Friday, March 22, 2024

On The Horizon: The Destruction Of Damascus And The War Of Gog And Magog

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 with each other, 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. Although Russia will participate, she will be a reluctant combatant. Scripture tells us that Russia will be forced to enter 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 alliances with many of these nations, and they're going to demand that Russia lead this coalition. Russia is also interested in the riches of Israel, and will definitely want a piece of the spoils of war. Because of this, God is going to cause Russia to reluctantly participate in this very short-lived and ill-fated war. Why isn't Russia concerned about the response of the United States and NATO? I'll answer that question in a moment.

Since Lebanon will be involved, can we infer from scripture that Israel's current efforts to destroy Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon will not be successful before this next major Middle Eastern war? That begs the question as to whether the War of Gog and Magog is closer than we imagine.

So, what could cause all of these countries to suddenly form this new coalition to attack Israel? What is the trigger event... the black swan... that could cause these countries to attack Israel? It could be anything, but I'm theorizing that it will most likely be Israel's destruction of Damascus. Damascus most likely won't be destroyed during the War of Gog and Magog, because God comes against the troops who are attacking Israel during this battle, and is not attacking the specific nations that have sent their troops to do battle with Israel. What does that mean? It means that the prophecy about Damascus' ultimate demise is a totally separate event.

Now that we can see that the prophecy concerning Damascus is a separate event, could the destruction of Damascus be at the hands of Israel? Could this be the spark that sets off the powder keg and triggers the War of Gog and Magog? Think about this... Syria commits an act of aggression against Israel; an act so heinous that it threatens the very existence of Israel. Israel determines that for it's own safety and future existence, that it has no other option but to respond with a nuclear weapon. They fire one missile and destroy Damascus, determined to show that Israel won't accept defeat and to warn other nations that she is ready to defend herself by any means necessary. I'm sure we all agree that the crime against Israel would have to threaten the very existence of the nation in order for them to use a nuclear weapon. 

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 the nuclear option, 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 be in a position to defend Israel. 

There are only two reasons I can think of that would prevent the United States from being involved in this war. The first would be the political environment. If Israel does, indeed, destroy Damascus using a nuclear weapon, the United States may be in a position where it can't (or refuses to) defend Israel's actions, thus taking a stand against Israel. Secondly, the United States may not be in a position where their military might would be a threat to Russia. As things progress, and as biblical prophecy clearly shows, the United States isn't a superpower during the Tribulation. Something occurs that removes us from being a major player on the world stage. That's a whole other blog article, so I won't speculate any further here.

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!

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

Monday, September 25, 2023

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

Saturday, May 20, 2023

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




REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!
BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Sunday, January 29, 2023

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:








REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!
BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Should We Continue Celebrating Christmas?

Christmas is that time of the year where nostalgia hits us square in the face. We fondly remember Christmas past spent with loved ones who handed down family traditions in which we still joyously participate. We quietly reminisce about the glow of the lights on the tree, the music, decorating the house, buying and wrapping presents, and gathering together to eat those special holiday meals. The only part of the season that most dislike is when it ends, and everything needs to be taken down, boxed up, and put away in the attic or basement for another year.

Many years ago, I was sitting in a dark room with only the glow of the lights on the tree to keep me company. I had been contemplating the meaning of Christmas for the past couple of years and had converted all of my tree ornaments to Christian themed ornaments (Angels, doves, manger, etc...) thinking that I would have a Christ centered tree every season. As I sat there in the stillness of the night, looking at the lights on the tree, I suddenly understood that what I was looking at had nothing to do with Jesus, but was, instead, my attempt to Christianize those things that had nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. Was it the leading of the Holy Spirit? I'd like to believe so. It was then and there that I decided that when the tree and decorations came down after New Year's Eve, I'd never put them up or celebrate Christmas ever again.

