Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

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The Feast of Trumpets announces the coming of the king.

Jesus is born 9 months later at the Feast of Trumpets.

Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The Feast of trumpets is a two day event

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

The first day the angels announce Jesus and the shepherds see it, then the second day they tell others of this, announcing the coming of the Lord as the Passover lamb.

On the Day of atonement Jesus spilled his precious blood for the first time. The Feast of Trumpets occurs on a 2 day period known as “the longest day”. 8 days later a male child will be circumcised. Therefore Jesus was circumcised on the day of Atonement.

21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord) 24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. 25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

At this point Simeon announces the salvation of the Lord. He is announcing the atonement of God and Anna spoke concerning the redemption of Israel.

28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Atonement is a temporary measure year by year. What Simeon is announcing is He has finally seen God's salvation which will be a permanent forgiveness rather than a temporary one.

33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Brace yourself. In the atonement you have one goat that is sacrificed and one goat that is excommunicated. Those that don't receive the sacrifice that Jesus is making will be excommunicated. Jesus is coming as the king, that means all those who are currently ruling and reigning must step aside or else be deposed.

 

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Look at the contrast

Luke 2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Look at the contrast. You have those who went to seminary, wear special robes are are portrayed as the religious leaders. They seem oblivious to Jesus. Whereas you have these two devout people who have given their whole life to following the Lord and seeking Him in prayer. There are two different groups in the Temple, those with the appearance of piety and those with the reality.

39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

Once again, "all that heard Him were astonished" and yet the religious leaders seem oblivious. I doubt they were truly ignorant of Him, instead they saw Him as a threat to their control, the same way all of Russia saw Bobby Fischer as a threat to their dominance in Chess.

48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

At the circumcision both Joseph and Mary marveled but now it is only Mary that keeps the sayings in her heart? By the time Jesus is twelve Joseph is no longer marveling? If you are not someone who is devout and loves the Lord and meditates on His word then soon Jesus and His way and His followers will seem not that important. Think of these ones who become impatient, they want change now, they want the church to be a political power broker, or they think numbers and money are the way to build the kingdom.

This is human history, everyone walking according to their own opinion and becoming offended with the cross of Christ. But here we are two thousand years later and every word Jesus has spoken is treasured like fine gold whereas all those impatient ones from 2,000 years ago have become dust in the wind that no one remembers.

 

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The account of John the Baptist in Luke, Mark and Matthew

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Luke 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the region round about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins;

The difference between these two accounts is stunning. Luke begins the gospel with what was happening before Jesus was even born. We see Anna and Simeon, and Zacharias, and Elizabeth and Mary and Joseph. We read about the census. Mark is oblivious to all of this. It seems to me this is the gospel to those who were sleeping, those who were drunk on the world, those who were clueless to what was going on. Look at how detailed Luke is about who is in power, people who are very significant. Luke does not ignore the political situation or the news of the day. Meanwhile those in the gospel of Mark looked like they have just rolled out of bed.

However, Luke also skips details that are in Matthew. He does not mention the trip to Egypt, or the death of the small boys or the visitation by the magi. Those stories convict the Pharisees and Herodians of sin. They also are proof that Jesus is Messiah promised in the Old Testament. They are pointed experiences for the Jews but are not particularly relevant to the Gentiles. In Luke we see that Jesus is the second Adam, who becomes the life giving spirit. In Matthew we see that Jesus is the son of David, His birth threatened the Jewish rulers just as David was a threat to King Saul.

Mark 1:2 Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
Who shall prepare thy way;
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight;

Luke 3:4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
And every mountain and hill shall be brought low;
And the crooked shall become straight,
And the rough ways smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Notice how Mark only quotes down to make His paths straight. The valley has already been filled in, the mountain has already been brought low, the crooked have already become straight, the rough have become smooth and all flesh saw the salvation of God at the rapture. During the church age this is what we have been doing. We are lifting those in the valley up and we are bringing those who think they are high and might low. We have been shining a light on the crooked that they would become straight. The world tries to make it rough for someone of low degree to rise up, but the church and the word makes this way smooth. All of that work has been done already. For example, look at the Blue Letter Bible. It gives you the Hebrew and Greek definition of every word, it gives you all the other instances of that word being used in the Bible. Then you can easily search out commentaries on every verse in the Bible. You can also see the great variety of translations of every verse. But for those who are left behind they can now hear the voice of one crying in the wilderness that the day of the Lord is here, make ready the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight. Think about the US highway system. That was a lot of work leveling the highway, building bridges, digging tunnels, etc. But once that road is laid you still need to paint straight lines on it, you still need to put up the road signs and make that path straight. During the church age the path was laid, during the tribulation it will be made ready for the triumphal entry of the Lord.

