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Question:
Are you saying that the battle of Ezek 38/39 is the same as the uprising after the millennium?
- Are you saying that the battle of Ezek 38/39 is the same as the uprising after the millennium? The passage seems to pair with Rev 16:16 and Rev 19:17,18
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Eddie,
2. As I see it, both Rev 16:12-16 and Rev 19:17-21 are referring to the battle of Armageddon which is at the end of the tribulation. Rev 16:12 starts with the 6th bowl judgment. That takes place at the end of the tribulation.
3. Rev 16:12-16: Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
4. And Rev 19:17-21 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
5. The battle of God and Magog is after the millennium. Rev 20:7-10 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
6. I can see that these two battles are different. One is before the millennium and the other is after the millennium.
7. In Christ,
8. Bob Hill
Question:
Ezek 38/39, is this Armageddon or not?
- Hey Bob,
- I feel Ezek 38/39 is so pivotal in any End Times scenario; is this Armageddon or not? If this is Armageddon, why only an attack from the north? And why would Israel need to burn the left over weapons for 7 years for energy. Wouldn't that continue into the Kingdom Age? I've debated this passage for the last 4 years and still unsure. Because of Gog/Russian and its relation w/the Antichrist, Armageddon seems a "no-brainer" for most people. This battle is obviously "post-Church" because God is dealing specifically w/Israel again and she is back in the land, yet still some fuzzy details.
- I just received my order and my daughter loved the tootsie roll.
- Take Care,
- Eddie
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Eddie,
2. The battle of Armageddon is at the end of the tribulation according to the book of Revelation.
3. Rev 16:12-16 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
4. The battle of Gog and Magog is after the millennium.
5. If the battle of Gog and Magog is after the millennium, as described in Rev 20, there would be no problem. Many of Ezekiel's prophecies have been modified by God, so the Ezekiel prophecies may not completely agree with Revelation.
6. Rev 20:7-10 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
7. Eze 38:1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops-many people are with you. 7 "Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. 9 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you." 10 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, 'I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates'-- 12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. 13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, 'Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?' " ' 14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes." 17'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them? 18 "And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," says the Lord GOD, "that My fury will show in My face. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: 'Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.' 21 "I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains," says the Lord GOD. "Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD." '
8. Ezekiel 39:1 "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; 2 and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. 4 You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken," says the Lord GOD. 6 And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Surely it is coming, and it shall be done," says the Lord GOD. "This is the day of which I have spoken. 9 "Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years. 10 They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them," says the Lord GOD.
9. 11 "It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog. 12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. 13 Indeed all the people of the land will be burying them, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified," says the Lord GOD. 14 They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. 15 The search party will pass through the land; and whenever anyone sees a man's bone, he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. 16 The name of the city will also be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land." '
10. 17 "And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: "Assemble yourselves and come;Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you,A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel,That you may eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty,Drink the blood of the princes of the earth,Of rams and lambs,Of goats and bulls,All of them fatlings of Bashan. 19 You shall eat fat till you are full,And drink blood till you are drunk,At My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you. 20 You shall be filled at My table With horses and riders,With mighty men And with all the men of war," says the Lord GOD. 21 "I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. 22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward. 23 The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them." ' 25 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name-- 26 after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. 27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, 28 then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their own land, and left none of them captive any longer. 29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord GOD."
11. Therefore, I do not see a problem.
12. In Christ,
13. Bob Hill
Question:
The body of Christ is being saved from the wrath of God, the tribulation, but what happens then?
- Hi Bob,
- I really like your website, and I have asked you questions before, but I am confronted with a new problem. I understand that 2 Th. 2:13 is saying that the corporate Body of Christ is being saved from the wrath of God, the Tribulation, but what happens then?
- After they are spared God's wrath, do they go to heaven or are they judged and the good are weeded from the non-good even further? I guess my question is, when the corporate body of Christ has been predestined to be saved from the tribulation, can we assume that after the rapture and the tribulation that they will be going to heaven? If not, when can we be sure that we, as believers, will find a spot in the Kingdom of God?
- Thanks for your time,
- Ryan
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Ryan,
2. This is what it will be like at the rapture, the day of redemption. Although we are adopted sons right now, it isn't till the rapture that we will actually receive the benefits of our adoption, the biggest one being the redemption of our body - we'll be changed.
3. Rom 8:22,23 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
4. One moment we'll be walking, sleeping, talking, or eating, and the next moment, we'll be changed and with Jesus. These bodies are wearing out. That will be the day we get our new bodies.
5. When we read Eph 1:4,5 we will see that we're secure because we are adopted. It says God predestined us to adoption. That way we can't lose it.
6. Eph 1:4,5 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blame before Him in love; 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will
7. This is another one of the glorious spiritual blessings of the mystery that we have in the body of Christ. We cannot lose our salvation because we are God's adopted sons.
8. Further, from Gal 4:3-5, we find that we were bought out of the slave market of sin, when we were under the law, to receive this wonderful adoption as sons.
9. Gal 4:3-5 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
10. Now, what does adoption mean? We read in Gal 3:13-15, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 "Brethren, I speak in the manner of men:" (That means he's about to give them an illustration from their own experiences - their culture.)
11. Here is the illustration. 15 "Though it is only a man's covenant [will], yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it."
12. You may think, "How can Paul say that?" We can change our wills all we want, in America today. But it was different under ancient Greek law. The cities of Asia Minor, modern Turkey, were under Greek law.
13. The greatest archaeologist of Asia Minor, Sir William Ramsay, wrote about adoption in his Historical Commentary on Galatians. Here's what he wrote:
14. "In Hellenised Asia Minor, at the time when Paul was writing, the Diatheke or Will was a provision to maintain the continuity of the family with its religious obligations. . . . It is here plainly stated that when the Will has been properly executed with all legal formalities, no person can make it ineffective or add any further clause or conditions. . . . We are confronted with a legal idea that the duly executed Will cannot be revoked by a subsequent act of the testator. Such irrevocability was a characteristic feature of Greek law, according to [under which] which an heir outside the family must be adopted into the family; and the adoption was the Will making. . . The appointment of an heir was the adoption of a son, and was final and irrevocable. The testator, after adopting his heir, could not subsequently take away from him his share in the inheritance or impose new conditions on his succession. That is a totally different conception of a Will from our modern ideas. We think of a Will . . . as revocable by him at pleasure . . . A Will of that kind could have no application to God, and no such analogy could have been used by Paul. But the Galatian Will, like God's Word, is irrevocable and unalterable; it comes into operation as soon as the conditions are performed by the heir; it is public and open. . . . The exact sense of [verse] 15 must be observed. Paul does not say that a supplementary Will (ejpidiaqhjkh) cannot be made; but that the new Will cannot interfere with or invalidate the old Will. . . . The Roman-Syrian Law-Book . . . well illustrates this passage of [Galatians 3]. It actually lays down the principle that a man can never put away an adopted son, and that he cannot put away a real son without good ground. It is remarkable that the adopted son should have a stronger position than the son by birth; yet it was so." (William Ramsay, A Historical Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, Minneapolis: Klock & Klock, 1978, pp. 349-354.)
