"THE TRUTH IS..."

I receive e-mails and questions in my guest book, "Do you believe the Rapture is near?" and "Can you prove by scripture that the Rapture is pre-tribulation?" This latter question came by e-mail and although I have written numerous articles on the rapture and the tribulation to come, there are still those who cannot seem to put it all together. Perhaps that is my fault, I have not given enough reference data to support the pre-tribulation rapture and there is so much to share, so grab a pencil and pad or print this article out so you can really study this at a more leisurely time.

As for the first question, yes, I believe the Rapture is near. When I say near, I speak in terms of "age" for this is the "age" of the return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I believe we, the generation that saw Israel return to his homeland and become a nation again, will not pass away until all these things are fulfilled. (Matthew 24:34 – words of Jesus)

This markedly significant prophecy began to fulfill in 1880 when a group of Jewish pilgrims returned to Israel by faith to set up a welcoming committee and establish a national base for others who would return. Many more poured into the land in 1919 and perhaps the greatest return was in 1945. Although the Balfour Declaration of 1919 provided legal access to the land as a national homeland for the Jews, these returning masses had to fight to reclaim it and to keep it.

Although it was called Palestine at that time, it was never a Palestinian state. Rather, since the days of Joshua, and indeed since the promise was given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it had been Israel. Then, at midnight on May 15, 1948, Israel declared her independence as a nation. This declaration of a nation born in one hour was the fulfilling of the cornerstone prophecy that would set the stage for all other end time prophecies to follow.

You see, the Law was given on Mt. Sinai on the 50th day after the Exodus. The appearance of God on Mt. Sinai signified the completion of the consecration of the Jewish nation to Him, and celebrated the birth of the Jewish nation that was being led by the Almighty Himself to the Promised Land.

Pentecost occurred on the 50th day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The presence of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost signified the birth of the Christian Church that is being led toward the original Promised Land by Jesus Christ. The first Promised Land of Israel is physical, earthly, but eternal. The second Promised Land is spiritual, Heavenly and also eternal. Following the millennium, the City of Jerusalem and the land of Israel will become the new Heaven on earth for eternity. One must have a bonding of the heart for Israel and her people in order to fully understand and appreciate this promise.

In keeping with God’s prophetic timetable, the European Common Market (the EU) and the World Council of Churches were also created in the same year of 1948. These are three of the main players for the end-time scenario i.e. the nation of Israel, the one world government, and the one world religion, all proceeding on schedule in preparation for the deterioration of world events that will usher in the Rapture, the antichrist, the Great Tribulation, and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for the battle of Armageddon.

Like dominoes, the prophecies to follow Israel’s return began to fall, taking our breath away with the way in which they are gathering speed and intensity. Every square peg has been placed in a square hole, every round peg into a round one. The world is racing toward a one-world order, a one-world currency, a one-world army and a one-world religion. Already, the Euro currency is flooding Europe and will be the legal currency for many European nations by January 1, 2002.

The Middle East is a boiling pot and is crying "Peace and Safety." The Bible warns us: “When they cry peace and safety, sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians, 5: 3).

Travail upon a woman with child is labor pains. Such pains do not begin with travail but with the warning that labor has begun, and that a birth is in process. Then, as labor progresses the pain intensifies until it is unbearable and even agonizing. But God does not bring forth into the birth canal and not deliver. It will happen just as it is written.

During this time Israel is suffering the beginnings of her travail that will intensify during the reign of the antichrist, but which will eventually bring forth the Messiah’s return to Jerusalem. I believe that the antichrist will be ushered in by the invasion of Israel by Gog and Magog, led by Russian forces and Arab nations that want Israel destroyed. (Ezekiel 38-39) I also believe the Rapture of the Church will cause the added chaos needed to bring the world to it’s knees. With all this chaos in view, the unbelieving masses left behind will be fully ready to accept the most evil charmer that ever lived as the unchallenged leader of the world.

The hooks were put into the jaws of Russia when she signed a treaty with Iran and other Arab nations, promising support troops and weapons of war in their planned invasion of Israel in exchange for oil. Russia is hooked and bound by this treaty. She will not want to lead this invasion and indeed will turn back at the start, but will then turn again and lead them in the march against the Holy Land. Lebanon chomps at the bit and Syria has made her open threats. Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan (Put and Cush), even Iraq as part of the original Magog, and Armenia (Togarmah) will join them. Iran (Persia) has been screaming for this invasion for years and she is going to get her wish. She will be at the march when the signal is given, and the now independent four Muslim nations of the former Soviet Union will be there as well.

It is significant that Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are not listed among them. Jordan has declared openly that she will remain neutral.

There is nothing left that has to happen before the great escape of the church can take place, therefore, the next great event on God's calendar of prophetic events, is the Rapture. Only God knows when that will be. Jesus does not know, the angels in heaven do not know, and Satan does not know. The mystery date and hour are hidden in God but because He is not willing that any should perish, I believe that He will keep the gate open as long as possible for the thousands of additional souls that walk through it every day.

God knows every heart and every destiny, and Jesus knows the identity of every member of his bride. The Holy Spirit continues to draw them in and I believe that when the last soul that is going to surrender comes to Jesus, from somewhere in the world, at some hour of the day or night, though they will not know they are the last soul to come, God will tell his beloved Son, "It is time - go - bring your bride home."

Part of the world will be in daytime, and part of the world will be in the darkness of nighttime. The day and hour known only to God may be 6 a.m. in America, 11 a.m. in London, 3 p.m. in Afghanistan, and 6 p.m. in China. But because all prophecy revolves around Israel and the time zone in Zion, the timing of the Rapture will be at a different hour for different locations around the world. The mystery should keep us ready moment by moment, wherever we live on this earth...

I believe the Rapture will happen just prior to, or concurrent with, the Ezekiel invasion of Israel. I believe that Russia will loose her missiles on America to prevent our help to Israel, for the scriptures tell us that at that time Israel will have NO friends with her, and I believe as the bombs come down, we will be going up. I believe the chaos rendered by the devastation of the armies of this invasion, coupled with the fact that multiplied millions of ordinary citizens have vanished from the earth, (including all babies and children under the age of accountability) coupled with world economic disaster due to both of these events, will be the springboard that brings the antichrist to power.

Many do not share my view on this and that is okay. I could be wrong and if I am, I will stand corrected before my Lord. However, there are others who do share this view and we just can't get around it or see it any other way. And I believe that invasion is near. It has been 53 years since 1948, I myself was 16 years old at the time, so the generation that saw Israel become a nation has passed it's 40-years line of measure for a generation and, according to calculations, we are in overtime. But don't complain. Bring in the lost while there is still time, and seek the Lord on their behalf while He can still be found...

Job is considered the oldest book of the Bible. It is thought that Job may have lived during the patriarchal age, during the days of Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. His story was recorded long before Moses wrote the Pentateuch, much of which was written from the records of Abraham that were carried into Egypt with Jacob, preserved and brought out again. Moses would accomplish his writings of the Pentateuch in the wilderness years. It is highly probable that the story of Job accompanied the records of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Only God knows how all these things were accomplished so we will not get into speculation. Let’s hear the words of Job:

In Job 19:23-24 Job cries: “Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!”

What a cry, and what a blessing that God answered that cry and had Job record these conversations and events that the story may be kept intact. The author of Job is uncertain for it includes the account of Job’s eventual death so it is fairly certain that Job could not have written it. It is thought highly possible that Moses penned the story but whoever penned it, did so from Job’s own records, and immortalized these events in God’s Holy Word forever, as Job cried out that they would be. And even in that day, Job went on to say:

(Verses 25 - 27) “For I know that my Redeemer lives and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though, after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh (a resurrected body) shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” So, even Job knew death of the body was not the end of all things. He knew by the Spirit of the Lord of the resurrection to come in the latter day and he did not hesitate to declare it…

In Thessalonians we find the favorite description of the Rapture as recorded by the Apostle Paul. 1st Thessalonians, Chapter 5:9-10 gives the assurance, “For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” Now, that is a powerful promise. GOD HAS NOT APPOINTED US TO WRATH… and since it is the wrath of God that is going to fall on the earth and the wicked during the Great Tribulation, we will not be here.

He confirms this further in Revelations 3:10 when he says, “Because you have kept the word of my patience, I ALSO WILL KEEP YOU FROM THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION, WHICH SHALL COME UPON ALL THE WORLD, TO TRY THEM THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH.” Although the last three and a half years of the final week of Daniel is called the Great Tribulation, the hour of temptation and testing begins with the rise of the antichrist to power at the beginning of the seven years of tribulation.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, “For the mystery of iniquity (lawlessness) already works, only He who now lets will let (restrain – hold back) until He be taken out of the way. And THEN shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”

The Holy Spirit is the One who lets – holds back and restrains - the power of unleashed wickedness. The Holy Spirit resides in the multitudes of believers in the world and when the Church is removed from earth through the Rapture, there will no longer be a powerful restraining force to hold back wickedness and the antichrist will then be able to rise to power and take the reins of men and earth.

The Holy Spirit does not leave for He is omnipresent, and because he is everywhere at once, He will be on earth during the tribulation period to draw the new converts to Jesus Christ and will dwell within the new believers. But the Church will not be here, and most of these new believers will be martyred for their newfound faith.

The Church is last mentioned prior to the Rapture in Revelation 3:22: “He that has an ear (to hear), let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.” It is the last verse of Chapter 3. In the first verse of Chapter 4 we read: “After this I looked” – after what? – after Jesus finished his final messages to the churches a new scene now opens and John looks– “…and behold (look and see!), A DOOR WAS OPENED IN HEAVEN: and the FIRST voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must come hereafter.”

The door in Heaven is opened to receive the resurrected and caught up saints who are the bride of Christ. This is the Rapture of the church, raised up at the sound of the authoritative trumpet voice that says, “Come up here.” The things that must come hereafter are the things that will occur following the Rapture, for at this time, the testing and the hour of temptation will begin. And John goes on to say, “AND IMMEDIATELY, I WAS IN THE SPIRIT (caught up in the Spirit) and behold, a throne was set in heaven and one sat on the throne.” John is now describing the heavenly scene and the throne of Almighty God.

Note that in verse 4 there were twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white raiment with crowns of gold on their heads. These twenty-four elders represent the church as priests before God. King David had divided the Levitical priesthood into twenty-four sections (1 Chronicles 24:7-19) so the believers are seen here as a kingdom of priests. Note that they are wearing the white robes of righteousness, having already been before the judgment seat of Christ and received their Crowns (rewards). Also note that these elders are sitting, having already received their reward of authority they will exercise over the nations during the millennial kingdom (Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2nd Corinthians 5:10).

In Verses 10-11 they cast their crowns before the throne and worship the one on the throne. This is the presentation of the Bride to the Father following the judgment seat of Christ, and after the Bride is adorned in her wedding garments and crowns.

In Chapter 5: 8-9 these elders (the church) fall down at the feet of Jesus and sing a new song saying, “You alone are worthy to take the book (the deed to earth, reclaimed from Satan who usurped it from Adam) and to open the seals of it, for you were slain and you have redeemed us to God by your blood OUT OF EVERY KINDRED, AND TONGUE, AND PEOPLE, AND NATION; AND HAS MADE US UNTO OUR GOD KINGS AND PRIESTS; AND WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH.”

Note that this takes place prior to the opening of the seals that begin the judgments upon the earth at the beginning of the tribulation period. So we can see that the church is in heaven at this time. Then the seals are opened, one at a time, and the first seal introduces the rider on the white horse (not to be confused with Christ on the white horse at his second coming in Rev. 19:11) for this rider is the antichrist who comes with a bow but no arrows for he conquers by charm and deceit.

His crown is a crown of authority given to him by the leaders of the EU. He will forge a treaty with Israel for peace with her neighbors for seven years, (the covenant with hell) and when he signs the treaty, when he lays down the pen, the clock of God’s prophetic seven years begins ticking again and the tribulation begins. Meanwhile, while all this is happening, the church is already in heaven.

Now, let’s move beyond the tribulation years to the second coming of Christ at the end of that period. In Rev. 19:11: “AND I SAW HEAVEN OPENED…” Here we see that the door of heaven is opened for the second time. This time it is opened to let Christ and the saints OUT of heaven to return to earth for the battle of Armageddon. There are only two times the door of heaven is opened in the book of Revelations, the first time to receive the saints into heaven, and the second time to let them leave heaven with Christ, the angels and the legions of Michael, all of which make up the armies of heaven. We shall return on white horses with Christ and following the battle of all battles, will help Him to set up His kingdom on the earth.

Now I need to explain Chapter 20:5-6 for this is a bit confusing to many. There are two resurrections: the first resurrection is for the saints while the second resurrection is for the lost. However, the first resurrection is in stages: Christ the first fruit, the resurrection of the church-age dead in Christ and the Rapture of the Church, the resurrection of the Old Testament Saints, and the resurrection of the tribulation saints. These all comprise the first resurrection.

“Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection, on such the second death (the lake of fire) has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him one thousand years.” The second resurrection does not take place until the end of the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth and these resurrected dead shall be judged by God Himself, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Verse 15)

Notice also that the church, last mentioned in Rev. 3:22 just prior to the Rapture, is not mentioned at all during the tribulation period and in fact, is not mentioned again until after the second physical coming of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom. We read it in Rev. 22:16: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”

Jesus was telling John, “Go – tell the churches the things you have seen and the things you have heard.” All through the book John is told to write down what he sees and hears, for these things are to be shared with the church. Jesus wanted the church to know so the world could be warned, whether they hear or whether they forbear, they cannot say they were not warned. But, all those that have ears to hear, eyes to behold, hearts open toward Christ and souls hungering for that day to come, will thrill to the voice that calls, “Come up here…”

Now remember this – Lot, his daughters and his wife were delivered out of Sodom BEFORE the fiery judgment on the city fell. Noah and his family were called to enter into the Ark, God Himself shutting the door, BEFORE the rains of the Great Flood began. The children of Israel passed through the Red Sea BEFORE the column of fire moved aside to allow Pharaoh’s army to chase after them and be drowned as the sea closed upon them. God is the author and finisher of all the Great Escapes that were possible only through the faith and obedience of those that were delivered.

During the tribulation, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the two witnesses in Jerusalem (Moses and Elijah) will replace the church on the earth as witnessing preachers and prophets with the testimony of Jesus Christ and the sovereignty of Almighty God. The new converts of the tribulation will be underground, in hiding for the most part, for they will not be able to take the mark of the beast.

Most of these will be captured and martyred for their refusal to deny Christ, but, because of their unwavering testimony and their endurance to the death, they will be saved. These are the souls under the altar in Rev. 6: 9-10 that cry with a loud voice for revenge against their killers. You see, these are basically babes in Christ who are not spiritually mature enough to understand that we are to forgive our enemies as Christ forgives us and forgave those who crucified and rejected him. But we see that they were given white robes and told to rest awhile until their fellow servants and brothers in the faith should be killed as they were. In Rev. 7:9-17 we see these redeemed martyrs robed and singing before the throne of God, comforted at last.

With these scriptures, with promises and visions such as these, with God’s Word so clear on these things, there is no doubt in my mind, and those of most of my colleagues, that the Rapture is a pre-tribulation event. One does not have to wait to find out – that is dangerous – one should never think he can wait and be saved during the tribulation period. Many catastrophic events will occur during that time, the great worldwide earthquake of the 6th seal alone will destroy approximately one fourth of earth’s population.

The first six seals cover the first three and a half years of the tribulation, the seventh seal introducing the trumpet judgments that intensify to begin the Great Tribulation, the last three and a half years of hell on earth. One can be killed before he can be saved. It is a dangerous thing to tempt the Lord and to play games with His gift of salvation. Such are the games of Satan who would rob you of an eternity with Jesus Christ. Pay no heed to such temptations or thoughts. Such a gamble can only reserve you a standing place and the fate of those of the second resurrection.

I hope I have answered your question in a way that you can now understand why I believe and preach pre-tribulation. You can also search previous Truth Is articles on this subject on this website for there are more than a few you can read and study.

Know this, if I am wrong, you will have time to ask more questions. But if I am right, time is running out and there is no time for questions, only decisions. And today is the day of salvation…

Joan Krempel
November 3, 2001
joan@joankrempelministries.com

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