Now look at what Matthew says of John:

Matthew 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

So this cuts out the part about "I will send my messenger before thy face". The Christians were messengers sent before the face of the Jews, that is true for both the pretribulation saints and the tribulation saints.

 

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Only in Matthew and Luke

Luke 3:7He said therefore to the multitudes that went out to be baptized of him, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9And even now the axe also lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

This is fascinating, both Matthew and Luke have the same account and Mark doesn't have any mention of this. Think about that! Suppose Luke is written to those who are raptured prior to the tribulation. That rapture will be when the axe is put to the root of all these lying prophets who told you to ignore this word and they are cast into the fire. It isn't necessary to give this word in Mark because this event has already taken place.

Then in Matthew the Jews come to the realization that Jesus is the Messiah, they see the one whom they pierced and now we have the same situation with the Jewish religious leaders and rabbis. For 2,000 years they held to this thought that they had Abraham as a father.

 

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Comparing Mark 1:4-9 with Luke 3:7-38

The contrast between the two gospels is stark in the discussion of John the Baptist.

Mark 1:4 John came, who baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins. 5 And there went out unto him all the country of Judaea, and all they of Jerusalem; and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Luke 3:7 He said therefore to the multitudes that went out to be baptized of him, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9 And even now the axe also lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10 And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then must we do? 11 And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise. 12 And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what must we do? 13 And he said unto them, Extort no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse any one wrongfully; and be content with your wages.

In Luke they are warned about what is coming. In Mark they are confessing their sins, present tense. In Luke the axe is laid a the root, the warning is the trees that are not bearing good fruit will be cut down, in Mark they are cut down. In Luke they ask wha they must do and they are told if you have two coats you have to share, in Mark the money is gone, so no longer is this an issue, everyone is poor. Likewise the tax collectors are told to not extort people in Luke but in Mark you can't be a tax collector, in the kingdom of Antichrist you would have to take the mark to be collecting taxes or working as a soldier.

Mark 1:6 And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leathern girdle about his loins, and did eat locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, There cometh after me he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8 I baptized you in water; but he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

Luke 3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ; 16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: 17 whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. 18 With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings unto the people;

Look at Mark, it is as though he is describing the people during the tribulation. They live off of bugs and honey. In Luke there are future warnings that the Lord is going to cleanse his threshing floor and gather the wheat into the barn (rapture). In Luke he is exhorting the believers, but not in Mark, no mention at all. What would be the point after the rapture.

Mark 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in the Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent asunder, and the Spirit as a dove descending upon him: 11 and a voice came out of the heavens, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.

Luke 3:19 but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, 20 added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison. 21 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

This is very weird that Luke tosses in this account about Herod putting John in prison before talking about Jesus being baptized by him. The time line on this is wonky. It is almost as though Jesus is baptized by all the evil things that Herod did. The context is that the fan is in the Lord's hand to burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire and then we see an example of the evil that John is talking about that will be burned up.

Now look at this baptism as a book end, at the beginning of the age the Spirit descends on Jesus and the testimony is this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Then at the end of the church age and again during the tribulation with the martyred saints we see the Spirit ascend with the believers during the rapture also with the testimony these are my beloved children in whom I am well pleased. But Luke adds "in bodily form" which Mark skips. The rapture will be in bodily form.

23 And Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Symeon, the son of Judas, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

This is unique to Luke, there is no genealogy in Mark. The word "as was supposed" really stands out to me. I find all the other uses of this term interesting, people have erroneous concepts that the Lord is correcting. But if this is not Jesus genealogy, then why give it to us? There are some reasons and I will skip all that, it does fulfill prophecies that reconcile one of David's lines that was cut off permanently, and it is quite interesting why it was cut off because it sheds light on why Joseph had to go through what he had to go through to bring in this reconciliation.

But I want to skip that, I want to focus on "as was supposed". It was supposed that Jesus was a man, born like all the rest of us. Matthew shows us that Jesus was descended from Abraham and was the seed of the woman, the promised seed of Abraham. But here Jesus is not descended from Joseph and we can't understand why we are going through the whole genealogy until we get to Adam. Jesus is the second Adam and like Adam he was not born of anyone, he was born of God.

 

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What is the purpose of man?

Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

These forty days do not refer to the Jews timeline but to the Gentiles. The four thousand years since Adam fell is considered a period of testing, a period of forty days, and now mankind is hungry for a purpose. When Adam was kicked out of the garden he lost his purpose. His son Cain began to build up the worldly system, but it is a failure and after the 4,000 years man is hungry for a purpose that uplifts the soul. The rat race is not an uplifting purpose. The New Testament says that God sent His son at the fulness of the time. This was when both Jews and Gentiles were hungry for a savior.

Moses or the Last Adam?

Luke 4:4 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

If you notice the order of the temptations has been changed by Luke. He doesn't pretend this is the actual order but simply presents three temptations in a different order. Why?

In Matthew the order follows the order of Moses who fasted for forty days and was hungry, followed by being on top of the mountain and getting a view of all the kingdoms and then coming down to see the Israelites worshipping Satan.

In Luke the order follows the temptations of Adam and Eve. First the fruit was good for food, second it would make you like God, and then the third temptation was giving the fruit to Adam and he ate it. Why? He had to believe that God would save them, he was testing God.

 

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Do not open the door to Satan

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

What is the pinnacle of achievement for man?

10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

This is from Psalm 91, it is a promise in the covenant with God that we will be protected by Him from Satan.

12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

However, we are also told in the covenant not to tempt the Lord thy God. These are doorways that Satan can enter. You are protected from Him, but if you open the backdoor, if you actually jump off the pinnacle yourself, that is not Satan pushing you. Do you see how Satan tempts us to open the door so that he can attack us?

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

 

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Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee

3 different accounts in the synoptic gospels

Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Matthew and Mark note that the ministry begins when John the Baptist is put in prison.

Luke 4:14–15 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

However, in Luke Jesus returns in the power of the Spirit and there is no mention of John the Baptist. This is a reference to His baptism. If you love the Lord you will do His commandments and He commanded us to be "immersed" into the triune God. We are not led by outward events but by the Spirit in us. However for the left behind (Mark) the current events will play a major role in their diving into ministry. Likewise for Israel, once the two witnesses are killed and then raised that will play a major role in their finally confessing that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

 

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Are we a Divided States of America? 12/01/2025

 

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The Yom Kippur War

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

The Lord proclaimed the year of Jubilee to begin His ministry, and this is done on Yom Kippur or The Day of Atonement. However, He only quoted half of the verse, here is what he left off:

Isaiah 61:2 to proclaim the year of Jehovah’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;

The day of vengeance should also be proclaimed on this same day. Remember, judgement must begin with the house of God. If you are going to start the tribulation it must start with the church, the house of God. Isaiah continues:

to comfort all that mourn; 3 to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified.

This sounds to me like the rapture. But it also sounds like those who are saved out of the tribulation, "a garland for ashes". This is what many don't understand. As Christians we should be mourning for the situation in the world and for the lost. We should be a burnt offering for the Lord. Everything we do and are should be for the glory of the Lord. That is true of many believers, but not all. If this is not your case then you will likely be left behind. However, if you take a firm stand for the Lord during the tribulation then it will be your case.

When the sixth seal is opened the whole world knows that it is the day of vengeance of our God and of the lamb. I think that represents the rapture. That would indicate that what the Lord began on Yom Kippur on a jubilee year He will complete also on Yom Kippur on a jubilee year.

The Yom Kippur war was Israel against Egypt and Syria with Russia supporting Egypt and Syria and the US supporting Israel. It was the first attempt at land for peace, the goal of Egypt and Syria was to grab some land to strengthen their positions for a negotiated peace. This is where we are fifty years later, only this time it will be the US that comes under attack. The Yom Kippur war woke up the complacent Jews after the six day war, and the rapture will wake up the complacent Christians in the US. The Yom Kippur war led to the Camp David accords and the start of the tribulation will lead to a peace treaty negotiated by the AntiChrist.

We often associate the rapture with the Feast of Trumpets because Paul said it would be at "the last trump". But in a jubilee year the last trump is on the Day of Atonement.

 

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A Bird's eye view of the Lord's ministry

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

This is a good description of how the religious leaders rejected Jesus. The story that Mary and Joseph had officially told everyone was that Jesus was not Joseph's son but that Mary had him while still a virgin after Gabriel had visited her. Gamaliel even wrote this account down and it is kept in the Vatican's library. So they are clearly rejecting that story, and by saying that he is Joseph's son they are saying Mary got pregnant before she was officially married to Joseph.

23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

This is what they said at the cross, if He is the Messiah let him come down from the cross.

24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

This describes the next forty years after Jesus was crucified. The Jews continued to reject the gospel.

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

This is a very good description of the church age after 70 AD when the gospel went to the four corners of the Earth. The widow that Elias went to had a son who according to Rabbinical tradition was Jonah. Jesus said the only sign they would be given would be the sign of Jonah. He was raised from the dead and then preached repentance and a future judgment. That is the gospel preached in the New Testament.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Elisha depicts the tribulation saints and the revival that will take place then.

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

Why are they so angry? They are the ones who are rejecting Jesus. What makes them angry is that He ignores their rejection and takes the gospel to the world. They want to see themselves as important, they are the ones who determine who is and who is not the Messiah. The Lord just told them it isn't up to you. Those that exalt themselves will be abased.

29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

This is a picture of the persecution of the saints, particularly during the tribulation, after the rapture. So then, Elijah represents those preaching the gospel in the church age, when the widow's son is raised from the dead that is a picture of the rapture. Then you have Elisha, representing the gospel during the tribulation and you have Jonah, the reluctant preacher. Those who are left behind were reluctant to speak, but now, after the rapture they will tell everyone to repent and there will be a great revival.

30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

 

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His word was with power

Luke 4:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,

It is naive to think that people with unclean spirits would not be in the synagogue, or in the church or on this forum. Right after the rapture there will be a whole lot of false prophets, and prophets of Baal exposed. There will be a lot of people with unclean spirits exposed, people involved in witchcraft and the occult.

34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

Just because you know that Jesus is the Holy one of God does not prove you are saved. The unclean spirits know it, they are afraid, and they even declare this.

35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

This is very important, unclean spirits do not have the right to speak the name of Jesus. Rebuke them, tell them that the Lord rebukes them. Look at these riots around the country, there are a lot of people with unclean spirits, they try to guilt you, and they are always screaming with a loud voice, accusing others of the crimes they are committing. The unclean spirit was trying to destroy that man and those in the synagogue, yet he accuses Jesus of trying to destroy them. That is right, there are a lot of them, this is not simply a special case.

36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

The unclean spirits are afraid of Jesus. They are allowed to operate as long as they do it legally. If you open the door to an unclean spirit then that spirit has the right to enter in. If you watch pornography you are opening a door. If you steal and cheat you are opening a door. If you lie you are opening a door. However, they do not dare go against Jesus Christ or anyone who is fully under His wing, fully filled with the Holy Spirit. In a case like that God puts a hedge around this one and Satan and his demons cannot touch them. When a person receives Jesus Christ to dwell in them no demon can also remain in that person. They will be forced to come out of them.

37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

 

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Prayers that will rebuke the Devil

38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.

I was shocked to learn that the number of people on prescription drugs for mental illness is shockingly high. They give you the numbers on each medication and if you assume that most people having a prescription for one mental illness would not have a prescription for a different mental illness that would seem contrary to the first, then you can estimate that close to 50% of the people in the US are on a prescription for mental illness. After the rapture you can assume the number is closer to 100%. Not saying that 50% of Americans will be raptured but that if you are left behind no doubt depression and other mental illness will increase. Also, as bad as it is in the US, there are three groups for whom it is worse. People who live in big cities, divorced women and children growing up in foster care.

39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

A healing ministry can be this simple. There are seven psalms that I would start with when it comes to prayer: Psalm 91 -- this will fill you with faith in the Lord's protection from any kind of attack. Psalm 23 -- nullifies fear of death and abandonment, Psalm 35 -- this puts the enemy into a panic because the Lord will be pleading your case. Psalm 140 -- Breaks the demons ability to manipulate others. Psalm 7 invokes justice. Psalm 37 cuts the desire for vengeance which Satan uses as a doorway into you. Psalm 18 breaks curses.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

Pray according to the word of God standing on the Lord's authority. You must be in right standing with the Lord, but if you are He has given you authority over all sicknesses and diseases.

41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.

The devils have to be given an entrance in by the people who are possessed. It could be through the TV, or Movies, or through lusts, or pornography, or any kind of sin. If you are in right standing with the Lord you can command them to leave and they must leave.

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

 

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THE 11:11 SIGN: THE DAY THE EARTH RANG LIKE A BELL CONNECTED TO HANUKKAH 2025

 

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THE 11:11 SIGN: THE DAY THE EARTH RANG LIKE A BELL CONNECTED TO HANUKKAH 2025

The last 8 chapters of 2Corinthians are modeled on Hanukah, leading up to the 8th day, the great day of the feast. That is chapters 6-13. In Chapter 5 you have the pretribulation rapture depicted.

Pre Tribulation rapture in 2Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:14-5:11

[14] Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

This is a reference to the pre-tribulation where the dead in Christ rise first. Paul said we were his "crown". Think about that, those who are raptured will be the crown to the apostles.

[15] For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

This is the Thanksgiving celebration to end the age. How fitting to take place at the same time as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Amos 8:10 says God will turn this celebration into mourning for those left behind.

[16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

It seems there are so many testifying of how they are close to fainting. Focus on being renewed day by day by the word of God, by prayer, by fellowship, by worship.

[17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Let's be realistic, many think the tribulation may have already begun, but if that is true it is "light affliction" compared to what we see in the book of Revelation.

[18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This is the issue right now, it is easy to be distracted by all the things you can see, but we need to see Jesus. Everything that is happening around us are due to His sovereignty. Did Biden steal the election? Yes, but that has helped to wake up the believers. Is the Pandemic a pack of lies? Yes, but that is helping to wake up the believers.

[1] For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

This is a reference to the rapture.

[2] For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

"Our house" is "our tabernacle". The Lord went to prepare a place for us, that is "our tabernacle".

[3] If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

The believers who are left behind will be those who are "found naked". Our clothes are the righteous acts of the saints. We are to be clothed with Christ just as Paul said to "put on Christ".

[4] For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Another reference to the rapture being a resurrection.

[5] Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

The earnest of the Spirit was given to us on Pentecost, that was our betrothal, our engagement ceremony. This is a reference to the Rapture being the bridegroom coming for His bride.

[6] Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: [7] (For we walk by faith, not by sight [8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Another reference to the rapture. Who are those who are raptured? The bride, the ones who are clothed with Christ, those who have taken up their cross and followed Christ to the cross, and those who walk by faith and not by sight.

[9] Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

That is what we need to do now! We are laboring so that we would be accepted of the Lord.

[10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

The first rapture is a judgement similar to winning a medal at the olympics. It is called the Bema judgement. A judgement can be positive, like winning a gold medal or getting 100% on an exam, and it can be negative like getting an F on an exam.

[11] Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

 

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2Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The word "dissolved" in 2 Corinthians 5:1 has the following meaning:

1. of travellers, to halt on a journey, to put up, lodge (the figurative expression originating in the circumstance that, to put up for the night, the straps and packs of the beasts of burden are unbound and taken off; or, more correctly from the fact that the traveller's garments, tied up when he is on the journey, are unloosed at it end)

It is a reference to the end of our journey as Pilgrims on this earth. In 2Corinthians it is a reference to the dead in Christ knowing that we have an eternal house in the heavens. We know that the dead in Christ rise first and so this chapter begins with the dead in Christ and ends with us being Ambassadors, an ambassador is pulled out of the country right as the war starts. That is a reference to the rapture of those who are alive.

Matthew 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall G2647 not be thrown down. G2647

This verse is also a reference to the rapture. The word dissolved here is translated as "to be thrown down". At the time of the rapture there will be many Christians who did not build their faith on the rock, a revelation of the incarnated Christ in the word of God. Instead their faith rests on a trust in some other Christian like their pastor. All those who thought that if they simply went to church and sat in the pew they would also be taken, they will be cast down at the time of the rapture.

 

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2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

We are ambassadors of the Kingdom, we are here appealing to unbelievers to receive the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and be reconciled to God. However, at the end of the age the situation becomes so lawless that it is just like the days of Noah with the Nephilim and demon worship and it is just like Sodom and Gomorrah with their lawlessness. At that point God will pull the ambassadors out (rapture) and then His judgement will rain down on this earth.

