SIGNS OF THE TIMES (2)

ON 6/23,  I tried to cover the signs of where we are now in God’s Timetable,  Soon will be the Rapture.
(2)  RAPTURE:   6/23/21   today 6/24 I will try to cover the Rapture or  (snatching away)  by Ken Smith<><

Isa. 57:1,    This is a great prophetic verse,   if evil = WRATH,   it is slam dunk.  Wycliffe Bible,  “that the just, or the righteous, have been taken away, before that malice, or the evil, come.”  Some translators use calamity which is close.   Hebrew word:   ra’ah  (evil, calamity) to come.   The 7 yr. Great Tribulation of God’s WRATH to come upon earth for what was done to Jesus & the rejecting HIS salvation?   Also Isa. 28:14-22  fits nicely.

FAMILIES IN GOD’S KINGDOM:
Those in the faith of Abraham under the old testament covenant are the family friends of the Bridegroom.  John 3:28,  “Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.  29 He that hath 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.  30 He must increase, but I must decrease. ”   So those in Jesus under the New Testament who (WILL) covenant, and be  filled with the Holy Spirit,  are the Bride/Church.  The Prophet John, saw this clearly and notes he was a friend of the Bridegroom.   John was the last and greatest of the Old Testament Prophets so would represent Israel.  So I suspect that there will be other families of of those prior to Noah and to Abraham and another family that comes into the heaven during the 7 yr. Great Tribulation.   And of course the last family may come out of the 1,000 yr. Kingdom of Christ.  As the experiences will be so very different.  So the relationship to Christ Jesus will be different.  Even as the disciples were different and had different relationships to Jesus.

RAPTURE:
VIRGINS:   Matt. 25:8-12:   “And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.  9 But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves.  10 But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.   11 Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open [the door] to us!  12 But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you [I am not acquainted with you].  There is so much confusion concerning the Rapture that I no longer go by what folks say about it but what I find for myself in Biblical context.   There is no doubt in my understanding that the Rapture is before the Great 7 yr. Tribulation of GOD’S WRATH.  And we could miss the Rapture if in the world we still had money for oil but not the oil for our lamp.  I find very few 100% Christians today.  Also, the “Rod of Iron”  Is found in 4 places in our Bible,   Psalm 2:9,   Rev. 2:27,  Rev.12:5,  Rev. 19:15.     Note that in Rev:12:5 that the Church (Rod of Iron) & Man Child (Jesus) are caught up together, prior to the 7 years of the Great Tribulation.   Rev. 12:6 (3 1/2 yrs.) + 12:14 for another 3 1/2 yrs.  The 7 yrs. of the Great Tribulation.

In Matt.24:37, Mark 13:33-37 & Luke 21:26-37 Jesus also taught about the Rapture.  In the Rapture of those DEAD and ALIVE, new eternal bodies will be given to all. 1 Cor.15:51,  “Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed)  52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed).   53 For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us, this nature that is capable of dying] must put on immortality (freedom from death).  54 And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished [h] forever) in and unto victory.  Also Jesus brings HIS rewards with HIM to share for works performed for HIM , 1 Cor.3:14. It is also very clear that the Holy Spirit, who came at Pentecost, and now holds the antichrist at bay will be “taken out of the way”   As the Church is locked together with the Holy Spirit, and when HE leaves, the Church also leaves with HIM .   “ Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the [a] apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great [b] falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition),  4 Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and over all that is called God or that is worshiped, [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God.  5 Do you not recollect that when I was still with you, I told you these things?  6 And now you know what is restraining him [from being revealed at this time]; it is so that he may be manifested (revealed) in his own [appointed] time.  7 For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until [c] he (The Holy Spirit) who restrains is taken out of the way.  8 And then the lawless one (the antichrist) will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by His appearing at His coming.  (Armageddon)  9 The coming [of the lawless one, the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of [pretended] miracles and signs and delusive marvels—[all of them] lying wonders— 2 Thess. 2:3-8.”

Paul shares about in 1 Cor. 15: 51-58 along with 1 Thess.4:15-18 & Acts 1:10-11,   with the meeting in the clouds of the air, verse 17 and in 1 Thess.5 1-4 we are reminded Jesus will snatch away HIS church departure like a thief in the night when others are saying Peace and Safety and they will not escape the Wrath of God and the time of darkness of the Great Tribulation as they were not Looking for HIM and ready and missed HIS coming.  And we see that the wise Virgins had their lights on bright were ready when the Bridegroom came, which is Jesus, and they left with HIM.   And we know that without Faith, it is impossible to please GOD.   If you have no faith for the Rapture,  you may miss it as the 5 foolish virgins when it happens.  Even Jesus could not do many marvelous works in Nazareth due to their unbelief.   And as Jesus did say,  “Be it unto you according to your faith.”