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By Lee Y. Martin, Ph.D. ©2008
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The Lord spoke these words of Scripture when He gave the Olivet Discourse 1 to His disciples. We do not have space to inspect the whole discourse; but the verse above is germane 2 to understanding that the rapture precedes the Tribulation Period. Therefore, we will examine it closely.
Having briefly explained the rapture in Part 1, you can readily see it is a manifestly weird, strange, and an inexplicable event, a supernatural occurrence that will surprise and shock an unbelieving, unprepared world for the things which will undoubtedly happen. Jesus does not lie. And if Jesus advises people not to fall asleep but to stay ready and watch, we best do so. The things that will happen as per our Lord’s prophetic declaration in the 21st chapter of Luke are events and dealings that embody God’s judgment on sin. The Bible has much to say about this time just before manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven. There are as many as 1800 references in the Old Testament to Christ’s rule on earth, which is widely heralded as the Kingdom Age. Let me add that 17 of the Old Testament books give prominence to it. In the New Testament, according to one researcher, 23 of the 27 books refer to it and of 216 chapters in the New Testament, there are over 310 references. It is obvious that God does not want us ignorant about His agenda for His creation. Could that be why Paul said 8 times in his letters “I would not have you ignorant brethren…”? Background: The Indignation Of God In the First Testament the word ‘indignation’ is consistently used for God’s wrath on sin. Let’s let the Bible define the word. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them [Psalms 69:24]. Strong defines 'indignation' in His Hebrew lexicon as fury, anger, or rage – especially God’s displeasure against sin. The Hebrew noun comes from a root word meaning to foam at the mouth signifying raging madness as a dog with rabies or grotesque behavior displayed by possessed individuals in whom a demon manifests. The word connotes outrage so intense it erupts in violent behavior, and from the Psalmist’s doubling of two words connoting offense – wrathful anger – we can assume indignation means the extreme fury of God in action. Could that be the reason Jesus implied escaping that time is a blessing only worthy people will experience? The Lord is patient, compassionate, and mercifully gracious, which is why the whole world has not been judged for its sin for several millennia now – not since the flood. We know from Scripture that God, as the supreme judge of all things, does not personally decree punishment until iniquity is full, which can take hundreds and even thousands of years [Genesis 15:16]. We know that Abraham’s descendants could not take over Canaan until the fourth generation, 400 years after God promised it to Abraham, because …the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full [Genesis 15:16]. But when it reaches a limit that God alone decides, He will act to preserve His holy creation from self-destruction and to accomplish His will. We have record of God’s displeasure over sin when He personally intruded in the cosmos to eliminate several severely sin-infested cities, of which Sodom and Gomorrah were two [Genesis 19:24], and we know He cast upon Egypt the fierceness of his anger, wrath, …indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them to plague them. He made a way to his anger (by permitting evil angels to destroy them) … (and) spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; and smote all the firstborn in Egypt… [Psalms 78:49]. Just for the record, God does not do the spoiling of things Himself. He is not a spoiler. However, by allowing evil angels to do dirty work, it appears that God does it. 3 God’s
patience reached its limit when He disciplined unrepentant, stiffnecked
Israel, His own people, with the Diaspora 4
[Lamentations 4:7]. He removed His hedge of
protection about them and permitted satan to afflict them and disperse
them as slaves to other countries. God’s mercy and forbearance is
enormous, but make no mistake about it, God has promised He will not tolerate
sin forever. One day He will again release His pent up anger as He did
in the flood of Noah’s day, pour out His wrath without reservation,
and manifest His righteous indignation on sin. No part of the world will
escape. That day is known in Scripture as the Day of the Lord. Sin will
be purged by fire this next time, and ESCAPING God’s
wrath in the Day of the Lord is what Jesus was alluding to in our opening
text. |
The term “the Day of the Lord” is used 31 times in the Old Testament to refer to the day when God establishes His Kingdom on earth for the thousand year reign of Christ, David’s promised heir who will rule as the lion of the tribe of Judah [Revelation 5:5]. It includes the preparatory events of the tribulation that establish the day as an historical era. It is the day God has been waiting for since the Garden of Eden episode where Adam committed treason against his Maker. Having shown for 6,000 years how evil man can be under the rule of satan, the tyrannical, despotic 5 god who wields power oppressively and is destitute of any compassion, the true God will finally have His day in court – i.e. 6, in the course of man’s history, at which time He will demonstrate righteousness and justice in such a manner that peace, love, and mercy will reign and the whole earth will be full of God’s glory [Isaiah 6:3]. |
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Because Jesus is the Word of God [John 1:1,2], He is the lion of Judah who rules earth with a rod of iron [Psalms 2:9; Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15]. This iron rod will not permit rebellion against Kingdom laws, which are righteous, holy, and protective of all Kingdom citizenry. Although satan and his followers are bound up in prison, people populating the millennium still have sin natures because they are of the stock of Adam. And just like people today, they will need to become born again to acquire an eternal persona. You can count on it. Jesus will indeed rule because God said He would not break His covenant with David having sworn to it.
In establishing the visible presence of Jesus’ Kingdom which has been hidden in the hearts of men for almost 2,000 years, the first priority of business is to cleanse the earth of sin and wickedness. Being holy and pure, God is not going to use anything satan has had a hand in. Hence the Day of the Lord, also called the day of Christ [Philippians 1:10; 2:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:2], begins with discomfort and progresses into great tribulation [Matthew 24:21; Revelation 2:22; 7:14]. The process of ridding the earth of every last vestige of satan’s cosmic rule takes seven years and is known as the last week of Daniel’s 70 week prophecy concerning the timing of when the deposed and dispersed Israeli kingdom would be restored. [See our webpage for an account of the 70 week prophecy of Daniel.] Because Jesus’ Kingdom is prophesied to be the last millennium of God’s week of seven millenniums [Revelation 20:2-7], and because there is a seven year period of cleansing before initiating it, the Day of the Lord evidently constitutes 1007 years. Whether or not one includes Daniel’s last seven-year week as a part of the reign of Christ is a matter of one’s view of what age this week fits into. Some Bible students place this week of seven years within the Millennial Age as its beginning. Others see it as the last week of the Age of Israel according to Daniel’s precise prophecy concerning Israel’s time frame as God’s chosen vessel through which He works out His plans for earth. Suffice it to say that God is not finished with Israel for Paul reports that God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew… [Romans 11:2]. She will again emerge as the nation from which the King of Kings will rule for a thousand years. At the end of earth’s 7,000 decreed years of space-time existence [Genesis 2:4 with 2 Peter 3:8], God will create a new and more glorious heaven and earth that will be eternal [Revelation 21:1].
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I believe that the Day of the Lord should be looked at as part of the beginning of the Millennial Age because it is the start of a living organism – the rule of Messiah with His bride on earth. Living organisms start life in dark secluded places designed for the protection of helpless beings and entities. Plants begin underground and animals in wombs. Even though unseen, an organism is in a stage of its being. Hence, the Kingdom/Day of the Lord begins in seclusion and comes forth with travail as a woman with child [1 Thessalonians 5:3]. But whether the seven years is an extension of the thousand year reign making it begin during the last week of the Jewish Age which is yet to come, or whether it is the first seven years of the thousand years of Jesus’ Kingdom rule is a matter of how one interprets the references to it. I contend that it is a seven year extension at the beginning of the thousand year rule of Jesus making it overlap the end of the Jewish Age. Hence, the seven years concomitantly exists within both the Jewish and Millennial Ages. Regardless of how one interprets its placement, it is a time of terrible darkness. John clearly teaches in Revelation that Jesus will rule one thousand years, and if the seven-year week of the tribulation were the first seven years of the 1,000 years, the Antichrist would be ruling during the first years of the Millennium delimiting Christ’s reign to 993 years in toto. Six times the Holy Spirit indicated through John that the rule of Christ would be exactly 1,000 years [Revelation 20:2-7]. It is as if He wanted no mistake about it.
The following Old Testament scriptures indicate that the seven-year period
is a dark day of gloom. And since this well-known and distinguished Kingdom
period begins with pain and anguish as it is birthed into visibility like
a baby is birthed through travail, I contend that Daniel’s 70th
week of Israel’s prophetic historical age is the start of the Day
of the Lord. |
These are only seven verses of the many prophetic passages saying that the Day of the Lord begins with trouble. God’s method in creating is usually to bring order out of chaos. He started the creation week with darkness upon the face of the deep [Genesis 1:2]; and after bringing forth light from the chaotic darkness, He named the first part of each day by its dark division -- …the evening and the morning were the first day [1:5]. He formed the nation of Israel in the dark bowels of a heathen one, Egypt, and birthed her with great travail as He sent plague after plague upon that nation to cause her to bring forth God’s firstborn [Exodus 4:23]. Even so will God manifest His Kingdom. We see His mighty forceps for extracting the Kingdom baby in the book of Revelation chapters six through nineteen. She will appear after the earth is forced to release its hold upon her, for Satan’s cosmos will disintegrate from the powerful birthing judgments of the Lord upon it. And indeed …
In the days of these kings… is a reference to the entire time of Gentile rule between Jesus’ first advent and tribulation’s end. It is the period of incubation when the fetus in the womb grows in size. During this time the Kingdom of Heaven is covertly advancing in the hearts of men. God began reestablishing it on earth with the birth of His Son, called the second Adam [1 Corinthians 15:45-47], and completes it when the kingdom of light bursts forth from the womb of mankind crushing and consuming all the nations comprising satan’s kingdom of darkness. Gentile time for ruling earth began with Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and it will be completed at the end of the tribulation. Satan’s uncontested authority over earth lasted only until Jesus came the first time. When Jesus came in the fullness of time [Galatians 4:4] and paid the ransom for redemption [Matthew 20:28], satan lost unchallenged authority. In rising from death, Jesus took the devil’s power away from him [Hebrews 12:14,15]. Having defeated death and satan by paying the price for the planet’s redemption, all authority in heaven and earth was conferred upon Jesus by God. Immediately the Redeemer gave His authority to His followers [Matthew 28:18,19] who can now bind and loose the devil at will [Matthew 18:18]. Why Christians have not been able to unseat the devil in many places of the earth is a matter beyond the scope of this paper. Our purpose here is to find out what God has envisioned for the last days so we can get in step with His plans, fulfill our purpose in life, and get ready for the rapture. By taking the keys of death away from satan [Revelation 1:18], Jesus opened the gates of hell to release its captives. At the same time, He opened the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whomsoever will make Jesus Lord of their lives may enter His Kingdom, but the day is coming when the gates will be closed as we shall see below. The Kingdom has been secluded in the hearts of men while enlarging in the bowels of earth’s population. The baby is so big today, almost 2.2 billion cells in her body, she is pressing to be born. When the rapture happens, it will be the beginning of Jacob’s trouble, and the Day of the Lord will have arrived.
The ‘trouble’ with Jacob is that the prophesied Kingdom is travailing to come forth. The Kingdom’s struggle to be released causes severe distress and pain for the womb confining her. As she breaks forth she shatters and crushes the nations within which she covertly grew as prophesied [Daniel 2:44] with the focal point of emergence being the place of her conception – Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is the cause of much, if not the greater part, of the world’s militancy today. Constant conflagrations and strife in the Middle East are signs that the baby wants to be born. Once the process starts, it is impossible for a birth mother to say “I don’t want this baby. Pains begone!” |
Balderdash! Laboring to bring forth a baby persists until it is born. Current Middle East peace negotiations notwithstanding. Israel’s covenant with death that she is determined to make with the Palestinians shall be annulled and her agreement with hell shall not stand [Isaiah 28:18]. The recent international Annapolis Conference on November 27, 2007 comprised of 54 delegates representing 47 nations and 17 international organizations is a summit plan hosted by President Bush and Secretary of State Rice for negotiating how to appease both Palestine and Israel in drawing up a peace plan. (Please hightlight the picture on the right for more information) |
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The final form of this Annapolis summit’s peace plans might be the pincers bringing forth the Jewish Kingdom man child’s manifestation. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all want a slice of Jerusalem and the stage is set for this to happen. The cherished city of the Jews is not recognized by the international community as its capital. Notwithstanding Wikipedia free encyclopedia, Tel Aviv is the recognized capital of Israel. (See Jpost.com international article dated June 15, 2007 by Jonny Paul, Jerusalem Post Correspondent, London for an apology by the BBC for calling Jerusalem the capital of Israel.) And Israeli President Ohmert has hinted at being willing to divide the city for you know what in return – land for peace! Meanwhile as men wheedle and cajole for a place in sun/son city, prophecy marches on. The woman, namely Israel, brought forth the man child, Jesus, who is destined to rule all nations for a thousand year period.
Nonetheless, regardless of the peace pact parleyed with the Palestinians, Kingdom labor pains must last seven years to fulfill Daniel’s prophecy of a ‘determined’ seventy weeks [Daniel 9:24] before the Davidic Kingdom can be reestablished. Sixty-nine weeks of years have transpired. One week, the last one, has been on hold for over 2,000 years. You could look on this two millennia of intercalated world history as sort of a ‘time out’ period which games of sport incorporate in their rules. Having been on hold for quite some time, the Jewish Age still has one more week of years to fulfill. Our Lord referred to Daniel’s prophecy in His account of the last days’ scenario. What we must do as this ‘time out’ period comes to a close is follow Jesus’ advice: And when these things (prophesied endtime events) begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh [Luke 21:28]. Can you feel Jesus’ pull on your heart in this day of terrorism with its potential for nuclear attack and worldwide destruction? I suggest you look upward to the skies along with us at Whitestones Ministries in expectation of Jesus’ return as a sentry watches for the approach of something unsuspected. (Please click next below for Continuation of Part 2) Footnotes: (click on hightlighted word to return) |
| While in the Temple a few days before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples that the beautiful Temple of Herod would not be standing many days hence; and the Olivet Discourse is Jesus’ answer to His disciples’ question about when the Temple would be destroyed. (to) | |
| Germane: being at once relevant and appropriate : fitting. (to) | |
| Robert Young, one of the foremost scholars of Hebrew and Greek says that because there is no permissive tense in the English language, very often Hebrew permissive verbs were translated into English with the causative tense implying that God Himself destroyed, hurt, or smote men with evil or woeful conditions. In reality God only allows satan to work his will when people will not respond to God’s warnings. When man gets out from under His protective covering by his own willful choices in not following God’s instructions, he opens himself up to all kinds of satanic oppression. Therefore, satan is the spoiler, not God. (patience) | |
| Diaspora: These believers were a "scattered" people as well as a "strange" people. The word translated "scattered" (diaspora ) was a technical term for the Jews who lived outside of Palestine. (Lamentations) | |
| Despotic: powerful ruler, a tyrant or ruler with absolute powers. tyrannical person: somebody who behaves in a tyrannical way toward other people. (god) | |
| i.e.: that is to say; [ Latin id est "that is"] (in) |
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web design, flash, and graphics by jlvetter, ©2008, unless otherwise
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Updated:
Friday, April 4, 2008 7:07 PM
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