The Lie of the Rapture

The absolute man-made doctrine of the rapture is a complete lie.

by Guy C LaMar

This doctrine of an end-time rapture (what many call a “Secret Rapture”) came from the works of John Nelson Darby, who is considered to be the father of modern dispensationalism and futurism. Pre-tribulation rapture theology was popularized extensively in the 1830s by John Nelson Darby.

This false doctrine was incorporated into Study Bibles, such as the Scofield Reference Bible.

The definition of the word “rapture” means a feeling of intense pleasure or joy. And, words and phrases related to this word “rapture” are as follows ──

Ecstasy, Bliss, Euphoria, Elation, Exaltation, Joy, Joyful, Joyousness, Cloud Nine, Seventh Heaven, Transport, Rhapsody, Enchantment, Delight, Exhilaration, Happiness, Pleasure, Ravishment, Top of the World, and Delectation.

In the early 20th century, a group of religious leaders of the Plymouth Brethren and the founder of the Exclusive Brethren adopted whole-heartedly this man-made doctrine of an end-time rapture. A false doctrine that teaches that there would be the “transporting” of believers to heaven upon Christ’s Second Coming. Or, rather, “taken away.”

This doctrine is nowhere found in God’s living word ── the Holy Bible!

Here are a few of the biblical references they use to try and prove their false doctrine ── 1st Thessalonians 4; Matthew 24; John 14; and Revelation 3.

Friends, let us closely examine these Scriptures ──

1st Thessalonians 4:17 – “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

The very word “rapture” is not a biblical word – it’s not found anywhere in the Bible. The adherence to the idea has ceased upon a couple of Greek words to describe the second coming of Jesus Christ. Looking at their use of three Greek words that they’ve somehow concluded relate to the second coming of Christ, and are broken up into several “stages.” And, they teach – that He is first coming for the Church, a “secret rapture” – skipping by the earth and snatching away the saints and carrying them up to heaven, then second “the great tribulation” will befall all of those remaining on the earth, the chaos, the hurricanes, volcanoes, nuclear war, tsunamis, and ultimate extermination. And then, finally, He is coming with the Church – and I reckon that would be considered a ‘third’ coming of Jesus Christ. But they don’t use that term – they just teach that His second coming is broken up into two “stages.”

Matthew 24:29-31 – “’ Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars [Satan the Devil and his demons] will fall from heaven [the atmosphere], and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30) The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, …’”

When the glorious throne of God ── when New Jerusalem ── begins to return to this earth, at some point it will be a little small light in the night sky. And the next night it will be a little brighter – like the star Sirius. And then, it becomes more and more obvious – and people will look up and go, “What is that!?” Now, most of the people of the world will think it’s – and they really will – an invading alien force.

“ …’ 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. 31) And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven [the atmosphere] to the other.’”

He will be gathering His saints from all around the world. So, much of the confusion among many is the prophetic order of events. It’s the end-time trauma, What our Lord Jesus calls an end-time ‘tribulation.” Then because of the tremendous ash and smoke in our atmosphere the sun and the moon will be darkened, and the “stars” will fall from heaven (Satan and his demons will be thrown to the earth). Then the sign of the Son of Man appearing in heaven [which in this case is outer space]. He’s not going to be a “near miss.” This is not going to be a “secret rapture,” skipping off the atmosphere, grab the saints and then leave in “secret.” Indeed, Jesus says, “’ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.’” And as the Book of Revelation says, “every eye will see Him.”

John 14:3 – “’ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.’”

That’s the greatest promise in the Bible!! In fact, nothing comes close to that promise, and yet, many churches – so-called Christian churches – don’t even talk about this, don’t even think about it. It’s not even a part of their doctrine. But here He says, ‘I will come again!’ And some church groups believe that Jesus Christ will return. Again, there’s a lot of confusion about when, where, and how. “… ’and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.’” – and where will He be? ON THE EARTH! Jesus Christ, someday, in the not-too-distant future, is going to return to this Earth, and when He does – or just before He does and as He does – there will be the Day of the Lord. It is a date in future history when Jesus Christ directly confronts rebellious evil sinful mankind and will punish this world, and quite literally, break it down, and then He will start over! Building a society which is often called the Millennium, the World Tomorrow, it will be the millennial reign of Jesus Christ!

Revelation 3:10 – “’ Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.’”

This is about an end-time prophecy about an end-time event about an end-time group of people! “…’ Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.’” Verse 12 – “’ He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, …’” – like an integral part of the internal leadership of the Kingdom of God. “…’ and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven …’” – this is upon the return of Jesus Christ, not a thousand years later. The setting up of the Kingdom of God.

All of these passages are speaking of when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to collect His saints. This is AFTER the tribulation!

1st Thessalonians chapter 4 speaks about those who are dead in Christ in their graves and those who are still alive and are remaining AFTER the tribulation of those days will be resurrected and caught up together in the clouds. This is speaking about those saints who are still alive on Earth, that Almighty God’s righteous hand of protection was upon to keep them from being martyred. Gathering of all the saints in the atmosphere. Note that our Lord Jesus Christ ── at this moment in time ── has not placed His feet upon the Mount of Olives yet.

He will be in Low Earth orbit with His saints. “ … in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.’”

Our Lord Jesus Christ is collecting His firstfruits. Those who died in Christ ── in faith and lived their life in faith ── survived the tribulation of those days. This time will be the glorious Feast of the Firstfruits, also called Pentecost. “ … thus we shall always be with the Lord” – meaning, we will be eternally with the King of kings and the Lord of lords from that point forward! And, we gathered together upon what is called in God’s living word, “the sea of glass” (Revelation 4), the transparent pavement surrounding the LORD God’s thrones!

Here we will receive our new name, our position, and our reward. We will participate in our Lord Jesus’ bridal supper. Many saints will be given a white horse to ride into battle upon His glorious and powerful return to Earth in full glory and power ── placing His feet upon the Mount of Olives! Our Lord Jesus Christ and His saints will return to EARTH from Low-Earth orbit to establish His kingdom! The war trumpet will be sounded! This will be the time of the Feast of Trumpets!

Sadly, those that are left upon the Earth ── some 10% ── those that are a godless people, will try to make war with our Lord Jesus and His saints. Yet, the armies of this world will be annihilated ── where blood will flow up to the horses’ bridles.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His saints will be teachers of His living Word, Truth, and Plan upon the establishment of the glorious World Tomorrow! His Millennial Reign!

NOWHERE in God’s living immutable word ── the Holy Bible ── does it speak of God the Father or our Lord Jesus calling Their begotten people to a place of safety, i.e. Petra. Almighty God can protect His people wherever they are at the time!

Clearly, our Lord Jesus calls all who are in their graves in Christ first and then calls His living saints to be gathered with them in the clouds of the atmosphere.

The whole “rapture” doctrine of “boom bing bang!” That you as a Christian will just be magically taken away upwards and straight to heaven ── IS NOT IN THE BIBLE! It’s a bald-faced lie.

Friends, let us get away from the lies that Satan the Devil and his demons continue to perpetuate upon a deceived world and embrace the LORD God’s living TRUTH taught to us by and through His Spirit ── within His living word ── and stop looking to man to give us an answer over what the LORD God truly teaches.

We are admonished to study God’s living word diligently and thoroughly. Let us not diligently embrace this world’s church organizations and their lying doctrines. □

Additional Information on this Subject ──

Is There A "Secret Rapture"? - sermon by Minister Leonard V Johnson. Will there be a "secret rapture"!? Thousands upon thousands are placing their hope in a coming rapture. Will it occur!? What about the utter destruction of the people on the Earth at the end-times!? Will that occur!? One major and influential religious organization teaches such a thing. Let's learn the truth of God and just exactly what the prophet Isaiah wrote, under the inspiration of God's Spirit.

What If the Dead Rise Not? - sermon by Minister Leonard V Johnson. Delivered by Minister Leonard V. Johnson of the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries on June 18th, 2022.

A 'Secret Rapture'? - online article by the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries. Back in 2014, I came across a movie on television entitled “Left Behind” starring Nicholas Cage which was based upon a novel by the same name. It’s a movie concerning what many claim is the Biblical rapture. ... 

Are Protestants Wrong About a Pre-Tribulation "Secret Rapture"? - God’s living word – the Holy Bible – does not teach of a pre-tribulation “secret rapture.” Anyone who continues to teach this fallacy cannot be a ‘credible person.’ Any argument in favor of it is biblically disprovable. 

Personal From... A Coming Invasion! - As I scrolled down my newsfeed this early morning, I was aghast at just how many news headlines boldly and confidently preach that there are aliens – as in little green men from Mars. And, when I typed into my search engine on the computer – UFO Religion – I was not aware that there is a whole religious subculture of the belief in alien life! ...

Revelation - A Book of the Past and the Future (Part VI) - So, everything up to here has been most horrible! But now this angelic being is announcing, “You haven’t seen anything yet!” The last three are going to shake the world to the core! ...

Is This 'the Beginning of Sorrows'? - What I am very aware of is – just what are we, as ministers, going to give a message about!? And I say this because in my mind I’m sure that we, as servants of God, have a thousand messages we would like to give at once – because there is so much happening in this world today. As I gave a sermon not long ago entitled “The Calm Is Over!”, truly the calm before the storm is over! I know in my mind I have a million subjects that could be preached today. Certainly, messages that I have preached in the past along with others. ...

Are Protestants Wrong About a Pre-Tribulation "Secret Rapture"?

by Leonard V. Johnson

God’s living word – the Holy Bible – does not teach of a pre-tribulation “secret rapture.” Anyone who continues to teach this fallacy cannot be a ‘credible person.’ Any argument in favor of it is biblically disprovable. 

Sadly, some teach that certain verses teach a pre-tribulation “secret rapture.” They teach and propagate this theory and idea, but certainly cannot be referring to the same return – because they teach that our Lord Jesus comes back twice, years apart. And, they believe and teach that their understanding is the only biblically defensible position. And that the living truth from the LORD God is false.

We are very much aware that there are far right-wing extremists in the United States, in the evangelical so-called Christian community, who place great stock in a whole series of books that came out in 1995 entitled Left Behind by authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The theory or idea behind these books is thus –

“The bestselling premillennial novels are Christian eschatological narratives inspired by the New Testament's Book of Revelation. The storyline focuses on a seven-year conflict, the post-rapture Great Tribulation, between an underground network of Christian converts and an oppressive new world order led by the Antichrist. The series expounds a Christian dispensationalist view of the End Times, specifically LaHaye's pretribulation and premillennial eschatology.” 1

Notice this from LaHaye’s book Are We Living in the End Times? –

“When the more than three hundred Bible references to the Second Coming are carefully examined, it becomes clear that there are two phases to His return. There are far too many conflicting activities connected with His return to be merged into a single coming. …

Since we know there are no contradictions in the Word of God, our Lord must be telling us something here. …” 2

Well, Mr. LaHaye, you can’t have it both ways. It’s either “there are too many conflicting activities” or “there are no contradictions.”

Contradicting and conflicting are two words that are often used interchangeably, but they do actually have distinct meanings. However, sandwiched between these two pages is a listing of 24 biblical passages that the author indicates proves a pre-tribulation “secret rapture.” Now, the passages are not quoted, only listed.

To show that those supposed pre-tribulation “secret rapture” passages are NOT in conflict with the LORD God’s teaching of a ONE-TIME RETURN, we are willing to go over each passage.

John 14:1-3 –

“’ Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God [speaking of God the Father], believe also in Me. 2) In My Father’s house are many mansions [dwelling places], if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3) And if I go and prepare a place for you [and indeed He did; let us always be thankful to Him for this!], I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am [which is upon the earth, cf. Zechariah 14:4], there you may be also.’”

Now, if verse 2 was the only verse, then the concept of fleeting off to the third heaven might be suspected of being the place “prepared.” However, what so many cannot grasp is the awesome true meaning behind verse 3!

He was speaking of the Earth (‘that where I am’). Even if a so-called Christian could go to the upper heavenly realm, would he/she want to be there!? On the way up to the third heaven, he/she would theoretically pass God the Father and Jesus Christ coming here!

Besides, what most Protestants also cannot fully grasp is our Lord Jesus Christ’s words – “’ No one has ascended to heaven but He who came from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.’” – John 3:13.

Romans 8:19 –

“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the [children] of God.”

This is NOT at all a teaching of a pre-tribulation “secret rapture”! And how one would see that in this verse is beyond me! This passage speaks about the fact that the whole creation – which includes the whole of the universe – “groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23) Not only that, but we [true begotten children of God] also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting [remember, we have the Spirit of “longsuffering”] for the [birth as children of God the Father and brothers and sisters to our Lord Jesus Christ!], the redemption of our body.” – Romans 8:19-23.

1 Corinthians 1:7-8 –

“so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8) who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Apostle Paul is NOT at all speaking of any “two-phase” return. Verse 7 is simply speaking about the glorious and powerful revelation (the revealing) of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, verse 8 speaks concerning the Day of the Lord – “the end” – see Matthew 24:14b.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 –

“Behold, I tell you a mystery [because the majority of the people of this world do not know this knowledge; concerning the resurrection unto eternal life]: We [again, true begotten children of God] shall not all sleep [meaning, we shall not all die], but we shall all be changed ──52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [the SEVENTH TRUMPET]. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead [the dead in Christ] will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality [which certainly means that we do not now have immortality].”

Again, this passage is NOT teaching any such concept of a “two-phase” return.

Wow! 1 Corinthians chapter 15 ─ truly the whole of the chapter is AWESOME! Sadly, Mr. LaHaye didn’t even list verse 50 – “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” Are you aware that the Mormons, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement created by Joseph Smith, believe and teach that you enter into the kingdom of God as a physical human being!? In a physical state. What do they do with verse 50!? Do they delete it from their bible, or do they mark it out?

