Multiple Raptures? (Part 4 of 4)

4. The Rapture is secret and instant (1 Co 15:50-54); the Second Coming is seen by all (Mt 24:29-30, Rev 1:7). I won’t repeat 1 Co 15:51-52 nor Mt 24:29-30, but the other verses are:

• 1 Co 15:50, 53-54 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. … 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.”
• 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. So it is to be. Amen.

The Rapture is certainly instant – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Co 15:52), but how can it be in secret when it is preceded by a shout and the trumpet of God (1 Thes 4:16)? The transformation from perishable to imperishable, mortal to immortal is not in secret either, but public. Every eye will see the Lord coming, but they will see the sign of the Son of Man too – the resurrection and rapture! Hence this assertion is simply not valid.

5. The Rapture is imminent, likely to happen at any moment (1 Co 15: 50-54, 1 Thes 4:13-18, Titus 2:13); the Second Coming will not happen until certain events take place (Mt 24:15-30, 2 Thes 2:4, Rev 6-18).

• 1 Co 15:50-54, 1 Thes 4:13-17, Mt 24:29-30 see above.
• 1 Thes 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
• Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
• Mt 24:15-28 “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 those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
• 2 Thes 2:4 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.
• Rev 6-18 Please refer to the Bible.

For sure, certain events must precede Christ’s return, including:

• The abomination of desolation (Antichrist) standing in the holy place (the temple of God), displaying himself as God;
• Great tribulation;
• False Christs and false prophets;
• Deception to mislead the elect (believers), plus others.

But these signs do not nullify the Lord’s plain statement:

• Mt 24:24, 42 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
• Mt 25:13 Be on the alert, then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
• Mk 13:32-33 But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert, for you do not know when the appointed time will come.
• Mk 13:35 Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—

The whole point is to “be on the alert,” even though we do not know the exact day and hour. Take heed.

And since the Rapture and the Second Coming are concurrent, being ready for the Lord’s return is being prepared for the Rapture. How else are we to look for “the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” when there are no signs as the separate incidents schools suggested?

Now, let me return to your original question, “Is the Second Coming a single event or a series of events, and can we have multi-raptures?” My answer is the Second Coming is a single event, and we do not need multiple raptures. Let me borrow from Dan 9:24. The purpose of the Second Coming is:

• to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.

The Rapture brings all of God’s children home. Christ’s Return brings justice to punish all evil. Both purposes are accomplished in a single event at the consummation of the age. I believe the various schools are arguing over superficial differences. Feel free to disagree and show me what I overlooked. Blessings!

The Twelve

Q. Paul said in 1Cor 15:5-8 that Jesus appeared in His resurrection to Simon Peter first before appearing to The Twelve again. This seems to support the statement by the two Emmaus disciples to the remaining eleven apostles in the Upper Room just before Jesus’ second appearance there, that Jesus had appeared to Simon Peter earlier. However, why did Paul say “The Twelve” when there were evidently only eleven of them?

At that time, the casting of the lot for Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot had not taken place yet (Acts 1:9-26), and whether Judas Iscariot had committed suicide (Mt 27:3-11) was immaterial as he should not be joining the other eleven again. What is the problem of saying eleven apostles as there were verses that mention this exact number of apostles (Mt 28:16; Mk 16:14; Lk 24:9, 33).

Had “The Twelve” become an icon to be so coined, so that the eleven apostles had to find another witness (Matthias) to make it up to the number 12? This seems to be analogical to the Old Testament notion of always referring to The Twelve Tribes, and not one time to Eleven Tribes or Thirteen Tribes, by sometimes including and something excluding Levi and/or some other tribe. Lacking one apostle should have no great impact on the effort to fulfill the Great Commission. Why did they insist on making it up to twelve?

Talking about The Twelve Tribes, was it because Jesus had made a promise twice to The Twelve (Apostles, not Tribes), one time on the way to enter Jerusalem (Mt 19:16-30) and the other time during the Last Supper (Lk 22:30), that in future in heaven they would be there to judge the Twelve Tribes?

