Experiencing Tribulation After Rapture Packets - The Reboot

If you'd like to see a shorthand version of this article, click here. If you want to read a more in-depth article describing the contents of this packet and how I created some of the content, please continue reading.

I also have a video on YouTube that goes through everything that I have in the After Rapture Packet. It's 30 minutes long, but I think it's very informative.

This article describes my efforts to reboot my original Experiencing Tribulation After Rapture Packets (ARP's). First, you may be asking yourself what an after Rapture packet is. Well, I'll tell you. ARP's are packets of information that can be left behind for those who are left behind after the Rapture. These packets of information provide the information that explains what just happened (the Rapture) and what's coming next (the Tribulation and everything that entails). It also provides the individual with the information necessary to guide them into a relationship with Jesus, so that they, too, may repent and be forgiven, and believe and be saved. 

I have already given some to unsaved family and friends and to those who hold to a false belief that their association with a particular religion or being a member of a particular church will bring them salvation. I've also mailed some out to born again believers I've met through social media who have expressed a desire to receive a copy so that they can leave it behind, in their home, for loved ones to find after they, themselves, have been raptured. 

Full disclosure: I provide ARP's free of charge and make absolutely no money off of them. Any donations I may receive, go directly back into producing more packets. I already have a covenant with God that I will not use any money from this ministry for personal gain. It all goes back into the ministry to purchase more supplies. I don't even pay myself for the time spent creating the content or assembling the packets.

Here is what I have included in my After Rapture Packets and how I put everything together. Your packet will be different, because there's no hard and fast rule on what you can pack into yours. Of course, you'll definitely want to include materials explaining salvation and include a bible of some sort, whether it's the complete bible, a single New Testament, or even just the Gospel of John, if that's all you can afford right now. I just wanted to provide you with some sort of outline on the types of information you might want to put in your packet. 

Another piece of advice I have for you is to be consistent in the content of your packets. Be sure the same information is included in all of the packets. If you've spent all that time putting together what you consider to be the perfect packet, make all of them perfect by assembling them all the same. 


The DVD Reboot

Original Version

The original content on this DVD was a single video from a particular ministry, whose information was plastered on my label instead of my own ministry's branding (Don't worry, I emailed them and asked for permission to use their video). After considering my options, I realized that the DVD needed a total reboot, content and labeling. I grabbed a few Christian videos I hoped weren't going to be judged to be too preachy and content that wouldn't go over their head and just confuse whoever was watching it (after all, I wanted to share the milk, not the meat of the word). I even made the great leap to create some of the content myself. I was actually surprised at how well my bit it turned out...lol. 

Once the video content, including closing credits, was gathered into one place, I burned the contents on to a single DVD and played it back to be sure everything transferred over to the DVD as planned. When I was satisfied, I burned all of the other DVD's. 

Then the labels were created and printed off. There's more information about that below. After the labels were printed, they were left to dry before I sat down to adhere them to the front of the DVD's. Again, there's more information about that below. Then they were all slipped into their own individual sleeves with the labels point outwards. The following are the items you'll need to label your DVD's.

Items needed: 
-DVD's (blank or burned)
-DVD/CD envelopes (I opted for the envelopes that offer a clear window in the front. Why cover up your hard work, right?)
-DVD Labels (Important: Don't use CD labels, even though they are most likely less expensive. DVD players run at a higher temperature than CD players, and the DVD labels are made with a stronger adhesive to stick to the DVD's in the higher temps they will be experiencing. Also, by using Avery labels, I was able to go to their web site to create the content on the labels. Most of that content was mine.
-DVD/CD label applicator (I suggest using an applicator because it will center the labels perfectly and prevent the DVD's from wobbling in the DVD player because of a label placed off-center.)

A lot of time and effort went into finding the right content for the DVD. It's difficult to find good content that won't be considered by the unsaved to be "too preachy" or "confusing." They need milk, not meat, and we need to consider that when deciding what videos we'd like include on the DVD. 

The photo on the top shows the older version of the DVD label. I think you'll agree that the new version below it is a vast improvement!

Rebooted Version

The new DVD labels contain the following info:
-The name of my small ministry, "Tribulation Harvest."
-The slogan of my small ministry, "Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!"
-The title of the DVD, "Experiencing Tribulation."
-The total length of the DVD, "73 Mins."
-The fact that it's a free DVD
-My own QR Code

If you would like to see a video of how I attached the labels to the DVD's you can click here. This link will bring you to my YouTube video on the project. Note: You'll need to wear earphones and hike your volume up to max to hear my voice on the video. For some reason the audio is very low on that video.

Experiencing Tribulation Booklet Reboot

You won't find this in any store. I created this booklet myself so that I could bring the reader through the scriptures, from the moments just after the Rapture takes place, to the resulting chaos, to the rise of the Antichrist, and ending with the Lord's return. I quote scripture (mostly from Revelation) and then paraphrase what God is revealing to us through His word. At the end of the booklet is a message about repentance and salvation. 

Original Version

Rebooted Version
(The vibrant green color was
washed out by the scanner)

The reboot created a booklet that was more pleasing to the eye, both inside and out, which may help carry the reader on to each successive section of the booklet. One thing about a project like this one, you can always find something that you feel can be rewritten. It gets to the point where you have to force yourself to stop and just complete the project or you'll never finish it.   

Here's a tip... I didn't use the settings for a booklet in my word processing software because it wouldn't allow me to create the margins I was looking for, which made this project much more involved. Of course, that was about 8 years ago, and maybe word processing software has improved. So here's the way I did it. This would be so much easier to explain if I made a video. Maybe I'll get around to doing that, but not today...lol.

Step 1 was to create two columns of text on a landscaped 8.5x11 sheet. I linked those columns together and linked them to columns on the other pages and began typing away. The text blocks were all linked to each other, so as I filled up one text block, it automatically jumped over to the next text block, allowing me to continue to type without having to click on the individual text blocks to enter my text. 
Step 2 was to cut each two columned sheet in half to create individual one sided pages, so each 8.5x11 sheet produced two pages. 
Step 3 was to count the pages and then grab some blank copy paper, folding them in half to create a crease. Then they were temporarily put together like the pages of a book. I numbered each one in the center of the page with the page number.
Step 4 was to take each individual page and carefully tape them to the center of the folded booklet so that the pages, when turned, would be in the right order. 
Step 5 was to take them to my local office supply store and print each double sided page. Because they were taped to the page, I made sure to set the printer to accept two single sided pages and then double side it, that way it didn't grab my double sided taped booklet and rip everything apart. I copied one side and just flipped the page over and let the printer copy the second side before it did it's thing. I did that for all the pages. I also printed the cover double sided.
Step 6 was to purchase a ream of colorful paper that I could use for the cover. I had everything planned out so that not only the outside of the cover contain information, but the inside as well. Space was precious, so I made sure every page had content.
Step 7 was to print off the double sided cover at home, so I could include some color in the cover.
Step 8 was to collate all the pages into individual packets and then fold them in preparation for stapling. 
Step 9 was the actual stapling of the booklet. I had thought about using cord or some other material to "sew" the binding, but I ultimately decided to use a stapler. I was going to purchase one of those staplers with the extended arm to do the work, but I ended up saving money and using what I had. I put a piece of cardboard under the booklet, turned it right-side up, and used the open stapler to push two staples into the center crease of the booklet. The sharp points dug into the cardboard. I pulled the booklet off of the cardboard, flipped it over, and used a butter knife to push the ends of the stapler over, securing it to the booklet.

Tribulation Timeline

Tribulation Timeline

I've created something I like to call a Tribulation Timeline. This was easy to create compared to the booklet. The Tribulation Timeline is an 8.5x11 double sided sheet of colorful printer paper that breaks down what will happen during the Tribulation and when it will happen. It's actually a shorthand version of the booklet. It's not as complicated and as intricate as a lot of the timelines out there, but it works. The front side briefly breaks down the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets and the Seven Vials/Bowls. It also places these events in either the first half of the Tribulation or the second half. It also contains information about the return of Jesus, the enemy's temporary imprisonment, Christ's thousand year reign, the enemy's release from imprisonment and what occurs as a result, and then Jesus's response. This timeline is folded in half and is tucked in the center of the booklet. The other side of the page explains the reason why the enemy is temporarily imprisoned and then released after a thousand years and includes a section that warns the reader that time is short...that the countdown until Christ's return has begun and that there's no guarantee that they'll survive the entire Tribulation period, so it's imperative that they repent immediately!

