The Rapture and the Thief in the Night
What is going to happen according to end times prophecy?
The important differences between the rapture and second coming are as follows:
What is the Tribulation? How do we know the Tribulation will last seven years?
How long will the Great Tribulation mentioned in Bible prophecy last?
Why is it important to keep the rapture and the second coming distinct?
When is the Rapture going to occur in relation to the Tribulation?
What is the New World Order?
Does the Bible prophesy a one-world government and a one-world currency in the end times?
Will there be a second chance for salvation after the rapture?
The Rapture – The Complete Movie
Is the last trumpet of 1 Thessalonians 4 the same as the seventh trumpet of Revelation?
What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘this generation will not pass’?
——————————————–
The Rapture and the Thief in the Night
—————————————————-
The Satanic Plan “Post-Tribulation-Rapture Theory” Is A Deception From Hell. First, we need to look at what each view teaches. Pre-tribulation-rapture is taught in most mainline Christian churches in the U.S., as well as protestant churches in Europe and Asia. It teaches that the rapture of the Church will occur before the 7-year Tribulation Age. The post-tribulation-rapture theory teaches that the rapture of the believers will happen after the 7-year Tribulation judgment age. It is taught by the Catholic cult and other Eastern Orthodox church cults, as well as some ancient protestant churches like Presbyterian and Baptist churches. However, they will not tell you that there won’t be anyone left on this earth to rapture, because most of the people will be dead. Satan does not want you to receive Jesus Christ into your heart now, but rather, the devil wants you to say to your heart, “I’ll just wait until all of these catastrophes upon the earth start to happen. Then, I’ll receive Christ.” But by that time, it will be too late. Do you see the deception of the devil? He and his cult post-tribulation-rapture theory gives a false sense of complacency, but that is the dangerous trap. Satan will use his dead, fake religions and cults to spread this false doctrine throughout the world, especially during these End-Times, when Jesus’ return is so imminent. That is why post-tribulation-rapture teachings are from the pit of hell, and part of the devil’s End-Times deceit.
————————————————————
“What is going to happen according to end times prophecy?”The Bible has a lot to say about the end times. Nearly every book of the Bible contains prophecy regarding the end times. Taking all of these prophecies and organizing them can be difficult. Following is a very brief summary of what the Bible declares will happen in the end times.
Christ will remove all born-again
believers from the earth in an event known as the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). At the judgment seat
of Christ, these believers will be rewarded for good works and faithful service
during their time on earth or will lose rewards, but not eternal life, for lack
of service and obedience (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2
Corinthians 5:10).
The Antichrist (the beast) will
come into power and will sign a covenant with Israel for seven years (Daniel
9:27). This seven-year period of time is known as the “tribulation.” During
the tribulation, there will be terrible wars, famines, plagues, and natural
disasters. God will be pouring out His wrath against sin, evil, and wickedness.
The tribulation will include the appearance of the four horsemen of the
Apocalypse, and the seven seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments.
About halfway through the seven
years, the Antichrist will break the peace covenant with Israel and make war
against it. The Antichrist will commit “the abomination of desolation” and set
up an image of himself to be worshiped in the Jerusalem temple (Daniel
9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10), which will have been
rebuilt. The second half of the tribulation is known as “the great tribulation”
(Revelation
7:14) and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah
30:7).
At the end of the seven-year
tribulation, the Antichrist will launch a final attack on Jerusalem,
culminating in the battle of Armageddon. Jesus Christ will return, destroy the
Antichrist and his armies, and cast them into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11-21). Christ will then bind
Satan in the Abyss for 1000 years and He will rule His earthly kingdom for this
thousand-year period (Revelation 20:1-6).
At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released, defeated again, and then cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10) for eternity. Christ then judges all unbelievers (Revelation 20:10-15) at the great white throne judgment, casting them all into the lake of fire. Christ will then usher in a new heaven and new earth and the New Jerusalem—the eternal dwelling place of believers. There will be no more sin, sorrow, or death (Revelation 21–22).
What is going to happen according to end times prophecy?
What is going to happen according to end times prophecy? What are the different events that will occur in the end times / last days?
——————————————-
What is the
difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming?
The rapture and the second coming of Christ are often
confused. Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a scripture verse is
referring to the rapture or the second coming. However, in studying end-times
Bible prophecy, it is very important to differentiate between the two.
The rapture is when Jesus Christ returns to remove the church (all believers in Christ) from the earth. The rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. The second coming is when Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom. The second coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.
———————————-
The important differences between the rapture and second coming are as follows:
1) At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the second
coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth (Revelation 19:14).
2) The second coming occurs after the great and
terrible tribulation (Revelation chapters 6–19). The rapture occurs before the
tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).
3) The rapture is the removal of believers from the
earth as an act of deliverance (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 5:9). The second coming includes the
removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment (Matthew 24:40-41).
4) The rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The second
coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:29-30).
5) The second coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6–18). The rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment (Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).
Why
is it important to keep the rapture and the second coming distinct?
1) If the rapture and the second coming are the same event, believers will have
to go through the tribulation (1
Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).
2) If the rapture and the second coming are the same
event, the return of Christ is not imminent—there are many things which must
occur before He can return (Matthew 24:4-30).
3) In describing the tribulation period, Revelation
chapters 6–19 nowhere mentions the church. During the tribulation—also called
“the time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah
30:7)—God will again turn His primary attention to Israel (Romans 11:17-31).
The rapture and second coming are similar but
separate events. Both involve Jesus returning. Both are end-times events.
However, it is crucially important to recognize the differences. In summary,
the rapture is the return of Christ in the clouds to remove all believers from
the earth before the time of God’s wrath. The second coming is the return of
Christ to the earth to bring the tribulation to an end and to defeat the
Antichrist and his evil world empire.
———————————————————–
The tribulation is a well-defined period of time. Daniel 9:27 states that it is a seven year period. Daniel 9:27 indicates that the seven year tribulation period, not 14 years; starts with a peace treaty, but after 3.5 years an abomination of desolation occurs (Daniel 12:11). The abomination of desolation occurs in the middle of the tribulation period when the antichrist enters the temple in Jerusalem and declares that he is God. Jesus confirms that this will occur when he states that the abomination of desolation will stand in the holy place of temple (Matthew 24:15). 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 echoes the same truth, and in the process gives us more details – adding that the antichrist or lawless one will exalt himself as God when he sits down in the temple “displaying himself as God”.
When the antichrist declares that he is God, Bible students throughout the world will know that there will be only 3.5 years left until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ occurs and the armies of the nations of the world will be defeated at the Battle of Armageddon. This period of time is called the Great Tribulation by Christ (Matthew 24:21). Then the Second Coming of Jesus Christ occurs in verses 29-30. During this last 3.5 year period, all of the events in Revelation 6 to 19 will occur. Jeremiah 30:7 calls it Jacob’s Trouble because this is the climax of the punishment on Israel for their rejection of Jesus Christ. The end of the tribulation period is also the end of the Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24; Romans 11:25-26).
“What
is the Tribulation? How do we know the Tribulation will last seven years?”
The tribulation is a future seven-year period of time when God will finish His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world. The church, made up of all who have trusted in the person and work of the Lord Jesus to save them from being punished for sin, will not be present during the tribulation. The church will be removed from the earth in an event known as the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). The church is saved from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Throughout Scripture, the tribulation is referred to by other names such as the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6-9; Joel 1:15; 2:1-31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2); trouble or tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30; Zephaniah 1:1); the great tribulation, which refers to the more intense second half of the seven-year period (Matthew 24:21); time or day of trouble (Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15); time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).
An understanding of Daniel
9:24-27 is necessary in order to understand the purpose and time of the
tribulation. This passage speaks of 70 weeks that have been declared against
“your people.” Daniel’s people are the Jews, the nation of Israel, and Daniel
9:24 speaks of a period of time that God has given “to finish
transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the
most holy.” God declares that “seventy sevens” will fulfill all these things.
This is 70 sevens of years, or 490 years. (Some translations refer to 70 weeks
of years.) This is confirmed by another part of this passage in Daniel. In
verses 25 and 26, Daniel is told that the Messiah will be cut off after “seven
sevens and sixty-two sevens” (69 total), beginning with the decree to rebuild
Jerusalem. In other words, 69 sevens of years (483 years) after the decree to
rebuild Jerusalem, the Messiah will be cut off. Biblical historians confirm
that 483 years passed from the time of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the
time when Jesus was crucified. Most Christian scholars, regardless of their
view of eschatology (future things/events), have the above understanding of
Daniel’s 70 sevens.
With 483 years having passed from the decree to
rebuild Jerusalem to the cutting off of the Messiah, this leaves one seven-year
period to be fulfilled in terms of Daniel
9:24: “to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for
wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and
prophecy and to anoint the most holy.” This final seven-year period is known as
the tribulation period—it is a time when God finishes judging Israel for its
sin.
Daniel 9:27 gives a few highlights of the seven-year
tribulation period: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ’seven.’ In
the middle of the ’seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on
a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation,
until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” The person of whom this
verse speaks is the person Jesus calls the “abomination that causes desolation”
(Matthew
24:15) and is called “the beast” in Revelation
13. Daniel
9:27 says that the beast will make a covenant for seven years, but in the
middle of this week (3 1/2 years into the tribulation), he will break the
covenant, putting a stop to sacrifice. Revelation
13 explains that the beast will place an image of himself in the temple and
require the world to worship him. Revelation
13:5 says that this will go on for 42 months, which is 3 1/2 years. Since Daniel
9:27 says that this will happen in the middle of the week, and Revelation
13:5 says that the beast will do this for a period of 42 months, it is easy
to see that the total length of time is 84 months or seven years. Also see Daniel
7:25, where the “time, times, and half a time” (time=1 year; times=2 years;
half a time=1/2 year; total of 3 1/2 years) also refers to “great tribulation,”
the last half of the seven-year tribulation period when the beast will be in
power.
For further references about the tribulation, see Revelation
11:2-3, which speaks of 1260 days and 42 months, and Daniel 12:11-12, which speaks of 1290 days and
1335 days. These days have a reference to the midpoint of the tribulation. The
additional days in Daniel 12 may include the time at the end for
the judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-46) and time for the setting up
of Christ’s millennial kingdom (Revelation
20:4-6).
In summary, the Tribulation is the 7-year time
period in the end times in which humanity’s decadence and depravity will reach
its fullness, with God judging accordingly.
What is the End Times Tribulation?
———————————————————
How long will the Great Tribulation mentioned in Bible prophecy last?
“The idea of a seven-year tribulation is based on a single reference, Daniel 9:27, which tells of a covenant made “for one week” by one who will cut off sacrifices “in the middle of the week,” an act that will herald the beginning of the crisis at the end. Each day in prophecy, goes the reasoning, represents a year and hence a week refers to a seven-year period.
We believe the weight of evidence supports that this verse refers to Christ. The Messiah was cut off in the midst of a week, or after 3 ½ years of His earthly ministry, as well as on a Wednesday, the middle of a literal week.
More…………………
—————————————————–
Why is it important to keep the rapture and the second coming distinct?
1) If the rapture and the second coming are the same
event, believers will have to go through the tribulation (1
Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).
2) If the rapture and the second coming are the same
event, the return of Christ is not imminent—there are many things which must
occur before He can return (Matthew
24:4-30).
3) In describing the tribulation period, Revelation
chapters 6–19 nowhere mentions the church. During the tribulation—also called
“the time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah
30:7)—God will again turn His primary attention to Israel (Romans
11:17-31).
The rapture and second coming are similar but separate events.
The rapture is the return of Christ in the clouds to remove all believers from the earth before the time of God’s wrath. The second coming is the return of Christ to the earth to bring the tribulation to an end and to defeat the Antichrist and his evil world empire.
———————————————–
“When
is the Rapture going to occur in relation to the Tribulation?”
The timing of the rapture in relation to the tribulation is one of the most controversial issues in the church today. The three primary views are pre-tribulational (the rapture occurs before the tribulation), mid-tribulational (the rapture occurs at or near the mid-point of the tribulation), and post-tribulational (the rapture occurs at the end of the tribulation). A fourth view, commonly known as pre-wrath, is a slight modification of the mid-tribulational position.
First, it is important to recognize the purpose of
the tribulation. According to Daniel 9:27,
there is a seventieth “seven” (seven years) that is still yet to come. Daniel’s
entire prophecy of the seventy sevens (Daniel
9:20-27) is speaking of the nation of Israel. It is a time period in which
God focuses His attention especially on Israel. The seventieth seven, the
tribulation, must also be a time when God deals specifically with Israel. While
this does not necessarily indicate that the church could not also be present,
it does bring into question why the church would need to be on the earth during
that time.
The primary Scripture passage on the rapture is 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18. It states that all living believers, along with all
believers who have died, will meet the Lord Jesus in the air and will be with
Him forever. The rapture is God’s removing of His people from the earth. A few
verses later, in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul says, “For God did not appoint us
to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The
book of Revelation, which deals primarily with the time period of the
tribulation, is a prophetic message of how God will pour out His wrath upon the
earth during the tribulation. It seems inconsistent for God to promise
believers that they will not suffer wrath and then leave them on the earth to
suffer through the wrath of the tribulation. The fact that God promises to
deliver Christians from wrath shortly after promising to remove His people from
the earth seems to link those two events together.
Another crucial passage on the timing of the rapture is Revelation 3:10, in which Christ promises to deliver believers from the “hour of trial” that is going to come upon the earth. This could mean two things. Either Christ will protect believers in the midst of the trials, or He will deliver believers out of the trials. Both are valid meanings of the Greek word translated “from.” However, it is important to recognize what believers are promised to be kept from. It is not just the trial, but the “hour” of trial. Christ is promising to keep believers from the very time period that contains the trials, namely the tribulation. The purpose of the tribulation, the purpose of the rapture, the meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:9, and the interpretation of Revelation 3:10 all give clear support to the pre-tribulational position. If the Bible is interpreted literally and consistently, the pre-tribulational position is the most biblically-based interpretation.
When is the Rapture going to occur in relation to the Tribulation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=se8GkwLzUBs&feature=emb_logo
————————————————–
What
is the New World Order?
The New World Order is a conspiracy theory which
posits a new period of history bringing about a major change in the world with
the balance of world power. This New World Order is theorized by some to
involve a group or groups of elitist people bent on ruling the world through a
single worldwide system of government. The appeal of this New World Order lies
in its proposal to free the world of wars and political strife, and its
promises to eradicate poverty, disease, and hunger. Its purpose is to meet the
needs and hopes of all mankind through worldwide peace.
Also labeled the new “era of globalization,” this
New World Order will supposedly do away with the need for diverse world
governments. This will be accomplished by the installation of a one-world
political system or body. One means to achieve this is by eliminating all lines
and borders demarcating the nations of the world. To effect all this change, it
is believed that the New World Order will emphasize tolerance through the
promotion and acceptance of other cultures and their values and ideologies. Its
ultimate goal is a sense of unity and oneness with all people speaking the same
language. Other objectives include the use of a single, world-wide currency, as
well as oneness in politics, religion, and moral values. As a result,
conspiracy theorists believe, the world will be under one rule, that of one
government that promises worldwide peace, the absence of war, and the
elimination of all political unrest.
Though it may be agreed that man needs hope in order
to endure this life and have peace of mind, the problem lies in where man
searches for such hope. The Scriptures are clear concerning all these things.
As Christians, we are commanded to obey and respect those in authority,
including our government. However, we can easily see that there are some severe
consequences of such a New World Order, both from an economic and a religious
standpoint (Romans 13:1-7; Acts 5:29).
The problem with the acceptance and approval of any
New World Order is that no government has ever offered, nor will it ever offer,
real hope and peace for mankind. When man turns to government to provide worldwide
peace and hope, he becomes disillusioned and enslaved by its false promises.
History has proven time and again that no quasi-world empire has ever survived,
simply because of its innate flaws of greed, corruption, and quest for power.
Those who desire the ushering in of a New World
Order, whether secular or religious, are in for a rude awakening. The truth is
that false religious teachings cannot bring utopia into being, regardless of
man’s creativity and ingenuity. Only heaven brings lasting peace and happiness.
The Bible makes it very clear that all things associated with this life on
earth with its sufferings, its decay, its discontent, and death will continue
with this physical life (2
Corinthians 4:16; Hebrews 9:27). It is also clear that all these things are
completely unknown in the heavenly city (Revelation
21:3-7 and Revelation 22). They will be done away with. Yes, hope is
needed. But it is the hope of heaven we need, not the false hope of a New World
Order. The one hope for all believers lies only in heaven (John
14:1-4). It is not here on this earth.
—————————————————-
“Does
the Bible prophesy a one-world government and a one-world currency in the end
times?”
The Bible does not use
the phrase “one-world government” or “one-world currency” in referring to the
end times. It does, however, provide ample evidence to enable us to draw the
conclusion that both will exist under the rule of the Antichrist in the last
days.
In his apocalyptic vision in the Book of Revelation,
the Apostle John sees the “beast,” also called the Antichrist, rising out of
the sea having seven heads and ten horns (Revelation
13:1). Combining this vision with Daniel’s similar one (Daniel
7:16-24), we can conclude that some sort of world system will be
inaugurated by the beast, the most powerful “horn,” who will defeat the other
nine and will begin to wage war against Christians. The ten-nation confederacy
is also seen in Daniel’s image of the statue in Daniel
2:41-42, where he pictures the final world government consisting of ten
entities represented by the ten toes of the statue. Whoever the ten are and
however they come to power, Scripture is clear that the beast will either
destroy them or reduce their power to nothing more than figureheads. In the
end, they will do his bidding.
John goes on to describe the ruler of this vast
empire as having power and great authority, given to him by Satan himself (Revelation
13:2), being followed by and receiving worship from “all the world”
(13:3-4), and having authority over “every tribe, people, language and nation”
(13:7). From this description, it is logical to assume that this person is the
leader of a one-world government which is recognized as sovereign over all
other governments. It’s hard to imagine how such diverse systems of government
as are in power today would willingly subjugate themselves to a single ruler,
and there are many theories on the subject. A logical conclusion is that the
disasters and plagues described in Revelation as the seal and trumpet judgments
(chapters 6-11) will be so devastating and create such a monumental global crisis
that people will embrace anything and anyone who promises to give them relief.
Once entrenched in power, the beast (Antichrist) and
the power behind him (Satan) will move to establish absolute control over all
peoples of the earth to accomplish their true end, the worship Satan has been
seeking ever since being thrown out of heaven (Isaiah
14:12-14). One way they will accomplish this is by controlling all
commerce, and this is where the idea of a one-world currency comes in. Revelation
13:16-17 describes some sort of satanic mark which will be required in
order to buy and sell. This means anyone who refuses the mark will be unable to
buy food, clothing or other necessities of life. No doubt the vast majority of
people in the world will succumb to the mark simply to survive. Again, verse 16
makes it clear that this will be a universal system of control where everyone,
rich and poor, great and small, will bear the mark on their hand or forehead.
There is a great deal of speculation as to how exactly this mark will be
affixed, but the technologies that are available right now could accomplish it
very easily.
Those who are left behind after the Rapture of
the Church will be faced with an excruciating choice—accept the mark of the
beast in order to survive or face starvation and horrific persecution by the
Antichrist and his followers. But those who come to Christ during this time,
those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation
13:8), will choose to endure, even to martyrdom.
————————————————–
“Will
there be a second chance for salvation after the rapture?”
Some Bible interpreters believe that there will be
absolutely no chance for salvation after the rapture. However, there is no
place in the Bible that says this or even hints to it. There will be many
people who come to Christ during the tribulation. The 144,000 Jewish witnesses
(Revelation
7:4) are Jewish believers. If no one can come to Christ during the
tribulation, then why are people being beheaded for their faith (Revelation
20:4)? No passage of Scripture argues against people having a chance to be
saved after the rapture. Many passages indicate the opposite.
Another view is that those who hear the gospel and
reject it before the rapture cannot be saved. Those saved during the
tribulation, then, are those who had never heard the gospel before the rapture.
The “proof text” for this view is 2
Thessalonians 2:9-11, which says the antichrist will work miracles to
deceive “those who are perishing” and that God Himself will “send them a
powerful delusion” to confirm them in their unbelief. The reason given is that
“they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (verse 10). Granted, those who
are hard-hearted toward the gospel before the rapture are likely to remain so.
And the antichrist will deceive many (Matthew
24:5). But “those who refused to love the truth” does not necessarily refer
to people who heard the gospel before the rapture. It could be anyone who
wholly rejects God’s salvation, at any time. So, there is no clear scriptural
evidence to support this view.
