📢 Forum Update - Hello everyone! I've made an improvement to the forum that should make following active discussions much easier. Beginning today, forum topics will display the most recent replies first (while keeping the original topic post at the top), so you no longer have to navigate through multiple pages to find the latest conversation. This change also helps improve the browsing experience in long-running discussions with many pages of replies. If you notice anything that doesn't seem to be working correctly or have any feedback, please let me know. — Richard G. I wanted to share my thoughts on what we are seeing now and where I see it all heading next based on what our Bible says. Forgive me if this is already posted a couple of pages a go. I know we've all been discussing it in the Israel watch thread and the Rapture thread. Isn't it great that all the threads are converging together as we get closer to our Blessed Hope First a map of the Psalm 83 nations: Philistia is Hamas and where the war currently is, the others are positioned and ready to join in as soon as tomorrow it appears. Notice that none of the major players are involved in this war, it's all the proxy militias and groups that are immediately on Israel's borders. I'm admittedly perplexed about the Ishmaelites though as I would expect that to be Saudi Arabia, but they clearly aren't ready to fully jump into this conflict. Could the Ishmaelites instead refer to Yemen and the Houthis as they are already active in this conflict? Maybe this isn't the Psalm 83 war even, always fun to look into it and discuss it though. I do think that Israel wins this war through natural means. i.e. their soldiers and fighters and physical military assets win this war. God of course supports them and is the real victor, but not through direct divine intervention like we will see in Ezekiel 38. This I believe is because us we as the Church are still here and God has chosen his way of interacting with us to be through faith and His Word. For Him to supernaturally step in would be to remove faith from the equation and would effectively end the age of grace. Thus this conflict is in my mind the last possible event that can take place prior to the rapture. Followed in post 2 I always have trouble posting links :unsure: my link above is Eric Stecklebeck and Rabbi Jason Sobel on the Ezekiel 38 war. I like Geri's comment. I think Revelation 4 and 5 may give us a picture of how this comes about as shown to John. The Church (as 24 elders) is shown judged and already crowned worshiping Lamb and there seems to be a time period for this. After this wonderful praise and worship, the sealed book is opened by the Lamb. It is then the Day of the Lord commences with the seal judgements of four horseman beginning with the AC, the first horseman. The seals are not some mild prelude; this is the beginning of the Tribulation lasting for the first three and a half years and followed by the last three and a half years will be the Great Tribulation especially with the bowl judgements. Okay I was able to find this old article on RaptureReady by John M. of the timeframe of the rapture event in the book of Revelation. He clearly makes a strong case it happens here … Revelation 4:1-2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Revelation 4:1-2: Come Up Hither :: By John M The “door” opened in heaven is Jesus Himself. John 10:7 & 9 states, “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Jesus stated emphatically in John 14:6 that He is the only way to heaven. Jesus is the Savior of mankind. He is the Word of God (John 1:1). The “trumpet” is the next key to the puzzle. I Thessalonians 4:13-18 states, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” The above verses in I Thessalonians 4 reveal that “the Lord Himself” will open the door to Heaven and will descend to the clouds. The “trump of God” will sound and the Church will receive their glorified bodies “immediately.” I Corinthians 15:51-53 states, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” The Apostle John was taken up in the spirit. The bodies of dead saints will be resurrected and their soul and spirits that are in heaven will be incorporated into their glorified bodies. The saints that are alive will be taken up and changed in less than a second. In a twinkling of an eye, the body corrupted with sin will be changed into a body like the Lord Jesus. 1 John 3:2-3 states, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” What a great promise. What a “comfort.” What a “blessed hope”! The Apostle John was taken up in the spirit to view the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10) or the Day of the Lord, from Heaven. Revelation 3:10-11 states, “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. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” The book of Revelation promises a blessing to those who read it (1:3) and promises the overcoming Church that they will be exempt from “the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world.” It is not a shock to see the Apostle John taken up in the spirit because he represents the true Church. After the rapture of the Church or the removal of the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit that indwells the Church), God will turn His focus to Israel. God has made covenants with Israel, which will be fulfilled. Jesus will come suddenly for His bride. We will be transported to heaven until the indignation or tribulation is completed. - Fair Use -
!!!! This isn't a teaching so much as an observation and discussion amongst friends here. If you see something that looks off, please point it out and let's keep learning together and praising our God through our research!
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.
RaptureReady Oct 22, 2019
