Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
Zephaniah 2:1-3
Poor Hal Lindsey! He often seems to be the proxy whipping boy for all pre-tribulation rapture believers in America. He, as well as a few others, was specifically named in Major Brian Stuckert's inflammatory report for the US Army's School of Advanced Military Studies named Strategic Implications of American Millennialism written in 2008 (a document that blames all of America's ills on rapture believing crazies; it is well worth the time to read). Rapture hater Dave McPherson has bashed him often on more than one occasion. Jason Boyett trashed him in his work titled, Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse: The Official Field Manual for the End of the World. The list of authors in the "hate Hal and all rapture believing Christians club" just keeps growing. Their numbers will continue to swell until a few minutes after that loud trumpet blast and just before universal deception and disinformation campaigns set in. There will not be any rapture believers left to hate then. It is the attacks from Christian sources that irritates this writer the most. Honestly, the quickest way to start a holy squabble at a "Christian" chat room is to state your opinion in the belief in and timing of the rapture. Many feel it is not even a biblical doctrine.
Given the number of illiterate Christians who can't seem to understand Jesus' very direct teaching concerning the rapture's hidden nature, many false prognosticators have brought this on the body of Christ due to the fleshly pride involved with being the one who gets the timing right. Quit setting dates! You are not going to get it right; furthermore, you will hurt those that you think you are trying to help. Do not disobey scripture, my friend, and set erroneous dates forewarning of an event God plainly sealed. As was mentioned in the post Rapture--May 21st! ?, "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." "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come...Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" Matthew 24:42-44 "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." Matthew 25:13
However, the rapture of the church is a valid doctrine that is taught in both Old and New Testaments. The last post looked at the amazing parallel between Isaiah 26:19-21 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The prophet Zephaniah also spoke clearly about the rapture in the verses above. Even the prophet's name speaks to the unknowable and imminent nature of this work of God. Zephaniah's name literally means, "YHWH has treasured" or "YHWH has hidden" The Almighty treasures his children! He, therefore, gave believers the Blessed Hope that Paul writes about in Titus 2:13--the coming of Christ. He states that God has, "not appointed us to wrath (as in the Tribulation), but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9)." The Hebrew idea represented in the name of Zephaniah is that of hiding a treasure from thieves--like the thief, Satan.
Notice that the word says to gather before the anger of the LORD is poured out worldwide. He is imploring His children to be vigilant in their trust of Him as they see the warning signs. Furthermore, He declares that believer's may be hidden from the LORD's fierce anger. Earlier verses in chapter 1 of Zephaniah tie this directly to the concept of the Day of the LORD which begins with the Tribulation. This text is a parallel to 1 Thessalonians 5:9. He has not appointed His church to face the wrath He has in store for a world in rebellion that is purposefully rejecting His reign, God the Son, the church, and the wooing of the Holy Spirit. He is punishing the Earth and its inhabitants for their willful disobedience, so why would a just God also punish the righteous with the wicked as Abraham asked before the destruction of Sodom? God did not destroy the righteous with the wicked when He judged then, and the Day of the LORD is similar to the day of LOT. Did he not save righteous Noah and his grandfather Enoch (by rapture) from the flood? As in Noah's day there is a removal of believers. Zephaniah gives us the hope of an escape before the time that Jacob's Trouble begins! Praise God! Keep looking up saints! Jesus Christ is Soon2Come!
Today's News
Collecting rainwater now illegal in many states as Big Government claims ownership over our water - Fight The Law ****Water and food must be controlled by the false prophet of Revelation 13 for 666 to work.
Wow....these are so awesome.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete