The Rapture

The Rapture of the church

Now the doctrine of the rapture of the church , is a very important doctrine for the church of Christ, or the body of Christ. Infact the rapture , which simply means "a catching away" , is the end of our salvation , or the completion of our salvation , or the churches salvation.

This is what happens at the rapture.

1Thessalonians 4:14-17

(14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.15 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 16 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: 17 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.)

So at the rapture ; ( which I repeat , means a "catching away") the dead (they that sleep) will be caught in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air , and we which are alive at that time, will get caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Now we know that under the covenant of grace, that when someone is saved, that his or her spirit (new heart), goes to heaven , upon death , so then if their spirits are already in heaven after physical death , then what part of them will meet the Lord in the air ?

Well of course it will be their bodies , and the ones that are alive during that time , their bodies , soul and spirit will meet the Lord in the air.

Now at the rapture , our bodies will change and will turn into an incorruptible body , that is not marred by sin.

Here is the proof.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54

(51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,52 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.53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.)

Some might say well it does not say the word body in these scriptures, well here is a scripture to think upon , which is in the same chapter , and it is important to look at the context of things , and of course it is our bodies that are mortal , and that die, now yes an unbeliever has a spirit that is dead spiritually , or dead to the things of God , which is full of the sin nature , but nevertheless their spirit always lives on.

So here is a scripture , within the same chapter of 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:44

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(44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.)

This is not the only scripture that I can quote within the same chapter , which has the word body in it, and you will see that alot of the context in this chapter, is talking about a body or the body.

The rapture completes our salvation , so obviously , if it completes our salvation , then it is a very important doctrine.

Doctrine matters to God , and of course we may not know everything of course , for none do, but does that mean that God's doctrine is not important ?

Absolutely not, let's not make excuses for not standing on God's word.

What ever happened to the fear of the Lord ?

Yes we must be patient with one another , but what ever happened to the fear of the Lord, for today what is more practiced than not, is the fear of man !!!!!!!

It seems that Christians have less and less back bone.

It's like we are playing the get along gang club.

Now some might say, well the word rapture does not appear in the bible , well that is true that the word "rapture" itself does not appear in the bible , but what the word actually means, does appear in the bible , which is a "catching away" , and what does 1 Thessalonians say ? It says that we shall be caught up in the air, which describes a catching away.

It's really that simple, let's stop arguing with God's word.

Or make a big thing out of nothing.

Now to our next subject about the rapture, when will it occur ?

What view is the right view , is it the pretrib , the postrib , or the midtrib view ?

And does it matter ?

Well for sure it is not good to get into a big argument about it , but at the same time does it matter to God ?

Well the bible, as we have shown, does talk about the rapture , and in other scriptures it talks about the tribulation period, so if it's in the word, which God is the author, then obviously , it is important.

And is it important that we preach this issue in an accurate way ?

Well of course it is , for this is God's word we are dealing with, and if we do not preach it in an accurate way , then it becomes false doctrine and God hates false doctrine , alot of the time we care more about what men think , rather than what God thinks.

The word of God is not being put in the high place that it should be regarded in.

So now we will get unto scriptures which talk about , us (the church) being spared from the wrath (or

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tribulation period) to come.

And please do not think that I am sharing this out of a prideful heart , because I am not , I just care.

So here is our first scripture.

1 Thessalonians 1:10

(10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.)

This specific scripture is talking to the church , and it's saying to the church , "to wait for his Son from heaven ........which delivered us from the wrath to come".

I truly believe that the part, which says: "to wait for his Son from heaven" , is saying to the church , to wait on the Son's coming , or Jesus' coming from heaven.

It's talking about the rapture of the church , which at the rapture, Jesus will come from heaven, and will stop somewhere in the clouds , to were we will meet him in the air.

So it's saying for the church to wait for his Son's coming from heaven, whom God the Father raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Now how did Jesus deliver (past tense) us from the wrath to come (future tense) ?

Well through his sacrifice at the cross and ressurection from the dead , and when we receive salvation , then we automatically (if we continue in Christ) get delivered or spared from the wrath to come.

Now remenber one thing is that when we receive Christ, that is the beginning of our salvation , but the rapture will be the end of our salvation , so salvation from beginning to end , delivers us from this specific wrath that is to come , and ultimately will end in , his Son coming to accomplish the fulness of salvation for us , through the rapture of the church, which what will follow is the start of this specific wrath which is to come.

It is not a coincidence that it first mentions for the church to wait for his Son from heaven, then clearly talks about what saved us , which was the ressurection of Christ from the dead , and then afterwards talks of this wrath that is to come.

So the ressurection etc. , delivers us from the wrath to come , but not only the ressurection of Christ from the dead but also what will result from this ressurection, which Christ's ressurection brought us salvation, but in the end it will bring, as a result, the end of our salvation , which happens at the rapture of the church , which at the rapture of the church , there will also occur a type of ressurection (1Co 15:39-54) , which will be our bodies being raised and changed into incorruptible bodies.

So now that we have covered these issues of what delivers us from the wrath to come , and what the church is waiting for as a result of the rapture which is the end of our salvation, we will cover the issue of, "what is the wrath to come" ?

Well some say that the "wrath to come" here, is referring to God's general wrath, but that is not the case, for here it is talking about a specific wrath , it is a wrath which was to come , and not God's general wrath.

An example of God's general wrath is found in the next scripture that I will show.

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Colossians 3:6

(6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:)

This peticular scripture is talking about the general wrath of God which comes upon the children of disobedience , which shows that all the children of disobedience , in one form or another, are partakers of this wrath.

But the one mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 , refers to not the general wrath which continuously comes upon the children of disobedience , but rather to a specific wrath that shall come , which is futuristic , for at the time of the writting of Thessalonians , it had not yet come.

And remember to whom 1 Thessalonians 1:10 is addressed to , which is to the church !!!!!!!

It tells the church to wait for his Son from heaven , which is to wait for him to come from heaven , and when he does , the fulness of the churches salvation will be accomplished ; and through Christ's sacrifice and ressurection , and God accomplishing the fulness of our salvation, these events which starts with us receiving salvation and God finishing our salvation , these events shall deliver us from the wrath to come , which we will not go through this wrath , we will be delivered from it , or spared from it.

Now let's go back to the Thessalonians scripture.



Now the word "delivered" in this case , in the Strong's concordance , means : " to rush or draw (for oneself), that is, rescue: - deliver (-er). " .

Now some might say that , "well I believe that the word delivered here , is referring to us (the church) , being delivered in the midst of the trial or wrath , and not us being taken out of the midst of this wrath ".

Well all I got to say to this, is first of all , we have to take this verse , in the context that it's talking about , and the beginning of this scripture is talking about waiting for his Son from heaven , waiting for his Son from heaven for what?

Waiting for his Son from heaven to accomplish the fulness of salvation for us , which results in us being raptured , taken out of this world , rescued , or drawn out of this world.

We won't be on this earth , when this specific calamaty of wrath comes upon the earth, we will be delivered from this wrath , in the sense of Christ drawing us out to himself .

