Friday 17 May 2013

Revelations 4 - The Rapture Part 3 - The timing of the Rapture

The person holding back the Antichrist

Matt. 24:15 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).

2Thess. 2:3-8 Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be 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, setting himself forth, that he is God. (5) Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? (6) And now you know what holds back, for him to be revealed in his own time. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already working, only he is now holding back until it comes out of the midst. (8) And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming,

Abomination of Desolation = man of sin = son of perdition = man of lawlessness = the lawless one = the Antichrist.

The Church can be referred to as a "man" as the church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:28)

The time when the person holding back the Antichrist will be removed

When will the Antichrist appear?

At the start of the week (7 year) of Great Tribulation?
In the middle of the week (7 year) of Great Tribulation?

Dan. 9:27 And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease, and on a corner of the altar desolating abomination, even until the end. And that which was decreed shall be poured on the desolator.

A covenant will be made by the Antichrist for one week (7 years) of the Great Tribulation.

The Antichrist must thus appear at the start of the week (7 years) of Great Tribulation.

The order of the book of Revelations

Introduction and greetings (Rev. 1:1 -8)
The things that John had seen (Rev. 1:9 -20)
The things what is (Rev. 2 - 3) The Church Era
The Rapture of the Church (Rev. 4:1 -4)
The things that is going to happen (Rev. 6:1 -18:24) , The Great Tribulation
The 2nd coming of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:1 -20:3), and
The Messianic kingdom (Rev. 20:4: -20:15), and
The new and eternal order (Rev. 21:1 -22:9), then finally:
Promises and last warnings (Rev. 22:10 -22:21)

The only person , the only "man",  holding back the Antichrist; can only be the Church held in place by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Rev. 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door was opened in Heaven. And the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you what must occur after these things.

After what things?

After the course of previous events! (Rev. 1 - 3)
After what John had seen! (Rev. 1)
After the Church era! (Rev. 2-3)
After the Rapture of the Church! (Rev. 4:1)

The Church ( "man" holding back the Antichrist ) will be raptured before the start of the week ( 7 years ) of the Great Tribulation.

Rights (C) 2011 Raymond D Lombard

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