The Apostasy, Martyrs, The Peace Treaty, The Antichrist

BE ALERT:  Are we witnessing the completion of the events of the 5th Tribulation Seal?

• • The Great Apostasy, falling away from the faith in Christ.
  • A great persecution of Christians,
  • The signing of a peace treaty between Israel and her enemies.
  • The revealing of the man of perdition

Revelation 6:9 tells us, “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;

Verse 10.  “and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Verse 11.  “And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”

I was having a conversation with a Christian friend and during our talk, he made these four points:

1.  “I believe the return of Jesus is near”.

2.  “I am looking forward to the rapture”.

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3.  “I believe the tribulation will begin as soon as the rapture happens”.

4.  “The antichrist will appear after the rapture and give the Mark of the Beast”.

When I asked him to elaborate by telling me where he gets his information, he said, “From the Bible”.

So, I pressed him a little, and asked “where in the Bible”.  And, he answers with “The Book of Revelation and elsewhere”.

I decided to go to the ‘full court press’ and asked, “Yes, but, exactly where?  And why do you believe what you have said?”

A bit exasperated, he responded with, “This is what I have always heard.  It’s what my pastor says.  Read it for yourself”.

I have had this same conversation with scores of well-meaning Christians, and it always ends the same way, “Someone else told me” but they cannot find it in scriptures OR they find a reference and ‘interpolate’.

Well, I have read it for myself – over and over for the last 10 years – I have studied eschatological matters and re-studied them, and used “good Bible study techniques and methods”, and here is what I found (for the ‘umpteenth time’):

Now, finally, well-known and respected men and women like Pastor and teacher John Piper and missionary Corrie Ten Boom have come to this realization.  Bible teacher and author and Biblical pioneer, Marvin Rosenthal, founder of Zion’s Hope Ministries, authored “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church” revealing and promoting sound Biblical evidence overlooked by the bias of religious denominationalism.

I.  WHEN  DID”THE LAST DAYS” BEGIN? Look for and make note of ‘clues’ in the following verses:

Matthew 24:4-31, (Jesus), describing a panorama of the tribulation and the Last Days. Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, (see Matthew 24:3-4),

(1). Jesus warned that “In the Last Days, there will be a rise of false Christs and false prophets. (This was an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. See Matthew 24:4-5). Do you see these things in our day? Is this a clue pointing to the “Last Days”?

(2). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be famines and earthquakes”. (This has been a regular occurrence since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. See Matthew 24:7 and the 4^th Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:5-8). Do you see these things happening in our day? If you aren’t ‘denominationally biased’ could this reasonably be a clue to the timing of the “Last Days”?

(3). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there are wars and rumors of wars. (Wars and rumors of war have been occurring since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. See Matthew 24:6 and the 2^nd Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:3-4).

(4). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be a persecution and martyrdom of Christians. (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. “See Matthew 24:9 and the onset of the 5^th tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:9-11).

(5). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be a falling away from the faith.” (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35, and has been increasing to this very day. See Matthew 24:10).

These things, false Christs, wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes and plagues, persecutions, martyrs, which Jesus calls the ‘Birth Pangs’ of the tribulation (see Matthew 24:8), are nothing new; and from these cited verses, we can plainly see that the first 5 tribulation Seals have been broken, and the effects had begun between the time of the birth of Jesus and A.D 95, and have been overlapping and increasing in their intensity since those early days.

Jesus calls the 1^st phase of the tribulation the ‘Birth Pangs’ (Matthew 24:8). Jesus then calls the 2^nd phase of the tribulation, the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), also known as the 6^th Tribulation Seal (Revelation 6:12-14), and the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord (Joel 2:31), and the Wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16).. (Please click these links for verification and understanding).

Do you now see the clues to the timing of the first 5 tribulation seals?

Acts 2:14-17, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be…’ (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Do you see this clue to the timing of the Last Days?

1 Peter 1:20, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “He, (Jesus), was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Do you see this clue to the timing of the Last Days here?

1 Peter 4:7, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “The end of all things is at hand.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). A clue!

2 Peter 3:3. (the Apostle Peter), saying, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Is this true in our day, also?

If these verses say all these things began occurring in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60, and Peter called those days the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.

What would you think, now?

1 Corinthians 10:11, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).

Hebrews 1:2, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).

Hebrews 9:26, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “But as it is, Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Could it be any clearer? The Last days began at the appearance of Jesus!

If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.

What would you think?

2 Timothy 3:1, (Timothy), saying, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).

If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.

Would you now think the Last Days began? Want more?

1 John 2:18. (the Apostle John), saying, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).

Revelation 1:9, (The Apostle John), saying, “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 95 to A.D. 100).

According to the words and the testimonies of Jesus , His disciples and Apostles, the “LAST DAYS – THE LAST TIMES – THE END OF THE AGES – THE END OF ALL THINGS – THE BIRTH PAINS OF THE TRIBULATION” began with the Birth of Christ Jesus.

(The following in these parentheses is very detailed, technical and written language and context specific. But this is very important for a correct and complete understanding of these eschatological matters. It is probably best suited for the devoted follower of Jesus and the serious Bible student. And I am available via this website for discussion or to answer honest and serious questions.

I have been told by several ‘self- proclaimed bible experts’ that these things were only the times of persecution and not the tribulations of the Judgment Seals. Let me be Biblically clear: the use of the word ‘tribulation’ appears just 19 times in the English Standard Version of the Bible.

Sixteen of those instances are in the New Testament, and each instance, tribulation is translated from the Greek word ‘thlipsis’, whether referring to a time before or after the Sixth Tribulation Seal and the rapture.

Then in Matthew 13:21 we see, “yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation (thlipsis) or persecution (diogmos) arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” Each word is distinct in its meaning and in its context – tribulation versus persecution.

Additionally, Jesus makes a distinction between the Birth Pains (odin) of the tribulation (thlipsis) leading up to the Great (megas) Tribulation (thlipsis) in Matthew 24:21, when He says,

“For then (tote) there will be (eimi = future tense) great (megas) tribulation (thlipsis), such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

And again, in Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus makes a distinction between the Birth Pains phase of the tribulation (Seals 1 through 5), and the Great Tribulation (Seals 6 and 7, and the Trumpet and Bowl Judgments) when He says,

“Immediately (eutheōs) after (meta) the tribulation (thlipsis) of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Finally, these same experts will say that Matthew 24:29-31 is neither the rapture nor is it the second coming of Jesus. But the scripture says,

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.“

We can also see in the corresponding scriptures in Revelation 6 and 7, “After these things (see Revelation 6:1 through Revelation 7:9)

I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,

“Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

In recapitulation, Jesus appears in the sky, the angels gather the elect and immediately, a number too great to be counted is standing before the Throne of God, giving praise! Don’t be misled. This is THE RAPTURE!!)

II.  WHEN IS JESUS COMING BACK?

2 Thessalonians 2:1 tells us, “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him (i.e., “raptured”) we ask you, brothers,

Verse 2.  “not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Verse 3.  “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, until the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed (i.e., the antichrist), the son of destruction,

Verse 4.  “who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Verse 5.  “Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things?

Verse 6.  “And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.

Verse 7.  “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.

Verse 8.  “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”

III.  WHAT’S NEXT?

Every event and all the prophecies regarding Jesus’ 2nd Coming and the coming Great and Terrible Day of the Lord have been fulfilled up through the 5th tribulation seal – except for the revealing of the antichrist and the rapture of the saints, (which occurs at the 6th Tribulation Seal).

The Opening of the 6th Tribulation Seal which marks the BEGINNING OF the 7 years of “THE GREAT, (megas), TRIBULATION, (thlipsis) ”, (Matthew 24:21,  “THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD“).

The 6th Tribulation Seal –  Cosmic disturbances, blood moon, darkened sun

• • • Sealing of the 144,000
    • The Rapture occurs just prior to or at the beginning of the 6th Tribulation Seal.
    • Then there will be the “Multitude from the Tribulation” before the Throne of God

Revelation 7:13,“Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” verse 14.  “I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

IV.  WHAT AM I TO BE DOING?

1 Peter 4:7“The end of all things is near; therefore,

(1). Be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

(2). verse 8.  “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

(3). verse 9.  “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

(4). verse 10.  “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

(5). verse 11. “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God;

(6). whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

(7). verse 10.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

(8) verse 11.  “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Verse 12. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

(9). verse 13. “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

(10). verse 14.  “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, verse 15. “and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; verse 16.  “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. verse 17. “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(12). verse 18.“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

(13). Matthew 10:7, And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

(14).  verse 8. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.

(15). verse 19.“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

(16). baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

(17) verse 20.  “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I have tried my best to make this simple and clear yet thorough:  we are at the end of the age and at the precipice.  Denominational bias and clutter have clouded these matters.  But, now they are plain, and now several well known and credible Bible scholars, Bible teachers and pastors are shaking off the heavy cloak of denominationalism and coming to this revealed Truth.

I want to give special credit to Marvin Rosenthal who pioneered the uncovering of this Bible truth through his tireless and groundbreaking teaching on this matter and his book, “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church“.  Also, to his son, David Rosenthal and the entire staff – THANK YOU.  An untold number have benefited and been saved by your hard, selfless and God-centered work.

May God protect, preserve and bless us all.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Also, Here are 5 excellent videos on the Pre-Wrath Rapture.  Just click on this text.

PS:

Luke 21:25“There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, verse 26, people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 27. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Verse 28. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”