Now the specific words of "the wrath to come" , only occur 3 times in the bible.

Of course it occurs in 1 Tessalonians 1:10 , but also these same words occur in Matthew 3:7 and also in Luke 3:7.

Now both Mathew 3:7 and Luke 3:7 speak of the same thing, which talks about John the Baptist, and things he said etc. , so knowing that these two scriptures are referring to the same thing , I will just cover one of these scriptures , but with verses that are mentioned before hand as well , and also afterwards.

Matthew 3:1-8

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(1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:)

No other scriptures in the whole bible say the statement : "the wrath to come" , but 1 Thessalonians 1:10 , Matthew 3:7 , and Luke 3:7.

Now 1 Thessalonians refers to a certain specific wrath , which we will go further into in a bit, but what wrath does Matthew 3:7 and Luke 3:7 , refer to?

Now the specific wrath in Matthew 3:7 and Luke 3:7 , was addressed to yes the Pharisees and Sadducees , but also I believe to Israel as a whole.

It obviously was a type of wrath that was already being warned about , for John said to the Pharisees and Sadducees : "who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? " .

So obviously the Pharisees and Saducees , hath heard someone tell them about a wrath that was to come , which led them to go see John the Baptist , so it could be that John himself was the one warning Israel to flee from the wrath to come , and the Pharisees and Saducees heard about it , and wanted to hear more , though most probably for wrong reasons.

What was John preaching ? He was preaching repentance , and telling the people that the kingdom of God was at hand .

What was the kingdom of God ? Well in the bible , depending were it is mentioned and the context of the peticular scripture, it can mean a few things , but within this context , it was referring to entering into the kingdom , in the sense of salvation , which therein we have all the promises of God, and Jesus was this salvation , he (Jesus) was about to be baptised of John and to walk into his earthly ministry.

Jesus is our life , and in him is the kingdom of God, in John 3:3 it says that except a man be born again , he cannot see the kingdom of God.

So the kingdom of God was at hand , for the one who can enable someone to enter into this spiritual kingdom , is Jesus Christ , and he is our salvation.

So repentance was being preached , and also the kingdom of God , which is through Jesus Christ, and then we get to the part that he was saying to the Pharisees and Sadducees , "who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ?".

And right after John mentions this statement , he says to them to "therefore" bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

And this is what was basically said: "You Pharisees and Sadducees heard of the wrath which is to come , "therefore" as a result of you hearing this , bring forth fruits meet for repentance , this is the solution to this

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wrath, true repentance."

Yes when someone repents of their sins , and receive Christ as their Lord and Savior , we are no longer under the wrath of God, God protects us in various forms from his wrath, or his general wrath, but in Matthew, it was talking about a specific wrath to "come".

Wether John knew or not , about what "the wrath that was to come" was referring to, it is not certain, but one thing was certain , is that John proclaimed what God wanted him to proclaim.

Now as we said before, the wrath specified in Matthew 3:7 , was addressed to Israel , but 1 Thessalonians 1:10 was addressed to the church.

So what is this "fleeing from the wrath to come" referring to in Matthew 3:7 ?

I believe it was referring to a time that was shortly to come to pass , which was the time of a.d 70 , which Jesus later ellaborated on in Matthew 24.

John may have first proclaimed to flee from the wrath to come , in Jesus' time , but Jesus elaborated on it.

This is what Jesus revealed.

Matthew 24:1-2 (1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.)

This was referring to the second temple being destroyed in a.d. 70.

Now at this moment, I will "not" get into the rest of Matthew 24, and what it refers to.

So the wrath which was to come, at the time when John the Baptist was proclaiming " this wrath " , was going to shorlty come to pass.

Now notice that it says to "flee" from the wrath to come (Matthew 3:7), but the one mentioned in Thessalonians says something different , which is not to "flee" from the wrath to come , but rather that the church is "delivered" from the wrath to come.

So to Israel (in Matthew 3:7) , it was proclaimed for them to "flee" from the wrath to come , but to the church (in 1 Thessalonians 1:10) it was said that they were already "delivered" from the futuristic wrath which was to come.

So it's 2 different addresses , to 2 different audiences (Israel and the church) , which had 2 different messages (one to flee , and the other that you were delivered).

So why was it so imminent for Israel to take heed to "flee" from the wrath to come (future)?

Well because of the destruction which was to come not only upon the temple in Jerusalem , but also upon the Jews.

Here is a bit of history of that time.

(Encyclopedia Wikipedia, a.d 70)

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(.......The Temple was destroyed on Tisha B'Av, in the beginning of August, and the flames spread into the residential sections of the city.[1] The Roman legions quickly crushed the remaining Jewish resistance. Part of the remaining Jews escaped through hidden underground tunnels, while others made a final stand in the Upper City. This defence halted the Roman advance as they had to construct siege towers to assail the remaining Jews. The city was completely under Roman control by September 7 and the Romans continued to hunt down the Jews that had fled the city.

.......Josephus claims that 1,100,000 people were killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish, and that 97,000 were captured and enslaved, including Simon bar Giora and John of Giscala. "The slaughter within was even more dreadful than the spectacle from without. Men and women, old and young, insurgents and priests, those who fought and those who entreated mercy, were hewn down in indiscriminate carnage. The number of the slain exceeded that of the slayers. The legionaries had to clamber over heaps of dead to carry on the work of extermination."[5])

(jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/revolt.html)

(The Great Revolt (66-70 C.E.)

The Jews' Great Revolt against Rome in 66 C.E. led to one of the greatest catastrophes in Jewish life and, in retrospect, might well have been a terrible mistake........ .......During the summer of 70, the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem, and initiated an orgy of violence and destruction. Shortly thereafter, they destroyed the Second Temple. This was the final and most devastating Roman blow against Judea. It is estimated that as many as one million Jews died in the Great Revolt against Rome.)

So the time just before a.d 70 unto the time of a.d. 70, was not a good time for the Jews as you can see , so no wonder they were warned to "flee" from the wrath to come.

So if John's address was made to the Jews , and the wrath which was to come, that he referred to , referred to the time of a.d 70 , then what is the "wrath", which was addressed to the church, in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, referring to ?

Well let us go back to 1 Thessalonains 1:10 , so just to get ourselves refreshed.



Now we will go unto the book of Revelations.

Revelations 6:16-17

(16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?)

The wrath that 1 Thessalonians 1:10 is referring to , is this peticular wrath mentioned in Revelations 6:16-17 , which is when some amount men on earth, will start to realise that the day of God's wrath has come.

This is referring to a time called the "tribulation" period.

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And at the beginning of the "tribulation" period , there will be 7 seals that will be opened , and from these 7 seals will come various types of troubles or tribulations upon the earth, and when we get to the sixth seal, (Rev 6:12) this is when certain people on earth will realise that what is being poured out , or what is happening upon the earth is actually "the wrath of God" being poured out , there is no doubt that these men that realise that the great day of God's wrath had come , must have heard people talk about the tribulation period , before these events took place , in order for them to realise that the wrath of God has come , and it seems that at least for some to start to realise that God's wrath had finally come upon the earth , it took 6 of the 7 seals to be poured out.

So let us recap a little.

Here are some points , in this study that was made , concerning 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

1. It is addressed to the church 2.It tells us to wait for his Son from heaven, which he will come from heaven, and finish our salvation at the rapture of the church. 3.Then it mentions how Christ was risen from the dead, which it is that and his death that saved us. 4.And it is his ressurection life which saves us , and will bring about the end of our salvation (the rapture) , which delivers us from the wath to come. 5.And the wrath to come, is the tribulation period.

Now let us go unto other scriptures which mention , similar things.

Revelations 3:10

(10 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.)

This peticular scripture was spoken to the church of Philadelphia (Rev 3:7).

And it says to the church of Philadelphia, that 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.

So whatever this hour of temptation is referring to, it obviously will come upon all the world, so to try them that dwell upon the earth.

It's something that will try the world !!!!!!!

Well we know that the "tribulation" period , with it's various events , will definitely try them which are upon the earth.

And it says to the church of Philadelphia that , because thou hast kept the word of my patience , that they will be kept from this hour of temptation , but now we must ask the question, how will the church that keep the word of his patience, be kept from this hour of temptation ?

How will it be done ?

Well first let us go unto certain verses.

Matthew 25:1-13

(1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to

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meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish . 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.)

Now in this peticular scripture of course, it talks about the ten virgins , "virgin" here meaning that they were all as unpoluted from the world , they were not commiting spiritual fornication with the world , they were seperate unto God , as a chaste bride, they were "pure" (they kept themselves pure before God).

The ten virgins represents the church , and even though all ten were called virgins , and may have had a great relationship with God, 5 of them eventually became foolish , and obviously would have commited spiritual fornication with the world.

The reason they became foolish , is because they were losing their way with God.

So now we go unto verse 7 , which says that all those virgins arose , and trimmed their lamps , and this itself is good , for it needed to be trimmed , but the thing that the foolish virgins did not do , is , is that they did not get any oil , for the lamp needed oil in order to light up.

So their light had gone out , they were no more being lights for or through Jesus , they were no longer drawing nigh to God so he can draw nigh to them, their relationship with God was no longer a good functional relationship.

The light was gone out , they were no longer filling themselves with the oil , which represents the Holy Ghost , and the Holy Ghost makes the word come alive in our lives , and of course Jesus is the word , even the living word , the light of the world.

They had departed from the living God, and now we go unto verses 11-12 , but starting with verse 10.

Matthew 25:10-12

(10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.)

So the 5 foolish virgins (Matthew 25:2) , tried to go to the wedding but could not for the door was shut , but the 5 wise virgins had prepared themselves for the wedding , and were able to get in.

So we can see that the 5 foolish virgins tried to get in , but could not for they had not prepared themselves , and then the Lord said unto them "I know you not" .

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Now notice what the Lord said to the 5 foolish virgins , he said unto them "I know you not" , he never said unto them "I never knew you" such as were told the people mentioned in Matthew 7:23 , but rather "I know you not" , and the reason God did not now know them , was not because he never , ever knew them at any time , but rather it was because they had not kept on with the Lord , they turned away from the Lord , they were no longer full of light , therefore because God could no longer see the light in them , which made them full of darkness , he no longer knew them.

God no longer saw Christ in them , he no longer saw the blood in them , for they had not continued in the goodness of God , and their faith was now in themselves.

The reasons they were virgins in the first place , is because they were in Christ at one time , full of the purity of God, but became foolish by not continuing in Christ.

So now we go unto Matthew 25:6.

Matthew 25:6

(6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.)

It says that at midnight there was a cry made , and the cry was to "go ye out to meet him".

So this cry was made at midnight for that was the time the bridegroom was coming , and midnight is known as a time of darkness , even great darkness.

Why was this cry made at midnight , and why, at such a dark time ?

This cry was made at midnight , because it will be a time of great darkness on the earth , not only among the people of this world (referring to unbelievers) , but also among many people in the church (believers) , it will be a time of spiritual darkness in the church , for alot of people of the church will be backslidden , so much so , even to the point of losing their salvation.

In this parable, it shows forth 5 wise virgins (the church which stays with the Lord , and remain on fire for him) , and 5 foolish virgins (the church which totally turns away from God).

If this represents half of the church , man this is not good , and the bible does declare a falling away of the church from God (2 Thessalonians 2:3) , and of some departing from the faith (1 Timothy 4:1).

But all of this makes me wonder , of how many people that declare themselves to be Christians , or part of the church , are really Christians ??? and of the ones who are Christians , how many of them have departed from the faith ???

How many people that are declared to be part of the church , will God say to them "I never knew you" (never at any time knew them) ??? and how many people of the church will God say "I know you not" (once known of God , but no longer known of him) ???

The falling away is not a small falling away , and we are in this time of darkness , which we are approaching the midnight hour.

The midnight hour is a time of darkness , so when the call for the church is made so to meet the bridegroom , it will be a time of great darkness , not only because of alot of the church having turned away from the Lord , but also there will be great darkness after the rapture , for his church will dissapear to meet the Lord in the air, and as a result , it will cause darkness to come upon the world which will begin this hour of temptation , mentioned in Revelations 3:10 which shall come upon the world.

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The rapture happens , in a time of great darkness, and as a result, people who were saved shall dissapear from their cars , from airplanes , from driving buses , etc .etc. etc. , and how many accidents will this cause ? I believe a tremendous amount.

A tremendous amount of damage will be done to buildings , vehicles , many will die as a result of accidents , etc , there will no doubt be some form of chaos , immediately following the rapture.

Now let's go back to our Revelations scripture.

Revelations 3:10

(10 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.)

How will God keep his church (his remnant) , from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world ?

By coming to get his church , in a time of great darkness (midnight hour) , and this darkness will also follow into a time called the "tribulation" period , which shall obviously come upon the whole world.

That is how God will keep his church from the hour of temptation , and notice it says "hour" of "temptation".

And I read a few things on the internet lately , concerning what is the darkest hour of the day, and some said just before dawn , others said around 2 or 3 a.m , and yet others said between midnight (12:00 a.m.) and 1:00 a.m.

Now in truth , depending were you live , it varies , such as in some places it's dailight for about , I believe 6 months of the year , give or take.

But generally speaking , I do not believe it is dawn , for light is just sort of beginning at that time , but I can surely see it as being between midnight and 1 a.m. .

This makes total sense.

And remember that we are speaking here , in our scripture of an "hour" of temtaption , and not a "minute" of temptation , which an hour could be , for example , from midnight to 1 a.m. .

It's an hour of "darkness" , the time of midnight , and beyond midnight.

And in this hour , it will be an hour of "temptation" , meaning an hour of "trying" , or a trying time.

It will be a trying time for the people of this world.

But before this trying time comes , the church will be kept from this trying time , through being raptured.

So now we will cover other scriptures which pertain to the rapture and tribulation period.