 

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2 Corinthians 6 -- The Story of Hanukkah

6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

This is the message to those left behind at the start of the tribulation.

2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Think about the man by the pool of Bethesda waiting for the water to be stirred. The rapture of the church is the single best day to rise up and walk, to start preaching the gospel. Everyone is going to want to know what happened.

3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

One reason that many Christians will be left behind is because they are living in sin. You have to get rid of all the sinful practices. Fornication, pornography, idolatry, covetousness, these things must be dealt with first. You hear a lot of Christians saying "there is nothing wrong with this..." That is the wrong question, the right question is "will this give offence? Will the ministry be blamed?"

4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

When these things happen to you, change your attitude. Don't complain, don't beg for money, don't quit. These things are happening so that you, as a minister of God can be approved.

6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

A false prophet is deceptive, but if you are around them you will realize they aren't "pure". Granted, no one is pure, so this is not some "holier than thou" test. But you will be bothered by their dirty jokes and their justification for their behavior. You will also see feigned love, they are one way in public and in private quite different.

7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

We are in a spiritual warfare and it is the word of truth that you must be equipped with. The false prophets will be using AI to make their messages, they will not be given to the truth.

8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

A true prophet will be lied about, the media, the internet, they will all discredit this one. To me if Satan is giving this person an evil report and portraying them as a deceiver when they are true, to me that is like God giving you the good housekeeping seal of approval.

9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

I was very surprised to learn in my senior year at college that every person on that campus of several thousand knew who I was. I thought I was unknown. I was with two or three other brothers who preached the gospel every day and prayed with hundreds of students. When you read the Bible it is filled with David vs Goliath stories, the guy out gunned, out matched, out numbered defeating the huge army. That will be the experience of the ministry.

10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

In the world they assume if you don't have certain things that is "sad" or "sorrowful" and yet you are rejoicing while they are miserable. You should have a ministry that makes many rich despite you being poor. Soon you learn it is better not to own anything. We are pilgrims, traveling through this world, and it is easier to travel light.

11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

This word is to the Corinthian believers. He is not pleading with them to receive the blood of Jesus, but rather to repent of a vain and sinful lifestyle. That is why the left behind saints are left behind.

13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

This is a big reason why you might get left behind. You might think, there is nothing wrong with this. You run a business in which you are unequally yoked, or in one way or another you are yoked in a relationship where the other person is an unbeliever, perhaps an idolater, maybe even involved in the occult.

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

This is a clear, undeniable link to Hanukah. Antiochus was unequally yoked with the temple, a picture of a believer unequally yoked with a satanic influence. He sacrificed pigs and put an idol in the temple. These are the things that we have to deal with. Why would a Christian be left behind? Well if they are unequally yoked with Antiochus, if their sacrificial offerings to god are unclean and greedy pigs, if they have idols in their heart.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Consider Christianity, how many people claiming to be Christians have season tickets to a football team or basketball team or baseball team? Those stadiums are places of idol worship. Even if you are not involved in that worship the Lord is saying "come out from among them". Likewise, maybe you are not involved in fornication, but your friends are and you hang out with them Friday nights at a "restaurant" that is also a bar. Come out from among them. Perhaps you go to a church that preaches the prosperity gospel. Your "tithes" are really "greedy sacrifices". Your concept of blessing is calculated in dollars, and cars and houses. Come out from among them.

It seems like the stories about king Saul fighting various battles has nothing to do with the rapture. That is because we don’t have the proper view of what the New Testament ministry is all about. 2Corinthians gives us a vision of the New Testament ministry and the story of the Maccabeans and Antiochus is central to this vision. In chapter six we see the story of Hanukkah. They were greatly outnumbered, had no chance of winning, but God heard them and helped them. This is what started it all. Antiochus and his soldiers were requiring Jews to sacrifice pigs and eat them. That is a stumbling block to the Jews. Mattathias was a priest to God and his sons stood up against the soldiers. The “rebellion” lasted for 3 years. Paul is comparing the hardships of the Maccabeans to the hardships in the New Testament ministry. You could also compare these to the tribulation which will have a 3 year period in there when the two witnesses (the two lampstands) testify. We can also compare it to the hardships that David went through. If Saul had obeyed God it would have been so much simpler, it would have been like the Israelites walking into the Good land when they first spied it out. Instead, David fleeing from Saul was like the forty years in the wilderness where God trained Israel.

Paul describes the ministry as a fair exchange? This is the deal of the ages! Take a stand for the Lord in this age prior to the tribulation and you could be raptured before it and avoid it. You have a choice, three years of great tribulation, or a lifetime of the tribulation we see with those who take a stand for the Lord. The Syrian Greeks were trying to force the Jews to be yoked together with unbelievers. This is what the entire festival of Hanukkah commemorates and why it is a festival of “rededication”. This is also what we see happening in the US government. They want everyone yoked together, everyone paying for abortions, everyone being taught by them in school, everyone beholden to them. In our public schools the unbelievers and the wicked realized immediately there was no fellowship and so they worked to get rid of prayer and the Bible. They then attacked the pledge of allegiance for saying “one nation under God” and they attacked the celebration of religious holidays. They then pushed on attacking marriage and even sexual identity. Abortion became a major issue, handing out birth control to kids without the parents knowledge, and repudiating the Christian heritage of this country followed. There is no agreement between us. Our destiny is to be a Temple of God, to be the people of God. Amen. Therefore come out from them and be separate, that was the call to those at the time of the Maccabeans. We are in a world of Greek culture. They worship “science”, that is their altar. Their temple is the sports arena. There are idols everywhere, singers, movie stars, sports stars. They teach people to commit fornication and in order to worship fornication they have to be able to kill unwanted babies. It has become clear that they can never win an election by winning a majority of votes. So their pride and arrogance has led them to lie, cheat and steal to get their way. Come out from them and be separate.

 

[ZNP]

Learning how to catch men (part 1)

5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

At first I am wondering what did Jesus teach the people, Luke doesn't tell us that. This story is not about what Jesus taught the people, instead this story is about Jesus teaching Peter, James and John how to catch men.

Compare what happens in this story with what happens when three thousand are saved at Pentecost.

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

They were all with one accord refers to all the disciples of the Lord.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Everyone in the meeting was speaking the word, not just a single gospel preacher.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

These men are the fish. When Jesus was on the boat speaking with the multitude those were the disciples, the followers of Jesus. The fish in the lake realized something weird is going on, they had never seen a big church meeting before and so all the fish gathered to see what is going on. Curiosity, God created man to be curious about God and the word of God. We are skeptical of click bait and all the various lures that marketers use. But there was no marketing for this event, it was "noised abroad", that is word of mouth, when people could see something strange going on. People all gathered wondering what was going on.

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Do not jump the gun, these ones nibbling at the event saying what meaneth this, that is too soon. Wait for the mockers. As soon as they make a joke that is the time to set the hook.

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

Peter has prepared for this moment and now he lets down the net.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Everyone wants to hear about a prophesy being fulfilled.

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Everyone wants to experience God pouring out His Spirit on them.

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

Everyone wants to see all these great signs.

 

[ZNP]

Learning how to catch men (part 2)

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

Now the net is closing in, we are witnessing the signs and wonders that take place right before the great and notable day of the Lord comes. So we are not only explaining what we have seen and what we are seeing but we are about to see. Now you are caught, you have to find out what is about to happen.

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

All that call on the name shall be saved, those that don't won't! That is a great conclusion! He is just starting the message but opens with the key point.

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

But now you need to hit them with their sin. Don't give them a chance to scoff and say, I haven't done anything wrong, I have nothing to worry about.

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

Convict them of sin followed by the good news of the resurrected Christ giving us a way to salvation. These are devout men, they know this Psalm. You are not some weird cult, you are opening the Bible up to them.

29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

At first he can't speak freely because they are skeptical. Something weird attracted their attention, but just because it is weird doesn't mean they want anything to do with it. He has to show them that what they are seeing is what the Bible and the Patriarchs told them they would see.

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

The resurrection is not some weird new doctrine, it is straight from the Bible.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

And all these people you thought were acting weird, they are witnesses of the resurrected Jesus.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

He starts with saying whoever will call on the Lord shall be saved, then leads us to the conclusion which is that Jesus Christ is Lord and Christ. They discover that they killed their Messiah, but then they also learn that He has been victorious over the grave, rising from the dead, and that the Bible prophesied that this would be the case.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

That is how you preach the gospel.

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

That is how you receive forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

That is how you catch men.