Revelation 6:9-11 speaks of those martyred during the tribulation “because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained.” These martyrs will correctly interpret what they see during the tribulation and will believe the gospel themselves and call on others to repent and believe as well. The antichrist and his followers will not tolerate their evangelism and will kill them. All of these martyrs are people who were alive before the rapture, but who were not believers until afterward. Therefore, there must be opportunity to come to Christ in faith after the rapture.
———————————————-
The Rapture – The Complete Movie
———————————————
“Is
the last trumpet of 1 Thessalonians 4 the same as the seventh trumpet of
Revelation?”
Those who hold to a midtribulation
rapture teach that the seventh trumpet
of Revelation
11:15 and the last trumpet of 1
Corinthians 15:52 and 1
Thessalonians 4:16 are identical. Those who teach a pretribulation
rapture identify them as separate events. What difference does it make, and
how can we know the truth?
Why does it matter whether or not the trumpets are
the same? God has given us His Word as the revelation of His plan of
redemption, and that plan covers everything from creation to the new creation. Deuteronomy
29:29 says, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those
things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we
may do all the words of this law.” There are many things that God has chosen to
reveal to us, and it is important for us to understand them so that we can obey
Him. We don’t always understand why He does things, but we are called to trust
Him for the parts we don’t understand and to study to understand the rest. As
we look at the texts about these trumpets, it becomes clear that they are part
of a chronology that God has given us of events in the last days. Whether or not
we are still living when those events come to pass, they involve us, so we
ought to know what God has revealed to us.
The book of Revelation has sometimes been viewed as
a book of mystery, yet the title itself implies something brought out of
hiding. More specifically, it is “the revelation of Jesus Christ . . . to shew
unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass” (Revelation
1:1). God wants us to know what is going to happen, so we can be prepared,
and to help us in calling others to repentance. Beginning in chapter 6, we are
given a chronological record of things that will happen in the last days. There
is a series of seven seals,
then a series of seven
trumpets, then a series of seven bowls
of wrath. We read in Revelation 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there
were great voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and
ever.’” In the context, this seems to come around the middle of the tribulation period.
In 1
Corinthians 15, Paul is writing to believers concerning the transition from
this life to eternal life. Our mortal bodies will be transformed into immortal,
incorruptible bodies, prepared for the eternal kingdom of God. Verse 52 says,
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed.” Paul addresses the same subject to the Thessalonians, and
specifically connects it with the Second Coming of Christ. “For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
There is no question that God has revealed these things to us and that He intends for us to be encouraged and instructed by them. The question is whether these trumpets are the same. If they are the same, then the rapture of the church happens in the middle of the tribulation period, and saints need to be prepared to endure those trials. If they are not the same, then we need to know when the last trump will sound, so that we can be prepared for it. In order to find out whether they are the same, we can compare the events they are associated with.
| Events | 1 Corinthians 15 | 1 Thessalonians 4 | Revelation 11 |
| Trumpet sound | v. 52 | v. 16 | v. 15 |
| Dead saints raised | v. 52 | v. 16 | |
| Living saints changed | v. 52 | v. 17 | |
| Death overcome by victory | v. 54 | v. 14 | |
| Jesus descends from Heaven | v. 16 | Not until Rev 19:11 | |
| Kingdoms of the world taken over by Christ | v. 15 | ||
| Wrath of God on dead | v. 18 | ||
| Rewards given to saints | v. 18 | ||
| Intended result | v. 57-58 – thanks, victory, faithfulness until then | v. 18 – comfort now, presence with Christ then | v. 14,17 – woe on earth, thanks in Heaven |
It
is clear that the first two passages (Corinthians and Thessalonians) fit
together, but the third doesn’t appear to have any correlation in either the
events described or the intended results. The argument connecting them has to
depend on the meaning of the word last in 1
Corinthians 15:52. The Greek word eschatos can mean either “last in
point of time” or “last in point of sequence.” This trumpet sounds before the
wrath of God descends, yet Revelation 6:17 speaks of the wrath of the Lamb as having
come, and the seventh trumpet doesn’t sound until Revelation
11:15. The trumpet of 1 Thessalonians is given in a moment, whereas Revelation
10:7 indicates that the seventh trumpet will be sounded for a number of
days. Even though the seventh trumpet is the last one described in Revelation, Matthew
24:31 indicates there is yet another trumpet which will sound “after the
tribulation of those days,” when Christ returns to the earth, which parallels
with Revelation
19.
If
the “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15 is not the same as the seventh trumpet,
then what was Paul referring to? Both 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians were
written long before John wrote Revelation, so Paul’s readers would have no
knowledge of the seven trumpets of Revelation. Paul intended for them to
understand what he was writing about, so we need to look elsewhere for
clarification. Paul’s writing was distinctly in reference to the church and the
closing of the church age at the rapture. Throughout Scripture, trumpets were
used as signals to gather people, to set armies on the move, and as part of the
worship of God. The trumpet that summons the church is called “the trump of God,”
while those in Revelation are angelic trumpets. Since it is a summoning
trumpet, we can look to the Old Testament for further understanding. Numbers 10
gives instruction to Israel about the use of trumpets to call an assembly of
the people and to set them in motion. The first trumpet blast (v. 4) called the
leaders together, while a continual blowing was an alarm for the people. A
series of trumpet blasts was the signal for each group of tribes to begin their
journey, and the last blast indicated the movement of the last group in the
camp. Similarly, 1 Corinthians 15:23 speaks of different orders, or ranks,
in the resurrection: “Every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.” Further, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 divides Christ’s own into two
groups—the dead in Christ and those who are alive and remain.
So,
if the trumpet is the call for saints to assemble and journey to heaven, what
does that mean for us? Jesus said that no one knows when the Day of the Lord
will begin (Matthew 24:36), and 1
Thessalonians 5:2 describes it as coming as a thief in the night, without
warning. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, we are told to be “steadfast,
unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Just like the Israelites
in the wilderness, we do not know when the trumpet will sound, so we are to be
always ready. While we may not know the day or hour, we have been given enough
information to know it can happen at any moment. We are to be ready, putting on
the armor of God, because we have been appointed to receive salvation through
Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:8–9).
—————————————————
What is the last trumpet of 1 Thessalonians 4? Is it the same as the seventh trumpet of Revelation?
A trumpet is sounded in Revelation
11:15, 1 Corinthians 15:52, and 1
Thessalonians 4:16. Are these passages referring to the same trumpet or
not?
The importance of this question is due to the timing of the
rapture.
Those who believe all three of these passages refer to the same trumpet hold to
a midtribulation rapture, meaning the belief that Jesus will come for His
followers at the three and a half year point of the seven-year
tribulation. Those who believe Revelation
11:15 refers to a different trumpet than the other two passages hold to a
pretribulation rapture, meaning Christ will come for His followers before the
tribulation begins.
A look at Revelation 11:15 clearly notes this trumpet’s
sounding in connection with the midpoint of the tribulation. The two witnesses
had just finished their three and a half year ministry during the first half of
the tribulation, marking the end of the second woe (v. 14).
First Corinthians 15:51-52 states, “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.” The
trumpet mentioned here is not associated with a particular time, but could take
place at any moment. The trumpet is associated with the raising of the bodies
of dead believers and the transformation of believers who are still alive.
First Thessalonians 4 speaks of the same event mentioned in
1
Corinthians 15. Verses 16-17 share, “For the Lord himself will descend
from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the
sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we
who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
Other details are noted here, specifically that the Lord will descend from
heaven. This is an activity not mentioned in Revelation
11. The Lord’s return, or second
coming, is only directly mentioned in Revelation in chapter 19 when He
comes with believers to victoriously end the battle of
Armageddon and begin His 1,000-year reign.
In addition, seven different trumpets are used in Revelation to describe different judgments. These all take place during the tribulation. However, the rapture (described in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4) takes place at any moment and before the tribulation. Therefore, these events cannot be referring to the same trumpet sounding.
——————————————-
Are the trumpets of 1 Cor. 15:52 and Rev. 11:15-18 the same event?
By Rev. Roger Best
The answer is “no.” The fact that the seventh trumpet of the seven trumpet series in Revelation is the last mentioned trumpet in the book (Rev. 11:15-18) and that Paul indicates the rapture will occur at the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52) does not a priori mean that the same event is cited.
A grammatical and lexical study demonstrates that 1 Corinthians 15:52 denotes the actual blasting of a trumpet. The idea is that of a last blast of a particular trumpet. At the last blast of a trumpet, the dead will be raised. The name of this trumpet is not “the last trumpet.” This is not what Paul is indicating here. Rather, the focus is on the sound of the trumpet. This passage gives no clue what trumpet is blown. Only that when the last blast occurs, the dead will be raised.
Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that this trumpet is the trumpet of God. This is the actual name of the trumpet which will be blown at the rapture, the last blast of which will signal the time of resurrection for dead saints. The first time the trumpet of God appears in Scripture can be traced back to Exodus 19:10-20:21. There the trumpet not only served to alert the people to the coming of God into man’s domain, but also to warn the people of the seriousness of the moment. This will be the case again at the rapture of the church when God the Father comes with Jesus to deliver the righteous and begin the punishment of the wicked.
The seventh trumpet of Revelation is but one of seven trumpets that introduces judgment against the world. These trumpets do not introduce one example of deliverance. They are clearly the judgment of God against those who dwell on the earth. The sequences demands that the church be removed before the first trumpet because the wrath of God is involved.
Isaiah 27:13 states, “It will come about also in that day that a greattrumpet will be blown; and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” This passage indicates that the seventh trumpet of Revelation is not the last trumpet to be blown in human history. This trumpet called the “great trumpet” will call Israel back to the land after the Seventieth week of Daniel ends.
Thus we can conclude correctly that Paul’s trumpet blast and the trumpets of Revelation are not the same.
http://www.solagroup.org/articles/faqs/faq_0009.html
——————————————-
“What did Jesus
mean when He said, ‘this generation will not pass’?”
This
quote of Jesus in regards to the end times is found in Matthew
24:34; Mark 13:30; and Luke 21:32.
Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all
these things take place.” The things that Jesus had been speaking of—the rise
of the Antichrist, the desolation of
the Holy Place, and the darkening of the sun—did not happen during the
lifespan of people alive in Jesus’ day. Obviously, Jesus meant something
different when He spoke of “this generation.”
The
key to understanding what Jesus meant by “this generation will not pass away
until all these things take place” is the context; that is, we must understand
the verses that are surrounding Matthew
24:34, especially the verses prior to it. In Matthew
24:4–31, Jesus is clearly giving a prophecy; He is speaking of future
events. Jesus had already told those living during His earthly ministry that
the kingdom had been taken from them (Matthew
21:43). Therefore, it is imperative that Matthew
24–25 be seen as dealing with a future time. The generation that Jesus
speaks of “not passing” until He returns is a future generation, namely,
the people living when the predicted events occur. The word generation
refers to the people alive in the future when the events of Matthew
24–25 take place.
Jesus’
point in His statement, “this generation will not pass away until all these
things take place,” is that the events of the end times will happen quickly.
Once the signs of
the end begin to be observed, the end is well on the way—the second
coming and the judgment will occur within that last generation. Jesus
reinforced this meaning with a parable in Matthew
24:32–33: “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs
get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when
you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” A sure
sign of summer is the leafing of the fig tree; a sure sign of the end of the
world is that “all these things” (of Matthew 24)
are taking place. Those who are on the earth then will have only a short time
left.
Another
interpretation is that Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24
has a “double fulfillment.” In this view, “this generation” is the people Jesus
was speaking to at that moment—some of what He predicted was going to occur
during their lifetimes. So, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70,
Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled in part; the fall of Jerusalem provided a
foretaste of worse things to come. However, many aspects of Jesus’ prophecy did
not occur in AD 70; for example, the celestial signs of Matthew
24:29–31.The main problem with the “dual-fulfillment” interpretation is
that it does not harmonize with Jesus’ statement that “all” these things will
take place in “this generation.” Therefore, it is better to understand “this
generation” as referring to the generation alive when the end times events are
actually occurring.
Essentially, Jesus is saying that, once the events of the end times begin, they will happen quickly. The age of grace has continued for a very long time. But when the time for judgment finally arrives, things will be wrapped up posthaste. This concept of God’s drawing things to a rapid close is echoed in many other passages of Scripture (Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20; Revelation 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20).
——————————————–