Now here is a quote from a study I wrote called the Seven Churches.

(sevenchurches.pdf)

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(.....Now first of all, Revelation 1:19 says this: (19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;)

What is it referring to here, when it talks about John writing the things which he hath seen?

Well, Revelation 1:12-17, shows us what it's talking about, which is the glorified Christ.

Now Revelation 1:19 tells John to write the things which he hath seen; which he did, which he had seen the glorified Christ; and now he was to write the things which "were".

What are the things which were?Well, the things which were, is referring to the 7 churches, which also represents the church age, which is referred to from Revelation chapter 2 to the end of Revelation chapter 3.......)

So if you study very carefully the "things that are" (Revelations 1:19) , you will know that as I mentioned it in my study , that it is referring to the 7 churches , which these 7 churches existed in John's time , but also the spirit of these 7 churches did not only exist in John's time , but also throughout the history of the church , even unto today , and the spirit of these 7 churches , each of them have reigned in a peticular age , throughout church history , in a consecutive way , and what the rapture will do is end this church age.

So the things that are , along with pointing us to the sevens churches , also represents , the whole of the church age , and the spirit that is reigning today , is the spirit of Laodicea (Revelations 3:14-22) , which a modern church that represents this spirit is the "faith movement" , with preachers such as Creflo Dollar , Kenneth Copeland etc.

But also , maybe in different manners , there are alot of churches (which maybe in a lesser form) , that are still being given to this type of false prosperity spirit , which some Pentecostal assemblies ascribe to , for alot of Christians whether they listen to Copeland or not , seem to be trying to keep up with the Jones' , alot whether in Baptist assemblies, Brethren assemblies , Pentecostal assemblies , etc. , have an attitude of always having more goods , more houses , more cars , means your more blessed of God than others , so this attitude of "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" (Revelations 3:17) , is not just reigning in the Faith movement , but also in some form, in individual Christians, which they need to repent of this.

You do not have to belong to the "Faith movement" to be given over to the Laodicean spirit.

So now we will go to the scripture that talks about the "things which shall be hereafter" (after the church age) .

Revelations 4:1

(1 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.)

So it says here: "I will shew thee things which must be hereafter" , which is talking of events that happen after the mentioning of the 7 churches, which represents the church age.

And the rest of Revelations chapter 4 , and Revelations chapter 5 , is talking about events that will be happening in heaven , after the church age , and then also in Revelations chapter 5 , it talks about the 7 seals , and then we get to Revelations chapter 6 , which shows the 7 seals beginning to be poured out on the earth.

So Revelations chapter 6 , starts to show what will happen on earth , after the church age, which is going to

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be an hour of darkness upon the earth , a very trying hour for the people of the earth, which will be a very dark time.

We the church , will be kept from this trying time , and yes in Revelations chapter 4:1 , John was having a vision here , were it says for him to "Come up hither" but also what the words: "Come up hither" , represents, is the rapture of the church , for that is what will end the church age , and usher this world into what is known as the "tribulation" period.

Here are a few comparisons with Revelations 4:1 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Revelations 4:1

I. ...and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me...II. ...which said, Come up hither,...

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

I. ...the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:... II. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:...

So we can see the similarities here, and of course as I said before, were it says in Revelations 4:1 , "I will shew thee things which must be hereafter" , is referring to things which shall happen after the church age, which the church age will end with the rapture.

Right now , I just want to cover things which concerns the time of the "tribulation" period.

The tribulation period , is known to last for seven years, and now we will show forth proof of this.

Let us go to scriptures.

Revelations 11:3

(3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.)

This is reffering to these 2 witnesses prophesying for 1,260 days. Which they will do so during the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period. Now if you calculate these 1,260 days , and put them in a 360 day year calendar (Jewish calendar) , then you will see that these 1,260 days equals to 3 1/2 years.

So they will prophesy for 3 1/2 years , and at the mid point of the tribulation period , the antichrist shall kill them , but they shall be raised from the dead (Revelations 11:7-12).

So this covers the first 3 1/2 years of tribulation, and now we get to the second half of the tribulation period.

Revelations 12:6

(6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days .)

Now in some cases , especially Revelations 12:5 , there may be a double prophecy concerning this scripture, but I do not want to get into this, in this study.

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Now as for Revelations 12:6, in what I am covering , it refers to a woman (Israel or a remnant of Israel) , fleeing into the wilderness were she hath a place prepared of God for 1,260 days , which equals to 3 1/2 years.

Now this covers the last 3 1/2 years of tribulation, and this woman shall be protected of God, for the last 3 1/2 years (Revelations 12:13-17).

Now both the 2 witnesses , and this specific remnant of Israel, shall be attacked by the antichrist, during the middle of the tribulation period (Revelations 11:7 , Revelations 12:13).

It will be at a time to were the antichrist marches into the Jewish temple, sets up the abomination which maketh the temple desolate , and then he starts his pesecutions , not only on the Jews but to whomsoever accepteth Christ ( Revelations 13:4-7 , Daniel 11:31-33 , Matthew 24:15-21 etc.) .

Now there is more proof than this , which shows the "tribulation" period , is going to last for 7 years , but in this study , I think I have shown enough scriptures to show proof of what I am saying.

So now , before we leave this study , I want to just cover what Matthew chapter 24 is talking about, as a whole , in it's many verses.

And we will cover a few verses at a time.

Matthew 24:1-3

(1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 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?)

Notice the questions , the disciples asked Jesus.

They asked him 3 questions , which the first was :

1. "When shall these things be ?"

When shall what be ?

When shall the buildings of the temple , which includes the temple , be destroyed ?

And the second question goes like this :

2. "What shall be the sign of thy coming ?"

Which refers to Christ's coming , especially his second coming to earth , even though in truth , Matthew 24 , covers both Christ's second coming to earth , and his coming at the rapture of the church , as we will see.

So now we get to the third question , which says :

3. "What shall be the sign of the end of the world ?"

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Now I do not know if the disciples really knew what they were saying to Jesus , when they asked him , what shall be the sign of the end of the world , but in the way Jesus responded to them , he obviously was not meaning the end of the world , in the sense of the world being burnt up , and ceasing to exist , but rather (as we will see) , the end of the world , in the sense of the way it is going on now.

God will put an end to the way this world is being led and ruled.

So now let us go to our next scriptures.

Matthew 24:4-13

(4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 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. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.)

Now these scriptures , I believe and know ; that between verses 4 to 13 , these scriptures have a double meaning to them.

They refer both to , the time leading to a.d. 70 , and the first half of the tribulation period.

And I will give proof to these things , right now , by comparing these verses to the period leading to a.d. 70 , and later to the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period.

And I will do so a few verses at a time.

Matthew 24:4-5(The King James bible)

Deceivers and False Christs

I. *(4-5) 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.

Period leading towards a.d. 70 (newjerusalemcommunity.net/?c=50&a=1252)


I. * ... Of the false messiahs, Simon is probably the best known: Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city,... And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts (Acts 8:9-11). Jerome quotes Simon Magus as saying "I am the Word of God, I am the Comforter, I am Almighty, I am all there is of God." (Kik, An Eschatology of Victory, 92). ...

