"It Caused All to Be Marked"

The Mark of the Beast

Details: Written by Super User; Category: Rapture; Published: April 19 2019; Hits: 1160

"There Will Be a Great Tribulation"

Without question this is the topic of primary concern among Christians who look into the Last Days. Will the Church--will believers--go through the terrible events of the Great Tribulation? Or, will the Rapture take us out of here before things get too rough? Some would say, "Yes, Don't worry! Jesus loves us too much to let that happen. He will come before the Tribulation and take us all away." Others, tell us that although Christians will go through some of the Tribulation, they will be safely removed before the worst of it arrives.

But on what authority do they make these claims? Jesus said exactly the opposite! Isn't He our highest authority? If that is the case, then, truly we need look no further than His Words. As it happens, He spoke plainly about the timing of the events of the Last Days and typically, He didn't pull any punches. So, please set aside any pre-conceived time tables (and any fears or desires that you may have) and listen afresh to His great teaching about the End Times given on the Mount of Olives during His final week on earth. Listen to the words of the One who is the Truth.

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be… “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:21, 27-31

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

Short and to the Point

There is a short form and a long form to this. The long form will come in another article—it is the “Matthew 24 Timeline.” The short form simply brings together two verses in the numerical order—verse 21 followed by verse 29. In answer to the disciples’ question, Jesus says that there will be a great tribulation coming at “the End of the Age.” How great will it be? It will be “such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” Without a doubt this is the Great Tribulation that no one in their right minds wants to go through. Now, when does it come in relation to the Rapture of the Church and the Lord’s Return?

When will we “see the Son of Man coming on the clouds” (Jesus’ Return) and when will His angels “gather his elect from the four winds (the Rapture)?[i] Jesus gives us to answer in verse 29: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days.” Nothing could be clearer! Remember, this timeline is coming straight from Jesus Himself. Don’t look to see Him return and don’t expect to be gathered to Him on this side of the Great Tribulation. We will have to go through it faithfully to experience that honor. There are at least two obvious points of major contradiction between the words of Jesus and those who hold the pre-trib and mid-trib rapture teachings.

1. First, there is no “secret” Rapture. According to Jesus, everyone on earth will see Him when He returns. Not only will His coming be like lightning which lights up the entire sky, but all of the tribes of the earth will see Him. The saved and unsaved alike will see Him when He returns. The pre and mid theories depend upon a “secret” taking away of the elect by which only they know when the Lord comes for them. Those who are “left behind” on the earth do not see the Lord during this preliminary coming. They only see the absence of the ones who have been taken away. But Jesus says everyone will see Him at the same time—and that will also be the time when we are “gathered” to be with Him.

2. Second, the Rapture doesn’t come before the Tribulation! Again, according to the clear teaching of Jesus, the Rapture takes place after the “great tribulation”—a tribulation which will not be surpassed by any (supposed) other tribulation that might be stuck in someone’s timeline. Notice also that the Rapture only happens after the “loud trumpet call” which everyone will hear. Follow this link for clarification that this is none other than “The Last Trumpet.”

Putting It Together

So, now we have it. There is no “secret” snatching away of the saints before things get too intense. Everything good is reserved for the end. The dead rise (come from heaven), the saints are gathered, the last trumpet sounds, the unbelievers mourn (well, that’s not so good) and the final trumpet sounds. When? “Immediately after the tribulation of those days.”

Much more can be detailed. Refer to the “Matthew 24 Timeline.” Many more points about the timing of Jesus’ return can be made. See the other 19 articles. Nevertheless, this one passage given to us by the Coming One Himself, should be enough to settle the issue. Why can argue with the Master? It’s time to yield to the plain meaning of scripture and release that we are going to have to buckle up with a stout-hearted faith and get prepared for what’s coming. There is no end run around these events of the End Times.

Next Rapture Study

For the Sake of the Elect (Matthew 24:21-22, 29-31) Being the “elect” of God isn’t exactly what we might wish it to be. Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, reflecting on the trials and troubles of his Jewish heritage, asked the Lord (hilariously), “I know we are your chosen people, but once in a while, can’t you choose someone else?” Well, if you have been chosen to be saved, if you are among the elect, get ready for the trials and troubles of the End Times. It looks like we have been chosen for a lot of things that we would never have signed up for—if that choice were ours to make.