Was this promise also made to Judas Iscariot then, but through his later betrayal, the promise had been shifted to Matthias instead? Of course, we would not expect Judas Iscariot to be in heaven in the future, but some bible scholars said that the promise had not been made to Judas Iscariot because the Bible had not mentioned the number of apostles in Mt 19:16-30, so Judas Iscariot might not be there (though The Twelve should have been together on the way to enter Jerusalem), while in the latter scene, Judas Iscariot had already left when Jesus made that promise. (Putting Lk 22:23 in parallel with Jn 13:22-29, and Lk 22:29 in parallel with Jn 13:31 so that Judas Iscariot’s departure in Jn 13:30 happened before Jesus made the promise to the remaining eleven in Lk 22:30).

Overall why is the number Twelve so important that made Paul say “The Twelve” when there were only eleven, and also made the remaining eleven casting lot for Matthias to make the number up to twelve?

Yes, “the twelve,” without the noun disciples it qualifies, had become the short nickname of the twelve apostles, e.g.

• Mt 26:14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
• Mt 26:47 While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
• Mk 3:16 And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),
• See also Mk 4:10; 6:7; 9:35; 10:32; 11:11; 14:10, 17, 20, 43; Lk 8:1; 9:1, 12; 18:31; 22:3, 30, 47; Jn 6:67, 70, 71; 20:24; Acts 6:2; 1 Co 15:5

There were only ten apostles present (excluding Thomas) when the Lord appeared to them in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday evening, and eleven (including Thomas) eight days later. But by the time the gospels were written, everyone understood that “the twelve” meant the disciples the Lord chose to be with Him, learn from Him, and sent out to preach. That is why Paul simply wrote “the twelve” without qualification.

Why did the Lord choose only twelve apostles? I believe you are right in linking “the twelve” to the twelve tribes of Israel.

In the OT, the twelve tribes were God’s chosen people:

• Ex 19:5-6 Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

However, Israel did not obey God’s voice and keep His covenant, so God chose the Church as the His new people:

• 1 Pet 2:9-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

The Church is built on the foundation of the apostles:

• Eph 2:19-20 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.

The relationship between the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles is given in:

• Mt 19:28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Lk 22:30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Rev 21:12 It (the New Jerusalem) had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates, twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.
• Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Notice that:

• The Church’s foundation consists of the apostles (NT) and prophets (OT). There is continuity, not discontinuity.
• The Church itself consists of both Jews and Gentiles. The new people of God, therefore, do not replace but subsume the old chosen people.
• The New Jerusalem consists of the twelve tribes as gates and twelve apostles as foundation stones. They are complementary, not substitutional.
• The apostles will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The new covenant supersedes the old.

Hence I believe the Lord purposely chose twelve to be His apostles to maintain the continuity between the old and the new covenant.

As to whether the promise to sit in judgment of the twelve tribes was made to Judas Iscariot as part of the Twelve, the text was silent. My opinion is NO, based on:

• Jn 17:12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
• 2 Thes 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,

The Lord called Judas the son of perdition or son of destruction, the name of the man of lawlessness or the Antichrist. Jesus knew who would betray Him from the beginning, and had given him chance after chance, without naming him directly, to repent, but he did not. To argue that Judas was one of the Twelve and received the promise to judge is unreasonable.

Is mRNA the Mark of the Beast?

Q Is the COVID-19 vaccine the mark of the beast?

No. The “mark of the beast” appears only 6 times in the Bible, all in the book of Revelation:

Rev 13:17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Rev 14:9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

Rev 16:2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

Rev 19:20 And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

Rev 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Note the following:

• The mark of the beast (Antichrist) is linked with the worship of the beast and his image (Rev 14:9, 11, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4). Receiving the mark means pledging allegiance to and obeying the beast. A person worships the beast of his/her own volition. There is no obeying the beast or receiving his mark inadvertently.
• The false prophet forces all (everyone) to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, or else they will not be able to buy or sell i.e. do any financial transaction to survive.
• Those who receive the mark will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Rev 14:10). The torment is forever (v 11) because they have chosen to obey the Antichrist rather than Christ.
• Those who had not received the mark will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years (Rev 20:6).

