Dealing With Hateful Online Comments

If you've been online for as many years as I have (since 1999) and you've been part of any social media site, or if you've shared the salvation message of Jesus in public, you've come to realize that not everyone will agree with what you may say. Early on, I used to fight to win online arguments, but through years of experience, I've found this to be a futile endeavor. I'm in no way an expert, but as a born again believer in Christ, I've developed ways of dealing with individuals online who give me a difficult time. These are tips you can also use when speaking with someone face to face as well. You undoubtedly have a different set of personality traits that would lead you to handling some things in a different way, but this is what works for me personally.

RESIGN YOURSELF TO THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO WIN THE ARGUMENT

Your goal shouldn't be to win an argument. Your goal should be to share the salvation message, your biblical knowledge, and to share facts in the hopes of having a rational discussion with others. There are those who don't have that same mindset. Many people don't want to open their mind to other viewpoints or they're just looking for an argument. They'll refuse to give up any ground, even when you've given them all the facts. You can take a picture of the sky to prove that it's blue, and they'll still say it's green. They're just plain stubborn and refuse to listen to reason. They could also be trolls, who want to take the opposite viewpoint just to give you a difficult time as they try to stir up strife. These are the people on which you don't want to waste your time. The moment someone becomes combative and refuses to listen to what you have to say, the minute you realize that their ears, mind, and heart are closed to what you have to share, the minute they're more interested in their own viewpoint and have become deaf to what you're trying to share, the conversation should end. There's no use in investing time and effort to type out your entire side of the conversation if they're just going to ignore everything you've written and stick to their guns, even when scripture and logic shows otherwise. There comes a time when you just need to stop casting pearls or need to shake the dust from your feet. Many times, I'll end the conversation with, "We'll just have to agree to disagree," or "We're just talking in circles, so I'll give you the last word." Once you've said that, you've taken the power out of their hands because you've, effectively, ended the discussion. Don't even wait for their online response, because if you do, they're probably going to goad you into responding again. Just move on and don't let the enemy get a foothold. 

IF POSSIBLE, LIVE PEACEFULLY WITH EVERYONE.

It says in Roman 12:18, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." Very rarely will negative feedback or comments get my dander up. I can usually read them, shrug them off, chuckle about them, smile, and respond in a way that doesn't feed into, or fuel, their hateful or combative rhetoric. I've been called every name in the book. I've heard it all. How do I handle it? I try to calmly explain my side a little more clearly, using logic and, depending on the situation, scripture. If they continue to attack me, I dodge it and respond with more God given wisdom and knowledge. Most will get tired of not getting anywhere with their attacks, and they'll just give up. They'll figure out that it's better to give up than to continually be proven wrong.

Another way to deal with negative, hateful, and vulgar comments is to just respond with humor. If they can see that they're not getting you upset, they'll leave. I'll respond with a facetious comment, causing them to look a little foolish without actually attacking them. A few good facetious comments along with some "LOL's" and laughing emojis and they tend to move along because they don't want to look like a fool in front of anyone in the comment section. If they're on my YouTube channel, I'll say something like, "Thanks for watching the video and for leaving your comments. When you leave comments, it boosts my stats." They usually leave right after that. If not, I won't even address the topic of their next negative comment. I'll just say something like, "Another comment! Ding! My stats just went up. Thank you so much for helping me out! Keep them going!!!" They're usually gone by that point.

DON'T GET DISTRACTED AND BECOME A CONSTANT TARGET BY LOSING CONTROL

Many people, once they realize that their not winning the argument, will attempt to change the subject ("Well what about this... what about that?"). I always try stay on topic and bring it to some sort of conclusion before we move on to something else. I say something like, "I'll address that in a moment, but just to finish clarifying what we were talking about..." If you allow them to steer the conversation, nothing will get resolved and you'll just be a constant target for whatever they want to throw at you until they find something that sticks. Resolve issues one at a time in order to avoid confusion. If not, by the end of the conversation, not one issue will have been thoroughly discussed and/or resolved, ending with nothing actually being accomplished.

AVOID THE BOOK WRITERS

With online social media, there are those who will try to overwhelm the comment section with what seems like a chapter from a book. Their comment is so long, and the scripture they're sharing is so disjointed and cherry picked, that there's no way you can adequately respond in the limited space of a comment section. It reminds me of a meme I once created...

Trust me. Don't take the time to write your own book explaining point by point how what they just said was scripturally inaccurate, because they're so convinced that they're right, that they'll reject anything you have to say in response to them if it contradicts what they've written. They'll just write another chapter to let you know how wrong you are, and it'll be filled with more misquoted and cherry picked scripture. So, in the end, all that time and effort that you put into responding to their initial comment would have been for naught, because they either didn't read it, or they ignored it. That's why I refuse to read anyone's comment if it's more than a couple of paragraphs containing multiple points, because there's no way to adequately respond to that kind of comment without putting a lot of time and effort into it.

NEVER ATTACK THE OTHER PERSON

If you can remember not to take things personally, then this shouldn't be too difficult to accomplish. Just try to remember that they're likely coming from a position of ignorance of the issue or of God's word. The quickest way for a discussion to devolve is to attack the other person. The discussion then turns into a personal argument, and then it turns into chaos. Your attacks then make you the aggressor in everyone else's eyes, and you'll just end up looking like a fool if your attacks are proven false. It's okay to have an offensive stance, but that's not an excuse to purposely hurt other people. People are already going to get their feelings hurt by the truth. We don't need to add anything else to that negative experience that's going to just make things worse. Remember, our fight isn't against flesh and blood. The unsaved are being influenced by the enemy, and they're living in the flesh, without a resurrected, born again spirit. What you see clearly, they can't yet understand. That being said, I confess that I've taken some things personally and regretted my responses afterwards. That leads me to my next point...

LEARN FROM YOUR FAILURES

When you fail, and you will fail, learn from the experience. Your words won't always be the right ones. You'll say things with an attitude that you'll regret. You won't always have an answer for someone who poses a difficult question or idea. It's easy for me to say don't sweat it, but... don't. It's all part of the learning process. You can't take back words when you're in a face to face discussion, but at least online you can fix a mistake by just deleting what you've said. When you see an area of weakness on your part, then focus on that issue in your next bible study, so that God can increase your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of Him and His word, and so you can be ready to provide a more knowledgeable response the next time the subject comes up in conversation. 

REMAIN HUMBLE... YOU MAY BE WRONG

Many times we're convinced that what we believe is 100% correct. We'll argue a point until the other person brings up a fact or a scripture that changes everything. Suddenly, those long held beliefs are blown away and truth wins out. We have to always be ready to be proven wrong. In fact, I don't mind being proven wrong. Why? Because I don't want to live my life believing something is the truth when it's a lie. I don't mind having my bubble popped, so-to-speak. That's how I've come to realize that a lot of church tradition is just that... manmade tradition passed down from generation to generation within the church. We can't ask others to listen and think about what we have to say if we're not willing to show them the same consideration. We're not always right! So my advice is to remain humble, because it's the humble that are open to loving correction and rebuke through the Holy Spirit. If that happens, then don't be too prideful to admit to the other person that you understand where they're coming from, and that they've given you something to think about. Then go do some hardcore bible study...lol. 

I hope this has given you some food for thought and that you'll walk away with one or two tips that you can use in your own online and real life encounters with the church and the unsaved. 

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

A Thief In The Night Film: Patty's Struggle With Ambivalence

How many of you have watched A Thief In The Night series and have been totally frustrated with Patty? She is so ambivalent, that she just can't decide what to do. On one hand, she has her own belief in God, but on the other hand, it's not the type of faith that's needed for salvation. Like many others, she believes there's a God, but it's a God of her own creation. She attends an apostate church, because the message is easy and it doesn't compromise her own personal beliefs or force her to make any serious changes to her life. She can live as she wants, as long as she occasionally attends church and tries her best to live a good life. 

SPOILER ALERT:

When she's confronted by the actual events of the Rapture, she loses her husband, her grandmother, and her closest friend, thus becoming even more torn between having a general "belief" in God and having actual, life altering "faith" in Him. She flip flops back and forth between wanting to believe like her husband, grandmother and friend who disappeared, but then reverts back to the teaching of her apostate pastor, which is in direct conflict with scripture.

Some may ask... Isn't it enough to just believe in God? After all, God says to believe and I'll be saved.

That would greatly depend upon how you define the word "believe." You can believe (have a knowledge) that God exists, but just knowing God exists isn't enough. Even Satan and his demons believe that God exists... they lived in His presence... but that's not enough. 

To begin with, belief is actually a faithful independent trust in God. It's also an act of developing a relationship with Jesus and to depend solely upon His sacrifice on the cross for our salvation. He suffered the full force of God's wrath upon Himself for all of us, and because of that, He's able to offer us the free gift of salvation, through His sacrifice. This isn't just head knowledge. This is the type of belief that results in a deeper relationship with God. It's a belief... a faith... that draws us closer to Him through reading and studying scripture, and by spending time with Him in prayer. To truly believe in God is to submit all aspects of our life to Him and to be proactive in developing a closer, more obedient relationship with Him. (1John. 5:5, James 1:22, Luke 9:23, Romans 10:9-11, 12:1, John 6:47).

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

A Jezebel Spirit Is Just A Church Tradition

The Jezebel spirit (demon) isn't directly mentioned in the Bible, but you'll often hear Christians using the term in reference to a powerful demon. I can't blame them, because that's what they're being taught in church and through word of mouth.

Queen Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, is described in the Old Testament as someone who persecuted the prophets of God, promoted idol worship, engaged in sexual immorality, and lead God's people astray. The so-called "Jezebel spirit" is associated with traits such as hatred, seduction, calculation, wickedness, and manipulation. This term is used to describe people, mainly women, who demonstrate these manipulative and controlling behaviors within the church. Christians attribute Jezebel's actions to a powerful demonic spirit that possessed her or had some type of control over her, but that's more of a church tradition rather than scriptural truth. Nowhere in the bible is there mention of a specific demonic Jezebel spirit. 

The Jezebel spirit often makes good fodder for many things, like preaching an exciting sermon, making money from book publishing, publicly trying to cast out this non-entity, and/or getting hits, likes, and shares on social media. Christians just love using the phrase, but all it does is give demons undeserved credit for mankind's response to demonic influence. Like the "spirit of python," (<-- Link) this off-base Jezebel teaching cycles around every few years to misinform a new generation of believers, or is passed down by word of mouth from one Christian to another every time someone wants to judge the actions of an individual who is exhibiting such behavior. 

Jezebel was cunning, spiritually controlling, and manipulative and did her best to lead others into sin and to cause division among God's people. She excelled in exhibiting manipulative and controlling behaviors, leading others into moral compromise and false teaching. These behaviors and actions made her feel powerful and brought her joy and personal satisfaction. How many people have we seen in our lifetime who thrive in their own selfish, arrogant, or narcissistic behavior, exhibiting much of the same attributes that were attributed to Jezebel? It's not the evidence of a Jezebel spirit, it's evidence of a life lived in pridefulness and in rebellion against God. Jezebel was an evil woman who openly sinned, encouraged others to openly sin, mocked God, and caused division. Sure, there were demonic influences, but she made the decision to submit to those influences, living to satisfy the sinful desires of her flesh, and, in doing so, suffered the consequences of her actions. 

It's common for Christians to blame demons for their own negative behavior or the behavior or others, but often that's just a cop-out for Christians who are willfully submitting to the desires and weaknesses of the flesh, failing in their own walk with the Lord, or who are finding it difficult to change a behavior, like dealing with issues such as anger, hatred, jealousy, envy, lust, revenge, greed, gluttony, thirst for authority, etc... 