Throughout God’s living word, death is portrayed as “sleep” – notice Daniel 12:2. And brethren, this is the glorious hope of all of us! The hope of eternal life! That is why you are reading this right now! Because we are hoping and praying that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (who is our ultimate Judge) will grant us the mercy of gifting us (Romans 6:23) eternal life! And, we want it for ourselves, but also, just as much, we want it for our loved ones. And all of you reading this know people who are now asleep. And you wait, and you wait, and you wait. But someday – if you believe that God Exists, and you know truthfully what God’s living word says, and that it is true and faithful – you know that someday you are going to see them again! On the Earth!

The Apostle Paul rounds this off with verse 54 – “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’”

1 Corinthians 16:22 –

“If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!”

Again, this passage is NOT teaching any such concept of a “two-phase” return, or even of the false concept of a “secret rapture.”

This is just simply the ending of the Apostle Paul’s salutation to the church at Corinth. And, how does one know that they truly love the Lord Jesus Christ? Our Lord Jesus says – “’ If you love Me [as well as, ‘If you are loyal to Me’] keep My commandments.’” – John 14:15. “’ He who DOES NOT love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.’” – vs. 24.

“The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” – 1 Corinthians 16:23.

Sadly, some Protestant groups misinterpret, misapply, they misrepresent the term ‘God’s grace,’ and they make it into the incorrect concept of ‘once saved always saved.’ You know, “Give your heart to the Lard, and it’s all said and done!” And there were some church leaders in the past that completely detoured around the subject almost altogether. And yet, the term ‘God’s grace’ – my friends, we have no chance unless God is gracious to us!

Philippians 3:20-21 –

“For our citizenship is in heaven [the atmosphere], from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body [SPIRIT- COMPOSED BODY], according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” – Philippians 3:20-21.

Apparently what the majority of Protestants are ignorant of is the fact that God’s living word – written originally in Hebrew and Greek – there are THREE distinct “heavens.” The FIRST heaven is what we call the atmosphere which surrounds Earth. The SECOND heaven is the known universe – or starry space. And, there is a THIRD heaven. The Apostle Paul refers to it in 2 Corinthians 12:2. The third heaven is the present residence of God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and all the holy angels. The third heaven is referenced as where Lucifer (now called Satan the Devil) attempted a coup of the very government of God – “For you [a reference to Lucifer, the archangel] have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend above the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” – Isaiah 14:13-14. Even King Solomon knew of a third heaven – “ … For God is in heaven, and you on earth; …” – Ecclesiastes 5:2.

Again, this passage is NOT teaching any such concept of a “two-phase” return. Or even of a “secret rapture.”

Philippians 4:5 –

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”

Where and why this Mr. LaHaye contrived this list is, again, beyond me. Our Lord Jesus Christ says the same thing – “’ The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in [and obey] the gospel.’” – Mark 1:15.

Gentleness is one of the fruits of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23. The phrase, ‘the Lord is at hand,’ truly means just what it says – THE LORD IS AT HAND!

Colossians 3:4 –

“When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

An idiom often attributed to Mark Twain says, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” No piece of science fiction can compare to this glorious, marvelous, and awesome TRUTH about our potential as revealed in your Bible!

The Apostle Paul – under divine inspiration – was speaking of our baptism unto death and our baptism unto a new man in Christ – “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” – reminiscent of what he spoke about to the church in Philippi – cf. Philippians 3:8-17.

He goes on to say – “For you died [in baptism], and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” And a crux of his thought here is: “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9) Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10) and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11) where there is neither Greek [Gentile] nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian [an ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic people], slave nor free, BUT CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL.” – Colossians 3:1-11.

And, 1 John 3:2 speaks of this “you also will appear with Him in glory.”

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be [what our profession will be in the kingdom of God], but we know that when He is revealed [when He returns], we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” – cf. Revelation 1:12-16.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 –

“and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of this ONE-TIME RETURN –

“’ THEN the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes [the nations, countries, and provinces] of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.’” – Matthew 24:30.

Now, if the Protestants would only read and study verse 29, they would see that His coming is AFTER the tribulation – not before. “’ Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days …’”

Now, no one knows when the end of the age will actually come. And if anyone tells you they know – WARNING! They are attempting to manipulate you. Our Lord Jesus Christ emphatically says, “’ But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.’” And at that time when He said it, He didn’t even know. Now I have to surmise that at this point in time, God the Father has shared that with Jesus Christ. But again, we don’t know. Is the Kingdom of God three years away!? Probably not. Is it ten years away!? Possibly. That being said, there is a possibility that 2026 could be the beginning year of the Day of the LORD – but NOT the return of Jesus Christ. Recall what Jesus said happens during and even after the gospel of Christ – the gospel of the kingdom of God – is preached in all the world as a witness to all nations by these end-time prophets, culminating with the Two Witnesses spoke of in Revelation 11: “’ Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), 16) then let those who are in Judea [in Judea (modern-day Israel) not in the US, not in the UK, not even in Europe] flee to the mountains. 17) Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18) And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19) But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20) And pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on the Sabbath. 21) For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22) And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake [the physical people descended from Jacob/Israel] those days will be shortened.’” – Matthew 24:15-22.

“’ Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light [possibly because the atmosphere will be thick with volcanic ash]; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ [meaning, Satan and his demons will be expunged from the atmosphere of the earth] 30) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, …’”

There’s a term that has developed basically within the last century among some fundamentalist type churches of the Christian ilk talking about the rapture. And this is simply not a correct theological teaching. And many times when people use the words, they say, “the secret rapture.” Well, there won’t be any secrets when Jesus is returning! Because, as Jesus says in verse 27 – “’ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man.’” - When the throne of God, when New Jerusalem, begins to return to this earth, at some point it will be a little small light in the night sky. And the next night it will be a little brighter – like the star Sirius. And then, it becomes more and more obvious – and people will look up and go, “What is that!?” Now, most of the people of the world will think it’s – and they really will – an invading alien force! There is nothing secret about it!

Keep in mind, the resurrection occurs on the SEVENTH TRUMP. The seven last plagues follow that. So, we will (God willing) already be in “low earth orbit” in the clouds, being with Jesus Christ, in preparation for the time He, Jesus Christ, directly engages humankind.

“’ And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet [the seventh trump], and they will gather together His elect [here speaking of His saints] from the four winds, from one end of heaven [the atmosphere] to the other.’” – vs. 31.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 –

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?”

