Most of us have been taught
one theory or another when it comes to the Lord's second coming, or rapture, as
some prefer to call it. Is it Pre-tribulation? Is it Mid-tribulation? Or is it
Post-tribulation? Does the Bible even use the term "rapture?" Many
have even been taught of a secret
rapture that will occur without the rest of the wicked world
knowing where the Christians have gone. They are preaching a day will come
when suddenly millions of Christians will be mysteriously missing. They teach
the Christians will actually vanish into thin air. Truth is, if you do some
checking you will find this happens to be the most common belief in the
churches today.
We must also consider the
seven year tribulation period that all three beliefs claim as still to come
upon the world. Some believe the seven years will be an opportunity for the
lost to have their last chance to see the errors of their evil ways and finally
convert to Christianity. A major feat no less seeing how according to their own
theories, all the "real" Christian preachers and teachers were
supposedly raptured up beforehand. I ask, how does God spread His Truth now? By
using Christians to share their faith and the Scriptures they already studied,
right? Romans
Then there are those that
believe the rapture occurs at the moment of death for every person on the
planet. Almost like their own personal end time experience one by one. Before
going further, my question is this. Are you a Christian? Do you believe in the
Christian God? Do you believe in the Word of that Christian God? If so, then
let's see what that Word says about all this...
First of all, Paul's
talking to Believers here when he is saying, "Let no man
deceive you..." Secondly, has the man of sin been revealed? The Bible
says the lost CANNOT see the truth. It is plainly written that, "Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it
seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you." [John 14:17] According to biblical
jurisprudence, the man of sin is to be revealed to Believers ONLY. Only
those that proclaim Jesus Lord, study His Word, and believe His Word can
understand His Word. One of the popular theory's is, when the Christians leave
the Holy Spirit goes with them. So again I ask, if there is no Holy Spirit
indwelt Christians on Earth, then WHO I ask is the man of sin being revealed
to? The wicked? According to the Christian bible that would be impossible.`
Only those that have the Spirit of Truth can see this man of lies.
Here we see the wicked one
is revealed, and THEN the Lord destroys him "with the brightness of
His coming." Again, many declare Jesus comes first, and then the wicked
one is revealed to all. This verse alone proves they are deceived. The way this
entire passage is penned proves only believers understand who the wicked one
is, and did you notice, it does not mention 7 years, and it doesn't mention
anything about it being a "secret" when Jesus returns to destroy the
wicked. A little later on I will be sharing Bible verses that prove it can in
no way be a "secret" rapture. They are quite blunt in fact. So blunt
you will never hear of them on pulpits that declare a 7 year tribulation or
secret rapture because in so doing it would expose them as false teachers.
As we continue on from
verse 8 that speaks of the Lord returning, the Word of God continues on in
topic regarding "even him" (Jesus) who is coming soon...
Here we see the Word declaring
that directly after the "working of Satan" the Lord will arrive on
the planet. This has to be my favorite passage on this topic. This is again one
of the passages you will never see proclaimed on pulpits that preach a 3 or 7
year pre tribulation Rapture. All across Christendom it is proclaimed that
Christians leave before the "signs and lying wonders" of Satan. But
here it is plainly stated that Jesus is coming "after the working of
Satan."
This SEVEN YEAR RAPTURE THEORY
is found absolutely nowhere in the Scriptures. Furthermore, imagine just what
this seven year tribulation period would entail if it were true. This would
literally mean "SEVEN YEARS OF PARTIES" for all the sinners that were
left behind on the Earth! Think of it. According to their own sermons on this
topic, there are no Christians are on the planet after the "secret rapture"
telling the wicked souls left behind to straighten up and fly right before
Jesus comes back. No one is warning them of their evil ways! No one is even to
be found anywhere in the entire world praying for them!
Have you ever gone into a
bar to preach Jesus Christ to drunkards? Have you ever gone into a porn theatre
to stand before the people to preach? Most will agree that preachers are not
welcome there. The people go there to be able to revel in sin. If there are no
Christians on earth do you think the wicked are going to become all depressed
looking for help and Jesus? Or would they be even more apt to party hardy?
Now I know that this
pre-trib theory also says that during this seven years the world will
experience intense tribulation like never before. Some believe this is supposed
to get the wicked to "think" about their sin and open bibles and
become saved. Common sense affords us the reality that if they didn't have
"discernment" beforehand, what makes them think they will have it
now? Discernment is that which comes from years of walking with Christ. If they
are correct in their assumptions, they must also admit they stated the Holy
Spirit is off the planet. Who is it that cuts the heart of the people to seek
out Christ? If there is no "Holy Spirit" on the Planet prodding them
towards truth, they are going to be much happier the Christians are gone
because now they won't be bothered by their guilt laden sermons. Besides, have
you have ever known anyone that has been so deeply into the sin of alcohol?
I've watched people consciously kill themselves for years by using this satanic
drink. They literally clamor after the drink even though they have rock solid
evidence it's killing them. The open sores all over their bodies when their
liver shuts down, the coughing up of blood due to massive ulcers in their gut,
the convulsive shaking each morning before they drink, the loss of teeth and permanently
dimmed eyes prove that rough tribulation would in no way slow down this persons
desire to party on. So using the "tribulation" as a catalyst to get
them to Christ is just plain impossible, and quite outside the realm of reality.
Truth is, all this secret rapture theory is, is an hellish trick of the Devil played
on the deceived to get them to think that they would have a second chance at
salvation once they see with their own eyes the mysterious disappearance of
millions of Christians around the world. However, reality proves it's actually
bringing to mind a world wide orgy of sin and decadence for all those that
prefer not to repent. Kind of like a reward for all the lucky sinners that were
fortunate enough to be left behind.
It's amazing to me how
common sense rules this one out with ease. Seriously! Think about this. Let's
say there is a man that has been in sin his entire life. So much so that he is
homeless and living in skid row. I used to frequent the missionaries near
So, let's look to the Word
of God in a little more depth to see if any of these "secret" or
"pre-trib" rapture theories hold up to Biblical jurisprudence. Fact
remains, if we want to understand prophecy we must keep our own definitions out
of the mix entirely! For 2 Peter
If Jesus was planning on
coming in SECRET as many preach, He would not "appear" at all. Plus we
would not be able to "look for Him" as the Word of God plainly
illustrates we will be doing on that day. For is He is in secret, He won't
appear, and we won't be able to see Him.
Here we see the Word of God
declaring the day of the Lord will not only come unexpectedly, it will come
with a GREAT NOISE! Does that sound like a secret? How is it possible to hide
the fact that the earth, it's elements, and all the "works" of man
upon the earth are burned up on that day? Even if millions of Christians vanish
into thin air as some preach, the convulsing and burning planet as well as the
great noise all this is going to make will no doubt enlighten the wicked that
something biblical is happening, wouldn't you think? How do you destroy the
earth and all it's cities without the wicked knowing it?
This passage also places
our Lord's arrival and the Earth's destruction at the exact same time. Plus, we
see that we are to be "Looking for" the day of God as well! Yes, the
context of this passage suggests we look for His arrival in the same way one
may be looking for their lot in life. You don't actually see anything, you
merely know it's coming. This is why Christians are moved by the Spirit to
study prophecy. In so doing the Word confirms that these Christians "...are
not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." (1
Thessalonians 5:4) Since we learned earlier that the wicked cannot see the
signs of the coming of the Lord because they simply don't believe, or study His
Word let alone prophecy, who I ask is Peter saying is to "LOOK" for a
new Heavens and a new earth?
So.. who is lying? The
Bible? Or the Preachers? Romans 3:3-4 says, "For what if some did not
believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God
forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is
written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome
when thou art judged."
Just like in Noah's time?
Did Jesus lie when He said..."So shall it be..."? Don't these verses
seem a bit obvious? The ones in the ark were saved. The ones that decided to
ignore the warnings of Noah regarding the historically proven world wide flood
were destroyed. And they were destroyed UNEXPECTEDLY! For it says they
"did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark.."
Also notice it speaks of "...lightning, that lighteneth out of the one
part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven" in that passage.
I understand that even a blind man can see the light emanating from lightning.
This passage is speaking of the brightest natural occurrence of light on planet
earth shining from one end of the earth to the other on that day. How I ask can
that be done in secret?
Noah and his family
believed that God was about to do something extremely graphic and globally for
all the world to witness as a testimony against their sin. However the rest of
the ENTIRE PLANET decided to take their chances and ignore "the nut
building the big boat on dry land," in the hopes that maybe he was
just some religious fanatic. I am sure that Noah, "...a preacher of
righteousness," according to 2 Peter 2:5, had plenty of opportunities over
the course of the 120 years of building the ark to convince some that he wasn't
nuts by his method of preaching. But just like today's world, the people of
Noah's day may have echoed the same "dried out" comeback... "I've
heard preachers say the end is near for many years!" Does that
statement make it all go away? Some I think do believe that if they ignore the
Scriptures hard enough, it will all go away. This attitude reminds me of a
frightened little boy afraid of some noise in the dark. He hides himself under
the covers to make it all go away. Or an ostrich hiding it's head in the sand
to escape danger. The noise or the danger is still very present no matter how
much the little boy or the ostrich ignores it. We all know the truth whether we
admit it or not... It will not go away! Now for another of my favorite passages
on this subject.
"Likewise also as it
was in the days of
Let's take a look at one
more BLUNT reality made plain in the Word regarding this "same day"
occurrence.
Are you curious as to WHERE
they are left? I was when I studied this up many years ago. As a matter of
fact, the Apostles were also curious as is obvious by the next verse...
Notice the STRONG'S
Translation of that word "EAGLE."
| #105 aetos
{ah-et-os'} from the same as 109;; n m AV - eagle 4; 4 1) an eagle: since
eagles do not usually go in quest of carrion, |
The definition of the word
"carrion" = "Dead and decaying flesh." Eagles eat LIVE
things. So the better translation of this passage is to state it is VULTURES
that is gathering where the "body" is.
Let me ask you this... Have
you ever seen vultures gather around people lying on a beach? How about
vultures circling overhead while people tan themselves on their balconies? Are
there vulture hovering over people going to work? Getting married? Working in
fields? No I can confidently say, you have not seen such things. We all know
that a vulture prefers the fairly ripe flesh of a corpse. So we see, when the
Apostles asked Where, Lord? Jesus rather bluntly told them that those people
that were not going to Heaven that very same day would be left behind dead.
Jesus didn't say that they would be left behind to deal with seven years of
tribulation like the pre-trib theory states. Nor did Jesus say that they would
remain behind for three and half years like the mid-trib theory proclaims. Just
like Jesus illustrated by using both Noah and
Still, some get confused
when seeing that passage. But it comes to a better light when you allow the
BIBLE to define the prophetic symbols in it. Let's briefly look at the symbols
Christ uses to describe those that go, and those that are left behind.
You can getl the
definitions and a lot more info on the Prophectic symbols and their
biblical meanings by going to me Prophetic
Symbols page on the site. It is plain to see that people of all walks of
life will be taken to Heaven on that day whether they are at home, at work, at
church, or in the grave. The rest will be left behind as bird food. In fact,
look at what Jeremiah says about that day. He gets a bit more graphic...
Sounds like a very terrible
day for the wicked does it not? It certainly doesn't sound like day one of a 7
year string of sin and parties does it?
The day is soon approaching
when all we will see is one attack after another being realized on the child of
God on a daily basis. The child of God will have to deal with false accusations
of incredible crimes being levied against them. They will be brought before the
authorities as common criminals, innocent only before God. Prophecy states they
will again be tortured and martyred as in days past. They will witness their very
own loved ones dying right before their eyes as an attempt to quench their
allegiance to the Creator God of the universe. But they will stand firm in
knowing that their Saviour is near at hand to wipe their tears and take them in
an everlasting embrace of love. In fact, in many nations across the globe
Christians are already being persecuted as we speak. I have many Newsletters
sharing documented evidence that Christians are being killed all around the
world for their faith today. Some of the Newsletters have pictures of Christian
martyrs being killed on camera, so be forewarned, they're not easy to look at. They
do this for the same reason big government shouts terrorist, global warming, or
economic collapse. They hope to generate fear in the hearts of God's people so
they will doubt like Peter did as he walked on the water. If we keep our eyes
on Jesus, walking on stormy seas will become a regular occurrence for the
church. Persecution is the norm for the Christian church because we are not of
this world.
As we know, Jesus is the
Redeemer of the faithful. The wicked are not being persecuted let alone
contemplating looking up because they don't believe He's coming back. Truth is,
they aren't even seeking redemption because they don't feel they need it. So
again I must ask who is Luke suggesting to have "look up" during this
intense time of trial that Scripture states is a time when men's hearts will be
failing them for fear directly before the Eastern sky splits?
If we left 7 years ago, why
would the prophecy declare "thy people" will be delivered at
the time Michael stands up? And how is it possible
for anyone but "thy people" to be written in the "book of
life?" The wicked shall not be mentioned in that book at all.
Just as physical
Many that preach the 7 year
trib theory declare we shall be saved FROM this tribulation by twisting
Jeremiah 30:7 as well as others out of context. Problem is, this passage says
we are saved OUT of the "time of Jacob's trouble." Not FROM it!
Even Christ asked His Father when he was in prayer in John 17 that we should not
be "taken from the world" but kept "from the evil" in it.
(See John 17:15)
Was not the Seed of Abraham
present during the 10 plagues in
The Lord protected His own
in the Old Testament by the blood of the lamb sacrifice, and He promises to
protect us New Testament believers by the "...the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) Both sets of believers show
their faith by the blood of Christ, do they not? The Old Testament believers trusted
God by a show of faith by placing the blood of a lamb upon the doorposts of
their houses, we have the Blood of the Lamb upon the doorposts of the heart. Also
notice that in Psalms 91:10 it specifically states no plague will come near our
dwellings. If we are supposed to have been raptured up before the plagues hit,
why is the Word so plainly stating it doesn't come near our dwellings?
Let's look at a few more
examples in the Word God that you will never hear from pulpits that embrace the
7 year tribulation, or secret rapture theory.
How blunt does it have to
be I ask? We are ALIVE when He returns. But still, some twist this
passage to say this is during a "secret" rapture. Yet the very next
verse (which they usually avoid on such pulpits) exposes that error with ease.
As I said earlier, most
that preach the 7 year trib theory state the preceding verse has to do with a secret
Rapture. Yet, this passage says the Lord will descend WITH A SHOUT! I ask, how
do you shout in secret? And to further prove the error for what it is; In
context, this passage easily confirms verse 15 as speaking of the same event
and part of the same string of explanation being shared when it continues on
saying directly after stating we are alive, that the Lord returns with a shout.
In verse 15 it speaks of
"we which are alive" and states we will not precede or prevent those
"which are asleep" in the graves. How can all those graves bursting
open be done in secret?
As students of the Eternal
Word of God we know "being asleep" means dead
in the grave. Then verse 16 says at that time the Lord will "descend
with a shout." Next we see the passage speaking of those that were asleep being
caught up in the clouds with the Lord and then we "shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds" to be with Jesus! So I ask.. where are the 7
years? Where are the 3.5 years? as far as I can see there won't even be 3.5
nano-seconds of time between these prophecied events.
This next passage has to do
with the "thief in the night" parable that I spoke of earlier. Absolutely
all of the pre-trib preachers use the following passage to confirm and or
validate their secret rapture theories. However, they will always do so in a
deceptive manner. First off they will read to you the following passage...
AND THEN THEY STOP!
They refuse to read further,
and rightly so. For if they read further a multitude of problems arise that
they are simply not prepared to deal with. For example, look at the next
verse..
If they read this passage
after reading the preceding verse they know they will have to explain how
"sudden destruction" comes upon those that aren't ready for Christ after
He comes as a "thief in the night." According to the 7 year trib
theory, they would have seven years to get right with Christ. Yet the Bible
says "sudden destruction" comes on them that very same day.
This is why most will not read past verse 2. They can't explain it. It doesn't
jive with their theories.
Think about this as well.
Matthew 24:36 easily proves the 3.5 or 7 year trib theory a lie. Jesus says in
that passage... "But of that day and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." If the secret rapture
theory was correct it would mean everyone left behind would know the exact
day and hour of Christ's return. How so? Think of it.. all one needs do is
calculate three and a half years forward, or seven years forward from when the
millions of Christians vanished into thin air and you would get the exact
day and hour that Jesus would return. Biblical jurisprudence easily
exposes the secret rapture theory with that one statement Jesus made in Matthew
24:36.
Now for my favorite verse
in this passage! It is so powerful it amazes even seasoned prophecy students as
to how blunt it is.
·
1
Thessalonians 5:4 "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness,
that that day should overtake you as a thief."
The secret rapture
preachers use the verses above this passage (verse 2) to say Jesus comes as a
thief in the night for the Christians. But this verse (verse 4) proves they are
not telling the truth. This verse is quite plain! It says clearly that Jesus
does NOT come as a thief in the night to the true Christians. Why
doesn't the Christian have to worry about Jesus coming as a thief to them? Do
you recall all the verses shared earlier that spoke of the believers
"looking up", or "looking for "the coming of the Lord? What
does that entail? True Christians understand what Jesus meant in Matthew 24
when He instructed His followers to study Christian prophecy. Doing as Jesus
suggests blesses us with the knowledge of truth needed to understand the days
we live in. With that knowledge He cannot possibly come as a thief to us. We
will be ready for Him because we understand the prophecied signs of the times. This
is the main reason the pre-trib preachers fear the verses I just shared. They
have not the understanding of prophecy and therefore cannot explain why the
brethren are not in darkness that day! If you don't understand the symbols of
Prophecy, you cannot explain them without using terms like "maybe...
perhaps.. could be.. or possibly" in your sermons. Ever notice that? The
pre-trib preachers can't be confident in their sermons because they do not have
the Testimony of Jesus Christ. What is that you ask? The Testimony of Jesus
Christ happens to be one of the two main fruits of an end time Christian. In
Revelation 12 we read...
There are
six symbols in this prophetic statement.
The Word of God is rather
clear as to how to explain prophetic symbols. When Jesus taught the Word, He
used Scripture to explain Scripture. This is how we must do it. The Bible
defines itself perfectly. Please don't ever let anyone give you their opinion
or interpretation of what they feel a think a prophetic symbol means. Let the
Word define the Word.
DEFINITION OF
SYMBOLS in
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The Bible plainly defines the elect as a people that keep the commandments and
understands prophecy. It also declares the enemy hates us greatly because of
that ability. This is the main reason our numbers are so small. Most fear the
enemy and in so doing lack the faith to stand firm in Christ, and sadly our
numbers are also small due to widespread persecution.
The pre-trib preachers
declare Jesus comes as a thief in the night, and to get around the fact He
doesn't come as a thief to those that understand prophecy, they choose to define
that event as being "in secret" to further hide their inabilities to
decipher the Written Word. The Bible says we as true Christians will not have
Jesus coming to us a thief because we are "looking up" or
"looking for" that great day, thanks to our blessed ability to
understand His prophetic Word. We read our Bibles, then we read the signs of
the times we live in and share what we see with those that have eyes to see.
Jesus can not come unexpectedly to those that understand the signs all around
them, anymore then a trucker will miss an exit on the highway after reading
road signs. The pre-trib preachers are unable to "look for" this day
because they have not the testimony of Jesus Christ or the Spirit of prophecy
that is needed to decipher such Truths. So they can't possibly explain
that passage. They know they will stumble over their tongues when trying, so
they avoid it at all costs.
To "watch and be
sober" means to study the Word, and follow the Truths that point to Christ
in all things whether it be prophecy or day to day life. And again, if we are
supposed to be gone during a 7 year trib, why is Paul again suggesting we
"watch and be sober?"
To give you an idea of how
many Scriptures there are that cover Christians being present during the time
of Jacob's trouble, notice this list...
The preachers of the world
fear the coming trials and preach an escape route never spoken of in His Word.
Like the Ostrich with his head in the sand, they may be able to ignore all
that's happening around them, but it won't stop that which the Lord God already
stated is to come.
One last thing. One major
reason this lie was fabricated was to create in the hearts of billions a
complacency that far outshines any in the hearts of mankind today. This secret
rapture gives them all a false sense of security thinking they will escape such
intense times. They are deceived into never preparing for the trials to come so
that when the hour of temptation does come, they will be so caught off guard
they will be forced to follow their religious leaders out of sheer fear of the
unknown. They will follow their leaders because they figure they must know what
to do. They have been trusting them for so many years already. Seriously, look
around! Most church goers don't read Bibles as the prophet Amos predicted for
this day. In today's age of convenience they believe it's the pastors job to
read and study the bible and it's his job to prepare them. So they make the
decision knowing that since they don't read the Bibles themselves, they have no
choice but to trust their pastors. Problem is, most pastors today don't believe
in the second coming of Christ. There was a poll taken by the "
How close are we? Click here
Now for a parable that exposes the error of the 7 year trib. Jesus Himself explains what will happen on that last day in parable format, and then He actually EXPLAINS that parable to His disciples!
JESUS EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS AT SECOND COMING
Jesus then explains this...
Have you ever seen a actual TARE? It's not just any weed. This is what I used to think for years. A tare looks just like wheat! In fact it looks exactly like wheat. Until harvest that is. The wheat is plump and filled with its fruit, but the tares are scrawny and thin. In fact, inside the tares is a small back seed that if eaten causes sleepiness no less! This parable fits perfectly with todays world. SO MANY people claim Christ as Lord. Literally billions of people on this planet "look" like Christians. Soon however, the harvest will be ready and those of us called to tarry through the time of Jacob's trouble will experience first hand how scrawny and thin those "Christians" really are. They will be the ones that join with Rome to have us jailed, persecuted and even killed.
There is one verse in the Word of god that directly addresses the so called "Secret Rapture" in such a way that it appears to say the Lord knew this lie would be embraced in these last days.
The "Secret Rapture" theory preaches it's not only secret, it's done in SILENCE where "suddenly" millions are missing! This verse directly exposes those preachers of error with childlike ease!
ONE LAST NOTE...
WHAT IF "THIS" WAS PLANNED...
by you know who!
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"DON'T
WORRY...WHEN THE CHRISTIANS LEAVE, IT WILL BE THE SIGN YOU HAVE
BEEN LOOKING Signed... Satan |
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This seven year rapture theory may be the devil's last trick played on mankind! NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S CALLED "SAVED?"
By the way... this next verse BLUNTLY declares those that state we leave BEFORE Satan does his evil acts are actually what Scripture define as false teachers and false prophets. The 7 year trib and secret rapture theory declares ALL that Satan does will be done AFTER the Christians are raptured up and away from all the trouble. But the following passage states the exact opposite!
Jesus is coming AFTER Satan does his lying wonders. This verse proves that! And by the way, Jesus actually PRAYED that we DON'T leave the world in John 17:15. He said, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
So, how was this lie fabricated? How was it so easily embraced by the church? It has to do with a prophecy of Daniel chapter 9...
This seven year tribulation theory actually originates from a mis-understanding, or deliberate re-writing of the prophecy in the ninth chapter of the book of Daniel. Many take this prophecy out of context to explain a seven year,(Pre-Trib) or three and a half year, (Mid-Trib) time of great tribulation for the Christian believer. However, you will find by studying this prophecy that it does not speak of a time of tribulation at all. In fact, it speaks of a time that all believers both Old and New Testament alike hold very dear to their hearts. It is the prophecy that describes the coming of Jesus as the Messiah in 27AD, as well as what transpired from the very year He stepped into the river Jordan to be baptized by John, to the exact year He died on the cross 3½ years after His baptism. We then see the prophecy coming to the time when the Gospel was finally proclaimed to the Gentile 3½ years after the cross. This of course ends up equaling a grand total of seven years after Jesus steps forward as Messiah in 27A.D. Which by the way is prophecied in Daniel chapter nine, and the EXACT YEAR of Christ's arrival as Messiah is also mentioned in that same chapter. It's amazing to say the least!
Over 500 years before Jesus was born there was a prophet named Daniel. This Daniel was given an amazing prophecy which predicted the exact time the Messiah would come. This awesome prophecy with all its well researched and documented prophetic dates, proves beyound a doubt that Jesus is indeed the Messiah that was to come, and He came in the very year Daniel's vision revealed..
First of all, according to the prophecy, how much time was allotted Jerusalem by God Almighty to make up for the sins committed against Him? It states in verse 24 that "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity" Seventy weeks is the amount of time the Lord has given. But how long is Seventy weeks in prophetic time? Looking to Ezekiel 4:6 we see the method of calculating time in prophecy. Ezekiel 4:6 says, "I have appointed thee each day for a year." This is an amazing key in prophetic dating that most preachers today are totally unaware of. Does the Bible really preach this? And does historic fact confirm it? Truth is, there are so many times this calculation is use din the Word when speaking in prophetic tones, that I woul dbe hard pressed to list them all. Here are but a few...
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Days prophecied |
Source Passage |
Historic fact |
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1260 days |
Dan 7:25, Dan 12:7, Rev 11:3, Rev 12:6 , Rev 12:14 |
538AD to 1798AD |
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42 Months |
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2300 days |
Start = Ezra 7:1-27 |
Start = 457BC Israel did rebuild. End = 1844AD Sanctuary cleansed, and "Great Disapointment" occurs. (Rev 10:9,10) |
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70 weeks (490 days) |
Start = Ezra 7:1-27 |
Start = 457BC Israel did rebuild. |
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69 weeks (483 days) |
Start = Ezra 7:1-27 |
Start = 457BC Israel did rebuild. |
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1 week (7 days) |
Start = Dan 9:25 |
Start = 27AD Jesus is baptized. |
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Want more dates? Click here |
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Of course there are quite a few more areas in the Word that use the day for a year method, but I believe these few examples should suffice for now. My question has to be then is this. Why is it so many refuse to believe the truth regarding the biblical jurisprudence of a day for a year in prophecy when there is so much evidence to support it? It's absolutely impossible for this to be a mere coincidence. For example, Daniel and Revelation both speak of 1260 days that were to actually equal 1260 years. Then we see that historic record proves the Roman Catholic church started as a church and state in 538AD and exactly 1260 years later Napoleon ended their evil reign for a time. You can verify the historic facts by clicking here. Or even take into consideration how the Lord told Moses that the forty days he searched the land would become forty years of wandering desert for the rebellious people of God. (See verification in Numbers 14:32-34)
So according to the Bible, a prophetic day actually represents a literal year in actual time. No keep in mind this calculation is ONLY good in prophetic situations. So that would mean each of the seventy weeks represents seven literal years because the Lord has given us "a day for a year" when calculating prophetic time. Multiplying seven years times seventy, we come up with a grand total of 490 years that the Lord has given the Jewish nation as a probationary period to get right with God. But when was this 70 week (490 years) period of time to start? Looking at verse 25 of Daniel chapter 9 we see that it will start "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem" So as soon as it was commanded by one in authority, like a king, all that awaited the time to start would be the "going forth" to actually place the foot in Jerusalem.
Understand that at this time God's people were in captivity in Persia. However, the Lord God had touched the heart of the Persian King Artaxerxes, to make a decree which would have allowed all the Jews that desired, to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. This actual decree is historically recorded in the Bible in the book of Ezra chapter 7. Two other kings had also made decrees prior to this one, but they only allowed the rebuilding of the temple, so in fact they would not qualify as prophetic fulfillment in this case.
History records that this king began his rule in the year 464 B.C. Using simple mathematics, the actual "seventh year of Artaxerxes the king" would then be 457 B.C. This decree was fulfilled in the fall of this year after the arrival of Ezra in the city of Jerusalem. Once Ezra placed foot in what was called Jerusalem, or "went forth," as Scriptures denote, the city had become.
According to Daniel, how much time must pass from the decree of Artaxerxes till the Messiah actually appears? Verse 25 of Daniel chapter 9 tells us, "unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks"
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Prophetic statement |
# of weeks |
Calculation |
Total |
End result |
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Seven weeks |
7 |
7 x 7 |
49 days |
49 years |
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...plus three *score |
60 |
3 x 20 x 7 |
420 days |
420 years |
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...and two weeks |
2 |
2 x 7 |
14 days |
14 years |
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GRAND TOTAL: |
69 |
69 x 7 |
483 days |
483 years |
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*NOTE: a "score" = "a group of 20..." -Dictionary.com |
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If the "day for a year" prophetic calculation is something the Lord would have us do. Then all we need to do is add 483 years to the date King Artaxerxes made the decree. That was in 457BC. Adding 483 to 457BC you will come to the EXACT year Jesus Christ put His foot in the river Jordan to be baptized! Messiah has arrived!
Did Messiah appear in the year 27 A.D. exactly 483 years after king Artaxerxes made the decree in 457 B.C.? Using the New Testament merely as an accurate and documented history book, lets take a look.
The name "Messiah" is the Hebrew word for "Anointed". "Christ" is the Greek word for the same. Even though Jesus Christ was actually born the son of God, He was not the "Messiah" or the "Anointed" until He was actually anointed. Looking to Acts 10:38 we see that Jesus was anointed by the Holy Ghost. Then Luke 3:21,22 makes it plain that He was "anointed" by the Holy Ghost at His baptism, which in fact took place in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, according to Luke 3:1
History substantiates that the 15th year of Tiberius was in fact the year 27 A.D. The exact same year that the prophecy in the book of Daniel says He would be "anointed," He was! Jesus Himself even acknowledged the prophecy of Daniel by saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." -Mark 1:15
There's absolutely no room for mistake here. Jesus appeared right on schedule, just as Daniel predicted hundreds of years earlier! The odds that Jesus is not the Messiah are inconceivable. But this isn't the only proof. We have seen 483 out of the 490 years fulfilled, but what of the last 7 years remaining in the prophecy? Are they the "time of tribulation" that many believe? If so, then how do we explain what happens after Jesus is baptized? Do we nullify the rest of the prophetic facts of Daniel regarding what Messiah will do during that week in prophetic time, and then place them at the end of the World? If we do that, then in essence, Messiah never came! For to START those 7 years, Messiah must come the FIRST time to be crucified. For Daniel also states that in the middle of that week Messiah will indeed be "cutoff." We will get into that a little later on.
Daniel predicts in chapter 9, that after Jerusalem has been restored, "the street shall be built again, and the wall..." then there will be "...threescore and two weeks" of time to pass before the final week of the "seventy weeks" Remember? The prophecy stated Messiah will come at the end of 69 weeks! And the Prophecy spoke of 70 weeks.
This last week will be the time that the "Messiah (will) be cut off." Speaking of the final 7 years, Daniel says in verse 27 "for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease" According to the prophecy the Messiah must be "cut off" in the middle of the final seven years of that 490 year prophecy. Did this happen? Let's do the math. One half of 7 years is 3½ years. If we add 3½ years to the Fall of 27 A.D. when Jesus was baptized, we come to the Spring of 31 A.D. We find that Jesus was indeed hung on a cross exactly 3½ years after He was baptized, or "anointed" as Messiah in the Fall of 27 A.D. We also know that Jesus hung on that cross in the Spring of 31 A.D. for the Bible clearly states that it was the time for the Jewish Passover. Jesus with His own mouth said, "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified." in Matthew 26:2.
There is another way of knowing that Messiah was "cut off" 3½ years after He begins His ministry. Directly after Jesus is anointed by God in the river Jordan, Luke 3:23 tells us accurately that "Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was [the son] of Heli," This tells us when Jesus "began" His ministry. Now all one needs do is "COUNT" the amount of Passovers that follow from this verse until Jesus is "cut off" or "crucified" and you will see 3½ years have passed by.
Read John chapter 2 through chapter 13 |
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John 2:13,23 |
PASSOVER #1 |
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John 6:3,4 |
PASSOVER #2 |
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John 13:1 |
PASSOVER #3 |
Yes once again the Bible accurately proves that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Jesus also caused the "sacrifice and the oblation to cease" at the same time when He became our Passover lamb. This is historically recorded in the book of Mark
When the temple veil ripped it meant no longer is there any need for animal sacrifice. Jesus had finished it upon the cross. John the Baptist put it ever so prophetically plain when he said these words after seeing Jesus walking towards him..
Notice that verse 26 of Daniel 9 tells us that the Messiah shall be cut off, "but not for himself." This too is prophetically sound as Jesus did in fact die for us. He did not die for the sins He committed Himself. He was absolutely blameless upon the cross. He was a Lamb without spot or wrinkle! Isaiah put it very plain when he said, "he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." -Isaiah 53:5
We are now in "in the midst of the week" of this prophecy. There are still 3½ years remaining in this prophecy though. What of these years? Is there still something left to be fulfilled? Yes there is. There is still 3½ years left in the probationary period left for the Jewish nation to reconcile themselves to God. Directly after this period expired what happened? In order to understand prophetically as to what actually occurred. We must first come to the realization as to what the "fig tree" means in prophecy.