When the term, "Jezebel spirit," is used, many Christians think of it as a demonic entity rather than the personal sinful traits of one woman who God highlighted as an example of living a life in enmity against Him. It's important to view this "Jezebel spirit" as personality traits, sinful behavior, and animosity toward God, instead of what the church has deemed to be powerful demonic possession or influence. Let's not give the enemy any undeserved credit for what he's not responsible in accomplishing. He's a tempter of the flesh... the father of lies... but we are responsible for our own actions, just as Jezebel was responsible for hers. 

So when using the term, "Jezebel spirit," we need to understand that it's not referring to one powerful, demonic spirit, but an example of the constant attack we're under in the spiritual realm to turn us from God. He has given us an example of what can happen if we allow the enemy to completely influence our thoughts and actions, as is what occurred with the evil and sinful behavior of Jezebel. 

I would prefer that the church stop using this term, because in the minds of so many people, it depicts an almost all-powerful spiritual entity who doesn't exist, but it seems so ingrained in the psyche of Christians, that it would be difficult to discourage it's use, because so many people are bound by church tradition and false teaching. The important thing about church tradition is that if it doesn't hold up to scripture, then we need to be willing to let it go.

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Today Is Easter: Why I'm Not Celebrating The Day

Let me just begin by reminding everyone that Christians have something called communion. It's described in scripture and it began with Jesus' instruction during the last supper with His disciples. Communion is a way for believers to participate together in showing their love for, and fellowship with, Christ. We were given instruction in how to remember the atoning sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Drinking of the fruit of the vine symbolizes His shed blood, while consuming the broken bread symbolizes His body, which was broken for all of us. 

This is one of the main reasons why I don't celebrate Easter. Jesus already instructed us in how to remember Him and His sacrifice for us. He made that clear with the example of communion. We were never instructed by God, through scripture, to recognize a specific and singular day or time of the year to recognize Jesus' birth, life, suffering, death, and resurrection. In fact, His instructions were to participate in communion regularly. 

Many people explain their aversion to this "Christian" holiday by emphasizing the pagan roots of this day, but we don't even need to go that route when discussing the issue. I think it muddies the water and causes unnecessary arguments. There's no need to go into what it's possible pagan roots consist of, other than to say again that Easter wasn't, and isn't, a God ordained holiday, but is, instead, a manmade holiday that began at the First Council of Nicaea, in 325 AD, which established the observance of this day by all "Christians" on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. So, to put it into perspective, Easter originated with the Roman Catholic Church, which is steeped in paganism, religious rituals, symbolism, graven images, and worldly traditions, but that's a subject for another article. 

If you can understand and acknowledge that Easter isn't a God-directed holiday and that it wasn't even celebrated by the early church, then you're heading in the right direction. So, if Easter is just a made up Catholic holiday, how did it spill over to protestant churches after the Reformation? 

Holidays, like Easter, have been kept alive by tradition and nostalgia. Traditions are beliefs and behaviors that have been followed by people from generation to generation without much thought. In fact, many of the things we honestly believe are scriptural are actually just church tradition. The problem comes when "Christian" tradition becomes so ingrained that it's seen as a sacrilege NOT to participate in or recognize that very thing, and can cause someone to be labeled as an apostate for not following tradition. Nostalgia is what ties strong emotions and memories to traditions. Tradition and nostalgia are strongly linked together and are very powerful emotional tools employed by the enemy (Satan) to keep people bound to things of which they should be repenting. One of the enemy's greatest accomplishments is to condition Christians into believing and participating in things that he has disguised as Christian or biblical.

I don't attend church services during Easter or Christmas season, so that I can separate myself from the secular and pagan symbolism of those seasons. I prefer to remain apart and removed from those things of which God has separated me. Discussing the secularism/paganism of those holidays with other Christians is as challenging as discussing Jesus with Atheists. When I'm talking with unbelievers, their negative words and feelings are expected. Not so much with those who claim to be born again believers, who won't even entertain the thought that their long held beliefs could be unbiblical. It's both frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time. Another sad thing is seeing how many "Christians" compromise their faith by combining the spiritual with the worldly in the observance of this holiday. They'll say it's, "for the kids," but that's a weak excuse. As a parent, I know that it can be difficult, but aren't we supposed to bring our children up in the way that they should go so that they won't depart from it? What they're actually training up their child to do is to perpetuate this tradition. What compromised Christians are actually doing is training up another generation of Christians who are going to be bound and chained by tradition and nostalgia and who are then passing it on to the next generation of Christians. 

That's why we get Christians who welcome graphics like the one we have here. It seems like a colorful Christian expression of the season that includes butterflies (a symbol of rebirth), a scripture reference, and a cross with a bow. What else do we see? Rabbit ears... and it's all designed with Easter egg pastel colors. This graphic may appear to be Christian by some Christians, but it just reinforces the combining of a Christian and secular celebration of Easter. In other words, compromised Christianity.

The decision of whether or not to celebrate Easter is in the hands of everyone who considers themselves to be a born again believer. Some people just aren't ready to entertain the idea of turning away from the limitations of Easter, but others have reached the point where they are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in this area of their life. Honestly ask yourself, "If my relationship with God and others is different on this day, then what does it say about my daily relationship with God?" "If Jesus set up communion as a reflection and celebration of His life, then doesn't that make Easter moot?" "What can I do on Easter that I can't do any other day of the year?" When you begin asking yourself these first few important questions, and begin reflecting on the word of God, I'm hoping that the Holy Spirit will show you that your faith in God, and the strength of your relationship with Him, should be just as strong every day as you believe it to be on a day like Easter. May the Holy Spirit also convict anyone who has been compromising their Christianity to include the secular aspect of Easter. 

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

A Thief In The Night Film: Following The Wrong Man

If you're over 30 years old, then you're probably familiar with a film called, "A Thief In The Night." Since it's release in 1973, it has produced three sequels and has reached millions of people around the world with the message of salvation, causing a multitude to repent and believe. The movie is dated, as you can see by the clothes, hairstyles, cars, etc... but the message isn't. If you haven't seen this film, there are a few online sources where you can watch it for free, including Tubi and YouTube. If you haven't watched the film, then be forewarned that there are SPOILERS AHEAD. That being said...

Many born again believers fall into the trap of following a man instead of following God. Patty, the main character in "A Thief In The Night," makes some serious and life altering errors in judgment in her half-hearted attempt to have a relationship with God. Patty attends an apostate church, where people aren't challenged. The message is easy, and they don't really have to worry about sin and it's consequences. So you see, the first mistake Patty made was to become involved in a church that was led by an apostate minister, surrounding herself with a likeminded congregation that didn't want to have their religious beliefs challenged. 

This church employs, and is lead by, an apostate minister who doesn't take the bible seriously, and doesn't preach sound doctrine from it. His sermons are designed to make the congregation feel at ease, allowing them to fall into a spiritual slumber, never challenging them or requiring anything of consequence of them. He tells them what their itching ears want to hear... they can believe in God, but still live their lives as they wish, with no negative spiritual or eternal consequences. They're taught that they don't need to adhere to scripture, because scripture is just allegory... symbolic... without real consequences for sin.

When the Rapture actually occurs, both Patty and her minister, Rev. Turner, are taken off guard and left behind to deal with the consequences of their actions and to fear about living in the Tribulation. It's at that moment that the apostate minister finally realizes his grave mistake, and he grieves over the number of people in his congregation that were left behind and for those who, before the Rapture, had died in their sin, having never heard the message of salvation (at least not in his church). Patty, like others, was lulled by Rev. Turner's safe and easy message of trying your best to live a good life and not worry about sinning, because people can't help but sin. She was now reaping the consequences of believing Rev. Turner's false teaching.

Still, after learning and admitting that she should never have followed the teachings of her apostate Pastor, she ends up making the same mistake again. You see, after she and her pastor are temporarily incarcerated in the local jail, a prison matron comes to Patty's cell, trying to convince her to take the mark. She tells Patty that Rev. Turner has "seen the error of his way" and has taken the mark. Patty is surprised at first because it doesn't reflect the conversation she just had with him the prior night, but she shrugs it off and decides to take the mark as well because, as she sees it, her minister knows what's best. That's right! Even though she knew her apostate minister led her astray, she's willing to follow him AGAIN and go against precisely what the Christians she has known in her life have warned her not to do.

It's only after she is brought outside, when she sees a deceased Rev. Turner sporting a bloody forehead and laying on a gurney, that she realizes that the prison matron lied to her. She breaks free and runs for her life.

That's not all. Who does Patty contact? She calls the only friend she still has... Diane. She's the third young lady of this young trio of women in the film. Diane has never believed in the salvation message, and even called it, "...a bunch of bull." So Patty, after missing out on the Rapture, choses to run to her atheist friend. Even at this point, being forewarned about the Rapture, and even having her own husband disappear, she remains on the fence.

We can look to others to define our relationship with God, or we can look to Him alone. Many born again believers make the mistake of comparing their spiritual walk with the examples set by other born again believers that they judge to be better than themselves. They judge their own success and failures by those comparisons. That's a huge mistake. Yes, we can take encouragement observing another believer's relationship with God, but our walk is ours alone. It's a unique relationship with the Lord that is defined by our own personality and by what God wishes to accomplish through us. We all have our own unique personality, experiences, strengths, and weaknesses. 

The danger is when we allow others to define our place in God's kingdom and to define our success in our spiritual walk with the Lord. This especially holds true for young born again believers, who are just trying to fit into the body of Christ and are using other believers as examples or templates. If Patty had been reading her bible, praying, and trying to forge a close relationship with the Lord, she would have known she was in an apostate church and that she was being taught by an apostate pastor. Instead, she was being religious, thinking that this was enough. After all, everyone in her little church bubble, including her pastor, reinforced those feelings and thoughts, which were... On occasion, go to church, read your bible, and do a little praying. Then live your life trying to be as "good" as your own subjective ethics and feelings tell you to. As Patty said, "What else is there? I'm as good as the next person... maybe better." 

Well, if you don't know by now, it's not about how "good" you think you are. It's not about meeting anyone else's expectations. It's about addressing the broken relationship we have with God and the sin that we carry with us. It's about repenting of our past sin and having faith in, and submitting to, the One who put aside His own glory in Heaven, humbled Himself by coming to earth to be born a man, and who lived a perfect life as an example to us all. It's about Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, shedding his innocent blood and taking on the full brunt of God's judgment; a judgment that should have been directed toward us. It's receiving the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and having our sins forgiven and the slate wiped clean through His blood, and having our relationship with God restored by having our dead spirit resurrected and being born again by way of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus stood in the way of God's judgment upon us when He went to the cross as our ultimate sacrifice, and He still stands in the way as He mediates for us as our High Priest in Heaven. 

So, be careful who you listen to, and use sound judgment and discernment in seeking out sound teaching. If what you're hearing contradicts scripture, then it's not sound teaching. Also, never hold anyone in such high regard, that your desire to follow them becomes stronger than your desire to follow God. In other words, never put anyone on a pedestal or become their fanboy. It clouds good judgment, discernment, and can lead you astray without even realizing it.

The message of Tribulation Harvest has always been a simple one. Repent, and be forgiven! Believe, and be saved! You'll see that at the end of all my blogs.

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

On The Horizon: The Destruction Of Damascus And The War Of Gog And Magog (Updated)

Updates are at the bottom of this article.