Some pastors and churches claimed that the mRNA vaccine changes the DNA of those who received it. They argued that God created man and his DNA in His image. By allowing their DNA to be modified, those who are vaccinated placed their faith in the vaccine rather than God to save them, and are therefore receiving the mark of the beast. I totally disagree. The Bible is clear in coupling receiving the mark of the beast with worshiping the Antichrist. No one is subjecting themselves to worship the Antichrist by receiving the vaccine. They are receiving the shots to immunize themselves against the COVID-19 virus. Period. They are not being marked for the beast unknowingly.

Furthermore, in terms of the timing of the mark of the beast, many futurists believe that it will come during the Great Tribulation, the second 3.5 years of the 7-year Tribulation. Although we are hearing of wars and rumors of wars, and there are famines and earthquakes, these are merely the beginning of birth pangs and not yet the end. The abomination of desolation, the lawless one, has not yet been revealed, so the mark of the beast is still to come. Since neither the purpose nor the timing of the COVID-19 vaccine fits the mark of the beast, I reject the speculation by over-zealous believers to equate the vaccine to be the beast’s mark.

Heavenly, Ezekiel, and the Third Temple

Q. What is the point of still having a “temple”, such as a Heavenly Temple in Rev 11, or the Ezekiel Temple (is it the physical Third Temple or not)? Is it just to satisfy the Antichrist’s act of desolation of sacrifices that requires a physical temple on earth? Why do we still need to do sacrifices, or the Jews to continue sacrifices if they will convert to become Christians?

Our Lord Jesus has already demonstrated His body as the temple so that we are also God’s Temple where the Holy Spirit dwells, so what is the need for a physical and a spiritual temple (though the heavenly temple appears to be where the converted in heaven worship God)? We can worship God with our heart and soul, in a church setting or anywhere including in heaven, so why still maintain a “temple” concept?

Let’s take your multi-parts question one part at a time. First, the Heavenly Temple in Rev.:

Rev 3:12a He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; …

Rev 7:15 For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

Rev 11:19a And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, …

Rev 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

Rev 15:5 After these things I looked and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened.

Rev. 14:15; 15:6, 8; 16:1, 17

Rev 21:22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

I omitted Rev 11:1-2 as they refer to the temple of God on earth, not in heaven. All the verses in Rev chapters 3-16 refer to the temple of God in heaven, yet in Rev 21:22 John saw no temple in heaven. Why? The problem is that many readers are thinking of a physical temple, but Rev 21:22 tells us explicitly that “the Lord God the Almighty (i.e. the Father) and the Lamb (i.e. the Son) are its temple. In other words, the temple is spiritual, not physical. Rev 3:12 also implies this. The phrase “he who overcomes” means a true believer. The Lord “will make him (he who overcomes) a pillar in the temple of My God.” Obviously, the Lord will not turn a genuine Christian into a physical pillar in a physical temple. The verse simply means that the believer will not go out from God’s presence anymore. I interpret the Bible literally unless the text or context intends a symbolic meaning. The Heavenly Temple is one such example. Commentators even suggest that all of heaven is God’s temple, where He dwells and where His people worship Him. There is no need for a physical building.

Second, Ezekiel’s Temple, which I have written about before:

Ezekiel’s Temple 1

Ezekiel’s Temple 2

Ezekiel’s Temple 3

Ezekiel’s Temple 4

Since I do not have further insights into this subject, I have nothing to add at this time. Is Ezekiel’s Temple the “Third Temple”? No, I do not think so. The Third Temple has not yet been built, and commentators believe that it will last only for a brief time before its desecration by the Antichrist. Please refer to the above posts for my rationale.

Third, the Third Temple. Christians do not need animal sacrifices as we have Christ’s perfect sacrifice of Himself for our sins once for all:

• Heb 7:12 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
• Heb 9:12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
• Heb 10:10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
• Heb 10:12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.

The demand for the Third Temple comes primarily from Orthodox Jews. They do not accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah and expect the Messiah to come and rebuild the temple to fulfill God’s promises to Israel. Even though we know that the Jews will eventually believe, they themselves do not know it:

• Rom 11:26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”

They will continue animal sacrifices as atonement for sins since a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Rom 11:25).