Bible Reboot

When I first started this packet, I purchased some inexpensive paperback New Testament bibles that did not include any information about salvation, so I created some labels for the inside cover. They contained information that lead the reader through the salvation message from beginning to end. The labels provided scripture references and their corresponding page numbers to make it easier for the new believer to find. I assumed that new believers would be unfamiliar with the chapter/verse arrangement of the bible. To draw the reader's eye immediately to the scripture quoted on that page, I also underlined or highlighted those particular verses. 

If you're going to use this idea, I would suggest that you choose one bible and stick with it. A paperback bible from publisher #1 won't have the same set up as a paperback bible from publisher #2, so stick with the same version from the same publisher unless you don't mind updating your labels.

The reboot I did on this one involved both the physical profile of the bible and the version that I was going to use. Gone was the shorter and thicker NT in favor of a sleeker version. The KJV had also been traded in for the NASB, and I'll explain why. 

KJV v NASB

NASB
New Testament
Paperback

When thinking abut the KJV, I became concerned that people would pick up that version and have difficulties understanding it. My goal for the After Rapture Packets is to make things as easy as possible for someone to understand the content, and to me, that meant switching from the version that was more difficult to read and understand to the version that held close to the original text as well, the NASB. I know there are KJV purists out there, but whoever accesses the ARP's won't have much time left on this earth. Two thirds of the earth's population is going to die during the seven-year Tribulation, so there's an urgency to explain as much as possible in the limited time left. If I was passing along the word of God to another generation of born again believers who were going to have a lifetime to read and learn, I most certainly provide a full bible, but these will be dangerous and treacherous times, and the NT is enough to get that individual on that straight and narrow road, which is what this is all about. That is also why I utilized the NASB version of scripture in the booklet mentioned in the previous section. I also opted to print off some labels containing the Tribulation Harvest web site, it's motto, and a blurb stating that the NT was provided free of charge through this ministry. They are affixed to the bottom of the front cover.

I opted to purchase only the paperback New Testaments for several reasons:

• They're not expensive.
• Since two thirds of the earth's population will expire before the Lord's return due to the three sets of judgments sent by God upon the world, most people will be living short lives. I felt it was better to leave them with information vital for their salvation, because that was the most important thing.
• Owning a bible will most certainly be outlawed. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there were organized bible burnings. Right now we live in a world where it's becoming more difficult to express our Christian beliefs without being labeled hateful, intolerant, homophobic, transphobic, Nazi's, etc... Remember, born again believers will be persecuted for not accepting the mark of the Beast and for not worshiping his image. If preaching and sharing the word of God can be considered hate speech in this day and age, imagine how it will be viewed under the authority of the Antichrist. A thin paperback New Testament will be less conspicuous hidden under clothing or or tucked away somewhere safe as apposed to having a thick bible containing both the OT and NT. Of course, that's just my humble opinion, and as I've said at the beginning of this article, the contents of your packets will be different from mine.

Tracts Reboot

Tracts are very useful. They provide a synopsis of what our sinful nature and spiritual condition is, what God has done to rectify this condition, and our need to repent of our sin... to be born again... so that Jesus can restore our relationship with our heavenly Father by transforming us through His Holy Spirit. Finding a tract without a "pray this prayer" section at the end can be difficult to find, but it's not impossible. If you want to know why I try hard to find bibles and tracts that don't include a "pray this prayer" section, click here and read another article on this web site about how I feel about that subject. 

The nice thing about tracts is that they're easy to obtain. You may be able to pick some up at your church or you can purchase some at a local brick and mortar store or online. They're relatively inexpensive. My ARP's contain a variety of tracts that all give the same basic message, but in different ways. It's important to remember that we don't know what audience we'll be reaching, so an assortment of tracts is a way of giving the message of salvation in different ways to people who have various personalities and respond to the written words. Some tracts have powerful artwork and don't hold back any punches, some are drawn like a cartoon and are lighthearted. The rest are somewhere in between.  

To digress for a moment, the DVD described in one of the sections above was created in the same manner. There are three videos that are diverse in their approach to the subject of the Rapture and Tribulation. One is like a teaching video, one is like a heart to heart, person to person video and the one that was created through this ministry is just text and music. Then there are the animated videos that were included. Individuals who get their hands on the materials in the packet may be young or old. You have to try to make accommodations for a range of ages.

Getting back to tracts, my advice is to read as many as possible and find a select few that give the same message in different ways. When you've narrowed it down to a handful, stick with them. You can always add more to the collection as time goes by. I create and distribute tracts printed on business card sized stock, and when my stock runs out, I create new designs to print and distribute. Every time I create a new set, I make sure to take one of each and add them to my ARP's.

Packaging Everything Up, Including The Little Extras

There are several ways you can distribute this information. One way is to use plastic containers, boxes or bins and store it all together in the expectation that people are aware that they can enter your residence after the Rapture and collect this information. It's like a central hub for information. Others package their information in folders or manila envelopes. It all depends on how you want to distribute your information and what type of information is in your packet. If it's all printed material, then maybe a manila folder would work. On the other hand, if you're including a bible and other bulky information, then maybe another type of packaging would work better. 

At one point, I was using shrink wrap. I purchased the clear shrinkable envelopes and the electric sealer, but I realized there was a major problem with that. Although the sealed shrink wrap protected the contents, there was no way I could add to what I had already sealed in the package. If I found an item that would make a great addition to the packet (small business card sized scripture cards, book marks, cross necklace, etc...), I wouldn't be able to add it to the packet because the packet would have already been sealed and shrink wrapped. The solution, for me, was to find something resealable that was made in a material that would protect the contents from the elements. I opted to use zip-lock freezer bags. The plastic is pretty thick and it helps to protect the contents from dust, dirt and moisture. It's also easy to add anything you want at any time without ruining the packaging.

If you're giving a prepackaged packet to a family member or friend, you can unzip it and add a personal note or letter. You can also add personal photos and anything else that you think this particular individual would want to have after you're gone. You can even make your own DVD that personally addresses this individual... leaving a piece of yourself behind for them to watch and listen to once you're gone.

In Closing

As you can see, getting all the pieces of the puzzle in place can be pretty time consuming and will most likely involve some out of pocket expense, but the end result is worth it. Creating content is the toughest part of the entire process. Once you have the content, it's just a matter of copying that content over and over again, and that's easy.

Start by creating a generic resealable packet that can be given to anyone. If you wish, you can then take a few of those packets and update, upgrade and personalize them, tailoring them to the person or group you're passing it along to. 

How do I get them in the hands of my family and friends?  What I like to do is ask them if they would do me a personal favor and just take the packet and put it away somewhere safe. Then I say that if billions of people suddenly disappear (something they believe is just religious fanatic talk), then they have the information they need to understand exactly what has happened and what is coming next. They'll usually take the packet out of love, respect or courtesy.

I would like to hear from you if you have your own After Rapture Packet, what it contains, and how you've packaged it up! Please leave a comment below.

If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!

Repent and be forgiven!  Believe and be saved!

TribulationHarvest.net

The Four Horsemen - The Rider On The White Horse

Go online and click on your favorite search engine. Type in "Four Horsemen of Revelation" and then click on images. In quite a few images that you find of the four horsemen spoken of in the book of Revelation, you'll find that the rider of the white horse is holding a bow and is pulling the string taut as he prepares to fire an arrow. The majority of the images of this rider also depict him as wearing a golden crown. There's a problem with these images... they're not accurate interpretations of the word of God.

Rider with arrow at the ready.

The book of Revelation states that the rider of the white horse has a bow, but it makes no mention of any arrow. Here, read it for yourself, "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer." Rev 6:2.  

Why do most pictures of this rider on the white horse show him ready to fire an arrow? I can only speculate, but you have to admit that a rider ready to let fly his deadly arrow makes for a dramatic scene, right? We also have to consider that artists often take liberties when it comes to creating artwork that pertains to scripture. Many artists may be relying on their own worldly understanding of who or what the four horsemen really are, relying on stories they've heard or images they've seen, perpetuating the false picture of arrows and golden crowns. No matter what the reason, the image does not line up with biblical truth.

Rider wearing a laurel crown.

What kind of crown is the rider of the white horse wearing?  "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer." Rev 6:2. There are two words for "crown" in the bible.  One is a "diadem," which is a kingly crown.  The other is a "stephanos," which is a victor's crown. In the case of the rider on the white horse, the latter is used in this scripture.  He's not wearing a gold kingly crown, he's wearing a victor's crown, like a crown of laurel leaves.

We are then told that, "he went forth conquering and to conquer."  That can be a little confusing, since he's not really wielding a formidable weapon, right? I'll explain that in a moment.