Biblical prophecy reveals many events that are yet to occur, among them being the destruction of Damascus and the War of Gog and Magog. Whether they occur before or after the Rapture is unclear, but I'm going to take an educated guess and say that since these two events will be localized in the Middle East, then we'll probably still be here to watch these events unfold. I also think they're interlinked, and I'll explain why.

The War of Gog and Magog is a biblical prophecy that has yet to occur. It'll be a coalition of Middle Eastern nations that will include: Iran, Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Scripture tells us that Russia will be dragged into this conflict. "And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2"Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophecy against him 3and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. 4I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords." Ezekiel 38:1-4 (I underlined these words to emphasize them.)

So why should Russia get involved? It's geopolitical. She's made financial and military alliances with many of these nations, and they're going to demand that Russia honor it's promises to help protect them. Russia is also interested in the riches of Israel, and will definitely want a piece of the pie, if they believe that this war will end in Israel's destruction. Why isn't Russia concerned about the response of the United States and NATO? I'll answer that question in a moment.

Since Israel is currently at war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, we may be able to infer, from scripture, that Israel's current efforts to destroy Hezbollah may not be complete before this next major Middle Eastern war. If that's the case, could the War of Gog and Magog be closer than we imagine?

What could cause these Middle Eastern countries to suddenly form a coalition to attack Israel? What is the trigger event... the black swan... that could cause these countries to attack Israel? As of today, October 26, 2024, we've witnessed Israel enter Gaza to destroy Hamas, we've witnessed the ongoing war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and we've witnessed Israel's destruction of air defense systems in Syria and Iran, in what appears to be the first of multiple waves of attacks against Iran (more of which may occur in the coming days or weeks). 

Will Iran be desperate enough to launch a nuclear weapon from Syria, causing Israel to retaliate by launching their own nuclear weapon, destroying Damascus, sending a major signal to the other nations of the Middle East of their resolve to protect their country? Well, Islamic eschatology states that Al-Malhamat Al-Kubra "The Greatest Battle" must occur, a battle of apocalyptic proportion, which is said to be the catalyst that ushers in their Dajjal "messiah." So the possibility of Iran being desperate enough to order the launch of a nuclear weapon from their proxy state of Syria is pretty high, especially when Iran's proxy war through Gaza and Lebanon is now limited, and their own defense systems have been destroyed by the recent strike by Israel. If Iran's nuclear program and oil fields are attacked, they'll be hanging on by a thread.

Could this possible limited exchange of nuclear weapons between Syria and Israel be the spark that sets off the powder keg and triggers the War of Gog and Magog? Think about this scenario... Syria, on Iran's orders, commits an act of aggression against Israel; an act so heinous that it threatens the very existence of Israel (A biological weapon? A nuclear weapon?). Israel determines that, for it's own safety and future existence, it has no option but to respond, in kind, with a nuclear weapon. They fire one missile and destroy Damascus (prophecy fulfilled), determined to show that Israel will go to extreme measures to protect itself, and to warn other nations that she is ready to defend herself by any means necessary. 

This sets two things in motion. The prophetic War of Gog and Magog, and the part of the prophecy that states that no one will come to Israel's defense... the whole world will turn against Israel for choosing a nuclear response, and no country will lift a finger to aid or defend her during the battle, not even the United States. That's one of the reasons Russia is bold enough to lead this coalition... because the United States won't defend Israel after choosing a nuclear option. 

What has the current administration been advising Israel to do when it's been attacked with thousands of missiles from Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran? What did they advise Israel to do after the deadly invasion of it's southern border by Hamas? Every time Israel is attacked, they're advised not to retaliate because it could set off a major war in the Middle East. So it's plausible to guess the US response to a nuclear attack on Israel. Israel will most likely be told to stand down and not to retaliate in kind, because if it does, the the US will withhold any support (financial, weapons, military). What has Israel always said? It will do whatever needs to be done to protect it's sovereignty with or without the support of the rest of the world.

It doesn't matter what the results are from the 2024 US Presidential election, because win or lose, things are heating up so quickly in the Middle East, that the Middle East may blow up at any moment. It's my opinion that if Trump wins, it will speed up the timeline, because Iran will know that it only has a few weeks before the new administration takes office, so decisions will need to be made before the new administration takes power in January 2025. If the party currently in power wins the election, then Iran may take more time to make it's move, because it knows that it won't be met with much resistance on the part of the US. 

Will born again believers be here to witness these prophesied events? I hope so! As horrific as they may be, I'd like to be here to see God move in such a mighty way to protect Israel and to open the eyes of unbelievers to show that He does, indeed, exist. The field will certainly be ripe, and God, through these events, could provide a last evangelistic push as we quickly approach the end of the church age!

It would truly be the season of Jesus' return and of the Rapture of the church!

UPDATE: On December 8, 2024, the Assad regime was defeated. Assad and his family have fled Syria and have received asylum in Russia. Assad's defeat means that Russia has lost control of it's military base in the Mediterranean (located on the coast of Syria), so they are no longer a power in the region. That's not going to sit well with Russia. It is theorized that with Israel's defeat of Hamas and the devastating attacks on Hezbollah, along with Russia's main focus being on the war in Ukraine, this provided the "rebels" the perfect opportunity to march in and bring down the Assad regime with very little resistance. This is the second reordering of the Middle East in the past few decades, and brings us one important step closer to the War of Gog and Magog.

If you want to know more about the War of Gog and Magog or the destruction of Damascus, click on the links provided.

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATION HARVEST

Building A Tribulation Kit

What's the purpose of a Tribulation Kit?

It's not difficult to picture a time in the near future when the world will experience the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the Tribulation. The purpose of a Tribulation Kit is to have a collection of valuable information set aside to share with family, friends, and others in your community who are unsaved and who will find themselves living through the Tribulation. It's a great evangelizing tool to bring the salvation message and the word of God to those who are not yet born again believers. This is a blog created specifically for those who do not believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Whether you believe in the Rapture or not, these Tribulation Kits are a valuable resource for those who will find themselves living during the time of the Tribulation.