That brings me to the very crux of this article. Should we, as a body of believers, continue to celebrate Christmas? I suppose that would depend on how we answer a few critical questions. 
  • Do the symbols of Christmas reflect the birth or life of Jesus? (Evergreen tree, wreath, candles in windows, yule log, holly, mistletoe, etc...). I'm not talking about gaslighting these pagan symbols and giving them new meaning to obfuscate their original and continued use by pagans. I'm asking if any of these things were present in Israel at the time of Jesus' birth and if they were used to celebrate His birth.
  • If they weren't originally used to celebrate His birth, then where did these symbols come from? What were their original meaning? Why is it not an issue that we've co-opted these symbols from pagans in order to worship God?
  • Is there any scriptural or historical evidence that the early church chose one special day to celebrate the birth of Jesus? 
  • When was Christmas first celebrated, and what were the circumstances and reasoning surrounding it's creation?
  • What were the original traditions of Christmas?
  • Is Christmas a God ordained observance, like the High Holy Days in Judaism?
  • Why does Jesus' birth seem to mean more to people on this day over all other days? Shouldn't we be celebrating the joy of His birth every day?
  • What can I do for others on this day that I can't do for them any other day of the year?
  • Why is it permissible to use pagan symbolism and traditions if we claim it in the name of Jesus? Does God have a history of recycling paganism in our worship or celebration of Him?
As we begin asking these and other questions, we can either shut our eyes and ears to the real answers and purposely gaslight ourselves, or we can listen to the truth of the matter... that Christmas is paganism wrapped in a pretty Jesus bow, and that we participate in the holiday in order to satisfy our own fleshly desires. One desire is to experience those nostalgic feelings brought on by the flood of memories from Christmas past. We hear the holiday music and dance to songs like, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." We unpack the decorations and as we do, we unpack our fond memories of every Christmas we've celebrated. We allow ourselves to be mesmerized by the glowing lights strung on the tree; lights that reflect off of the garland, tinsel, and ornaments, making the tree shine. We put lights in the windows and on the house to let everyone know we're celebrating Christmas. We put a wreath on the door and some of us put a display up in the front yard. It's all in keeping with our holiday traditions, which adds more fuel to the fire, so-to-speak, when it comes to strengthening those feelings of nostalgia. One more year down and one more link added to the nostalgia chain that keeps us bound to this holiday.

I know that by even suggesting the discontinuance of the celebration of Christmas, it brings up a lot of issues in the mind of the born again believers who still celebrate the day. One of the first issues in dealing with this decision is... "What about the children? They'll be crushed if we stop celebrating Christmas. I'll give it more thought, but I'll wait for the kids to grow up before cancelling Christmas, if that's what I decide to do." The problem with this, is that not only is this a compromise, but you'll also be perpetuating the cycle and passing it on to another generation. It's like compromising on Halloween when you decide to forbid dressing up as anything evil or scary. You might even limit their celebration of the day by only allowing them to go to the church "Trunk or Treat" event or Fall Festival where the children can still dress up in costume and receive treats (another compromise by the church, but that's another story). Many compromise on Halloween, so it's permissible to compromise on Christmas as well. "Sure, it's all pagan symbolism, but I'm going to choose to believe that it's all about Jesus." 

Christians like to use the following scripture to justify their celebration of Christmas: "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it." (Romans 14:5-6a) There's one major flaw about quoting this scripture. It has nothing to do with pagan celebrations. You can't "regardeth it unto the Lord" if it's a pagan celebration. This scripture doesn't give permission for born again believers to indulge in pagan practices and celebrations, so this portion of scripture has been cherry picked and has been used ineffectively to defend an indefensible position. In fact, in 1Thess 5:22, we're instructed to, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." We're not told just to abstain from evil, but to abstain from even the "appearance" of evil.

So even if we're not intentionally doing anything evil, we're told that our actions are a reflection of our personal walk with the Lord. That being the case, we're not even to allow ourselves to participate, however innocently, in anything that could be perceived as evil. If you take that full circle, we can say that although we're not purposely practicing true paganism, we shouldn't be using their pagan symbolism and traditions to celebrate the birth of Jesus, no matter how innocent our actions are or how strongly we believe that it's acceptable to God, because it has the "appearance of evil." So are Rom. 14:5-6a and 1Thess. 5:22 in conflict? No, because who would participate in a pagan celebration and regard it unto the Lord? 

Who sees the celebration of Christmas as a pagan practice... an appearance of evil? Pagans. They actually see the folly of Christians using pagan symbolism and participating in pagan practices in order to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In fact, pagans encourage us to do so, because they enjoy watching "religious" people ignorantly compromising their faith. Born again believers who have had a change of heart toward the holiday also see the symbols of Christmas as compromised Christianity. So yes, it has an appearance of evil.

Christians also like to use the phrase, "God knows my heart." It's true that God knows your heart, but if your heart knows that the symbolism of Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, then He knows you're ignoring that knowledge and that you're consciously using pagan symbolism to worship Him. He knows that you're participating in order to continue celebrating a holiday that feeds your flesh and is perpetuated, by your actions, in the next generation of born again believers. Take any other symbol of paganism and idol worship and try to pass it off as Christian. You wouldn't get away with it. Then why do we slap a Jesus bow on other pagan symbols and traditions and call it acceptable? It's a contradiction, and one that can't be explained away by saying, "God knows my heart." 

I encourage you to seek the Lord, and to honestly open yourself up to the possibility that the celebration of this holiday may not be pleasing to the Lord. Celebrate Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection 24/7/365. You have the opportunity to help those in need all year long by offering them monetary assistance, food, clothing, and by sharing the message of salvation. Too many people wait until December 25th to reach out to others and do something special for them. As I've come to say often, "There's nothing you can do for someone on December 25th that you can't do for them any other day of the year." You can't love Jesus more on that day either, because that would mean you aren't loving him to your full capacity every other day of the year.

Not everyone is ready to hear this message or to accept it. I understand that. Please let me know what you think by using the comment section below. 




REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!
BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Friday, December 16, 2022

Tribulation Evangelism Verses The Rapture: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

I had a really close friend who once expressed his desire to remain behind after the Rapture so that he could help evangelize his family, friends, and neighbors during the Tribulation. He wanted to be used by God to share the message of salvation during those horrific seven years of God's judgment. He couldn't see that he was using his fleshly intellect to express a fleshly desire, so he couldn't comprehend what the consequences were to this train of thought. All he understood was that he wanted to make a great personal sacrifice by missing the Rapture so that he could offer what he viewed as a more sacrificial service for the Lord. It seems like a self-sacrificing decision, but it's really a misguided and self-serving decision.

You may be asking, "What's so wrong with the desire to remain behind after the Rapture and sacrifice yourself for the greater good?" Well, to be honest, God doesn't need us here after the Rapture. If He did, he would have offered us that option, but He didn't. He's already made provision for everyone left on the earth during the Tribulation. First, many who have been evangelized... who have had that seed planted during the current church era, will become born again believers. Secondly, God is going to raise up 144,000 converted Jewish evangelists to spread the message of salvation worldwide. Finally, God's also going to send the Two Witnesses, who will be preaching and exhibiting miraculous signs in Jerusalem for the first half of the Tribulation. God has everything under control. If we're going to be making great personal sacrifice for the Lord and for the greater good, we should be making those sacrifices now, while we're here... before the Rapture. 

By refusing to participate in the Rapture, we'd also be showing great disrespect for God by refusing to joyfully and thankfully participate in the fulfillment of the greatest promise ever given to mankind... salvation. The Rapture is when we transform from corruptible to incorruptible, from mortal to immortal. The Rapture is when we get to join with the Bridegroom forever, and exist throughout eternity in the presence of God. We leave this planet, knowing that whoever is left on earth, and is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will become born again believers during the Tribulation. God has already made that provision for them without us having to be here.

If you're still not convinced, and you still want to remain behind after the Rapture, answer me this... how are you going to avoid the great escape? The Rapture happens unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye. You can't pray to miss the Rapture and hope He allows you to do so, because that's a fleshly desire and doesn't come from God. The only way to avoid the Harpazo as a born again believer is to lay down your cross and put God on ice (no, I don't believe in "once saved, always saved.") My friend decided to do just that. He began living his life in the flesh. Even early on in his Christian walk, he sometimes got drunk and he enjoyed using weed occasionally, but once he decided he wanted to remain after the Rapture, his drinking and smoking grew worse. Other areas of his life suffered as well. His plan was to live his life his own way, and just bide his time until the Rapture, at which time he'd repent and become a more committed Christian and to allow himself to be used by God to evangelize the lost. It was almost like living your life without God and relying on a deathbed conversion to save you. He didn't understand that his time was now, and that God wanted him to spread the gospel and to be used by Him now, because there's not promise for tomorrow.

Speaking of waiting for a death bed conversion and of there being no promise for tomorrow, the tragic part of this story is that my friend never made it to the Rapture. He was drinking and had a tragic, unforeseen accident a few years ago, receiving a severe head injury. They operated on him, and placed him into an induced coma... a coma he never came out of. He was considered brain dead, and then, about a week later, he stepped into eternity when his family had to make that near impossible decision of turning off his life support. They had to say goodbye to their husband, dad, and brother.

This is a warning to anyone who thinks they're going to live their life their own way and get serious with God when they decide it's the "right time." That time may never come. You may slip into eternity, like my friend did, at the most unexpected time and under totally unexpected circumstances. A fall down the stairs, t-boned by another vehicle, accidental overdose, unplanned surgical complications, heart attack, or any other number of unforeseen mishaps. 

If you love God, then love Him with all your heart, mind, strength, and spirit. Do it now! Stop waiting for the right time to get serious about, or reconcile, your relationship with Him. We don't need to be here for the Tribulation because God has already created provision for the soon-to-be born again believers who will arise during the Tribulation (people we need to be witnessing to NOW). We need to trust that God has everything under control, and that if He plans to evacuate all of us from this planet at a moment's notice, then He will raise up men and women of God, as He's done in the past, to spread the message of salvation to all who will believe and repent. 

If you want to evangelize to the world after the Rapture, there's a way to do that without actually being here. I suggest that you create some After Rapture Kits (ARK's) and leave them behind for those who are left behind. What are ARK's? They're packets of information to leave behind for those who are yet to become born again believers. You can leave bibles, tracts, music, DVD's, flash drives, etc... that have valuable Christian information. If you want to know what I have in my ARK's, just CLICK HERE.

Choosing to stay behind after the Rapture is the wrong decision, not only because you erroneously believe that you'll still be alive at that moment in time, but because you could die as a result of the Rapture, depending on where you are and what you're doing, but more importantly, because you're hindering the Holy Spirit's work in your life and you're jeopardizing your relationship with God. If you trust God, then you know that He has everything under control, and that those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will definitely receive the gift of salvation. We're needed to spread the message of salvation now. That's why were here at this point in biblical history. God doesn't need us to do that after the Rapture, but now, so that many more will have the opportunity to receive the promise of salvation, and participate in the greatest evacuation plan the world will ever experience!


REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!
BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET



Tuesday, November 22, 2022

What's To Become Of The United States During The Tribulation?

I’ve often wondered what was going to happen to the United States that would exclude it from biblical prophecy. Somehow the United States is taken out of the picture of end time events. I can only contemplate what the circumstances will be, but it will happen. I'm unaware of any scripture describing a great and powerful kingdom of the west being involved in events during the Tribulation. 

The Rapture hasn't yet happened, and already this nation is divided as the evil that was only spoken of in the dark is now being proclaimed openly. Even the church body is experiencing division. When born again believers are raptured, it's going to leave a vacuum in almost every area of society, and will cause havoc worldwide. Some countries will experience a greater loss than others, depending on the percentage of the population that are born again believers. The Rapture will cause a huge drain on human resources and services, especially here in the U.S. where we have a large Christian population. This drain on resources and services will cause a great disruption in our nation. Everything will temporarily grind to a halt at the time of the Harpazo. 

The United States has a lot of enemies because it's the one major country with whom the New World Order is having a difficult time dealing. Not only do we have a large Christian population, but we also have an even larger population that believes in personal freedom. People from other countries depend on the United States to fight tyranny and stand for personal freedom. They've expressed the fear that if the United States falls to the New World Order, then the rest of the world will have lost the most powerful beacon of freedom, and the rest of the world will fall. Because of this, we have a big target on our back. If anyone thinks that our enemies and the spiritual influences that control the New World Order won't take advantage of this nation's weakness after the Rapture, then they're deceiving themselves. Our enemies will see a moment of weakness and jump at the opportunity to end us as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the enemies within our own country can't comprehend what their participation in the creation of a New World Order will mean to them. They think they're going to receive financial gain and positions of power, but their actions are only going to lead to their own destruction.

Our enemies from without know that they won't even need to step one foot on U.S soil to defeat us. This will NOT be a "Red Dawn" type of scenario where they'll bomb major cities and then parachute in to take control of our nation, making it a years-long, drawn out, city by city, town by town, state by state fight. No, it'll be instantaneous.

Right now, China and Russia are our biggest threats. All China or Russia needs to do is help to facilitate an attack on the U.S. China can use North Korea or any one of their other allies as a proxy to attack our nation, just as Russia can use Iran or any of their own allies to be proxies for their government. The preferable method would probably be the 1-2-3 punch. They'll probably use a combination of a (1) financial attack, (2) cyber attack, and (3) EMP attack on our nation. What the financial and cyber attacks don't take care of, the EMP attack will. 

For those of you who don't know what an EMP is, it stands for Electro Magnetic Pulse. It's a wave of electromagnetic radiation. These electrons interact with power lines, metal, conductive materials, and electronics, causing power spikes. That means anything running on electricity will be fried, including vehicles, cell phones and landlines, computers, internet devices, power plants, transformers, substations, medical equipment, refrigerators, air conditions and heaters, televisions, radios (and other broadcast equipment), solar and wind power... all electrical devices rendered inoperable in a matter of seconds. 

A few strategically placed EMP's would bring this country's entire electrical grid down. Just think of what that would do to the United States.

With an EMP attack, there's no going to the local supermarket, corner store, or pharmacy to pick up a few things, because there won't be a supermarket, corner store, or pharmacy to go to. Gas pumps won't work, so you won't be able to gas up your vehicle. You also need electricity to produce goods and you need vehicles to transport them, and you need refrigeration units to keep perishables viable. If food isn't being produced or shipped, millions of people in this country would starve to death in a matter of weeks, unless they had some type of long-term emergency food and water supplies to rely on.

With our power grid down:
  • Large scale farming wouldn't be viable, so we can forget about food. Farmers will be hording their crops, and the surrounding population will raid farmers' fields for food.
  • Hospitals wouldn't be able to help the sick, because they wouldn't be able to use the electrical medical equipment that was fried by the EMP.
  • Pharmaceutical companies won't be operating, so the basic meds someone takes on a daily basis would quickly run out, which would mean that those seeking medical attention wouldn't have access to any type of modern medication. Can you imagine the death toll as a result of just the lack of medication??? Cancer meds, seizure meds, blood pressure meds, antibiotics, vaccines, psyche meds (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, AHDH, etc...), angina meds, pain meds, asthma meds/inhalers, AIDS meds, migraine meds, etc... 
  • There wouldn't be weekly trash pick-ups, so trash would pile up and become a bio-hazard. How long do you think it will take YOUR neighborhood to start smelling like a garbage dump and looking like one as animals tear open the bags in a desperate attempt to survive.
  • Water treatment plants would sit idle, while raw sewage overflows into our waterways, adversely affecting fresh and salt water sources. 
  • Water needs to be pumped into the water towers and treated, so we can forget about having any fresh water in our homes to drink, cook, or flush our toilet with. We'll be defecating in plastic bags or in a hole in our back yard. That will add to the amount of trash left on the streets. Imagine the odor and the spread of disease because of all this trash and fecal matter in the streets. 
  • What about the millions of people who will die on the streets or in their home from lack of medication or from starvation or dehydration? What's to become of them? Will the starving and sick actually take the time and effort to dispose of the bodies that fall to the ground, or will they be too weak or sick, leaving the bodies where they are, increasing the spreading of pestilence? 
I could go on and on, but these things, and others, will lead to starvation, sickness, pestilence, violence, and death. It kind of makes the Four Horsemen mentioned in the book of Revelation seem a little more relevant now, doesn't it?

Lawlessness would be rampant, because policing wouldn't be possible, so those who have called for the defunding of the police will finally get their wish, as this country reverts to gang law. 

The starving, the sick, and the hopeless will beg for someone to help them, and the sovereignty of this country will be the last thing on their mind as they struggle to survive. That's where the Antichrist comes into the picture. This is how he's going to be able to usher in a one world government, economic system, and religion, because people will gladly give up their freedom just to survive and return to some sense of normalcy, but they don't realize that biblical prophecy states that they'll be living in the new norm, where they'll be experiencing the judgments of God. The life they complained about before the Rapture will seem like paradise to them as they suffer through the next 7 years, if they survive that long (biblical prophecy states that 2/3 of the population will die before the end of the Tribulation, so there's only a 1 out of 3 opportunity to survive until Jesus returns.)

A severe EMP attack would quickly knock our country out of "super power" status and turn us into a third world nation, drastically reducing our population. Part of our national government structure may survive (they're supposed to have EMP proof sites situated in different areas of the nation), but they would be leaders of a severely crippled country. 

Our enemies will have won, without even setting one foot on American soil. If they can decimate our nation's infrastructure, they can cause the death of millions of people within a few short weeks, without ever having to invade the country or fire a single gun shot. China and Russia don't need to attack the U.S. by conventional methods in order to defeat us. Three or four large EMP's strategically positioned and detonated, would do the trick. They may even lob a few more at us once the grid is down, just to be sure the entire nation was in total subjection to the coming New World Order. Since there was no nuclear explosion at ground level, that would greatly reduce the risk of major worldwide contamination from fallout. 

This is how the United States will probably be sidelined for the entire seven year Tribulation. Those political leaders, the wealthy and famous, and those who were promised positions of power during the NWO will be crawling in the dust, because they'll be part of a dying nation. If the attack on this nation isn't enough, they'll suffer during the Tribulation, when they'll lose everything that they thought set them apart from everyone else. They'll be humbled in ways they can't imagine. 

Everything going on in the world right now is in preparation for end-time events. The worldwide precursor to the Mark of the Beast has already had a trial run, where a large percentage of the population of the world fell under the influence of worldwide propaganda and censored information. Those who refused to submit to the NWO's authority were de-platformed and blocked from their social media accounts. Some lost their livelihood, were separated from loved ones, were ostracized by friends, family, and society, were prevented from traveling, were imprisoned, were attacked on the street, were given substandard medical treatment or prevented from receiving alternate medical treatment, and were labeled "fringe," "extreme," and "radical," as well as suffering other negative repercussions from resisting the NWO's push to force everyone to submit. 

Biblical prophecy is advancing right before our eyes. Although the "strong delusion" won't occur until the Tribulation, many are being conditioned to fall victim to this coming prophetic event. There are many who believe the propaganda that's being disseminated on television, radio, social media, print media, and even in our own seats of government. The lie has become the truth, and those who won't accept the lie are treated like enemies of society and of the state, by those who both perpetuate the lie and those who have been deceived into believing the lie. It was prophesied, and it's happening right now.

We keep trying to fight back, to take back some ground, but end-time prophecy won't be stopped. God will honor our efforts as long as they're in His perfect will, but those efforts will achieve only so much before we're taken out of the way and the full force of evil is allowed to be unleashed worldwide. 

When this happens, the United States will fall. It will be taken out of the picture. Just as Jesus will rescue His bride from what's to come, He will also bring judgment upon this nation, once His bride has been removed from it. I'm sure there are many theories out there as to why the United States isn't included in biblical prophecy just as there are a myriad of theories of how the United States is going to meet it's fate. 

As much as God has blessed this nation, we're rotting from within. The rich and powerful believe that they're untouchable, but God is no respecter of persons, and it doesn't matter how much money, power, or fame they have, they can't escape God's judgments. God has taken down kings and kingdoms before, and the United States is no different. They, and this country, are not exempt from God's wrath or judgments. 

If you comment on this blog article, please attempt to keep your comments brief and please limit your scriptural references to a minimum. 

REPENT AND BE FORGIVEN! BELIEVE AND BE SAVED!
TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET