The seven-year tribulation - which will engulf the world shortly - will absolutely manifest the EXPONENTIAL godlessness, lawlessness and violence of mankind as they heap upon themselves the EXPONENTIAL consequences of their rebellious designs against Almighty God and His moral absolutes for this world (Rom. 1:18-32, Rev. 6-16). The demonic wrath and oppression, the wrath of lawless men, and the ETERNAL Wrath of Almighty God's RIGHTEOUS indignation will be manifested to its zenith and one attribute that will be completely missing during this seven-year period will be the outworking of the love of God among mankind."Then shall they deliver you up (Israel) to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because lawlessness shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Matt. 24:9-12
There is a Greek word ἀγαπάω (agapaó) used three different ways, which is used to speak of the love of Almighty God. The LOVE of Almighty God seeks only the ETERNAL highest and best for His creation. The depot and sum of all the love of Almighty God the Father is found in the person of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17). Almighty God's love for fallen mankind is outworked in the sending and giving of His Son (1 John 4:9).
The first use of this Greek word is ἀγαπάω (agapaó) which denotes the love of the will, reason and esteem. This word seeks only the highest and best for an individual in light of Almighty God's person and RIGHTEOUSNESS (John 3:16-17). This word is used only once in Revelation 6-19 referring to the new believer in the Messiah during this period who is absolutely sold out to Almighty God's will and "loves" not their life unto death! These are more than willing to make the supreme sacrifice for the testimony of God knowing full well that in their death they will see their Savior and will be risen again at His return at the first resurrection (Rev. 20:4-6). They love their Savior more than their earthly existence and are more than willing to lay it down that Almighty God and ETERNAL life may be manifested to a godless world.
These are more than willing to make the supreme sacrifice for the
testimony of God knowing full well that in their death they will see
their Savior and will be risen again at His return at the first
resurrection.
The second use of this Greek word ἀγάπη (agapé) denotes the highest and best of Almighty God in action and in outworking. This is the Greek word which is used in Matthew 24:12 which states that this "love or charity" of many will grow cold because of EXPONENTIAL lawlessness and the fruits and effects of it during this time period. The outworking of this love can only be applied by those who have received Almighty God's love (i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ - John 3:16-17, 1 John 4:9). It is a love that the unredeemed cannot use since in their unredeemed estate they are currently rejecting Almighty God's love (John 3:16-17). If they reject God's love, how can they allow it to be outworked in their lives and have it overflow unto others? This Greek word is found nowhere in Revelation 6-19 indicating that the application of it even from the redeemed is very scarce. Imagine a time with all of the EXPONENTIAL global catastrophic events, wars, famines, pestilences and oppression void of Almighty God's love? Thus it will be in this time and no wonder for when a world rejects Almighty God's love which is found in His Son (John 3:16-17), how can they love or want the ETERNAL highest and best for their fellow man?
Imagine a time with all of the EXPONENTIAL global catastrophic events, wars, famines, pestilences and oppression void of God's love.
The third use of this word is agapétos which has two special applications: the Beloved, a title of the Messiah (Christ), as beloved beyond all others by the God who sent Him; of Christians, as beloved by God, Christ, and one another (the nation Israel). It is used for the object of Almighty God's ETERNAL highest and best with the benefits of being in the Son of God (the body of Almighty God's Well-Beloved).
This word is nowhere to be found at all in the book of Revelation let alone in Revelation 6-19. That this Greek word is missing speaks volumes and is further proof and evidence that the Body of Christ (i.e., the Church) is not here during this time and have been Raptured out before this HORRIFIC seven-year tribulation begins. If the body of Christ was to go through this Day of Wrath, of a truth we would find the beloved of Almighty God, the Bride of the Messiah mentioned. It is only in the Beloved Son of the Father that a transgressor can be redeemed and placed in the Body of Christ and be called beloved. Oh the WONDERS of His grace and mercy and the wonders of our position in Christ (Eph. 1:3, 2:6, Col. 3:1-4)!!!
If the body of Christ was to go through this Day of Wrath, of a truth we
would find the beloved of Almighty God, the Bride of the Messiah
mentioned.
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
DJP I.F.
The Gospel of John Challenge
8 comments:
Keep it up!
TGBTG!
LOVE U 4 TELLING US THE TRUTH / @ WHERE AMERICA IS, WHILE OTHERS SAVE AMERICA @ FOCUS ON THAT. REALLY THIS GOD FORSAKEN NATION EVERYDAY IN HEADLINES...DECEPTION PASTORS R GIVING FALSE HOPE...I AGREE OUR LORD HAS TURNED HIS EAR FROM PRAYER, 2015 WAS DEATH OF AMERICA.LAW OF MARRIAGE @ TOOK RAINBOW GODS SACRED COV @ STOMPED IT..
So are you saying that the 2 witnesses, 144,000 Jews that are sealed by God and countless multitude of martyrs of Jesus from every nation tribe and tongue who die for the gospel during that time are not "beloved" saints of God? Rev 7 describes Gods ultimate care for those martyrs as thus: "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Sounds like a group of greatly beloved people to me. You seem to be using an argument from silence to support belief in a pretrib rapture that doesn't have much support elsewhere. There are many words used to describe Gods people throughout scripture e.g. church, Christians, elect, disciples, saints, brothers, chosen, beloved, children etc. The fact that some of those references are omitted in certain portions of scripture doesn't necessarily mean that the group of people that they collectively refer to (i.e. Christians in the church age) are absent or removed as subjects in the matter of that discussion. The author of God's word may use different words to describe the same group of people in different contexts. One of the most dominant references to Christians used in the New Testament is the word "saints" and that reference is used throughout Revelation. The 70th week of Daniel will undoubtedly be a really awful time and the virtue of love will be hard pressed but it doesn't mean that love, and those beloved by God will be non-existent during that period nor does it prove that the believers are going to be translated beforehand.
Kieth, thanks for your reply! Yes my friend true of the many things you shared, of course Almighty God loves them for His Son died and rose for them (John 3:16-17, 1 Cor, 15:1-4). We take a Pre-Trib position here and in this study we made that point because of the Scriptures overwhelming teaching on this. The Body of Christ and trib saints though both are redeemed.... both are two totally different groups in status, rank and position as the New testament totally teaches (Eph. 2:1-10, etc... see link to study below).
This little point is just one of many that prove the Rapture is not Christ's second coming and that His body (i.e. the saints) is different from Old Testament saints.
Remember also that the 7 Lampstands (Rev. 2-3) are not in Revelation 6-19 but the two new ones are which begin their ministry at the beginning of this time (Rev. 11) another proof that the Body of Christ is missing.
David
http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/church/chur17.htm
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 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 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.
That's one long reply!
Amen brother! That's where we stand!
Even so come Lord Jesus!
David
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