What are some of the things to include?

• BIBLE: The first thing you should include is a bible. You can include the version of your choice. You can include the entire bible or just include the New Testament. It depends on how much money you're able to spend and how many Tribulation Kits you want to put together. You can find paperback bibles and New Testaments.

• TRACTS: The second thing you should include are Tracts. You may not know who is receiving the kit, so try to include several tracts that explain the message of salvation in different ways. There are even some cartoon tracts out there that are written to give an easy to understand explanation of the salvation message. I, personally, have included about 8 different tracts in my kit.

• WRITTEN INFORMATION: Those living through the Tribulation will need to know what's happening and what's to come, so a letter or homemade booklet would be beneficial to whoever is accessing the Tribulation Kit. You can also print off pages from online sources to add to your kit. You can include hard copy information about salvation, the Tribulation, God's salvation plan for mankind, etc... You can even include a tribulation timeline that you can find online, so that they'll know what's coming and in what order.

• DVD/CD: If you're able to download some Christian YouTube videos, then you can burn them to a DVD. The same could be said for Christian music. You can burn a CD of your favorite Christian praise and worship music. Use a marker to write on the DVD/CD or buy some DVD labels and affix them to the DVD's and CD's. 

• FLASH DRIVE: You can use this in addition to the DVD/CD option for video and music and as another option for hardcopy information. You'll not only have physical copies of information on a DVD, CD, or printed on paper, now you'll also have all of that copied to the flash drive. Just figure out how much information you want to save on the flash drive (calculating extra space in case you want to add more information or if the recipient wants to add more information). I've even added free online bibles (various versions) on to flash drives, along with survival information, first aid information, etc... 

• A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA: Add a little something extra to your Tribulation Kit. I've added a small gift... a simple wooden cross necklace with a breakaway cord. The ones I chose are inexpensive and can be purchased through Oriental Trading. 

• ANYTHING YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT: The great thing about a Tribulation Kit is that you can include anything you want, so if you think it's important to include, then add it to your packet. That includes online information, a copy of the book of John, a small med kit with basic first-aid items, etc... Whatever you include is up to you. That's why every Tribulation Kit will be different. 

So how do I put everything together?

• CONTAINERS: Well, that depends on how much physical material you have. It could be as simple as slipping everything into a large manila envelope or zip lock freezer bag. If that's not going to be large enough, you can use small bins or cardboard boxes. You can use manila envelopes and/or cardboard containers as long as you keep them from water and mold damage, but I suggest using large zip lock freezer bags or small storage bins that stack. If you need something larger than a gallon sized zip lock freezer bag, they sell jumbo 2.5 gallon zip lock bags.

• LABELS: You'll need to let people know what's in the kit, so you'll want to label them. You can make a hand written label or print something off and then affix it to the outside of the kit so that it's easily identifiable in case you're not around to share them with others (We're not guaranteed survival through the entire Tribulation). It can be something as simple as, "Tribulation Kit" or you can create a more detailed label that includes the items. It doesn't matter what information you choose to include as long as it's clearly labeled in large letters.

• SPECIAL NOTE: If you believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture or Mid-Tribulation Rapture, you could also leave printed information about the Rapture as well. If you believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, then you can read my article about an After Rapture Kit (ARK) by clicking HERE.

Everything's been packaged and labeled. Now what?

• STORAGE: You'll want to find a safe dry place to store your Tribulation Kits, but try to keep them in plain sight. If they're individual kits in envelopes or zip locked bags, you can place them in a protective covered storage bin or even in a cardboard box, but be sure to place a label on the outside so that everyone knows what it contains. If they're stored in individual bins, then stack them somewhere out of the way, but still in plain sight. They'll all be labeled, so you're good to go (be sure to label the side or end of the bins that will be visible).

• PRAYER: Pray over the kits that you've assembled. Your hope should be that they all get into the hands of those who need them before anyone else finds them and destroys them. Remember, all Christian materials will most likely be outlawed at a certain point during the Tribulation, so it's important for the kits to get into the hands that can benefit from them.

• TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY: Don't keep these Tribulation Kits a secret. Make sure you share the information with family and friends so that they'll know where to go when the Tribulation begins so that they can be equipped with the tools they'll need. If they're not born again believers, suggest that they take a packet home and leave it in a secure place "just in case" what you say is coming actually happens. If they don't take them, then at least they'll know where to find them when they need them.

Is there anything else I can do?

Other than the Tribulation Kit and evangelizing now, consider leaving behind tracts in/on those things that people will most likely steal during the Tribulation if you're not there (again, it's more than likely that we'll die either from the judgments of God or from the persecution and execution of Christians). Maybe tape a tract on the back of a flat screen television, computer, and other high priced items, so if they're stolen, at least they have another opportunity to hear the salvation message. Leave Christian materials in your emergency food stash and in your first aid/medical supplies and attached to the inside of your medicine cabinet door. Consider placing a Tribulation Kit in your vehicle glove box and/or hanging one in your closet for people looking for clothing. I'm sure you can be imaginative and think of other great places to leave a Tribulation Kit or Christian tract. Bring a kit to work and leave it in a desk drawer or file cabinet. Again, pray that your efforts will be fruitful.

Please take the time to leave a comment below and share your ideas for what you plan to include in your Tribulation Kit as well as any ideas you may have where you could leave kits or tracts in your home. God bless!!!

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 7: Timing Is Everything

As with most things, timing is everything. The same is true for the Rapture. There are conditions in scripture that people overlook when they're talking about anything other than a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Let's look at some of these conditions:

• In Luke 17:26-27, Jesus says, "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man; 27they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all."  So Jesus, Himself, tells us that they were living a normal life, blissfully unaware that the judgment of God was about to be unleashed upon them.