* ... Secular historians record other examples of false

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messiahs who rose up soon after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. ...

* ... In 1805 a man named Peter Holford wrote a book called THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM He had this to say about the period: The necessity for this friendly warning soon appeared ; for within one year after our Lord's ascension, rose Dositheus the Samaritan, who had the boldness to assert that he was the Messiah ...

* ...Under the government of Felix, deceivers rose up daily in Judea, and persuaded the people to follow them into the wilderness, assuring them that they should there behold conspicuous signs and wonders performed by the ALMIGHTY. Of these Felix, from time to time, apprehended many, and put them to death. About this period (A.D. 55) arose Felix the celebrated Egyptian impostor, who collected thirty-thousand followers, and persuaded them to accompany him to the Mount of Olives, telling, them that from thence they should see the walls of Jerusalem fall down at his command ...

So we can see, that in the period leading to a.d. 70, that in these articles mentioned above , it talks of deceivers , and also a certain man calling himself the Messiah (Christ) , that was a deceiver and another calling himself the word of God (which Christ is the word of God) .

So there were lots of deceivers during this time , and I am sure way more than what I have mentioned here , but just showed some of the examples of that time here.

So the period leading to a.d. 70 fits with Matthew 24:4-5 , which says :"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."

Now we go unto our next comparison.


Wars and Rumours of wars , Famines , Pestilences , Earthquakes

I. *(6-8) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours 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.

Period leading towards a.d. 70 (newjerusalemcommunity.net/?c=50&a=1252)

Wars and Rumours of wars ,

I. * ... In A.D. 60 skirmishes between the Romans and the Jews began to break out. Wars and rumors of wars increased dramatically. When the Jews stopped the daily sacrifice for Caesar and the Roman people,the conflict intensified. This was considered an act of war. Armies surrounded Jerusalem four times in all. ...

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* ... In A.D. 66 Cestius led Roman armies against Jerusalem. However , for no apparent reason he broke off his attack and retreated. The Jews pursued and killed many Romans thus humiliating the Roman army. This helped create the false assumption that God was on their side. ...

* ... In A.D. 67 Vespasian led armies in siege against Jerusalem. However, at Nero's death Vespasian withdrew his armies and returned to Rome. After the death of Nero, Rome fell into civil war. Nation did rise against nation. Rome fell into chaos as the various factions vied for power.

Famines , Pestilences

* ... Secular historians such as Tacitus wrote that famine fell upon the entire Roman Empire. It was established that at one point there was no more than fifteen day's supply of food in the city of Rome. Josephus said there were famines leading up to the time of Jerusalem's destruction. He records the consequences in graphic detail that are too horrid to mention here. Of course, we know that hundreds of thousands died from starvation during Titus' final siege of Jerusalem. ...

* ... Our LORD predicted "famines" also. Of these the principal was that which Agabus foretold would happen in the days of Claudius, as related in the Acts of the Apostles. It begun in the fourth year of his reign, and was of long continuance. It extended through Greece, and even into Italy, but was felt most severely in Judea, and especially at Jerusalem, where many perished for want of bread. ...

* ... Dion Cassius relates that there was likewise a famine in the first year of Claudius which prevailed at Rome, and in other parts of Italy ; and, in the eleventh year of the same emperor, there was another, mentioned by Eusebius. ...

* ... Our Lord adds "pestilences" likewise. Pestilence treads upon the heels of famine , it may therefore reasonably be presumed, that this terrible scourge accompanied the famines which have just been enumerated.

History, however, particularly distinguishes two instances of this calamity, which occurred before the commencement of the Jewish war. The first took place at Babylon about A. D. 40, and raged so

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alarmingly, that great multitudes of Jews fled from that city to Seleucia for safety , as hath been hinted already. The other happened at Rome A.D. 65, and carried off prodigious multitudes. Both Tacitus and Suetonius also record, that similar calamities prevailed, during this period, in various parts of the Roman empire. After Jerusalem was surrounded by the army of Titus, pestilential diseases soon made their appearance there to aggravate the miseries, and deepen the horrors of the siege. They were partly occasioned by the immense multitudes which were crowded together in the city, partly by the putrid effluvia which arose from the unburied dead, and partly from spread of famine. ...

Earthquakes

* ... In the writings of the first century historian Tacitus we read a description of the conditions in A.D. 51 in Rome: "This year witnessed many prodigies signs or omens... including repeated earthquakes." Josephus accounts that an earthquake in Judea was such a magnitude that "the constitution of the universe was confounded for the destruction of men." He also wrote that earthquakes were "a common calamity", and indicated that God Himself had brought them about for a special purpose. Then there is the book of Acts that records "a great earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison house" (Acts 16:26). There were earthquakes in Crete, Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, Laodicea , Hierapolis, Colosse, Campania, Rome, and Judea. Paul started churches at Colosse and Hierapolis. However, these two cities, along with Laodicea, suffered a great earthquake in approximately A.D. 61. ...

* ... in divers places in the reign of Claudius there was one at Rome, and another at Apamea in Syria, where many of the Jews resided. The earthquake at the latter place was so destructive, that the emperor , in order to relieve the distresses of the inhabitants, remitted its tribute for five years. Both these earthquakes are recorded by Tacitus. There was one also, in the same reign in Crete. This is mentioned by Philostratus, in his Life of Apollonius, who says, that 'there were others at Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, and Samos ; in all which places Jews had settled.' In the reign of Nero there was an earthquake at Laodicea.

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So you can see that the period leading up to a.d. 70 also fits with Matthew 24:6-8 which says: "(6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (8) All these are the beginning of sorrows."

Now I could have even mentioned more famines and earthquakes than this , and even more about things concerning wars and rumours of wars.

And I do not doubt that there were even more pestilences than what I have mentioned here.

So all these things were the beginning of sorrows , which was leading up to the destruction of the Jewish temple , but also , as we will see , that these wars and rumours of wars , earthquakes etc. , is also referring to a period that has not yet taken place , which is the time of the "tribulation period" , which shall be a worse time than even the a.d. 70 time.

So now , at this moment, we will compare Matthew 24:4-5 , and Matthew 24:6-8 , with some scriptures found in the book of Revelations.

Now unto our next comparison.



I. *(4-5) 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.

Wars and Rumours of wars , Famines , Pestilences , Earthquakes

II. *(6-8) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours 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.

First 3 1/2 years of the tribulation (Book of Revelation (KJV))


I. * (Rev 13:4-6) And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 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. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

* (Rev 13:11-14) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

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* (Rev 19:20) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Wars and Rumours of wars ,

II. * (Rev 6:1-4) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

* (Rev 6:8) And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Famines , Pestilences , Earthquakes

II. * (Rev 6:5-8) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword , and with hunger, and with death and with the beasts of the earth.

* (Rev 8:6-9) And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel

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sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

* (Rev 8:10-11) And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

* (Rev 6:12-17) And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

* (Rev 8:5) And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Now first we will deal with the issue of "deceivers and false Christs".

And during the time of the first 3 1/2 years of tribulation , there will already be these 2 people called the antichrist , which will exalt himself above all that is called God (2Th 2:4), and the false prophet which will do miracles before him, so to deveive men , and cause people to worship the beast (the antichrist) ; these will be the ultimate false prophet (or you can say deceiver) and false christ , and in truth there has always been in the overall , false deceivers and false christs or false messiahs , and I believe in this time there will be many , but the ultimate ones will be the antichrsit and the false prophet , which in these scriptures , we show evidence that there will be some , which the event of people being caused to worship the beast , happens during the middle part of the "tribulation period".

So now we will cover the issue of "wars and rumours of wars".

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And we can see that , concerning wars and rumours of wars , Matthew chapter 24 , mentions that their shall be "wars and rumours of wars" , and Revelations 6:2 talks about a white horse , and him that sat on him had a bow , and he went forth conquering , and to conquer ; then we go to Revelations 6:4 which talks of another horse that was red , and he that sat thereon had power to take peace from the earth etc. , and he had a great sword , and of course Revelations 6:8 talks of people killing with the sword , there's no doubt , that these scriptures to whatever degree does talk of wars here , killing by the sword , going to conquer and conquering, and having a great sword.

But there are not just these scriptures that show forth wars happening during the first 3 1/2 years of "the tribulation period" but also some verses in Daniel show this , and it's possible that Revelations 9:15-19 , maybe referring to war.

So you can see that the first 3 1/2 years of "the tribulation period" fits with Matthew 24:6 , which talks of their being wars and rumours of wars.

So now what about the issue of "Famines , Pestilences and Earthquakes" , does the book of Revelations or the first 3 1/2 years of tribulation , harmonise with Matthew 24:7 , in what it says about their being earthquakes , famines , and pestilences ?

Well in our above scriptures , we show forth such things , such as what Revelations 6:6 says: "...A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny..." , which is indicative of bad times , which no doubt can lead to a famine , and then we go to Revelations 6:8 which says: "to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death," .

It's to kill with hunger , which is indicative of a famished state , there will be alot of famines during the tribulation period , even possibly just because of the various wars and plagues.

So what about pestilences ?

Well in our Revelation verses up above , we can see that Revelations 8:7 talks of there being "hail and fire mingled with blood" cast upon the earth , which in turn, will burn up the third part of trees , which no doubt will be a great devastation upon the earth , which can cause alot of things , for we need trees for oxygen , and people would no doubt get sick because of the lack of good air quality , maybe even unto a plague type proportion.

Ans also in our Revelation verses , such as Revelations 8:8-9 , it talks of "the third part of the sea becoming blood" , and as a result "the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died".

Man can you imagine the third part of the sea becoming blood ? And the third part of the creatures in the sea dying as a result ? What would that do to the people living in these regions ? Would it cut off alot of their food source ? And water source ? And how many diseases , up to a plague proportion would it create ? I believe alot would die as a result , and even the stink of all those animals dying , what would that bring ?

So now we get to our last scriptures concerning "pestilences" , which is found in Rev 8:10-11 , which talks of this star called wormwood , falling upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters , and as a result " many men dying of the waters, because they were made bitter ".

Is this not a pestilence ? No doubt it is , and a very severe pestilence , to were many men dying , just as a result of drinking the water of the rivers.

So now we shall go unto the issue of "earthquakes".

And concerning earthquakes , we mention a few here , which Revelations 6:12 talks of , not just an

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earthquake , but a "great earthquake" , and it will be so great that it will cause extreme fear upon the people (Revelations 6:15-16). And then we go unto Revelations 8:5 which mentions "an angel taking a censer , and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth" which from this censer that was cast into the earth , there was some type of voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

So here is another evidence of an earthquake , so we have 2 evidences here of earthquakes , which one of them will be extrmely great , and who knows possibly even felt throughout the earth.

But also at the middle part of the "tribulation period" it mentions another earthquake , which in the middle part of the tribulation period , the antichrist shall kill these 2 people called the 2 witnesses , which after three days and an half , God shall raise them from the dead , and in that same hour there shall be a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city shall fall, and in this earthquake there shall be slain of men seven thousand (Revelations 11:3-13).

Wow ! Wow ! Wow !

We can see that the first 3 1/2 years of the "tribulation period" does fit totally with what Matthew 24:4-8 is talking about , and before we go on , I want to mention just one thing , is that the 7 seals mentioned in Revelations chapter 6 , and Revelations 8:1 , happen during the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period , but so does the 7 trumpets mention in Revelations chapters 8 and 9 , and part of chapter 10 etc. , happen in the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period , but as far as what the bible calls "the seven vials" , that happens during the last half of the 7 year tribulation period.

So now let us cover other parts of Matthew chapter 24.

Matthew 24:9-14

(9 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. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.)

Now we all know that in the period leading up to a.d. 70 , which includes the time of the disciples , as they were walking in their ministries , that the Apostle Paul and the 12 disciples , were greatly persecuted , and it was a time of great darkness to were peoples hearts were waxing cold , but is there also evidence , during the first 3 1/2 years of the "tribulation period" , of Christians being persecuted ?

(And I could tell you today , that people's hearst are waxing cold especially towards the things of God.)

Well let us check the book of Revelations.

Revelations 6:9-11

(9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should

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be fulfilled.)

This event happens , not even at the mid point of the tribulation period , which it appears to be showing people of God having to be killed for their faith.

So yes there is evidence in the first 3 1/2 years, of Christians being pesecuted for their faith.

So now what I really want to deal with , is this , with what Matthew 24:13-14 says.

Let us go there.

Matthew 24:13-14

(13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.)

The part were it says "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" , is pointing to whether it be the apostles , during the time heading towards a.d 70 , or wether it be tribulation saints , one must continue with Jesus until the end , and the same goes for Christians today , if you endure until the end thou shalt be saved.

We must continue in his goodness , and not our goodness.

And now we get to the part of Matthew 24:14 , which says: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come".

So it says that after the gospel of the kingdom is preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations ; then shall the end come , what end ?

Well yes the disciples including the apostle Paul did preach the gospel to the known world , but did it bring the end of something , well in truth , no not really , and what end is it speaking of here ?

Well in this peticular case , is when I believe , that events mentioned from Matthew chapter 24 , from verses 14 and onwards , no longer refer to the time of a.d 70 or heading towards a.d. 70 , and verse 14 is actually referring to when the gospel gets preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, during the "tribulation period" , which that is when the "end of the way this world is being ruled" , shall come to an end , for it will come to an end , by the secong coming of Christ to earth , which will bring an end to man made type ruling.

The reign of wordly governments, under the direction of the spirit of this world , shall come to an end.

Christ will be reigning.

So now let us go on.

We will now go unto other things , which right now , we will cover other verses of Matthew chapter 24.

Matthew 24:15-21

(15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

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17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.)

