I LOVE discussing those things that are to come according to the Word of God; those things to come that Jesus said is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to tell us – so that WE WILL BE PREPARED in each and every last generation, both physically/practically prepared AND especially spiritually prepared “in Christ.”
God has put it in Mike and I over the last 15 years or more to study this out, not listening to what theologians believe, just from our own continual study with the Holy Spirit teaching us and revealing the time (John 14:26, 15:26 – 16:14), studying as we compare Scripture to Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments.
Mike and I can only share what we have been taught by the Spirit in the books of Isaiah, Daniel 12:7-13, Jesus’ own teaching on the end times in Matthew 24, 1 Cor. 15:51-53, 1 Thess. 4:16-18, Rev. 10:6-7 the “mystery accomplished” (which we believe is the rapture, because it’s “at the 7th trumpet”).
We also see/learn, from the way the Lord our God dealt with Noah, who was told how to escape God’s coming judgment, while being persecuted by those who did not believe what Noah was telling them (repent and believe).
Then God sending Moses to free the Hebrew slaves, and pronounce judgment on Pharaoh and his nation for how they treated God’s chosen people – even while giving Pharaoh time to repent, but then hardening his heart altogether. God’s people went through most judgments in Egypt in order to purify them through obeying God’s Word through Moses, but the Hebrews did NOT experience personally/physically – all the judgments – so that God showed His “distinction” (it says) – meaning that – what He won’t let happen to those who are ‘right with Him;’ protecting them “by the blood of the Lamb,’ while showing His wrath on the rest of the world.
Then there’s God’s example of Lot and his family being taken out of the place of God’s judgment of fire – right before it happens. Lot endured persecution for not conforming to the ways of the wicked. Interesting, that his wife “looked back” after told not to look back with affection or sentiment, and then turned to a pillar of salt when she did go against the Word of God. She was unable to live on in the way of the Lord with His faithful ones.
Then there’s how God used Jacob’s 11th son, Joseph, through all those years of persecution to be set up as God’s provision for God’s people (Joseph’s family) later on – when great famine hit the land.
The “rapture” is our “escaping” the worst time the earth has ever seen, yet going through some in order to prepare us for our Lord, to see Him face and face, and to enter His Kingdom. Unlike before as in the days of Israel: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – God’s full on wrath will be happening ALL over the earth, to the WHOLE world, and not just to certain areas on the earth, or to certain nations. We are seeing “worldwide” things happening now. The Lord’s servants will go through tribulation worldwide, in every nation, even good old America.
When God takes His Faithful Church (with His Holy Spirit – Daniel 12:7) OFF the earth, He replaces them with His “Two Witnesses” to prophesy what is still to come, and to REPENT! Note: We see that the “rapture” has been accomplished, (Rev. 10:7) just as the prophets said, “at the 7th trumpet.” We see that the Church goes through the first woe judgments and part of the second woe judgments (which end after the Two Witnesses have replaced the Church).
After the Two Witnesses have completed their work from God He calls them “up to heaven in a cloud” (Rev. 12) that the whole world notices. Rev.11:14:
“The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.” Then Rev. 11:15 reports that the 7th trumpet is now sounding with it’s events, of which includes: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will (its coming) reign for ever and ever…..because You have taken Your great power and BEGUN to reign. NOTE: His reign starts in heaven with all His faithful servants finally with Him. Jesus said to all His disciples: “I will come for you so that where ever I am – there you will be also.”
The nations are said to be ALL angry now, because the full-on WRATH has come….” In Revelation chapters 12 – 18 we see all that God does on the earth with the rest of His judgments (the BOWLS – the worst of all the judgments).
Rev. 19:11 then reveals the ‘second’ coming of God’s Son, but this time to “reign a thousand years on the earth” as King of kings and Lord of lords: “The armies of HEAVEN were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen (19:8 the righteous acts of God’s holy people), white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to STRIKE DOWN THE [ANGRY] NATIONS. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.'” And on it goes to describe what our KING and His armies accomplish on the earth during those 1000 years.
Then we see in Revelation 21 that New Jerusalem comes down like a bride prepared for her husband (Jesus who is reigning on the earth on David’s throne in Jerusalem, the City God loves, His eternal footstool). Hallelujah! “For the OLD order of things has passed away. I have made all things NEW!”
What our Creator first created and called “good,” will be purified by His judgments, renewed and restored by Christ’s reign with His one-world government. Then eternity can begin, as God intended for mankind before Satan and sin entered the world to spoil, overtake and pervert all that God called “good.”
“God saw all that He had made, and it was VERY GOOD. Thus the heavens and the earth were COMPLETED in all their vast array. And on the 7th day God rested from all His work of creating that He had done.” Genesis 2:2-3
COME LORD JESUS COME!