THE RAPTURE PART 6

1. THE RAPTURE PART 6

2. Topics covered today: 1. Passages from Revelation 2. Prophecies from the Old Testament 3. Does the rapture view really matter?

3. The book of Revelation is highly symbolic. • For example it contains: • A dragon that is able to knock a third of the stars out of the sky with its tail • A red 7 headed beast • Oceans turning to blood • 200 million soldiers riding fire breathing horses that kill you with the sting of their tail • A harlot riding on the back of a 7 headed beast drinking the blood of the saints.

4. Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.

5. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

6. Symbolism in these verses: • A key • A bottomless pit • A great chain • A dragon • 1000 years

7. This number 1000 is never used literally in the book of revelation Psalm 50:10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.

8. Revelation 20 does not say anything about: • Jerusalem • The second coming of Christ • These events occurring on the earth • David’s throne • A bodily resurrection • Christ being on the earth • The thrones being on the earth

9. 4 Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. They say that Christians and the OT righteous will rein with Christ for 1000 years. Based on their literal view of interpretation it should only be the beheaded Christians. Where is their constancy?

10. Outline of Revelation 20 1 – 3 binding of Satan 4 – 6 victorious reign of the faithful 7 – 10 the struggle to defeat the devil 11 – 15 the day of judgment

11. Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while

12. Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

13. John 12:31 "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

14. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

15. The first resurrection is not a bodily one. What is it? 1. The spiritual resurrection every Christian experiences at baptism which gives you power over the second death or hell 2. Christianity emerging out this persecution and making the church stronger than ever. (Ezek 37 describes the Jews deliverance from Babylon as a resurrection)

16. We are reigning with Christ as priests and Kings 1 Peter 2: 5-9 we are a royal priesthood Rev. 1:5-6; 5:9-10 we are priests and kings

17. Revelation 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. 17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

18. Armageddon - Mount or Hill of Megiddo

19. Battles at Megiddo: • Gideon defeated the Midianites Judges 7:1-22 • King Saul was defeated by Philistines 1 Sam. 31:1-6 • Barak and Deborah defeated the Canaanites Judges 4 and 5 • A battle between King Josiah and the Pharaoh Neco 2 Kings 23:29 -30; 2Chron 35:22-24 60 Miles

20. Revelation shows a gathering at Armageddon but no battle takes place. This same thing happens in Revelation 19 and 20 No where in the Bible can you find the great battle of Armageddon.

21. Premillennialist view of Revelation 16 • In the last 3 ½ years of the 7 years of tribulation: • Egypt invades Israel • Russia runs Egypt out of Israel and defeats them • The Roman antichrist takes 1million soldiers and defeats the Russians only to find themselves in battle against 200 million Chinese. • This epic battle is suppose to take place in the valley of Megiddo which they call the great battle of Armageddon.

22. The word “antichrist” is never mentioned in the book RevelationThis word is found in four places in the Bible. • 3 times in 1 John (1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3) • 1 time in 2 John (2 John 1:7) • John says: • The antichrist denies Jesus’ deity • There are many antichrists • They were present in his day • The Bible does not show the antichrist to be a political leader

23. Genesis 15:18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates –

24. Deuteronomy 19:8 "Now if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers, 9 "and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and to walk always in His ways, then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three,

25. Joshua 20:7 So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in the mountains of Judah. 8 And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.

26. Joshua 21:43 So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. 44 The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

27. Nehemiah 9:7 "You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram, And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, And gave him the name Abraham; 8 You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him To give the land of the Canaanites, The Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, And the Girgashites -- To give it to his descendants. You have performed Your words, For You are righteous. Also see 1 Kings 4:21

28. Amos 9:11 " On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name," Says the LORD who does this thing. 13 " Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. 14 I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. 15 I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them," Says the LORD your God.

29. Acts 15:13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 "Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 "And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 16 'After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; 17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.' 18 "Known to God from eternity are all His works. 19 "Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,

30. What they fail to grasp: • The kingdom was taken away from the Jews and it was given to a new nation which is made of both of Jews and Gentiles. • This new nation/church is described as a holy nation in 1 Peter. 2:7-10 • All those baptized into Christ are Abraham’s seed Gal. 3:26 – 29 • We are the new Israel of God Gal. 6:6 • To go back to the old system would cause us to fall from grace Gal. 5:4

31. Does the rapture view matter or does it cause any harm?

32. 2 Peter 3:15 as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

33. Why their view is dangerous: • They make Jesus out to be liar • They stop and start time in prophecies at will • They turn the OT prophets into false prophets • They make Jesus out to be failure • They render several OT prophecy as being unfulfilled when the Bible shows them to have already been fulfilled • They say there are signs we can look for to know the end is near • They make predictions of Jesus coming and they fail over and over again

34. Yes, it does matter if the rapture view is taught.