one of those big words that often come up when there is a discussion of Bible prophecies.  Just as quickly as it comes up it is glossed over in a confusing manner and cast aside as one of those events that we are not to be concerned with as long as we are still here, go to church regularly and pay our Tithes.  If pursued it can be one of the most confusing subjects of Bible study.  This should not be the case because the word seems to be simple to understand and Revelation seems to tell what is to take place.  The confusion began when we attempt to place a beginning on the event.

One's interpretation of the thousand years from Revelation 20 depends on more upon certain factors related to a Christian's hermeneutic than the strict text of the ten much-debated verses. There are several ways in which orthodox Christians choose to interpret the Scripture and depending on which of these methods is used, one's understanding of eschatological issues — and a host of others as well — will experience changes both significant and trivial. In addition, since one interprets Scripture primarily through the filter of his understanding of other passages in the Word of God, one's millennial view have issues when the Bible speaks of a millennium; the problem arises as we said before when we attempt to establish a starting point. 

Eschatology is a Christian term that means the study of the end of history or the "end of the world" from a religious perspective. Probably, more obscure theological text, made up sermons and ludicrous statements have been written on this topic than on any other belief in Christendom and yet there is no conscious within the household of faith. 

For the sake of clarification according to Wikipedia, "a millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period equal to 1000 years, also called kiloyears. It derives from the Latin mille, thousand, and annum, year. It is often, but not always, related to a particular dating system.

If we were to begin with the birth of Christ using the Julian Calendar then the 1^st millennium would begin January 1^st 0001 and end December 3,1 1000.  From an eschatological perspective, the 1^st millennium could have begun at the birth of Christ, the death of Christ, at that point before the church became a corrupted and divided body, or any other point referenced in the Holy scripture.

From my perspective, it seems easy to select a starting point, if I use the Bible and the book of Revelation as a guide.  Using the Bible I must ascribe to the belief that the events portrayed in the Bible are in chronological order.  Jumping back and forward, here and there trying to prove a point merely present the Word of God in a polluted and confusing manner.  Common sense is the bases of the knowledge of God and not the knowledge of good and evil, or science.  The common sense approach tells me that Jesus spoke of the events that were to take place in the end time and Revelation gives us a timeline to follow.   We cannot know the day or the hour, but we can learn the time and the season.

Because of our vast knowledge and the devil's desire to sow seeds of confusion, eschatological belief systems emerge when we attempt to discuss or study the prophecies of the end time millennium.  We shall treat them as follows: Dispensational Premillennialism, historic Premillennialism, postmillennialism, and Amillennialism.  The attempt to study the different belief systems rendered the study of the millennium as referenced in the scripture more confusing that it should.  The confusion is centered around when do it began and what is the order of the event that occurs at the beginning and during this period.  

Some see the millennium as the time of a future earthly theocracy by which Christ will rule over the nations for a thousand years. Others see it as a time during which Christ will rule the earth from heaven through the life-changing power of the Gospel. Still, others look at it in another way, and the multitude of others holds a multitude of other interpretations.  Thus, the confusion of Christianity reigns supreme.

The Bible contains many prophecies about the future. The New Testament talks extensively about the return of Jesus Christ to this earth.  This return is usually called his "second coming," or "parousia." The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24, is devoted to this topic, as is much of the book of Revelation, and 1^st Thessalonians 4:16-18. A literal interpretation of the Bible shows that four important events are predicted:

	The Millennium: Revelation describes an important interval lasting for 1000 years when Christ rules.  This is a golden era; a time of universal peace. The concept was first proposed by the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism.
	The Tribulation: This is a 7-year interval when a world religious-political leader called the Antichrist takes power.  This is not entirely scripture because the scripture does not refer to Antichrist as "The Antichrist."
	Armageddon is a terrible war provoked by the Antichrist. Most people on earth will die. God's anger, hatred, and wrath are poured out over mankind and the earth at this time. A series of violent events are predicted in Daniel 9, Matthew 24, and Revelation 4-19.
	The Rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 describes a miraculous event when Christ will descend from the heavens towards the Earth. Many conservative Protestants believe that faithful "born again" Christians who have previously died will be resurrected, rise from their graves, and ascend to meet Jesus in the sky. Immediately afterward, "born again" Christians who had not died will also ascend into the air. They will abandon cars, airplanes, factory jobs, homes, families, friends etc. Since the vast majority of humans are not "born again," most people will remain behind on earth.

We will discuss each of these events in a separate segment, hopefully, we can shed some light on what has the making of a confusing subject. Unfortunately, this and various other Biblical passages predicting the future are ambiguous. The events themselves are open to many interpretations. There is no clear indication of either their timing or sequence. Some Christians believe that "millennium" does not mean a time interval of exactly 1,000 years. Rather it refers to a long interval of time. Some Christians interpret events mentioned in the Christian Scriptures as descriptions of real happenings in our future; others interpret them symbolically and/or as events that have already occurred millennia ago. 

This leaves the passages open to many conflicting beliefs about the end times. A lot of intra-denominational and inter-denominational strife has resulted from disagreements about end time prophecy. For example, the Roman Catholic Church and most mainline and liberal denominations do not have an expectation that the Rapture will occur in the way anticipated by many fundamentalists and other evangelical faith groups.

Because of the conflicting beliefs about the millennium, the Kingdom of God and other religious practices, the church has splintered into many different groups and organizations.  Speaking to Peter, Jesus had high hopes and expectations for the church.  Speaking to John, Jesus condemns the church.  When did the church become a divided body? Is there a message here that we are missing? The answer to these and other questions might help us realize the time and season that is at hand.  Join me in a six-part study of the millennium and the event that follows.

To be continued 

The Beast of Revelation 13

History bears witness that there are two elements present when a nation decline and its people fade into oblivion.    The worshiping of false gods is always a factor.  The confusion of languages and the dispersion of the people at the Tower of Babel caused a cloud of darkness to overshadow and follow many civilizations. (Genesis 11:1-9) Wheather we accept this as the truth, a myth or a big lie, the evidence speaks for themselves.  Today we refer to them as "Lost Civilization." When a nation divides or merges its spiritual base destruction follows.  The Roman Emperor Constantine did not save Rome by merging Christianity with Pagan values, he hastens the downfall of Rome.  The treatment of the Jews has always been a factor in the survival of a nation or empire.   In modern History, the British Empire can attest to this fact.  Once a thriving Empire, after siding with the enemies of Israel she lost her status to America, her arrogant stepchild.  Did not Jesus say Nations would be judged based on how they treated his brethren (Jews)? 

The Bible is a history of God's interaction with his creation down through the ages and not a hodgepodge of related and unrelated clichés.  The fact that the Bible exists is a Testament to its sacredness and resilience.  The Old Testament gives us an insight how God interacted with his chosen people and we can learn from that.  Many messages of inspiration and exaltation are achievable from studying the books of the Old Testament, but The Old Testament is not to be mistaken as a message to the church.  To do so is to take the Word of God out of context.

Once minister learned from their counterparts the ease of taking words out of context this became a common occurrence.  New age interpretations of the Bible have emerged that allows for all infractions, even to the point of quoting scriptures to justify sin. A classic example of a scripture out of context is Jeremiah 29:11.  We often approach this scripture as a security blanket: "God has a plan for me that is good, so clearly this suffering I’m going through will end soon and then my flourishing will begin!" That is not at all what God was promising to the Israelites, and it is not what he is promising us, either.  Many shysters and late night televangelists have used this scripture to fleece the sheep of God pasture.  If we read the entire chapter, we most definitely would get a deeper understanding.  The heart and context of the verse is “not that we would escape our lot, but that we would learn to thrive” in the midst of it.

We can learn much about God from the book of Genesis.  The book is crammed full of information that should give us a clear picture of God, his plan, and his intent, but to contrive a scenario and present it as a message to the church is in error.  In the simplest terms, if we believe in the "Trinity" which many do not, then God never spoke to the church.   Remember, there are three entities referenced in the Holy Scripture.  "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." (1^st Corinthians 10:32)  If Paul referenced them as separate entities then they must remain separate. 

In my book, "The Evolution of a Failed Church", I am critical of the church, because it has taken on a mission that was not ordained by Christ.  Pastors are becoming politician and politicians are becoming pastors, this is not for the edification of the Kingdom, it is to amass a fortune, fame, and glory.   The indictment issued by Jesus reads as such, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." (Revelation 3:15-17) 

Understanding that much of what we believe will count for nothing when it comes to salvation.    ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:212-23 ESV)  That should be enough to make you think.

When we take words out context and present them as truths, we are guilty of a number of insidious acts.  Namely, we bear false witness, a task that many Christians now a day are comfortable with, we are using false words to create a separate entity, one that fits our ideology of what that person or even God should be.  Once we have created that false entity we tend to devote our time energy converting other to bolster our ego or our quest for fame and glory. 

Maybe we should stop asking God to do so many things and just let God be God.  Nothing can be more destructive to oneself and the faith of the struggling believer than to find God on the social media waiting for someone to "Type Amen and Share" so he can deliver a trunk load of money to their doorstep.  Somebody needs to tell somebody that this is not what God is about nor is this how God works.  The 'Genie in the Bottle', the 'Slot machine God' is not in accord with the Word of God, neither is he the God of prosperity.  Maybe we should let God be God rather than repeating what Moses told the Children of Israel about standing still and seeing the salvation of God, maybe we should reflect on what Jesus said.  "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations." (Revelation 2:26) That verse tells us a lot about what God's plan for us.

It is my belief that the events presented in the Bible are in a chronological order.  Revelation gives us a concise overview of the past, the present and the future as relevant to the time of John's existence. "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;" (Revelation 1:19)    Much of the confusion of Christianity and the lack of believability would dissipate if we were to accept the foregoing statement as being true. The study Biblical history the same as we study human history would cause too many inconvenient truths to emerge.  Many of these truths have lain hidden since the early days of the reformation of Christianity. 

The problem with Bible interpretation has been just that, the desire to interpret the Bible.   Reading with a desire to understand, asking for spiritual guidance is more appropriate than searching the scripture trying to prove a point.   Understanding the ancient language and the signification of the Bible is a major key to Understanding the Word of God.   

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." (Revelation 13:1) 

When I was a child, lacking in knowledge I would envision grotesque beasts emerging from the ground.  Many parents who would read the Bible to their children would refrain from reading Revelation.  As I grew older, a study of Bible symbology allowed me to grasp the understanding the meaning of the terminology "Beast, Sea, head, and horns."  A complete listing of Bible symbology can be found in my Book, "Understanding The Word of God."

Prophecy and Revelation acknowledge the concept that the book of Revelation written in chronological order depicts world events, past, present, and future.  The events of Revelation 1, 2, 3, took place before the events portrayed in Revelation 4.  In Revelation, 3:1 Jesus is speaking to a dead church.  This dead church existed in John's day.  That statement is not acceptable by the majority because it places the church of today in an untenable position.

Revelation 13 began with the destruction of a nation and a new nation emerging.  This new nation is an ungodly nation ruled by a person who possesses the spirit of the Devil (Antichrist).  

Revelation chapter 13 begins with a beast (the Antichrist) rising up out of the sea which represents the nations of the world. The beast is the Antichrist or the false messiah. He will be the final world ruler, also known as the little horn in the book of Daniel, chapter 7, v.8. "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things."

America and other European nations are being brought to their knees as America is being judged harshly by the sin of it pass.  Law and order are being systematical destroyed.   We seem to be standing on the pinnacle of disaster overlooking the abyss, but it is my belief that the hand of God has halted our descent until the time of the Gentiles is complete and the Temple has been restored.    

Things during the end times will be chaotic. A time of confusion and uncertainty will cause the people to desperately look for a strong leader that could bring hope and security in a time of fear and apprehension. People will desperately seek a strong, charismatic, authoritative leader who can pull the world back from the very brink of disaster. This leader will have already discarded the Bible as being the authoritative word of God and have overseen the enactment of laws that are contrary to God laws. 

Those people will get their wish as a powerful, charismatic leader spouting peace and unity comes on the scene from the Union of Nations. However, he will turn out to be much more than they bargained for. He will be a dictator whose cruelty will be more than any other the world has ever known. This man will possess the spirit of Antichrist, he will rule the entire world and receive its worship.

End of Age Prophecies

End of Age Prophecies Study Guide

Learned Bible scholars tend to agree that there are at least six primary "End of Age Prophecies, and they are all mention in the New Testament.   The Old Testament writers validated a number of these prophecies. The signs of the fulfillment of these prophecies are evident, but not to the detractors, their Heart has been hardened, they are like the ancient Pharaoh, they see the signs yet they refused to believe.   

In today's age, it is easy to explain away the signs of impending doom because of our science, history, ethnic background and the failure of our religious indoctrination.  The setting that humanity has created does not allow us to believe in the wrath of God.  That what is known as common sense or the Knowledge of God has been cast aside in favor of the vast Knowledge of the world, therefore we are comfortable with our ideology of why things are happening. 

The unbelieving state of humanity is an intricate part of the prophecies.  It seems as if false science and false teachings have distracted the masses,  religious leaders and the church of God.  In an age when we should be concerned about the coming of the Kingdom, we are more concerned about wealth, favor and sowing seeds to receive a financial blessing.  Paul's admonition to Timothy was, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:" (1^st Timothy 6:20)

Paul in his writing to Timothy advised him that false science is a distraction. Religion has nothing to fear from history or true science, and the minister of the gospel should not dread the truth. Real science, in all its advances, contributes to the support of religion; and just in proportion as that is promoted will it be found to sustain the Bible, and to confirm the claims of religion to the faith of mankind.

