My View Of The End Times 8
The Rapture Timing
Regarding His return, in Matt. 24:36 Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour.” However, after speaking about the Great Tribulation, He said, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened” (Matt. 24:22). So, even though we don’t know the exact day, we do know that Jesus will return to rapture the elect at some point in time during the Great Tribulation. This is shown between points B & C on the timeline below.
The timeline shows what is called the 70th week of Daniel (a week represents 7 years). In Dan. 9:24, Daniel was told that 70 weeks were decreed for his people, the Jews, to end sin and bring in everlasting righteousness. This, of course, has not yet happened in Israel. Then Dan. 9:25-26 tell us that the first 69 weeks were fulfilled when Jesus was crucified but the 70th week is still future and only begins when the Antichrist confirms a 7 year peace agreement, shown as Point A on the timeline.
The timeline shows the 70th week of Daniel, spoken of in Dan. 9:27.
A marks the beginning of the 70th week, when the Antichrist confirms a peace agreement.
B is 3 ½ years later when the Antichrist breaks that agreement.
C marks the end of the 7 year period. All Israel is saved and the Antichrist is destroyed.
At point B, the peace agreement is broken by the Antichrist and he begins his persecution of Jews and Christians during the time known as the Great Tribulation. As already stated, Jesus will return to cut short those days by rapturing the elect. Even though we don’t know the exact day, we do know that the Rapture is somewhere between points B & C. After the Rapture, God’s wrath of the Day Of The Lord begins and it ends with the war of Armageddon.
Regarding Israel, Dan. 9:24 says that everlasting righteousness will be brought to Israel at the end of the 70 weeks. This means that unsaved Jews will remain on the earth right up to the end of the 70th week, point C, when Jesus will pour out His Spirit on all Israel and destroy the Antichrist in the war of Armageddon (Zech. 12-14). These Jews will then enter the Millennium along with the Gentiles who survive Armageddon and get through the Sheep & Goat Judgement of Matt. 25:31-46.
Further proof that the Rapture occurs after the appearance of the Antichrist can be found in 2 Thess. 2:1-3 where we are told, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him [in the Rapture] … Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” These verses very clearly tell us that the Rapture will not occur until after the Man Of Lawlessness, the Antichrist, is revealed so don’t be deceived into thinking that the church will escape the Great Tribulation. In Matt. 24:25, Jesus warns the church, “See, I have told you ahead of time.”
The next article will be on Luke 17 which clearly shows the End Time flow of events to be 1) The Antichrist appears 2) The Great Tribulation starts 3) The Rapture and 4) The DOTL. Amen.
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My View Of The End Times 8
Mick Alexander
leeandmick@gmail.com
http://www.ChristianIssues.biz
