Many think that the Rapture itself could happen, and cause catastrophic devastation, which would result in mass crime, looting, chaos, confusion… leading to martial law in the States, and effectively bring about the one world government spoken of in the book of Daniel.  Another hypothesis is that we could come under attack by Russia, who has had her ships off the coast of Venezuela in S. America, or by N. Korea, who has threatened us with a nuclear attack for so much as “threatening” her.  Or it could be a number of enemies to democracy and capitalism, seeking to bring down the U.S., but, that during these attacks we could be ‘caught up’ to be with the Lord forever.   

If one has followed the news, we all know Iran has called for the destruction of Israel, whom it calls the little Satan.  And these calls have not only continued, but probably intensified.  And most media coverage of this is scant, and poorly represented.  The reasons this Muslim nation wants to wipe Israel off the map, is that the Qur’an states that they resurrection of the dead won’t occur until Muslims fight and wipe out the nation of Jews.  But the one in Islamic eschatology who is to do that is the Mahdi, their ‘savior,’ who won’t appear until there is a time of global chaos.  Then the Mahdi, the ‘hidden imam’ who supposedly fell down a well a long time ago, will emerge, and set thing right, and rule from Jerusalem in ‘righteousness and peace.’

One thing that occurred to me after I had written this blog, is that it goes against what scripture teaches will happen.  Scripture doens't teach that the church is taken or 'caught up' during an enemy attack, nor really does it lay down any conditions for the 'catching away' to occurr at all.  But with the overall teaching of Old Testament scriptures on 'that day,' or 'the day of the Lord,' before that can happen, obviously the antichrist has to be revealed, where he takes his seat in the temple.  So the temple must be built.  Okay... and we know that the antichrist and false prophet cannot be revealed until the one who restrains them is taken out of the way(2 Thess. 2:7-8). 
So before Antichrist is revealed the one restraining the man of lawlessness (yes, Antichrist has other scriptural names) is removed.  Most theologians think this is the Holy Spirit in the presence of the true Catholic (Universal) Church.  So this would indicate the catching away the inspired apostle writes about to the Thessalonians. 
But since God's end-time plan focuses on the covenant promises made to Abraham, what must occur in Israel to have this take place.  To be sure, they must have returned from diaspora, after their temple was destroyed in 70 AD, and the Jews later dispersed as their nation came under siege.  God promised through the prophets that Israel would be brought back and have their fortunes restored after they had been scattered among the nations of the world.  We saw (some of us did) this miracle take place in 1948, when this scattered nation was brought back from the dead, and their dead national language revived, in accordance to what we know most popularly as the story of the Valley of "t'em dead bones" (Ezekiel 37). 

Now deciphering between the battle described in Zech 12, 14 and Ezekiel 38 is a little more difficult to figure out.  But in Zech f12 & f14 describe the nations of the world, and the physical return of the Messiah, with his feet touching down on the Mt. of Olives (Zech 14:4).  'That Day' will be a day known only to the LORD, with day or night (v. 6), and the beginning of his millennial reign on earth.  (This passage shows that Jesus' reign is not a long-period of time reign from heaven).  The battle described here also speaks of all the nations of the world coming against Israel, and being judge by God in the valley of Armageddon, the war to end all wars where the LORD alone is triumphant, and His name alone reigns on earth (Zech 14:9).

Ezekiel 38 describes the battle known as the "Battle of Magog."  In this chapter, certain nations are named (in Zech they are not) are all seen to be Islamic nations today (one of the main ones Iran~Persia).  Verse 8 describes Israel as having been restored to the mountains of Israel, regathered from war, living in peace and safety.  In this battle, the LORD also defends Israel, and decimates the enemy troops by pouring down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him (Ezek 38:22).  The result of this war, described in Ezekiel 39-48 is much different from the outcome, in fact, the prophet tells us that the clean-up of this battle will take seven months to bury all the carcasses there in the valley of Hamon Gog (Ezek. 39:12), and seven years to burn up all the weapons as fuel (39:9). 

This doesn't fit Zechariah's prophecies, because Israel's eyes will be opened to recognize Jesus as their Messiah (Zech 12:10).  This is not mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy.  Nor in Ezekiel do we ever see the LORD come to the earth, or for that matter, appear to mankind apart from the forces of 'mother nature' that He holds in complete control (sorry global warming advocates).  If we continue to read Ezekiel in a chronological sequence after their restoration (Ezek 36, 37), the battle of Magog (chs. 38, 39) and the building of the temple (Ezekiel 40-48), then after this tremendous battle where the entire wolrd sees the LORD defend and magnify His name through Israel, then next logical assumption is that the next step is for Israel, in a national movement back to the Old Covenant system, will rebuild their temple.  And we know from news on Israel, that they are even now making preparations to build the temple. 

So we can see that in and after the battle of Magog described by the prophet, God resumes dealing with His people Israel.  And this is what I lost sight of in my "Immanency" blog.  I believe because of the scriptural teachings that the rapture will occur shortly before or in the battle of Magog, and after the LORD has brought the church to dwell with Him, He focuses His dealings again with the people of Israel.

I have some who object to me focusing too much on the return of the LORD, though I can't understand quite why, when our Lord promises blessing for those who read and keep the words of the prophecies of Revelation.  Jesus did indeed say that no man will know the day or the hour (Mt. 24:36), but just prior to this He does tell us that we will know the season!    ³²"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ³³Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it^[d]is near, right at the door....  ⁴²"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.