• In Luke 17:28-29, Jesus says, "It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed." Again, living a normal life, oblivious to what was to come.

• 1Thessalonians 5:1-3 says, "Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3While they are saying "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape."

Just looking at these few scriptures alone, it's difficult to believe that anyone could honestly say that this will be an accurate description of the condition of the world during, or toward the end of, the Tribulation. Destruction has been coming down all around them throughout the Tribulation (Seal Judgments, Trumpet Judgments, Vial/Bowl Judgments), so it's impossible to believe that the words, "While they are saying 'Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them suddenly..." is referring to what occurs during the Tribulation. Just like it was in the days of Noah and Lot, everyone will be living their normal lives before God rains down His judgment upon the earth. That's exactly the scenario that Jesus said would occur at His coming. Just like Noah and Lot, God will exact His judgment when everyone least expects it... when they're lulled into a sense of security, saying, "peace and safety." 

From the first judgment of God when the Tribulation begins, to the last, there will be worldwide suffering and devastation, the likes of which have never been experienced in the history of the world until now, so how can the population of the world be blissfully and blindly declaring "peace and safety" and feel at ease when they'll be in the midst of worldwide earthquakes, drought, poisoned water, famine, economic chaos, disease, war, death in the streets, pestilence, 300 pound hale, locusts from the pit, etc... It just doesn't fit the narrative that Jesus and the Apostles share, does it? There's no way that just these few scripture I've shared can describe life at any time during the Tribulation. So, if scripture doesn't fit the narrative of other Rapture theories, then those other Rapture theories must be incorrect. 

"Peace and safety" are the words spoken BEFORE the Rapture, not after. 

Another timing issue is that the letters to the Corinthians were written before John wrote Revelation, so in 1Corinthians 15:52 Paul couldn't have been referring to the seventh trumpet spoken of in Revelation 11, since he hadn't been given that revelation yet. He was clearly speaking of another trumpet. If you're thinking that this scripture could be referencing the Feast of Trumpets, then that can't be the case, because the day and time can be predicted on a yearly basis, and Jesus said that He will return unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, so not even born again believers will be expecting His return on any particular day. If you wish to hear what I have to say about the "last trump," then click HERE and read about what I believe to be the ultimate trumpet blast that no one will expect!

To conclude, scripture doesn't contradict itself. If people are going to be living as they are today and declaring "peace and safety," then it must be BEFORE the Tribulation, because once the Tribulation begins, God pours out His judgments upon the earth, and the devastating results won't lead anyone to be joyfully living a normal life. The Tribulation is God's "great reset," a reset that the world system will think benefits them, but in the end, will mean their destruction and eternal separation from God's glorious presence.

I encourage discussion in the comment section below. God bless!!! 

LINKS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS SERIES

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 1: The 24 Elders

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 2: Noah, Lot, And Rabbit Holes

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 3: The Slow Motion Replay

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 4: The Apostasy or Falling Away

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 5: The First Resurrection

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 6: The Bridegroom

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 6: The Bridegroom

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." (Rev. 19:7-9)

Jesus calls Himself a "bridegroom" and born again believers His "bride." (Mark 2:18-19) These terms are used more than once in the New Testament, and if there's one thing that we know about God, there's always a deeper meaning to words like these, so let's look at the traditions of a traditional Jewish wedding at the time, and consider whether that has any relevance to the Rapture, when many, like myself, believe that Jesus will come for His bride.

Choosing a bride...

In ancient Jewish tradition, either the father would choose the son's bride. Paul states, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will," (Eph. 1:3-5)

Oftentimes, the bride had not seen or met her future husband, but had found out about him through the bridegroom's servant. This reflects our engagement with Jesus. We have not seen Him, but God’s servant, the Holy Spirit, has revealed Him to us. "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” (1Peter 1:8) When He returns to retrieve His bride, we'll see Him face to face! Paul writes to the church body, "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2Cor 11:2) The word "espoused" actually means "engaged." So we, as born again believers, are presently engaged to Jesus.

Every bride came with a price...

Brides in early biblical times were purchased through way of the bridal price, or "mohar." The word for wife, be’ulah, means the “owned one.” Husband, or ba’al, means “owner” or “master." Once a couple entered into covenant at betrothal, they were legally married in all aspects except for the physical consummation of the marriage.

Jesus paid our "mohar" through His blood...

• "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1Pet. 1:18-19)
• "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1Cor. 6:19-20)
• “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20:28).

The marriage contract...

At the betrothal ceremony, a marriage contract, or ketubah, was presented to the father of the bride. Although a bride was selected for a bridegroom, the young woman did have some say in responding to a proposed marriage contract. The same occurs in our spiritual betrothal to Jesus because we also have a say in whether or not we'll accept the marriage contract. Paul writes, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Rom. 10:9-10) When we believe and make this confession of faith, we're agreeing to this wedding contract, and as such, we become part of the bride of Christ. 

The bridegroom comes bearing gifts...

Betrothal also included the giving of gifts by the bridegroom to his bride. This gift was to remind the bride of what was to come. What is our Bridegroom's gift to us? God's Holy Spirit and all the gifts that come through Him. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7) And again, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 16:13-15)

Through the Holy Spirit, we receive additional gifts; "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” (1Cor. 12:8-11)

Water immersion...

Brides purified themselves in a mikvah (pool of living water) prior to their wedding. It represented a separation from an old life to a new life – from life as a single woman to life as a married woman and from being under the authority of her father to being under the authority of her husband. Water immersion is the New Testament equivalent of the mikvah. The Bible says "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;" (Mark 16:16a). When we're baptized in water, we're symbolizing our death and resurrection with Christ, going from our old life to a new life, coming out from under the authority of our old father, Satan (sin), and coming under the righteous authority of our Bridegroom, Jesus.

The bridegroom must go to his father's house...

Once the marriage covenant was sealed, the bridegroom left his beloved to go to his father’s house to prepare a wedding chamber for her. During this time, his wife-to-be would prepare herself to leave her parents’ home to live with her husband’s family and become part of their household. When a marriage contract is agreed upon, the engagement begins and the groom goes to his father's house to prepare the marriage chamber. When I think of this, it reminds me of the scripture, "In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." (John 14: 2-3) The Jewish bride was set apart, consecrated, separated unto her bridegroom while he was away preparing their wedding chamber. 

No one knows the day or hour...

The groom could be gone up to twelve months! Because of this, the bride had no idea what day or hour her bridegroom would return to take her to the wedding chamber. It was the bridegroom's father who inspected the bridal chamber to be sure it was completed and ready for the wedding. Only when it's been completed to the father's satisfaction does the father give his son permission to retrieve his bride. So, neither the bridegroom nor the bride had any idea when the bridegroom would be sent. As it says in scripture, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matt. 24:36)

When the bridal chamber is ready and the groom is sent to retrieve his bride, he gathers his friends and they set off together. Now, during this entire time, the bride's responsibility is to remain vigilant and be ready, because the bridegroom could arrive at any time. "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." (Luke 39:40) In fact, bridegrooms usually came for their brides late at night, near the midnight hour. It reminds me of the  parable of the ten virgins, "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." (Matt. 25:6) 

The trumpet is blown...

When the bridegroom approached from afar off, shofars would be blown and the shouting and merriment of those with him could be heard, which could be heard afar through the silence of the night. This reminds me of another portion of scripture, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1Thes. 4:16-17) Note: It's specifically stated that it will be the "trump of God," so this excludes the last trumpet blown during the seven trumpet judgments, since these will be regular judgment trumpets and not THE trump of God, which seems pretty specific. If you're interested in my reasoning behind this, check out my article, "What If The Trump Isn't What We Think It Is" You can also check out my YouTube video HERE.

The Rapture...

The bridegroom always arrived at the huppah before his bride to welcome her to the place he had prepared for her, where, from that day forward, they would be together. This is where the bride and bridegroom would stand side by side, formalizing their union. Our Bridegroom will meet us at our huppah in the sky, on that day that glorious day when He welcomes us to His Father's house: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord i the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1Thess. 4:17) 

Alone together for seven days...

The Bride and bridegroom would greet the guests gathered at his father’s house and then be escorted to the bridal chamber where they would be alone for seven days, the marriage would be consummated, and the second part of the marriage ceremony would be complete. The best man or “friend of the bridegroom” waited outside the wedding chamber to hear the voice of the bridegroom tell him that the marriage was consummated. Then all the guests began a week long celebration. Jesus said, “He that has the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled” (John 3:29). The seven day period was also called the “week of the bride.”

The marriage feast...

Following the seven days in the bridal chamber, the bride and bridegroom joined their guests for a joyous marriage feast. The first meal that the bride and bridegroom shared with their guests was called a seudat mitzvah, a festive meal, and had religious significance. The purpose of the meal was to instill joy in the hearts of the bride and bridegroom. Again, scripture shows us that this part of the marriage will play out in heaven, "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7Let us be glad and rejoice and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." (Rev. 19:6-9)

Jesus fulfills the wedding feast responsibilities of a bridegroom...

• Jesus has chosen us as His bride.
• Jesus paid our bridal price with His blood.
• Jesus has made a bridal contract through His covenant with those who repent and believe.
• Jesus has given us a bridal gift by sending the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus has set up water baptism as our outward expression of our covenant with Him.
• Jesus has gone to the Father's house to prepare a place for us as we wait for His return.
• Jesus will return at a day and hour of our Father's choosing, so neither He nor we know when that day will be.
• Jesus will return at the sound of the trumpet of God and with a shout!
• Jesus will bring us up to meet Him in the clouds and take us to His Father's house.
• Jesus will sequester us in the bridal chamber for a week (seven years) during which we will participate in the wedding feast.

Final thoughts...

This entire article has brought us to this point, and the reason why I took the time to write this. Jesus plans on fulfilling His responsibilities as our Bridegroom, and that means taking us to the bridal chamber for one week (seven years) while the rest of the world is experiencing the Tribulation/Great Tribulation. Some will say, "He didn't take Noah or Lot out of this world." True, He didn't, but that's because it wasn't necessary to do so. He sequestered Noah and his family safely inside of an ark and He safely led Lot and his family away from the pending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Rapture is different. There is going to be a worldwide judgment of God which will bring about the end of the world system as we know it and usher in His millennial reign. There'll be no flood to float on in this case. It'll be a world on fire! There will be nowhere on earth to find safety, so the Lord needs to take us home before the Tribulation begins. 

What bridegroom says, "I love you, but to show your love for me, you must suffer through the worst judgments God has ever brought upon mankind." No, a true bridegroom would rescue his bride before she is exposed to that type of danger. 

To those who say we need to suffer through the Tribulation so that we can somehow become more worthy to enter Heaven, I'd have to say that our salvation is not based on works, and we can't make ourselves more "worthy" by suffering through the Tribulation. You're using man's limited intellect and it just doesn't jibe with scripture. Our seven days in the bridal chamber with Jesus will be our seven years with Him in Heaven, participating in the Bema seat judgment and participating in the wedding feast He has prepared for us. 

I hope that those who do not believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture will consider what I have to say in this series of articles.  I hope we can interact in the comment section below. God bless!!!

If you wish to read the other parts of this series, please click on a link below:

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 1: The 24 Elders

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 2: Noah, Lot, And Rabbit Holes

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 3: The Slow Motion Replay

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 4: The Apostasy or Falling Away

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 5: The First Resurrection

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 7: Timing Is Everything

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET