Sunday, October 28, 2012

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, 10-29-2012

What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery
(in short: The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age). Part 53.
The Rapture will be the end of the age of no prophecy. Part 2

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PLEASE READ FIRST

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: If available on the website you're viewing this on, a few links (i.e., those without an already written scripture quote or brief explanation) are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), they work best using the Firefox browser – pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Chrome & other browsers only appear for a few seconds at best. If you don’t have Firefox (or hover pop-ups aren’t available on the website you’re viewing this on), that’s OK, move your cursor off and on the link until it is read; or left click the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or you can always use your Bible to look up the verses.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:


Study to show yourself approved to God!

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Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries


The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:


What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery
(in short: The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age). Part 53.
The Rapture will be the end of the age of no prophecy. Part 2



OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”


Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing


BEGIN BIBLE STUDY

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible


In our subject of the Rapture, we last noted the coming of Christ in the clouds of the air for the Church. Around 1824, John Darby was a member of the church of England and he was a little grieved about the spiritual condition of that church. So, he decided to do a study regarding what the Bible said about the Church, what it is, and how it should conduct itself. Darby found that the Church is something unique, absolutely different than any other undertaking God has ever done. He studied God's plan and purpose for Israel, and he contrasted that with God's purpose for the Church, and found that God never mixes Israel and the Church. He began to see that the Church had a miraculous beginning, and was created only after Israel had rejected and executed their own Messiah and God had set them aside. We have also studied that the Church was a mystery, and that mystery was the fact that God was going to have a period in human history where He would deal with the Gentiles and not the Jews. Rom 11 puts in a unique way: ROM 11:7-17, “What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.’ And David says, ‘Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened to see not, And bend their backs forever.’ I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! [Israel has a future called their fulfillment] But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also; and if the root be holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches [toward the Jews]; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

This means that we are saved and included in God's program because we have inherited the covenant given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that's the root. However, the covenant we are speaking of is the salvation covenant, not the four unconditional covenants given to Israel. The four unconditional covenants given to Israel are: The Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic, and New Covenants to Israel. These covenants have an eternal life clause based on the fact that Israel has a future both in time and in eternity. The Abrahamic Covenant defines the race for client nation Israel. Abraham became a Jew at age 99; circumcision was the sign (GEN 12:1-3; GEN 13:15-16; GEN 15:18; GEN 22:15-18; GEN 26:3-4; EXO 6:2-8). The Palestinian Covenant defines the land for client nation Israel (GEN 15:18; NUM 4:1-12; DEU 30:1-9; JOS 1:3-4). The Davidic Covenant defines the dynasty for client nation Israel (2SA 7:8-16; PSA 89:20-37). The New Covenant defines the restoration of the client nation Israel at the Second Advent and its Millennial modus operandi (JER 31:31-34). This part of the contract is not operational until the Second Advent.

The covenant we have received is given in GEN 15:6 “Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Therefore Paul says to the Gentiles in GAL 3:6-9, “Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations shall be blessed in you.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.” ROM 11:17-20, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches [toward the Jews]; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;” This is a passage against anti-Semitism. ROM 11:20-22, “Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches [Israelites as a group], neither will He spare you [Gentiles as a group]. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you [Gentiles], God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” This is God’s warning to the Gentiles who are in a place of favor now, God's grace is upon them. For a Jew to be saved today, he has to come to a Gentile dominated church and believe in Jesus as Messiah, and this can be humiliating to a Jew. Darby really understood this, he knew that the Church had a very specific beginning at Pentecost, and that it is going to have a very specific ending, the Rapture, and then God is going to go back and deal with Israel again. ROM 11:23-24, “And they also [Israelites as a group], if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more [a fortiori] shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?” This passage is not talking about individual Gentiles nor individual Jews but rather both as groups. So when it says they can be grafted back into their own tree, it is not that a Jew is believing and becoming a member of the Church, because we're talking about the position of God's special blessing on a group of people. It means that if they are grafted back into their own olive tree that God is once again going to be dealing with the Jew in a place of favor. That's the importance of the correct interpretation of this passage. It is not talking about individuals, that would mean that you could lose your salvation, it is talking about the Gentiles and Israel as groups. ROM 11:25 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in [the completion of the Church];” ROM 11:26 “and thus all Israel will be saved;” This means every Jew who believes in Jesus Christ as Messiah is true Israel and they will be saved. What about the Jews who do not get saved who are Israelites? ROM 9:6 says, “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;” Back in ROM 11:27-36, “And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins. From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

The Church is distinct from Israel, it's unique, and this wasn't known until God revealed it, in detail, to the Apostle Paul who was the first to understand it. So again, the Church began with a miracle (the baptism of the Spirit), and it was going to end with a miracle (the Rapture). The Church was a kind of parenthesis that was not foretold in the O.T.. One reason that God did not tell the Jews about the Church in the O.T. is because God couldn't foretell that He had a special Church coming, made up of Gentiles, and that He was going to accomplish what He called the fullness of the Gentiles. The Jews would have held that they were going to fail to believe in the Messiah when He came, and therefore when He came, naturally they rejected Him because God already had an alternate program in place. God had to keep this alternate program a mystery so that He could make an all out bona fide offer of the kingdom that was promised to the Jew. So the fullness of the Gentiles is talking about this parenthesis in history we call the Church.

When you really understand the Church, and the reason for the Church, you'll understand why God extracts the Church before the Tribulation. There's no purpose in the Church's presence upon the earth during the Tribulation. In fact, its presence would hinder the purpose of God in the Tribulation because it is to be a time when God allows the full manifestation of evil for the sake of Israel's redemption, and for the unsaved Gentiles. When the believer understands that Satan's attack is directed, not toward the Church, but Israel, during the Tribulation period (Rev 12 and Dan 12), then the one understands that the Church will not be here. Michael will stand up for Israel at that time (DAN 12:1).

God has three witnesses that put the nail in Satan's coffin: The first witness is the Lord Jesus Christ. The second witness’ are the winner believers. The third witness is Christian marriage. Therefore, Satan spends all his time attacking Israel in the Tribulation period because of the absence of the Church, and he wants to destroy God's covenant people, the Jews, in order to attempt to make God a liar with respect to His promises and covenants. In 2TH 2:1, Paul is convincing the disturbed believers of Thessalonica that they are living in a lifestyle of fear because of false reports that the Tribulation period had begun. This is the same thing that is happening today when people teach that the Tribulation period is to be endured by the Church, and this simply causes people to become Christian activists. Therefore one becomes aware that like the believers in Thessalonica, the final gathering of believers are resurrected in immortal bodies and will precede the Tribulation period. When you understand that the Spirit of life in the believers of the Church-age is empowered by God the Holy Spirit, who is resident in every believer, then you understand that Satan cannot prevail against the Church during the Tribulation period. This is because there is always a pivot of mature believers who make sure the gates of hell cannot prevail against it (MAT 16:13-18). Look at EPH 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;” When you truly understand that TLJC said this, how could you even insult Him by saying He will leave His bride on earth to suffer the worst time in all of human history.

Point 3. Time of the Rapture or the Doctrine of Imminence.

Many signs were given to the nation Israel which would precede the Second coming which is a totally different event than the Rapture. This is so the nation would be living in expectancy when the time of His coming should draw near. Although Israel could not know the day nor the hour, they could know, through these signs, that their redemption is drawing near. To the Church however, no such signs were given. The Church is told to live in the light of the imminent return of TLJC (JOHN 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; 1CO 15:51-52; PHI 3:20; COL 3:4; 1TI 6:14; 1TH 1:10; JAM 5:8; 2PE 3:3-4). Imminence means impending, or threatening to occur immediately. It does not mean immediately. Imminence is used technically for the fact that no prophecy has to be fulfilled before the Rapture occurs. The rapture will occur when the last member of the body of Christ is saved The early Church anticipated the Rapture under the concept of imminence, 1CO 1:4-8, “I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Corinthian church was made up of loser believers, yet Paul thanked God concerning them because they were the beneficiaries of phenomenal grace, they were in union with Christ, and most of all were enriched by Him. Enrichment in the Christian life is not measured in terms of work and Christian service, but in terms of doctrine and knowledge, yet most of the Corinthian believers rejected that doctrine. So while the Rapture is imminent, no one really knows when it will occur. In the meantime, the Royal Family of God lives in this dispensation of historical trends. In fact, the imminence of the Rapture is a doctrine for mature believers only. A mature believer lives as though the Rapture could occur at any moment, however, only the Trinity knows when the Rapture is going to occur.