Let's paint this picture correctly now, shall we?  

"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow;" The rider on the white horse symbolically has a weapon in his hand, but it is of no threat to anyone because a bow, without arrows, is really no weapon at all. This symbolizes that he will arrive on the scene as a man with a powerful but non-threatening personality. His choice of weapon will not be of military means, but of a personality that exudes confidence and authority, offering sound diplomatic solutions to the world's ills (especially the problems that have dominated the Middle East since the birth of Israel).

"...and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer." The laurel crown that the rider is described as wearing is a symbol of the authority that he will have during this critical time in earth's history.  It is an authority that has not been earned by him, but, as the scripture states, an authority that is given to him. Who gives man authority, whether it's you, me or the Antichrist? You know the answer... God. God allows Satan to begin ramping up his end-time plan with the introduction of this rider on the white horse. 

So, what does he conquer? He conquers the minds and hearts of mankind. To the world, he will be seen as a "savior." He attempts to bring the world together in a one world system of government, religion and economics. You are probably telling yourself, "Surely everyone will see through this man." Your assumption would be incorrect. I say that because scripture also states, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thess 2:11-12.

Next time you see a picture of the rider on the white horse, check out the weapon he's holding and the crown he's wearing.  You'll find, like I did, that most of the artistic interpretations of this portion of scripture depict a rider with one or both of these errors contained in their artwork.


If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!

Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

TribulationHarvest.net

Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture Pt. 3 - The Slow Motion Replay

READ THE BLOG OR WATCH THE VIDEO!!!

VIDEO: WHY I BELIEVE IN A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE - PART 3: THE SLOW MOTION REPLAY

First, scripture:
“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. 4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. 7When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. 8And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. 12And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."  Revelation 11:3-13

Some see this an an example of a mid-trib Rapture, using the two witnesses as examples of what will be happening in the rest of the world at this moment in time, but if that is the case, then where are the references to every other believer being raptured at that time?  There aren't any.  

Here we have a major event. These two witnesses cause a worldwide drought, turn fresh water in to blood, and cause all kinds of plagues to inflict those who have not accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah. The Antichrist, now possessed by the Devil himself, is allowed by God to kill these two men and the Antichrist now becomes a 'god' to those who have been deceived and who will look to anyone else but Yeshua as their 'savior.' The world rejoices to the point of giving gifts to one another in celebration of the deaths of these two men who they blame for causing such suffering in the world. The world is so depraved at this point, that the corpses of these two men are left on the ground to rot.

Something happens three and a half days later that causes the unbelieving world to acknowledge God for who He is. The two witnesses return to life and God audibly calls them back to heaven, rising up to heaven just like Jesus did... on a cloud. If this truly is the rapture, why is there no mention of any other believer being raptured at this time? The reason there is no mention of the billions of Christians being raptured is because the two witnesses are the only ones who will be rising up to heaven during this mid-trib event. God wants the focus to be on the two witnesses at this moment in time. Why?

When the Rapture takes place, most people will refuse to believe that it has anything to do with God. Unbelievers will use their human intellect to devise a whole host of theories to explain away the disappearances. Some may blame aliens, some may say that our universe may have momentarily made contact with a parallel universe, some may say that the earth purged itself of excess humans to protect itself, some may say that those individuals who disappeared evolved to a higher form of consciousness... the list goes on and on. Most will do anything to reject the fact that Jesus came to retrieve His "bride" and whisk her to safety before the horror of what was about to happen on earth.

The Slow Motion Replay

So here we have a population that has devised theories about the disappearances and have rejected the notion of a "rapture." As the two witnesses do their thing, more and more people will begin to focus on them. It will take three and a half years before every individual in the world finally focuses their full attention on these two witnesses and call for their deaths. So what happens next? Well, if they don't want to believe that Yeshua raptured true born-again believers in the blink of an eye, then perhaps they'll believe what is about to happen in full view of the entire population of the planet.

The two men are raised back to life... right before their eyes! No quick disappearance for these two.  God is going to show the world that it was He that caused the disappearances 3.5 years beforehand and He's going to give the world a slow motion replay using these two men now standing before them. God then audibly... AUDIBLY... calls them back to heaven!  Everyone hears Him speak the words! Then these men don't just disappear like the millions that were raptured... no. They rise up to heaven in a cloud, just like Jesus did. Then, to put an exclamation point on the end of this event, God causes an earthquake that topples one tenth of Jerusalem and kills exactly 7,000 people. Do the people react as they did before, when the rapture happened? No. The scripture shared at the beginning of this article says that "the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven." Some will truly repent and believe, but most will go back to life as usual once the experience has worn off.

God, throughout the entire Tribulation period, continues to give unbelievers the opportunity to repent and be forgiven, believe and be saved. It's kicked off by the Rapture and is followed by the seven seal judgments and trumpet judgments. After that, the two witnesses are raised back to life, are called by God Himself, and rise to heaven in view of the entire population of the planet (via media of course). Then the seventh trumpet sounds, there is silence in heaven for about half an hour, and the Great Tribulation begins, with the release of the seven bowl judgments over the next 3.5 years. After all this, most will continue to reject God and even look up and shake their fist at Him in defiance, blaspheming the God of heaven.

This, in addition to the other reasons I've given in my two previous articles, is why I believe in a pre-trib Rapture.

If you would like to read the other three articles in this series, please click on the links 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 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

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

If you would like to read a more detailed article written about the two witnesses, please click here.

If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Left Behind: I'm In The Minority Report

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!  I have briefly described scenes in the movie in order to offer up my opinion.

As many of you may have already noticed, the film, "Left Behind: The End Begins," stirred up a lot of controversy among Christians. First there was the controversy between those who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, those who believe in a mid-tribulation rapture and those who believe in a post-tribulation rapture.  Then there was the controversy between those Christians who liked the film and those who expected more. I will not attempt to address the former controversy in this post (I'm saving that for another time), but will instead attempt to address the latter.

As we all know, opinions are mainly subjective. In this case, either you liked the film, "Left Behind: The End Begins," or you did not.  I've read film-goers' positive and negative responses as well as online reviews from established Christian web sites and I can't seem to agree with the negativity that has been circulating throughout parts of the Christian community regarding this film.

Let's address some of the negative comments you may have heard about this film.

#1 This new film is not like the books or the original movie.

Since this is a "reboot" of the Left Behind series, complaints about straying from the original storyline found in the books and the original movie just don't seem to make sense to me. It's a reboot, not a remake. If anyone is going to see this film expecting to see an updated version of the original movie from opening title to closing credits or that it tells the story of the first book from cover to cover, then let me tell you that you will be disappointed.  

Star Trek had a "reboot." Among the changes made was the addition of Spock's romantic relationship with Uhura, Capt. Pike's altered future (he's alive and well), and the destruction of Spock's home world of Vulcan. This wasn't part of the original series or the original theatrical releases that resulted from the popularity of the series, but it didn't deter many people from going to see this film. The same should be true about the new Left Behind film. The changes in the storyline should not deter people from seeing this film. Here are a few of the changes that have been made:

• Hattie isn't the ditsy blond from the books
• Rayford's indiscretions are noticed by his daughter earlier on in the time line. 
• Raymie is raptured in Chloe's presence.
• Buck has use of his personal satellite phone on the plane.
• Characters on the plane actually have a story line and aren't just there to take up space.
• The film focuses only on the day of the rapture, beginning with Chloe's arrival at the airport as she returns home for her dad's birthday, and concluding with the dramatic landing of Rayford's aircraft.

I could go on, but I believe the point has been made. This is a REBOOT, not a remake of the original story line.  There is no mention of a Tribulation Force at the end of the movie, only the ominous statement by Chloe that this was just the beginning of what is to come.

#2 Christians are portrayed as lunatics.

A woman in the movie approaches Buck in the airport terminal and immediately begins to bible bash him. We all know the type. These people lack wisdom and humility and tend to be very judgmental. What I'm trying to say is that these people are real and their behavior, although well meaning I'm sure, is overbearing and just pushes people further away from Jesus. It may be difficult to watch a Christian movie that has a character that makes us cringe, but it's a part of our Christian culture and we can't run away from it. We can't shove it in a closet and pretend it doesn't exist. We have to own it. It's real. The film makers understand this and put it right out there for everyone to see right from the start. This scene not only instructs Christians how NOT to witness to unbelievers, but also helps us to understand how many non-believers view Christians. The film makers show empathy toward unbelievers who have had to deal with people like this in the past (which may have helped push them further from making a decision for Christ). This is a teaching moment, people!  

In another scene, as Chloe describes this incident at the airport to her mother, she lets slip that she believes the woman at the airport is just as crazy as her mother. Her mother is wounded, which makes Chloe regret her choice of words. Her mother tries to share God's word with her, to prepare her for what's coming, but before she can, Chloe makes an abrupt departure. Another missed opportunity to share God's word on wide screen? Some may see it that way. I just don't happen to agree with them. I'll explain why in the next section.

#3 The name of Jesus is never spoken and scripture is sorely lacking. It's a watered down version of the book meant to appeal to the widest Christian audience possible.

How many people know what Christians are going to say before they say it? How many unsaved know that we're going to tell them that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one goes to the Father except through Him... or that Jesus shed His blood for them to cover a multitude of sins... or that they need to be born again to enter the kingdom of God? How many of them have heard those words from church, on television, in secular movies, in soup kitchens, and yes, even at church? Yes, the words are out there, but the unsaved aren't falling to their knees in droves. They remain on the broad and easy path that leads to their destruction. The film makers decided to take a different direction. Gone is the in-your-face preaching that would drive many of the unsaved away from this movie, and in it's place is a real life example of what life is for many people.  

What do I mean by that? Here is Irene. She's the mother of Chloe and Raymie and is wife to her pilot husband Rayford. A year prior to the events of the movie, she became a born again believer in Christ. During the past year she's quoted all the scripture and shared her faith with her reluctant family, yet they still do not believe. Her daughter even goes so far as to say that her mother "drank the Kool-Aid." So what does Irene do? She doesn't press. She lives her life as a faithful Christian woman and surrounds herself and her family with symbols of her faith. She tries not to push them away from the truth, but attempts to gently draw them to Jesus by setting an example for them. Yes, she still tries to share her faith with them because she loves them and longs for their salvation as well, but she also knows that she can't go too far because that will just drive them further away from the truth. You can see that when Chloe comes home and Irene places her gardening gloves on top of her bible. She doesn't want to push.

We see Irene's faith by the jewelry she wears, the bible on the table (mentioned above), mention of her church attendance, the little reading nook she has set up with a pillow that says Pray and subtle artwork of Jesus on the cross.  Many people would look at this as a way to plug Christianity into a movie that has no Christian underpinning, but I disagree. I see the little nook she has set up, the one Chloe glimpses at as she searches the house for her raptured mother, as a subtle message. What is that message? Get alone with God, no matter where it is. Get to some small, quiet, private place where you can be alone with Him. Pray and confess your sins. Repent and give your life to Jesus. That's what I took away from that ever-so-short glimpse of Irene's little nook.

So, scripture doesn't play a major role in the movie, but Irene's faith does. That reflects real life. I don't beat my friends and family over the head with scripture. They know what I'm about and they've heard me say it all. How I live my life is my testimony to those who refuse to repent and believe. That's what this movie is to me... real life. It doesn't beat you over the head with something you already know. As a side note, scripture is presented on screen at the end of the movie before the credits roll. The closing credits roll with the beautiful voice of Jordan Sparks as she gives us her rendition of the song, "I Wish We'd All Been Ready."  

Some people want to draw a line in the sand with a detailed list of examples of what a Christian movie should contain. If it doesn't meet their demands, it's deemed a poor example of Christian film making and they automatically give it a thumbs down. I have to honestly disagree with that. There are Christian films that are made solely for Christian audiences and then there are those rare Christian films whose main purpose is to reach out to the unsaved. I believe that "Left Behind: The End Begins" is an example of the latter.  

The conversation, the questions and the scripture all come after watching this film, when you and those who have seen the film begin to share your thoughts. This film is a door that starts the conversation moving in God's direction. It's like handing a tract to someone. First they look at the cover and then they read what's inside. Look at the film as the tract cover that invites the one receiving it to want to read more. What's inside that tract is what we share when the movie's over. It's not the film's responsibility to witness to the lost, it's ours.  

Invite someone to watch the movie with you. They won't feel as if they're being force fed scripture, which may allow them to open up and begin asking those questions that they've been dwelling on for awhile.

If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!

Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

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Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture Pt. 1 - The 24 Elders

READ THE BLOG OR WATCH THE VIDEO!!!

