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The Last Days – Prewrath Rapture

So lately I’ve really been diggin this whole “end times” prophecy fulfillment stuff. I’ve been looking a lot at Anna’s blogs on the prophecies of Daniel and the current events in the world regarding the European Union forming the “one world” government… I’ve been researching quite a bit on my own on Paul’s prophecy in his letters to Thesolonica as well as looking deeper into a lot of what Revelations says regarding the signs of Christ’s return.  I’ve talked to Steve Korn at CedarCreek (a man who dropped out of medical school where he was studying to be a doctor to go into ministry… THERE’S a pay cut…) who has almost 20 years experience studying the Bible EXTREMELY in depth… (He was gonna be a doctor afterall!)  And I’ve been consumed with desire to know more!  It’s crazy!

For the longest time I always thought… “Eh… end times probably won’t happen in MY lifetime… I’ll just leave the crazy visions to be deciphered by scholars who dig that stuff and I’ll focus on doing what a Christian does and has done for the last couple THOUSAND years…  I’ll try my best to obey God’s teachings, love others, and share his message of redemption with the world.”  THE END.  But now I’m looking around and realizing that this could all very well happen within MY LIFETIME!  And I’m PSYCHED!

So actually I just finished this book, “The Prewrath Rapture Position Explained” by Robert Van Kampen.  This guy has written quite a few books regarding the end times and is the founder of “Sign Ministries” which is a ministry founded to answer questions regarding the end times.  They are part of Sola Scriptura and can be found at this link which will only actually redirect you to here.

So anywho, this book TOTALLY changed my view on the end times rapture stance I held.  I’d heard before about Pre-trib, Mid-trib, Post-trib theories that all were based on when the rapture occured.  But the problem is in the fact that if the rapture is pre or mid tribulation… then the anti-christ can’t persecute and kill Christians as the Bible states in Matthew 24… So POST-trib had to be the answer right?  Yet Post-trib views state that God would pour out his wrath on the earth THEN rapture us… and that’s not possible because God says that won’t happen!  And logically why would we be punished by God if the whole POINT of Jesus is to spare us that punishment?  ANYWHO… the only explanation that makes sense is as follows:

1)  Scripture cannot contradict itself.  If it appears to, look deeper and realize that until it all makes sense in one harmonious meaning, then you haven’t found the meaning yet.

2)  The best source for understanding scripture IS scripture!  Martin Luther founded those words… He was a smart man.  LOOK AT THE CONTEXT!

3)  Don’t look to man’s interpretations and dive in for DEEPER meanings all the time… Taking things at face value is usually the simplest explanation and more often than not, the most accurate.

So knowing that… The Bible is quite clear about how this will all work out.  The first step is the coming of the anti-christ.  He will come and make a peace treaty with Israel.  The world will be at peace more or less…  But minor issues will still occur… (I say minor but they really aren’t minor… they just are in comparison to the second 3.5 years of the tribulation!)  There will be famines, earthquakes… and maybe even some war.  At the end of the first 42 months, the anti-christ reveals who he is and what his true intentions are.  He tries to attack Israel but fails.  Frustrated with his failure to crush the nation, he turns his wrath on those who uphold the testimony of Christ…. ::gulp:: that’s me…

Revelations talks about the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse being released… the first is the white horse with the rider wearing a crown… (The anti-christ).  The second is the red horse with the rider carrying a sword… (symbolizing war on Christians).  The third horse is the black horse with a rider carrying a scale and he is measuring out small amounts of food for a whole days wage… (symbolizing extreme famine) and the final horse is the ashen colored horse carrying a rider named “Death” and Hades follows him… (Satan… and torture for Christians).  It states that 1/4 of the world’s population will be handed over to the ashen rider… to death.  SIDENOTE:  Just what is the current percent of population in the world for “christian” faiths???  ANY GUESSES???  25%.  So 1/4 of the world will die under the great tribulation of the anti-christ.  That’s almost 3 BILLION people.  Either by murder, starvation, or by diseases and pestilence…  This will cause a great “apostasy” or “falling away” of believers… Many who had trusted christ will sell out and recieve the mark of the beast for the sake of being able to buy food… to not be murdered… little do they know they’ve just denied Christ not only outwardly, but have bought an eterenity away from him.  Even some of the “elect” of Christ have the possibility of falling away… millions will be decieved.

So where’s the GOOD news, you ask?  Jesus says he will “cut short” the reign of the anti-christ for the sake of the “elect believers.”  Those who remain true despite the starvation and murder around them.  Those who will more that likely be martyred if found.  Those who’s families and other Christians haven’t ratted them out and turned them in to be killed yet…  Once the whole world has had the chance to accept Christ, God interceeds and cuts the 3.5 final years of the anti-christ’s reign short.  (Mark 13:20)  How much?  No clue.  Does he kill us for a year?  Two?  Three?  I don’t know.  But don’t be fooled by the many “fake” saviors that Satan will throw out there… TONS of people will perform miracles and claim to be Jesus only to kill you when you come out of hiding… oh no… don’t be decieved… we’ll know the day before our redemption is coming by the following signs…

The sky will turn black.  The sun will not shine.  The stars will not shine and the moon will turn blood red… When these signs start to appear…  LOOK UP… For our day of redemption is drawing near.  The next day Christ is coming back in great power and glory in the heavens… in the clouds with lightning and power…. The angels are sent forth as the four winds of the earth to pick up God’s faithful ones… Those who have trusted in Jesus and didn’t take the mark of the beast… and we are raptured… Then …. Then God lays waste to this planet and all it’s corruption… Then we are in heaven… and the world is judged.  Then it isn’t over…. no… it’s just beginning… an eternity with our creator… in perfect community…

Man I can’t wait….   Granted… I don’t want to watch my friends and family starve, or be murdered, or hunted down… but death at that point isn’t death… it isn’t the end… it’s just the beginning of a beautiful story… It’s the start of your redemption… Christ is gonna KICK SOME …. uhh… BOOTAY… and I’ll gladly choose Martyrdom over the alternative… Man… God… COME BACK SOON!!!  Let’s get this party started!