The Apostle Paul says it best in the following verse, as we think of you – “For you are our glory and joy.” We, brethren, find it all joy to hope and pray that you will be in the glorious presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming! For we, like the LORD God are not willing “that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9b.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 –

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep [again, here the concept that sleep is death], lest you sorrow as others who have no hope [the hope of the resurrection of the glorious gift of eternal life]. 14) For if we believe that Jesus died …”

Believe it or not – there is a vast multitude of peoples that believe that our Lord Jesus Christ did not die! Notice the word “if.” If we believe that our Lord Jesus Christ lived, that He was real, that He was (and is) the Son of God, the Messiah, and that He died and “rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” Again, ‘IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED!’ The last sermon that Minister Michael C. Garrett gave to some of the ‘lost sheep’ down in Tyler, Texas was a sermon entitled, “Look to Jesus, Not Moses.” He was chastised by their leaders for the fact that he proclaimed that Jesus had died. They were offended and upset. So much so, that it aided in their decision to fire him! Of course, our Lord Jesus Christ died! This is a glorious Message of the Book – that He qualified to become our Savior, and that He died, and that He was resurrected unto life! His own living words speak of this – “’ I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. …’” – Revelation 1:18a.

The Apostle Jude also speaks of the fact that God (the Elohim, the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) “will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” – cf. Jude 1:14-15.

Also, what many may not know is that God the Father is coming with our Lord Jesus Christ! – cf. Revelation 21:3, here in which the word God is translated in Greek as “ho Theos.” In most instances it indicates God in a general sense, but often the Father particularly.

Verse 15 – “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven [the atmosphere] with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God [the SEVENTH TRUMPET]. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

Notice, the ‘dead in Christ will rise’! Where are they rising from!? They are rising from the Earth! They are NOT in heaven – the third heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ does not do a “fly by” – skipping off the atmosphere, picking up the dead in Christ, and shooting off to the third heaven. Besides, why would He need to do that if (what the Protestants claim) the dead in Christ are already in heaven? So, truly, here is some definite contradicting and conflicting on their part! Again, the living words of our Lord Jesus – John 3:13.

Verse 17 – “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them IN THE CLOUDS [again, low earth orbit] to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Again, where will Jesus be AFTER He returns!? – Zechariah 14:4.

1 Thessalonians 5:9, 23 –

“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Verse 23 – “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul [your life], and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Again, this passage is NOT teaching any such concept of a “two-phase” return. Or even of a “secret rapture.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1 –

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him [recall Matthew 24:31], we ask you.”

And the Apostle Paul goes on to ask us, brethren, “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the Day of Christ [speaking of the Day of the LORD!] had come. 3) Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless …”

Our Lord Jesus asks us not to be deceived also – cf. Matthew 24:23-25.

1 Timothy 6:14 –

Like with most one-line verses, it’s IMPORTANT to read the whole text to properly understand the meaning! – Isaiah 28:10.

Verse 11 – “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Verse 13 – “I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14) that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless UNTIL OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’s APPEARING.”

The Apostle Paul is urging us here to “fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life, and to keep this commandment” until His Return.

It too doesn’t have anything to do with a rapture, a “secret rapture,” or even a “two-phase” return. Did Mr. LaHaye simply look up in a Bible concordance “Christ’s appearing” and just list those as “rapture”!? Because it appears as if he did.

2 Timothy 4:1, 8 –

“I charge you therefore before God [God the Father] and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [those that are resurrected] at His appearing and His kingdom.”

Verse 8 – “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day [at His appearing], and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Sadly, if the majority of Protestants are only focusing on their understanding that these verses are only teaching our Lord Jesus Christ’s return – which is glorious enough – these verses mean so much more! We must take in the Spirit of light! Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “’ Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man’” – Luke 21:36. And we believe this and we stand upon this promise of the LORD our God! That is our hope! That even amid a world gone completely insane to where it will completely annihilate itself – we have hope that we will survive and that our families will be protected. And, I want you to understand – to not necessarily survive staying alive – but more akin to what the Apostle Paul writes here, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Titus 2:13 –

“looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God [again, ho Theos, God the Father] and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Over and over and over again, nothing happens until God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy angels ARRIVE! This is what God’s living word says! And this be the truth – then what is all this nonsense about the immortality of the soul and going off to the third heaven? None of that agrees with the living word of God! Here’s another glorious concept── the resurrected saints of the LORD God are not going off to the third heaven, but rather the third heaven is coming to the Earth! And this is part of the glorious gospel – the announcement of the soon-coming kingdom of God! Recall earlier I spoke of John 3:13. Our Lord Jesus says it just as plain as day! And Protestants most cherished Scripture. A most beautiful Scripture!

“’ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes [on] Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’” – John 3:16.

And, did you catch that word, perish? According to Strong’s Concordance –

ἀπόλλυμι - completely perish. Implies permanent (absolute) destruction. 3

So, if a person is completely destroyed and perishes – what is all this nonsense about a Hell?

Now, the additional Scriptures that Mr. LaHaye jotted down in his book Are We Living in the End Times? under “Rapture” are Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:7, 13; 5:4; Jude 1:21; Revelation 2:25; 3:10.

Brethren, if you’ve got the time to read and go over these Scriptures with me – I’ve got the time to write.

Hebrews 9:28 –

“So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

The Apostle Paul, speaking to the Hebrew converts then, and to all of us now, is speaking of the glorious SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST! And sadly, to this very day, the majority of our Jewish brethren are still awaiting the Messiah’s first coming!

The Apostle Paul explains – throughout the Book of Hebrews that we now have this great High Priest who sits on the right hand of God the Father in the upper heavenly realms. And that He is our Advocate, and our Intercessor – no human being.

Verse 24 - “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

Brethren, there are times in our life when we sin, and maybe Satan and his minions are there just laughing and carrying on. And then our glorious High Priest and Advocate walks up and says to our Father after our heartfelt repentance, “Father, I have forgiven him/her. And, this person belongs to Me. End this.” I wonder how many times our Lord Jesus has had to come to our defense to say, “I shed My blood, that they might be forgiven, and that someday they might live for all eternity”!?

He goes on to say, in verse 25 – “not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another ── .” – a concept that the Jewish people he was writing to would readily understand.

Verse 26 – “He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, ONCE at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of HIMSELF.”

Clearly and plainly teaching his Jewish audience the fact that the Messiah had come!

Verse 28 again – “so Christ was offered ONCE to bear the sins of many. TO THOSE WHO EAGERLY WAIT FOR HIM …”

You recall our Lord Jesus in the Book of Luke, ‘LOOK UP AND BEHOLD YOUR SALVATION!’ ‘THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!’ We are to look for the returning KINGDOM OF GOD! And that’s what this Work, ostensively, is all about! WARNING people and INSTRUCTING people about that coming event! That if we look for Him, “He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” And that means your salvation, and my salvation, and the salvation of everyone who has lived and died in Christ!

James 5:7-9 –

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8) You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9) Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!”

We covered in 2 Timothy the phrase, ‘at His appearing.’ Not this immediately ‘off to Heaven.’ We notice in Titus 2 – “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7 – “…praise, honor, and glory at the [appearing] of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 5:4 – “and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” 1 John 2:28 – “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

Again, none speak of a pre-tribulation “secret rapture.”

So, why even bother speaking about this subject?

Because there are a great many false and heretical teachers that lead people astray on biblical prophecy. And, it’s not just the Protestant rapturists, it’s also those who believe and teach (and I was asked this very thing the other day) that Allah is the same God that we worship. It’s also those who go on and on about Catholic prophesies, trying desperately to link them somehow to God’s biblical prophecies.

So, God’s living word does not teach a pre-tribulation “secret rapture” of the Church, nor even a mid-tribulation. Let us notice what our Lord Jesus Christ says once again – that He will return AFTER the end-time trauma ‘the tribulation’ and not before –

“’ IMMEDIATELY after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; …’”

Because there will be darkened skies from erupting volcanoes, and even, possibly, nuclear bombs.

“ … ‘the stars 4 will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’”

Truly meaning that Satan the Devil and his minions will be thrown out of the atmosphere. And then notice this – Revelation chapter 6 – Verse 14 – “THEN the sky receded as a scroll when its rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.” The atmosphere will be thick with volcanic ash towers from a great number of volcanoes erupting around the globe, possibly caused by the massive ‘great earthquake.’ This damaging smoke and pollution must be cleared from the atmosphere before the arrival of our King of kings and LORD of lords!

Verse 30 – “’ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven [in outer space], 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.’”

Verse 31 – “’ And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet [the SEVENTH TRUMPET], and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven [the atmosphere] to the other.’”

Yet, the most hardened pre and mid-tribulation rapturists will completely ignore or try to reason away these Scriptures – and this passage alone!

Another article we have on this most vital subject is “A ‘Secret Rapture’?” □

Bibliography

1) Wikipedia contributors. (2024, March 28). Left Behind. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:57, April 18, 2024.

2) LaHaye, T.F., Are We Living in the End Times?, Wheaton III: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999, pgs. 98, 100.

3) The Strongest Concordance of the Bible, 21st-century ed. 2001. ISBN 978-0-310-23343-5 (hardcover), #622, pg. 582.

4) ASTĒR, is used metaphorically. Example. (a) of Christ, as “the morning star.” - Vine, W.E., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, CAGE, Fleming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey, published by United Kingdom Marshall, Morgan & Scott, Publications, Ltd., 1981, pg. 72.

'Wake Up, Sleeper, Rise From the Dead'

Good morning, afternoon, or evening – whenever you are reading this. I welcome you, dear friends – including our friends in Pennsylvania, California, France, Argentina, and even Kuwait. I’m your host and welcome to the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries. I began work on this sermon the other day and was half-way finished, but there was a glitch in my computer, and because I hadn’t yet saved the document – I lost it. So, here’s the second draft.

His name is Jo-El. And his name means YHWH is God.

I’m not speaking of Superman’s father – Jor-El from Krypton.

I’m speaking of a prophet to the Southern tribe of Judah. He was one of the earlier prophets of God. We know that the Southern tribes of Judah was the kingdom that remained after the Northern tribes were carried away captive. It was the nation whose capital was Jerusalem. And, even though his book is not dated by one of the kings – as many of the other prophets’ books were – many believe he was very early in his message because he never mentions Assyria, Babylon, or Syria, some of the antagonists that were against the kingdom of Judah. He was contemporaneous with the prophets Hosea and Amos – two of the other “minor” prophets. They call them “minor” prophets only because they had short books compared with the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel. But I believe these prophets weren’t minor in their message by no means.

He lived and wrote approximately during – at least some believe – the reign of King Jehoash of Judah (c. 836-796 B.C.). He was very familiar with the Scriptures – and one of the Scriptures which I’d like to bring to the forefront before we get into the Book of Joel, is Deuteronomy, the 28th chapter.

Verse 42 – This was God’s Warning which He gave through His servant Moses to all Israel (long before they were divided into two separate kingdoms) – giving grave consequences for disobedience. All the blessings and curses. “Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land. 43) The [stranger] who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, …” – and, of course, He goes on there. But I want to draw your attention to where it says the ‘locusts shall consume your land.’

Now, later when the temple was built during King Solomon’s day he had a lengthy public prayer in which he said, “’ Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, … 23) LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, … 37) When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; 38) whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: 39) then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men)’” – 1 Kings 8:15, 23, 37-39 NKJV.

So, turn with me to the Book of Joel, chapter 1.

Verse 1 – “The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2) Hear this, you elders, And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land!”

Now, he uses the term ‘you elders’ which were the leaders, the higher-educated, the wise, the kings and princes – today you might say, presidents, vice presidents, prime ministers, senators, governors.

“ … Has anything like this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers?”

Now, what happened here in the kingdom of Judah was a monumental event that occurred during the prophet Jo-El’s day. There was a plague of locusts that inundated the land – imagine the sky turning black by a biblical proportion. And as a result of witnessing this plague, he was inspired to write this book. Now, he had read those same Scriptures we just read in Deuteronomy the 28th chapter and 1st Kings. And he knew that this great plague was being brought upon the kingdom of Judah because they had turned away from the LORD God – but also he uses this opportunity to write this message. It was perfect for his day, but it still stands TODAY for a testimony against the modern-day nations of Israel – including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and even including South Africa.

They had never suffered a plague like this since they had come out of the land of Egypt when the LORD God had set all those plagues upon the Egyptians.

Verse 3 – “Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation.”

Let’s hold our place here, and turn with me to the Book of Psalm, the 78th chapter – something which King David wrote.

Verse 1 – “Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2) I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, 3) Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. 4) We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.”

Verse 6 – “That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children.”

Remember when the children of Israel were brought out of the land of Egypt, God gave them all His Sabbaths, His commandments, His statutes, the holy days, saying, “’ Speak to the children of Israel [including, of course, the New Covenant Church of God], … the feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. … forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings’” – Leviticus 23:2, 14 NKJV. And, of course, as we’ve said many times – these are not just the feasts of the Jews, these are the ‘feasts of the LORD’! But, because the LORD God brought us out of the land of Egypt we do this also as a reminder of God’s great and mighty power which saved us from slavery and eventual death. So, the prophet Jo-El is telling them to tell their children and their grandchildren.

Verse 4 – “What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.” – the four stages of the locust which are mentioned here. And, this is exactly what happened to the kingdom of Judah and what is happening to millions of people in 2020 with swarms of desert locusts blanketing East Africa – ravaging crops and threatening the livelihood of 10% of the world’s population! The massive swarm of locusts came in and ate all the crops, the fruit trees, all the grass – think about the impact! What if this was to happen in the United States of America – across the plains where we grow wheat, oat, rye!? Or, the Corn Belt - a region of the Midwestern United States!? Or, the vineyards of California!? What impact would it have today if the nation of the eagle had a nationwide plague!? 1 Some of the bible commentaries – like the Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary of the Whole Bible – has associated these four stages of the locusts here with what would eventually happen to the kingdom of Judah, saying, “The Hebrews make the first species refer to Assyria and Babylon; the second species, to Medo-Persia; the third, to Greco-Macedonia and Antiochus Epiphanes; the fourth, to the Romans.” 2 Now, perhaps that could be prophetically a type which could be associated with that, but I don’t believe that is the purpose for the prophet Jo-El’s writings here.

Now, while this plague was taking place – while the kingdom is being devoured – what were the people doing!? What was their attitude – their focus!?

Verse 5 – “Awake, you drunkards, and weep; And wail, all you drinkers of wine.” – so they were having a party! They weren’t too worried about what was happening. 

“ … Because of the new wine [spiritually speaking the New Covenant of Jesus Christ – Luke 22:20], for it has been cut off from your mouth [spiritually speaking see Psalm 95:7-11; Hebrews 3:7-11].”

Verse 6 – “For a nation has come up against My land, Strong and without number; His teeth are the teeth of a lion, And he has fangs of a fierce lion.”

So, the prophet Jo-El used this opportunity of this plague of locusts to describe to the kingdom of Judah of something which was coming later in their future.

Now, Jesus Christ said on one occasion, “’ But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38) For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39) and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be’” – Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV.

The prophet Jo-El here is WARNING of the end of this age!

Friends – thousands upon thousands of people in this world just want to party and ignore what is happening around the world – being distracted by this virtually worldwide pandemic COVID-19. Millions pay no mind of the ever-growing assertiveness of China and Russia, the increase in tensions in the Middle East, North Africa, and Northern Asia. 3

Here, the prophet Jo-El sees the need to try and WARN the kingdom of Judah.

Let’s turn over to the Book of Isaiah, the 10th chapter – a couple of references I’d like to go over.

Verse 5 – “’ Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6) I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.’”

Here, the LORD God was WARNING Israel through the prophet Isaiah, telling them that because of their rebellion He was going to bring Assyria – who was going to be like a staff within His hand and punish them. But out of that – later on in that same chapter –

Verse 12 – “Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ‘I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.’”

In other words, God is going to use Assyria to punish the nation of Israel because of their rebellion, and then He’s going to turn around and punish Assyria for their prideful ways in which they attacked and brought down the kingdom of Israel.

Over in the 14th chapter of the Book of Isaiah, picking it up –

Verse 24 – “The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: 25) That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders.’” – of course, speaking about the kingdom of Israel.

Now, as so many people have said to me over the years – “that happened in Israel’s history.” One can open up virtually any history book – like the one in my library World Civilizations Fifth Edition Vol. 1 which says of the Assyrians – “These people came to be called the Assyrians; and their ultimate rise to power marked the beginning of the third stage in the development of the Mesopotamian civilization. They began to expand about 1300 B.C. and soon afterward made themselves masters of the whole northern valley. In the tenth century, they overturned what was left of Kassite power in Babylonia. Their empire reached its height in the eighth and seventh centuries under Sargon II (722-705 B.C.), Sennacherib (705-681), and Assurbanipal (668-626). It had now come to include nearly all of the civilized world of that time. One after another, Syria, Phoenicia, the Kingdom of Israel, and Egypt had fallen victims to Assyrian military prowess. Only the little Kingdom of Judah was able to withstand the hosts of Nineveh, … in 722 B.C. the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. Its inhabitants were scattered throughout the vast empire of their conquerors and were eventually absorbed by the more numerous population around them.” 4

If you would turn over to the 27th chapter of the Book of Isaiah – for another quick reference here.

Verse 13 – ask yourself, what is the timing of this passage here!? This is an assurance to the descendants of the kingdom of Israel – “’ So it shall be in that day …’” – now, the majority of the time when you read this in God’s living word it’s speaking of the Day of the LORD. The end of the age, the second coming of Jesus Christ – what Mr. Garrett refers to as the end-time trauma. “ … ‘The great trumpet will be blown; …’” – now, when is that!?

We read in Ezekiel chapter 34:11 – the idea of GATHERING in the physical people of Israel from the far-flung corners of the earth. And I believe that it’s very possible, we, the resurrected saints, will be a part of that ‘hunting party.’ Verse 12 – “’…so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.’” Often a reference to the idea of the Day of the LORD – the end-time trauma. Verse 13 – keep in mind He keeps mentioning a ‘shepherd.’ What was King David’s training as a young man!? He was a shepherd. King David will be the one overlooking the people of God. He will be resurrected. And he will be king over all Israel, and he will be to Israel as a ‘shepherd’ over his flock. He once again will regain his title as the shepherd of the sheep. This INGATHERING happens very close to the blowing of the Seventh Trump. Isaiah 27:12 – “And it shall come to pass in that day,” that’s the Day of the LORD. The Day of the LORD in part is the Seven Last Plagues. It occurs AFTER the blowing of the Seventh Trump. “...And you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel.”

“ … ‘They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.’”

Now, obviously, this is not talking about something which happened anciently, but it’s talking about the captivity (and as I’ve said before, captivity indeed can be the loss of the sovereignty of a nation) of the nations of Israel in (or because of) the nation of Assyria at the coming of Jesus Christ when He is going to begin to establish His kingdom there in Jerusalem – New Jerusalem. And, there are a great many other references as well.

Let’s turn back to the Book of Joel, the 1st chapter.

Verse 7 – “He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white.” 

Now, I added this verse because I want you to turn to the Book of Revelation, the 9th chapter – I want to make a comparison with what he is describing here with the fifth trumpet plague. 

Verse 1 – “Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. …” – Satan and his demons being thrown down to the earth from the atmosphere. “ … To him was given the key to the bottomless pit, 2) And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.” – as I mentioned in “A ‘Secret Rapture’?” certainly an indication that the atmosphere will be thick with volcanic ash towers or even radioactive dust and ash! And, as I have witnessed there is grave trouble with America’s disaster response. 5

Verse 3 – “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4) They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal [the glorious Spirit of God] on their foreheads.”

Now, I do believe there’s a very good chance – and I can’t prove it – that there may be used a nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Here is the apostle John in a great vision – under the inspiration of God’s Spirit – writing and describing a series of events that are to take place at the time of the end of this age – the end-time trauma. This great army of Islamic soldiers 200 million strong ( cf. Revelation 9:16) will go forth swarming like locusts and as ferocious as lions. But they don’t ‘harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree’ like we see here in the Book of Joel – they destroy men with different types of weapons which destroy not the buildings, trees, or grass. It’s interesting in knowing that many nations have this technology and what damage these types of weapons can indeed do.

But, I’d like us to go back to the Book of Joel, the 1st chapter –

Verse 8 – “Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth For the husband of her youth.” – God, on several occasions, like in the Book of Jeremiah, speaks of His espousal to Israel when they were just coming out of the land of Egypt. He speaks about that love that they once had – even describing one time that Israel was like a helpless newborn baby lying beside the road (Ezekiel 16:1-16). And, lo and behold, this newborn baby happened to be a girl. God says, “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine.” And God washed off thoroughly her blood, and anointed her with oil, clothed her in embroidered cloth and gave her sandals to wear, clothed her in fine linen, adorned her with ornaments, bracelets on her wrists, and chains around her neck, put jewelry in her nose, earrings on her ears, and a beautiful crown upon her head. And she was exceedingly beautiful and succeeded in royalty. Almighty God cared for this young lady even unto the time when she was able to be married and then God says – when it came time for you to be married I came to propose to you but found out that you had been unfaithful – one of the greatest harlots the world had ever seen! This is the way that God described ISRAEL! ‘I wanted to be a husband to you – and I gave you everything!’ Just like the vow you make when you’re married – “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.” He made this covenant with Israel and then found out that she was not faithful at all to Him. And this is why He brought His wrath upon them and allowed them to be carried away captive.

Verse 9 – “The grain offering and the drink offering Have been cut off from the house of the LORD; The priests mourn, who minister to the LORD.” – imagine the priest within the temple waiting for the offerings and the sacrifices and the people weren’t bringing anything to the temple. Imagine what the priest must have felt like.

Verse 11 – “Be ashamed, you farmers, Wail, you vinedressers, For the wheat and the barley; Because the harvest of the field has perished. 12) The vine has dried up, And the fig tree has withered; The pomegranate tree, The palm tree also, And the apple tree – All the trees of the field are withered; Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men. 13) Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; Wail; you who minister before the altar; Come, lie all night in sackcloth, You who minister to my God; …” – he’s asking the ministers and the priests to set the example of repenting and turning themselves to God.

Verse 14 – “Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.”

Verse 15 – “Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand! It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.”

This is the whole message of Jo-El here in the Book of Joel!! Friends, it’s not about the locusts which are eating up the land in such places as East Africa, but the message here is – THE DAY OF THE LORD IS AT HAND!! WAKE UP, SLEEPER, RISE FROM THE DEAD! ‘Awake, you drunkards, and weep; turn to Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ!’ He is crying out with this little short prophecy here to the nations of Israel – like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and even South Africa.

Verse 19 – “O LORD, to You I cry out; …” – possibly looking back at some of King David’s writings in which he said, ‘O LORD, unto You will I cry and make my supplication.’ “ … For fire has devoured the open pastures, And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.”

Verse 20 – “The beasts of the field also cry out to You, For the water brooks are dried up, And fire has devoured the open pastures.”

Friends here is drought, famine, pestilences, wildfires – and the people are still going each year to their Pride parades, and their Mardi Gras’! Our nations are going down the toilet and the greater majority of our peoples are rejecting Almighty God!

Arab nations want to build a united army. Credit: MAHMUD HAMS

Chapter 2 – God says ‘Blow the trumpet!’ Now, anciently the trumpet was only to be blown by the priest. It was a time when they would blow the trumpet for the gathering of a solemn assembly, a festival meeting, or at the New Moon, but also a WARNING to go out to war. And this is the case here!

Verse 1 – “Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand.”

Now, there are times when the Day of the LORD feels like some faraway future event – doesn’t it!? Friends, how much closer is it from the time when the prophet Jo-El wrote this – in approximately 835-800 B.C. – to our witnessing the coming dreadful Day of the LORD!? When you look today at the population of the earth – some 7.8 Billion people. When you look today at the massive murder rate alone around the world – with El Salvador having the highest homicide rate in the world at 61.8 murders per 100,000! 6 When you look at the projected population growth rate of 9.7 Billion by the year 2050 – how are we as a civilization going to sustain that!? When you look at the U.S. economy at $26.6 Trillion in debt and rising! How long can we continue going down this road!? What happens when our economy has completely crumbled!? Does not all this give you an indication as to where we are in the history of the world – that we’re so very close to the end of this age!?

Indeed, Jesus Christ gave us some things to look for in Matthew, the 24th chapter, when He said, “’ nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.’” Because then the end-time prophets will arise and shall be persecuted, hated by all nations for His name’s sake – and will ultimately be martyred!

Verse 2 – “A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations.” – our LORD God said, “’ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved.’” There are nations today like the United States of America, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and Iran with nuclear weapons – with many more nations doing everything they can to obtain them! But they also have in their possession biological and chemical weapons, including many with the ability to annihilate nations using a cyber-attack, or an EMP strike which would literally place civilization back to the early 1800s. We are living in a very dangerous world – wouldn’t you say!? The prophet Jo-El never saw the time in which we live, with the ability to utterly destroy ourselves!

Verse 3 – “A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them.” – this reminds me of Russia’s scorched earth policy during World War II. The Soviets burned crops, destroyed bridges, and evacuated factories in the face of the advancing German war machine, depriving the Germans of anything that might be useful. Even in our modern history – with ISIS’s scorched earth policy in Iraq. The ISIS terrorists and murderers ignited oil wells and storage tanks and even refineries. Also deliberately spilling oil and opening pipelines, as well as flooding residential areas with heavy crude oil. 7 And in 1991 the Kuwaiti oil fires caused by Iraqi military forces under Saddam Hussein – setting fire to a reported 605 to 732 oil wells! We watched as clouds of black smoke plumes rose from dozens and dozens of blazing oil wells in an almost end-time vision there on our television screen – taking them months to finally cap them.

Verse 4 – “Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. 5) With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.”

Verse 6 – “Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color.” – people see this massive army advancing upon the land and their faces turn pale.

Let’s turn over to the Book of Jeremiah, the 30th chapter, and let’s read a quick reference.

Verse 6 – “’ Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? …’” – God looks around and sees men walking around doubled over as if they are in labor pains. “ … ‘So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale?’”

Verse 7 – “’ Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.’” – recall, Jacob was Abraham’s grandson – and his name was changed to Israel. And he passed that name onto his two grandson’s – Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob had crossed his arms and said, “let my name be named on them.” Now, the apostle Paul made it abundantly clear that those who had the faith of Abraham are Abraham’s seed and are recipients of the promises which were made by God – becoming spiritual Israel. But, friends – this is speaking to the nations of Israel today, like the two main tribes Ephraim and Manasseh – the United States of America, the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth nations, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. And, not just physical Israel, but also spiritual - ALL THAT BELIEVE AND FOLLOW ALMIGHTY GOD and become a part of the spiritual nation of Israel.

Turning again to the Book of Joel, chapter 2 –

Verse 7 – “They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. 8) They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down.” – it’s like they have impregnable armor.

Verse 9 – “They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. 10) The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.” – talking about a massive horde of armies, most likely Arab and Islamic armies! Now, will there be any doubt in anyone’s mind that we are but living in the very last moments of the end of this age!?

Verse 11 – “The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?”

Now in the Book of Malachi, it says, “’ Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, … But who can endure the day of His coming?’” And, in the Book of Zephaniah – “The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. … A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness.”

Now, the prophet Jo-El here – even after giving us a summation to the kingdom of Judah through this devastating plague of locusts – he uses this analogy of the coming great and terrible Day of the LORD.

Then, he changes tenses here, talking about AFTER the Day of the LORD –

Friends, I’m not writing this to scare you half to death or be what I’ve been called before – a warmonger. And neither was the prophet Jo-El. He was there to try and wake people up out of their sleep and out of their drunken stupor and WARNING them of what is just over the horizon.

Verse 12 – “’ Now, therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ 13) So rend your heart, and not your garments; …” – the great majority of the people of this world do many things while they pray to show how pious they are – like wrenching their clothes, or reciting prayers while wearing a tallit prayer shawl, or flogging themselves, or thumbing through rosary beads and giving the sign of the beast. Almighty God wants us to rend our hearts – get down to the very inside of your spirit, that’s where God wants you!

“ … ‘Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.’”

Friends, Almighty God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ are not sitting upon Their thrones throwing lightning bolts at people – like the imaginative Zeus! What They desire is for us to repent – “’ But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles [in reverence] at My word’” – Isaiah 66:2 NKJV.

Verse 14 – “’ Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him – A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?’” – how do you know what is going to happen if you repent!?

Verse 15 – “’ Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 16) Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, …’” – national sin requires national repentance!

“ … ‘Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.’” – let’s gather the children and cancel the weddings – THIS IS A DIRE TIME!

Verse 17 – “’ Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, …’” – ‘PLEASE, O LORD, LET NOT THIS HAPPEN TO US!’

We beseech You Father God that You will save us, even though we’re rotten sinners and we deserve every bit of it – we need Your mercy and we need You to be slow to anger. Help us to turn to You and to rend our hearts.

In chapter 3 – the LORD our God says that He will eventually bring judgment upon this world – upon all the evil and vile people and nations. But, not until He has punished the nations of Israel – His own people. In the Book of Isaiah, the 11th chapter He says, “the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria” and other nations of the earth. It speaks of the nations of Israel being taken captive again – a great message of regathering Israel. Having Israel in one hand and Judah in the other, joining them together.

Again in the Book of Isaiah, the 66th chapter says, “And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. …”

Verse 1 – “’ For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2) I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.’” – now, this was something which happened anciently in 2nd Chronicles, the 20th chapter, where the nations of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan – who even today are modern-day combatants of Israel. Now, when the Israelites came across the Jordan River and entered into the Promised Land they annihilated all the Perizzites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, and the Hivites – and drove them out of the land. But, God wouldn’t let Israel invade the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir that came up against king Jehoshaphat – against Judah. These nations turned on each other. The LORD God had told His people, “’ Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’” And He says this here again –

“ … ‘ And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage ISRAEL, …’” – notice this. “ … ‘ Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.’” – here again, evidence that the LORD God is going to allow these nations to carry away the modern-day descendants of the kingdom of Israel wherever they are.

Now, friends, this next verse is most horrible to read – it speaks of using Israelites or Jews to pay harlots as payment. Or, if he wants a bottle of wine, he gives an Israelite as payment.

Down in verse 9 – “Proclaim this among the nations [the Gentile nations]: ‘Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. 10) Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’”

There’s coming a time when the nations of Israel – like the United States of America, the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth nations, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and even South Africa will be so weak that even the weakest nations upon the earth will be able to go against them militarily.

Verse 11 – “’ Assemble and come, all you nations [Gentile nations], And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. 12) Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.’”

This, friends is spoken of in the Book of Revelation as the ‘Battle at Armageddon’ (cf. Revelation 16:16) – where all these Gentile nations are going to come together trying to fight Jesus Christ at His coming – and, of course, God will annihilate them.

Verse 13 – “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. …” – and in my margin, I have written: “see Revelation, chapter 14.”

So, let’s hold our place here, and turn to the Book of Revelation, chapter 14.

Verse 14 – “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.” – like an agricultural implement, a reaper, a mower, harvesting grain crops, or cutting foliage.

Verse 15 – “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ 16) So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17) Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18) And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, …” – almost as if there are two different harvests here – wouldn’t you say!? Now, one of them Jesus said, “’ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” There is a harvest of the righteous people, but there’s also a harvest of the wicked.

“ … saying, ‘Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.’ 19) So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God [the seven last plagues].”

Verse 20 – “And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.” – talking about a blood-letting unlike anything seen upon this earth!

A great majority of people think that Jesus Christ is going to return as a very humble carpenter, with a humble pious soft-spoken voice – like Laverne Hooks in the 1984 Police Academy movie in which Lieutenant Harris asks her –

“What are you doing here?”
“I want to be a police officer,” she whispers.
“What!?”
“I want to be a police officer,” she whispers again, nearly inaudible.
“I can’t hear you!”
“I want to be a police officer,” she mouthed the words, silently.
“Don’t unpack.”

But, it talks about in the living word of God that Jesus Christ is going to slay the wicked! He is coming back to possibly kill millions if not hundreds of millions of people that are absolutely evil and vile.

God’s living word is plain describing the second coming of our LORD God Jesus Christ – ‘the wrath of Almighty God, the winepress trampled outside the city, blood coming out of the winepress up to the horses’ bridle’! Now, this, of course, is symbolic language of what Almighty God is going to do with millions upon millions of people who want to kill Him and His hosts of heaven - along with His saints.

Conclusion

Let’s quickly turn back to the Book of Joel –

“ … ‘Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow – For their wickedness is great.’” – this is the reason why.

Verse 14 – “’ Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15) The sun and moon will diminish their brightness.’” – speaking of the time frame. Recall, Jesus saying, “’ Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars [Satan and his demons being thrown out of the atmosphere] will fall from heaven, … Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, …’” – I covered this in the article “A ‘Secret Rapture’?”

Verse 16 – “’ The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.’”

What a glorious promise! What knowledge to possess to know that Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ are going to protect Their elect [the physical descendants of the children of Israel, cf. Matthew 24:22]!

Verse 17 – “’ So you shall know that I AM the LORD your God, …’”

Friends, God can and will protect His people, but that does not nullify the seriousness of this grave WARNING that lies within one of the smallest books of the entire Holy Bible. It carries one of the greatest warnings to all who will hear. I pray to God that our beloved nation will hear this warning, heed it, repent and rend their hearts – for Almighty God will surely hear. □

Bibliography: 

1 Oliver, L., “It could take three years for the US economy to recover from COVID-19” World Economic Forum, 30 March 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/economic-impact-covid-19/.
2 Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.R., Brown, D., Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary of the Whole Bible, Zondervan Publishing House, 1982, pp. 782.
3 Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Paradox Of Progress - “The Near Future: Tensions Are Rising” Global Trends. Retrieved 14 August 2020. https://www.dni.gov/index.php/global-trends/near-future.
4 Burns, E.M., Ralph, P.L., World Civilizations Fifth Edition Vol. 1, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., The Mesopotamian and Persian Civilizations Chapter 3, © 1974, pp. 55, 82.
5 Atkin, E., “The Troubling Failure of America’s Disaster Response” 17 July 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2020. https://newrepublic.com/article/149899/troubling-failure-americas-disaster-response.
6 Pariona, A., “Murder Rate By Country” World Atlas, 9 January 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/murder-rates-by-country.html.
7 Conflict and Environmental Observatory. “ISIL’s scorched earth policy in Iraq: options for its victims to be recognized under international law” 11 October 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2020. https://ceobs.org/isils-scorched-earth-policy-in-iraq/.