15. From this, we can see that we are totally secure in our adoption. We are God's adopted sons. We can't even be disinherited, so there is no sorting out good from bad. We are absolutely certain of our position in heaven.
16. That's why Eph 1 tells us of the certainty of our adoption. Eph 1:3-5,11-14 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Notice, He has already done this for us.) 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, (Remember, that happens at the rapture.) to the praise of His glory." All I can say is glory, hallelujah!
17. Again, when do we receive our adoption? That takes place at the rapture, when Christ comes, before the tribulation starts. Rom 8:23 we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
18. Now, what are the present results of our adoption?
19. Gal 4:6,7 "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." This Holy Spirit attests to our security. And this guarantee lasts until the rapture according to Eph 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed until the day of redemption."
20. After that, we are with God forever. 1 Th 4:16-18 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words."
21. So, He is our guarantee, He sealed us, He's our security.
22. In Christ,
23. Bob Hill
Question:
Were those whose names were not written in the book of life predestined to die?
- Dear Bob,
- I know that Christ's life was predestined before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20) and that He was crucified as part of God's counsel (Acts 2:23) after the fall of man. Recently I have been discussing Rev. 13:8. I argue that it should be rendered "names not written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain," which lends support to the Open View. Does this mean that some (those whose names were not written) have been predestined to die or does it say somewhere in the bible that those names could be added to the Book of Life at a later date, lending even more strength to the OV?
- Your insight is greatly appreciated. God Bless,
- Ryan
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Ryan,
2. According to the Greek text of 1 Pe 1:20, it says proegnwsmenou men pro katabolays kosmou, foreknown before the foundation of (the) world. Christ was not predestined before the foundation of the world. Further, in Acts 2:23 it says, �this one, delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, having taken by lawless hands, having crucified, you have killed.
3. Rev 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
4. This should be translated, �whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain.� This is corroborated by Revelation 17:8, The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
5. Apparently the book was in existence from the foundation of the world. Again, we must see that the lamb slain passages in Revelation show that something never happened. i.e.
6. When we compare Rev 13:8 with 17:8, we see that the phrase �from the foundation of the world� is referring to those whose names were never written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain because they had not believed.. It�s very important to see that the Lamb was not slain from the foundation of the world.
7. Again, these verses show that some people never had their names written in the book of life. In order to have their names written, they would have to believe in the gospel that God told them. These people never believed.
8. They were not predestined to not believe. God made room in everyone for repentance (2 Pe 3:9 corew, have room.). I can�t emphasize it too much. These verses in Revelation show that there are people who never freely believed in God�s message of salvation. Therefore, their names were never written in the Lamb�s Book of Life. Both of these prepositional phrases, �from the foundation of the world�, modify when the names were not written in the Book of Life. Again, many have never believed. Because they never believed, their names were never written in the Book of Life. Some, in that future dispensation of the tribulation had their names written in the Book of Life, but if they did not overcome, some were threatened with having their names blotted out: Rev 3:5 �He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.�
9. In Christ,
10. Bob Hill
Question:
Who are the 7 spirits of God?
- I need to know what are the seven spirits of god my daughter wants to know.
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. According to Rev 1:4,5, the 7 spirits are before God's throne: "John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth."
2. According to Rev 3:1-2, Christ is the one who has the seven spirits: "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."'"
3. According to Rev 4:5, the seven spirits of God are seven lamps burning before the throne of God: "And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God."
4. According to Rev 5:6,7, the seven spirits of God are sent out into all the earth: "And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
5. Therefore, I believe that the seven spirits of God are 7 special angels who are God's before God's throne all the time and are His special messengers who go forth into the world as God's messengers.
6. In Christ,
7. Bob Hill
Question:
What will the body of Christ be doing during the Millennium?
- Where and what will those who make up the one body of Christ today be doing during the millennial reign of Christ? Some say we'll be in the heavenlies and I ask doing what, floating around? Some say we'll be reigning with him, 1 Cor. 15.
- In Christ,
- Rodney
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Rodney,
2. All it tells us is found in 1 Th 4:15-18 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
3. We can speculate, but I don�t know of any other Scripture that tells us we will be anywhere else.
4. In Christ,
5. Bob Hill
Question:
Who are the armies of heaven in Rev. 19:14?
- Who are the armies of heaven in Rev. 19:14 and do they have anything to do with those who will enter the millennium at the end of the tribulation period?
- In Christ,
- Rodney
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Rodney,
2. The armies of Rev 19:14, �And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.�, may be the angels of Rev 5:11 and 2 Th 1:7,8. Rev 5:11, �Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands�. 2 Th 1:5-8, �which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 (and to give you who are troubled rest with us) when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.�
3. Christ could have had aid before He was crucified: Mat 26:53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? He will use them in the future. Matt 24:31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
4. God�s angels were at war with the great dragon, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, and his angels in Rev 12:7-9 �And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.�
5. Take your pick. I don�t think we can be dogmatic.
6. In Christ,
7. Bob Hill
Question:
Won't we always be with the Lord ?
- Hello Bob,
- Question: What will we be doing during the millennium?
- I was hoping there would be some information on where we would be and what we would be doing during the millennium. When 1 Thes. says "and so shall we ever be with the Lord" does that not mean that we will always be with the Lord, Where ever He is. If he's in heaven we'll be with him, if he's reigning on earth during the millenium we'll be with him? It's amazing there isn't something more specific about that. I thank you for the permission to make booklets. You wouldn't happen to have a list of the booklets you've written would you. That would be easier than for me trying to ask questions hoping you have a booklet on it. I am grateful that I was introduced to your site. You have been very helpful. I'm sure I will return with frequent regularity.
- In Christ,
- Rodney
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Rodney,
2. We both believe that the Lord is God the Son, right? Can God be everywhere at the same time? I believe He can. If He can, couldn't He be with the redeemed on the earth and the body of Christ in heaven at the same time? I believe He can. We humans are very curious. Maybe He doesn't tell us what we are going to be doing in heaven because we don't have spiritual bodies and wouldn't really understand what we will be doing.
3. The booklets available are:
4. Baptism & Salvation
5. The Biblical Basis for the Pretribulation Rapture
6. The Big Difference Between the Two Gospels
7. The Christian Life � 1, 2, & 3
8. Constitution of Derby Bible Church
9. The Deity of Christ and The Trinity of God
10. Does God Repent?
11. Greek Philosophy, The Foundation of Calvinism
12. James to the Jewish Dispersion
13. John 10:26, People Do Not Believe, Because They Are Not Elect
14. The Knowledge of God in Psalm 139
15. The Little Flock and the Other Sheep
16. Mystery, Mystery, Who�s Got The Mystery? A Dispensational Razzle Dazzle
17. Our Passionate God
18. The Nature of the Mystery and The Rapture
19. Predestination and Free Will
20. Salvation, Legalism or Antinomianism?
21. Testing the Things That Differ
22. Tongues, The Sign Gifts, & The Revelatory Gifts
23. The Twelve Dispensations
24. The Twelve Dispensations, Chart Revised 5-11-01
25. The Two Gospels and Adoption, the Basis of Eternal Security
26. Universal Reconciliation, Some Answers
27. Water Baptism, What Is Its Place Today?
28. What�s so Mysterious about The Mystery?
29. Who are the Restrainers of 2 Thessalonians 2?
30. You Can�t Live the Christian Life
Question:
When He reigns on earth during the millennium will he be reigning in the flesh?
- Hello Bob,
- When I discussed with someone a few weeks ago about where the body of Christ would be during the Millennium he said exactly the same thing you did. That Christ was omnipresent. I was not seeking an argument but an answer so my question to him was, While He was in �the days of His flesh� was He omnipresent. Was he ever On the Mt of Olives and on the sea of Galilee at the same time. WE know that He is God. But He did become flesh. When He reigns on earth during the millennium he will be reigning in the flesh. So my question to him was, why won�t we be here with him while he is in the flesh? That is a perplexing problem for me. What does the Bible mean when it says if we suffer with him we shall also reign with Him?
- In Christ,
- Rodney
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Rodney,
2. I do not believe that Christ will be reigning on earth in the millennium in the flesh. Where does it say that the Son will be in the flesh in the millennium? I scoured the book of the Revelation. I only found the following.
3. To me, He appears as the Son, called the Lamb. We find in Rev 1:10-2:2 I was in the Spirit on the Lord�s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, �I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,� and, �What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.� 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, �Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. 2:1 �To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, �These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
4. Also we find in Rev 20:4-6 that the resurrected martyrs of the tribulation are going to reign with Christ for a thousand years. Do you think that Christ will not be in His spiritual body? Rev 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
5. This, also, does not appear to be the human Christ, but the glorified one. Rev 21:22-23 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
6. Rev 22:1-5 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
7. Again, I find no place that says He is in the flesh. Therefore I believe He reigns as the Lamb, God the Son.
8. In Christ,
9. Bob
Question:
Will Israel know what gospel to believe in the tribulation?
- A friend of mine sent me this mail I was wondering what your thoughts are
- Okay, right now we know that The House of Israel is unbranched, and the Body of Christ is in effect right now. We also know that the Body of Christ will be raptured before the tribulation begins. When the tribulation begins the House of Israel will be branched back in with their House Rules so to speak. My question is how will Israel know which House Rules to follow after such a long time of the House of Israel House rules being unbranched? Will there be anyone still saying "grace alone"? Obviously anyone who believes the Grace alone message during that particular time period will get condemned if they sit in that belief for too long. Another interesting thing to point out is right now god expects the state of Israel to believe in the Grace alone message, but yet they are still so zealous for the law, most of them are anyways. How much confusion about these two different sets of House Rules do you think there will be during the Tribulation?I have one last question: Is it possible for the House of Israel to "not believe" again in those last days?
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Shadowx,
2. I'm not sure what you mean by the phrase, "The House of Israel is unbranched". Is this referring to the Olive tree of Romans 11?
3. In the tribulation, Israel will know what the gospel is for a number of reasons. First, an angel will fly though heaven preaching the gospel to the whole world. Rev 14:6,7,9-12 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth -- to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people -- 7 saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."
4. 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." 12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (NKJV)
5. Second, the message to the 7 churches will show the conditions for salvation in the tribulation. Rev 2:10,11 "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." (NKJV)
6. Rev 2:18-26 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. 24 Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.'" (NKJV)
7. Rev 3:1-5 These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (NKJV)
8. Rev 3:19-21 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (NKJV)
9. The false gospel of faith plus works that is fomented by Satan today, it seems, will be replaced by another false gospel in the tribulation. I wouldn't be surprised if Satan didn't pervert the message of Grace, which is the gospel for today, in the tribulation. In the future, of course, the grace message will no longer be in order. Those who are not willing to look to God will be deluded by the wrong gospel. But, remember, God looks at the heart. He is the holy righteous God who all to be saved.
10. I believe it will be impossible for 1/3 of Israel "to 'not believe' again in those last days" because God knows probabilities. It says in Zec 13:7-9, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion," Says the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones. 8 And it shall come to pass in all the land," says the LORD, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" (NKJV)
11. In Christ,
12. Bob Hill
Question:
Do you have a position on Preterism?
- Hello Bob ive been reading up on preterism lately...
- When do you believe the book of Rev was given to john..ive heard around 95 ad...and 70 ad...
- I realize "some" of matt 24 has already happend in 70 ad..but i don't believe we are in the "kingdom" now :)
- Do you have a position on preterism?....
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Danny,
2. It is extremely difficult to give a precise date for when the writing of the book of Revelation took place. Therefore, I would have to give a broad lee way of 70 to 90 A. D.
3. The basic tenets of Preterism are the book of Revelation and the prophetic parts of Matthew that deal with the end times have already been fulfilled.
4. I strongly disagree with this position. I believe the letters to the 7 churches aspect of Revelation most likely were fulfilled, but not the rest of the book. In fact, it is inconceivable to me that some people even believe this.
5. I have spent a great amount of time studying the prophecies that they say have already been fulfilled, to see if this prophetic material was, indeed, already fulfilled. I have found just the opposite of the Preterist position. I will put in bold print the portions of Christ's prophecies in Matthew 24 that have not been fulfilled.
6. Mat 24:7-15 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand)
7. This will happen in the future right after the body of Christ is raptured. 2 Th 2:1-3 "Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, [This is describing the rapture. Verse 1 has one main subject - "concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him". In the Greek, the definite article precedes the word "coming". There is not a definite article preceding "our gathering together". This indicates that these two things, connected by (kai, and), are actually one and the same event - His coming and our gathering together to Him. As you know, this event is called the rapture (cf. 1 The 4:13-18)!]
8. (2 Th 2:1-3 continued) we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ [This is the day of the Lord/Christ.] had come. [Verse 2 is essential to help us understand the main reason that Paul wrote this portion of Scripture. The verb (translated "had come", "as though the Day of Christ had come" (NKJV), according to Moulton and Milligan should be translated, "the Day of Christ is now present". The Greek perfect tense normally indicates something that has already occurred and the results are still present, or continuing. But, Moulton and Milligan in The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, p. 215, wrote, "Contemporary usage makes it clear that in 2 Th 2:2 should be rendered as pointing to strictly present time, 'as that the day of the Lord is now present'." They thought or were being led to believe that they were now in the Day of Christ, or Day of the Lord! This is the error that Paul was addressing so they would not be deceived by any means - especially not by another epistle that seemed to be from Paul.]
