I don't place any significance on date setting, unbiblical prophetic claims,
and the crazy things that circulate much on the internet today. Since
Hollywood promotes a bunch of this stuff, it would seem logical that
Luciferians are being some of the hysteria. I remember all the hysteria before
the year 2000, which amounted to nothing. I remember all the hysteria before
December 21, 2012, which amounted to nothing. And again, I remember all the
hysteria before September 23, 2015, which
amounted to nothing. And here we go again for September 23, 2017. If anything
does happen on that day, and I don't think it will, it will be manmade!
The next prophetic event on God's Biblical calendar is the Rapture of the Church...
1st Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
The Scriptures tell us that NO MAN knows when the Lord will return...
Mark 13:32-37, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”
So we know from the Holy Bible that Jesus is coming back, but no man knows when. Some preachers contend that Mark 13:32-37 cannot be speaking about the Rapture, because the Rapture doctrine was not first revealed until the apostle Paul revealed it...
1st Corinthians 15:51-53, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
However, Jesus provided His disciples in Matthew 24 with vivid details about the coming Tribulation period. Clearly, Jesus DID know about future events, and that should not surprise us, because Jesus is God. Since the Lord provided many details which will happen during the future 7-year Tribulation, which details are not taught in the Old Testament, we can logically conclude that the Lord knew about information that the Bible does not provide. Therefore, it would be reasonable to also conclude that Jesus knew about the future Rapture of the saints. The word “Rapture” is not found in the Bible, but neither is the word “Bible.” But the Bible teaches in 1st Thessalonians 4:17 that the saints will be “CAUGHT UP,” which is what the word Rapture means. I capitalize the word “Rapture” because it refers to a special event.[1] There is no reason to think that the Lord wasn't talking about the Rapture in Mark 13:32-37.
Furthermore, from the
time the Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15), the event midway into the
Tribulation when the Antichrist claims to be God from the temple in Jerusalem,
it will be 3 1/2 years until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. So it WILL be
possible to know WHEN the Lord will return during the Tribulation. Therefore,
Mark 13:32-37 must be referring to a Pretribulation Rapture. Any timing other
than a Pretribulation Rapture would allow people to KNOW exactly WHEN Jesus is
coming back. The Scriptures tell us that NO MAN knows the time of the Lord's
return.
The Scriptures Teach Believers to Look for Jesus Christ, Nothing Else
The
Bible tells us all the same thing, to “WATCH” for the Lord's return...
Mark 13:35-37, “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”
People who are caught up into the hype of September 23 are watching the stars. Many people today are watching Israel. Some people are looking for the Antichrist. Others are watching world news. My friend, Jesus told us to WATCH FOR HIM...
Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
And by the way, Titus
2:13 disproves a PreWrath Rapture doctrine. If the Antichrist has to appear
first, which is what proponents of a PreWrath return of Christ teach (such as
Pastor Steven Anderson and Dr. Texe Marrs), then we should be looking for the
Antichrist, not Christ. Why would we look for the appearing of Jesus Christ,
if the Antichrist must appear first?
Rightly Dividing the Epistle of 2nd Thessalonians
And
by the way, let me teach you something important here. One of the strongest
passages of Scriptures that seems to support a PreWrath Rapture is found in
the Epistle of 2nd Thessalonians...
2nd Thessalonians 2:1-3, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”
Taken by itself, it would seem cut and dry that Christ cannot return until the Antichrist appears. However, one of the things that I learned many years ago about studying the Holy Bible, is that there were no chapter divisions in the original texts. So I went back and read chapter one and chapter two as if they were combined, and this is what I found...
2nd Thessalonians 1:7-2:3, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”
Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Now you see the bigger picture. Clearly, “THAT DAY” in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 refers to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, not the Rapture. We know this because 2nd Thessalonians 1:8 says, at this same time (i.e., on “THAT DAY”), the Lord is going to take “VENGEANCE ON THEM THAT KNOW NOT GOD.” God is going to burn them in the fires of Hell. Ladies and gentleman, this is NOT the Rapture of the saints.
Also, carefully notice
in 2nd Thessalonians 1:7 that on “THAT DAY” that “THE LORD JESUS SHALL BE
REVEALED FROM HEAVEN WITH HIS MIGHTY ANGELS, IN FLAMING FIRE...” This is not
the Rapture of the Church. This is not the catching up of the saints. At the
Rapture, according to 1st Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1st Corinthians 15:51-53,
all believers will be CAUGHT UP into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
The Lord will not reveal Himself to the entire world at the Rapture. The Lord
will not execute fiery judgment upon wicked unbelievers at the Rapture. At the
Rapture, all believers will be CAUGHT UP to go meet the Lord in the air; but
at the Second Coming (7 years later), the Lord and His mighty angels will
appear for the whole world to see, and the unbelieving will be horrified,
knowing that they are on the losing side without Christ.
God Speaks to the World Through the Word of God
We are also taught from the Scriptures in Hebrews 1:2 that God speaks to us in these last days through the Word of God, His Son. The Holy Bible is the written Word and Jesus is the living Word. We learn about the living Word through searching the written Word...
Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.”
I don't even waste my time anymore spending too much time researching bizarre claims of big things that are about to happen. False prophets throughout history have been making false claims that never came to fruition. It is an important Biblical principle that you understand my friend, that God ONLY speaks to us through His Word.
In Luke 16:19-31, we read about two men that died. A rich man went to Hell and a poor man (Lazarus) went to Paradise. The rich man awoke from his sleep in the fires of Hell. He begged for a drop of water but was denied. He begged Abraham to send Lazarus from the dead, to warn his 5 living brothers, lest they also end up in the torments of Hell. Abraham said that if the man's 5 brothers won't take heed to the Holy Bible, then nothing will convince them. Luke 16:31, “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” If a person won't listen to the Holy Bible, they are doomed!!!
We live in a crazy world of wickedness and unbelief (1st John 5:19). Most people refuse to take heed to God's Word. Yet, if some nut makes a bizarre claim of spending 22 minutes in Hell, or that they saw a vision of Heaven, people will believe them without question, making those people millionaires overnight. Isn't that horrible? People won't believe the inspired King James Bible, which can be verified in every way; but they'll believe the unverifiable claims of whacky authors. What wickedness to believe men, but not God! History verifies the Bible. Archaeology verifies the Bible. Science verifies the Bible. Human nature verifies the Bible. Astronomy verifies the Bible. A love of the truth verifies the Bible. The Holy Spirit verifies the Bible. You can trust your King James Bible!!!!!!!
God ONLY speaks through His Word. I wouldn't give you a dime for any preacher, who doesn't preach using the authority of the Word of God. The inspired King James Bible speaks with authority!!! Don't place credence upon spectacular claims of upcoming solar events, because these are not based upon the Scriptures. God NEVER tells us to read the stars for spiritual guidance. God gave us the stars to help keep track of time (calendars), to know when to sow and reap crops (seasons), and for naval navigation (signs). Genesis 1:14, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” But it is sinful to consult the stars regarding spiritual guidance to make life's decisions. Such occult practices are sinful. Astrology is sinful. Zodiacs are sinful. Palm reading, Tarot cards, mind-reading, crystal balls, astral projection, sorcery (use of drugs to access the spirit world) and séances are sinful. That is what the heathens do.
We read a Bible prophecy against the wicked nation of Babylon. God told them to seek help from their sorcerers and astrologers, since they refuse to rightly trust upon the Lord...
Isaiah 47:12-13, “Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.”
Bless God, I'm going to
set my mind upon the Holy Scriptures!!! Don't be a fool as were the Chaldeans
in Babylon, who trusted in everything except the Lord God of Israel. And by
“Israel,” I don't mean modern manmade Israel established in 1948, which is a
counterfeit. I mean true Israel, which will be restored when Jesus Christ
returns, and He reigns as King over the whole earth from Jerusalem for 1,000
years (aka, the Millennium).
I'm Going to Listen to the Inspired Word of God
Jesus walked this earth as God in the flesh (incarnate). Jesus forgave sin as only God can do (Mark 2:7). Jesus accepted worship as only God is entitled to (Matthew 8:2; Isaiah 42:8). Jesus did not give up His deity when He came to earth. Jesus was 100% a man, as portrayed in the Gospel of Luke. Yet, Jesus was also 100% God, as portrayed in the Gospel of John. Jesus is the GOD-MAN, as no other man has ever been, nor ever will be. Jesus is the ONLY begotten (biological) Son of God. It is ONLY through faith in the precious name of the Son of God, that any person can be saved, and we all MUST be saved (Acts 4:10-12).
The Gospels give the reader a four-fold view of Jesus:
The Gospel of John is God's Gospel tract to the world. John 20:31, “But
these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” There has
always been ONLY one plan of salvation, which is BY FAITH in the Messiah.
Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness,
that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of
sins.” Amen! What a wonderful Bible truth... “WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN
HIM SHALL RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS”!!! Notice that there is no
mention about turning away from sinful behavior to be saved. Nor is there any
requirement to make Jesus the “Lord” (Master) of your life to be saved. Most
churches today have already been deceived by Satan (Revelation 12:9). This
includes most independent Baptist churches, who teach
Wrong Repentance.
Here's what gets me excited in the Lord... THE BUS MINISTRY!