Is the Third Temple required to satisfy the Antichrist desecrating it? I would not put it this way, as the Antichrist is not in a position to demand anything. The Bible mentions “abomination” and desolation/desolate” five times in the NASB:

• Dan 9:27 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.”
• Dan 11:31 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.
• Daniel 12:11 From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
• Matthew 24:15 “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).
• Mark 13:14 “But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

Preterists believe that Daniel’s prophecy about the abomination of desolation had already been fulfilled by the Hellenistic king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who persecuted the Jews 168-167 BC. He set up an image of Zeus at the Second Temple altar and sacrificed a pig on the altar to desecrate it. However, the Lord’s prophecy in Mt 24:15/Mk 13:14 two hundred years later proved that Antiochus IV was only a prefigure of the Antichrist to come. Others claimed that Daniel’s and the Lord’s prophecies were fulfilled during the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans under Titus in AD 70. However, Titus did not make a firm covenant with the Jews for one week (seven years) and break it midway. Nor is the Roman army carrying their standards (flags) with pagan images into the temple the same as forcing the Jews to worship them as a god. So the futurists’ position that this prophecy is still future is valid, which presupposes the Third Temple to be standing at that time. The Lord gave this as the sign of the start of the Great Tribulation to His disciples. The Antichrist is just a key piece of the sign.

Image of the Beast

Q. Could the image of the beast as spoken about in Revelations be a kind of artificial intelligence because it speaks?

A. It could, but not likely. Some church members saw 3D holograms and speculated that AI technology could be used to make the image of the beast. The passage you were referring to is:

• Rev 13:14-15 And he [the beast from the earth, the False Prophet] deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast [the beast from the sea, the Antichrist], telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. ¹⁵ And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause all who do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

In time past idols are characterized by:

• Ps 115:5-7 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see;⁶ They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell;⁷ They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat.

The futuristic version is animated and can speak. AI is possible but, in my opinion, unlikely, for the following reasons:

• Practical. The purpose of the image is to deceive those who live on the earth to worship it. There will always be superstitious people, but if people are already knowledgeable about AI now, they will be even more sophisticated in the end times, and less likely to worship the image generated by natural science.
• Biblical. The word translated “breath” in Rev 13:15 is the Greek word “pneuma”, which can mean a current of air, a spirit, or the Spirit. The equivalent in Hebrew is seen in Gen 2:7 when God created man,
  • Gen 2:7 Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living person.

So, breathing life into an image is mimicking God, manifesting supernatural power, in this case, Satanic, to lead people astray.

I, therefore, believe that the image speaking is beyond AI, by Satanic power, to deceive people that the Antichrist is divine and to be worshipped.

7th Trumpet & the Beast from the Earth

The 7 Trumpets

The Beast from the Earth

Q. My questions on Revelation: Are we seeing the prophecies of the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11: 15-19) and the beast from the earth (Rev. 13: 11-18)?

A. My short answer is NO. Here is my rationale.

First, my presuppositions:

• I interpret Revelation literally as far as possible, recognizing symbolic meanings as needed. I do no interpret allegorically unless the context dictates it.
• Among the major schools of interpreting Revelation, I hold the following position:
  • Premillennial, not Amillennial,
  • Post-tribulation or pre-wrath, not pre-tribulation or mid-tribulation.
• The events in Revelation are primarily sequential, not concurrent e.g. the seals, trumpets, and bowls follow a chronological sequence and are not a recapitulation of the same events from different perspectives.
• Having said that, I believe the order of the tribulation is as follows:

The Heptadic Sequence

• That is, the seventh seal consists of the seven trumpets.
• In turn, the seventh trumpet consists of the seven bowls.

Second, the basis of why I do not think we are observing the seventh trumpet now:

• Before the seventh trumpet happens, trumpets 1 to 6 would have to happen first, which means the seventh seal would have been broken.
• Before the seventh seal is broken, seals 1 to 6 would have been broken.
• Looking at world events around us, I believe the first and second seal might have been opened, but not the third:
  • The first seal: Conqueror on a white horse – Some believe this white horseman to be Christ, but the real Christ does not come until Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. The horseman in Rev 6:2 is actually the Antichrist, who went out conquering and to conquer. 2 Thes 2:3b-4, 6-8a For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴ 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. …  And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed. ⁸ Then that lawless one will be revealed. The Antichrist may already be among us, just not yet revealed.

• The second seal: War – The red horseman was granted to take peace from the earth (Rev 6:4). Mt 24:6-7 And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. There had been wars throughout human history, but the frequency, intensity, and scope of war had all intensified in the 20^th and 21^st century, which you can look up for yourself on the internet e.g.
• 20^th century https://www.totallytimelines.com/wars-20th-century/
• 21^st century https://www.totallytimelines.com/wars-21st-century/
  • The third seal: Famine – The black horseman will cause “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; do not damage the oil and the wine.” (Rev 6:6) A quart of wheat weighs two pounds. Assuming 1 pound of wheat gives 1 pound of flour to make 1 loaf of bread, a quart equals 2 loaves of bread, say C$6 in today’s (Nov 2020) terms. A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer in Jesus’ days. Today’s equivalent might be a minimum wage at C$15/hour X 8 hours/day = C$120. That is $120/$6 = 20 or 2,000% hyper-inflation, roughly the year-over-year inflation rate in Venezuela (1,813% as of Sep. 2020). Although inflation of that order of magnitude has happened in certain parts of the world, it is not worldwide yet. Hence I believe the third seal had not yet been broken, and by extension, the seventh trumpet has not yet been sounded.

Third, by the same token, I do not believe we are seeing the beast from the earth now:

• Rev 13:12b-13, 15-17 And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. ¹³ He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the presence of people. … And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause all who do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and he decrees that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
• Looking at world news, I do not see any false prophet making people worship the Antichrist now, nor do I see someone performing great signs and giving breath to the image of the beast from the sea, or giving a mark on people’s right hands or foreheads. I know people are talking about vaccinations without which you are not allowed to travel, but that is different from buying and selling and worshipping the beast. I see these as signs pointing to what might happen soon, but only as precursors, not the actual thing.

My last comment is if you are concerned that the end-times are already unfolding around us and you are anxious about what might happen to you, do not be alarmed. Wars and rumors of wars must take place, but that is not yet the end. All these things are merely the beginning of birth pains (Mt 24:6, 8). At worst they might be the breaking of the first and second seals. But our Lord had promised:

• Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
• 1 Thes 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come.
• 1 Thes 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not destined for wrath, and our Lord will rescue us from the wrath to come. So, fear not. Do not worry. We are safe and secure in His hands.

Was Judas a True Believer?

Q. John 13:26-27 Satan entered Judas. I thought that believers were safe from being possessed by demons and evil spirits. If that is true, was Judas never a true believer? If he was not, how was he still able to do so many miracles in God’s name as a disciple? And if Satan entered Judas so he would betray Jesus, then is it still Judas’ fault?

(Continued from yesterday)

Second, was Judas a true believer? This is more controversial. Some say yes because Jesus chose him as His disciple and gave him the power to cast out demons and to heal. Others say no because how can Satan enter him if he were a genuine Christian. My conclusion is NO because we already established in Part 1 that true Christians cannot be possessed by demons. But to answer your question specifically, note Mt 7:21-23:

• ²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Entering the kingdom of heaven are for those who do the will of the Father, those who are saved. Many did prophesy, cast out demons, perform miracles in Jesus’ name, just like Judas. But Jesus never knew them i.e. they do not belong to Him, as they practice lawlessness. They are not saved.

Evidence that Judas was not saved include:

• Jn 6:64, 70-71 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. … ⁷⁰Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” ⁷¹ Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.
• Jn 12:5-6 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” ⁶ Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.
• Jn 13:2, 27 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, …  After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 
• Jn 17:12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

Jesus’ own verdict on Judas is that he was a devil who did not believe. The Lord called him the son of perdition or son of destruction. This title is used for only one other person in the Bible, in 2 Thes 2:3, also called man of lawlessness or the Antichrist. His heart was where his treasure was (Mt 6:21) – money. He was the disciples’ treasurer, but he was a thief and used to steal from the money box. Christians can steal too, but Satan used Judas’ weakness to trap him.