VIDEO: WHY I BELIEVE IN A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE - PART 1: THE 24 ELDERS

In chapter 4 of Revelation, John is taken in spirit to heaven where, among other things, he sees 24 thrones circling the throne of God. On these thrones sit 24 elders. They are each in white robes and have crowns upon their heads.     

Let's quickly refresh our memory by reading this short portion of scripture:  

1After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." 2Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.

4Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothes in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. 5Out from the throne come flashes of lightening and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;

The verses that follow continue to describe the throne room of God. We pick it back up from verse 9, where it states...

⁹And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11'Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created.'" (Revelation 4:1-5, 9-11 NASB)

This part of John’s vision is significant for the following reasons:

Although we cannot positively identify who these 24 elders are, what we can be sure of is that they have already been given their robes and have received their crowns; something that happens AFTER the rapture of the bride of Christ.

Another very important point often overlooked by many is that in all the descriptions of the throne of God in the OT, never is there any mention of these 24 thrones or 24 elders. Why? Because they did not exist at that point in time. The church has not been raptured, so the thrones and elders are absent from the throne room of God in the OT accounts of the throne of God.

These 24 elders cannot be heavenly beings, since there is no record of heavenly beings receiving any type of crown. 

Here are the words of Dr. H.A. Ironside that I found very helpful:

But now the fourth verse brings before us a sight never beheld in heaven on any previous occasion: twenty-four thrones (not merely “seats”) surrounding the central throne, and upon them twenty-four elders seated with victors’ crowns (not diadems) upon their heads, and clothed in priestly robes of purest white. Who are these favored ones gathered around the glorious central Being? I do not think we need be in any doubt as to their identity, if we compare Scripture with Scripture and distrust our own imagination, which can but lead us astray.

In I Chronicles, chapter 24, we read of something very similar; and again I would remind you that many of John’s first readers were Hebrews, thoroughly familiar with the Old Testament. Can we question for a moment that every Jewish believer would instantly remember the twenty-four elders appointed by King David to represent the entire Levitical priesthood? He divided the priests into twenty-four courses, each course to serve for two weeks at a time in the temple which Solomon was to build. The same arrangement was in force when our Lord’s forerunner was announced.  Zacharias was “of the course of Abiah,” the eighth in order (Luke 1:5).  The priests were many thousands in number; they could not all come together at one time, but when the twenty-four elders met in the temple precincts in Jerusalem, the whole priestly house was represented. And this is the explanation, I submit, of the symbol here. The elders in heaven represent the whole heavenly priesthood – that is, all the redeemed who have died in the past, or who shall be living at the Lord’s return. In vision they were seen – not as a multitudinous host of millions of saved worshipers, but just twenty-four elders, symbolizing the entire company. The church of the present age and Old Testament saints are alike included. All are priests. All worship. There were twelve patriarchs in Israel, and twelve apostles introducing the new dispensation. The two together would give the complete four and twenty.

Then, observe further: these persons are not angels. They are redeemed men who have overcome in the conflict with Satan and the world, for they wear victors’ wreaths upon their brows. Angels are never said to be “crowned,” nor have they known redemption.

There are two kinds of crowns mentioned in this book:

- The victor’s crown (Stephanos)

- The ruler’s crown (Diadem)

The former is the word here used. It refers to the wreath, of laurel or of pine, bound about the brow of the victor in the Greek games; it is the same word so often used in the New Testament when reward for service is the theme.

And now, note carefully: no saints will ever be crowned until the apostle Paul receives that crown of righteousness which the Lord revealed to him as his reward. In II Timothy 4:8, he says: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love (or, have loved) His appearing.”

The expression “at that day” refers to the day of Christ, when He shall come for His own, and they will all be manifested before His judgment-seat. He says: “Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).

Surely it follows then that no rewards are given out till He returns for His saints. Therefore there can be no crowned elders in heaven till after the rapture… I trust it is clear to all that the elders are the heavenly saints, surrounding the Lord in glory, God the Son sitting on the central throne.

Again, to be sure that I'm being clear about this... if we take scripture at face value, the Rapture takes place before the Tribulation and the outpouring of God's wrath because scripture shows that the 24 Elders have already received their reward... a reward that's bestowed upon them before the Tribulation judgments are even mentioned. 

You can read the other parts of this series by clicking on one of the articles below:

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

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

If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Acknowledgements:  Image - www.pawcreek.org/