When I watch the news, all I see is how bad things are. In fact, it is usually the bad things that get reported. To be honest, it is good to keep up with things, but I do not watch the news like I used to. I have thought many times what would be the signs leading up to the end times. I believe that we are truly living in the prequel to the end times, but we are not there just yet. I will submit to the point that know one knows for sure when it will come: 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only. There are many other areas that if you listen to the news it sounds like we are almost there: 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for `these things' must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places. 24:8 But all these things are the beginning of travail. This sounds like any day in a typical news channel. I guess you could say that history is littered with stories like this. That is why it will be a surprise to all of us when Jesus does come again. When you read all of Matthew 24 it is almost like there are two time periods that Jesus is speaking about. He starts out by predicting the destructing of the temple, which occurred in AD 70 by the Roman Empire. 24:1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 24:2 But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down." But then the disciples ask two questions and many misinterpret them as being the same question: 24:3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" Jesus goes on to tell of what I believe it will be like during the trials of the tribulation. Some have even speculated that the nation of Israel will reach a compromise with the Arab nations and rebuild the temple once again. I have watched this Jewish movement for a while now and I believe that it is the number one desire of the nation to rebuild the temple once again. See http://www.dunamai.com/articles/Israel/third_temple_built.htm I have been troubled by the Christian doctrine of when the tribulation shall occur. I used to believe that we all will be raptured out of this crazy time period, but now after re-reading the scripture, I am not so sure. After studying, I also realized that pre-tribulation rapture is really a new idea in the church as a whole. It has really only been around for about 200 years, before that everyone held that the church would be raptured after or at least during the tribulation. The reason I bring this up is based on this scripture: 24:22 And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. It is hard for me to believe in a pre-tribulation rapture with this scripture. If the pre-tribulation interpretation is incorrect, there are going to be many upset Christians, and they are going to be surprised to find that they are in the tribulation. I know this is a touchy subject and is clearly open for debate, so le me make my point clear. I am hoping and praying for a pre-tribulation rapture, but I honestly believe that God never gave any Christian an easy way out. My personal belief is that we will be raptured some time either during or after the tribulation. For those that are not familiar with the rapture, see Matthew 24:36-44 |
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