Many already understand the fig tree to be a Biblical symbol of the true Israel. And rightly so, for even Jesus Himself confirms the "Israel - fig" connection in Matthew 21.
The TRUE and FIRST Israel denied Jesus as Messiah did they not. When Jesus walked into Jerusalem, He found "nothing thereon." He even looked upon them and wept did He not? They had NO FRUIT whatsoever. And just as He prophetically announced, just as we learned earlier was inevitable, after the 490 years, they "withered away" and died as the "true" Israel. Probation closed for them on the very day they stoned Stephan. When Jesus said... "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever" He was prophesying as to the end result of the 70 weeks. And here is further evidence of that very fact.
Here the "REAL" Israel that was symbolized by the "fig tree" has been judged unworthy of the truth entrusted to them. Therefore the Gospel is to no longer be left to them for to preach. PLUS... Now the REAL Israel, or the "blood" relative of Israel was no longer to be considered the TRUE Israel. Truth is, the believer in Jesus Christ is now considered the TRUE Israel. Those 490 years ended and no longer would Israel have "favored nation" status with God. We Christians were then grafted into the vine.
So when Jesus looked upon the fig tree, He was proclaiming He looked at Israel and saw no fruit. He merely acted according to what prophecy already proclaimed in Daniel chapter 9. One other thing I noticed while digging into this. (no pun intended)
In that parable Jesus states "a certain man" had a "fig tree" that had "no fruit." Then after "3 years" Jesus said it was to be cut down. But "the certain man" was convinced to extend the time so as to fertilize the tree. Just as prophecy stated in Daniel 9, three years after Jesus was crucified the Jews stoned Stephan as an absolute sign their probation had ended. Stephan had given them a rather extensive outline of Gospel truth, and the JEwish leaders of the day stoned him as a blasphemer. Their blindness to Biblical truths evidenced their probationary close that day! And they confirmed that fact by stoning Stephan to death.
Since Christ died and resurrected
the Apostles preached ONLY to Jews! Later it is confirmed the Lord was ok with
them preaching to Gentiles. This is confirmed in Acts chapter 10 when
Cornelius became the first Gentile to hear the Gospel. The vision Peter had was telling him to
go ahead and preach to the Gentiles. The reason that sheet came down three times
tellign Peter to "kill and eat" wasn't giving Peter the ok to eat
pork and other unclean foods, because Peter even stated in Acts 11:8, "...Not
so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.""as well. The
sheet came down three times because THREE GENTILE MEN were knocking at Peter's
door. The Lord was telling Peter to consider the Gentile CLEANSED now to hear
the Gospel truth, and then later in Acts Peter explains to Cornelius and the
rest listening on that this is exactly what that vision meant. Still, to this
day some Preachers and teachers mistake the vision for saying it's ok to eat ham hocks and pork rinds now.
EVEN THOUGH Peter explains the vision to Cornelius proving what it meant!
But what about the statement, "then after that thou shalt cut it down", did this occur as well?
Looks like after Jesus did all He could for this nation, He was left merely to weep for it. Plus they are about to be surrounded according to Luke. After they are surrounded, will they be "cut down?"
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In A.D.66 when Cestius came against
the city, but unaccountably withdrew, the Christians discerned in this the sign
foretold by Christ, and fled while 1,100,000 Jews are said to have been killed
in the terrible siege in A.D. 70.-Eusebius, Church History, book
3, chap. 5 |
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Verse 26 from Daniel 9 told us that "the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood" This was graphically fulfilled with the arrival of Rome represented by Titus and his soldiers destroyed Jerusalem in 70AD. The soldiers of Titus burned and destroyed Herod's temple and destroyed Jerusalem in a literal "flood" of killing. It is estimated well over a million Jews died in this battle!
So, I ask. How is it possible for prophecy called "the week of Daniel" is to be placed at the end of the world? How can this be when every single prophetic fact mentioned in that prophetic week were already fulfilled? The seven years of Daniel chapter nine are indeed a time of great mercy towards the believers of the Lord Jesus Christ. To take this prophecy and twist it to depict a time of horrid tribulation is indeed a red flag to all those that understand prophecy. Only the enemy would look upon this time as a threat to life and limb. He fears this prophetic event of 2000 years ago because of what it entails. It proves HE LOST!
The bottom line is this... The Bible records that the plagues of Revelation "will come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." [Revelation 18:8] So I ask, how is it possible for the plagues or the "time of tribulation" to last seven years as all these preachers preach? How could they last even three and a half years as others preach? The Bible plainly says the plagues will be within ONE DAY. And since we already understand prophetic time is a "day = a year." The plagues will fall COMPLETELY within ONE YEAR! Not seven!
So, are you curious as to WHO started this lie and why? I know I was. This is what I found...
The Rapture: Rooted in Catholicism
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