Why does the Lord tarry.....

Here are a few thoughts, TR, on why I think He tarries:

1) LOVE: He loves people and is not willing that any should perish...He is giving people more time to repent and return to Himself.

2) CHARACTER: His character is merciful, long-suffering, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness...

3) RIGHTEOUSNESS: He is withholding His hand of judgment until the righteous (those clothed with His imputed righteousness that has nothing to do with ourselves and everything to do with Him) are removed from the city...  Far be it from the righteous Judge of all the earth to destroy the righteous with the wicked.  He waited for Noah and his family to get on the Ark before He sent the flood.  He waited for Lot and his family to get out of Sodom and Gomorrah before He rained down fire and brimstone.  He will wait for the Bride to get caught up from this sinful, fallen world before His scroll of unspeakable judgment is unleashed with the revealing of the Antichrist.

Thanks, good reasons.

I believe that the primary reason is, He is waiting for the cup of iniquity to be filled by the unrighteous, that their judgments may be filled!

Secondarily as you have stated He patiently waits for His Church to also be filled.  Allowing us more time accumulate and store our treasures in Heaven!

Indeed being omniscient, He already knows who will be saved and who wont!  That said 3 seconds  before the Rapture any number of souls could receive Him unto themselves.  Not just one last soul!  His choosing a day in time for the Rapture therefore isn't IMHO based on a definitive number of souls, but rather some other overriding concern to define the Rapture Day!

TR

Again the point being IMHO, if the date has already been appointed before the foundations were laid, this speaks of that day being unchangable!

That said the Lord will not forestall the timing of the Rapture by even one minute to wait for that last soul!  Again, that isn't the overriding criteria.

TR

Also looking at Lot and his family.  I don't think that one minute either way would have mattered.  The two angels knew the night before the exact time that destruction was going to reign down.

God set his schedule to accommodate when Lot and his family would be in safe place.  So it is with us. Once we are in a safe place (Heaven), then the judgments of God will rain down upon the whole Earth!

Even Lot had time to bring in as many family members as would to join him in his escape!  But only 4 followed and only he and his two daughters were saved!  God could not wait for Lot's wife to be emotionally prepared.  Knowing she never would be!

And the N.T. scriptures promise is that we won't be taken by surprise.  This speaks to and indicates a heads up, IMHO!  Rather than simply say the Blessed Hope will be accomplished, we were given the added promise of not being surprised!!!

TR

It’s definitely a set appointed date  ... are we close to the 6,000 year marker on the Hebrew calendar or did we surpass it?

I’m leaning also that the rapture could be tied in with the peace deal announcement.  However, if we are still here after the unveiling next month ... then no worries because time is literally running out and the glorious event must happen soon. :popcorn

Ha, you guys are just great! I certainly hold to the fact that the timing of our trip is known to the Father. He is a God of order and patterns, everything that was ever set to happen was known before the creation of the world. Nothing surprises our eternal, Holy God.

A hard concept for many is the very fact that God knew even Lucifer’s heart of deception, He knew the heart of man before his creation, yet God still continued on the path He had determined.

I believe we can discern the season as we have looked at the potential days, times, events, and seasons. Jesus said that he would not want us ignorant. He also said that how silly of us to be able to discern the time to plant and time to harvest but they could not see His coming at the time of the Cross.

So too, we are able to watch, discern the times and fully understand that His coming is certainly closer today than yesterday. The “signs” are ALL around us and even more distinctive than any other time in history.

We follow the template of a Jewish Wedding, we see the return of Israel to their land and now in “peace and security “, they are now 70 years old (distinctive and very important), we see the birth pangs of the earth growing ever stronger daily (earthquakes are so many, I can’t keep up anymore), we see wars and hear rumors of wars (every country is touched), we see the coalitions of the Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophecies setting stage (seriously who would have thought, except prophecy watchers), we see the increase persecution of the church, we see the turning to paganism by modern man, and we see good being called evil and evil being called good.

Wow! Ok let me wrap this up, Nothing new for you guys and in my hurry, I’m sure I have left out some things, but in completing this, we are the terminal generation, no doubt, it is not a matter of years, it is a matter of hours. My thoughts, Keep a VERY short list of sins (wick trimmed, house in order), tell everyone God directs you to about His saving Grace, be VERY watchful (even if Pentecost comes and goes), and prepare to take your flight upward at ANY moment, in a twinkle of an eye, “at the LAST trumpet” —- FYI- they only blow the trumpet when?..... :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :prayer-hands:

Again, I have always maintained that the day and hour is not something that could be calculated by Man.  If it were possible then Satan could also figure it out!  There seems to be an unspoken mentality that doesn't make sense.  We might be able to calculate it, but not Satan.   Somehow magically God is going to keep it from Satan.

And that works off the premise that if Satan could figure it out it would cause God some unknown consternation.  I for one am not convinced that this is a concern for God at all.

But if it were, a supernatural heads up given to the Church would by pass Satan altogether.  Even seeing and hearing of this heads up from the Church, what would give Satan any assurance of it's divine authority?

Again, given the use of specific language the scriptures has chosen to employ, makes one stop and ponder.

If we are given an additional promise that we shall "not be taken unawares", this certainly implies that awareness speaks of knowledge!

And against the backdrop of the Thessanolican church whose saints also expected the Rapture in their lifetime like Paul.  And to whom it was rumored the Rapture had already taken place.  It was their fear and confusion which led Paul to reveal and review the teachings of the Rapture.  And expressly saying they had knowledge or knew which day it would occur!

Given God's M.O. historically, and all the types & shadows of the Rapture which include a foreknowledge with regards to timing,  I can only conclude that we also shall be gifted with a foreknowledge of sorts!

Again, perhaps this is the last mystery to be revealed unto the Church.  A fit word, in due season as the scripture says!

TR

Good point T.R with Satan not being aware of the rapture day but we, who are watching, will have that knowledge heads up clue.

Just like Satan and his demons didn’t understand the cross and thought they had victory when they saw Jesus hanging on the cross and then died.  Little did they know that was the plan of God the Father and that Jesus was going to rise again and be victorious over taking all our sin away (if we place our trust in Him) and of the grave!

Again please understand.  I'm not teaching this as a doctrinal truth or that it's even necessary.  But it truly is plausible, is all that I am saying!

But most gifts aren't always necessary are they?!  Yes just simply a gifting to His Bride!

It is true however, that as we understand the Lord's heart, we then can understand why it is that He seemingly tarries!

He tarries for the benefit of those that love Him, and to the detriment of those that don't!

TR