9. 2 Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, [Verse 3 includes a supplied phrase - "that Day will not come" - which seems to complete the ellipsis well; nothing else really makes sense here. It will not come until the apostasia, comes first. This is generally translated "falling away", but the root of the word means simply "to depart." In fact, its cognate verb form has this meaning. Correlating a noun to its cognate verb is not always an accurate way to get the meaning of a word, but it often helps. One example of the verb form is in Acts 12:10. An angel of the Lord had just freed Peter from prison and led him past the guard posts to the city gate. The angel then "fell away"? He "apostasized"? No - he departed! In fact, of the 15 times this verb appears in the New Testament, it is translated "depart" 9 times in the NKJV. The way I would translate this particular portion would be, "for unless the departure comes first and the man of sin be revealed, that day will not come." Notice, the departure comes first. Then, the man of sin is revealed. If he is revealed right after our departure, he couldn't have had a covenant in place before the rapture. Something else is significant in the Greek, here. It is the use of the definite article (the) before apostasia, departure. This is called the anaphoric use of the definite article. This means that its noun - in this case, the departure - is referring back to something already mentioned. Here it points back to verse one. Christ's coming and our gathering together to Him is the departure. It is the rapture. In addition, Paul referred to "the departure" in his first epistle to the Thessalonians.]
10. This material would also be referring back to 1 Th 1:10 "and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." And it would also be referring to 1 Th 4:13-18; 5:8,9 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Th 5:8,9 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
11. Beyond all this, Paul had personally told them about these things as 2 Th 2:5 shows us, "Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?" The Thessalonians had been given quite a bit of information concerning the rapture. When Paul referred to the departure, they knew exactly what he was referring to. Moreover, there is nothing in either of the Thessalonian epistles referring to a "falling away", or an apostasy, which this apostasia could be referring to; this strengthens the argument even more for the meaning to be "departure".
12. Returning to Mat 24:16, "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. 23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
13. Right after the tribulation which is described in Matthew and Revelation, the Son of Man comes in His glory. Then there is a judgment of those in the tribulation about how they dealt with Israel during the tribulation. Mat 25:31-46 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand,' Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
14. This is part of the basis for presenting the rapture, tribulation, 2nd coming in glory, and judgment, in that order, as being all still in the future. Preterists have a propensity for doing what they call "spiritualizing" the Scriptures. They say that it doesn't mean what it says, and then, they tell you what it supposedly means.
15. In Christ,
16. Bob Hill
Question:
Preterism, these prophecies have already been fulfilled.
- Bob:
- Thank you for your reply. It is refreshing to write to someone who is not quick to condemn something he disagrees with. I believe you are a man who can dialogue with another and who wants to know truth. I would also classify myself as the same. I looked at Preterism just to see what they said regarding Matthew 24. When I started seriously looking at the site (I have pretty well read most of it), I was skeptical, but, on continuing on, I realized that they were onto something that finally made sense (to me). They are the only ones who take Jesus at His word (as a contemporary would understand Him).
- The immanence statements are too many and too obvious to put the prophecies of our Lord's return beyond the lifetime of the early disciples. That is my opinion. How do you read the immanence statements, particularly Matthew 24:34?
- In Christ,
- Bob
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Bob,
2. I would like for us to look at Mat 24:3-25 & 25:31-46 to see if this prophetic material was, indeed, already fulfilled. I will put in bold print the portions of Christ's prophecy that have not been fulfilled.
3. Mat 24:3-25 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),
4. This will happen in the future right after the body of Christ is raptured. 2 Th 2:1-3 "Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, [This is describing the rapture. Verse 1 has one main subject - "concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him". In the Greek, the definite article, tays (the, feminine) precedes the word "coming". There is not a definite article preceding "our gathering together". This indicates that these two things, connected by (kai, and), are actually one and the same event - His coming and our gathering together to Him. As you know, this event is called the rapture (cf. 1 The 4:13-18)!]
5. we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ [This is the day of the Lord/Christ.] had come. [Verse 2 is essential to help us understand the main reason that Paul wrote this portion of Scripture. The verb (enestayken, translated "had come", "as though the Day of Christ had come" (NKJV), according to Moulton and Milligan should be translated, "the Day of Christ is now present". The Greek perfect tense normally indicates something that has already occurred and the results are still present, or continuing. But, Moulton and Milligan in The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, p. 215, wrote, "Contemporary usage makes it clear that in 2 Th 2:2 should be rendered as pointing to strictly present time, 'as that the day of the Lord is now present'." They thought or were being led to believe that they were now in the Day of Christ, or Day of the Lord! This is the error that Paul was addressing so they would not be deceived by any means - especially not by another epistle that seemed to be from Paul.]
6. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, [Verse 3 includes a supplied phrase - "that Day will not come" - which seems to complete the ellipsis well; nothing else really makes sense here. It will not come until the apostasia, comes first. This is generally translated "falling away", but the root of the word means simply "to depart." In fact, its cognate verb form, afistaymi, has this meaning. Correlating a noun to its cognate verb is not always an accurate way to get the meaning of a word, but it often helps. One example of the verb form is in Acts 12:10. An angel of the Lord had just freed Peter from prison and led him past the guard posts to the city gate. The angel then "fell away"? He "apostasized"? No - he departed! In fact, of the 15 times this verb appears in the New Testament, it is translated "depart" 9 times in the NKJV. The way I would translate this particular portion would be, "for unless the departure comes first and the man of sin be revealed, that day will not come." Notice, the departure comes first. Then, the man of sin is revealed. If he is revealed right after our departure, he couldn't have had a covenant in place before the rapture. Something else is significant in the Greek, here. It is the use of the definite article (the) before apostasia, departure. This is called the anaphoric use of the definite article. This means that its noun - in this case, the departure - is referring back to something already mentioned. Here it points back to verse one. Christ's coming and our gathering together to Him is the departure. It is the rapture. In addition, Paul referred to "the departure" in his first epistle to the Thessalonians.]
7. This material would also be referring back to 1 Th 1:10 "and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." And it would also be referring to 1 Th 4:13-18; 5:8,9 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Th 5:8,9 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
8. Beyond all this, Paul had personally told them about these things as 2 Th 2:5 shows us, "Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?" The Thessalonians had been given quite a bit of information concerning the rapture. When Paul referred to the departure, they knew exactly what he was referring to. Moreover, there is nothing in either of the Thessalonian epistles referring to a "falling away", or an apostasy, which this apostasia could be referring to; this strengthens the argument even more for the meaning to be "departure".
9. Returning to Mat 24:16, "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. 23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
10. Right after the tribulation, the Son of Man comes in His glory. Then there is a judgment of those in the tribulation about how they dealt with Israel during the tribulation. Mat 25:31-46 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand,' Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
11. This is the beginning of the basis for presenting the rapture, tribulation, 2nd coming in glory, and judgment in that order - all still in the future.
12. In Christ,
13. Bob Hill
Question:
144,000
- In Revelation chapter 7 and Revelation chapter 14 the Bible talks about
- 144,000 Jews who were sealed. Does this mean God chose these people to be
- saved? They had no choice?? Because it is a prophesy that tells us these
- people are going to be sealed. So it seems like they were chosen for
- salvation.
- Thanks for your time!
- Dusti
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Dusti,
2. When I read the two accounts of the 144,000, I see the problem, but I think this is the solution.
3. Rev 7:1-8 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
4. 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;
5. of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
6. 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
7. of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
8. of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
9. 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
10. of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
