Question: If you notice, in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation we read about the 7 churches, is this not correct? Then in Revelation 4:1 it says, "After this I looked, and behold, a door was open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be done hereafter." So, from this point on, there is no mention of the word Church is found in the Book of Revelation, why because the Church of Jesus Christ has been already Raptured at this point! This is also why Revelation 12 is not the CHURCH! ITS ALL ABOUT ISRAEL IN THE GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD!
Answer: Greetings in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!
Coming to your way of reasoning, yes first three chapters are about the Church, but in the fourth chapter 1st verse God calls the individual person John to come up and does not call the Church there. So assuming that God is calling the Church to come up is wrong. Then we see in the Chapter 3 itself, the Church of Philadelphia before the Rapture occurrence (Rev 3:7-13) and the Church of the left behind Laodicea after the Rapture (Rev 3:14-22), so this in itself crosses the half way mid-point of Daniel seventieth week, then how come Revelation 4:1 can speak of Rapture of the Church.
The Church in the first to third Chapter of the Book of Revelation is spoken to the 7 different Churches of various spiritual conditions and times and situation of the world. But from the 4th Chapter of Revelation, it is spoken about the Church and Israel of how both will fit into the eternal plans and purposes of God in the end of end times. So one should not confuse one with the other. To the contrary, the Book of Revelation as a whole speaks about, the Church and churches, the nation of Israel, the Tribulation Gentiles and the Jewish Messianic saints, the Millennial saints, the sinners who will live right through out the time without salvation and further, and finally how all the Saved will be part of various resurrections and the unsaved will be eternally condemned through the resurrection of the unjust at the White Throne Judgment.
In fact, the whole of the Book of Revelation concentrates of just two things, the Church of all time, and its relationship to the nation of Israel and the Jews even up to the end time and millennial rule of Jesus and the Church, and beyond that in to eternity. If Revelation Chapter 12 cannot be the Church, then Israel has not been there in the wilderness for the past 2000 years as it had no relationship with God through Jesus Christ at all, then it is only the Church that qualifies, and also we see it taken up or snatched in to wilderness of intimacy with Jesus Christ for the last three and half years time of Daniel 70th week through Rapture.
Wilderness is not being away from God in a physical place, but being spiritually in intimacy with him alone and with no one else around. Israel as a nation is not in to wilderness as a people of God, but only at the time of Jesus' Second Coming they will again become the people of God, being taken in to the New Covenant supernaturally through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them.
The whole of the Book of Revelation is "signified" by God (Rev 1:1), and so we must have our spiritual eyes and ears of our heart open in order to understand what Jesus has been saying to the Church from the starting of the Book of Revelation to the end of it (Rev 2;7, 11). Jesus has clearly told that His reward for the Church is with him at the last chapter, so that those who work with faith will receive the reward from him personally and individually from Him (Rev 22:12).
Further in Revelation Chapter 14, we see the Church in heaven standing before God after Rapture, and further the proclamation of the Gospel in all the world on earth by a first angel, then Babylon's fall declared by a second angel which is the Roman Catholic church, and then it tells about a third angel in series who will warn all people on earth not to receive the mark of the beast which will condemn their soul for eternity in the lake of fire. So in a linear way, sequential and chronological way the whole rapture of the Church sets the second half of Daniel 70th week on fire (Rev 14:1-13). Then it speaks about the Tribulation saints who will die as martyrs for Jesus Christ and it is continued as a soul harvest of the end of end times by God (Rev 14:14-16). Then the grapes of the wrath of God through Armageddon and Judgment of nation by Jesus and the Church before the Millennial rule will reveal the punishment of God for its sinfulness to all the world (Rev 14:17-20). Praise the Lord!
The main problem for confusion is the western theology that has been thrust upon the Bible, to say that Rapture will happen before the Daniel 70th week take place. And that the nation of Israel will be the only one to enter in to it, along with the world. Not even one verse in the Bible supports this stance of pre-tribulation rapture, instead the Bible speaks about the imminent after-mid Rapture only.
So let us not follow just the traditional teachings of the past, but keep our inner eyes and ears of the heart open to what God wants us to understand and apply from the Book of Revelation for our day to day living of the end of the end times for the Glory of God. Hallelujah!
Much Blessings....
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment