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[size=+1]Revelation 12
King James Version (KJV)
12 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.[/size]
King James Version (KJV)
12 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.[/size]
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All those questions are pretty well covered in the video . The The women at the start, with the stars are representative of the 12 Tribes of Israel - mother Israel ;through who Christ came. the position of the moon and her being clothed with the sun, im not sure what that is saying. He is probably not a 100% sure himself, that is why he does not comment on it as much.
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My thoughts is he has it 100% right. He is drawing in more information that needs to be covered , but it seems confusing if your not yet familiar with some of the things he touched upon in passing, for that one chapter. But he has it correct. That is my educated opinion. Remember the Bible is a big book, and hes drawing on that whole book, but its a short video, and its one chapter out of all of God's words. But this explains chapter 12 well, and offers a foundation of notes to farther study on your own to see if he is right or wrong.
At the end of the day, your going to have to study yourself and not take his word for it or anyone. Your going to have to study to see if its written yourself.
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Not exactly, because Satan's Dwelling Place is no longer Heaven; however Satan does get to appear before GOD periodically to accuse us of being as bad as he is. IF you are interested in a very detailed BIBLICAL exposition of Revelation verse by verse all the way through it; there is NONE better than the 37 sermon series by Dr. John MacArthur Jr., and they are FREE to listen to online. I used to own that series on cassette tapes, and I listened to them 5 times each. Just so you know Dr. MacArthur is a biblically sound Bible Teacher. Here is a link to their Doctrinal Statement of Faith: Grace to You
Dr. John MacArthur, Jr. is the senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, in Sun Valley, CA., a suburb of Los Angeles. He is also President of the Master's College and Seminary in Los Angeles. Here is his sermon series on the Book of Revelation, and the first sermon is an outline of the entire book, called "A Jet Tour Trough Revelation". Then he teaches verse by verse through the entire Book. Grace to You
Dr. John MacArthur, Jr. is the senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, in Sun Valley, CA., a suburb of Los Angeles. He is also President of the Master's College and Seminary in Los Angeles. Here is his sermon series on the Book of Revelation, and the first sermon is an outline of the entire book, called "A Jet Tour Trough Revelation". Then he teaches verse by verse through the entire Book. Grace to You
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Pastor John MacArthur is one of the best Bible teachers I know;; But , I think is is off on Rev. He is a Pre Trib. rapturist , I think that is wrong. He holds to an emminate return of Christ view. I think that is wrong. Christ will not come to rapture His Church until this day of Tribulation is over and the day of Wrath starts right after the rapture, see, 2Thess 2 1-3. John the Apostle said he was in "THE TRUBULATION" Rev.1:9 . The CHURCH comes out of the GREAT TRIBULATION. Mt.24:29 and Rev.7:9&14 The MULTITUDE with "HANDS" are the resurrected CHURCH, Of all ages, Adam to the last elect one in this age, in HEAVEN; THe CHURCH is resurrected in Rev.6:12-, just before the Day of God's wrath, in Rev7:1-18:24 (The Trumpets and Bowls)
Rev. 12-13 &14 are parenthetical. These chapters are inserted here to show what had happened in the midst of the TRUMPET judgments, and in the midst of the Bowl judgments. Keep in mind, the BOWLS are a repeat of the TRUMPETS. IN other words ; the trumpets and the bowls are the same ,exact thing, The wrath of God, which is for 3 and a half yrs, as the
Beasts are doing their thing, and the two prophets of God are doing their thing. After which ,Jesus , returns with us Christians, to rule the earth. Please, prayfully consider this Mid or Pre wrath rapture view. Therefore, I think, the women is Israel, the child is Jesus, Jesus was taken to Heaven , and 2,000 yrs later, we have Satan and His angels cast out of Heaven for the finial time. Then the last 1230 days (1290 and 1335 days of Dan. ??) of the 70th wk. of Daniel tales place. Love to all. Hoffco
Rev. 12-13 &14 are parenthetical. These chapters are inserted here to show what had happened in the midst of the TRUMPET judgments, and in the midst of the Bowl judgments. Keep in mind, the BOWLS are a repeat of the TRUMPETS. IN other words ; the trumpets and the bowls are the same ,exact thing, The wrath of God, which is for 3 and a half yrs, as the
Beasts are doing their thing, and the two prophets of God are doing their thing. After which ,Jesus , returns with us Christians, to rule the earth. Please, prayfully consider this Mid or Pre wrath rapture view. Therefore, I think, the women is Israel, the child is Jesus, Jesus was taken to Heaven , and 2,000 yrs later, we have Satan and His angels cast out of Heaven for the finial time. Then the last 1230 days (1290 and 1335 days of Dan. ??) of the 70th wk. of Daniel tales place. Love to all. Hoffco
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This video has a very poor view of prophecy. Rev 12 is not about the Great Tribulation.
The whole chapter is an overview of the history of mankind.
Satan is already on earth, as the temptation of Jesus Christ clear has shown. He was cast out of heaven in Genesis.
The stars are not people who follow Satan, but the 1/3 of the angels that followed Satan.
The Church is currently under persecution. The Great Trib. is not the only time of persecution.
Time times and half a time is not 3.5 years. It is speaking of the time of the Church age, not the Great Tribulation.
This interpretation does not sit well with the rest of Scripture. When you look at this as explaining the plot-line of history, you will realize just how useful this chapter is.
The whole chapter is an overview of the history of mankind.
Satan is already on earth, as the temptation of Jesus Christ clear has shown. He was cast out of heaven in Genesis.
The stars are not people who follow Satan, but the 1/3 of the angels that followed Satan.
The Church is currently under persecution. The Great Trib. is not the only time of persecution.
Time times and half a time is not 3.5 years. It is speaking of the time of the Church age, not the Great Tribulation.
This interpretation does not sit well with the rest of Scripture. When you look at this as explaining the plot-line of history, you will realize just how useful this chapter is.
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In a nut shell, the Mark of the Beast is a number that identifies a specific man, in more detail than even our Social Security Numbers. In fact Henry Kissinger, a couple decades ago, proposed such a numbering system as a backup plan for a world-wide economic and banking collapse. If I remember right, the first group of numbers would identify the City where the individual lived, the second group of numbers would identify the location of the front door where he lives in that city such as GPS, and the last group of numbers identifies the specific individual that the long number belongs to. Henry Kissinger set up an experiment in Australia to make sure it works, and those numbers in that experiment were controlled by a super-computer. So ultimately I suspect when it is actually implimented, the numbers written our will look like this: 123456-123456-123456. Hence you have: 6 digits - 6 digits - 6 digits; that will make up the Mark of the Beast. NOW what is the most likely mode of putting that number in the hand or forehead? An injected ultra small micro chip. They have them now as small as a grain of salt, WAY SMALLER than the chip in my dog's neck. They are called RFID chips. WHOA, it snuck up on you, didn't it?
YES I believe we are getting VERY CLOSE to when our Bridegroom will come to call His Bride the Church out of her old dwelling place and take her home to the New Dwelling Place in Heaven for the Wedding of the Lamb. But NO ONE knows the Day or the Hour.
Here are some links to the videos about the RFIDs (Radio Frequency Identification Devices), and the third one down shows you a recent chip as small as a grain of salt:
RFID Chips in Humans | eHow
Microchip implant (human) - Ask.com Encyclopedia
Hitachi develops RFID powder ~ Pink Tentacle
IBM RFID commercial- Shopping in the Future as a Chipped Human - YouTube
The Seal of GOD, is easy to explain, and I assume you are talking about the 144,000 Jews who will be sealed. That is talking about those Jews being sealed in their mortal bodies so that NO HARM COMES TO THEM during the Great Tribulation or the Second Coming. Those who turn to follow Christ AFTER the Church is removed from the earth, will refuse the Mark of the beast and the Anti-christ will have them beheaded, every last one of them, except for the 144,000.
Revelation 6:9-11 (NKJV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
[SUP]10 [/SUP] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
Revelation 20:4 (NKJV)
[SUP]4 [/SUP] And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
And as for all the unbelievers left on this earth at the time of the Second Coming of Christ to set up His thousand year Kingdom; they will ALL be killed by the Sword of His Mouth, (by HIS Word of command).
