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Is 2010 the Year of the Rapture?
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12/31/2009 6:37:55 PM
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Can We Know When Jesus Will Return?Many people have tried to predict the time of Jesus' 2nd Coming with nothing but disastrous results. They have predicted many dates that have all come and gone and have done nothing but created an atmosphere of mistrust of Christians among believers and non-believers alike. These false teachers have even led many well-meaning but yet deceived followers to economical and personal shipwreck on the rocks of ignorance. Some of these folks were so deceived as to even commit suicide in hopes of being raptured or rewarded for their misguided faith.
Some examples of false dates from history include: in 500 AD church father Hippolytus predicted the world's end based on Noah's Ark dimensions; in 1501 AD Christopher Columbus predicted just another 155 years; in 1835 AD Joseph Smith predicted the Rapture would be in 56 years; in 1818 William Miller, founder of the Millerite movement, predicted the end between 1843 and 1844; in 1926 Oswald J. Smith wrote that the Battle of Armageddon would take place before the year 1933; in 1970's Hal Lindsey predicted the end of the age to be 1988; in 1978 Chuch Smith predicted in 1981; in 1993 Harold Camping predicted the end of the world In September 1994. And the list goes on and on .... (Read More)
So why am I addressing the year of the Lord's return? Well first let me be clear: I am in no way predicting a date for this Great Event. I would be very foolish to try and make such an outrageous prophesy. I know the warnings of scripture which I will now expound on:
What the Bible Warns:Matthew 24:36 - Don't be an arrogant know it all!"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."
Here Jesus is warning us that the date is HIDDEN in the knowledge of God Only! No man, no angel, not even Satan himself; who will posses the man that will be the Antichrist; knows what day Jesus will return for His Church (The Rapture).
Matthew 24:23-25 - Don't be deceived!"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before."
Jesus told us there would be many, many false teachers making such predictions. He even clarifies the fact by saying in effect, "I told you so" in His closing phrase, "Behold, I have told you before [-hand]".
An interesting fact hidden in this reference is His statement that these false teachers would even try to deceive the "very elect" (true believers in Him). But notice the clause, "if it were possible". The fact is that Jesus Himself says that true believers in Him can not be deceived by these lies and false predictions. Why? Because "TRUE" believers have His Spirit living in them and "He (the Holy Spirit) will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13)
1 Thessalonians 5:2 - Don't underestimate the sneakiness!"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
Paul warns us that the Day of the Lord (The Rapture) comes as a thief. A thief always sneaks in to steal when you are totally unsuspecting him. No thief rings a door bell to announce his plans to rob you at such and such a time on such and such a date!
Many false teachers today try and apply this verse to the nation of Israel, but if you read the verse in it's context, He is talking to His deciples, the (future) Fathers of the Church, not the Israel as a nation.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 - Be on your guard!"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."
Paul clarifies though that this sneakiness is first and foremost to the lost world. Again this is in keeping within the context that TRUE Christians have the Holy Spirit in them who "leads us into all truth" (John 16:13). Paul understood that there are facts about the time of The Rapture that we can and should know! Revelations tell us to "Watch" for the signs. Jesus Himself went into great detail about this event and it's timing which we will now look at. When the world says "Peace" & "Safety", we should be prepared!
What We Can Know About Jesus's Return?The Bible is clear about what we, as Christians, can and should know about the time of The Rapture! We are told by Jesus, Paul and Revelations that we should be ready. They tell us that we should never lose hope or suffer despair. In fact, Jesus spent much time expounding on this teaching so we CAN know some things that He WANTS us to know about His Return. He spent more time on this teaching then on any other teaching He gave while here on earth; an entire two chapters: Mathew 24 & 25!
The Command of these verses is repeated twice. Mathew 24:42; "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" and Mathew 25:13; "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." The command of Jesus is to WATCH! There is no other way to be ready than to watch with a keen awareness to what is happening in the world! (Read Mathew 24 & 25)
John also explains why watching is important for our souls: .
OK, now to the main these of this blog There are splashed across the pages of the Bible certain facts that fit together to make the time of The Rapture very clear to TRUE Christians. These facts can also be revealed to lost people if they are presented in a clear, logical and spiritually sound presentation. It is my goal to do just that with the help and guidance of God's Holy Spirit... as all truth comes from God, not man. Let's look at some references from the Bible that explain dates and times as they relate to understanding the events in God's Timeline.
Psalm 90:10 - What is a generation?The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Here the Psalmist in the Bible is revealing what constitutes a generation in the lifespan of man. A generation is 70 years (3*20[a score] +10). A strong, healthy person may live to around 80 or so but the average lifespan according to the Bible is 70 years. Actually, a lifespan in the beginning of the human race averaged 912 years. God shortened the lifespan of mankind twice. First, in Genesis 6:3, He shortened it to 120 years then here, in psalms 90, He shortened it to 70 years. This is important for us to know as Jesus gives us a "sign" that marks the starting point of The Last Generation! See Mankind's Timeline to the Flood" for some interesting facts that deal with the Rapture and the Tribulation.
Mathew 24:32-35 - Jesus' key to the Last Generation"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Jesus gives three conditions that MUST be met before He returns again to reclaim this planet as is own. We will look at each of these in the order He lays them out in this all important text. They deal with two groups of peoples and a related unchangeable principle. First we will evaluate His KEY to understanding dates & times as they relate to The Rapture of the Church and His 2nd Coming 7 years later:
1. The Parable of the Fig Tree Interestingly, Jesus interrupts His extensive discourse about the Signs of the Last Days to interject this all important parable! Jesus always used parables to make profoundly difficult principles simple and easy to understand to His audience. And here is NO exception! His audience at this sermon is primarily His (Jewish) disciples which gathered on the Mount of olives to hear Him speak about the acts of the promised Messiah of the Old Testament who was to come and set up God's Kingdom on Earth. They suspected that Jesus was most likely this Chosen One of Israel but they were not fully persuaded at this point and would not be sure till after His Crucifixion and Resurrection on Easter Morning! Jesus breaks from His list of "Signs" to address their lack of understanding by referencing "The Fig Tree". They knew well what the fig tree represented; the nation of Israel!
"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time." (Hosea 9:10)
The Fig Tree represents Israel as God's provision for sin from it's origin back in the early life of the nation; "I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time (beginning)". There are actually 40 references to the fig tree in the Bible. The Old Testament has 17 references and either tired directly to Israel or indirectly via God's plan of redemption from sin through Israel.
The Revived Fig Tree (Israel) Joel had prophesied that at the time of Jesus birth, Israel would be in a pitiful state: "The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languished" (Joel 1:12). And Jesus Himself prophesied that it would get much worst for Israel in His sermon. He stated that in regard to the Temple of Solomon about which the disciples bragged, that "There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Mathew 24:2). But here in our text Jesus says that in the last days, in the midst of an abundance of Last Days Signs, Israel would again blossom! "When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh" (Mathew 24:32). This prophesy was fulfilled on 14 May 1948 when Israel became a nation again and regained their Holy Land!
Another interesting fact about Israel has to do with their Jubilee years. Every 50 years, Israel celebrate a special year of rejoicing. It is a religious holiday / year in which they do not havest any crops but live off the bounty God provided in previous years!
"And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land." (Leviticus 25:8-9)
"Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field. In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession." (Leviticus 25:9-13)
When Israel got their homeland back in 1917, with the help of England, they celebrated their long overdue (1900+ years) Jubilee year! Their next one fell in the year 1967 (50 years later) which is the year of the infamous Six Day War when they captured their former capital, Jerusalem from the Arabs (6/6/67)! Their next Jubilee year is the year 2017! It also marks their 70th Jubilee year since the system was inaugurated by God! What better year for their Messiah to come (return) then on their 70th Jubilee year? that would be exactly 3,500 years after it was established! The Bible numbers work out great as that is a lot of 7*7's plus 1's to make 50s! As you may already know, 7 in the Bible is the number of completion and/or perfection! AND, if you subtract the 7 years of tribulation from this Jubilee year (2017), you come out with a starting date of 2010! The trumpet that sounds the beginning of the tribulation period in the book of Revelation, is also the trumpet that sounds at The Rapture!
2. All Go for Launch When NASA prepares to launch a new rocket or shuttle, they perform a systems test of EVERY component by asking each department head to give the 'all clear' command during the countdown process. They signify that each component is functioning and responding to commands correctly by verbaly declaring a 'GO' status. If any system fails, they cancel the launch! Jesus here encourages us to follow this same wise approach as He states, "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors" (Mathew 24:33). The lack of all the requirements, happening simultaneously, is what led to so many false predictions through the centuries as to Jesus' Return. Jesus makes it clear that the first and most important SIGN was the revision of the nation of Israel. After all, how could Jesus rule the world on the thrown of David if there was no Israel, no temple, no synagogue, no throne?
Jesus says ALL signs must happen simultaneously to start the Countdown to Armageddon! First and foremost, the revision of Israel! Secondly all the signs must be occurring together in a single generation, not sporadically across many centuries: "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet" (Mathew 24:6). All the signs must be happening during the same generation and behold they are and have been since 1948 when the last generation began. We have already seen that according to the Psalmist, a generation is 70 years as determined by God!
3. The Last Generation Oath of Jesus Jesus says "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Mathew 24:34). This Generation that started when God's Fig Tree Israel became a nation in 1948 would last 70 years till 2018 and would NOT pass away till all was fulfilled! He goes on to swear to this fact by swearing against the very Nature of God Himself: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Mathew 24:34)! This had profound meaning to His disciples because they knew what such a promise of God, relating to Israel meant:
"For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swear by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." (Hebrews 6:13-14)
Jesus Swore He would return before that last generation would "pass away":
- The Last Generation Began on May 14, 1948 when Israel Became a nation
- The Last Generation Ends in 2018 when the lifespan of a Biblical Generation Ends - 70 years
- The Rapture occurs 7 years before Jesus Returns to earth no later than May 14, 2011.
- The Tribulation and the Antichrist Rule the last 7 years as spoken by Daniel and Jesus says to trust Daniel's prophecies: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)" (Matthew 24:15)
- Daniel says 1 week (of years) is reserved for the Tribulation and Antichrist: "And he [The Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [week of years in context so 7 years] and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (Daniel 9:27)
In Closing, we have seen that the last generation will expire on the date May 14, 2018 as that will be the end of the 70 year lifespan of a generation as defined by God's Word (the Bible). So as a result, we are now going into the 62'd year of that Generation in 2010. But there is one last verse to consider before assuming that we have over 1 year left for the Rapture of the church to occur:
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elects sake [Israel] those days shall be shortened." (Mathew 24:22)
2010 - The Year of Destiny! - R U Ready? If the Return of Christ does not occur till the last few days before May 14, 2018, Jesus says no one would survive. This causes problems as Israel would be wiped out. Jesus would have no throne in Israel to rule from and there would be no one left to rule! So Jesus comes BEFORE it gets that bad! So lets say He comes just 5 months earlier, Dec 14, 1017. Then subtract 7 years for the tribulation period and Lo & Behold, The Rapture would come on Dec 14, 2010! However, He can come anytime between now and then as we do not know how much He will "Shorten" the days! Hence: "No Man Knows the Day or the Hour!" (Matthew 24:36). But Jesus tells us we CAN KNOW the season and He COMMANDS us to "WATCH" (i.e. Be Ready)!
2010 - The Year of Destiny! - R U Ready?
About the Prophet Daniel I will be writing a blog in the near future about the Prophet Daniel and his prophecies that relate to the 2nd Coming of Christ so keep your eyes pealed... Daniel was the prophet that give Israel (and us) the most definitive information about the Last Days, the Antichrist and the Return of Jesus. His visions from God were sealed up as they did not apply to him or his days but rather to ours: "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" (Daniel 12:4). The KEY to the Book of Daniel is the Book of Revelation: "And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand" (Revelation 22:10). It is only by combining the books Daniel & Revelation can you make sense out of either book or unlock these all important prophesies!
Footnote: I started writing this blog last night, New Years Eve, and finished it New Years Day 2010. While taken my break for the evening, I noticed we had a 2nd Full Moon on New Years Eve called a Blue Moon. While this happens occasionally (every 2 to 3 years), it is more than ironic to me to see a "Sign in the Sky" on the very Eve of this all important year! ;) |
Summary
We are being
warned! God is showing us what His purpose for this
world entails. As we get closer and closer to the end,
the world has become more and more sinful! And
unfortunately, this condition will worsen till He
returns and redeems us from ourselves. Don't let sin,
self or Satan who has invaded our planet separate you
from the free gift of salvation that Jesus extends to
you in His invitation to be born-again:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send
His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes
in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe
is condemned already, because he has not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18)
Are You Ready? If not get ready, "Repent
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand"!
Click to Read:
Luke 13:3;
Ephesians 2:8-9;
Romans 10:8-13;
Acts2:38
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Name: Paul Paradise
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