Rapture Reminder

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Matthew 24:32-34

In my last post I ended with this statement, "Jesus is coming soon!  I just don't know when and neither does anyone else.  Yet, with the clear authority of the prophetic word behind me, I can tell you that it is soon, very soon!"  "What is it that makes you so sure," you might ask?  In Jesus' same sermons where He stated that you would not know the exact date He outlined the broader season of His return.  In other words, while no one can know the exact day, month, or year, it is possible to discern that His coming is near without setting a specific time.  There are several key indicators that let all believers know to be ever vigilant.  The bridegroom is coming so keep oil in your lamp.

 The anniversary of the chief beacon illuminating Christ's nearing return is just a few days away.  Israel will be celebrating its 63 birthday.  The reformation of the nation of Israel after being dispersed for over two millennia is the greatest evidence that we are in the latter days.  What a miracle!  No other nation has ever been crushed like Israel was and later returned to their historic homeland just as the scriptures said would happen.  Most Bible teachers will concur that this sign is the starting of the countdown to Christ's inevitable return. This extraordinary event took place on May 14, 1948.  America, a Christian nation, was the very first to recognize the fledgling country that was immediately attacked by its Arab neighbors.  The overwhelming odds at which they have won every war since then is a sign of divine care and another warning that God is bringing His end time scenario to fruition.  

Consider that 10 tribes were first carried away by the Assyrian Kings Tigath-Pilesar and Shalmaneser V in 732 BC and 722 BC respectively.  Yet, remnants of those "lost tribes" are now returning just as scripture predicted.  They are coming form China, India, Ethiopia and a host of other nations, but they are coming back.  Judah, or the Southern Kingdom, was carried away by the Babylonians and their capital, Jerusalem, was sacked in 597 BC.  Some seventy years later, Judah returned to its homeland only to be dispersed again by Roman Legions in 70 AD.  There has been no Israel nor Judah for nearly 2000 years.  More importantly, Israel became a nation again on the exact day as foretold in Bible prophecy.

There are so many signs showing the coming of Christ that it would be impossible to list them all, so here are just a few dealing specifically with Israel itself.  Not only would the nation of Israel be restored, but also the lost language of Hebrew would be restored as well according to Zephaniah 3:9.  Ezekiel discussed in chapter 36 that the land that had been barren without the people of the promise would bloom, prosper, and thrive.  Look at the green in the Negev in the photo below and you can clearly make out the green borders of Israel from the surrounding nations.  Isaiah also mentioned that the desert, the Negev, would blossom like a rose.  Israel, is one of the chief exporters of roses in the world--want to guess where they grow?  Here is a quote from flowers-israel.net, "During the past, when people think of Israel, they usually see the image of Christ and a hot desert. However, recently, this is not what the country is perceived by other people. When they hear the country being mentioned in conversations, the image that comes to their minds are flowers. The reason for this is that the country is a known flower exporter."  

If I tell you every sign of Christ's return now, there would not be a need to have a blog showing the nearness of His coming, so I guess we will look at the huge number of signs that reveal Jesus is Soon2Come in other posts.  One of them is definitely false prophets who try to predict actual dates for His return.  Don't be deceived either way.  He is coming so be ever watching.  Just don't join with those who are in error as to a specific time. 

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.    

Matthew 24:24

Rapture--May 21st! ?????

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:42

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 25:13

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

Acts 1:7

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

1 Thessalonians 5:2

What do the following dates have in common with May 21st, 2011?  Here they are: March 21, 1843, March 21, 1844, October 22, 1844, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1942, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000. These are just a few of the times when different "prophets" have decided to disobey scripture and set a date as to the LORD's return or rapture of the church.  Apparently, these men need to work on their comprehension skills because the Bible is very specific in the above scriptures that Christ's return for the church is to be a veiled event.  These and other scriptures with the same message clearly warn against date setting.

So why do Bible geniuses feel the need to set dates over and over and over--ad nauseum?  The same pride of life that drew Eve to the fruit compels these "scholars" to be the person who determines the right date! Their actions, however, are in violation of the Word of God.  They are setting up doubt and confusion about all prophecy for those uninformed or unknowing by their continual predictions.  By repeating the error too often they destroy many of the people that they think they are trying to warn.


