Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to him cannot happen until
- Falling away or great apostasy.
- The man of sin be revealed.
So, from this verse, the idea of the imminent return of Jesus is not true. Jesus could not come back on 11/27/2012 - How can I say that? I didn't say it, God's Word said it.
So, as far as I am aware the man of sin has not been revealed yet, there is no abomination of desolation, and there is no temple, and there hasn't been 3 1/2 years of tribulation.
Why does there need to be a temple? Remember, when I said at the start, I worked at the end and came forward, it falls into place easier this way. We often want to jump in to the tribulation but there's plenty to happen prior to that.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+9&version=NKJV
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.”
The Anti-Christ shall make a covenant with Israel for one week, a week being a period of 7, in this case 7 years. Mid-way through that 7 years, he breaks that covenant allowing their daily sacrifices . Where are the daily sacrifices? Only in a temple consecrated for worship would this occur.
This is where we align the 3 1/2 years of tribulation which follows 3 1/2 years of peace.
Lots of history going on here folks.
First , there has to be the Anti-Christ arisen to prominence to have some clout to 'allow' Israel with their temple worship, secondly there has to be even be a temple build for this - now I am not architect but Ive seen pictures of the temple and have some understanding of its dimensions and etiquette. It wont go up over night, but when they decide to rebuild it, they will begin as soon as possible and get complete it as soon as possible.
There's not only the temple, but the trained Priests of the correct lineage, skill, purification and all of the elements that go into temple worship.
Check out the Temple Institute and what they already have ready.
http://www.templeinstitute.org/ -Allot of items are already prepared.
Also, a great read where I learned allot about the temple is this book which I highly recommend.
http://www.amazon.com/New-Temple-Second-Coming-Generation/dp/1400071070 - The things that have happened that have been documented here are amazing. I'll just say one - they found with the dead sea scroll,s a copper scroll which contained a cryptic message akin to a treasure hunt. They followed that clue which spoke about a tree and a cave - and found a jar. The contents of the Jar have been analyzed to contain oil used to annoint which the Jews will use to 'anoint' in the ceremonial sense Jesus when they see him and accept him as Messiah. http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/347306.aspx
The oil is described in the old testament, I will see if I can find the scriptural reference later but it only mentions a flower type such as Daisy, it does not mention the particular Daisy. Perhaps that's hard to understand why this matter, any Daisy would do, not so for Jewish temple worship, it must be exact as God has decreed lest they would consider it an abomination. So back to the jar and the gelatin block that used to be oil, its been analyzed and they know the exact ingredient list to make anointing oil now. Read that book above, its amazing.
Right so we need a temple and we need an Anti-christ and we need daily sacrifices and the most holy place where the abomination of desolation shall be placed to defile the temple and thus begins the great tribulation.
What could be the aod? - I am sure there are lots of ideas, could be an idol, could be an unceremonious animal slaughter, could be a murder of a priest or a multitude of things.
Many people have said the Dome on the Rock needs to be removed, I am going to say I am not convinced, they don't actually know where the temple MUST go until they excavate the old ruins, and they wont do that with proper cleansing and procedure and skilled priests do the work lest they accidentally stumble into the most Holy place and it needs to be cleansed and they wont do that unless all of the political and religious obstacles are removed. Did you know a secular Jew signed away the rights to the temple mount to a Muslim? He thought it would bring peace.
The Dome may even be in the court of the gentiles which is absent from the instruction John is given when told to measure the temple.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+11&version=NKJV
It is possible it can be tolerated to remain.
Again, lots of history to unfold here.
Well, we had family visiting and in the tidy up I have misplaced my notes, I have no doubt they will appear in some obscure place but I've been wanting to continue on my series on end times.
It wont be as well laid out as I intended but there you go. Please take the time to read the chapters I am posting, don't just read what I am writing, it has to be the Bible that talks to us and its that which will give us understanding.
Lets get stuck in, read Revelation 14
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+14&version=NKJV
It describes a reaping of the Church
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And
another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him
who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has
come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
Then there is an outpouring of wrath
Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And
another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he
cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust
in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth,
for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And
the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the
winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred
furlongs.
How do we know its one then the other? Well it says so, one Angel reaps one group and then the scripture mentions this peculiar word 'THEN'
Whoever are the first group are spared what is called the 'wine press of the wrath of God'.
This is consistent from what we read here
1 Thes 5:9
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
So on one side there is Salvation; those who are born again, and on the other side there are those who shall receive the wrath of God.
We're still not clear on when this may happen right? The Lord is going to come 'like a thief in the night'. Well not so fast on that, lets look at it in context.
1 Thessalonians 5 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For
when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon
them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
So, in writing to the church in Thessalonians, Pauls says to the believers ' Not so for you guys' because you are not in Darkness that it should overtake you, but be watchful.
When shall the Church be caught up and spared the wrath of God?
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians+15&version=NKJV
At the last trumpet, which is the last trumpet? The 7th trumpet.
The church is present will all proceeding trumpets, that's 6 trumpets.
We get more detail in Matthew 24, where it even tell us the great answer to the great divisive question, are the Church spared the great tribulation?
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
So AFTER the great tribulation, we see some physical manifestations
The Sun will be darkened
The moon will not give its light
Stars shall fall form Heaven
The powers of the heavens(small h - meaning physical realm that we can see, sky and space) will be shaken
Then there is the appearing of the Son of Man and he sends out Angels with a trumpet, this is the 7th one which we have been revealed to us, where he gathers the elect.
Who are the elect? The Jews? The Church? Both?
I refer to this neat little study
http://www.lastdaysmystery.info/who_are_the_elect.htm
The elektos, which means beleivers.
It seems impossible for these manifestations to happen secretly, lets not be foolish here, we have it placed after the events of the great tribulation.
But what about the Anti-Christ and what signifies the beginning of the GT? Heres where I had my notes as I hope not to forget to mention an important scripture.
Back to that meaty Chapter, Matthew 24.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2024&version=ESV
We read of an event which starts the beginning of the Great Tribulation
24:15 - When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the Prophet Daniel................(v21) For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
We will need to go see what the Prophet Daniel said but here we have a start part - the abomination of Desolation.
I will conclude this part and we will pick up from there and what proceeds this.
Isn't this fun?