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There Will Be A Great Tribulation

Endnotes

[i] In case there is a question about the four winds. Winds are only in the earth realm, not in heaven where the crystal sea before the throne is untouched by any ripple of wind or tide. Also, the four corners of the earth, the four quarters of the earth and the four winds all indicate the same thing: north, east, south and west. Directions which have no reference to heaven.

Details: Written by Super User; Category: Rapture; Published: April 19 2019; Hits: 1529

"Many Will Fall Away"

Jesus prophesied that many believers would abandon the faith in the years leading up to His Return. Why would He say that? Why will so many fall away? Could it be that the pre-Tribulation Rapture expectation, so confidently proclaimed and so ardently, believed is setting Christians for a huge disappointment? This warning of Jesus comes right at the beginning of what He was saying that the Church needed to be prepared to endure. But suppose we aren’t mentally and emotionally ready to endure the hardships He describes?

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:9-14

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

The Parable of the Potsherds

Putting together the puzzle of the End Times can be compared to what archaeologists do. Having worked on four digs (two in England, two in Israel) I know the drill. First, the thousands of discovered pottery pieces have to be gathered, scrubbed clean and dried. Then, they are carefully examined by hand, checking for weight, thickness, texture, style and shape along with many other variables. All the while, the restorer is filing them away in a mental “catalogue” with all the other pieces. At some point, they can be culled into groups of similar pieces and further combed through to find the ones that most likely will fit together to re-form the broken vessel.

This restoration process always begins with individual pieces. In the same way, putting the End Times puzzle together means looking at each piece carefully, weighing it on its own merits and understanding it on its own terms. Leave all pre-conceived notions behind! No one knows what the pot will look like until the pot sherds begin to come together. In the same way, much foolishness results in looking at the scriptures through the lens of pre-conceived ideas.

I first looked upon the End Times with a prejudiced eye because when I was born again, everyone around me believed in the pre-tribulation rapture. It was only when someone from outside our group made me look at the individual pieces that I saw—lo and behold!—that none of them fit the cozy picture proclaimed to me. I am so glad that my eyes were opened then. It is one thing to wake up and see trouble coming from a distance. That way you can prepare. But woe to those who wake up in the midst of chaos! Sadly, Jesus may be warning us that this is exactly what will happen for some.

Why Many Will Fall

Right after describing the tribulation that is coming, Jesus warned that believers would be hated “by all nations” for His name’s sake. Throughout history the Church has experienced persecution, even death-dealing martyrdom. But this has always been limited in time and place. Only a few nations here and there at times have turned against Christian and Jewish believers. The coming persecution will be world-wide. “All nations” will turn against believers with a universal hatred for those who stand up for the Lord. At the heart of it, this is why this tribulation described by Jesus is said by Him to be the greatest that the world has ever seen. The persecution will evidently be so great that no one could be saved from it, unless for the elect’s sake “those days are shortened” (Matthew 24:22). It is the persecution, not just the chaotic times, that will make the coming tribulation truly terrible.

Is it any wonder that “many will fall away”? Just suppose that you have been trained to believe that you will never have to face persecution (or even chaotic times). Then, without warning you find yourself caught up in the very disasters you fully expected to avoid. Had you not been promised by an array of pastors and Bible teachers that you would be raptured out of here before times got too intense? Imagine what this would do to your faith. Think how tempted you would be to cast it all down. To never trust scripture again. To even doubt all you thought you knew about God. Nowadays, people fall away from faith due to the unexpected death of just one loved one. Imagine how great the falling away will be when millions are martyred.

The truth is that our loving, gracious and all-powerful Savior has allowed His Bride experience devastating times of persecution and unspeakable hardship throughout the entire history of the Church, as well as our Jewish kindred in faith. If Jesus were to rapture us out of harm’s way, He would have to apologize to countless millions of Christians who were asked by Him to be faithful in perfectly horrendous situations. What? Have we won some bizarre kind of spiritual lotter and are the only Christians in history to have a collective “get out of jail free” card? This is absurd. It would be laughable, if it weren’t setting so many sheep up for the slaughter of their faith.

Why Hearts Will Grow Cold

Jesus not only said that there would be a great falling away from the faith. He also warns us that lawlessness will increase and the “love of many will grow cold.” Certainly, those who fully let go of their faith will see their heart for God growing cold. Those two awful outcomes go hand in hand. But is that all that Jesus is alluding to? Might He not also be warning us that there is a direct connection between lawlessness and cold hearts? Isn’t it true that lawlessness often means people sinning against the innocent, not to persecute them (though it can mean that), but to oppress and mistreat them? How can we keep our hearts from growing cold if we are the ones being sinned against?

Only a clear-sighted realization of the times that are coming will make us fortify ourselves with mercy and forgiveness. Unless we have learned how to forgive the unforgiveable and show mercy to the merciless, our hearts will grow cold with hatred for the lawless ones. We need to get ready for the future now, by climbing up on the Mercy Seat with Jesus and learning His way of interceding for the ungodly. The ungodly are coming our way. This cannot be avoided! If we stick our heads in the sand, hoping the fable is true and that we will be whisked away without a worry, we will never do the homework needed now of learning how to live as Christians are meant to live: praying for those who despitefully abuse us.[i]

Next Rapture Study

There Will Be a Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21, 27-31) This is the big kahuna of Rapture/Tribulation scriptures. What Jesus has to say about the timing of His Return should have settled the issue for all time. Nothing could be clearer than what our Lord has to say in this passage. The amazing thing about it is how it became so twisted in the minds of so many in our time. If you want to know the truth about the timing of the Rapture and the Great Tribulation, then please listen to the words of the One who is the Truth. Set your fears and wishes aside (if you can), and hear what Jesus is saying.

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Many Will Fall Away

Endnotes

[i] "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

Details: Written by Super User; Category: Rapture; Published: April 19 2019; Hits: 1800

"He Who Endures to the End"

This one stern statement of Jesus should end the debate about the timing of the Rapture. Listen to it in context of the teaching of Jesus on the Great Tribulation. A pre-Tribulation escape from danger and death is nothing anyone would have to “endure.” Yet, Jesus warns us that we had better be prepared to hunker down and endure to the end—not to the beginning, or some supposed mid-point—but to the very end of the times He describes in order to be saved.

All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:8-14

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

He Who Endures

Can we please just let this one word of Jesus speak for itself? I can understand why there is such a great desire to twist it out of all recognition. Who wants to have to undergo suffering and dangerous times? Who would volunteer for this? Nevertheless, if this is what is coming, we definitely need to get ready for it. And that means getting what used to be called the “intestinal fortitude” to keep marching forward. But why worry about any of this if there is a way to explain it away?

Sadly, there is not. In this passage Jesus is giving His great discourse on the End Times. He has already detailed some truly terrible events, such as wars and rumors of wars, famine, pestilence and earthquakes. These He says are but “the beginning of the birth pangs.” This means that worse is coming! Indeed, it is. There will be tribulation and persecution, along with great deception. These will be accompanied by lawlessness (by unbelievers) and falling away from the faith (by believers whose love for God has “grown cold”). It is in the context of this kind of pressure that Jesus declares that “the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Will those who don’t even try to endure be saved? Please don’t bet on it!

Nothing could be more obvious that this: “enduring to the end” means that you’ve go to go through something you don’t want to go through. We only say we “endured” a party if it was dreadfully dull. We never say we had to “endure” a steak dinner with cake and ice cream for desert. It would be equally absurd to say that we will have to “endure” being taken out of harm’s way by the Rapture. How did we ever get such an outlandish idea stuck in our collective head? No, it’s obvious, isn’t it, that we will have to endure going through all of the desperate, dangerous times that Jesus describes.

When Does It End?

How long will that season of hard trial for us last? It will last until the gospel of the kingdom is “proclaimed throughout the whole world.” The most powerful proclamations of the gospel, the most convincing witnesses of faith in the living God, come from those who are under duress. Those who are living fat and happy, whose lives are untouched by trial or trouble, may indeed know the Lord, but few are ever persuaded by their testimony. Unbelievers can always say (as Satan said of Job), “Of course they believe in God. Look how well things are going for them. But just let God (if there is a God) pull back the blessing and then we’ll see how they sing.” Jesus is evidently planning to use the faithful prayers and witness of His believing Church in order to gain a great Harvest just as He said, “at the end of the age.”

Let’s ask again, “How long will that season of hard trial for us last?” According to Jesus’ own words, the end will come once this final witness of the gospel is “proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations.” It is only once this happens, that the “end will come.” Have you ever wondered why Christians will be called to undergo trial and suffering at the End of the Age? This is it. The pressure of the Last Days is designed to “squeeze” out of the faithful, believing Church, such a witness that will bring even some the most hardened souls to eternal salvation.

On this side of Eternity, listening to our fallen nature, we may not want any part of that. But look beyond. See the eternal realms. See by faith how important it is that not even one soul destined for salvation should be lost. Was not our own eternal life deemed worthy of horrendous suffering by our glorious Lord? Jesus is in us. Somehow, He will help us rise to the occasion. Somehow we will find through Him the grace and strength of heart to “endure to the end.”

Next Rapture Study

Then Many Will Fall Away (Matthew 24:9-14) Jesus prophesied that many believers would abandon the faith in the years leading up to His Return. Why would He say that? Why will so many fall away? Could it be that the pre-Tribulation Rapture expectation, so confidently proclaimed and so ardently, believed is setting Christians for a huge disappointment? This warning of Jesus comes right at the beginning of what He was saying that the Church needed to be prepared to endure. But suppose we aren’t mentally and emotionally ready to endure the hardships He describes?

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He Who Endures to the End

Details: Written by Super User; Category: Rapture; Published: April 19 2019; Hits: 1548

"The Harvest at the End of the Age"

This parable is meant to be a soul-stirring encouragement to believers who want to see a lot of souls saved. And it is. But it also brings a sobering message of doom to two groups whose primary focus is not the salvation of the lost. First, doom is declared for all the lost who do not repent. They will be uprooted from the earth like weeds. The second doom comes through the destruction of any hope that the pre-trib theory is true. In effect, Jesus is saying here that if you want to be taken away first, then you would have to quality as a weed. But, then, that would be to your doom…

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

Wanting What God Wants

Is anyone thinking about this? With all the debate about pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib most of the attention seems to be about saving oneself. People say things like, “Well, I sure don’t want to go through the Tribulation. I don’t want to stick around for that.” Of course, we don’t. None of us want to—at least by fallen nature. Fallen nature is always thinking about personal survival and comfort. That’s what it does. But Jesus has given us a new nature, hasn’t He? By the new birth, we now have a nature like His that wants to do God’s will. Even if we don’t want to be faithful, we can pray like He did when He was being asked to go through something He wanted to avoid.

And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Mark 14:36

We can all loudly thank God that Jesus—as the representative Man—was willing to lay His life down in sacrifice for us. Our salvation depended upon it! If He had turned aside from His path of duty, we would all be lost. If He had only been thinking about His own survival and comfort, we could never have been saved. Mercifully, He didn’t back down in the face of suffering and death. As the first and only upright man since Adam fell, He was thinking about us. He came to earth for the sake of the harvest. When the Father showed Him there was no other way to harvest lost souls, He yielded fully and freely to the assignment. What about us?

Jesus wants us thinking (with Him) about the harvest of souls—at “the end of that age.” That’s what is so incredible about this parable when you stop to think about it. When Jesus told us this the harvest had not even begun! Salvation through faith in Him could only truly begin once He died and resurrected. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Him to talk about, let’s say, the harvest “of the age”, rather than one limited to the end of the age? After all, for two thousand years the church has been harvesting souls from the world during this age of grace. Why not tell us more about that? Why turn our attention to the end of the age, before that age even begins?

What Is He Thinking?

One can only guess at what Jesus may have been thinking, but perhaps there are two reasons. The first are the obvious ones. He would want the Church to know that until the end of the age, there will be “weeds”—the seed of the evil one—to contend with in every generation (see the first part of the parable quoted below). The Church will work under a condition where all that the evil one plants upon the earth will be allowed to grow up alongside the work that God will be doing to grow His wheat. There will be no final elimination of lies, or of evil, or of evil doers until the end of the age. Only then—at the very end—will the ingathering take place. Will the Church be harvested first? Will a pre-end Rapture take us all away? No, emphatically not!

Jesus says that the Lord of the Harvest will say to His servants (the angels), “Gather the weeds first.” You don’t want to be in that group! They will be gathered, bundled together and burned. Until that moment the wheat—faithful believers—will still be alive and growing on the earth, right along with the seed of the evil one. The Church gets harvested last, not first. Jesus wants us to know this. Why? Wouldn’t He be counting on His Church to be praying and witnessing right up to the last minute? Wouldn’t He want us working with the Father to save those who can be saved?[i] Apparently, Jesus will be harvesting right up to the end of the age. In fact, this is not just any harvest, it is “the” harvest. And it comes at the very “end of the age.”

As much as we need to know this timeline for our own understanding, there may be a second reason for Jesus to tell this parable about the final harvest: our motivation. By His words in Matthew 24, Jesus reveals that the end will come “after the tribulation of those days” (see “A Great Tribulation”). In other words, Jesus was well aware that the Church would be facing its severest trial just before the end of the age. How could it be otherwise? All the evil seed sown on the earth by the evil one will be growing towards fullness and harvest. As the Church grows toward its harvest, evil will, therefore, be increasing all around it. This parable alone tells us that.

What We Don’t See

We often fail to see that this dark harvest will (incredibly) help the Church be prepared for its own harvest. In that sense, it may be that it will be taken out of the way once it is no longer necessary. How? Let’s remember that Jesus isn’t coming back for “foolish virgins” but for a Bride without “spot or wrinkle” who has finally reached Her destined maturity and worthily reflects the Image of the One who saved her.[ii] The pressure of hard times and trials, combined with faith in God’s Word, are what cleanse us from contamination by the world even now. The Tribulation that is coming is certain to have a cleansing effect upon the Bride—at least those of the Church who remain faithful. This will inevitably mean being united to Jesus in His prayer of Gethsemane saying, “Not our will, but Thine be done.” The picture we are shown of the enemy’s final defeat is of believers standing firm, even “unto death.”

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelation 12:11

Will we love the harvest as much as Jesus wants us to? Certainly, many of us love harvesting souls now. But when the Tribulation begins, will we still love the harvest? Will we love the lost enough to pray, fast and witness for their salvation, even if they are the ones persecuting us? As the “love of many grows cold,” will our love for the lost become a blazing furnace?[iii] Let’s pray that it does.

The High Calling

Dear Christian, this is exactly what believers under persecution for two thousand years have been doing: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”[iv] How could we imagine that this was not destined for us? We have been chosen to be laborers in the greatest harvest the world has ever seen. That means we have also been destined to be purified by a love for the lost that will make us willing to lay our lives down (if we are praying to remain faithful). When all have been harvested who can be, when the Bride has been purified by selfless living, the seed of the evil one will finally be taken away. With our work completed, we then can look to be gathered. Then, we wills see the Lord of the Harvest with unashamed eyes: “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

Scripture

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” Matthew 13:24-30

Next Rapture Study

See that No One Misleads You (Matthew 24:3-8) Anyone studying the Last Days has this warning to contend with. We are told in advance that all kinds of deceptive teachings and beliefs are going to gain wide circulation. In fact, some of the worst deceptions were already in place before we were born. How can you recognize the truth when so many voices are clamoring for your attention? We need two things: a desire to let the plain meaning of scripture be the main thing we listen to and a willingness to set aside our personal hope, fears and desires in order to hear what scripture is actually saying.

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The Harvest at the End of the Age