Third, since Satan entered Judas to betray Jesus, is it his fault? YES, he is responsible for his own sin because although Satan planted the idea of betraying Jesus in Judas’ heart, he could not force him. Judas made the decision himself. When he felt remorse that Jesus had been condemned, which is not the same as true repentance, he admitted:

• Mt 27:4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!”
• Acts 1:25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 

Judas never pleaded, “the Devil made me do it!” He recognized that it was his own sin. He turned aside or left on his own, not dragged by Satan. Man is always responsible for our own choices, even when we are tempted.

When will the Antichrist Come?

One thing remains, the Antichrist’s timing. We don’t know the specific time he will be revealed, but since the Lord Jesus will overthrow and destroy him by His coming, we can know the approximate time frame from the signs of Jesus’ Second Coming. These are given in Mt 24:4-14.

1. Deception. Jesus answered: “Watch out no one deceives you.
2. Many false Christs. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.
3. Wars. 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. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
4. Famines.
5. Earthquakes. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
6. Persecution of Christians. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
7. Apostasy. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
8. Many false prophets. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
9. Back-sliding. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
10. World Evangelization. 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.

As you can see, 1-9 have all increased in intensity and frequency over the last few decades. Only 10 has yet to be fulfilled, but the end is in sight. That’s why I believe both the Antichrist and the Lord will come soon. Watch and pray.

The Antichrist’s Appearance

One more interesting passage on the Antichrist, possibly giving clues as to how he might look like, is found in Zechariah 11:

• Zech 11:15-17 And the LORD said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. “Woe to the worthless shepherd, who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; his arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

Note the following:
• He is a foolish and worthless shepherd. Foolish does not refer to his intellect, but his wicked character.
• His deeds – he leaves the flock and does not care; he won’t seek the lost, heal the broken, feed the hungry, but will prey on them. He will oppress and destroy God’s people.
• His earthly judgment – his arm will wither, and his right eye will be blinded. This could be figurative of his strength and intelligence, but more likely literal.

Now Revelation has this to say about the Beast:

• Rev 13:3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.
• Rev 13:12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
• Rev 17:8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its 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 it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
• Rev 17:11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

Putting these passages together, commentators conjectured that the Antichrist will:
• thrive (“once was“),
• encounter an assassination and died (“now is not“), but
• the fatal wound (which blinded his right eye) healed, and
• he rose again from the dead (“yet will come“), staging a mock resurrection to mimic Christ.
That’s the speculation. I hope we’re not around to see these ourselves.

(To be continued)

The Antichrist’s Nationality

Yesterday we discussed whether the Antichrist is Jewish or gentile. Before I offer my opinion as to his ethnicity, let me introduce one more interesting dimension to the debate. Some commentators believe, based on several OT allusions, that the Antichrist is Assyrian.

• Isa 10:5, 12 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”
• Micah 5:5-6 When the Assyrian comes into our land, And when he treads in our palaces, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight princely men. They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads within our borders.

Assyria covered parts of modern Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. So they deduced that the Antichrist is from the Middle East, and Moslem. However, I find the premise not convincing, as Isaiah was primarily pronouncing judgment on Assyria, which captured and exiled Israel between 740-722 BC, and later judged by God. The connection to the end-times Antichrist, based on the noun Assyrian being singular and his proud words in Isa 10:13, is rather weak, as that’s what conquerors tend to do.

But back to the original question: Is the Antichrist Jew or gentile? Most view this as an either/or, but one interesting minority view is that he is both/and. This is because for Orthodox Jews, a person is a Jew if his/her mother is a Jew, or if he/she has formally converted to Judaism. So the Antichrist could have a Jewish mother and be considered a Jew, but a gentile father and hold other faiths, including being a nominal Christian, and be viewed as gentile by the rest of the world. This perspective reconciles the “evidence” cited by both sides, and is a possible solution. It would also explain why he is able to hold opposing factions to a truce and establish world peace, at least temporarily, long enough for him to be seen as a “savior”. Hard proof? There is none. We just have to watch and pray as world events unfold.

(To be continued)