Revelation 19:21 (NKJV)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Okay, we will ALL be given our gloified bodies, at the moment we are called out to go to the Wedding of the Lamb.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (ASV)
[SUP]51 [/SUP] Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[SUP]52 [/SUP] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[SUP]53 [/SUP] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[SUP]54 [/SUP] But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ASV)
[SUP]16 [/SUP] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;
[SUP]17 [/SUP] then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Then at the very beginning of the Great Tribulation, we are no long mortal human beings, because we will have put on immortality. The Tribulation Saints will ALL beheaded, AND the unbelievers left on earth will ALL be killed by HIS WORD. How many mortal human beings does that leave to repopulate the Earth, during Our LORD's reign as KING of kings for a thousand years from the throne of DAVID? RIGHT, the 144,000, because they were all sealed from harm during the Great Tribulation and His Second Coming. AND EVERYONE OF THOSE MORTAL HUMAN BEINGS IS A JEW. How about that, GOD really does keep HIS promises:
Jeremiah 32:40 (NKJV)
[SUP]40 [/SUP] And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.
Ezekiel 16:60 (ASV)
[SUP]60 [/SUP] Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.
1 Chronicles 16:15-18 (HCSB)
[SUP]15 [/SUP] Remember His covenant forever— the promise He ordained for a thousand generations,
[SUP]16 [/SUP] ⌊the covenant⌋ He made with Abraham, swore to Isaac,
[SUP]17 [/SUP] and confirmed to Jacob as a decree, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
[SUP]18 [/SUP] “I will give the land of Canaan to you as your inherited portion.”
So who else did you think would be the Kingdom subjects, that would repopulate HIS KINGDOM as HE rules from Jerusalem?
No, the 70th week of Daniel has not happened yet, BUT it will as soon as we, the CHURCH, is called out of our old dwelling place, Earth.
Philippians 3:20 (NKJV)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
YES I believe we are getting VERY CLOSE to when our Bridegroom will come to call His Bride the Church out of her old dwelling place and take her home to the New Dwelling Place in Heaven for the Wedding of the Lamb. But NO ONE knows the Day or the Hour.
Here are some links to the videos about the RFIDs (Radio Frequency Identification Devices), and the third one down shows you a recent chip as small as a grain of salt:
RFID Chips in Humans | eHow
Microchip implant (human) - Ask.com Encyclopedia
Hitachi develops RFID powder ~ Pink Tentacle
IBM RFID commercial- Shopping in the Future as a Chipped Human - YouTube
The Seal of GOD, is easy to explain, and I assume you are talking about the 144,000 Jews who will be sealed. That is talking about those Jews being sealed in their mortal bodies so that NO HARM COMES TO THEM during the Great Tribulation or the Second Coming. Those who turn to follow Christ AFTER the Church is removed from the earth, will refuse the Mark of the beast and the Anti-christ will have them beheaded, every last one of them, except for the 144,000.
Revelation 6:9-11 (NKJV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
[SUP]10 [/SUP] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
Revelation 20:4 (NKJV)
[SUP]4 [/SUP] And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
And as for all the unbelievers left on this earth at the time of the Second Coming of Christ to set up His thousand year Kingdom; they will ALL be killed by the Sword of His Mouth, (by HIS Word of command).
Revelation 19:21 (NKJV)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Okay, we will ALL be given our gloified bodies, at the moment we are called out to go to the Wedding of the Lamb.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (ASV)
[SUP]51 [/SUP] Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[SUP]52 [/SUP] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[SUP]53 [/SUP] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[SUP]54 [/SUP] But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ASV)
[SUP]16 [/SUP] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;
[SUP]17 [/SUP] then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Then at the very beginning of the Great Tribulation, we are no long mortal human beings, because we will have put on immortality. The Tribulation Saints will ALL beheaded, AND the unbelievers left on earth will ALL be killed by HIS WORD. How many mortal human beings does that leave to repopulate the Earth, during Our LORD's reign as KING of kings for a thousand years from the throne of DAVID? RIGHT, the 144,000, because they were all sealed from harm during the Great Tribulation and His Second Coming. AND EVERYONE OF THOSE MORTAL HUMAN BEINGS IS A JEW. How about that, GOD really does keep HIS promises:
Jeremiah 32:40 (NKJV)
[SUP]40 [/SUP] And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.
Ezekiel 16:60 (ASV)
[SUP]60 [/SUP] Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.
1 Chronicles 16:15-18 (HCSB)
[SUP]15 [/SUP] Remember His covenant forever— the promise He ordained for a thousand generations,
[SUP]16 [/SUP] ⌊the covenant⌋ He made with Abraham, swore to Isaac,
[SUP]17 [/SUP] and confirmed to Jacob as a decree, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
[SUP]18 [/SUP] “I will give the land of Canaan to you as your inherited portion.”
So who else did you think would be the Kingdom subjects, that would repopulate HIS KINGDOM as HE rules from Jerusalem?
No, the 70th week of Daniel has not happened yet, BUT it will as soon as we, the CHURCH, is called out of our old dwelling place, Earth.
Philippians 3:20 (NKJV)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Then you have not studied the Jewish Wedding traditions from the time of Christ, have you? AND the main reason your theory cannot be right, is the moment the Anti-christ is put in power or inagurated ruler of the Revived Roman Empire (the Euopean Union); I can tell you the day Christ will come for us. Anti-christ's rule is numbered to exactly seven years, so when the European Union in it's final form (the ten toes of the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream) gives the power to rule over all the countries of the Revived Roman Empire, add seven years and you have the Second Coming of Christ as KING of kings. Oh, by the way Tribulation IS the Day of HIS WRATH, and it is seven years long, not 24 hours.
NOW let me share with you, "A Christian Love Story" which is a post that I had written on another site. I had to shorten this to make it fit on one post, so you will have to look up a lot of the reference verses:
The rapture (which is the Calling Out of the Bride the Church to go to the Wedding of the Lamb in the New Dwelling Place that HE has prepared for us), has to happen before the Second Coming. The Second Coming is when HE reclaims the earth, slaying all unbelievers with the sword of HIS mouth; and then sets up HIS Thousand Year Kingdom, ruling from the Throne of David. That event happens so slowly that the Armies of the World have time to move their troops to Valley of Megiddo, also know as Armagedon, before Christ actually sets foot on earth at the Mt. of Olives, Zech 14:3-4, Rev. 16:12-16, & Rev. 19:1-21. While in comparison, the Calling Out of the Bride happens so fast that it is compared to lightning flashing from the east to the west, plus at that time Christ does not set foot on earth, He only APPEARS in the air in the clouds.
Ref:
Matthew 24:27
Titus 2:13
Mark 13:32
That cannot be talking about The Second Coming when HE comes as KING of Kings; but rather when HE appears in the clouds as Our Bridegroom to Call out HIS Bride to go to HIS and Her Wedding; because the Days of the Antichrist’s reign are numbered and he will reign for 3 and a half years peacefully, followed by 3 and a half years of being the most blood thirsty Dictator that has ever lived.
The understanding of why the Calling out of the Bride the Church has to happen first is found in understanding the Jewish Wedding Traditions at the time of Christ. Most of the info that I have on the Jewish Wedding Traditions, comes from the late Dr. Zola Levitt. I pray this will be helpful:
False teachers frequently try to pick the day of the Second Coming or even the Judgment Day, and some even say the Church must go the Tribulation. Therefore they either skip entirely the 7 year reign of Antichrist or falsely claim we go through it too; and some even deny the 1000 year Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I totally believe in both, and I believe the Lord literally meant it when he said:
1 Thess 5:9 (KJV)
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
I believe the Wrath He is referring to is:
Rev 6:17 (NKJV)
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
I also believe HE literally meant it when HE said:
Rev 3:10 (NKJV)
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
I also believe that because the "hour of trial" is coming upon the whole earth and those who dwell on the earth; then our "Ark" of safety is a place off this earth. I believe that place of safety off this earth is in Heaven in the New City Jerusalem that is described in Rev. Chapter 21. WHY is He taking us there?:
Rev 21:9 (NKJV)
. . . "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."
NOTE: She is in her new dwelling place in heaven.
Ref:
Rev 19:9
Eph 5:23The Marriage Supper is always at the very end of the 7 day Wedding Ceremony.
So what happens at the very beginning of the 7 day Wedding Ceremony?
Ref:
Matt 25:1-13
NOTE, that it says the "Son of Man" not the "KING of Kings". He is Our Bridegroom, and HE is coming for us, but we do not know the day or the hour which is exactly the same in the Jewish Wedding Traditions. The Jewish Wedding Traditions that apply to Christ coming for His Bride the Church are as follows:
1. The man seek a bride had to make a contract with the father, agreeing on the purchase price of the Bride, which was due the day after she accepted the Proposal. The price the Father demanded to Redeem us was a Holy Blood Sacrifice, and Christ paid the price purchasing the Church as His Bride.
Ref:
1 Corinthians 6:20
2. The wedding proposal was never verbal. The man seeking a Bride is invited to a family sit down supper, after making contract with the father. During the course of the meal the man would pour a cup of wine and passed it to his prospective Bride. If she drank from the cup she was accepting the proposal, and if she set it down without drinking, she was refusing the proposal. Jesus poured the cup and passed it to the Disciples the foundation of the Church. The Disciples drank from the betrothal cup accepting Jesus Christ as our Bridegroom. Just as in any Jewish Wedding Proposal, the Couple is known as Bride and Bridegroom throughout the Betrothal Period. ( Mat. 9:15 )
Ref:
1 Corinthians 11:25
3. The first thing that would take place after the Bride drank from the Cup, accepting the Marriage Proposal, is the Bridegroom would stand, look at his Bride, and say, “I go to prepare a place for you.” He would then leave the old dwelling place of the Bride, never to set foot in it again until after the Wedding Ceremony. According to the Jewish Wedding Traditions, he would go back home and begin to build a New Dwelling Place for his Bride either in or near his father’s home. Jesus said in:
John 12:2-3 (NASB)
2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
That comes straight out of a Jewish Wedding Proposal.
4. So did they set the Date for the Wedding like we do? NO, because only the father of the Bridegroom had the right to periodically inspect the New Dwelling Place and giving additional instructions to his son to add this and that, make this better, etc. Finally without any advanced warning, the father would say to his son, frequently near midnight, “It is finished, go get your Bride.”
Hence, it is a reality in any Jewish Wedding that ONLY the Father knows when the Wedding will start; because it is ONLY the Father that can decide when the New Dwelling Place is FINISHED, including the Wedding Decorations, because the Wedding ALWAYS took place in the New Dwelling Place. While the Son would go off to steal His Bride away like a Thief in the Night, the father would give orders to the servants to get ready to welcome the Wedding Guests. Where is our New Dwelling Place? The New City Jerusalem in Heaven and it is Decorated, adorned as you would a Bride, which eventually be lowered to the earth.
Ref:
Revelation 21:2
5. While it is true that NO ONE knew the day or hour that Wedding would begin, because only the father of the Bridegroom made that decision at the last minute; is was possible to see signs that the Time for the Wedding was NEAR. If the new dwelling place was outside the father’s house, the building itself was a visible sign of times, and/or by the products the servants were buying for their Master. When you saw them buying decorations for a Wedding you knew the time was near. At that time the Bride would gather her wedding party in her old dwelling place. They each would have to have a lantern with oil in because they new that the Jewish Wedding Traditions of 2000 years ago, dictated that the Bridegroom could come to call out his Bride late at night. We in a real sense are gathering the Wedding Party in our old dwelling place, “earth”, as we lead each new believer to receive Jesus as LORD. Sure we do not know the day or hour, but the signs of the times indicate that it is soon. Therefore we keep watch, expecting our Bridegroom to APPEAR in the clouds to call us out. And JUST LIKE the parable of ten virgins, ONLY those with oil in their lamps ( the Holy Spirit is the living oil in us ), get to go with the Bridegroom to the Wedding.
Ref:
Mark 13:35
6. When the father tells the son to go get his Bride, he still does NOT set foot in the old dwelling place of the Bride. He actually travels to the old dwelling place of the Bribe, but stops just outside of it and calls her out. The Bridegroom is not the one that calls out the Bride, but rather he chooses a member of his wedding party to SHOUT to wake her and her wedding guests, calling her out of the old dwelling place. And they join with the Bridegroom’s wedding party and together they travel to the new dwelling that the Bridegroom has personally built, for the Wedding Ceremony. Jesus has actually chosen the archangel already to SHOUT and call us out of our old dwelling place “earth”.
Ref:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
7. The wedding ceremony in the new dwelling place was not like our weddings of today. They actually lasted seven days. If the guests lived close by they would go home, but if the bridegroom lived far away from the old dwelling place of the Bride, then accommodations would be made in the father’s house for the wedding guests. Each morning the Wedding celebrations would continue, with the official Marriage Supper being saved for last. Then they would travel back to the old dwelling place of the Bride and the Bridegroom we set foot again in the old dwelling place of the Bride for the first time since the Bride had accepted his proposal.
Revelation 19:9 (NKJV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
Ref:
Zechariah 14:3-4
t t t
I believe the Wedding of the Lamb is a Week of Years, not a Week of days, and is the very same week of years that is the 70th Week of Daniel. All 70 weeks in Daniel's prophecy are weeks of Years, but the 70th Week of Daniel is set apart from the rest; placing the Church Age between the 69[SUP]th[/SUP] and 70[SUP]th[/SUP] Week of Daniel. It is all culminated with Christ setting foot on earth, destroying all the remaining unbelievers with the sword of His mouth (His Word), and setting up His one thousand year Kingdom, reigning from David’s Throne, while the 144,000 Jews that were sealed in the mortal bodies (we will be in our glorified bodies reigning with Him); are the Jews who will repopulate the earth with mortal human beings.
Ref:
Revelation 19:21
Revelation 20:6
And as John said: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! “
NOW let me share with you, "A Christian Love Story" which is a post that I had written on another site. I had to shorten this to make it fit on one post, so you will have to look up a lot of the reference verses:
Is the Calling Out of the Bride (or Rapture) going to come first
or is it the Second Coming?
t t t
or is it the Second Coming?
t t t
Ref:
Matthew 24:27
Titus 2:13
Mark 13:32
That cannot be talking about The Second Coming when HE comes as KING of Kings; but rather when HE appears in the clouds as Our Bridegroom to Call out HIS Bride to go to HIS and Her Wedding; because the Days of the Antichrist’s reign are numbered and he will reign for 3 and a half years peacefully, followed by 3 and a half years of being the most blood thirsty Dictator that has ever lived.
The understanding of why the Calling out of the Bride the Church has to happen first is found in understanding the Jewish Wedding Traditions at the time of Christ. Most of the info that I have on the Jewish Wedding Traditions, comes from the late Dr. Zola Levitt. I pray this will be helpful:
False teachers frequently try to pick the day of the Second Coming or even the Judgment Day, and some even say the Church must go the Tribulation. Therefore they either skip entirely the 7 year reign of Antichrist or falsely claim we go through it too; and some even deny the 1000 year Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I totally believe in both, and I believe the Lord literally meant it when he said:
1 Thess 5:9 (KJV)
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
I believe the Wrath He is referring to is:
Rev 6:17 (NKJV)
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
I also believe HE literally meant it when HE said:
Rev 3:10 (NKJV)
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
I also believe that because the "hour of trial" is coming upon the whole earth and those who dwell on the earth; then our "Ark" of safety is a place off this earth. I believe that place of safety off this earth is in Heaven in the New City Jerusalem that is described in Rev. Chapter 21. WHY is He taking us there?:
Rev 21:9 (NKJV)
. . . "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."
NOTE: She is in her new dwelling place in heaven.
Ref:
Rev 19:9
Eph 5:23The Marriage Supper is always at the very end of the 7 day Wedding Ceremony.
So what happens at the very beginning of the 7 day Wedding Ceremony?
Ref:
Matt 25:1-13
NOTE, that it says the "Son of Man" not the "KING of Kings". He is Our Bridegroom, and HE is coming for us, but we do not know the day or the hour which is exactly the same in the Jewish Wedding Traditions. The Jewish Wedding Traditions that apply to Christ coming for His Bride the Church are as follows:
1. The man seek a bride had to make a contract with the father, agreeing on the purchase price of the Bride, which was due the day after she accepted the Proposal. The price the Father demanded to Redeem us was a Holy Blood Sacrifice, and Christ paid the price purchasing the Church as His Bride.
Ref:
1 Corinthians 6:20
2. The wedding proposal was never verbal. The man seeking a Bride is invited to a family sit down supper, after making contract with the father. During the course of the meal the man would pour a cup of wine and passed it to his prospective Bride. If she drank from the cup she was accepting the proposal, and if she set it down without drinking, she was refusing the proposal. Jesus poured the cup and passed it to the Disciples the foundation of the Church. The Disciples drank from the betrothal cup accepting Jesus Christ as our Bridegroom. Just as in any Jewish Wedding Proposal, the Couple is known as Bride and Bridegroom throughout the Betrothal Period. ( Mat. 9:15 )
Ref:
1 Corinthians 11:25
3. The first thing that would take place after the Bride drank from the Cup, accepting the Marriage Proposal, is the Bridegroom would stand, look at his Bride, and say, “I go to prepare a place for you.” He would then leave the old dwelling place of the Bride, never to set foot in it again until after the Wedding Ceremony. According to the Jewish Wedding Traditions, he would go back home and begin to build a New Dwelling Place for his Bride either in or near his father’s home. Jesus said in:
John 12:2-3 (NASB)
2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
That comes straight out of a Jewish Wedding Proposal.
4. So did they set the Date for the Wedding like we do? NO, because only the father of the Bridegroom had the right to periodically inspect the New Dwelling Place and giving additional instructions to his son to add this and that, make this better, etc. Finally without any advanced warning, the father would say to his son, frequently near midnight, “It is finished, go get your Bride.”
Hence, it is a reality in any Jewish Wedding that ONLY the Father knows when the Wedding will start; because it is ONLY the Father that can decide when the New Dwelling Place is FINISHED, including the Wedding Decorations, because the Wedding ALWAYS took place in the New Dwelling Place. While the Son would go off to steal His Bride away like a Thief in the Night, the father would give orders to the servants to get ready to welcome the Wedding Guests. Where is our New Dwelling Place? The New City Jerusalem in Heaven and it is Decorated, adorned as you would a Bride, which eventually be lowered to the earth.
Ref:
Revelation 21:2
5. While it is true that NO ONE knew the day or hour that Wedding would begin, because only the father of the Bridegroom made that decision at the last minute; is was possible to see signs that the Time for the Wedding was NEAR. If the new dwelling place was outside the father’s house, the building itself was a visible sign of times, and/or by the products the servants were buying for their Master. When you saw them buying decorations for a Wedding you knew the time was near. At that time the Bride would gather her wedding party in her old dwelling place. They each would have to have a lantern with oil in because they new that the Jewish Wedding Traditions of 2000 years ago, dictated that the Bridegroom could come to call out his Bride late at night. We in a real sense are gathering the Wedding Party in our old dwelling place, “earth”, as we lead each new believer to receive Jesus as LORD. Sure we do not know the day or hour, but the signs of the times indicate that it is soon. Therefore we keep watch, expecting our Bridegroom to APPEAR in the clouds to call us out. And JUST LIKE the parable of ten virgins, ONLY those with oil in their lamps ( the Holy Spirit is the living oil in us ), get to go with the Bridegroom to the Wedding.
Ref:
Mark 13:35
6. When the father tells the son to go get his Bride, he still does NOT set foot in the old dwelling place of the Bride. He actually travels to the old dwelling place of the Bribe, but stops just outside of it and calls her out. The Bridegroom is not the one that calls out the Bride, but rather he chooses a member of his wedding party to SHOUT to wake her and her wedding guests, calling her out of the old dwelling place. And they join with the Bridegroom’s wedding party and together they travel to the new dwelling that the Bridegroom has personally built, for the Wedding Ceremony. Jesus has actually chosen the archangel already to SHOUT and call us out of our old dwelling place “earth”.
Ref:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
7. The wedding ceremony in the new dwelling place was not like our weddings of today. They actually lasted seven days. If the guests lived close by they would go home, but if the bridegroom lived far away from the old dwelling place of the Bride, then accommodations would be made in the father’s house for the wedding guests. Each morning the Wedding celebrations would continue, with the official Marriage Supper being saved for last. Then they would travel back to the old dwelling place of the Bride and the Bridegroom we set foot again in the old dwelling place of the Bride for the first time since the Bride had accepted his proposal.
Revelation 19:9 (NKJV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
Ref:
Zechariah 14:3-4
t t t
I believe the Wedding of the Lamb is a Week of Years, not a Week of days, and is the very same week of years that is the 70th Week of Daniel. All 70 weeks in Daniel's prophecy are weeks of Years, but the 70th Week of Daniel is set apart from the rest; placing the Church Age between the 69[SUP]th[/SUP] and 70[SUP]th[/SUP] Week of Daniel. It is all culminated with Christ setting foot on earth, destroying all the remaining unbelievers with the sword of His mouth (His Word), and setting up His one thousand year Kingdom, reigning from David’s Throne, while the 144,000 Jews that were sealed in the mortal bodies (we will be in our glorified bodies reigning with Him); are the Jews who will repopulate the earth with mortal human beings.
Ref:
Revelation 19:21
Revelation 20:6
And as John said: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! “
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