At what point does the antichrist come and the church leave?
LOOKING TO THE RAPTURE:
It serves no purpose to debate the Rapture – the fact of it, or its timing (Pre Trib – Post Trib – Etc) - Just open your Bible and allow the holy spirit to lead you in understanding. This I do with every Bible topic I write about. I’ll not publish what has not become for me, ‘established truth’. Nor do I consider something ‘established truth’, save that I have at least 3 witnesses on the point – to include without fail - the ‘Spirit of Truth’.
Now I will share what The Lord has shown this writer about the Rapture of God’s Church. Your job, if you wish to be fully persuaded – is to ask Him to confirm for you what I’ve written here. I can do no more. You can do no less.
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Knowing this first – There is no future event of man except that the Scriptures from the beginning have a record of it.
(I cannot count the many videos have been sent to me by some wide eyed saint, with someone on Sid Roth (for example) alleging to tell of something glorious (or horrendous) to come, that is nowhere to be found in the Mirror of the Scriptures. The first thing in discerning truth is to check… ’Is it written’? (Friend, The Lord God does NOT add to the program. He knows the end from the beginning. If it is to be, guaranteed ‘IT IS WRITTEN’. To escape deception let that be ground in stone for you.
The Bible is not subject to ‘private interpretation’. It leaves no room for guesswork. The entire story of mankind is in the Book, from beginning to end – in Parable, and plain text; awaiting the honest researcher to read by the spirit of God.
We are not in Ezra’s ‘dispensation’, when only a very few were anointed with God’s spirit and able to open the Scriptures to the people. We are past the point of salvation with the indwelling spirit – and past the point of Pentecost -that brought the baptism in the holy spirit, unleashing the walk of the spirit of God in every man so born.
There is therefore neither any excuse for ignorance, nor is there any need that ‘any man should teach thee’. For YE – like Ezra - HAVE the anointing.. and can know all things.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. (I John 2:20)
‘But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.’ I John 2:27
You have the power within you O’ saved saint – to do your own talking to the Lord – walking by the Spirit, and operating the power present to heal..
(O’ Lord God if only the Church knew the POWER they had.[2] (Dr. VPWeirweille)
KNOWING THIS FIRST – THE SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES TELL THE WHOLE STORY
They declare of themselves that they ‘tell the end from the beginning’:
‘Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.’ (Isaiah 46:10)
HOW do they tell the end from the beginning?
From the first Books of the Bible - we see that a person, place, or event - put to represent something future - is either specifically mentioned, as in Joel 3 – The Lord will pour out His spirit upon all men’., or it may be inferred - being seen in ‘patterns, metaphor, templates, figures, and shadows’.
By way of example – ‘The Lion of the Tribe of Judah’ is a metaphor.
Egypt is a template. It is always a place of ‘testing’ of God’s people.
The Passover was a shadow of the final and perfect sacrifice.
Nimrod cast a shadow of the man of sin to come.
Babylon – is the Template of the Last Days Great Babylon – that would ‘excel in wickedness’.
The WALLS around Jerusalem were a shadow of SALVATION. (Isaiah 60:18) (So much of what was physical for Israel, is spiritual for the Church)
In these FIGURES we also see the DISPENSATIONS1 - or ‘periods of time that the Lord holds in his power'.
The Tabernacle was a ‘figure’ - ‘for the time present’ - (i.e.. for that ‘DISPENSATION’, or time period) VIZ:
Hebrews 9:8,9,10 - ‘..while the first tabernacle was yet standing, which was a figure for the ‘time then present’ (that dispensation), in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience – which stood only in meats and drinks and diverse washings (water baptism – a Hebrew rite that was fulfilled in Jesus’ completing the law) and cardinal ordinances (Levitical law), imposed on them UNTIL THE TIME OF REFORMATION’ (the dispensation of Grace).
