Summary of Bible references on the Rapture
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Ezekiel 43:7 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. 8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. 9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. 10 Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.
What "Take My Yoke" Really Means in Matthew 11
The picture is being yoked to the Lord Jesus. It is a perspective on being a disciple of Jesus.
My yoke is easy should be translated "My yoke is suitable". In other words the Lord's yoke is suitable to each of us. For one person preaching the gospel on the street to 1,000 people is suitable. To another spending four hours a day in the word of God is suitable.
Trying to serve the Lord like someone else can be burdensome, it can be crushing and it is slavery. Paul referred to Jews trying to make the Christians keep ceremonies as a "yoke of slavery". For example, consider the example of some churches. They have a "trunk or treat" event so kids won't feel left out of Halloween. This event takes a few days to set up, prepare for, and then to carry out. After that you have Christmas, which is a really big event. Some will spend months preparing a Christmas play and they might actually have two, a children's play and an adult play. Same thing with Resurrection Sunday (to avoid the worship of Easter, the Babylonian god of prostitution). Each event seems like a small thing, but taken together it is never ending slavery. While you are so busy decorating, preparing, serving, cleaning up, and then getting ready for the next you have no time to actually consider your commission to be a witness for the Lord.
Suppose you aren't good with decorating, this yoke would not be suitable for you.
Everyone has an opinion about these holidays and whether or not Churches should celebrate them and if so how so.
I would hope everyone could step aside from all those opinions and simply ask "what is the fruit?" A good tree brings forth good fruit. If the celebration or non celebration or whatever is the tree, what has been the fruit from that tree?
I was in a church for 20 years that did not celebrate Christmas. Instead they used the vacation time to spend ten days studying the word of God in a national conference called "a training". There was a lot of fruit from that, children understood, and the adults grew in grace and in the word of God.
I was in another church for 20 years that went all out for Christmas. They had a tremendous Christmas play with animals in the sanctuary. Although it always included a manger scene each year they had a new play relating how the modern world has become disenfranchised from the Lord. About 100 members would spend months preparing for this event. Many were in the play, many others were in the choir or the band. Still others served backstage or in the sound or audio visual. These events cost the church a lot of money. After 20 years I did not see any fruit. I did not know a single person whose testimony was that they came into the church because of the play. I did not find the plays edifying. The first one was very impressive, but year after year the theme and message was the same even though the script had been altered.
Anyway that is my very limited experience. I think it is valuable to reflect on the things we do to determine if they are bearing fruit, and if they are to be open to the Lord pruning them to bear more fruit, and if they aren't to be open to the Lord taking them away.
Addressing the issue with the calendars.
1. I believe that Jesus is Lord. The only reason for the confusion with the calendars is because the Lord allows it.
2. The word of God is a two edged sword and that is why I think there are multiple calendars. For example, Shemini Atzeret on the Hebrew and Gregorian calendar is Yom Kippur on the Julian Calendar.
So one day can have two meanings. Shemini Atzeret is when you complete the year's journey through the Bible and the next day you will start again. Meanwhile Yom Kippur is judgment day. For those who are raptured that would be "judgment day" for them while for those who are left behind it means they must start again from the beginning.
Luke 7:7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them. 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
The Feast of Tabernacles is a wedding feast holiday. It depicts the wedding of the Lord. All of the believers have been invited to this wedding feast.
9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
This is what happens at the time of the rapture. All those who are raptured are brought in and given a place to sit. Those who are left behind will be put to an open shame.
When Jesus says "a more honorable man" that is a judgment, and would be made on Yom Kippur. However, having to leave and missing the wedding feast would indicate it is over, that is Shemini Atzeret, the 8th day.
10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Verse 11 is the key point, if you humble yourself, like John the Baptist, and say that you are nothing, then you can't be humbled any more. If I find the least honorable seat and sit in that then all that can happen if I am asked to move is I am asked to move to a more honorable seat. One reason I like to spend hours each day looking at what others are doing is because it impresses me how many really honorable believers there are. That humbles me. I am very impressed with Jonathan Cahn, look how many books he has written since the Harbinger and every one of them is revealing things that have not been spoken previously. Many books simply regurgitate what the other great Bible teachers already taught. Likewise Vicki Goforth Parnell. When she first started to minister I immediately saw her as someone walking on a tightwire who would have a lot of people taking shots at her. My thought was, I'll watch, because no one can do what she is doing for long unless the Lord is with them, and sure enough, she has continued regardless of the attacks. I know in my own experience I didn't want to do what she is doing, it seemed it would just be a magnet for attacks. So when I see these people, it humbles me. If I know of these two, how many more are there that I don't know about?
Anyway I share this story because it presents the two sides of the rapture, for some it means they must go to summer school and begin again to study while for others it is their entrance into the wedding feast of the Lord. This also gives new meaning to "No one knows the day or hour". When they were asking the Lord this question it was impossible to know for anyone in the church age whether the rapture would be "the day of judgment" for them, or "the day they enter the wedding feast".
As for the Enoch calendar it reminds me of the TV show Downton Abbey. Think of a calendar as a schedule of what you need to do and when. For a big event like a wedding the servants would have one "calendar" while the Earl and his family would have a different calendar. There was a schedule for decorating, and cooking, and making the cake, as well as a schedule for getting the dress, going to the church, etc.
1. I believe that Jesus is Lord. The only reason for the confusion with the calendars is because the Lord allows it.
2. The word of God is a two edged sword and that is why I think there are multiple calendars. For example, Shemini Atzeret on the Hebrew and Gregorian calendar is Yom Kippur on the Julian Calendar.
So one day can have two meanings. Shemini Atzeret is when you complete the year's journey through the Bible and the next day you will start again. Meanwhile Yom Kippur is judgment day. For those who are raptured that would be "judgment day" for them while for those who are left behind it means they must start again from the beginning.
Luke 7:7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them. 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
The Feast of Tabernacles is a wedding feast holiday. It depicts the wedding of the Lord. All of the believers have been invited to this wedding feast.
9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
This is what happens at the time of the rapture. All those who are raptured are brought in and given a place to sit. Those who are left behind will be put to an open shame.
When Jesus says "a more honorable man" that is a judgment, and would be made on Yom Kippur. However, having to leave and missing the wedding feast would indicate it is over, that is Shemini Atzeret, the 8th day.
10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Verse 11 is the key point, if you humble yourself, like John the Baptist, and say that you are nothing, then you can't be humbled any more. If I find the least honorable seat and sit in that then all that can happen if I am asked to move is I am asked to move to a more honorable seat. One reason I like to spend hours each day looking at what others are doing is because it impresses me how many really honorable believers there are. That humbles me. I am very impressed with Jonathan Cahn, look how many books he has written since the Harbinger and every one of them is revealing things that have not been spoken previously. Many books simply regurgitate what the other great Bible teachers already taught. Likewise Vicki Goforth Parnell. When she first started to minister I immediately saw her as someone walking on a tightwire who would have a lot of people taking shots at her. My thought was, I'll watch, because no one can do what she is doing for long unless the Lord is with them, and sure enough, she has continued regardless of the attacks. I know in my own experience I didn't want to do what she is doing, it seemed it would just be a magnet for attacks. So when I see these people, it humbles me. If I know of these two, how many more are there that I don't know about?
Anyway I share this story because it presents the two sides of the rapture, for some it means they must go to summer school and begin again to study while for others it is their entrance into the wedding feast of the Lord. This also gives new meaning to "No one knows the day or hour". When they were asking the Lord this question it was impossible to know for anyone in the church age whether the rapture would be "the day of judgment" for them, or "the day they enter the wedding feast".
As for the Enoch calendar it reminds me of the TV show Downton Abbey. Think of a calendar as a schedule of what you need to do and when. For a big event like a wedding the servants would have one "calendar" while the Earl and his family would have a different calendar. There was a schedule for decorating, and cooking, and making the cake, as well as a schedule for getting the dress, going to the church, etc.
"To whom much is given much is required"
It always hit me that the angels had no opportunity to repent.
Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Salvation is given to man, but not to the angels. That to me indicates that man is "given a lot". Not only so, but the Nephilim (the children of the fallen angels which were mixed DNA) have no opportunity for salvation because they are not made in the image and likeness of God. This also indicates that much has been given to man. Now consider the word of God, and the blood of Jesus, these were both given to man to save them, feed them, and transform them.
The Bible says that we are each given an angel to guard us, and Paul says the law was like a tutor to lead us to Christ. We have been given all of these things. Were the angels given the law? Were they given angels to protect them?
Now the bible is filled with the judgments on the Nephilim and on the fallen angels and demons. But they never received as much as man has received, therefore it seems that more will be required of man than of the angels and demons.
My point is very simple, if the judgement on the angels is severe then what about for men who reject the gifts of God?
Hebrews 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
It always hit me that the angels had no opportunity to repent.
Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Salvation is given to man, but not to the angels. That to me indicates that man is "given a lot". Not only so, but the Nephilim (the children of the fallen angels which were mixed DNA) have no opportunity for salvation because they are not made in the image and likeness of God. This also indicates that much has been given to man. Now consider the word of God, and the blood of Jesus, these were both given to man to save them, feed them, and transform them.
The Bible says that we are each given an angel to guard us, and Paul says the law was like a tutor to lead us to Christ. We have been given all of these things. Were the angels given the law? Were they given angels to protect them?
Now the bible is filled with the judgments on the Nephilim and on the fallen angels and demons. But they never received as much as man has received, therefore it seems that more will be required of man than of the angels and demons.
My point is very simple, if the judgement on the angels is severe then what about for men who reject the gifts of God?
Hebrews 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;