It says that , "when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation , stand in the holy place".

So now we ask the question of , what is this abomination of desolation ?

Well it's something that is standing in the holy place , and what is this holy place ?

Well let us go unto the book of Revelations.

Revelations 13:4-6

(4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 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. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.)

Well here , in Revelations 13 , it speaks of this beast that gets worshipped , and that this beast spoke blasphemy against God and blasphemed his name , and even his tabernacle.

Now it is well known that this beast is known to be the one whom is known as the antichrist, and it says he will blaspheme God's tabernacle.

What is this tabernacle referring to ?

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

(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; 4 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.)

It is referring to the temple of God , which is an earthly temple , for the events it speaks of concerning this beast or man of sin , will occur on the earth.

Now was not the temple destroyed in a.d. 70 ?

Well yes it was , but this is not referring to Solomon's temple , but rather the temple being newly rebuilt , which has not taken place yet , but there are Jews today who have plans of rebuilding it.

Now how shall the temple of God , be made desolate ("the abomination of desolation") ?

Revelations 13:14-15

(14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast,

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which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.)

The temple of God will be made desolate , through an image of the beast being set up in the temple , which will be an abomination to God , that is why it is called the "abomination" of desolation.

And it says that this image will be able to speak , which possibly it will be a 3 dimensional hologram type of image.

This image of the beast , is this "thing" that shall stand in the holy place.

So now that we know what the holy place is (the temple) , and what the thing standing in the holy place is (the image of the beast) , let us go back to the verses of Matthew 24:15-21.

Matthew 24:15-21

(15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.)

So it says that when people see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place , let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains ?

Why does God want people to flee to the mountains , once the image of the beast is set up ?

Well it is because of what Revelation 13:15 says , which it says:

Revelations 13:15

(15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.)

So every one will be caused to worship the image of the beast and if they do not , they should be killed , so really this warning of fleeing to the mountains , is a warning from a persecution that will be unleashed by the antichrist , and his false prophet.

And as we have seen in this study , God at times warns of a wrath which is to come , and to flee from it , such as the a.d. 70 wrath warning (Mat 3:7) , and here it is another warning of fleeing from a certain wrath.

So right now I will skip Matthew 24 , verses 17 to 20 , and go on unto verse 21.

Matthew 24:21

(21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.)

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So from the point of the antichrist setting up his image in the temple (which is the middle of the "tribulation period") and onwards it shall be "great tribulation" which covers the last 3 1/2 years of the "tribulation period".

And notice something that I have continuously said in this study , that I called the 7 year tribulation period , the "tribulation period" and not the "great tribulation" period.

The "great tribulation" period , refers to the last 3 1/2 years of tribulation , but the "tribulation period" all together last for 7 years.

So now let us go on.

Matthew 24:22

(22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.)

Now we know that by the word of God , that the "the tribulation period" shall last for 7 years , but in this peticular scripture , what is it referring to when it says that , those days should be shortened , is it meaning that the "tribulation period" shall be shortened ? Or is it meaning something all together different ?

And also I have got to ask, by what shall it be shortened ?

Well no , it is not referring to the 7 year tribulation being shortened , but rather it is talking about the "tribulation period" not being able to continue past the 7 years , for if it would , and God would allow all these angry men to continue in their paths , the armies etc. would be killing each other in such a way that there would not be any flesh alive , to be ushered in , into the start of the millenial reign of Christ , hatred and anger will be so bad upon the earth at that time that people will even have the arrogance of wanting to do war with the lamb of God, when they see him come from the sky , and it is this second coming of Jesus Christ to earth that shall cut this time short , for Christ will have to come for many reasons , and one of those reasons will be so that there are people left alive , for his millenial reign on earth.

And I believe that all the people that will be left alive , at the end of the tribulation period , will be people who accepted Christ as their savior during the tribulation period , or who will accept him very near the beginning time of Christ's 1000 year reign.

That is why it says that "for the elect's (the saved , and also possibly even the Israelie's who got saved so to preserve Israel as a nation) sake those days shall be shortened".

Right now , we will skip Matthew 24:23-26 and go on unto Matthew 24:27.

Matthew 24:27

(27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.)

Here it is talking about the second coming of Christ , which will come to pass at the end of the 7 year "tribulation period".

So let's go on.

Right now we will skip verse 28 , and go on unto Matthew 24:29-34.

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Matthew 24:29-34

(29 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: 30 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. 31 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. 32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.)

So after the tribulation of those days , shall the sun be darkened etc. etc. etc. , and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven , which this refers to the second coming of Christ , and it says that all the tribes of the earth shall mourn , and shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory , but also it shows in another scripture , concerning the second coming of Christ , how that armies and certain people will want to fight against God (Rev 19:11-19).

So now let us cover verse 32 , which says:"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:".

Now many people say that , this refers to Israel becoming back a nation in the 1940's , and even though the bible does cover this fact of Israel becoming back a nation in other scriptures , this peticular scripture of Matthew 24:32 , does not truly refer to this at all , and we must go unto the next 2 verses to know the answer.

First of all , it's saying that when the fig tree's branch is yet tender , and putteth forth leaves , ye know that summer is nigh , well in like manner , when ye see all these things , what things ?

All the things that was previously mentioned in Matthew 24 , which talked about the "the tribulation period" .

So when the people in the tribulation period , see the events of the tribulation come to pass , know that it is near , know that what is near ?

Know that Christ's coming is near.

Just like you can tell that summer is nigh , by a fig tree's tender branches putting forth leaves , so by people seeing the events of the tribulation period coming to pass , you can know that Christ's coming is near , even at the door.

So that is what these scriptures refer to.

So now we get to verse 34 , which says "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass , till all these things be fulfilled".

What generation ?

Is it referring to the generation of Jews who were alive during world war 2 passing away ?

Well the truth is , absolutely not.

It's referring to the generation that sees all the things in the tribulation period , coming to pass , that shall pass

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away.

But pass away , in what way ?

Well it is not meaning that all people that are alive during that time shall pass away , but rather it is referring to the generation that was under a worldly-unbelieving governmental system , that this generation of unbelief , and being under a worldy system shall pass away, and then there shall be a new generation that shall come to be , for every one that survives the tribulation period that do not get killed at the second coming shall receive Christ , which will in a sense kill the old generation of unbelief , and bring forth a new generation of a world of believers.

And evidence shows that some people will survive the tribulation period and be brought to Christ (Isa 66:14-21).

So it will in esence be a new generation that shall be on this earth at the beginning of Christ's millenial reign , that is a generation of people who believe God , but later on in the millenial reign , there shall be people which shall have been born in the millenial reign which will rebel against God , especially at the end of the millenial reign (Rev 20:6-10).

So when it says that "this generation shall not pass , t'ill all these things be fulfilled " , is obviously not talking about the people who see the tribulation come to pass , that they shall completely pass away , for some shall survive the tribulation period , but rather it is referring to going from one unbelieving generational dominion , to another , which is a believing generational dominion , under the reign of Christ !!!!!!!

It's a new generation , a new age (not referring to the new age movement).

So now to the next verse.

Matthew 24:35

(35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.)

This is pretty self explanatory , and it's not that heaven and earth shall pass away during the time of Christ's second coming or millenial reign , for Christ will be reigning on this present earth for 1000 years , but rather it's just showing that one day the heaven and the earth shall pass away , which it will be after the time of the millenial reign , during the great white throne of judgment.

So let us move on forward.

Matthew 24:36-39

(36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.)

So before we comment on these verses , let us recap a little bit.

Firstly , in this part of the study , we covered the second coming of Christ , which is found in Matthew 24:27-31 , and verse 28 says this:"For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together" , which I believe refers to what it says in Revelations 19:17-18.

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So from the point of Matthew 24:27-31 , it's talking about Christ's second coming to earth , and mentions it as " the coming of the Son of man ".

And now we get to verse 36 , which says: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only".

So it's referring in a sense to the coming of the Son of man (Christ) , which of that day and hour knoweth no man.

And I have read before of how people have said that the second coming happens in 2 parts , but in reality , the scriptures do not say that Christ's second coming to earth , is in 2 parts , but rather what is accurate , is this , that his coming , "his coming" , happens in 2 parts , which we will see this as we go on.

So it was talking about the second coming of Christ to earth , and then it says of "that day" knoweth no man ..... .

So I believe when it talks of that "day" it is talking about the coming of the Lord in it's fullness , no only the second coming but also the rapture of the church , which I am about to prove.

So no man , will know the exact day of Christ's second coming until they see him coming down to earth , but concerning the rapture , no one on earth shall see him , it will be sudden , in the twinkling of an eye.

So now we go unto our next scripture.

Matthew 24:37-39

(37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.)

So it says that "as the days of Noe were , so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" .

How were the days of Noah (Noe) ?

Well it says: "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark" .

They seemed not to be too concerned about the flood or the coming chaos , they were just doing there own thing , eating drinking , marrying etc. , so it was not a chaotic time before the flood , people were basically concerned about doing their own thing , and it says that this is the way it is going to be when the Son of man comes , so now I have to ask , what part of Christ coming is this referring to ?

Well it obviously is not referring to the second coming of Christ , for during this time the world will be extremely full of chaos , it is going to be a world of extreme suffering , and some people will mourn when they see Christ coming but others will want to fight against him , so obviously , the coming it's talking about here , is not the second coming but rather the rapture of the church , which could happen at any time.

And in truth , today even though there may be chaotic things happening , as a whole , this world is not really in a chaotic situation or state , and alot of people are unconcerned about the coming rapture some even laughing at it , so right now it would fit , with being a time of people doing there own thing and being

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unconcerned about Christ's coming , but the second coming does not fit at all.

So it's saying that as the days of Noah were , so shall also the coming of the Son of man be , that is so shall the first part of his coming be , that is so shall the coming time of the rapture be.

Just as Noah went into the ark , we will meet Christ in the air , just like a flood followed after he entered the ark , so a time of tribulation follows the rapture of the church , and also in like manner of Noah coming back on earth (the ground) after the floods receded , so shall we come back with Christ , at the end of the "tribulation" time.

So it's obvious in this scripture that it's talking about the part of Christ's coming which is called the rapture.

Now the question I have is this , why does verse 36 say , "of that day (singular) and hour knoweth no man" ?

Why is the word day , in the singular , if it's talking about 2 days ?

Well in most cases , in the scriptures , when it talks of the word "day" in the singular , it ussually only refers to one day , but in this case it refers to 2 days , which is the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ , but it is putting the coming of the Lord as one day , because of the rapture of the church being a partial coming , and the second coming , fully accomplishing his coming.

So you can say that it is one coming , in 2 parts.

And you can also say that , it is one coming or one day , that gets fulfilled in 2 parts , which the rapture is a partial coming , but the second coming is this day fully accomplished.

Let us do a few comparisons , between the rapture and the second coming.

The Rapture

- No one living on earth shall see him.- The church shall meet Christ in the air , and go to heaven.- The end of the churches salvation.- A partial coming.- Time leading up to the rapture , not too chaotic , people mainly concerned about doing their own thing (marrying) etc.

The Second coming

- People on earth shall see him coming down.- The church shall come down with him to earth.- The beginning of God's saints reigning with Christ on earth.- A full coming.- Time leading to the second coming , very chaotic.

So you can see that the second coming and the rapture are 2 sepererate events , yet in some form complement each other , for the rapture is part of the day of the coming of the Lord , which is a partial coming , but the second coming , makes the day or coming of the Lord complete.

And the rapture and the second coming , each accomplishes possibly many things , and one main noteworthy thing , is that at the rapture it completes the churches salvation , but the second coming also accomplishes something for the church , for the rapture may be the end of our salvation to were it is fully accomplished , but the second coming brings into fulfillement , our roles we will have of reigning with Christ , and not just in a verbal way , but rather in a way to were we are actually walking in our roles of reigning with Christ , and you can sort of say in this respect , that the second coming brings in fulfillement , our roles of reigning with Christ !!!!!!!

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So right now , with all of these awesome things covered , we will just cover , very quickly , the rest of Matthew chapter 24 , and then we will end this study , God loves ya !!!

Matthew 24:40-42

(40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.)

All of the rest of these scriptures , from verses 40 to 50 , refer to the rapture of the church.

And it says that 2 shall be in the field , the one shall be taken , meaning that the one shall be caught up in the air to meet the Lord , and then it says and the other left , meaning that the other person shall stay on earth , and won't be caught up in the air.

And verse 41 is referring to basically the same thing.

Let us be on the watch , keep our eyes on Jesus.

Matthew 24:43-51

(43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.)

Right now I will just cover verses 48 to 51.

And it says " but and if that evil servant shall say in his heart , my Lord delayeth his coming , and shall begin to smite his fellowservants , and to eat and drink with the drunken ; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth".

We need to keep our eyes on Jesus , and continue in his goodness , and not our goodness , for that is what the foolish virgins did , and were no longer filling themselves with the word of God , nor allowing the Holy Spirit to touch them and work in them , and what fruit were being produced in this evil servant in Matthew 24:48 , it was evil fruit , he was backslidding from God , even to the point of losing his salvation , he was smiting his fellowservants, and began to eat and drink with the drunken , not having any witness among the drunken , but doing according to their way , joining their way of speech and doing things, having fellowship with their unbelieveing ways.

That is bad fruit , but what God wants is for us to be seperate people unto God , not using worldy means to gain the lost , but being comformed to Christ's image , and not man's image , which of course we are in the

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world , among worldly people , but not of the world , nor living according ot the spirit of this world , for we ought to be motivated by the Spirit of God , and not by the spirit of this world.

And this evil servant eventually was cast into hell !!! hell !!! hell !!!

God bless you , and I pray that this study blesses you , uplifts you , and clarifies things for you , to were you can more boldly preach the issue of the rapture , in a totally confident way.

Again I say God bless !!!!!!!

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The Rapture

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