#109: Thorough Biblical Study of the End Times

The Call to Patient Endurance and Faithfulness

Introduction

This is a very long article but it is well worth you knowing what the Bible actually says about this matter considering that many modern day TV preachers are teaching their followers that the rapture will occur before the time of tribulation because it is a more popular idea. The only one I know saying otherwise is Pat Robertson, but I have recently discovered a document by Dr. Bob Luginbill[1] that takes the same viewpoint as the one to which I have come.

I do not find any support in Scripture for the pre-tribulation rapture theory and any defense I have seen of the view is based on generalities, not on any specific Biblical references. Note also that the word “rapture” never occurs in Scripture. It has been coined in more recent times to refer to the living meeting Jesus in the air before He returns.

I believe, as Dr. Luginbill confirms, that this is a dangerous doctrine and gaining a proper Scriptural understanding is very important. We need to be preparing ourselves spiritually for the time of tribulation. But if we believe we will not be here, we might very well be totally unprepared to “have patient endurance and faithfulness” as the Lord says twice in Revelation. When God pours out His wrath on the unrepentant of Earth, it will be a terrible time and those on whom the wrath is poured will hate us all the more. Jesus told us if that time were not shortened for that sake of the elect, no one would survive [Matt 24:22]. We must have strong faith in the knowledge that God will protect us like he did the Israelites when He similarly poured out His wrath on the Egyptians. We must have a strong faith not to cave in to the demands of the antichrist culture of that day. We need to be able to lay strong hold on Jesus’ words not to worry about what we will eat or wear at that time. We must not take the mark of the beast and worship him no matter how much we are told we can’t buy or sell. GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. We must believe that to the core of our being to be able to survive. From all I see happening in the world and in this otherwise great country, we very well could be the last generation and could be seeing the crises of the end times and the apostasy of the antichrist in our lifetimes. (And my lifetime will most likely end within the next twenty or so years!)

So in the following discussion you will see what my study of Scripture tells us about this issue. I pray you take firm hold of the truth of Scripture to the point you will be able to have patient endurance and faithfulness, knowing God IS taking care of you and will provide everything you need in spite of society’s attempts otherwise.

Daniel 9:24 to 9:27

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

“Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.

“After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. “

The NIV Bible study notes have this to say about this passage: “The time between the decree authorizing the rebuilding of the Jerusalem (v. 25) and the coming of the Messiah (‘The Anointed One’) was to be 69 (7 plus 62) ‘sevens’ or 483 years. The seven ‘sevens’ may refer to the period of the complete restoration of Jerusalem (partially narrated in Ezra and Nehemiah) and the sixty-two ‘sevens’ to the period between the restoration and the Messiah’s coming to Israel. The final (70^th) ‘seven’ is not mentioned specifically until verse 27, following the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the ‘people of the ruler who will come (Titus in A.D. 70). Therefore, while many hold that the 70^th ‘seven’ was fulfilled during Christ’s earthly ministry and the years immediately following, others conclude there is an in determinant interval between the 69^th and the 70^th ‘seven’—a period of ‘war’ and ‘desolations’ (v. 26). According to this latter opinion, in the 70^th ‘seven’, the little horn or beast (the antichrist) of the last days (referred to here as the one who sets up an ‘abomination that causes desolations’ (v. 26). According to this latter opinion, in the 70^th ‘seven’ the little horn or beast (the antichrist) of the last days, referred to here as the one who sets up an ‘abomination that causes desolation’ and who is the antitype of the Roman Titus will establish a covenant for seven years with the Jews (the ‘many’) but will violate the covenant halfway through that period. The cutting off of the Anointed One refers to the crucifixion.”

Daniel lived from 605 B.C. to 530 B.C. and the first group came to the land of Israel under Zerubabel in 538 B.C. The second group came under Ezra in 458 B.C. Jesus was born about 6 or 5 B.C. and was crucified in 30 A.D. That would put the cutting off of the Anointed One 483 years after 453 B.C., a short time (5 years) after Ezra’s part in the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Daniel preceded Ezra and was alive the first eight years of Zerubabel’s work in Jerusalem. Darius began his reign in 550 B.C. It was that year that Daniel prayed after which Gabriel came to Daniel and gave this vision in response to his prayer request for God’s people Israel. All the historical data support the veracity of Daniel’s prophecy for the 69 “weeks”, leaving the 70^th week not clearly connected and apparently significantly distant from the others and more in line with Jesus’ portrayal of the end times reported in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, and John’s vision in Revelation.

Now let’s consider that 70^th week.

Daniel 11:2 to 11:35

2 “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.

3 Then a mighty king will appear, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.

4 After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.

5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power.

6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.

7 “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious.

8 He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone.

9 Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country.

10 His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.

11 “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated.

12 When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant.

13 For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.

14 “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success.

15 Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand.

16 The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it.

17 He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him.

18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back upon him.

19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.

20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.

21 “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. 22 Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed.

23 After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power.

24 When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses-but only for a time.

25 “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him.

26 Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle.

27 The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.

28 The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.

29 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before.

30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

33 “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.

34 When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them.

35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

This section of Daniel’s prophecy matches what we know of ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian history. At the end, verse 31, is the statement “they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.” The NIV Study Bible notes for verse 31 say this was “the alter to the pagan god Zeus Olympius, set up in 167 B.C. by Antiochus Epiphanes.” We will see Jesus use this same phrase in Matthew 24:13 to refer to abomination the antichrist will set up. “So when you see standing in the holy place the ‘abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand — ” [Matt 24:13].

Daniel 11:36 to 11:45

36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.

37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.

38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.

39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.

41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand.

42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape.

43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission.

44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many.

45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

In this passage the language is the same as the preceding section but the NIV Study Notes say, “From here to the end of chapter 11 the antichrist is in view. The details of this section do not fit with what is known of Antiochus Epiphanes.” Perhaps they are beginning to fit the current world order. Be alert and wary; do not be misled by those advocating seeming good things but in fact are serving Satan. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.

Daniel 12:1 to 12:13

1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people-everyone whose name is found written in the book-will be delivered.

2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank.

6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”

7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”

8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”

9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.

10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue

to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.

13 “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”

At the end time Michael will arise to protect God’s people, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. “There will be a time of great distress such as has not happened from beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people — everyone whose name is found written in the book — will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the Earth will awake; some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

“Be delivered” could mean being taken out but it also could mean that we will be delivered (protected) from the harms of the tribulations. It also refers to the dead awakening at that time either to life or to judgment. But the idea of the rapture only deals with the believers being taken out not the dead rising. In that view, the dead awakening only happens later when Jesus returns. What do you see in these verses relating to Jesus’ coming and the rapture? What does it mean that those whose names are in the Book of Life “will be delivered”, delivered by being taken out or being delivered or protected from the “distress” as the Israelites were not affected by the plagues sent on Egypt? The Israelites were protected in Goshen while God’s plaques were poured out on all of Egypt. Could not God also protect all of His anointed during the time of the antichrist even though we will not all be gathered in one place like the Israelites were? Did Jesus ever tell us there are limits to faith? Did he not say with faith we could see a mountain cast into the sea? By faith the disciples saw Jesus walking on water and Peter did too for a short time before losing his faith. Did not Jesus say to the wind and waves “be calm” and they did? George Müller prayed in faith for the fog to be lifted and it did to the utter amazement of the ship’s captain. Peter and John told a paralyzed man to get up and walk and he did. I don’t think we know the many ways God has already protected His people when they have had that kind of faith that can move mountains. I believe, as we will see later, God is calling all of us to have that kind of faith for what the prophecies have said is coming.

Matthew 24:1-3:

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.

“Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Matthew 24:4 to 24:44: (Mark 13:5 to 13:37), (Luke 21:7 to 21:28)

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.

5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, ‘ and will deceive many.

6 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.

7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel–let the reader understand–

16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house.

18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.

19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!

20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now–and never to be equaled again.

22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible.

25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “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.

27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

29 “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.’

30 “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.

31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.

33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.

34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;

39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Matt 24:5, Mark 13:6, Luke 21:8: “Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ.’” I don’t see anyone claiming to be the Christ at this time. Is this something that is going to happen? In our secular culture, being the “Christ” is not meaningful to the unchurched. Could it mean these people claim to be the savior of the world by their humanitarian and political efforts rather than being Christ himself?

Matt 24:9-13: We are already seeing Christians persecuted in this country and killed in others. Christians are standing in the way of the New World Order and government domination over the lives of people.

Mark 13:11, Luke 21:13-15: Mark and Luke both add Jesus saying that when you are brought before authorities do not worry about what you will say, because the Holy Spirit will give you words they can’t refute. It won’t be you speaking.

Mark 13:13, Luke 21:17: Mark and Luke both have Jesus saying “all men” instead of “all nations.” Luke further says, Luke 21:18-19, “But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.”

This is further indication that God will be with us during the trials and tribulation, but we will be miraculous protected so not even one hair will perish.

Mark 13:12, Luke 21:16: Mark and Luke both add that families will be torn apart because of some following the antichrist and persecuting faithful followers of Jesus. So the faithful followers of Jesus will be here during that time, not gone in some silent disappearance!

Matt 24:10-13: The lies of Satan through the words of the false prophets will be very deceptive, so that even some followers of Jesus will be tempted also. The mark of the beast (see later) will be a temptation to those who aren’t willing to trust Jesus to provide and protect. The government will have authority to control people’s lives, leading to the persecutions cited in Matt 24: 9. But Jesus does tell us we can and should endure, that those who stand firm through all the lies and temptations and persecutions will be saved.

Matt 24:14: Apparently world evangelism is a key to Jesus’ coming. We need to do all we can to support those who are engaged in worldwide evangelistic efforts.

Matt 24:15, Mark 13:14: The NIV Study Notes say, “According to some there were still two more stages in the progressive fulfillment of the predictions in Daniel and Matthew: (1) The Roman destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, and (2) the setting up of an image of the antichrist in Jerusalem.” This is like Paul says in II Thessalonians 2:4 regarding “the man of lawlessness”, the antichrist, “He will oppose and exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”

Regarding the phrase, “let the reader understand,” the NIV Study Notes say, “These are Jesus’ words, not Matthew’s. He exhorts the readers of Daniel’s prophecy to understand what they read.”

Matt 24:21: Jesus then tells the disciples that when the abomination that causes desolation is set up there will be a time of great stress, “unequaled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again.”

Matt 24:16-22, Mark 13:15-20, Luke 21:21-23: This prophecy seems to be specific for Judea rather than the whole world. But what happens there will affect the whole world and it will apparently be a time of great suffering. Note that Jesus says this time will be cut short for the sake of the elect. That can only mean that the elect are here and God will be taking care of them. Who are the elect? Is it not those who have elected to follow Jesus, Jew or Gentile, namely us?

Matt 24:23-26, Mark 13:21-23: He further says that He will not come yet, but there will be false prophets claiming to be him, performing miracles and deceiving many. Sorry, no rapture at this point; we must be prepared for what is to come.

Matt 24:27-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28: He said it will be after the distress of those days that He will return, and when He does, He will leave no doubt. There will be signs in the heavens like lightning flashing from the east to the west, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give it’s light (sounds like a solar eclipse to me), and the stars seeming to fall (possibly a meteor shower). I have determined from scientific studies that both of these events will occur in the area of Israel in 2034. Do you suppose he is coming in nine years? If so, you need to get your faith ready quickly to stand with the Lord in the face of all the evil that will be happening.

Jesus said at that time His sign will appear in the sky and all nations will mourn. I think they will mourn because they were convinced God is not real, Jesus is a myth, and man will be able to create utopia on Earth without God’s help. They mourn because they misunderstood everything and chose the wrong path for themselves. He will have power and great glory; the angels will come when a trumpet sounds and “will gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” This will not be a silent secret disappearance with an obscure Jesus in the clouds. No, all the world will mourn and be witness to God’s power and truth, and to the angels collecting God’s faithful from all ends of the Earth.

All Jesus has said here sounds to me like we will be gathered with Him when he returns and He will not return until after the time of great stress with no mention of anyone being taken out before Jesus appears with power and glory, the trumpet sounds, and the angels gather the elect, while all the nations are mourning. This matches the idea of a post-tribulation rapture, a taking up of the faithful when Jesus comes with power and glory and judgment of the followers of the beast, not a pre-tribulation rapture, where the faithful are gathered up before Jesus comes in power and glory and judgment.

Matt 24:36: He goes on to say no one, not even the angels or Jesus, knows when the Father has planned this event. We do know from the signs He gave us, that the time is short. This was also His word to some of those who visited heaven (see Heaven Is Beyond Imagination). So my advice is don’t count on being taken out before the time of great distress. Instead get so close to the Lord that you can KNOW that He will take care of you and you do NOT have to bow to the earthly sinful leaders. Learn to have atomic faith, as Dale Black describes, or the faith exhibited by George Müller in the nineteenth century in England. Those destined for destruction will be like the people in the days of Noah who were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage with no thought of the coming disaster up to the days Noah boarded the ark and the rain started. Be watchful and prepared and know your Savior is coming.

But remember, Jesus said we will be persecuted, some called before authorities and some executed. Even if you are destined to be executed, remember, they cannot kill you when you have eternal life. They can only cause the separation of your spirit from the body temple it has occupied and you will be forever freed from its limitations and weaknesses and fully accepted into the Glory of Christ.

I Thessalonians 4:13 to 5:3

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

15 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.

16 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.

17 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.

18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

5:1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,

2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

I don’t think “those who have fallen asleep” can refer to those taken up in the rapture before Jesus’ return. This language describes those who have died before Jesus returns. No mention is made of anyone being taken up before the time when Jesus comes at the end to which this passage refers. The dead will rise, then we who are alive will be taken up. But that day will come like a thief and the world will be unaware until it happens and “destruction will come on them suddenly,” as the time of judgment has come. This passage does not seem to support the idea of a rapture occurring before the time of tribulation but there is one coming of Jesus at which time we who are alive will be taken up, others who have died before this time will be with Him, and the unrighteous will experience the judgment destruction.

II Thessalonians 2:1 to 2:12

1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers,

2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.

3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?

6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.

7 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.

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,

10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie

12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

This passage, too, speaks of our being gathered to the Lord at the time Jesus returns to judge the world after the lawless one is revealed and the time of wickedness (rebellion) is finished.

I Corinthians 15: 20-28

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.

28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Revelation 6:9 to 6:11

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.

10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

The souls under the altar are not the only ones to be slain by the evil of this world. More of us will follow. I assume that means in the tribulation, but it is not clear here.

After the sixth seal is opened: Revelation 7:1 to 7:17

1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.

2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:

3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes–who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

15 And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The great multitude before the throne “have come out of the great tribulation.” In order to have come out of it they would have had to be in it. This to me suggests they were not raptured before the tribulation. But they were servants of God. So who else will be here? And if these servants came out of the tribulation, what basis is there to say we will not all be going through the tribulation except those who experience physical death as these did?

After the seventh seal and the fifth trumpet: Revelation 9:3 to 9:11

3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.

4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.

6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.

8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.

9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

10 They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.

11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

The servants of God, those given the seal on their foreheads, are apparently alive when the locusts like scorpions are released on Earth to torment those who have rebelled against God. But His servants are protected from the locusts.

After the sixth trumpet: Revelation 9:17 to 9:21

17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.

18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.

19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood–idols that cannot see or hear or walk.

21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

God’s purpose in all these tribulations appears to be to encourage those who are in rebellion against Him to repent and be saved so they will not parish in the judgment. It is clear from the testimonies in Heaven Is Beyond Imagination that God and Jesus do not want anyone created in His image to miss the glory and joy of heaven that He has prepared for all mankind out of His deep love for us.

After the seventh trumpet: Revelation 12:10 to 12:17

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.

15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.

16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring–those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

The timing of this is not clear, but if it is during the time of the great tribulation, Satan and his demons will be coming after those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb, those who obey God’s commands and hold to the testimony of Jesus, and are so confident of their eternal life with Him that earthly death is not something to fear.

Revelation 13:5 to 13:10

5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.

6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.

7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

9 He who has an ear, let him hear.

10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

Those whose names are written in the book of life are protected from the locusts and other torments God pours on the ungodly, but nevertheless some of us will be captives or lose our physical lives only to be transformed into our eternal spiritual lives (cf. Heaven Is Beyond Imagination). The important injunction is for us to have patient endurance and faithfulness. We must know that times will be difficult, but we must grow in faith so we can trust God wholly regardless of what the ungodly throw at us. We will need the atomic faith that Dale Black describes. We will need the faith of George Müller who knew God answers his prayers and never doubted God and always received the blessing he needed in all the years he ran the orphanages and afterwards when he never asked anyone for anything but always took his needs to God in prayer and was never once left without what the children in his orphanages needed, was never late on paying a debt, never once missed paying his staff their due.

Worship of the beast and his mark: Revelation 13:11 to 13:18

11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.

12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.

14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,

17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.

The beast is also the one Jesus called the antichrist, and he will successfully deceive all those on Earth who do not know the Word of the Lord. The mark of the beast will seem like a good thing to those who are perishing, but it will actually imply worship of the beast rather than God. WE MUST AVOID TAKING THAT MARK at all costs. See the next Scripture to see what happens to all those who take the mark of the beast. The subtlety of this mark will be that to the worldly it will seem like a good thing. It will be more convenient and eliminate many sources of theft. It will probably be a microchip embedded in your forehead or hand that will take the place of cash and credit cards. No one will be able to steal your cash or credit number since they are not available and the important information is sealed in your body in that chip. That is why you will not be able to buy or sell without the mark (microchip). But that chip will also contain GPS capability and can report wherever you are. The government of the antichrist will be able to track everywhere you go, especially if you are found to be going to forbidden places like church or Bible studies. Combine this with the prediction that all will be required to worship the beast and his image, and you have the recipe for very hard times for the followers of Jehovah God and Jesus. With the mark of the beast you will be tracked, intimidated, and persecuted (perhaps killed), without it you will not be able to buy the things you will need. We will need lots of patient endurance and faithfulness and especially atomic faith that KNOWS we will be taken care of by our Lord regardless of what happens.

The end of those who take the mark of the beast: Revelation 14:9 to 14:13

9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand,

10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

11 And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”

12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Again the Scripture calls us to have patient endurance and faithfulness during the time of tribulation. And it is also telling us that those who have not taken the mark of the beast and are faithful to God will still be here unless we have been executed as some will be.

The seven bowls of wrath: Revelation 16:2, 4-6, 8-9, 10-11

2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. [But not those who refused the mark of the beast; we are still here but protected from ugly and painful sores.]

4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged;

6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”

8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire.

9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony

11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

The time of tribulation is going to be terrible for the ungodly. So much so they will want to die. But they will still not repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness. While the time of tribulation will not be easy for the servants of God, He will be holding them in his hand and protecting them from all that the ungodly have to endure. We must have patient endurance and faithfulness. While the faithful are not mentioned in this passage, one might assume for that reason we are gone. But later they are mentioned again, so I think they are not mentioned here because God is miraculously protecting them from the entire wrath God pours out on the unbelievers trying to get them to repent. I can imagine one of them saying, “I hate you God. Why are you being so evil to me when I am basically a good person.” And God says, “I don’t hate you my son. Jesus died for you, and we want you here with us. What you are experiencing now is my attempt to get you to turn around. What you will experience if you don’t turn around will be far far worse than anything you are going through now and it will last forever! Please repent and turn back to me and be spared much worse torture that Satan plans for you because he has zero love for you. His torture worse than you can ever imagine.”

Revelation 17:6, 8

6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.

Perhaps the beast “that was” was one of the evil rulers before the time of Jesus. He “now is not” during the time of Jesus and the time since then, but “will come up” as the antichrist in our day. But the Holy Spirit will guide those of us whose names have been written in the Book of Life, and we will know what is happening and will have patient endurance and faithfulness.

Revelation 19:1 to 19:9

1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

2 for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

3 And again they shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!”

5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!”

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

After the fall of Babylon, there will be rejoicing in heaven and the wedding supper of the Lamb will be prepared. Several of the witnesses of heaven that I read were told by Jesus to return and tell His people what they had seen to get them ready for His “very soon return”. He also showed two of them separately the preparations already in progress for the wedding supper of the Lamb. It is ready at this time. The hall has been prepared, the tables are set with elegant place settings, and the chairs are set with the names of the redeemed on the back of each person’s chair. The candles have been lighted (with the light of God since there is no fire in heaven and the candles are not consumed as candles on Earth are). There is already a line of people waiting for the Lamb to arrive and the doors to be opened. That is what both of these two witnesses have independently told us. The time is close, closer than you might think. The next few years should see the unfolding of some of these End Time prophecies. It is definitely time to build your capability of patient endurance and faithfulness and of atomic faith.

Revelation19:20-21

20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two

of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

The false prophet and the beast were able to deceive those who had the mark of the beast. It seems that taking the mark of the beast makes one less aware of truth and gullible to Satan’s lies.

Revelation 20:4-6

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Since those beheaded had not received the mark of the beast, their death was after the seventh trumpet (chapter 11) after which the second beast appeared and made people worship the first beast and take his mark on their forehead or right hand (chapter 13) and either before or during the seven plagues (bowls of wrath, chapter 16). In any case, it would seem that the beheading occurred during the time of tribulations and those not beheaded were similarly alive during the tribulations only to be taken up (or brought back to life) when Jesus returns in judgment to establish His thousand-year reign on Earth.

John was apparently not told about the state of those who died until they were raised to rule with Christ for 1000 years or came to life (were raised from the dead) after that. But we know from many eyewitness testimonies (cf. Heaven Is Beyond Imagination) we are more alive after death than before. Our spirit life is more real than our physical life. So I presume the dead in Christ are actually alive in heaven and will come from there to rule during or after the 1000 years. Perhaps at that time the New Jerusalem in heaven will come down to the new Earth. My thought is that since we don’t see the dead in Christ but will see them again when He returns, it will seem to us that they were raised up first, while they were actually raised up to heaven to be with Jesus in heaven at the time of their deaths, as Jesus told the one thief on the cross next to him, “This day you will be with me in paradise.”

Revelation 22:12

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

This is at the end of the vision of Revelation. So does that suggest Jesus’ coming is at the end of everything that has been foretold? And therefore we need to have patient endurance and faithfulness to the end? Do we have the atomic faith to stay with Jesus and confidently know He will always be taking care of us in spite of everything going on around us and in spite of how we are treated by the world of the antichrist?

Jesus told us, (Matt 24:29-39)

29 “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.