So you will know, this is not a complete list of dates since many have tried to predict the Lord's coming repeatedly throughout church history.  For instance, there were those who had 1000 AD and 1033 AD as dates for Jesus' coming.  The reasoning in that day was that the kingdom of Christ is 1000 years so it would be on the anniversary of His birth or death years. In 1070, Jesus was supposed to come on the anniversary of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.  That date didn't work out either.  The point is that the hypotheses for the rapture timing are as infinite as the dates being set and the knuckle heads who keep setting them.  The Lord, who is all wise and ever truthful, has many reasons that He has not told us the exact day.  Here are three.

First, God is not a huge fan of false repentance.  He wants the hearts of men to freely come to Him for forgiveness so that they may have a genuine relationship with Him.  The Lord also spoke often about mouthing that you know Him while your heart is far from Him.  If He published the day and hour of His return, think of the revival that would take place!  Do you remember the rapture hoax on Rosh Hashanah, 1988 (If you are old enough, of course)?  Of all of the dates, this one seemed to have some of the most logical arguments.  It was 40 years from the time of Israel's formation, and that was but one of the 88 reasons for '88 being the year of the rapture.  How many churches filled up with people repenting at the last minute only to realize they were duped--again?  What happened to all of those conversions?  I do remember churches holding 24 hour prayer vigils and being packed from front to back--it is a very clear memory (Just so you will know--I was not in a prayer room worried that Jesus was coming back on that day either).  God doesn't want mankind to enjoy sin and then come sliding into the kingdom seconds before it is too late.

What if you were the devil?  Wouldn't you be working overtime to deceive humanity if you knew for sure that Jesus was coming back at a specific time.  Can you not see that is exactly what Satan is doing?  Do you remember the story of the little boy who cried wolf a few too many times?  This is the tactic the enemy of men's souls is using.  By getting foolish preachers to continually announce the rapture (like Harold Camping who had earlier predicted September, 6th, 1994 on his radio program) on a specific date, he causes men to put their guard down before the real rapture of the church takes place.   We are on the verge of Jesus truly calling His bride home with prophecy coming true around us in every sphere imaginable, but people who have heard it all before many times feel no conviction to trust Jesus for the pardon of their sin.  They are fulfilling another prophecy without even realizing it.  They are asking, "Where is the promise of his coming? 2 Peter 3;4".

Finally, it detracts from the message of the cross.  It seems that these "believers" have no clue what they are talking about to the lost world.  As a result, they do mock, laugh, and ridicule.  If we don't know the date of His return, surely the message of the cross is just as silly they reason.  Look at this article as proof. Atheists Mock May Rapture Prediction with "Rapture Party" Sadly, without Jesus Christ covering their sin this will not be funny to them in 1000 years if they do not repent.  Very few godless people will take the time to separate those truly following scripture from those in error.  To them, they are all the same.  Furthermore, these false prophets are actually strengthening them in their unbelief.

Jesus is coming soon!  I just don't know when and neither does anyone else.  Yet, with the clear authority of the prophetic word behind me, I can tell you that it is soon, very soon!  Jesus Christ is Soon2Come! 

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

1 Peter 4:7

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Revelation 16:15

If Osama Bin Laden Could Preach Today

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Acts 4;12

I recently had seen the video testimony of a man who is a tribal chieftain living on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Walid Shoebat's website.  This man said that Osama Bin Laden had recently been in the habit of riding a horse to nearby mosques and preaching about jihad against the US and Israel.  Were those same men in the mosques be allowed to hear this man, Osama, preach after the grave, they would hear a much different message. 

It is clear that no one can determine the ultimate fate of another who has died.  We simply cannot see like the Almighty sees.  Yet, men die as they lived for the most part.  If you held to the tenets of a false ideology or religion it is doubtful that you would call on the true means of salvation in the last few minutes of your life.  Also, the fate of those who die without Jesus Christ is very clear!  They will be held temporarily in a pre-trial confinement facility called hell and after a divine appointment at the Great White Throne Judgement, with Jesus Himself on the throne, they will be tossed into an eternal lake of fire.  Yes! It will be the one with those nail scarred hands that you will have to give an account to if you die without God's only means of redemption since all judgment is committed to the Son (see John 5:22 & 27).  What are you going to say to Him who sits on the throne of creation if you have spurned and rejected the free gift offered to you by his atoning death?  At any rate, what are the odds that Osama Bin Laden repented of his sins and called on Jesus Christ to save him in those last few seconds of the fire fight that took place early on the 2nd of May in Pakistan?  It is certain that he would be preaching a different message if he were able to speak to us about his experience without the blood covering of Jesus after death.  I wonder what he would share?


I am sure that he, too, would attest to Christ being the only means of salvation.  Who else has done what Jesus has?  Who has healed the leper, made the lame to walk, caused the deaf to hear, and the blind to see?  Who else has stood at the funeral bier of a dead son or daughter and brought them back to life, or stood at the grave of a friend dead four days and brought him back with the simple words, "Lazarus, come forth!"? Who else was dead Himself and arose four days later in fulfillment of prophecies made up to 1000 years before His birth as a man?  Who else has been  the subject of so much scrutiny that has caused his death and resurrection to be studied and attested to by even the most hostile witnesses of His day through today?  Simply put, there are 39 secular accounts of Christ's death and resurrection outside of the pages of the Bible.  Also, there are scores of accounts of His miracle working power--so who in all of history is like Him?  That is why Osama would come back attesting to the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord!


Osama would also proclaim that he had lived a lie and followed demonic delusions aimed to keep men in the darkness about Messiah Jesus.  He would tell all men that there are not 72 virgins waiting for cowards who blow up buildings while killing and maiming the innocent.  His testimony would tell of mocking demons laughing and taunting those whom they have helped to willingly remain blind to the true source of life eternal while carrying out the bidding of the fallen cherub, Satan.  His message would mention that Satan is a very real fallen angel and not an impersonal country like America or Israel.  He would tell of Satan's hate for humanity and his attempts to continually rob the world of peace while offering many hellish alternatives to men wanting to reject the cross.


Speaking of Israel, Osama would affirm the truth that the covenant land currently in possession of the Jews belongs to them and that all efforts to bring an immediate peace should be followed while assuring that Israel should control Jerusalem and much more covenant land than they currently possess.  I could see him before the UN now addressing the sham of a peace process currently underway and the rejection of any other state on the land that God promised to Israel. He would no longer advocate the genocide of the Jews. He would be a preacher of true righteousness found only in Jehovah T'sidkenu--the LORD our Righteousness.  Furthermore, he would call for an immediate clearing of any structure on the Temple Mount.  You see, he would understand that God keeps His promises and that the greatest promise for our generation is the return of Jesus to that very spot some day, so Osama would be one of many witnesses that the city of Jerusalem is the city of the Great King, the Son of David, the Son of God--Yeshua Ha'Mashiyach.  


Of the many other things that this man would relate would be a sincere and heart felt apology to the families and friends of those whose deaths he caused.  He would be like Zacchaeus and spend his fortune paying restitution to those affected by his murderous acts of terrorism.   This man would become one of the greatest voices for true peace in the world and the center of his message of peace would be the peace with God that mankind can have if they accept the cross of Christ. He would affirm that a man's choices here on earth have eternal consequences and that the wrong choices lead to certain destruction apart from God.  Oh!  How this man would preach Jesus!  If only he could be heard today! 

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 14:6

Today's News

Bin Laden Showed Up Classic Lie that ‘Poverty Breeds Terrorism’ - Defense/Middle East - Israel News - Israel National News

White House: Bin Laden used wife as human shield

Americans Put on Alert Amid Warnings of Al Qaeda Retaliation - FoxNews.com

DNA Proves Usama Bin Laden's Death, Obama Officials Say - FoxNews.com

Arabs Riot in Jerusalem Over Bin Laden's Demise, Hamas Angry - Politics & Gov't - Israel News - Israel National News