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!

Multiple Raptures? (Part 1 of 4)

Q. I identify the two prophets in Rev 11:3, 10 with Moses and Elijah as a result of their powers (Rev 11:6). Not only had their souls (or souls and bodies if the stolen dead body of Moses mentioned in Jude 1:9 was taken away by God for this purpose) already come down in the Transfiguration, but will come again in the end times in body and soul as the event in Rev 11 appears to happen on earth (because there will be death in Rev 11:9 and call from heaven to go up there later in Rev 11:12).

Some say Christ had already demonstrated His multiple ascensions and descents. He had descended to the visible sky of the earth to call Paul to service (Acts 9:3-5). If this is not a strong enough argument on descent from heaven as it was only a vision, then His own words that the women should not touch Him after His resurrection until He had ascended to meet the Father (Jn 20:17), but later His letting them hold on to His feet (Mt 28:9) should hint that He had ascended to meet the Father and descended again to appear on earth.

So my question is whether the so-called Second Coming is a single event or a series of events, and whether, based on the above study on Moses, Elijah, and Lord Jesus Christ, we can have multi-raptures, i.e. pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation raptures can be all-embracing, i.e. they co-exist and are not at odds. And the dead believers may be raptured before the 7-year tribulation, descended in the middle of the tribulation, then raptured again, descended again at the end of the tribulation, to be raptured again?

1. First, let us define our terms. Let me quote from Wikipedia:

The “Rapture” is an eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Christians who are still alive, together will rise “in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thes 4:16b-17a)

Based on this generally accepted definition, the Rapture relates to all Christians, dead or alive, being caught up to meet the Lord. The examples you cited concerning Moses, Elijah, and the Lord Himself are all individuals ascending to heaven or descending to earth, not all Christians (the Church). So, technically, scholars would not classify them as raptures.

Second, before determining whether there are multiple raptures, we need to discern a broader subject of whether the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are separate incidents or one and the same event. The common schools or views of the Rapture can be divided into two broad categories:

1. Those who treat them as separate incidents, with a “secret” rapture sometime before Christ’s public Second Coming. These include the:
   • Pre-tribulation view, with the Rapture taking place at the beginning of a seven-year Great Tribulation;
   • Mid-tribulation view, with the Rapture happening at the mid-point or three-and-a-half years into the Great Tribulation and
   • Pre-wrath views, with the Rapture before the seven bowls of God’s wrath judgments.

All three views have Christ’s Second Coming as a separate event at the end of the Great Tribulation, defined differently in each school.

2. Post-tribulation view that sees the Rapture and the Second Coming as one and the same event happening simultaneously.

Which category is correct? Proponents of the separate incidents views focus on their supposed differences. Let’s review the evidence.

(To be continued)

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.

Days of Noah

Q. Is the Great Tribulation prophesied to be the same as the time before Noah’s flood?

A. No, the great tribulation is unique and unlike anything before or after, including Noah’s flood:

• Mt 24:21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

However, the days of Noah are like the coming of the Son of Man:

• Mt 24:37-39 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
• Lk 17:26-27 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: ²⁷ they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Like in what sense? In the sense that people are not aware of the coming disaster that will soon overtake them. Until the flood came, people were eating and drinking, and marrying. In other words, business as usual. The flood caught them off-guard. Similarly, the coming of the Son of Man will catch people by surprise.

How does the great tribulation fit into the coming of the Son of Man?

• The days of the Son of Man will start with the signs of His coming – the beginning of birth pangs – described in Mt 24:4-8.
• This will be followed by tribulation (v 9), which is not yet the great tribulation),
• Apostasy (v 10-12), and
• The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the whole world (v 13). All these will happen before the end comes (v 14).
• The abomination of desolation (v 15) marks the beginning of the great tribulation (v 21).
• Mt 24:29-30 “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. ³⁰ 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.

So the great tribulation is immediately before the return of Christ. In other words, His Second Coming will be post-tribulation. The days of Noah before he entered the ark is like only the early days of the Son of Man, before tribulation arrives. So be on the alert, don’t be misled.

Will China escape the Great Tribulation?

Q. Please comment on the antichrist. Is it true that Revelation has not mentioned China? The other 4 major powers have been mentioned as the 4 beasts. If China (continent of Asia) and Australia are not mentioned and although China had been visited by the fallen angels, will China escape the “tribulation”?

(Continued from yesterday)

I don’t know what you have in mind regarding the 4 major powers represented by the 4 beasts. The word “beast” occurs 37 times in 29 verses in Rev., but these primarily refer to the beast from the sea (Rev 13:1) and the beast from the earth (Rev 13:11). The majority view is that these represent the Antichrist and the false prophet (Rev 16:13, 19:20, 20:10), not some continental power which you may be alluding to.

The only four beasts mentioned in the Bible is in Daniel 7:
• Dan 7:3-4 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle.
• Dan 7:5 And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear.
• Dan 7:6 After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard.
• Dan 7:7 After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful.
• Dan 7:17 The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth.
The generally accepted view is that these beasts represent the empires Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, not the continents which you may be thinking of.

Although China and Australia are not specifically mentioned, I don’t think they will escape the Great Tribulation.
• Rev 6:8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
• Rev 9:15, 18 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.
During the seal and trumpet judgments, a fourth and then a third of mankind will be killed. A third of the earth, sea, fresh water, and even stars will be destroyed (Rev 8:7-12). The tribulation is global, even cosmic. I don’t think China is exempt.

China in Prophecy

Q. Please comment on the antichrist. Is it true that Revelation has not mentioned China? The other 4 major powers have been mentioned as the 4 beasts. If China (continent of Asia) and Australia are not mentioned and although China had been visited by the fallen angels, will China escape the “tribulation”?

A. I’ll answer the second part of your question on China first, as the Antichrist is a rather broad subject. If the fact that China is not mentioned in Revelation means it will escape the Great Tribulation, then many other countries will escape too, since they aren’t mentioned either! The name “China” does not appear in the Bible, let alone Revelation. However, some commentators believe that there are several possible references to China in Scripture:

1. Kittim
The old English name for China is Cathay, from Khitan, which remains to be the modern name for China in many Slavic (e.g. Russian) and Turkic languages. Khitan is derived from Kittim:
• Gen 10:2, 4 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
According to this view the peoples of north-eastern China and Manchuria are descendants of Kittim, grandson of Japheth, third son of Noah.

However, the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia identified the descendants of Javan as the Greek-Latin races, and Josephus connects Kittim with the town of Kition in Cyprus:
http://www.internationalstandardbible.com/K/kittim.html
Other commentators are just as convinced that the Chinese are descended from Shem or Ham! So by itself this thread of evidence is not conclusive. A second possibility is:

2. Sinim
• Isa 49:12 “Behold, these will come from afar; And lo, these will come from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim.” (NASB)

In context, this verse refers to the restoration of Israel, when the exiles will return from afar to their homeland, from the north, the west, and from Sinim. Now what is Sinim? According to Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, “the context requires that this must be a very remote country, to be sought for either in the eastern or southern extremities of the world.” Some take it to be the Far East i.e. China, as in sinology, the study of China. Others take it to be the south e.g.
• Isa 49:12 See, my people will return from far away, from lands to the north and west, and from as far south as Egypt. (NLT)

So this could, but not necessarily, refer to China. A third possibility is:

3. Kings from the East
• Rev 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. (NIV)

East is literally “rising of the sun”. Who are the kings of the East? Revelation did not specify, but some conjecture based on:
• Rev 9:16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number. (NIV)
Twice 10,000 X 10,000 is 200 million. Who has an army of 200 million? Only China! But there are problems with this conclusion. First, Rev. 16:12 refers to the 6th bowl, while Rev. 9:16 refers to the 6th trumpet. Most scholars do not view the two to be the same. Secondly, from the description of the horses and riders in v 17-19, some believe that these mounted troops are not human at all, but demonic. So there is no need for a human army that fits 200 million.

Based on the above, the best we can say is that it may refer to China, but not definitely.

(To be continued)

No One Knows that Day or Hour – The Fuzzy End

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Pictures show:
* Start of Great Tribulation: Abomination of Desolation in the middle of the 7 years
* When does 1290 days start?
* What’s the purpose of the extra 30 and 45 days?

Yesterday we discussed that we only know Jesus will return after the tribulation, but not the details. In the future, the antichrist will make a treaty with the Jews for 7 years, but in the middle i.e. 3.5 years, the false prophet will set up an image in God’s temple in honor of the antichrist, who will proclaim himself to be God:

* Dan. 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
* 2 Thes. 2:4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
* Rev. 13:14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

Now 3.5 years (42 months of 30 days each) is 1,260 days, which is what’s specified in Rev. 11:2-3 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

But Dan. 12:11-12 mentioned 1290 and 1335 days, where do the extra 30 days and then 45 days come from? When do they begin and end? Are the 30 days an advance announcement before the mid-point of the 7 years, or a grace period at the end? Some think the 30 days are for the final judgment and destruction of the antichrist, while the additional 45 days are for the inauguration of the rule of Christ. But the fact of the matter is nobody really knows. The suggestions are only personal opinions, because Dan. 12 is the only time they are mentioned in the Bible. They do not appear anywhere else. Both Matthew and Mark said Christ’s return will be after the tribulation, with Matthew adding “immediately”. But how immediate? The moment after? The day after? There are lots of speculations, but it could be anytime within this 30 days window. So Christians only know the timeframe of Christ’s return generally but not exactly, and the Lord’s statement is true.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord lets us know He is returning, but He did not tell us when for a reason – He wants us to keep watch and be ready. The faithful and wise servant is the one carrying on his duties at the proper time. The wicked servant eats and drinks and mistreats his fellow servants. I hope the Master will find you faithful when He returns. Don’t be self-deceived.

The Day of the Lord

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Pictures show:
* Day of the Lord as the division between “This Age” and “The Age to Come”
* NT terms for “The Day of the Lord”

Q. Is the day of the Lord in 2 Pet 3:10 same as Jesus’ Second Coming? It says nobody knows when it will be. But is it prophesied that Jesus will physically come back at the end of the 7 year Tribulation? Reading v.12 and 13, does it mean the nuclear war of v.10 will take place at the end of the Tribulation during Armageddon when the old heaven will be destroyed by fire?

A. The Day of the Lord is a broader term than the Second Coming of Christ. It refers to a time when God intervenes in human history to implement some aspect of His redemptive and judgment plan. Three events are usually associated with the Day of the Lord:

1. In the OT the prophets speak of judgment upon unbelieving Israel.

Is 13:6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
Joel 1:15 Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
Amos 5:18 Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light.

2. Both the OT and NT point to Christ’s Second Coming to judge the world at history’s end as the day of the Lord. It brings “this age” to a close, and ushers in “the age to come”:

Zech 14:1 A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you.
1 Thess 5:2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

3. At a climatic day at the very end, when the earth itself will be burned up:

2 Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

For 2, NT writers use different expressions to point to Christ’s final victory and the final judgment of sinners, including:

a. day of the Lord (1 Thess 5:2, see above)
b. 1 Co 1:8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
c. Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
d. Phil 2:16 as you hold out the word of life–in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
e. 1 Jn 4:17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
f. Rom 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
g. 1 Thess. 5:4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
h. 2 Tim 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Commentators of different theological persuasion interpret these terms differently. For example, dispensationalists (the school most often taught in Chinese churches) often seek to interpret the day of Christ (b, c, d) as a day of blessing and reward associated with the rapture, while the day of God is a separate event associated with judgment e.g.

2 Pet 3:12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

Non-dispensationalists generally interpret these terms as referring to the same event, which is at the same time deliverance for believers and judgment for non-believers. Which is correct? There are competent scholars on both sides and you have to study for yourself. I switched my view from dispensationalism to historic premillennialism (post-tribulation), which I will explain in future posts.

I don’t think v 10 is talking about a nuclear war, a view commonly held by dispensationalists. A nuclear war could well erupt as human history draws to a close, but the catastrophe at the end is of cosmic proportions beyond nuclear warfare, Mk 13:25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

(to be continued)