In all my study I can only find one think leftthat has to happen before Jesus return and we all go home. The is the setup of (for lack of a better turm) the old church where the muslin temple is now. ? is there more that I have missed. peace and love to all
Well, in Revelation before Christ can return to the Mount of Olives, two prophets will preach in Jerusalem and a huge army of the world will try and destroy them for three years or so. Afterwards, they are allowed to be killed, they lay in the streets for 3 days and they rise resurrected when the Lord returns. There are also several other things. I think we are definitely nearing the end of the sixth seal, so we finish up the sixth seal and then for a little while the world really goes to the pits, and Christ comes.
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Armageddon is actually a battle. According to the Bible it"s the battle where God finally comes in and takes over the world and rules it the way it should have been ruled all along. After Armageddon comes 1000 years of peace and plenty.
The reason it"s called Armageddon is because it in a place called the valley of Megiddo is modern day Israel. Armageddon means mount of Megiddo in Hebrew.
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Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
I know a few of you will not like this but, many religionists insist that world history will culminate in a cataclysmic global holocaust known as "Armageddon," followed by the "Millennium""a 1000-year reign of Christ on Earth. They say that current events in the Middle East are arranging themselves in such a fashion that the Second Coming of Christ is imminent. Of course, this claim has been made repeatedly for many, many years"with no fulfillment forthcoming.
What does the Bible actually say about "Armageddon"? The term "armageddon" occurs only once in the New Testament: Revelation 16:16. In keeping with the literary genre of the book (i.e., apocalyptic), the term is used with figurative connotations. Revelation is literally packed with allusions to the Old Testament. In fact, "no book in the New Testament is so thoroughly steeped in the thought and imagery of the Hebrew Scriptures" (Swete, 1911, p. liii). But the writer does not use direct quotes from the Old Testament. Rather, he adapted, modified, and combined ideas from the Old Testament in order to apply them to the setting to which he addressed himself. He drew freely from Old Testament imagery, but placed a New Testament spin on them with a first century application.
For those who would be familiar with the Old Testament (as Asia Minor Christians would have been), the Holy Spirit capitalized on the meaning that this location possessed. In Hebrew, the term "Harmageddon" means "mountain (or hill) of Megiddo." Was there a hill of Megiddo? Yes. In fact, Jews and students of Hebrew history were only too familiar with this prominent battlefield and vicinity. Many bloody encounters stained the soil of this region"scenes of military disaster. It was here that Deborah and Barak defeated the Canaanites (Judges 5:19). Gideon was victorious over the Midianites in this region (Judges 7). These positive accomplishments were etched into the Israelite consciousness. But there were other images evoked by Megiddo, for it also served as a place where national tragedy had occurred. Ahaziah died there after being pierced by Jehu"s arrow (2 Kings 9:27). And good King Josiah perished tragically at the hands of Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:29). This last incident was especially poignant to the minds of the Jewish people, who mourned the loss of this great king, enshrining the event in the collective consciousness as an instance of national grief (Zechariah 12:11).
With this long historical background, Megiddo came to occupy a place in the minds of believers similar to places which immediately bring to the American mind definite and strong impressions: the Alamo, Pearl Harbor, etc. This significance was then utilized by the Holy Spirit to convey to struggling, persecuted Christians of Asia Minor near the end of the first century the sure outcome of the conflict then being waged between the forces of evil (Satan and imperial Rome) and the forces of righteousness (God, Christ, and faithful saints who were enduring persecution). These Christians were certainly in no need of assurance that some future global holocaust would occur which Christ would bring to an end 2,000 years removed from their suffering! These Christians were in dire need of assurance that Christ would come to their aid soon (see "shortly""Revelation 1:1; 22:6). They needed encouragement to hang on, and to remain steadfast in the face of inhuman mistreatment. The symbol of Megiddo fitly symbolized the impending overthrow of an enemy empire, and engendered much needed assurance. Christians were given the solace that soon the outcome of the battle would be realized. The enemies of God and His People would be punished, while suffering saints would be comforted. Thus "armageddon" is purely symbolic, and in no way relates to dispensational dreams of a future world war. There will be no "Armageddon." Having said this.....(next post)
The average American is aware of the periodic claim that "the end is near." When Y2K was approaching, outcries of doom, global disruption, and Armageddon were widespread. Hal Lindsey achieved nationwide attention over thirty years ago with his national bestseller The Late Great Planet Earth (1970). A more recent repackaging of the dispensational brand of premillennialism is the popular Left Behind book series (see "The Official""). Every so often, a religious figure captures national attention, announcing the impending return of Jesus"even to the point of setting a date"only to fade into the anonymity from which he arose when his claim falls flat, but having achieved his "fifteen minutes of fame" (see Whisenant and Brewer, 1989). The sensationalism sells well and tweaks the curiosity of large numbers of people. Incredibly, this pattern has been repeating itself literally for centuries!
Such is the case with the alleged "Rapture." It comes from the Latin word "rapere," which means "to seize, snatch out, take away." Dispensationalists apply this word to the idea that Christ will come suddenly and secretly in the air to snatch away from the Earth the living saints and the resurrected bodies of those saints already deceased. This rapture is supposed to occur just prior to the seven-year Tribulation period, which, in turn, will be followed by the Millennium.
Proponents claim that the Rapture will be secretive. We are told that families will be shocked by the strange disappearance of a mother, father, or child. Driverless cars will collide in the streets (thus the bumper sticker: "In case of rapture, this vehicle will be unmanned"). A man and wife will be in bed; she hears a noise, turns her head, and finds him gone. Planes will crash with no pilots found. These sensational and dramatic examples illustrate the view that the Rapture will be an invisible coming of the Lord for His saints, leaving visible results of chaos and confusion among the remaining unbelievers.
In reality, the word "rapture" is not found in the Bible, though it is claimed to be the Latin equivalent of harpadzo translated "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV). Lindsey admitted, "t is not found in the Bible" (1970, p. 126), and noted that the word "translation" is just as suitable. Yet the word "translation" does occur in the New Testament. Paul referred to the fact that God "has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Colossians 1:13, emp. added). So when an unbeliever obeys the Gospel, receives forgiveness of sins, and is added to the church of Christ, he is taken out of the world and transferred to Christ"s kingdom. This use of the term is certainly a far cry from the idea that it refers to Christians being raptured from the physical Earth to meet Jesus in the air.
The New Testament uses three terms to refer to Christ"s return. First, parousia is translated "coming, presence, or advent." Second, epiphaneia is translated "appearing, manifestation, or brightness." Third, apokalupsis is translated "revelation." Dispensationalism holds that parousia ("coming") refers to the "Rapture" that occurs seven years before the epiphaneia ("appearing") or apokalupsis ("revelation)." Accordingly, at the "Rapture," it is claimed that Jesus will come for the church only, while at the "Revelation," Jesus will return with the church, and put an end to the "Tribulation" and "Armageddon."
The primary passage used to support the idea of a "rapture" is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. But this passage was not actually given to deal with the return of Christ. Its purpose was twofold. First, it was designed to reassure Christians that their deceased loved ones would be able to share in the Lord"s return. Second, it informed Christians that those who are still living when Christ returns will have no precedence or advantage over those who have already died. This dual function of the text constitutes a very different emphasis from the one imposed upon it by dispensationalists.
The dispensational distinctions made between the three New Testament terms that refer to Christ"s return are simply untenable (see Boettner, 1957, pp. 163-164). For example, dispensationalists assert that the "coming" (parousia) in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1 refers to the "Rapture." Yet the same word is used in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 to speak of Jesus coming "with" His saints, thereby coinciding with the dispensational concept of the "Appearing" or "Revelation" seven years after the "Rapture." Dispensationalists apply 2 Thessalonians 2:8 to the "Antichrist," and therefore must understand this as a reference to the "Appearing" seven years after the "Rapture." Yet the verse uses the expression "the manifestation (i.e., "brightness""epiphaneia) of His coming (parousia)." Thus the term "coming" is used in the New Testament to refer to both dispensational concepts of the "Rapture" and the "Appearing," and the two expressions are, in fact, combined in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 to refer to one and the same event.
The term "Revelation" (apokalupsis) in 1 Corinthians 1:7 is descriptive of what the dispensationalists call the "Rapture," since Christians await it. But in 2 Thessalonians 1:7, it clearly refers to the "Appearing." The term "Appearing" (epiphaneia) is used in 1 Timothy 6:14 as the event that terminates Christian activity on Earth, and thus fits the "Rapture" concept. But in 2 Timothy 4:1,8, the references to judgment fit the "Appearing."
In view of these considerations, the sincere Bible student is forced to conclude that the three words relating to Christ"s return in the New Testament are used synonymously and interchangeably. The New Testament simply makes no distinction between the coming of the Lord for His saints ("Rapture") and the coming of the Lord with His saints ("Appearing" or "Revelation"). The dispensational dichotomy is in direct conflict with New Testament terminology.
Additionally, if Christians are to be removed seven years before the "Revelation" or "Coming" of Christ, then no passage should speak of Christians remaining on Earth until the "Revelation." However, many passages do just that (see Boettner, pp. 165-166). For example, in Titus 2:13, Paul referred to the "blessed hope" and the "appearing" as one and the same event, i.e., Christ"s coming. In the original language, the two substantives, "hope" and "appearing" (epiphaneia) are closely linked by the common article. They are not two separate events, as if to be read: "Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing." Rather, the text is saying, "looking for the blessed hope and appearing." The one explains the other. The "blessed hope" of Christians is "the glorious appearing" of Christ. Other examples would be 1 Peter 1:13 and 4:13, where the grace on which the Christian is to set his hope is to be received at the "revelation" (apokalupsei) of Christ, at which time the Christian may rejoice. But, according to dispensationalism, the Christian should rejoice seven years earlier at the rapture.
Further, the use of the word "end" comes from a word that refers to "full end" and, in the New Testament, always refers to the end of the world, i.e., the Judgment day (see Boettner, p. 168-169). In Matthew 28:20, Jesus promised to be with the disseminators of the Gospel message to the very "end." This means the church will remain on the Earth, preaching the Gospel, until the Judgment Day. But if the church is "raptured away" seven years before the end, she cannot fulfill what Christ commanded her to do! In Matthew 13:39-40, there is no removal of the saints before the "full end." The righteous and the wicked grow together until the very end. The separation of the two comes at the end (not seven years before the end). The dispensationalist claims that the righteous will be taken out from among the wicked. But the Bible says just the opposite: the wicked will be taken out from among the righteous (Matthew 13:39-40).
The doctrine of the "Rapture" asserts that believers will be raised seven years before the "Revelation," and 1,007 years before the end of the "Millennium." But in four separate verses, Jesus Himself said believers will be raised "at the last day" (John 6:39,40,44,54). There can be no other days after the last day. So the believers cannot be raised at an alleged "Rapture" before the last day.
Finally, the Second Coming of Christ is nowhere depicted as secret, as the "Rapture" advocates affirm. In fact, just the opposite is true. Christ"s coming will be accompanied by "blazing fire" (2 Thessalonians 1:7), the sound of a trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52), a "shout," the "voice of the archangel," and the "trump of God" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). In fact, "every eye will see Him" (Revelation 1:7). These passages show that all persons everywhere will see and hear this event. In fact, the very passage upon which the doctrine of the "Rapture" is founded (i.e., 1 Thessalonians 4:16), far from describing a quiet and secretive event, is about the noisiest verse in the Bible!
When one is willing to remove from the mind all preconceived, complex, and sensational theological concoctions, and simply let the Bible present its own portrait of the end of time and the Second Coming of Christ, the dispensational viewpoint of a postulated "Rapture" is seen to be totally unfounded.
To be perfectly honest I think that it's not really a good thing to spend time on instead of going out there and witnessing to people. Only God knows when the second coming of Jesus is and no-one else. Jesus says to be ready all the time for the second coming.
On numerous occasions throughout the last two thousand years, small groups of "faithful followers" have huddled on mountaintops or in secret rooms, waiting for the Second Coming of Christ as predicted to occur on a certain day, and at a certain time, by some religious leader. Yet, although the predictions of Christ"s return have been copious, each group of expectant "believers" has been disappointed to find that they had been misled. When will Christ return, and what will occur on this Earth when He does come back the second (and last) time?
The first question regarding the time of Christ"s Second Coming is rather easy to answer, thanks to material found within the Bible. In Matthew 24:36, after describing the signs that would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus shifted the topic to His Second Coming. In contrast to the many signs that the early Christians were told to expect prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus made it clear that there would be no signs whereby one could predict His Second Coming. He stated: "But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only". Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him" (Matthew 24:36,44). In another portion of Scripture, the apostle Paul told the Thessalonian brethren that the day of the Lord would come "as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). When will Jesus return? The simple answer to that question is"nobody on this Earth has any idea.
The next question dealing with the events that will occur at the Second Coming requires a much more extensive answer. When Christ ascended to heaven, forty days after His resurrection, He "was taken up, and a cloud received Him" out of the sight of His apostles (Acts 1:9). Immediately following His ascension, two men clothed in white apparel stood by the awe-stricken apostles and said to them, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:10). From that moment, the apostles waited for Christ"s Second Coming.
The Second Coming, in fact, provided one of the main themes of the apostles" preaching. Paul, especially, emphasized this event as one that would be glorious and joyful for the faithful in Christ"both those who were living when Christ returned, and those who had died in Christ. In relating some of the events that would accompany Christ"s Second Coming, Paul wrote: "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. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The event, as Paul described it, would be one of splendor and comfort for those faithful to Christ. Christ will not send an angel or some other dignitary to bring Christians to heaven, but He will come "Himself." His coming will be announced with a loud shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. According to Paul, Christ will not "sneak back" to Earth, but will be announced in a glorious fashion for all to see.
How long will it take for the faithful followers of Christ to be ushered up into heaven with their Lord? Paul answered this question in 1 Corinthians 15 in his discussion of the resurrection of the saints. He wrote: "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep [meaning that not all Christians will die physically before the Second Coming"KB], but we shall all be changed"in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). In a single instance, as fast as an eye can blink, the resurrection of the saints will be accomplished at the Second Coming of Christ.
Other events that will accompany the Second Coming deal with the ultimate end of this physical Universe. The apostle Peter, in a discourse dealing with scoffers who attempt to deny the Second Coming of Christ, wrote:
[blockquote]But the day of the lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with a fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 10-13).
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Peter"s description of the destruction of this physical Universe leaves little to the imagination: the Earth and the heavens (i.e., the totality of this physical Universe) will utterly melt with a fervent heat, and will be destroyed once and for all. There will be no reign of Christ on this Earth at His Second Coming, since Peter clearly depicts the destruction of the physical Earth. The new heaven and the new Earth for which Peter says faithful Christians yearn, are the spiritual homes promised by Jesus in John 14:1-6, and described so vividly in Revelation 21 and 22. They will not be of physical matter like the present heavens and Earth, but instead will be designed especially for the new spiritual bodies discussed by Paul. When Christ comes again, this physical Universe will be destroyed.
What will happen to those who have not been faithful to Christ during their lives on this Earth? Since there will be no physical Universe on which they can continue to live, where will they go? The Bible paints a grim picture for those who reject Christ. John, quoting the words of Christ, wrote that "the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His [Jesus""KB] voice and come forth"those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29). The apostle Paul later confirmed this statement when He wrote about the time "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 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" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8).
On that fateful day, all of Earth"s inhabitants"both those that have died in the past and those that are living at the time"will be led into the final Judgment in which Christ will divide the righteous from the unrighteous, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. The righteous will be ushered into heaven (prepared for them by Jesus Himself), while the unrighteous will "go away into everlasting punishment" (Matthew 25:46). All those who have rejected God and Christ, whose names are not found written in the Book of Life, will be cast into the lake of fire with the devil, and "they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10-15).
Although many strange and contrived stories have been concocted regarding the Second Coming of Christ, the Bible presents a crystal clear picture of what will happen: Christ will appear to the entire world, the heavens and the Earth will be burned up, and at the final Judgment, every person who ever lived will either live eternally in heaven or hell. There will be no second chances once Christ comes back. "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of person ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness" (2 Peter 3:11)?
What is the meaning of the word "Rapture"
The English word Rapture is derived from a Latin verb form which means to be snatched or caught up and so the Bride of Christ, the Church, involving the resurrected believers but those as well who have never died will be caught up from the earth, Paul says, "together, to meet the Lord Jesus in the air." Another significant thing about that is, that tells us that in this coming of the Lord He stops in the air above the earth. He doesn't come the whole way down to the surface of the earth. As He descends from Heaven , He stops in the air above the earth and He waits there as His believers are caught up to meet Him in the air, and then Paul concludes with these words at the end of verse 17, "and so shall we ever be with the Lord." That's significant because that means once we are raptured to meet Christ in the air, from that time on we shall never be separated from Him again. Wherevever He goes, We go with him. there are really three different passages in the New Testament, which are themain passages for the whole doctrine of the Rapture of the Church. The first one is in John 14, vv. 1-3, Jesus has gathered with His disciples in the Upper Room. It's the night before He goes to the cross. And He had just been warning them at the end of Chapter 13 that He's going to leave them soon and they were really troubled over that. And He realized that and so He said to them, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, so that where I am there you may be also."
And here Jesus was giving a promise to His believers that even though He was going to leave them on the day of His ascension, return to the Father's house in Heaven, that He wasn't going to leave them forever; that the day would come when He would leave the Father's house in Heaven, He would come down toward the earth where they are, that He would come for the purpose of removing them from the earth and taking them back to His Father's house to live in the mansions or dwelling places which He would be preparing for them while He is away. And it's very important, to see that He's declaring what the purpose of it is: "so that where I am, there you may be also." Very personal note here that in that coming, He would come to take His Bride the Church so that they could be together with Him.
The second passage is 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, vv. 51 and 52, where Paul says to his readers, "Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed." There Paul is emphasizing the fact that there would be an entire generation of Christians who would never experience physical death and the reason they wouldn't is because the Lord was going to come and remove them from the earth while they're still alive before they would experience physical death.
So he's saying not every Christian will die, but everyone will be changed. And he emphasizes that the change will involve a change in their body, and they now have a mortal body, which is subject to disease, deformity and death; but when this change takes place, they will receive an immortal body which will never die again, which will never be subject to disease and deformity.
Paul's alsois telling us how fast our bodies will change when this event takes place. The change in that body will take place -- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. . That will happen at the Rapture of the Church.
But the third and really the most extensive passage on the Rapture is found in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, vv. 13-18, and I won't take the time to read all of that but Jesus is indicating there that the day is coming when He will come out of Heaven, He will bring with Him the souls of those Christians who have already died. When they died, their souls were separated from their bodies; their bodies were buried in the ground and their souls were ushered immediately into the presence of God in Heaven.
Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 says for the Christian "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." So when they die, their souls leave their bodies, their souls og into the presence of the Lord in Heaven, and that's where they stay in Heaven until Christ comes to Rapture the Church. He will bring their souls with Him out of Heaven down toward the earth. We are told that He will come with the blast of a trumpet, the trump of God, with the voice of the archangel. Apparently there will be a great archangel who will accompany Him as an escort from the Father's house in Heaven.
And then Paul says when that happens, some intriguing things will begin to transpire here on the face of the earth. The bodies of the Christians who have died will be resurrected from the dead, and the implication is that their descending souls that are coming down from Heaven with Christ will be reunited with their resurrected bodies. But then Paul says those Christians who are alive and still being alive on the earth when the event of the Rapture takes place, that they, together with the resurrected Christians, will be caught up from the earth to meet the Lord Jesus in the air.
I believe the rapture is the next event to take place..others will say different. some say pre Trib,some mid Trib and others post Trib..study the scriptures and draw your own conclusion..[/align]
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wayne
"There's room at the cross for you."
Hey Chuck
Before I read the others here are the results of my study. I don't think this is a salvation issue so I hope no one stones me. LOL
We can die at anytime so in that since we ought always be ready.
I believe the following have not happened yet.
1. I am a mid tribulation believer which means I believe we will go through 3 1/2 years of serious trials before He takes us away. So for me the following has still got to come.
1. The rebuilding of the temple. When I was over there in 97 they { the Jews had about 16 sites marked off. they are still looking for the perfect site.}
2. The mark of the beast has to happen for mid trib believers. Because they who refuse will be martyred. Rev.13
3. persecution is what will bring a oneness to believers. We actually need it. It brought them together in Acts. It will break denonminaton walls even today.
4. The gospel must be preached throughout the entire world. Through the internet that is a possibility .
The mark will bring the persecution. It will also divide the world lovers from the God lovers.
For the Mid trib believers that is all ....The Mark
Chuck
moose you say that they will be no armageddon I must disagree with that the hebrew text talks of the great landof the north(ussr) and the new roman empire and it say that the flesh will melt(nutronbome)and the blood will run like a river. The area the bible talks about did not exist in the time it was wrote and just since 1947 did the jews start to return home from the corner of the earth as the bible fortold. To many things had to take place for all of this to happen and it has taking almost 2000 years for everything to line up as the bible fortold..
has everything happen for Jesus to return
