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Sunday, January 25, 2009

end times thoughts part 2

the continuation of my 8 pages


A look at some key verses
1 Thessalonians 4:17
This verse is used by many to prove the rapture of the church before the tribulation and that “proof” hinges on the word translated "meet" in the new testament.That word ‘meet’ occurs only 4 times. (529 is the Strong’s concordance number.)Mat 25:1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet 529 the bridegroom .Mat 25:6And at midnight there was a cry made , Behold , the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet 529 him .Act 28:15 And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet 529 us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
1Th 4:17Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet 529 the Lord in the air : and so shall we ever be with the Lord .In each occurrence it is people coming out from a place; a wedding feast, Rome, the earth, meeting the person and then returning with that person to where they were. So keeping the word "meet" with its true and only meaning all the other times it is usedwe meet Christ in the air and then return to earth to watch him win the battle of Armageddon and start the millennial reign. This would be in keeping with the one and only second coming of Christ. This would mean there is no "secret" "approaching," 1/2 way down, for a rapture, sometime, before the start of the tribulation.
The verses around 1 Thes. 4:17 1Th 4:13-18
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. 1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 1Th 4:15 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. 1Th 4:16 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. 1Th 4:17 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. 1Th 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
If Paul had meant this section to teach Pre-trib rapture, why would he have gone on in Chapter 5 to tell the church to be sober and prepare for the day of the Lord, the final day of God’s final judgment. All three things in 1 th 4:16, the shout the voice of the archangel and the trumpet all speak of the end of the tribulation, the shout is a war cry for Jesus to come down and be victorious in Armageddon, the trumpet of God is the final trumpet, Jesus doesn’t come down with any of the other trumpets
1 Corinthians 15:51-55
1Cr 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 1Cr 15:52 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 will be changed. 1Cr 15:53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1Cr 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 1Cr 15:55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
Verse 52 states this event happens at the last trumpet, what does the word “last” mean??
This event is happening at the end of the tribulation. Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken
If it happens sometime before the tribulation ‘death’ is certainly not swallowed up, in fact “death’ still has millions of people to kill at that time.

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