An Introduction to End Times.

Part 4 The Tribulation and On

The Seven Churches – Section 4a

A working hypothesis.

As we move forward from the Rapture we will be following, mainly, the book of Revelation. By the very nature of its symbolism it is impossible for us to deduce a fact for fact interpretation from the text of this particular book. Indeed, commentators on the book, even modern commentators, vary enormously in their interpretations and in no way could I even pretend to have any better insight. Accordingly therefore, I would prefer to set the following before you as a working hypothesis of God’s prophecy, which hopefully could provide a sufficiently credible framework on which to base any further examination.

What I have written here, and in the three earlier parts, is based on previous studies and revelations by many others but, above all, I am indebted to the teachings of just a precious few who have inspired my initial enthusiasm for ‘end times’, and taught me so much.

We have reached the Rapture, as we saw at the end of the previous section, in line with 1Thessalonians 4:15-17, and 2Thessalonians 2:7 together with John 14:16-18 and Ephesians 1:13-14. The Church and the Holy Spirit are now in heaven with Jesus, and the antichrist has the world to himself.

The antichrist, we believe is someone associated with power in Europe (because of the connection with Rome from Daniel 2:40-41 and Daniel 9:27 – see Part 2), who will be further empowered by Satan, as we shall see.

When we say that the Holy Spirit has left the earth we are talking of his presence as we know it today. Today his omnipresent power and support is available to all believers because it is through the Holy Spirit that we believers have each been given the full power of Christ to call on (see Ephesians 1:3-23). However, although the Holy Spirit has by then, left the earth, God is still in charge and without doubt can deploy him at any time for special mission as He did in Old Testament times.

To continue our essay directly on from the previous session, ‘the Rapture’, we would need to go straight to chapter 4 of the book of Revelation. However, before doing this let’s quickly go to the start of the book of Revelation to remind ourselves of the beginning of this important book.

Revelation Chapters 1 to 3.

Revelation, as we know, was penned by John on Patmos at the dictation of an angel, sent by Jesus, in order to announce God’s plan for the world. In this respect take special note of Rev 1:3. We are not dealing here with something that can be glossed over or taken lightly. God means us to note it, and note it well!

In these opening chapters we have greetings and the letters of Jesus to the seven churches. ‘Seven’ equates to the completeness and perfection of God. But why these seven?

They are, of course, the seven churches John knew but in addition some see these seven as being representative of many different but coterminous church congregations throughout the then future church history.

Others however, see these churches as being representative, successively, within the whole ‘Church Age’ that was due to come (ie. from Acts to the Rapture). It has been suggested by writers and commentators that the representations could be identified as being say:

Ephesus – the loveless church for the period 33 to 100 AD,

Smyrna – the persecuted church for the period 100 to 312 AD,

Pergamum – the worldly church for the period 312 to 590 AD,

Thyatira – the paganised church for the period 590 to 1517 AD,

Sardis – the lifeless church for the period 1517 to 1750 AD,

Philadelphia – the missionary church for the period 1750 to 1905 AD, and

Laodicea – the lukewarm church for the period 1905 to the beginning of the Tribulation.

In hindsight these epithets seem apt enough, we need dig no further now. We can move on to what is in store when the ‘Church Age’ ends; believers are Raptured, and the remaining population of the world moves into the Tribulation.

Next time: The Church in Heaven

An Introduction to End Times.

Part 3 Present Signs and the Rapture (cont’d)

The Rapture – Section 3c

The next event – the Rapture.

Now we move on from the signs we are seeing to what we expect to be ‘the next event’ – the ‘Rapture’.

This actual name does not appear in the Bible and the event itself is not well documented there either, in fact you have to look with care to find it. However, there are enough references made to it – depending upon your interpretation – to suggest that it will involve Christians and Jesus, but that it will be something different from the Lord’s second coming.

The word ‘rapture’ in the Concise Oxford dictionary means ‘ecstatic delight or mental transport’ and in this sense can mean to be ‘taken out of oneself’. The biblical references apply the experience to all ‘believers’ since the time of Christ. Whether believers from before then will actually be involved in precisely the same event is not stated, although we can surmise that they are not necessarily excluded (see Job 19:26). Either way, we will certainly be together with believers from the Old Testament in due course.

For the present though, back to the Rapture. In addition to biblical references there are several deductions and reasoning we can apply, which will help us come to the conclusion that many Christians come to, that the Rapture will certainly take place and that it will happen shortly before the Tribulation. For the purposes of this examination therefore we will continue with this assumption although there are many who believe that it will take place at some other time, such as during the Tribulation.

So let’s look at the classic references which many believe to illustrate the Rapture:

1Thessalonians 4:15-17

‘According to the Lord’s own word*, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.’ (* The Life Application Study Bible comments: Either this was something that the Lord had revealed directly to Paul (eg. Gal 1:17-18) , or it was a teaching of Jesus that had been passed along orally by the apostles and other Christians.)

1Corinthians 15:52

‘… in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.’

Titus 2:13

‘… while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,’

Luke 12:35-40

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Now let’s compare these with some references to the Second Coming of Christ:

Matthew 24:4-30

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ……………. …………………………………………………….

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

“Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

Luke 17:24

‘For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.’

Zechariah 14:1-9

‘A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you.

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.

Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 

You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.

On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.

The LORD will be king over the whole earth.’

Revelation 1:7

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

Do you see the differences between the two?  

The Rapture is an event experienced only by Christians, the Second Coming is an event experienced by everyone during a period of great Tribulation. Again, we will expand on this later.

You may also like to consider the following additional points which further highlight some of the reasoning for the Rapture.

1Thessalonians 5:9

For God did not appoint us (Christians) to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 21:36

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Revelation 3:22

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (There is no contemporaneous reference to ’the church’ again in the Bible — the exception being in Rev 22:16 — thus strongly indicating that it is no longer on earth during all the Tribulation which Revelation describes).

John 14:1-4

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going."

2Thessalonians 2:7 cf. John 14:16-18

For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. (Thus the antichrist cannot begin his assignment until the Holy Spirit – and consequently the church, which he protects – is removed.) Supported by:

John 14:16-18

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Plus:

Ephesians 1:13-14

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Next time: The Tribulation and On