THE PATTERN OF THE RAPTURE
The Old Testament gives us a ‘pattern’ of the Rapture in the righteous Enoch’s flight to heaven without dying and in his ‘pleasing God’.
‘Who was translated that he would not see death,.. because he had this testimony that he ‘pleased God’. Hebrews 11:5
Knowing that without faith it is impossible to please God – you may imagine that the Jews or Gentiles who confess His son as Lord – are well pleasing the Father of the man of whom He Himself said – “This is my beloved son in whom I am completely delighted’. Matthew 3:17
The description of the ‘Rapture’ event itself is offered in both I Corinthians 15:51 & 52, and in I Thessalonians 4:14 – 18.
The ‘open window in heaven’ given for the entry of the Church – is seen in Revelation chapter 4.
The Church leaves, prior to, or in the beginning of Daniel’s 7 weeks. How do we know? Because it is at this time, that the man of sin appears and fulfills a short - if horrific - 7 year period on earth.
According to II Thessalonians, he cannot appear before the Church leaves – so we know the Church must be gone at the start of Daniel’s 7 ‘weeks’. At what ‘specific’ point the 7 weeks begin we do not know. The Rapture of the Church has no concrete date or sign to set by. Only the 7 terrible weeks have their hints in Scripture – as the storm surge shows the world the approach of the tribulation to come.
A Hurricane is a perfect metaphor for the Great Tribulation.
Have you ever wondered why there is a peaceful ‘eye’ in the center of the hurricane? Because a hurricane was made to be the metaphor/analogy of the 7 year great tribulation.
Romans 1:20, it teaches that - ‘The INVISIBLE things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are MADE, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
That tells us 2 things.
That the ‘invisible things’ have a way to be seen of us, so that ‘none will have an excuse for ignorance’.
And that everything ‘made’ i.e.. visible – was made to show us something ‘invisible’.
The Hurricane tells us a great deal about the great tribulation.
First the man of sin comes – and there is a storm surge – tribulation arises as do wars, rumors of war, and all sorts of trouble on earth. This is where the world believes it needs a ‘strong ruler’ to bring the nations together into a unified force to overcome whatever those horrors planned for the world happen to be.[3]
There will be a period of peace on earth in the 7 year reign of the antichrist. The antichrist remember, comes into power on a platform of ‘peace’. (You know, like Volodymyr Zelensky did. Until after he was elected - and then sent the Ukrainian army into Donbass in 2014 - to kill steal and destroy Russians... And though I digress, the analogy is valid.)
What will happen.
For a period of time there will be peace. There is your ‘eye of the hurricane’. The period of a short term ‘peace on earth’, when they again will ‘marry and be given in marriage’ – just as ‘in the days of Noah.’ Then the man will show his true colors and invade the nation he made a peace deal with – Israel.. bringing with him the armies of the nations he has conquered. (Including Russia. If and when Russia invades Jerusalem, it will be with Antichrist at the helm - not Vladimir Putin.)
AT this point, the worst part of the storm hits land and many are caught by surprise. A Hurricane is a perfect metaphor /analogy of these stages.
While we can’t time the Rapture precisely - we can watch for the indications and signs of great tribulation rising – whose storm clouds are visible right now.
Though the ‘departing of the Church’, has no other sign, and can take place at any time – either before or early on in the 7 week period – it will, according to the Scriptures in II Thessalonians, be BEFORE the man of sin can appear.
What we seeing in this study – is that the Church will not be here when the Lord Jesus Christ opens the seals, and launches the ‘wrath of the lamb’. He will wait and do that (immediately?) after the Church is safely by his side. That does mean the Church will be on hand for the storm surge or ‘tail winds’ of the hurricane. They’re already here. You see friend, that’s been the case for 2,000 years. But the hell of all hells on earth will not unleash until the Church leaves and the man of sin is revealed, who will then proceed to conquer whatever peoples and nations are given to his hand.