The meaning here is, that Timothy was to avoid everything which falsely laid claim to being "knowledge" or "science." There was much of this in the world at the time the apostle wrote this letter, and more perhaps than anything else has tended to corrupt true religion since.

When Jesus spoke of wars and rumors of wars, the devil and his minions quickly pointed out that this was nothing new.   Relying upon false science and history, they inject doubt into the Word of God.  Mention wars and rumors of wars today as an End of Age prophecy and if not fully grounded in faith, we would find ourselves doubting the meaning of Jesus words. 

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." (Matthew 24:7)

Each one of the above mention events standing alone might not raise an alarm, but when they accrue within the same time-frame maybe, we should take notice.  The acceleration of natural disasters and climate shifts around the world could easily signal a warning to the world that the Wrath of God is or it is about to be poured out on earth.  Yet, science and humanity have contrived numerous scenarios to explain what is happening.  Rather than accept the conclusion that time is winding up, we use a term such as global warming to indicate that man in charge of his destiny while reveling charismatic leaders who cast aside the teaching of the Bible.

"Which sometime were disobedient when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." (1^st Peter 3:20)

Jesus told His disciples that just before the “end of the age,” as we have known it all our lives, it would be as it was in the days of Noah.  People going about their daily lives as usual, they were oblivious to the “signs of the times” and the warnings of Noah that they were headed for sudden destruction. Then, the great flood came and killed them all, except those safe in the ark. (Matthew 24:3; 38-39; 2^nd Peter 2:5). 

These segments of scripture provide the fuel for a number of questions and it also provides the answer.  Often overlooked are the implications that when the destruction came upon the earth, those who were saved were safe within the Ark.   When the destruction befell Sodom Lot and his wife was safe outside of the city.   According to the book of Revelation, it seems that the church will be spared the tribulation that is to befall the world.  If there is any truth to these statements then maybe we should question the status of the church. 

"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;" (2^nd Thessalonians 2:3) 

The degeneration of the Christian Church into a worldly-minded, pleasure/prosperity-seeking, apostate church of the Laodicean type has come of age.

"Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen." (1^st Timothy 6:21)  

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy from Laodicea.  Laodicea is the city where the church in John's day had lost it way.  Timothy was advised to voiding profane and vain babblings. "Profane is empty empty words." The reference is to such controversies and doctrines as tended only to produce strife, and was not adapted to promote the edification of the church.

The rise of a beastly "whore" nation - modern, prophetic, Babylon the Great  who both seduces and "swallows up" the other nations of the world in her attempt to establish a global empire (Jeremiah 50:23; 51:25, 44; Revelation 17:1-2, 18)

 The collapse of the world's economies, resulting in revolutions, wars, rule of the wealthy elite through martial law, and the impoverishment and servitude of the masses (Revelation 6:2-6; 13:16-17)

 The amalgamation of nations of the Middle East and North Africa against Israel (Psalm 83:2-8; Ezekiel 38:2-16)

 Now Revelation 13 comes into play, first, the takeover by Islamists then annihilation by "fire" (a comet or nuclear explosion?) of the last great superpower nation - modern, prophetic Babylon - opening the door to the invasion of Israel by nations of the Middle East and North Africa.  (Jeremiah 51:1-4, 14, 27-28, 37, 43; Revelation 17:16; 18:2, 8)  Then Christ returns with his Holy Angels (The church who has already been sequestered) to fight for his brothers.   I challenge you to think about these things.

 "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Matthew 24:7-13) 

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." ( 1^st Thessalonians 4:17)   The church is caught up.  

"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter." (Revelation 4:1)  This is the beginning of the tribulation

 However, current events that are rapidly fulfilling Bible prophecy Revelation 13:3, 4, 7, 8; 17:11-17) are making it crystal clear that the kingdom of the "beast" (anti-Messiah) will be a global kingdom - an unstable, brittle merger of Eastern and Western cultures, religions and politics (hence, the mixture of iron and clay).

 Some of the events that occurred not long ago were Pope Francis embracing Islam - pronouncing that anti-Messianic religion just as valid as “Christianity” (the Roman Catholic version). Then, when the Pope arrived in Washington D.C., President Barack Hussein Obama, who had declared that America was no longer a Christian nation, greeted him very warmly.  After which the U.S. Congress and massive throngs of people with wildly enthusiastic accolades greeted the Pope, as though he is the leader of all the world’s religions, and indeed, that seems to be how he is perceived. There is even a term for the new, unified religion – Chrislam. The Pope is also advocating global cooperation in affecting climate change and humanitarian treatment of "oppressed" people (especially the Palestinians).