Point 4. The Work of the Holy Spirit as the Restrainer (2Th 2).

2TH 2:1 “Now we request you, brethren [all fellow believers], with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him [the Rapture], that you may not be quickly shaken [or agitated or distracted] from your composure or be disturbed [or terrified] either by a spirit [prophetic utterance] or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.” The Greek noun episunagogue means to gather together in one place, namely in the air, for the purpose of worship and our glorification in the presence of Him. The Thessalonians were concerned that the Rapture had already taken place, and the day of the Lord was already there. In the Bible, the day of the Lord can include the Rapture, the last half of the Tribulation, Second Advent, and Millennium, all totaling 1007 years, or it can be used for any portion of this period, the context dictating how long (ISA 2:12; ISA 13:6; Joel 1:15, 2:1; ZEC 14:1, 1TH 5:2; 2PE 3:10). 2TH 2:3 “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it [the day of the Lord] will not come unless the apostasy [or the departure] comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,” This indicates, in the Greek syntax, that the son of destruction is unveiled at the very beginning of the day of the Lord or at the Rapture of the Church. So, first Paul shows them that the day of the Lord could not take place until there was a departure. The Greek word for apostasy in verse 3 is apostasia and refers to a departure, either the departure from the faith, or the departure of the saints as mentioned in verse 1. Secondly, Paul reveals that there was to be the manifestation of the man of sin or the lawless one described in Rev 13.

2TH 2:3-6, “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you [face to face], I was telling you these things? And you know or have come to know what [that which] restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.” Notice it says what restrains him now, not who restrains him, and what restrains him now is the mystery of the spiritual life of the Church-age. 2TH 2:7 “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work [super-naturally operative] only He [the Holy Spirit who is empowering the spiritual life] who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” Here the Holy Spirit is the one who empowers the spiritual life of the believer. This lawless one could not be manifested until the restrainers (Church-age believers living the spiritual life), and the restrainer (God the Holy Spirit), be taken out of the way. As long as the Holy Spirit is resident within the Church, which is His temple, His restraining work will continue. In DAN 9:27, Daniel reveals that this lawless one will be manifested at the beginning of the 70th week, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

2TH 2:8 “And then that lawless one will be revealed [there will be the public manifestation of the lawless one] whom the Lord [TLJC] will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;” This the appearance of Christ to earth at the Second coming, not what Paul is talking about in verse 1, which is the Rapture. Look at 1TH 3:11-13, “Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” In 2TH 2:9-12, the object turns back to the anti-Christ; “that is, the one [the anti-Christ's advent] whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false [the lie], in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth [Gospel], but took pleasure in wickedness [or unrighteousness].”

So again, the understanding of the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, or the body of Christ, comes clearly from understanding the principle of Mystery doctrine more than it does from understanding prophecy. As we noted, there's no purpose to be served by the Church's presence upon the earth during the Tribulation. God, in the Tribulation, is dealing with Israel and the unbelieving Gentiles under the principle of crisis evangelism. This is why we read in REV 12:1-12, “And a great sign appeared in heaven a woman [a reference to Israel] clothed with the sun [a reference to Jacob], and the moon under her feet [wives of Jacob], and on her head a crown of twelve stars [the twelve patriarchs or the twelve tribes of Israel]; and she [Israel] was with child [a reference to the virgin pregnancy]; and she cried out [a reference to the many different Jewish Holocausts throughout human history], being in labor and in pain to give birth [she wanted to be delivered from this anti-Semitism]. And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon [that's Satan] having seven heads and ten horns, [which is the revived Roman empire of the Tribulation plus ecumenical religion, which is being formed today], and on his heads were seven diadems or crowns. And his tail [a reference to Satan's power] swept away a third of the stars of heaven [a reference to the pre-historic revolution in Heaven when one third of the angels in Heaven followed Satan in the pre-historic angelic conflict], and He [God] threw them to the earth [this will happen in the middle of the Tribulation]. And the dragon [Satan] stood or who had stood before the woman [the virgin Mary] who was about to give birth [the thing that Satan tried so hard to stop, anticipating the virgin birth of Christ], so that when she gave birth he [Satan] might devour or destroy her child destroy the humanity of Christ. And she [the virgin Mary] gave birth to a son [the humanity of Christ], a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron [TLJC will use to rule during the Millennium]; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne [ascension and session]. And the woman, true Israel, the believing Jews fled into the high desert country in order that there [in that specific geographical location, namely the desert country of Edom, Moab and Ammon] she might be nourished [or sustained] for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. And there was a battle in heaven [Michael and his army of elect angels fought against the dragon]. And the dragon and his angels fought, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven, And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now deliverance [Second advent], and the power, [Jesus Christ in Hypostatic union, undiminished deity, true humanity in one person forever] and the kingdom of our God [the Father's plan for the Millennial reign of our Lord Jesus Christ] and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.’ Furthermore they overcame him, [that is Satan], because of the blood of the lamb, [the saving work of Christ on the cross, and because of the doctrine applied] by means of their testimony. In fact they did not love their life to the point of death. For this reason, be celebrating you heavens, [elect angels and all resurrected Church-age believers] and you, who live temporarily in them, [O.T. saints and Tribulational martyrs, who reside in heaven in the interim body] Woe to both land and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having and holding on to great wrath, or foaming with fury because he knows that his time is short.”

If a believer has perception regarding the pre-historic angelic conflict and the appeal trial of Satan, he will understand the difference between the Church-age and the Tribulation period. The appeal trial of Satan is co-terminus with human history and when you understand that the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union and the glorified humanity of Christ and the Church age has to do with the prosecution's rebuttal, and that the Tribulation period coincides with Satan's rebuttal, then you understand that the Tribulation period must be separate from the Church-age. One period is God's rebuttal toward Satan, the Church-age. The other period is Satan's rebuttal toward God, the Tribulation period. At the Rapture, the Church, is gone to the courtroom of heaven and they are now on the witness protection program. Therefore Satan's defense comes and he uses nothing but violence. It is going to be the greatest time anti-Semitism in all of human history.

So, we have two mysteries, the first is found in 1TI 3:16 “And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, Beheld by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” The Greek word for godliness is eusebeia meaning the spiritual life of TLJC. Then we have the godliness or the eusebeia of the mystery of living the spiritual life of the believer. 1TI 4:7-8, “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; the spiritual life for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Secondly, in the Tribulation period, we will have the mystery of lawlessness (2TH 2:7). In other words the spiritual life of two unique humanities is the means and defeat of Satan in the angelic realm, TLJC, the unique humanity and the Church, the new humanity. So, the first witness, TLJC is out of reach He's seated at the right hand of God. The second witness will be out of reach after the Rapture, the Church, on earth right now. The third witness, not necessary or needed but still there, Christian marriage, will also go up in the Rapture. This will leave the man of lawlessness (2TH 2:3) and the mystery of lawlessness of 2TH 2:7, unrestrained.


The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Internet Church Service, Sunday, Oct 28, 2012

This week’s sermon title:
The New Testament analogy of the Old Testament Fish Gate.
Filling of the Spirit and the Fruit of the Spirit. Part 4.

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Today’s Sermon Message:

“The New Testament analogy of the Old Testament Fish Gate.
Filling of the Spirit and the Fruit of the Spirit. Part 4.”

Video & Audio


Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

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from - Romans 8:38-39


Thank you for joining us for today’s worship service. Please enjoy the music before you watch and|or listen to today’s message.

TIP to enlarge the print hold down the “Ctrl” key on your key board, while it is being held down, move your mouse forward until the desired print size is just right for you. To return to normal screen size, reverse the process (some will see a % in the lower right corner of your screen, normal is 100%)

The lyrics have been provided so you can sing along with the artist in your mind and soul; imagine that the artist’s voice is your voice. I’m not a very good singer myself so I often get the lyrics for some of my favorites and sing along in my mind and soul, this way it’s as if I’m doing the singing to the Lord; try it.

Hymn #1

He Knows My Name - Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)



Hymn #2

He Leadeth Me - Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)




Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately to God the Father.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Lectionary

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) GNB-UK

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) GNB-UK

Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) GNB-UK

Study to show yourself approved to God!

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Opening Prayer
(Do your best to make it your own – below is a sample prayer)

Heavenly Father, we pray that we will all be richly edified by Your Word today and that You will make what we study today clear to us. We pray that all participants in this service as well as those who review it at a later date will be edified and blessed by today’s message. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Our guest Pastor-Teacher is:



This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

Today's Sermon

The New Testament analogy of the Old Testament Fish Gate.
Filling of the Spirit and the Fruit of the Spirit. Part 4.


(To view the sermon right click the above link then click on open in “new window” or “new tab” and 3 windows will open – 1) audio or video player which should start automatically, 2) slide show, 3) note pad. When finished return to previous window or tab to finish the service with Hymn and Prayer.)


If you wish to use it, right click the link and in the drop-down box, left click the "Open Link in New Window"; when the new window opens, reduce the window size of both the on-line bible and the slideshow and configure them to be side-by-side. Also, the window opens to John 3:16, click the word “more” below the verse, you will then see two online bible columns, Use the column on the left as it is set for the NASB95, at the top of the column where you see John 3:16 in the search box, type the book and verse the Pastor asks you to go to a particular Bible verse, e.g., 1tim 5:21, or eph 3:10, etc., then click “Enter” on your key board. You can use the “right column” if you wish for a different bible version but you’ll need to type in the verse you want each time as I directed you for the column on the left side.

Hymn #3

In The Garden – Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)



CLOSING PRAYER:
(Again, below is a sample prayer, do your best to make it your own)

Heavenly Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit will make what I’ve learned today clear to me, for I pray this in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s name. Amen

If you have any questions that are pertinent about today’s message, please don’t hesitate to ask, you are welcome to ask them via a private message or by a reply in today’s post. However, sometimes questions can be real short but require a much longer answer in order to give an adequate answer. If I don’t think that the question is able to be answered quickly I’ll reply back telling you that I’ll research it and get to you with the answer (it may even be a few days as I’m a little slower than I used to be). Please don’t let what I’ve just said make you hesitate to ask questions.

I want to thank all of you who have attended this Sunday service as well as those who will view it at a later time or date.

Also posted on ThinkBeDo: bookmark link in case this site is ever off line.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can instantly receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, 10-22-2012

What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery
(in short: The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age). Part 52.
The Rapture will be the end of the age of no prophecy.

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PLEASE READ FIRST

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: If available on the website you're viewing this on, a few links (i.e., those without an already written scripture quote or brief explanation) are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), they work best using the Firefox browser – pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Chrome & other browsers only appear for a few seconds at best. If you don’t have Firefox (or hover pop-ups aren’t available on the website you’re viewing this on), that’s OK, move your cursor off and on the link until it is read; or left click the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or you can always use your Bible to look up the verses.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:


Study to show yourself approved to God!

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Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries


The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:


What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery
(in short: The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age). Part 52.
The Rapture will be the end of the age of no prophecy.



OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”


Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing


BEGIN BIBLE STUDY

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible


The doctrine of the Rapture of the Church is a vital doctrine to understand because it defines the spiritual life for Church-age believers. Believers that don’t believe in the Rapture can easily become involved in cleaning up the devil's world and trying to Christianize the world, forcing such things like the Mosaic Law and the Ten Commandments upon everyone. These things are blasphemous. The Mosaic Law was never given to Gentiles, DEU 4:8 “Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?” Israel was the client nation. ROM 2:14 says For the Gentiles do not have the Law. The Mosaic Law was never given to the Church (ACTS 15:5, 24; ROM 6:14; GAL 2:19). This is the fallacy of covenant theology. We have a higher code in the Royal Family Honor Code. The Church has no animal sacrifices, no Saturday worship, no specialized priesthood, etc. Codex three is the exception, since it belongs to the entire world especially when dealing with the military establishment.

So in our study of the Rapture of the Church, Point 1 is our Definition: While the Rapture is defined as being transported, Rapture is used here in a technical and theological sense for the resurrection of the Royal Family of God. Since the Church or Royal Family of God is the first spiritual building to be completed, it is resurrected after our Lord. Christ is resurrected, ascended, and seated at the right hand of the Father as part of the strategic victory of the angelic conflict. This is known as our Lord's battlefield royalty. This is His only royalty with no family; therefore, God interrupted the Jewish-age with the Church-age to call out and provide the Royal Family of God. Once the Royal Family is completed, the Church is resurrected as the body of Christ to become the bride of Christ.

The Church-age is that period of human history when the Royal Family of God is being formed on earth (EPH 1:22-23; EPH 2:16; EPH 4:4-5; COL 1:18, 24, 2:19). When the Royal Family of God is completed, the Rapture occurs (1TH 4:16-18; 1CO 15:51-58). During the conclusion of the Jewish-age, called the Tribulation period, the bride is prepared in heaven by receiving a resurrection body exactly like that of the Lord. Then, the Big Genuflex, the acknowledgment of Christ (PHI 2:9-11). ROM 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.” After that comes the Judgment Seat of Christ, when all Church-age believers are evaluated and rewarded, 2CO 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad..”

Point 2. Twenty-six Biblical principles that establish the Biblical position of a pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church. 1) The great Tribulation is punishment for a Christ-rejecting world, and the nation of Israel, who rejected her Messiah, REV 6:12-17 “And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?’” 2) The nature of the Church, and the promises of Christ forbid the Church from going through the great Tribulation. COL 1:22 “yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” The promise of Christ in HEB 13:5 “for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’”

3) There must be an interval of time between the Rapture and the Second Coming. This is when the Judgment Seat of Christ takes place and believers either receive or lose rewards (1CO 3:11-15, 2CO 5:10). 4) The scriptures which deal with the great Tribulation have particular reference to the Jew. MAT 24:1-9 And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” [He's talking about a Jewish Temple not a Christian church] And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what {will be} the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for {those things} must take place, but {that} is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are {merely} the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name [This is a reference to the Jewish nation]. In MAT 24:15-16, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains;” The abomination of desolation has to do with Jerusalem and the Temple, DAN 11:31 And forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. MAT 24:20-22, “But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; [It says the Sabbath because we are talking to the Jews not to Christians, the Sabbath is for the Jews only, EXO 31:16] for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.” In MAT 24:29-32, “But 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Now learn the parable from the fig tree [Israel]: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;”

Who is the fig tree? In LUK 13:6 the fig tree represents the nation of Israel, And He {began} telling this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.” So in MAT 24:33-34 “even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, {right} at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” So notice that the Sabbath is used (MAT 24:20). Jerusalem is trodden under (LUK 21:24). The Kingdom of God is near and at hand (MAT 24:14). But the Church is never mentioned.

5) The Tribulation is mentioned as a gross time of darkness, evil and sin, where none have faith (ISA 60:2; JER 13:16). LUK 18:8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” 6) Satan persecutes the woman in the Tribulation (Israel). The Church is not to come under condemnation (REV 12:1-4; ROM 5:9; 8:1; 1TH 1:10; 5:9; 1CO 15:55-57; 1TH 4:13-18). 7) The Church is not of the world (JOHN 17:14; PHI 3:20; 2TI 2:3-4). The Church is a spiritual extension of Jesus Christ, with promises that are heavenly related (EPH 1:3; 2:6). 8) Christ is preparing a home for His body the Church, and has promised to return and to take His bride back with Him, JOH 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, {there} you may be also.” 9) The Church has been promised deliverance from the wrath to come. 1TH 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. In 1TH 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10) The believer is told to watch, have an attitude of anticipation, for the Lord's coming. If believers are to go through the great Tribulation they would be advised to watch for the signs of the prophecies of the coming of Jacob's trouble. Instead we have ROM 8:23 “And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” In 1CO 1:7 we await eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. In TIT 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; If there was no Rapture, why would we eagerly wait and anticipate the Tribulation period? 11) God has always protected His people in the face of judgment (Enoch before the flood, 2PE 2:6-8, Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah). 12) The instructions by the apostle Paul never include any preparation or warning that the Church will encounter the great Tribulation. 13) If the Church goes through the Tribulation then the Jews, as well as the Gentiles, of the Tribulation period would become part of the Church. After the Tribulation, the Jewish remnant would go into the promised earthly Millennial reign; but the Gentiles of the Church would be caught up to be with Christ in glory. Thus, the body of Christ would become dismembered. 14) The church at Thessalonia would not be concerned of any disadvantage of the dead in Christ if those who were alive had to go through the great Tribulation (1TH 1:4). 15) The message of the Church is the message of the Gospel of grace and peace which was secured at the cross by Jesus the Christ (EPH 2:8-10). The message of the great Tribulation is one of God's judgment (REV 7:4-8; 12:17; 19:10; MAT 24:14). 16) The iniquity of the anti-Christ cannot be released until the Holy Spirit, the restrainer, is removed with the Church (2TH 2:3-10 mystery of lawlessness). 2TH 2:3 “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” 17) The Church is called to pray for those in authority (1TI 2:2); if the Church was on earth in the great Tribulation why would those who come through the great Tribulation pray for the destruction of those in authority? (REV 6:10). In 1TI 2:1-2, we read “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” Yet in REV 6:10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 18) Christ's return for His church is unconditional, and He returns to heaven (JOH 14:1-3). The great Tribulation is conditional, and based upon the abomination of desolation (MAT 24:15-16). 19) Christ returns for His bride in the air and does not touch down upon the earth at the Rapture. He then returns to heaven (JOH 14:1-3). At the Second Coming He comes down to the earth. 20) The Bema Seat Judgment takes place after the Rapture. This is when all believers will be judged according to their works, whether it is wood, hay or straw, or gold, silver, and precious stones. This represents divine production in the Spirit, or works done in the flesh (1CO 3:12-15). 21) Time is needed for the Bema Seat, and the marriage of the Lamb, and His pure bride dressed in white, the Church. The seven years of the great Tribulation provides for this time. 22) The Rapture is a mystery and secret while the Second Coming is a world display of power. 1CO 15:51-58 “Behold, I tell 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 trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” In REV 1:7 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so, Amen.” 23) The Rapture comes at a time of false peace and safety, the promise of the anti-Christ. 1TH 5:2-3 “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” 24) After the Rapture (Rev 4) the day of the Lord begins with the opening of the first seal (Rev 5). 25) The Church is never mentioned from Rev 4-19. 26) The 144,000 Jews from Twelve Tribes, the two prophets, probably Elijah and Moses, and the angel witness the gospel (REV 11:35). The Church is never mentioned as fulfilling her great commission during the great Tribulation. So the hope of the Church is the return of Christ at the Rapture, who will deliver them from the greatest outpouring of judgment in the history of the universe (TIT 2:11-13; 1TH 1:10; 4:18; 5:11).

We are living in very exciting times especially when you consider that the Bible gives many examples of the trends that would take place before the Lord comes back. Notice trends not prophecies; there's a difference. A trend is simply the general direction in which something tends to move. A prophecy is an inspired utterance of a prophet, viewed as a revelation of divine will or a prediction of the future, made under divine inspiration. While we are told that we will not know the time of the End, God obviously wanted us to know when that time was getting closer. As the Church is increasingly drawn into the interfaith movement, and as more and more churches go into isolation, preparing to sleep through the growing attacks on their faith, perhaps God knew it would take a few signs to wake us up and remind us that we have work to do.

There are at lest six signs given by The Lord Jesus Christ to indicate His coming and the end of the age: 1) False prophets and false Christ's (MAT 24:5, 11). 2) Wars (MAT 24:6). 3) Famines (MAT 24:7). 4) Earthquakes (MAT 24:7). 5) Tribulations (MAT 24:8-9). 6). The Gospel will be preached throughout the world (MAT 24:14). In the United States Christians still enjoy freedom to worship God without suffering much more than ridicule, hatred, or discrimination at work and school. However in many other countries such as China, Sudan, many African nations, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Russia, and many Muslim nations, Christian suffer persecution and often times death for their faith.

There are two characteristics of the end of the age from the Apostle Paul: Godlessness in the last days (2TI 3:1-5,7) and Apostasy, falling away from the faith (1TI 4:1-3). There are twelve fulfillments of Bible prophecy required for the end of the age: 1) The existence of a 200,000,000 army in the East (REV 9:16). 2) Redevelopment of the Roman Empire, the European community (DAN 2:32-33). 3) Return of the one pure language, Hebrew, to Israel (ZEP 3:9). Prior to the restoration of Israel in 1948, Hebrew was a basically a dead language. Now Hebrew is spoken throughout Israel. 4) Rebuilding of the Temple, restoration of Temple worship and animal sacrifices in Jerusalem (REV 11:2; DAN 9:27). 5) Appearance of the red heifer after 2000 years (NUM 19:2-7). 6) Increase in knowledge and travel (DAN 12:4). 7) Return of the Ethiopian Jews to Israel (ZEP 3:10-11). 8) The rise of Russia (EZE 38:2, 4, 8). 9) Return of Russian Jews to Israel (JER 23:7-8). 10) Technology for the mark of the beast (REV 13:16-17). 11) Plans for the one world government. 12) Instant communication around the world (REV 11:3, 7-10). The point is that all these things should cause us to become excited about the time in which we live. It should also cause us to invest in the kingdom of God and not the world controlled by Satan.

Point 3. The doctrine of imminence. Many signs were given to the nation Israel which would precede the Second Coming, a totally different event than the Rapture. This is so the nation would be living in expectancy when the time of His coming should draw near. Although Israel could not know the day nor the hour, they could know, through these signs, that their redemption is drawing near. To the Church however, no such signs were given. The Church is told to live in the light of the imminent return of The Lord Jesus Christ (JOHN 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; 1CO 15:51-52; PHI 3:20; COL 3:4; 1TH 1:10; 1TI 6:14; JAM 5:8; 2PE 3:3-4).

Such passages as 1TH 5:6; TIT 2:13; REV 3:3 warn the believer to be watching for the Lord Himself, not for signs that would precede His coming. 1TH 5:6 “so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober-minded.”

So, if there was no Rapture of the Church, the many signs given to Israel would also be given to the Church! The multitude of signs given to Israel to stir them to expectancy would then also be for the Church, and the Church could not be looking for Christ until these signs had been fulfilled. We would be looking for world wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in several places at the same time (MAT 24:7). We would be looking for the regathering of Israel (Ezekiel 36-37). We would be looking for the Rise of Russia and her allies in preparation of fulfilling (Eze 38-39). For the increase in travel and knowledge, DAN 12:4 “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” Although many of these things are around us and seem to be the signs of the last days, the Church is not told to look for these signs. These things are said to be the historical trends of the last days. Trends include all the scoffers who will come and criticize God's people (2PE 3:1-2), and the current moral breakdown in society (2TI 3:1-5). Some of those trends of moral breakdown during the last days are read almost every day in the newspapers: a rise in lawlessness (2TH 2:7-10), a rise in occultism and cults (1TI 4:1-5), and apostasy (1TI 4:1).

So the Church is to live in the imminence of the Rapture. Imminence means impending, or threatening to occur immediately; it does not mean immediately. Immanency is used technically for the fact that no prophecy has to be fulfilled before the Rapture occurs, and the Rapture will occur when the last member of the body of Christ is saved. This is why the Church-age is the only dispensation in which there are historical trends and no prophecy. The Church age began with an event prophesied—the Baptism of the Spirit. Our Lord prophesied this in the upper room discourse and just before He ascended. The Church-age terminates with the Rapture, which was also prophesied. There is no prophecy between these two events. This is the dispensation of the mystery doctrine.

So, no prophecy between the Baptism of the Spirit and the Rapture means that the Rapture is imminent. It could occur at any time; no one knows the day or the hour. The resurrection of the Church, like our dying, is completely out of our control. Before the Second Advent occurs, there are prophecies which must occur, the Rapture, the events of the Tribulation, and this is the message behind Rev 6-19. Distortion of the imminence of the Rapture results in instability and foolish explanation or speculation about the time of the Rapture; hence, James gives us an admonition in JAM 5:7-8 “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord [the Rapture]. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Patience is a system of thinking Bible doctrine, a system of concentration, the application of doctrine to experience.

Every day of the Church-age, the Rapture is drawing closer. Remember that every day that the Rapture approaches, you still have control over your life as long as you live — in the sense that you can be a winner or a loser, and a winner believer lives as though the Rapture could occur at any moment.


The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Also posted on ThinkBeDo: bookmark link in case this site is ever off line.