11. of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
12. 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
13. of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
14. of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
15. Rev 14:1-5 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
16. They were redeemed from the earth. It doesn�t tell us how they were redeemed, but in every other dispensation, when someone was redeemed, he had to believe before he was redeemed. Just because God will seal these 144,000 male Jews doesn�t mean He would do it by any other means than presenting the gospel to them. The next verse, Rev 14:6, says: �Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth -- to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people�. That is after they are sealed, but God can be sure, just by knowing probability so well, that there will be 144,000 male virgins who will respond to the gospel message. There will certainly be enough signs in heaven and earth to cause a normal, unhardened person to believe.
17. Let me know if this answer is not satisfactory to you.
18. In Christ,
19. Bob
Question:
Unfulfilled prophecy really fulfilled?
- Dear Bob,
- Concerning your article on Unfulfilled prophecy, you state that Ezekiel 26-30 is speaking of a prophecy God made but didn't fulfill because He changed His mind. Though you put up a very good argument, doesn't history show that Nebuchadnezzar eventually did capture Tyre in 574 B.C., but they received very little reward because the people of Tyre had managed to ship out a lot of their wealth during all those years in battle? This would square perfectly with Ezekiel 29:18, which says that Babylon didn't "receive wages" from Tyre. It doesn't say they lost or won, it says they didn't "receive wages." This squares perfectly with history.
- I'm not doubting that God HAS changed his mind in the past or that He doesn't still change His mind to this day. You have many incredible articles of this on your website, but in this one instance, your interpretation doesn't seem to fit with history.
- Thanks for your time and God bless,
- Ryan
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Ryan,
2. Thank you for your sincere response to my article on unfulfilled prophecy.
3. The prophecy of Ezekiel 26-30, according to history, did not take place even though it seemed absolute. I admire your desire to defend the word of God. I, too, defend it as inspired and without error, but let's look at it again, carefully. The biggest problem is the promise when God said, "I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. 'It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea." That never happened.
4. Eze 26-30 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. 4 'And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. 5 'It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' says the Lord GOD; 'it shall become plunder for the nations. 6 'Also her daughter villages which are in the fields shall be slain by the sword. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.' 7 For thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army with many people. 8 He will slay with the sword your daughter villages in the fields; he will heap up a siege mound against you, build a wall against you, and raise a defense against you. 9 He will direct his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. 12 They will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water. 14 I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt,
5. Tyre was conquered by Alexander the Great, but the town even exists today. You can see pictures of the houses in any good atlas.
6. for I the LORD have spoken,' says the Lord GOD. 19 For thus says the Lord GOD: 'When I make you a desolate city, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring the deep upon you, and great waters cover you,
7. 27:3 and say to Tyre, 'You who are situated at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord GOD: "O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.' 4 Your borders are in the midst of the seas. 27 All your men of war who are in you, And the entire company which is in your midst, will fall into the midst of the seas on the day of your ruin. 28 The common-land will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots. 29 All . . . will come down from their ships and stand on the shore . . . 32 They will take up a lamentation, and lament for you: 'What city is like Tyre, Destroyed in the midst of the sea?
8. 29:1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt. 3 "Speak, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, Who has said, 'My River is my own; I have made it for myself.' 4 But I will put hooks in your jaws, And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales; I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales. 5 I will leave you in the wilderness, You and all the fish of your rivers; You shall fall on the open field; You shall not be picked up or gathered. I have given you as food To the beasts of the field And to the birds of the heavens. 6 "Then all the inhabitants of Egypt Shall know that I am the LORD, Because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. 7 When they took hold of you with the hand, You broke and tore all their shoulders; When they leaned on you, You broke and made all their backs quiver." 8 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I will bring a sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast. 9 "And the land of Egypt shall become desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the LORD, because he said, 'The River is mine, and I have made it.' 10 "Indeed, therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 "Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 "I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries." 13 'Yet, thus says the Lord GOD: "At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. 14 "I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. 15 "It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore. 16 "No longer shall it be the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord GOD."'" 17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18 "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it. 19 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Surely I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army. 20 'I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me,' says the Lord GOD.
9. James Luther Mays, Ph.D., Editor, Harper's Bible Commentary, (New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.) 1988, wrote. [My bold.] "This oracle, the latest dated oracle in the book, is set in April of 571 BC, shortly after the end of Nebuchadnezzar's unsuccessful siege of Tyre. The prophet or his disciples were apparently worried that the earlier prophecies against Tyre had not been fulfilled. To explain this situation, God tells Ezekiel that Egypt is to be given to Nebuchadnezzar as compensation for the effort he expended trying to capture Tyre. When Babylon finally plunders Egypt, Israel's own monarchy will be restored (v. 21). As later events developed, Ezekiel's substitute prophecy against Egypt was not fulfilled either. Nebuchadnezzar apparently did campaign in Egypt and may have even exacted tribute from the pharaoh, but the country was not destroyed in the way that the prophet predicted.
10. 29:21 'In that day I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the LORD. 30:1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2 "Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Wail, 'Woe to the day!' 3 For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. 4 The sword shall come upon Egypt, And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia, When the slain fall in Egypt, And they take away her wealth, And her foundations are broken down. 5 "Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword." 6 'Thus says the LORD: "Those who uphold Egypt shall fall, And the pride of her power shall come down. From Migdol to Syene Those within her shall fall by the sword," Says the Lord GOD. 7 "They shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries, And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste. 8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, When I have set a fire in Egypt And all her helpers are destroyed. 9 On that day messengers shall go forth from Me in ships To make the careless Ethiopians afraid, And great anguish shall come upon them, As on the day of Egypt; For indeed it is coming!" 10 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 11 He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations, Shall be brought to destroy the land; They shall draw their swords against Egypt, And fill the land with the slain. 12 I will make the rivers dry, And sell the land into the hand of the wicked; I will make the land waste, and all that is in it, By the hand of aliens. I, the LORD, have spoken." 20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 21 "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and see, it has not been bandaged for healing, nor a splint put on to bind it, to make it strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Surely I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, both the strong one and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall out of his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he will groan before him with the groanings of a mortally wounded man. 25 Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; they shall know that I am the LORD, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.'"
11. The key to the problem of prophecy not being fulfilled is found in Jonah 3:2-10 & 4:2. "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. 4:2 So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who repents from doing harm.
12. We can also see from the Scriptures that man can hinder God's will, but only because God is willing to change His mind for good or for punishment.
13. 1 Ti 2:4 says God "desires (wills) all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Yet all men are not saved. Even Christians reject the will of God.
14. Everyone of us have according to 1 Th 4:3-7 "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."
15. The Pharisees and lawyers rejected God's will for them according to Lk 7:30.
16. Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves (tayn boulayn tou theou aythetaysan eis heautous), not having been baptized by him.
17. About 600 years before Christ was born, this event in Isa 7:10-22 took place: Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!" 13 Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 17 The LORD will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father's house; days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah." 18 And it shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures. 20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard. 21 It shall be in that day That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; 22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.
18. But this didn't happen. Messiah was born about 600 years later. Why? God is gracious. He changes His mind because of his mercy.
19. In Christ,
20. Bob Hill
Question:
Daniel's Seventy Weeks
- Dear Bob,
- Do you believe that Christ fulfilled the 69 weeks of Daniel' s seventy Weeks based on a 360 day year as described by Sir Robert Anderson (The Coming Prince) and others and the 70th week is still future.
- Thank You
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Yes I do. His development of the biblical material is excellent.
2. Here is a synopsis of Sir Robert Anderson's Solution of Daniel 9:24-27. My friend, Obadiah did the translation.
3. Daniel 9:24-27 Seventy heptads(1) are determined on your people and on your holy city to eliminate violations and to end(2) sins, and to cover iniquity and to bring in eternal righteousness, and to seal the vision and prophecy, (3) and to anoint the holy of holies. 25 So know and discern(4) that from the issue of a decree to return and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince: seven heptads and sixty-two heptads; it will be rebuilt,(5) street and wall, even in time of distress. (6) 26 And after the sixty-two heptads, Messiah will be cut off, having neither the city nor the sanctuary. And the coming one will defile [destroy(7)] the people of the Prince; and his end is in a flood, and until the end of battle desolations are determined. 27 And he will strengthen a covenant with the many for one heptad; and at the midpoint of the heptad he will stop sacrifice and grain offering; and on the summit(8) of abominations one who desolates,(9) until completion, and that which is determined shall be poured upon the desolator.
4. (1) Hebrew shebuim is an irregular plural of the noun for �week�. Our word �heptad� is a period of seven years.
5. (2) A textual alternative reads �seal� for �end�, but the MT reading better suits the parallel, and the alternative reading (followed by LXX) can be explained as an anticipatory error for �seal� later in the text.
6. (3) Literally, �prophet,� a case of abstract used in place of concrete.
7. (4) �Know and discern� could also be rendered as a future indicative, �You will know and discern.�
8. (5) Literally, �it will return and be built.� We have interpreted Hebrew shub as an auxiliary (but compare the preceding �return and build�).
9. (6) Literally, �in distress of time.�
10. (7) Hebrew shachat can mean either to defile an object ritually or to destroy it physically. This is probably the reasoning behind the Pauline usage of fqeivrw in 1 Corinthians 3:17.
11. (8) Hebrew kanap, �wing,� refers to the pinnacle of the temple (Matthew 4:5).
12. (9) A minor textual emendation could be posited to yield the rendering, �and on the summit [of the temple] , the abomination of desolation.� The identical phrase occurs in Daniel 11:31, and is referred to in Matthew 24:15.
13. 1. What is a week? Gen 29:27 Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.
14. 2. Why did Daniel pray? Dan 9:2-19. He was praying, and confessing his sin and the sin of his people Israel, and presenting his supplication before the Lord, and asking Him to forgive them.
15. 3. What was the answer? Dan 9:24. �Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
16. 4. How long is a year?
17. Dan 4:16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over him.
18. Dan 4:32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.
19. Dan 7:25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
20. Dan 12:1,7 Time of trouble. 7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
21. Rev 11:2,3 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
22. Rev 12:6,14 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
23. Rev 13:5 And he [the beast] was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
24. 5. How long is the time of Dan 9:25? In years? In days? Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.
25. 6. When was the commandment given? Neh 2:1-8 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, 4 Then the king said to me, �What do you request?� �[Send me to] Judah, to the city of my fathers� tombs, that I may rebuild it. � 8 �and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king�s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.� And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.
26. 7. Who was Artaxerxes? Astyages of Herodotus and Ahasuerus of Esther 1:1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia). He came to the throne in 465 BC. His 20th year would be 445 BC. Therefore, the commandment was given on Nisan 1, 445 BC.
27. 8. When was Messiah's triumphal entry into Jerusalem? Christ came to Bethany 6 days before Passover, John 12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. Passover was eaten on Thursday that year. So, He came to Bethany Friday and entered Jerusalem Nisan 10 = April 16, AD 32.
28. 9. How many days between Nisan 1, 445 BC and Christ's entry?
29. 445 + 32 - 1 = 476
30. 476 x 365 = 173,740
31. Nisan 1 was March 14, 445 BC.
32. March 14-31 inclusive and 6 days in April is how many days? 24
33. Days for leap years, AD 1-32, 8
34. Days for leap years, BC 445-1 are 111. So, 111 + 8 = 119
35. Julian year is 129th of a day longer than a solar year, so , 3 extra days in 400 years which we subtract -3
36. Therefore 476 x 365 = 173,740
37. Days from March 14 to April 6 = add 24
38. For leap years add 119
39. For too many leap years Subtract 3
40. Actual days from the command to Christ�s entry. = 173,880
41. The 70th week of Daniel 9:24-27 did not come right after the 69th. According to the New Testament material, 2 Th 2:1-3 it comes just prior to the Day of the Lord/Christ. It fits perfectly there along with the rest of the prophetic program of God. The rapture comes just before the man of sin is revealed at the beginning of the Day of the Lord. The millennium comes right after the great and notable Day of the Lord.
42. In Christ,
43. Bob Hill
Question:
Who are the 144,000 specifically?
- Dear Bob,
- Ok, now clear up something else for me. Who are the 144,000 specifically. I understand the significance of the number being a multiple of the 12 tribes, 12 apostles, etc. But I need more.
- Thank you so, so much for answering my questions. God bless you.
- Judy
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Judy,
2. All we know is the 144,000 are 12,000 virgin men from each one of the 12 tribes of Israel. They follow after the Lamb, Christ. Information about them is found only in Revelation 7 & 14.
3. In Christ,
4. Bob Hill
Question:
Israel after the Rapture
- Dear Bob,
- I've just finished reading Bob Enyart's book, THE PLOT. In it, he answers the question, "Will Believers go through the Tribulation?" by saying, Yes, Kingdom Believers will, but members of the Body of Christ will not. Who are these Kingdom Believers? I thought I understood that both Jew and Gentile Believers now become members of the Body, and that all of the body will be raptured. Could he be saying that those saved after the rapture has occurred are the Kingdom Believers?
- Judy
Answer:
(click here to see the answer)
1. Dear Judy,
2. You hit it right on the head. Actually, the believers in the tribulation do not start out as believers, they get saved in the tribulation. The 144,000 get God's mark on their foreheads and I believe they will evangelize in the tribulation. An angel in heaven preaches the everlasting gospel as well: Rev 14:6,7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people- 7 saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."
3. Those who believe and endure until they are martyred or until the end of the tribulation, are the ones who are saved.
4. In Christ,
5. Bob Hill
Question:
What happens after we die?
- Dear Bob,
- I am a born-again believer that has always been taught that upon death, you either went to heaven or hell immediately. My question......lets say I die today and go to heaven. Jesus comes 10 years from now to take his church. The dead in Christ rise up first to join their spirits and Jesus... etc. The thousand year reign on earth is next is it not? And if so, does Jesus take us out of heaven, then put us back on Earth (New Jerusalem), and then bring us back into Heaven after the 1000 yrs? If so, is Heaven any different the second time? Please answer at your earliest convenience.
- Thanks.
- Eric

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

Dear Eric,
I agree that we go to heaven, but the lost go to Hades until the great white throne judgment. Then they are cast into the lake of fire. I believe that we would be in heaven until the rapture. Then we will be with the Lord forever. To break it down chronologically, because the dispensation we are in is a mystery, the next event that will occur in God's prophetic program is the rapture of the body of Christ. The rapture of the "mystery body" is also a mystery. That would mean that the rapture is not counted in the resurrections of prophecy.
This is what God shows us in 2 Th 2:1-4 "Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ is now present. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition." That will be the beginning of many other prophetic events.
The rapture is before the tribulation because nothing in our dispensation of the mystery is prophesied. Ephesians 3:8,9 show us that: "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which has been hidden from ages in God who created all things through Jesus Christ."
The mystery is a secret hid in God until He revealed it to Paul. Because it is a mystery, nothing that has to do with this dispensation of the mystery was prophesied before Paul was saved. After the rapture, God will start His prophetic program with Israel again.
From this, we can see that the tribulation will come after the rapture and the prophesied first resurrection will come after the tribulation.
Israel was identified as the people of the tribulation by Daniel (Dan 9:24; 10:14; 12:1). Our Lord Jesus Christ mentioned Daniel's abomination of desolation (Dan 9:27; 11:31) in the future tribulation's setting (Mat 24:15-21). One purpose of the tribulation will be to purify Israel for her kingdom reign (Dan 9:24; Zec 13:9). That's why Jeremiah 30:7 says the tribulation is precisely called a time of tribulation for Jacob.
Since the mystery has nothing to do with Israel, the tribulation, which is specifically designated for Israel, has nothing to do with the church which is His body.
The fact that the church is a mystery shows us that the body of Christ is never referred to in prophecy prior to Paul's conversion. Therefore, I believe the events that occur and their relation to the tribulation and the millennium are prophecy about the people in the tribulation and cannot refer to the body of Christ. Therefore, prophecy about the day of the Lord could not apply to the body of Christ. Further, prophecy about the people under the wrath of God in the tribulation and the millennial kingdom could not apply to the body of Christ. So we will be with Christ during the millennium, but not necessarily on earth.
Getting back to the rapture, since it only applies to the body of Christ, it must take place prior to the time of Jacob's trouble, the tribulation, which follows the rapture for the next seven years.
The great and awesome day of the Lord will follow the tribulation. This is what is normally called the second coming. I will quote two passages to show this. Acts 2:20 "The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD." Mat 24:29,30 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Our rapture was not revealed in Old Testament prophecy. It was only revealed to Paul. The pre-tribulation coming of Christ is necessary when we see the strong separation between Israel and the church. Since our Lord identifies the tribulation with Daniel's 70th week by citing "the abomination of desolation" from Daniel 9:27 and 11:31 within the context of the tribulation (Mat 24:15-21), we are forced to conclude that "[Daniel's] people," the nation of Israel (Dan 9:24 and 12:1), not the body of Christ, is the exclusive subject of Daniel's prophecy. As I've shown, the purpose of this period is to purge Israel for her kingdom reign (Dan 9:24; Zec 13:9). The tribulation is specifically designated "a time of tribulation for Jacob" in Jer 30:7.
Paul wrote the comforting passage about the rapture in 1 Th 4:13-18 to the body of Christ. "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words."
This whole thought was new to the Thessalonians. He had told them about many other things but not about the rapture. Notice, he wrote, "I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren. " Since this was new, we know it was not revealed in the Old Testament or in the sermon on the mount. His whole point for giving them this information was comfort. He had a real pastor's heart: "Therefore comfort one another with these words."
We can see from this portion of scripture in 1 Thessalonians that Christ is bringing with Him those who died. He will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. The rapture is Christ's coming and our going. We "shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." We'll all be changed at the last sound of the trumpet. What an event! But although these two passages describe the rapture, they do not give us the time when it will take place.
In considering the time of the rapture in relation to the tribulation, we must remember the concept I've already mentioned, the nature of the mystery. Since the nature of the mystery shows us that the body of Christ is never referred to in biblical prophecy prior to Paul's conversion, we can make some conclusions about when it occurs. They are: Prophecy about the people in the tribulation would not refer to the body of Christ. Prophecy about the day of the Lord would not apply to the body of Christ. Prophecy about the people under the wrath of God would not apply to the body of Christ. The rapture must take place prior to the prophetic program.
Let me know if you have any more questions about the end times or rapture. Here is a chart that diagrams when each event happens with Scripture.
In Christ,
Bob Hill

