Grace and peace, saints!

It seems that a preacher named Harold Camping has predicted that the Rapture will take place on May 21, 2011. Jesus said that this would happen (Matthew 24:23), and it’s happening just like he said. What is unfortunate is that many Christians will be taken in by this false prophet. The Rapture has gotten a lot of attention lately, even from unsaved people. But, I don’t think that all this attention is warranted.

The Rapture, or Blessed Hope, for those who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour, is a glorious event that everyone who names the name of Christ looks forward to. It is the time when Jesus shall come for His people.

I had not given much thought to it, honestly, because there is just too much for me to do here in the present for me to worry about the future. Jesus said that He would come as a thief in the night. That means that we ought to be living right all the time, because we never know when he will show up. So, the Rapture wasn’t a subject that I devoted a lot of time thinking about. A couple of months ago, however, I became concerned with the time of this event, because of a question from my eleven-year-old daughter.

One day while we were discussing the Rapture, my daughter asked me whether someone who accepted the Lord Jesus a split second before He appeared would be taken up. I thought about this question for a moment, and I told her that, yes, I believe that a person under those circumstances would be taken in the Rapture. I explained that Jesus is merciful, and that He is not so “dogmatic” that He would disqualify someone if that person hadn’t been a Christian for a specific amount of time.

I then told her that Jesus, God the Son, is Omniscient, and He knows everything, including the future. So, He would know if the person were going to accept Him as Saviour, and He would come prepared to take the person with Him. She smiled at this. I truly believe she asked this question for her mother’s sake, who is not saved.

Next, she asked me a question that I was not ready to answer.  I told her that I didn’t know exactly when the Rapture would be, but that I thought it would be before the Great Tribulation.  She then asked me if that were true, then when would the Resurrection of the Tribulation saints take place, because the Bible only speaks of two future resurrections: the resurrection of the dead in Christ (commonly called the Rapture), and the resurrection of the damned.

This question came from an eleven-year-old child. Don’t tell me that God ain’t good. This was an excellent question, and I couldn’t believe that I had never thought of it before. I told her that I would research it and get back with her with an answer. I found it, and I want to share it with you.

First, it is important for me to mention that there are three schools of belief concerning the Rapture. Some believe that it will occur before the Tribulation (the Tribulation will be a time of great social upheaval, when the Antichrist will persecute the Christian church and the Jews), some believe that it will occur during the Tribulation, and still others believe that it will occur after the Tribulation. I used to believe that it would occur before the Tribulation. But after some research, I have had a major change of opinion. Perhaps after reading this, you will too.

First, as most Christians know, there are two resurrections. Jesus spoke of both of them in John 5:28:

“Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

There is no third resurrection. Therefore, all who have accepted the Lord Jesus will be part of one resurrection: the first, and all that have not will be part of another resurrection: the second. This will be important later. Now, the first Resurrection, as most Bible students know, is spoken of in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4:14-17:

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

“For the Lord Himself shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

The second resurrection coincides with the judgment of the damned, or the Great White Throne judgment spoken of in Revelation 20:11,12,15: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

We know that we won’t be a part of this resurrection because these will be judged according to their works.  We will be judged according to grace (Ephesians 2:8-90).  Big difference.  Now I used to believe that the Rapture will occur prior to the Tribulation, because of the martyred saints the apostle John saw in his vision in Revelation 6:9-11:

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held;

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

“And white robes were given unto them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

I had associated these saints with the saints in white robes mentioned in Revelation 7:9-17, who are said to have passed through “great tribulation.”

Now, however, I do not believe that these are the Tribulation saints, because their mention coincides with the opening of the fifth seal, which happens before the Tribulation.  What is also important to note about these martyrs is that they were martyred “for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.”  This is the definition of a martyr for Jesus. There is nothing in this passage that identifies these saints as those from the Tribulation. These martyrs are everyone who has ever died in the name of Jesus.

The tribulation saints are mentioned specifically in Revelation 20:4.  They are distinguished from the former group because they are martyred not only for their witness of Jesus, but for “civil disobedience.”

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands…”

As you can see, these saints are martyred not only because they are Christians, but because they refuse to worship the Beast and his image, which worship will be mandatory under penalty of death.  They also refuse to accept the “mark of the Beast” on their foreheads and in their hands.   All of this is spoken of in Revelation 13:15-18 and is associated with the Tribulation.  These then, are the Tribulation martyrs.

Now refer back to Revelation 6:11.  Notice that the martyrs are told to wait on two distinct groups: 1) their fellowservants (those believers who will not have been martyred) also AND 2) their brethren that should be killed (the martyred Tribulation saints).  It is important to consider that the martyrs of Revelation 6:11 are told to wait on both groups.  This agrees with 1 Thessalonians 4, which says that the Rapture will involve two groups: 1) the “dead in Christ,” and 2) “[those Christians] who are alive and remain.”  The Rapture must take place after the Tribulation.

Revelation 7:9-17 is referring to the collective body Christ, both saints and martyrs from all ages, for they are spoken of as “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tongues.”   That they have come out of “great tribulation” (v. 14) merely suggests that they have all suffered for Christ, as Scripture says that all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Now, I said all of this to lay the groundwork for what I am going to say next. Many Christians believe they will not see the Tribulation. They believe that we will be raptured out of here before then, and that the Tribulation saints are those who will accept the Lord Jesus after the Rapture.

But like my daughter said, if this were true, and there are only two resurrections, when would the Tribulation saints be resurrected? The only scriptural answer is that the Rapture, to include all believers AND the Tribulation saints, in one resurrection, would have to occur after the Tribulation.  This is the only answer, based on the two-resurrection scenario that Jesus spoke of.  There is just no other way that it could happen and include the Tribulation saints.

There is something else to consider that strengthens this argument. That is the case of the Two Witnesses found in Revelation Chapter 11:

“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

“These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

“These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” (Revelation 11:3-4,6).”

Most Bible students are in agreement that these two prophets are Jewish, as the Bible uses the olive tree and the candlesticks (as in the Menorah) to refer to the Jewish nation. Some believe that they are Moses and Elijah, because Moses caused plagues to come upon the Egyptians, including causing waters to turn to blood. Elijah, as you may recall, caused it not to rain for three and a half years.  The Bible also says that Elijah would return before Jesus’ second coming (Malachi 4:5).

It is also important to note that neither Moses nor Elijah died.  Elijah was taken up to heaven, and Moses did not die a natural death, as God merely “put him to sleep.”

Now, a thousand and threescore (sixty) days adds up to three and a half years. Bible students know that the Tribulation will last seven years. The passage says these prophets will testify for three and a half years and then:

“When they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves…

And after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them” (Revelation 11:7-9,11,12).

Do you know that the witnesses could also represent the Christian church during the Tribulation? They will witness for three and a half days.  Then they will be killed. Then they will be resurrected. First, God will let them witness for three and a half years and no one will be able to do anything to them for Revelation 11:5 tells us that:

“If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Can you imagine what this will do to the Christian church? It will be totally energized, spurred on by the testimony and the miracles of these two witnesses.  Many will turn to the Lord, because science will not be able to explain away what these men will be doing.

The governments of the world may even try to enforce a media blackout, closing down the Internet and all radio and television communication so that the world will not hear the testimony of these two witnesses or see that the governments will be powerless to stop them.  But, I don’t think God will let them. For the first time, Facebook and Twitter could be used to spread the Gospel, as many will be talking about the exploits of these witnesses worldwide.

After three and a half years, the Antichrist, energized by Satan, overcomes and kills the Witnesses. But notice, that it is according to God’s will, because the passage says they will not be killed until “they shall have finished their testimony.” God will be in control the entire time. I believe that the death of the two witnesses will mark the beginning of the last and great worldwide persecution of the Christian church. Finally, the witnesses’ dead bodies will lie in the street for three and a half years: the length of time of the Kingdom of Antichrist.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Remember that after three and a half years, the Spirit of life will enter into the two witnesses (v. 11). They will be resurrected. Once again, pay close attention to what happens next.

“And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them” (v. 12).

This is extremely important. Let us again look at the Rapture in Thessalonians 4:16-17.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel...and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds…”

Brothers and sisters, can’t you see these are talking about the same thing? The two witnesses will be the first taken in the Rapture and we will be right behind them! Praise God!

Think about it. Considering that there is only one resurrection for believers, this is the only way that all the servants of God, including the Tribulation saints (martyred and living) and the two witnesses, can be taken in a single resurrection. The Rapture must occur at the end of the Tribulation.  Now there is one last proof that the Rapture marks the end of the Tribulation, and it can be found in two places: 1 Corinthians 15:21-24 and Revelation 11:13, respectively.

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.

“Then cometh the end, when He (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God…” (1 Corinthians 15:21-24)

This establishes the order: first the Rapture, then the end, when Jesus Christ delivers the kingdom to God. Now, compare that with what happens after the two witnesses are resurrected. We pick up again at Revelation 11:12:

“And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud…

“And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

“The second woe is past; and behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

“And the seventh angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ…” (Revelation 11:12-15).

Can you see it now? The Rapture will occur after the Tribulation, and then the end will come.

One last thing: Many believe that the Rapture will occur unbeknownst to the world. They believe that one moment we will be here and the next we won’t –that we will just vanish.  For this reason, many Christians believe that the ungodly media will try to use the Rapture to prove the existence of extraterrestrials by saying that abduction by aliens is the only plausible explanation for the disappearance of so many people.

But if the Rapture of the Church coincides with the resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses, then we go up into heaven in like fashion as they: in plain view of everybody. For Scripture says that the two witnesses, “ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them” (Revelation 11:12). Think about it. Why would God whisk us out of here secretly, when He said that He would reward us openly? (Matthew 6:4). The Resurrection is certainly our reward. Furthermore, God has nothing to hide. He wants the ungodly to see what they’re missing.

This is a good time to discuss Harold Camping’s claim.  The Tribulation will last seven years.  The Two Witnesses will testify openly for three and a half years, be killed and their dead bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem, unburied, for three and a half years. That equals seven years: the same length of time of the Tribulation.  Then the Two Witnesses will get up, and ascend into heaven.  God has given us a time line:

1) The Two Witnesses appear.  Start of first half of the Tribulation.  Christians can still witness for three and a half years, albeit through some persecution.

2) The Two Witnesses killed.  Start of the second half of the Tribulation (called the Great Tribulation).  Christian persecution begins in earnest.  Kingdom of Antichrist (the New World Order) reigns for three and a half years.

3) The Two Witnesses get up, ascend into Heaven.  Christians get up, ascend into heaven. All of this happens in plain view of everybody.  All believers have left the earth.  The boo-boo hits the fan.  Woe to the them who are left on the earth.

So, don’t even start thinking about the Rapture until you at least see the Two Witnesses. And you will see them.  Remember that Revelation 11:5 says that when anyone tries to hurt the Two Witnesses, fire will come out of their mouths.  What is important to remember is that anyone to whom this happens will die, for the Scripture says, “if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.  Why is this?  Because Scripture says that the Word of God is a consuming fire.

If you haven’t heard anything about anyone being spoken on fire, relax: the Rapture is still a long way off.

Now, if someone were to miss the Witnesses exploits on TV, they will surely hear about their deaths, for the world will know about it.  Listen:

“And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth” (Revelation 11:10).

There will be a huge party when the Two Prophets are killed.  Have you received an invite yet?  I didn’t think so.  Scripture also says at Revelation 11:13 that at the same time that the Rapture occurs, there will be a great earthquake during which a tenth part of Jerusalem will fall.  Seven thousand people will die.  All this will happen simultaneously. Look for that on the 21st.  Scripture proves that Harold Camping is a false prophet.  He’s not even moderately convincing.  But, he will garner his disciples, because people would rather listen to a man, than listen to God.

Now let me say something very important.  The God-less media and their occult sponsors have hyped up the Rapture in various ways for a few years now.  They are always looking for ways to disprove the Bible and prove their claims, such as the existence of extraterrestrials.  I believe that they can and will, if necessary, stage a “rapture” to achieve certain ends.  But, I’ve just told you what to look for.  There is a lot more to the Rapture than just people disappearing.  In fact, people don’t “disappear” at all.

Now, these are only my observations. But I truly believe this is what the Spirit has shown me, because the closer we get to our Lord’s coming, the more attention that will be given to the Rapture, as recent events clearly show.   This is not to scare you, but to help you to put things in perspective.

I believe that all the media attention given to a pre-Tribulation Rapture is designed to give Christians a false sense of security–and it’s working.  Arguably, most Christians are not the least bit interested in fulfilling the Great Commission.  I have visited a great many churches and without exception the “Christians” in these churches seemed to be merely celebrating their own salvation.  We should celebrate our salvation, for the gift of eternal life is something to be excited about.  But we should also feel a burden for the lost: for those poor souls languishing in sin.  But we don’t.  We have bought into the Pre-Tribulation rhetoric and have eased back in our faith and put our feet up.  This is exactly what Satan wants.

Though we should all look forward to the Rapture, Jesus doesn’t want us to overly concern ourselves with it.  He wants us to occupy until He comes.  There’s work to be done.  We need to be out there witnessing to a lost and dying world.

Christians in America do not know suffering as Christians in Communist and Muslim-dominated countries do.  As Paul said we “have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4).  But we will.  The time of Christian persecution is coming to America.  And it will happen sooner than we think.   When it does, then we can start praying for the Rapture.  But until then, we need to be busy for the Lord.

Would you like to have the wisdom to discern the true character of events?  Would you like to have peace when everyone else is in a panic?  Would you like to have eternal life? Then you need to know Jesus.  Click here if you would like a relation with Him.

If you would like to know the identity of the Antichrist, click here.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.