THE REVELATION OF THE MAN OF SIN (AKA - ANTICHRIST)
Revelation chapter 6 shows that this sequence of events is simultaneous. When the Lord opens the seals – the gates officially open on antichrist as well.
6 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
NOTE that it is the LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO OPENS THE SEALS. HE who loves his CHURCH, has the control over the timing of their opening. See Revelation 5:1-5
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
In II Thessalonians 2, Paul emphasizes the Church’s departure prior to antichrist’s appearing, saying that- he who ‘opposes and exalteth himself above all [the man of sin] - will be revealed ‘in his time.’ When is that time? After – ‘he who ‘lets’ is ‘taken out of the way.’
TO LET:
What does it mean to ‘let’? To ‘let’ is Old English and means - ‘to avert or to hinder’.We find the word ‘let’ - in the King James Version of 1611 - Isaiah 43:13 – ‘There is none that can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who shall let it?’ ‘Who is this that will work and none can hinder him? Isaiah 43:11 says - ‘I am the Lord’.
II Thessalonians 2:7 – ‘When he whohinders is taken ‘out of the way - the lawless one will be revealed’.
Who hinders lawlessness?
What can possibly hinder any lawless one? – State governments, militaries, the holy spirit, and the empowered Church of God. All of which will remain through the great tribulation. The holy spirit will never leave earth at any time*. (*See John 14:16) That leaves only the Church to leave earth - whose departure is called the Rapture.
The fact of a buildup of verses establishes this truth.
1. Something ‘leaves’ that was hindering the appearing of the antichrist.
2. The Church of living and risen saints is leaving. According to the Apostle Paul, it will be gathered in the air with the Lord. Which he explained in the Church Epistles.
3. The Church of God (is 1, not 7) is not mentioned in the Apocalypse at all. Only a ‘door’ was opened in heaven. In Scripture a ‘window’ is something looked through. A ‘door’, is something to go through.
4. Enoch is given by way of example, as a man taken to heaven without dying. This does not contradict Christ being the ‘first fruits from the dead’. Christ was the first to be raised from the dead to live forever. Enoch never ‘died’. A pattern for those who will ‘not die’, if the Lord returns in their lifetime. (I Corinthians 15:51)
TIMING:
The Lord gave indications of the day of Jacobs trouble, in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. These are the ‘contractions’ of which is 1st return is the ‘birth’. Just as a woman in travail, so do we have an idea of the timing of the Lord’s coming for his church. That is, there are indications. The contractions get closer and closer together. The precise day is not for us to know. But we are specifically told to be ‘watching’ for the day. That we are ‘not in darkness’ as others. We are expected to be fully prepared – as a ‘faithful servant’ for his ‘master’s return. The metaphors are abundant – the excuses – none.
I would venture to say that we are in a time that reflects contractions. Only close observation and ‘watching’ will reveal that they are growing closer together. But our lamps should be trimmed at all times nonetheless.
In Part V we will finally examine the tremendous truths concerning the ‘HOUR OF DARKNESS’
[1] The angel said it was about ‘your people’ to Daniel – i.e.. Israel.
[2] This topic will be covered in much detail in the book coming out this year called ‘Prayer for Sale’.
[3] One such horror may be the pretense of an alien invasion. Which is why Ronald Reagan and other politicians, have held olive branches out to alleged ‘enemies’ saying ‘would you pull with us if aliens attack? This also explains the military services having either highly secretive bases, or simulate peculiar sightings in the air - all to drive the illusion of aliens, which the Bible totally refutes. (A topic for another book – but a significant point in the understanding of how the antichrist can pull the nations of the world under one governmental oversight.)
The word for ‘dispensation’ in the Bible is the Greek word ‘Oikonomia’ - referring to the ‘administration of a house’ and the ‘laws’ and time frame that pertain to it. It is a ‘set time’. A clear usage is in Ephesians 1:10 ..’That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.’ When the ‘Dispensation of the Fullness of Times’ begins - the Age of Grace ends.