Eschatology � from Now to Eternity
Grace	Tribulation	Great & Awesome Day of the Lord	Judgment	1,000 year reign	Satan Loosed After 1,000 years	Great White Throne	New Heaven and Earth
The rapture ends this dispensation	The beginning of the Lord's Day	After the tribulation	Sheep and goat nations judged.	Tribulation martyrs reign with Christ	Gog and Magog	The rest of the dead are judged.	Israel's kingdom is established
2 Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. 1 Co 15:51,52 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorrupt-ible, and we shall be changed.	Mat 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. Dan 9:27a And he will strengthen a covenant with the many for one heptad; and at the midpoint of the heptad he will stop sacrifice and grain offering. Dan 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, one thousand two hundred and ninety days.	Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. Mat 24:29,30 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.	Mat 25:31,32 When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.	Rev 20:4,6 Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.	Rev 20:7-9 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.	Rev 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it . . . 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 . . . And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.	Rev 21:1,3,27; 22:5 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. . . . 3 Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. . . . 27 only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 22:5 And they shall reign forever and ever.

Eschatology � from Now to Eternity

Grace

Tribulation

Great & Awesome Day of the Lord

Judgment

1,000 year reign

Satan Loosed After 1,000 years

Great White Throne

New Heaven and Earth

The rapture ends this dispensation

The beginning of the Lord's Day

After the tribulation

Sheep and goat nations judged.

Tribulation martyrs reign with Christ

Gog and Magog

The rest of the dead are judged.

Israel's kingdom is established

2 Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.

1 Co 15:51,52 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorrupt-ible, and we shall be changed.

Mat 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Dan 9:27a And he will strengthen a covenant with the many for one heptad; and at the midpoint of the heptad he will stop sacrifice and grain offering.

Dan 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

Mat 24:29,30 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mat 25:31,32 When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

Rev 20:4,6 Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Rev 20:7-9 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

Rev 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it . . . 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 . . . And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 21:1,3,27; 22:5 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. . . . 3 Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. . . . 27 only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 22:5 And they shall reign forever and ever.

The rapture is the 1st resurrection. 1 Th 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. So it is the next thing that will happen. 2 The 2:1-4 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ is now present. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.
Then the tribulation comes. Jer 30:3-7 For behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,' says the Lord. 'And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. 4 Now these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah. 5 For thus says the Lord: "We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. 6 Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? 7 Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. Dan 9:24,27; 10:14; 11:31; 12:1; Zec 13:9; Mat 24:15-21.
At the end of the tribulation, those who were martyred for Christ will be raised. This is the first resurrection for those not in the body of Christ. Rev 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Then the judgment of the nations. Then the millennial reign of Christ. Then Satan is loosed from the pit and deceives the nations.
Then the 2nd resurrection for all those not in the body of Christ takes place. Then the great white throne judgment takes place. Those not found in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire as well as Satan, Rev 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Then the new heavens and earth are established.

Question: What is the significance between 1,290 days after the abomination?
- Dolores Quintana wrote:
- Dear Bob:
- Hi, it's me again, DQ. A young man asked me what the significance is
- between 1,290 days after the abomination that causes desolation and
- waiting until the end of the 1,335 days? What if you don't reach the
- 1,335 days? I know what the blessings are that we will receive. I don't
- know why the difference in the amount of days.
- God bless you and your family,
- DQ
Answer: (click here to view the answer)
1. Dear Dolores
2. I want to start with this: The tribulation and other prophecies in Daniel do not pertain to the Church, the Body of Christ. We, who are saved in this dispensation, the Body of Christ, will be raptured before the tribulation starts.
3. After we are caught up to be with Him forever, the tribulation starts. At the middle of the tribulation, the beast sets up an image in the holy of holies. This is the desolation spoken of in Daniel. There will be 1,260 days left of the tribulation after the abomination that causes desolation. The 1,335 days, then, would take us 30 + 45 days beyond the tribulation. These different periods of time may refer to the judgment of the nations of Mat 25 and the purification of the earth before the millennium starts. No one is sure.
4. In Christ,
5. Bob
Question: What are the 7 spirits and where are they found?
- From: gene rockefeller
- Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 10:16 AM
- Subject: The seven spirits
- In revelations ther is a referance to Jesus being the one worthy of
- receiving the seven spirits of God, what are the seven spirits and where
- in scripture do I find them?
- Dear Gene,
- The seven spirits are found in the following passages in Revelation:
- Rev 1:4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and
- peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven
- Spirits who are before His throne,