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The Bema judgment comes first and this is the judging of the congregation of believers in Christ.
When Paul says,'' The we who are left alive.''
What just happened?
The rapture theory is new and it began with a Catholic nun trying to explain why the beast was ruling over 7 mountains, and it was rationalized that all the saints just suddenly dissappeard and then the 7 mountains became evil.
Judgment begins at the house of God and it is called the Bema judgment. Zechariah 14 also insinuates this same occurrence and Paul was quoting Zechariah when everyone left alive will then keep the feast of Tabernacles.
EVERYONE will stand in the fire.
No Hannabal, the rapture is not a new teaching, and I have already shown why. The rapture of the Church will occur before the judgment seat of Christ which will take place in heaven.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 Paul writes concerning the rapture and resurrection of the church. In verse 14, those who have fallen asleep in Christ (those believers who in the history of the Church-age have physically died and gone to be with the Lord) will return with Christ. Verse 15 refers to those believers who are physically alive on the earth when Christ returns. Those who return with Christ will receive their resurrection bodies and then those believers who are still alive and in their mortal bodies will be caught up in the air and their bodies will be transformed (1 Cor. 15:52-54). All this will happen in the span of time expressed in 1 Cor. 15:52 as ''in the twinkling of an eye.'' Then the entire resurrected church will go into heaven until the Tribulation has taken place.
In 1 Thess. 4:17 Paul uses the word ἁρπαγησόμεθα - harpagēsometha which is translated as ''will be caught away''. The word ἁρπάζω - harpazó ''I seize'' means to be seized or snatched up by force. It is the same word used of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2 when he was caught up into the third heaven, although Paul stated that he didn't know if he had been caught up in the body or out of the body. Harpazó is also used of Philip in Acts 8:39 when the Lord snatched him away and was no longer seen by the eunuch.
The Tribulation which takes place on the earth will be for Israel and for the unbelieving Gentile nations. It is not for the church which will be taken up into heaven, and then stand before Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ where each believer will be evaluated for the purpose of receiving rewards.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and John 14:1-3 are very similar passages, and in fact are parallel passages. In John 14:1-3 Jesus, who is about to depart comforts the apostles by telling them that He is going to go and prepare a place for them in His Father's house. Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after His resurrection. He told them that He would come again and receive them to Himself, that where He was, they would be also.
John 14:1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2] "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3] "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Observe the similarities between John 14:1-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Verse 2: told you . . . . . . . . Verse 15: say to you
Verse 3: I will come again . . Verse 15: coming of the Lord
Verse 3: receive you . . . . . . Verse 17: caught up
Verse 3: to Myself . . . . . . . .Verse 17: to meet the Lord
Verse 3: be where I am . . . .Verse 17: ever be with the Lord
It is evident that Jesus and Paul are referring to the same event. And where did Jesus say that He would be taking the apostles when He returned? And where did Jesus go when He ascended? He ascended into heaven, and He said He would be taking them to His Father's house where He was preparing many dwelling places.
Yes, Paul clearly teaches the rapture or catching up of the church in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
No Hannabal, the rapture is not a new teaching, and I have already shown why. The rapture of the Church will occur before the judgment seat of Christ which will take place in heaven.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 Paul writes concerning the rapture and resurrection of the church. In verse 14, those who have fallen asleep in Christ (those believers who in the history of the Church-age have physically died and gone to be with the Lord) will return with Christ. Verse 15 refers to those believers who are physically alive on the earth when Christ returns. Those who return with Christ will receive their resurrection bodies and then those believers who are still alive and in their mortal bodies will be caught up in the air and their bodies will be transformed (1 Cor. 15:52-54). All this will happen in the span of time expressed in 1 Cor. 15:52 as ''in the twinkling of an eye.'' Then the entire resurrected church will go into heaven until the Tribulation has taken place.
In 1 Thess. 4:17 Paul uses the word ἁρπαγησόμεθα - harpagēsometha which is translated as ''will be caught away''. The word ἁρπάζω - harpazó ''I seize'' means to be seized or snatched up by force. It is the same word used of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2 when he was caught up into the third heaven, although Paul stated that he didn't know if he had been caught up in the body or out of the body. Harpazó is also used of Philip in Acts 8:39 when the Lord snatched him away and was no longer seen by the eunuch.
The Tribulation which takes place on the earth will be for Israel and for the unbelieving Gentile nations. It is not for the church which will be taken up into heaven, and then stand before Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ where each believer will be evaluated for the purpose of receiving rewards.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and John 14:1-3 are very similar passages, and in fact are parallel passages. In John 14:1-3 Jesus, who is about to depart comforts the apostles by telling them that He is going to go and prepare a place for them in His Father's house. Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after His resurrection. He told them that He would come again and receive them to Himself, that where He was, they would be also.
John 14:1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2] "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3] "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Observe the similarities between John 14:1-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Verse 2: told you . . . . . . . . Verse 15: say to you
Verse 3: I will come again . . Verse 15: coming of the Lord
Verse 3: receive you . . . . . . Verse 17: caught up
Verse 3: to Myself . . . . . . . .Verse 17: to meet the Lord
Verse 3: be where I am . . . .Verse 17: ever be with the Lord
It is evident that Jesus and Paul are referring to the same event. And where did Jesus say that He would be taking the apostles when He returned? And where did Jesus go when He ascended? He ascended into heaven, and He said He would be taking them to His Father's house where He was preparing many dwelling places.
Yes, Paul clearly teaches the rapture or catching up of the church in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
Why don't you start with Passover and tell me how Jesus betrothed himself to his bride taken from his own body and then tell me of the bridegroom coming to take away his bride at midnight and how the wedding takes place and the consummation and after this the wedding banquet.
The majority of Christians will not be able to enter the bridal chamber Mike, at least half of the congregation of believers in Christ have no extra vessel filled with oil to light their way to the bridal chamber and those have to be told where to buy the oil, and when they are out buying, the door is shut to them and these people are saved, but they do not get whisked away by the bridegroom and the wedding is set for Rosh Hashanah.
What you are doing is taking ancient concepts of a bridegroom to come, to get betrothed, to wed, to consummate, and to give birth to that consummation and for the child of that birth to be circumcised, and all these are set in stone as the missions of Christ as his actual visitation days TO YOU.
You are taking one event out of context with everything that is assigned to happen and in what order.
Your name is spoken on Rosh Hashanah, you obtain the seal in your forehead and this means you are written in the book of life against Yom Kippur.
There are two comings of Jesus and the second coming will be just as the first coming but it will be in a much grander scale.
What you do is pass up everything that is going to happen and roll it all together as one day but we are talking about half a week. Jesus has to finish in Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles and Shemini Atzeret just as he finished the first half of those days, one week, and one day out of time.
Just as he died on Passover, was put in a tomb on unleavened bread, resurrected on firstfruits and gave his spirit on Pentecost, those same things have to happen again. The Holy Spirit IS PROMISED to be given again but this time it is double what was given before, does this happen before the so called rapture or after?
Is the consummation before the wedding or after, and what day is appointed for the wedding banquet, AFTER the bridegroom comes, and AFTER the consummation, then people are brought into a banquet on earth but if everyone is dead on earth, then who are those people that are brought into the banquet?
BEFORE this supposed rapture against tribulation, WHEN DO JEWS AND GENTILES BECOME ONE AND THEN TAKE CONTROL OF THE WORLD?
All the prophets talk about the millions of Joseph to be found and these people become one with Judah and they together conquer all the nations, Is that before or after the rapture when all the Jews believe in Jesus and then gentiles return with respect to the Torah to become one with Judah and appoint one head, one leader?
Where is the rapture, before this?
Zechariah 14 2I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[SIZE=4][/SIZE]in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. 8On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. 9The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. 10The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. 12This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. 14Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. 16Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. 18If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
When will all the kings of the earth gather the wealth of the earth to come and sit at the feet of Jews?
WHEN has all the nations come up to keep the feast of Tabernacles?
I've never read the Left Behind Books. The rapture or catching up of the church is a Biblically taught doctrine. God's plan is dispensational. The age of Israel has been put on hold for the duration of the Church-age. The Church-age will terminate with the rapture of the Church after which, and probably after some short period of time, the age of Israel will resume with the seven year Tribulation. The Tribulation, also referred to as the time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) is the last seven literal years remaining in Daniel's seventy weeks (weeks of years for 490 years) prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27). The first 69 weeks of years were completed just before Jesus was crucified. Between the 69th week and the 70th week is the entire period of the Church-age.
No one knows when the rapture of the church will occur. There are no signs or prophecies which must be fulfilled before it occurs, and it could have occurred at any time since the beginning of this dispensation, and could occur at any time. On the other hand, it may not occur for quite some time. But it will occur when God gives the go ahead.
Paul referred to the rapture or catching up of the church, so either believe him or don't believe him.
Daniel was not a prophet and those things in Daniel 9 offered a long time ago..Funny, Jesus never referred to it...
Since Paul wrote about the rapture of the Church, it is obviously not a new teaching. I've already explained the context in which Paul wrote of the rapture. I've already stated that the raptured church is seen in heaven during the Tribulation.
Darby didn't invent the rapture. He simply recognized what is stated in the Scriptures concerning the rapture and popularized its teaching.
It popped into his head...If it was always a correct teaching from the NT, it would not have needed Darby to "popularize" it...It would have been well taught, even to him...Admit it Mike, he gotcha...
The Bema judgment comes first and this is the judging of the congregation of believers in Christ.
When Paul says,'' The we who are left alive.''
What just happened?
The rapture theory is new and it began with a Catholic nun trying to explain why the beast was ruling over 7 mountains, and it was rationalized that all the saints just suddenly dissappeard and then the 7 mountains became evil.
Judgment begins at the house of God and it is called the Bema judgment. Zechariah 14 also insinuates this same occurrence and Paul was quoting Zechariah when everyone left alive will then keep the feast of Tabernacles.
Daniel was not a prophet and those things in Daniel 9 offered a long time ago..Funny, Jesus never referred to it...
A prophet prophesies. Daniel prophesied. Therefore Daniel was a prophet and was recognized as such by Jesus who did indeed refer to Daniel's prophecy.
Matthew 24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
Why don't you start with Passover and tell me how Jesus betrothed himself to his bride taken from his own body and then tell me of the bridegroom coming to take away his bride at midnight and how the wedding takes place and the consummation and after this the wedding banquet.
The majority of Christians will not be able to enter the bridal chamber Mike, at least half of the congregation of believers in Christ have no extra vessel filled with oil to light their way to the bridal chamber and those have to be told where to buy the oil, and when they are out buying, the door is shut to them and these people are saved, but they do not get whisked away by the bridegroom and the wedding is set for Rosh Hashanah.
What you are doing is taking ancient concepts of a bridegroom to come, to get betrothed, to wed, to consummate, and to give birth to that consummation and for the child of that birth to be circumcised, and all these are set in stone as the missions of Christ as his actual visitation days TO YOU.
You are taking one event out of context with everything that is assigned to happen and in what order.
Your name is spoken on Rosh Hashanah, you obtain the seal in your forehead and this means you are written in the book of life against Yom Kippur.
There are two comings of Jesus and the second coming will be just as the first coming but it will be in a much grander scale.
What you do is pass up everything that is going to happen and roll it all together as one day but we are talking about half a week. Jesus has to finish in Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles and Shemini Atzeret just as he finished the first half of those days, one week, and one day out of time.
Just as he died on Passover, was put in a tomb on unleavened bread, resurrected on firstfruits and gave his spirit on Pentecost, those same things have to happen again. The Holy Spirit IS PROMISED to be given again but this time it is double what was given before, does this happen before the so called rapture or after?
Is the consummation before the wedding or after, and what day is appointed for the wedding banquet, AFTER the bridegroom comes, and AFTER the consummation, then people are brought into a banquet on earth but if everyone is dead on earth, then who are those people that are brought into the banquet?
BEFORE this supposed rapture against tribulation, WHEN DO JEWS AND GENTILES BECOME ONE AND THEN TAKE CONTROL OF THE WORLD?
All the prophets talk about the millions of Joseph to be found and these people become one with Judah and they together conquer all the nations, Is that before or after the rapture when all the Jews believe in Jesus and then gentiles return with respect to the Torah to become one with Judah and appoint one head, one leader?
Where is the rapture, before this?
Zechariah 14 2I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[SIZE=4][/SIZE]in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. 8On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. 9The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. 10The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. 11It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. 12This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. 14Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. 16Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. 18If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
When will all the kings of the earth gather the wealth of the earth to come and sit at the feet of Jews?
WHEN has all the nations come up to keep the feast of Tabernacles?
Why don't you try making an effort to understand what I've already posted? Paul not only taught that the Church would be raptured, but that it would be raptured before the day of the Lord which begins with the Tribulation. This has already been explained in some detail . . . and completely ignored.
At some point the rapture will occur. Then at some point after that the Tribulation will begin and last for seven years. Then Christ will return and establish His kingdom upon the earth and all of the promises which God made with Israel will be fulfilled at that time. The church will also return with Him.
Why don't you try making an effort to understand what I've already posted? Paul not only taught that the Church would be raptured, but that it would be raptured before the day of the Lord which begins with the Tribulation. This has already been explained in some detail . . . and completely ignored.
At some point the rapture will occur. Then at some point after that the Tribulation will begin and last for seven years. Then Christ will return and establish His kingdom upon the earth and all of the promises which God made with Israel will be fulfilled at that time. The church will also return with Him.
No, there aint no 7 years of Tribulation for one, and what does Paul say,'' Then we who are left alive.''
AFTER EVERYONE HAS DIED.
YOU have 7 years, YOU have one week that is divided up as 42 months and then the rest of the 3 and a half years because of the 7 years covenant that Daniel speaks of. YOU are in it, you just don't know that you are in it, but you are no doubt in your 42 months and Revelation is just showing you how to complete your week and that is why we keep seeing 7 years divided talking about 42 months and 3 and a half years.
This woman is YOU, ONLY IF, you are an overcomer about to finish your days.
Revelation 12
The Woman and the Dragon 1And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
ALL THE OVERCOMERS GO THOUGH THESE APPOINTED DAYS.
Revelation 2 26And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
WHO GIVES BIRTH TO A CHILD CAUGHT UP TO GOD?
WHO GIVES BIRTH TO A SON AND THEN HAS TO FINISH THEIR 7 YEARS?
THE OVERCOMER, ''HE WILL RULE THE NATIONS WITH A ROD OF IRON.''
No, there aint no 7 years of Tribulation for one, and what does Paul say,'' Then we who are left alive.''
AFTER EVERYONE HAS DIED.
YOU have 7 years, YOU have one week that is divided up as 42 months and then the rest of the 3 and a half years because of the 7 years covenant that Daniel speaks of. YOU are in it, you just don't know that you are in it, but you are no doubt in your 42 months and Revelation is just showing you how to complete your week and that is why we keep seeing 7 years divided talking about 42 months and 3 and a half years.
This woman is YOU, ONLY IF, you are an overcomer about to finish your days.
Revelation 12
The Woman and the Dragon 1And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
ALL THE OVERCOMERS GO THOUGH THESE APPOINTED DAYS.
Revelation 2 26And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
WHO GIVES BIRTH TO A CHILD CAUGHT UP TO GOD?
WHO GIVES BIRTH TO A SON AND THEN HAS TO FINISH THEIR 7 YEARS?
THE OVERCOMER, ''HE WILL RULE THE NATIONS WITH A ROD OF IRON.''
The Tribulation is a seven year period. As already stated, the seven year Tribulational period is the 70th week in Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27). Those weeks are weeks of years totaling 490 years. The first 69 weeks of the prophecy were fulfilled just before Jesus was crucified. They were a period of literal years and so also the 70th week of years will be a literal 7 years. This can be easily shown by pointing out that the Tribulation will begin when the antichrist, otherwise called the ''man of lawlessness'' by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and by Daniel as ''the prince who is to come'' in Daniel 9:26 signs a piece treaty with Israel, a covenant with the many (Dan. 9:27). He will then break that peace treaty after 3 1/2 years, as shown in Dan. 9:27 when in the middle of the week (3 1/2 years) he puts a stop to the sacrifices and seats himself in the temple (which still needs to be rebuilt). This is the abomination of desolation of which Daniel writes (Dan. 9:27), and to which Jesus referred (Matt. 24:15).
Now when in the middle of the Tribulation, the abomination of desolation occurs, and with it the intensified stage of the Tribulation, those who are in Judea are warned by Jesus to flee into the mountains (Matt. 24:16) where they will be nourished for a period of one thousand two hundred and sixty days (Revelation 12:6) which is 3 1/2 years. Since the last half of the Tribulational period is 3 1/2 years this means that the entire period will last for 7 years. This is further shown by the fact that it is given to the beast (the antichrist; the man of lawlessness) to speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months (Revelation 13:5). Again forty-two months is 3 1/2 years which is one half of the Tribulational period.
And so yes, the Tribulation will last for seven years.
And no, I am not in any part of the Tribulation, or in any part of the 42 months, and neither is anyone else. The Tribulation is a future event.
Nor is ''the woman'' me. The woman in Revelation 12 is Israel.
The wholesale allegorization of the Bible which you engage in is a very poor method of interpretation which only leads to many problems.
Quoting Milton S. Terry, J. Dwight Pentecost writes regarding the danger of allegorical method;
. . . It will be noticed at once that its habit is to disregard the common signification of words and give wing to all manner of fanciful speculation. It does not draw out the legitimate meaning of an author's language, but foists into it whatever the whim or fancy of an interpreter may desire. As a system, therefore, it puts itself beyond all well-defined principles and laws.
Things to Come, J. Dwight Pentecost, p. 5
And this is what you do Hannibal. You have adopted the allegorical method of interpretation and foist onto Scriptural passages meanings which the authors never intended. Saying that the woman is me, and that I am in the 42 months is nothing more than your own personal fanciful speculation. And I completely disagree with your speculations which you would attempt to foist upon me.
It has been plainly shown in my prior posts on this thread that Paul taught that the church will be raptured before the Tribulation.
Now I think this conversation has gone on long enough. You keep your allegorical method of interpretation if you wish. But as for me, I follow the golden rule of interpretation.
When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word, at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.
Why don't you try making an effort to understand what I've already posted? Paul not only taught that the Church would be raptured, but that it would be raptured before the day of the Lord which begins with the Tribulation. This has already been explained in some detail . . . and completely ignored.
At some point the rapture will occur. Then at some point after that the Tribulation will begin and last for seven years. Then Christ will return and establish His kingdom upon the earth and all of the promises which God made with Israel will be fulfilled at that time. The church will also return with Him.
Sounds like replacement theology...
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