Q&A 1 - RAPTURE & TRIBULATION
Q - Is the "he" in II Thessalonians 2:7 the Holy Spirit, and does this verse signify the Rapture?
A - Some teach that the entire body of Christ will be taken up in a Pretribulational Rapture. They believe that the "he" of 2 Thessalonians 2:6 is the Holy Spirit, so the rationale continues - The Holy Spirit is removed (via the removal of the entire body Christ) before "that wicked" is revealed. Therein is a problem. There are saints on Earth in Revelation 13 who must contend with the Beast's system. Do they not have the Holy Spirit? These Revelation SAINTS are Believers. Does the Holy Spirit not inhabit them? How can the Holy Spirit inhabit them here ON Earth if the Holy Spirit has already been removed FROM the Earth? The Holy Spirit must still be here during the timeframe of Revelation 13, just as now. Actually, these Tribulation saints may not be people who come to believe upon Christ during the Tribulation, but rather, ones who Believed on Him prior to the Tribulation, but didn't KNOW Him, and He didn't KNOW them!
(The term "know" in Matthew 25:12 indicates having a very intimate relationship with one another.) Indeed the account of the virgins in Matthew 25 shows that all ten of these virgins HAVE OIL (the Holy Spirit) IN THEIR LAMPS (spirits). Thus they must ALL ten be Believers, but some have failed to FILL their vessels (i.e. be FILLED with the Holy Spirit), and are left behind when the door closes. Being Believers, they do not understand why they are shut out, but Yeshua responds that He doesn't KNOW them. It seems that though they have the Holy Spirit within them, they have grieved the Spirit. By failing to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit, they have stifled the intimacy they were intended to have with Yeshua. He doesn't KNOW them!
We would look to Luke 21:36 to aid in our understanding here. It states: "36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be ACCOUNTED WORTHY to ESCAPE ALL these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." You see, we must be accounted WORTHY in order to escape all the things that shall come to pass! Now some would say that we are worthy if we have received Yeshua as our Savior, said the sinners prayer, etc. That is not, however, what this verse says. It is speaking to those who ALREADY HAVE Yeshua, as it is instructing that they pray always! It is not telling them to find Yeshua in order to become worthy, but rather, now that they have Yeshua, they must pray that they will be found worthy. The obvious inference is that some who have Him will be found worthy and escape, while others who have Him will not be found worthy and will be "left behind".
In fact, a Greek rendering of the word "remain" in "Then we which are alive and remain" of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 indicates Believers who are still alive but have been "left all around", as in left behind all over the globe. Though this passage and the 1 Corinthians 15 passage are presumed to be evidence of the Rapture, they may actually be pointing to a second Rapture (i.e. the INGATHERING Rapture) later in the Tribulation Period, when the "last" (seventh) trumpet sounds.
That doesn't mean that there is not a Pretribulational Rapture, but rather it indicates that it has already occurred! These two passages may pertain to the balance of the body of Christ (including the Tribulation saints) who were NOT ACCOUNTED as WORTHY to be caught up to ESCAPE the horrors of Tribulation in the first Rapture (i.e. FIRST FRUITS RAPTURE).
Before you tune me out, please understand that my stand is entirely Scripturally based. Many theologians justify their stand by looking only at certain Scriptural references, and ignoring others. We cannot afford to do so. Many years ago I was perplexed by the manner in which Calvinists quoted from Scripture to secure their convictions, but Armenianists quoted Scripture in like manner to justify their opposing beliefs, and all these Scriptures came from the same Holy Book. When praying about this, I was shown that both were right, and yet both were wrong, for each had formed a doctrinal stand based upon truth, but deviating from God's TOTAL truth. By rejecting His TOTAL truth, each had fallen into error, and built a dogmatic stand that fell short of the harmony of the entire Word of God. Others have since professed the same concept.
SO - for many years now, I have honored a commitment to God that I would scrap what I had been taught, and allow His Word and His Holy Spirit to teach me all things (I John 2:27). Indeed, I have come to understand that there IS a harmony which does include validity from both the Calvinist and the Armenian views.
One such understanding is that the entire body of Christ does not have to be dealt with as a whole prior to the Tribulation. Many would say that to leave some behind would be to divide the body of Christ. Is not His body divided now - some having died, while others yet live? His Body may not be restored as a whole prior to the Bema Throne near the end of the Tribulation. Until that time, it appears that it is dealt with in segments.
Some are found WORTHY to escape at the onset of the Tribulation, while others remain for a time in order to be further purified (Revelation 7:14). Some will be purified by their martyrdom (Revelation 6:9-11). Note that only a FEW of Revelation 3:4 were allowed to walk with Yeshua in white, and it was only those who had KEPT the word of His patience (Revelation 3:10) who would be KEPT FROM the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the Earth.
Though I do see a Pretribulational Rapture of the First Fruits, I am not sure it is exactly performed in the manner which is commonly taught. I am also concerned that people are taught today that they just have to believe upon Yeshua in order to be taken home at that time.
Almost NOBODY wants to look at the prospect of an escape for members of the body of Christ being conditional. The Holy Spirit has enabled me and others to find the Scriptural harmony to support BOTH the Pretribulationalist and Posttribulationalist views. The war is being fought within the body of Christ today because neither side can acknowledge that the other has Scriptural merit as well. When the opposition can back his stance Scripturally, then God is speaking through him too. Can the true student of the Word afford to ignore God's voice when it comes through his opposition but it is Biblically based? To do so would prevent him from hearing ALL of what God has for him! (See 2 Timothy 2:15).
Both camps can be right if there is not just ONE Rapture, but rather TWO. The first one is an escape door (Revelation 3:8). However, it is a conditional escape door (as in Matthew 25). It is a reward, i.e. a crown which man (the world) can take from you (Revelation 3:11). The second Rapture then will gather the remaining body to be presented at the Bema throne of Yeshua. Because the first Rapture is conditional, we are warned not to sleep as others do. Revelation 3:3 warns us as well, saying: "3) ... IF therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know the the hour I will come upon thee." Should we choose to sleep rather than to waken in Him and bear His fruit, His coming may be AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, taking away that which is precious to us (our loved ones) and leaving us behind!
The resurrections and the Raptures are foreshadowed by the Old Testament Harvests. The Barley Harvest was fulfilled when Yeshua was resurrected from the dead. He took with him many who were raised from the graves at that time. He was the First Fruits of those who slept (I Corinthians 15:20). As our High Priest, He likewise needs "somewhat also to offer" (Hebrews 8:3). You see, he must offer a First Fruits Wheat offering before God the Father in the heavenlies - thus the necessity of the First Fruits Rapture Harvest in the spring to provide the offering. The next Harvest is the greater Wheat Harvest in the fall. This is the harvesting of the Believers which Yeshua planted when He was here. Exodus 34:22 indicates that the Wheat Harvest is conducted in two segments. The FIRST FRUITS of the Wheat Harvest are gathered about the time of Pentecost (which Jewish tradition links to the blowing of the FIRST TRUMP), and the INGATHERING Wheat Harvest occurs at the end of the season, about the time of the Feast of Trumpets (when Jews indicate that the LAST TRUMP is blown [which may also correlate with the seventh trump of Revelation]).
If the Rapture of the Body of Christ is in correlation to the Harvests, then there are two Raptures to come regarding the Body of Christ, to correlate to the Wheat Harvests. Referring back to II Thessalonians 2:7, the corporate First Fruits segment of the Body of Christ has been that which has restrained, preventing the Tribulation. This was shadowed by Lot. Because he was righteous, the angels said he must be removed before judgment could occur. Not all Believers today KEEP God's Word of Patience, and those who do not will not have to be removed prior to the judgment of this earth. The HE of Thessalonians 2:7 would be the First Fruits taken up in the First Fruits Wheat Harvest.
Q - Why is there such animosity over the different views about the timing of the Rapture?
A - Much hostility arises because it involves a salvation issue, and there are always intense emotional responses related to salvation issues. I see it not a salvation of the SPIRIT issue, but as a salvation of the BODY issue. Some may be martyred needlessly. When it is preached that everyone in the body of Christ will be taken home in a Pretribulational Rapture, many will be misled. Those Believers who do not truly LOVE God's truth and have the desire to please Him at all cost, will be encouraged to continue in their complacency. Thus they will disregard the wake up calls God is sending us at this late hour to PUT ON THE NEW man, and KILL the OLD nature. Many will ignore God's plea to bear His fruit so they can be found worthy as First Fruits to escape the wrath to come. Many who should be adjusting their walk may be needlessly left behind. They will be asleep, and the thief will take their loved ones who were awake and found worthy, and leave them behind to face the horrors ahead.
Luke 8:4-15 tells of the parable of the sower and the seed. The seed by the way side is snatched by the devil so they could NOT believe. However, all three of the other groups DO BELIEVE, but not all bear fruit. Some fall away through persecution, etc., while others are distracted by worldly things and fail to produce fruit for God. Only the fourth group produces fruit.
Note the wording in Luke 8:15. "Having heard the WORD, KEPT it, and bring forth fruit with PATIENCE". You see, this is the same group who is referred to in Revelation 3:10 who would be granted the open door of escape, because they had KEPT His WORD of PATIENCE. This escape from the hour of trials will not be for those who fell away or failed to bring forth fruit! The word "patience" in the Greek implies overcoming trials with joy. Those who have not done so prior to the First Fruits Harvest will have to endure the trials of Tribulation in order to be overcomers before they can stand before Yeshua at the Bema throne.
However, ALL believers must eventually be taken to stand before Yeshua (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, and Revelation 7:9-11). The Ingathering Harvest Rapture takes them to stand before Him. That is the SECOND part of Luke 21:36. We are to pray to be found worthy to escape the things to come (in a First Fruits Rapture), but also to STAND BEFORE YESHUA (after the Ingathering Rapture). The process of this judgment (as found in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15) may not be the picnic that is often portrayed by the Calvinist today either, but that is another story.
Q - Can a Believer take the Mark of the Beast?
A - Don't be too sure that the Believer who is left behind cannot take the mark of the Beast, or fall prey to the lie to be unleashed. Those who have not LOVED His Truth, are subjected to the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 that THEY MIGHT BE DAMNED). Believers are not excluded here, and there are those in the body of Christ who do not LOVE His Truth. Being DAMNED here does not indicate the "eternal" Lake of Fire which is commonly taught, as the spirit of every Believer is sealed unto the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit. However, they may be "saved" at the judgment throne of Yeshua "yet so as by fire" per 1 Corinthians 3:15. There IS Scriptural harmony that explains the paradox that the Calvinist believes a Believer cannot lose his salvation, and the Armenian believes he can. This is covered in our study called Who are the 144,000?, or in the chapter titled Paradox Alley of our Nether Nuggets book.
Suffice it to say, however, that there will be a choice involved here. No person will be forced to take the mark. Whereas they may be strongly coerced, it will not be forcibly injected into their bodies. I am virtually certain that the receiving of this mark will entail an act of worship to the Image of the Beast, so the presence of the mark (computer chip) within the body will be proof to our living God that the one who received it has bent his knee in worship and loyalty to the religious and political system which he opposes. Hebrews 10:26-31 may be speaking of this precise act when it says: "26) For if we sin willfully AFTER that WE HAVE RECEIVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27) But a certain fearful looking for of JUDGMENT AND FIERY INDIGNATION WHICH SHALL DEVOUR THE ADVERSARIES. 28) He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29) Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT, WHEREWITH HE WAS SANCTIFIED, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, THE LORD SHALL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE. 31) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Please note that those being judged by fire here by God are HIS PEOPLE, who had been SANCTIFIED BY THE COVENANT OF YESHUA'S BLOOD! They are NOT non Believers!!! Here they are called ADVERSARIES, as they have aligned with the enemy. I believe that this group represents Believers who have taken the mark of the Beast, bowing to worship the Anti Christ figures and decreeing their loyalty to the New World Order system, which God views as treading Yeshua underfoot, counting His blood as an unholy thing, and doing despite unto the Spirit of grace. SO - no matter WHAT HAPPENS, DO NOT receive this mark!!!