[Dispensationalism][Preliminary Considerations][The Church Age and the New Covenant][The New Covenant]
[The 70 Week Prophecy of Daniel][The Sealed Scroll][The Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church]
[The Rapture is Imminent][The Bridegroom Comes]
[The Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming are Two Separate Events]
[The Relationship Between the Church Saints and the Wrath of God]
[Distinction between the Church and Israel in Prophecy]

Dispensationalism is the understanding that throughout history, God has dealt with his people in different ways, and has provided different measures of his Truth. I believe that it is possible to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the work of God through an understanding of dispensationalism, and that for the Christian this offers unique insights. Most modern Christians have little or no experience with Judaism, which I feel is very unfortunate because the Bible is in a large part a history of those peoples, their relationship with God, and the derivation of Christianity from Judaism. We as Christians need to remind ourselves that Judaism is much older than Christianity dating back to the promises given to Abraham - and that Christianity's founder was Himself a Jew. Additionally, the Old Testament is in large measure a shadowing of the New Testament, Christ's ministry, and the mystery of the Church. Most Christians are aware that many of the events in Christ's life are foretold in the Old Testament; this will be dealt with later in this manuscript. But what most Christians are very unfamiliar with, the Feasts and Festivals of the Old Testament, are also a foreshadowing of Christ's first and second coming; evens in our past, and events yet in our future.

We are all interested in the future for if we could accurately predict the future we would know better how to live our present. Who doesn't have regrets of things they should have said or actions that should have been taken if only the future were known. God does know the future; he knows the number of hairs on our head and the number of days we have left to walk this earth. But even more importantly for purposes of this discussion is the fact that God has decided to reveal certain aspects of the future - which are still in our future. He hass done this for many reasons, not the least of which is so that we may prepare ourselves; keep ourselves pure and holy in the sure knowledge that He could come again at any time. This idea will also e discussed further in the manuscript. But perhaps one of the most important events in the future will be the Rapture of the Church - important for us believers because we will be intimately involved when (not if) this happens. The Church age (or dispensation) which began with the Ascension of Christ will end at the Rapture of the Church because it will be there that the Church will be taken off the earth to be with Christ. Those people who are left after the Church is taken will be left to face the full force and terror of the Tribulation, the anti-Christ, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, the last great war held at Armageddon, and the Second Coming of Christ where the sheep and the goats will be separated just prior to the initiation of the Millennium. These are all heady topics requiring intensive further study not just because they are interesting, or because we might revel to see the wicked finally punished, but because understanding these events of the end-times helps us to tie in Scripture that would otherwise be misunderstood at best, or probably not even understood at all. Understanding the end-times helps us to better appreciate the ancient Jewish festivals, and I believe at the end, have a better testimony as to the truthfulness of the Bible, develop a greater faith in the goodness of God, and come away with a better faith that everything is in the Lord's hands after all.

Preliminary Considerations

The Christian community is divided over the time course of events comprising the end-times, and many even doubt whether Christ will come again and whether the events described in Revelations and throughout the Bible pertaining to the end-times are real, or merely allegorical. My purpose in this manuscript is not to argue with these people, for this would probably be largely counterproductive. I am certainly not a theologian and quite frankly do not have the background to make cogent arguments with people who are. My purpose in writing this manuscript is to present what I believe to be the most likely order of events comprising the end-time which I believe is real, especially when combined with a knowledge of the Jewish feasts and festivals. I will try to present a logical argument that my expiation bears consideration and finally that the order of events outlined in this manuscript is the most likely order when all of Scripture is considered as a whole. Those who have wrestled with the Bible understand that real danger can occur and heresies result if the Bible is taken out of context, or if individual passages are not considered with the message of the Bible as a whole. I hope that I will be able to propose the most likely chain of events and lead those who are interested in these events to a clearer understanding and better appreciation of the Bible as a whole

.The Church Age and the New Covenant

We are currently living in the Church Age, which began with the birth of the Church at the Pentecost, and which continues to this minute. Naturally, we are most familiar with this age since we are currently living in it, but what we may not realize is that this current age is but one of many ages that have been unfolding since the Earth began. With the fall of humanity in the persons of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we became sinful - and as sinful beings, we could not ennter back into the presence of God. In God's wisdom, he from that point onward has slowly revealed Himself to mankind through progressive revelation and has made progressive covenants with humanity.  In this sense, one covenant does not negate an earlier one, but rather builds upon the former. There are several major covenants made between God and His people;

a.  The Abrahamic Promises.  The Lord told Abraham to leave his country with his family, and to go to a new country.  The Lord said, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;  will make your namegreat, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who less you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 13:1-3).  This promise is unconditional (Genesis 15).  The very nature of the events involved in this chapter of Genesis point to God's pledge of Himself alone to fulfill the covenant He made to Abraham and his people.  God alone was active in the ratification of this covenant; Abraham was asleep when the presence of God passed between the parts of the dead animals.
b.  The Land Covenant.  The promise of land for Israel is associated with Deuteronomy 30:3.  These promises seem conditional because of the conditional nature of the blessing and cursings section (Deut 27-30).
c.  The Davidic Covenant.  Just as it would be difficult to conceive of a nation without a land, it would be equally difficult to conceive of a nation without a King - especially during the days of ancient Israel.  The Davidic covenant confirms the provisions of a king, guaranteeing an eternal throne to the descendants of David.  An eternal throne would imply the presence of an eternal leader - Jesus, the descendant of David, would be that eternal ruler.  The Davidic covenant represents God's unilateral commitment to ensure the fulfillment of His promise of blessings to Abraham.

In order for Abraham's descendents to experience the blessings of God's kingdom, they would need to obey God (Deut. 27-30).  However, even a cursory reading of the Old Testament would indicate that this was anything but the case; the entire history of ancient Israel is marked by the continual pattern of their rejection of the promises of God for the pleasures and sins of their surrounding neighbors.  God would eventually judge them by sending them out of their land into captivity.  Subsequently, they would return, only to reject their Jesus as the true Messiah.  I believe that it is important to realize that the subsequent program of the Church does not mean the eternal rejection of Israel.  Romans 9-11 would seem to argue against this interpretation by speaking of a future for a redeemed Israel.  However, if obedience was necessary, and yet the entire history of Israel is marked by continued rejection of God's word, how would God's covenantal promises be fulfilled?

The New Covenant

The Old Testament and the New Covenant.  The "new covenant" is first discussed in the Old Testament,

"The time is coming," declares the Lord, "When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.  it will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord.  "This is the covenant i will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hears.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the Lord.  "For I will forgive their wickedness and w ill remember their sins no more."  (Jer. 31:31-34).

Thus, the new covenant would be different from the old, because in the newer relationship the people would have the law imprinted on their hearts - they would obey the law because they wanted to - and so receive the blessings of God.  Interestingly, there is no change in the laws of God; only in how they actually obey of them.

The entire chapter of Ezekiel 36 would further support a relationship between the new covenant and the Holy Spirit.  In Ezekiel 36, reference is made to the Spirit of God (v. 27), although since the term "new covenant" is not mentioned in Ezekiel 36, its connection with the new covenant of Jer. 31 is circumstantial.

The need for obedience on the part of the people in order to enjoy the promises of the kingdom give to Abraham gives the new covenant an important role.  It is the unilateral and unconditional covenant that guarantees, the grace of God and through the Holy Spirit, that the people will be obedient.  Thus, through these major covenants of the Old Testament, God has taken the responsibility upon Himself to provide the land, the leaders, and the obedient people.

The New Testament Writers and the New Covenant.  The term "new covenant" is specifically mentioned several times in the New Testament; in the synoptic gospels (Matt. 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20), in Paul's letters (Rom 11:27, 1 Cor 11:25, 2 Cor 3:6), and in the book of Hebrews.  Jesus spoke of a new covenant when he was with the apostles in the Upper Room where he celebrated the Passover feast with His disciples just before His crucifixion.  With their Old Testament background, these apostles would probably have understood the term "new covenant" to be referring to the new covenant as described in the Jeremiah text.  Luke 22:20 says the "cup" representing the new covenant in His Blood, is poured out, thereby identifying His death and the shedding of His blood as the ratification of the new covenant.

However, there is an eschatological sense to this message, for Christ then said, "For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (Luke 22:18), and "For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God" (Luke 22:16).  The new covenant was "cut" when Christ died on the cross; however, just because the covenant was made does not mean it is fully operational.  God made a covenant with Abraham concerning the land (Gen. 15) which has not yet been fulfilled.  Thus, there may or may not be a period of time between the making of a covenant and its complete fulfillment.

Paul also used the term "new covenant" with a similar eschatological sense.  Paul had great difficulty with the Corinthian Church in his day with respect to their celebration of the Lord's Supper.  Rather than using this occasion to express unity and Christian love toward one another, their behavior was promoting the opposite.  They were being judged for their behavior (1 Cor 11:30) because they failed to recognize the unity of the Body of Christ.  In order to help them understand the Lord's teaching, Paul recites for them the words Jesus spoke to the apostles in the upper room.  This quotation specifically identifies the breaking of the break as a memorial of His death for the believers ("for you"), but the cup represents the "new covenant" and is not specifically mentioned "for you" - although both the cup and the bread are to be used "in remembrance of Me."  Paul then identifies the eating of the bread (Jesus' death) and the drinking of the cup (the new covenant) with a retrospective outlook ("you proclaim the Lord's death") and prospective outlook (until he comes").

The passages of Ezekiel and Jeremiah to which we referred earlier portrays the Lord's people when they are transformed into an obedient people who will receive the blessings of God promised to Abraham and his descendants in the Old Testament.  This interpretation would also fit well with Paul's future emphasis in verse 26 of 1 Corinthian's 11 ("until he comes again").  Thus, the full fulfillment of the new covenant will occur during the Messianic Kingdom for Israel when they will be transformed into an obedient people who will then be able to receive the full blessings of God.

The new covenant has clearly not been fully realized in the church age.  We are not now receiving the full blessings of God because we are not completely faithful to His Word.  The New Testament clearly indicates that the lives of church saints are not reflecting obedience.  Paul's suggestion that the unnatural branches (the church saints who have been grafted into the Body of Christ) will be "cut off" if they fail to believe as Israel did in the Old Testament (Rom. 11:19-21) indicates a potential parallel between the Old Testament and that of the present age.  Such unbelief does not seem to be appropriate for those realizing the fulfillment of the new covenant as indicated in Jeremiah 31.  Furthermore, the Great Commission requires church believers to teach others about the Kingdom.  However, this requirement to "teach" does not seem to square with the new covenant's promise that they would not need to "teach" under its blessings (Jer. 31:34).  This would argue against anything more than a partial fulfillment of the new covenant in the present church age.  This may be why the writer of Hebrews fails to say that the new covenant is operational in the present church age, or that Christ is presently ministering as Melchizedekian High Priest in the church age.  All Hebrews specifically states is that we have "such a" High Priest (Heb. 8:1).

The new covenant is again referred to in Hebrews 10:16-17.  The author describes Jesus as having "made perfect forever those who are being made holy."  The emphasis on the work of Christ is related to making people perfect forever - implying a future time when the child of God is glorified and free from all sin.  At the present time, the children of God (believers in general) are being made justified (righteous) and are being sanctified, but the emphasis of Hebrews 10:16-17 relates to the "making perfect forever" - something that is clearly not presently happening.  This ties in well with the eschatological meaning Paul attaches to the new covenant as being something still in the future,

"And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.  And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins."  (Romans 11:26,27).

The final fulfillment of the new covenant mentioned in Jeremiah is still future for a redeemed and sanctified Jewish people to which the church has been grafted. Certainly, the present church saints are not obeying completely the commandments of God, and certainly there is a need for continual teaching among church members; we do not "all know him."  The new covenant is only partially fulfilled in our age waiting for a complete fulfillment in the Messianic Kingdom.  Members of the present church age can rest in the promises God has given for the church saints in Romans 8.  God does not change His unconditional unilateral promises to His people of any age; neither to the descendants of Jacob nor to believers in the church.

The 70-Week Prophecy of Daniel

This prophecy is one of the most difficult, contested, important and controversial passages in all of Scripture; yet, I believe it holds the key to understanding events in the past as they relate to the purposes of God and even more importantly for us, end-time events as they will relate to us. In order to understand this prophecy, I believe it is first necessary to understand the distinction between the Nation of Israel, and the Church, and then to understand when the Church began. Once these two concepts have been investigated, I will then present my concept of the Prophecy of Daniel.

a. Difference between Israel and the Church. The Lord did not forget Israel after the institution of Christianity - to do so would have been counter to his covenant with Abraham that established his ancestral relationship to a great people that He would never forget. Many Christians believe that with the betrayal of Christ, God has taken all the rights and privileges from the Jewish people and transferred them to his Church; however, I believe this is simply not so, and will try to differentiate the two peoples with respect to their fate in the future.

i. Israel is a nation, a distinct political entity with a distinct government, treaties with its neighbors, capital city, etc., whereas the church is not. The church is a loosely formed group of believes having no national boundaries but being all tied together in the Body of Christ. Since the time of the Diaspora, or dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the world, Israel has not only been comprised of the Nation of Israel, but also of those Jewish peoples living in other countries. However, the dispersed Jewish peoples still had a common ancestry going back to the Patriarchs, had common traditions, and had a common heritage. The church on the other hand has no common heritage, no common traditions, and certainly no common ancestry (except that we all are descended from Adam!).

ii. The two groups have had a different relationship with Christ. Christ came first to the Jewish people - he ministered primarily to them. Even though at first it seemed as though the Jewish Nation might accept Christ at His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, only a week later He was ultimately rejected as the mobs had called for his crucifixion and death. The church has instead received Christ as its Head and foundation.

iii. The Church was originally persecuted by Israel, also indicating they cannot be the same entities.

iv. The rules of membership into the church or into Israel are different. In order for a Gentile to be accepted in the community of Israel, he had to undergo circumcision and accept the rules and regulations of the Law. A Gentile was held in such reprobate by the ordinary Jew that he could not even enter into a Gentile's house. This was an extension of the Lord's command to the Jewish nation not to intermingle with non-Jews, and certainly not to inter-marry, thereby keeping the Jewish nation in existence. The Gentile, however, did not have these prohibitions; a Gentile could be in full fellowship within the Church; he does not have to become an Israelite to obtain membership (Eph. 2:13-16, 3:1-6).

v. Israel and the Church also differ with respect to each individual's relationship to God. The Lord looked upon the Nation of Israel as a whole for spiritual commitment, and not to individual members. All Israelites were subject to the regulations of the covenant whether they believed in them or not. If an Israelite was found to have committed adultery, for example, he was to be stoned irrespective of whether he was a believer in the covenant or not. When one man sinned, his sin reflected upon the entire nation of Israel and not just himself. Furthermore, regeneration and renewal was not required from the Israelites at Mt. Sinai in order to enter into the Mosaic Covenant, and future generations of Israelites would be bound to that covenantal relationship their ancestors took; there was no individual decision - no spiritual birth. The unbelievers were as much under the Mosaic Covenant and expected to abide by its regulations are were believers.

By contrast, the church - the true Body of Christ - consists only of saved, regenerated people. Luke spoke of this (Acts 2:47) when he stated that "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Additionally, Spirit baptism forms the church (1 Cor. 12:13), and Spirit baptism happens only to those who are saved. Since Spirit baptism only happens to those who are saved, and since Spirit baptism forms the church, the true Church of Christ has only saved people within it.

vi. The Bible never calls the Jewish believers of the Old Testament "the Church of God" in contrast to the believing Jews of the New Testament (1 Cor 10:32). The fact that the Scriptures describe the believing Jews as belonging to the Church of God, but does not describe the believing Jews of the Old Testament in like manner, the two Old Testament believing Jews belong to the nation of Israel, and the New Testament believing Jews belonging to the Church are implied to be different.

vii. The nation of Israel and the Church are different with respect to being recipients of the Lord's blessing. In Romans 11, Paul taught that in Old Testament times, Israel was the recipient of the Lord's blessing by virtue of their being His covenant people. However, in the New Testament, they rejected Christ through unbelief, and the Lord temporarily removed His blessing from Israel and has bestowed it on the Church. Thus in current times, the church is the recipient of the Lord's blessings whereas Israel is not, further substantiating the difference of the two peoples in the Lord's sight.

i. The Church consists of members who have been baptized with the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) and this did not occur until after Christ's Resurrection. John the Baptist clearly indicated that he was not the Messiah, and that he was not baptizing people with the Spirit (Lk 3:16). Jesus declared on the day of His ascension that His believers should stay in Jerusalem a few more days in order to receive baptism with the Spirit to which John referred (Acts 1:4-5), thus indicating that Spirit baptism had not begun during Christ's earthly ministry. Acts 2 then reveals that Spirit baptism began on the day of Pentecost, ten days after the Lord's ascension.

Therefore, we can draw the conclusion that since the Spirit baptism is necessary for the formation of the Church, and since Spirit baptism did not begin until the day of Pentecost, that the Day of Pentecost is the beginning of the Church.

The Holy Spirit has been working with believers in a new and different way since the Pentecost during the Church age. The Holy Spirit had been working in the affairs of man prior to the establishment of the Church (Gen. 6;3, Ex. 35:30-33, Num 11:26-30, 24:2), but after Pentecost the relationship would be different. Jesus promised on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles that believers would have rivers of living water flowing through their hearts (Jn. 7:37-38), which John interpreted as follows: "But this spoke he of the Spirit, whom they that believe on him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified' (Jn. 7:39). Jesus later explained that the Spirit would not come until He had left the earth (Jn. 16:7), but that after He returned to the Father, the Father would send the Holy Spirit to His people (Jn. 14:2-4, 16-17,26, 16:12-16).

ii. Paul notes in Ephesians 3 that the establishment of the Church is a "mystery". Concerning the meaning of the term "mystery", Arndt and Gingrich (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 655) describe the term: "the secret thoughts, plans, and dispensations of God which are hidden fr. the human reason, as well as fr. all other comprehension below the divine level, and hence must be revealed to those for whom they are intended." Paul indicates that this mystery is the Church (Col. 1:18, 24-27). Paul notes that this mystery of the Church had been known by God from eternity and was a part of His eternal plan (Eph.l 3:9-11), had been kept hidden from mankind prior to its establishment (Eph. 3:4-5,9), but was now being "made manifest to the saints." (Col. 1:26). The reason for the establishment of the Church was so that God might show "unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." (Eph 3:8-10). Thus, there were certain aspects of God's purpose that were not made known even to the angels. The formation of the Church was the expression of divine wisdom that woul bring together the peaceful co-existence of previously implacable enemies such as believing Jews and Gentiles into one body.

iii. The union of believing Jews and Gentiles into one body is further emphasized by Paul in Eph. 2:13-16 where he notes that the Gentiles who previously were not a part of the Israelite nation have now been brought near to God "by the blood of Christ" (v. 13) and that Christ has become the peacemaker between the believing Jew and the Gentile (v. 14). Thus, the previously existing enmity that existed between these two groups could now be overcome. The division between the two has been broken and the union of the two has bade a new entity, a "new man" of Jew and Gentile. What this verse makes clear is that the formation of the church occurred after Christ's death (shedding of blood), and that the result of this union, the church, was something "new" that was not previously known. In the same vein in another passage, Paul notes that the church came into existence after it had been purchased with Christ's "own blood" (Acts 20:28). This seems to indicate that prior to Christ's death, He did not own the church because it had not yet been acquired; it had not yet come into existence.

iv. Paul presents the building of the church using a building metaphor, and states that Gentiles are no longer strangers to the house of God (as they were before the establishment of the Church) (Eph. 2:19-22), but now are members of the "household of God" (Eph. 2:10); the household of God being identified with the Church (1 Tim. 3:15). This church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (v. 20) with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone.

v. Christ first came to Israel, presenting Himself as the Messiah John 10:24-25), the one who would set up the promised theocratic kingdom (Lk 7:19-22, John 10:25, 12:27, 20:30-31), and had commissioned His apostles to preach the kingdom only to the people of Israel (Mt. 10:1-8). However, in Matthew 12, the religious leaders clearly rejected His claim as Messiah and began to plot His death. A little later in Matthew 16:13-14, the apostles reported that the people also did not recognize Him as their Messiah, but perhaps as John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another religious leader. Because of this rejection, Christ tells his apostles in Matthew 16 that there would be three clear changes. First, "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how he must ... be killed, and be raised again the third day." This was apparently a new message that had not yet been shared with the apostles as judged by their reaction. Jesus was telling his followers that instead of establishing the theocratic kingdom on earth, he would be killed. The second change was that from that time forward the apostles "should tell no man" that He was the Messiah (v. 20). Previously, the apostles were commissioned to tell Israel that Christ was the Messiah (Jn. 1:41), but now they were clearly forbidden to do so. Finally, Christ revealed that since Israel had rejected them as the Messiah, He would not set up the theocratic kingdom in the near future; rather, he would do something different - he would build a new "ekklesia," or church that would be uniquely related to Him ("my church"). Since Israel had refused to recognize Christ as the Messiah, he would build up another group of people who would follow Him.

vi. Paul indicates that the church could not have existed before the resurrection of Christ. In Eph. 1:20-23, Paul indicates that after Christ had ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of God, he was given the position as Head of the church. Since this occurred after Christ's ascension to heaven, the church could not have existed previously.

c. Daniel was a prophet living with Israel during the Babylonian captivity. In response to Daniel's concern about the future of Israel, God sent the angel Gabriel to deliver His answer, and is recorded in Daniel 9:24-27. In order to understand this great prophecy, several significant facts must first be considered.

i. The prophecy involved seventy weeks, or 490 days (v. 24). The first problem in understanding this prophecy is to determine the unit of time involved. A year time period would have been very meaningful to Israel; the Lord divided up the calendar into seven year periods with the seventh year being a sabbatical year (Lev. 25:3-9). The Jubilee Year would be seven sevens of years plus one (50 years), and the Babylonia Captivity would last for 70 years because Israel had violated 70 sabbatical years over the course of 490 years of existence (Lev. 26:34-35, 2 Chr. 36:21). Therefore, it is probable that the unit of time being considered in this verse is the year, indicating that the time period of the prophecy would be 490 years.

ii. This prophecy was made by Daniel for the people of Israel. Since we have previously noted, the Church was not in existence at this time and is separate and distince from the Church, these prophesies are not directly related to the Church.

iii. The prophecy indicates that the time from the prophecy until the Messiah, the Prince, would be 69 weeks, or 483 years. Therefore, 483 years after the prophecy to Daniel was given, the Messiah would be present in the world. Zechariah 9:9 indicates that Israel could identify the Messiah as their King by the fact that He would present himself mounted on a donkey. Therefore, it is quite possible that Daniel's prophecy indicates that 483 years after the prophecy was given, the Messiah would present himself to Israel as the Prince of Peace entering Jerusalem mounted on a donkey. In fact, Christ did present Himself to Jerusalem in this manner on what is now known as Palm Sunday. Some of the crowd did recognize him as "King" (Lk. 19:37-38). Jesus indicates that this was a very special presentation when he warned Jerusalem that it would be destroyed by enemy forces "because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation: (Lk. 19:41-44). Indeed, in 70 AD, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans under Titus. Finally, Daniel's prophecy indicates that the people would reject their Messiah after this visitation, and that he would be "cut off" (vv. 25-26). The term "cut off" was used for the death penalty (Lev. 7:20-21, 25, 27) and even a violent death (1 Sam 17:51; Obad 9; Nah 3:15) (Edward J. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970, p. 206). Thus, taken in totality, the prophecy indicates that 483 years after the prophecy was given, the Messiah would present Himself to Israel; however, he would be rejected by the people and killed - probably violently. History records that Christ was indeed rejected by His people after entering Jerusalem on a donkey, and that he was crucified less than one week later.

iv. The Church was not in existence during these first 483 years; as we have established previously, the church was established nearly two months after the death of Christ at the Pentecost (Acts 2). Therefore, the first 69 weeks of the Daniel Prophecy related only to Israel, and not to the Church.

v. The next significant fact is that God has temporarily interrupted his 70 week timetable after the 69th week which ended with the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem on a donkey. The time for re-initiation of the timetable with the start of the final, 70th week is still in the future indicating that this gap period is now approaching 2000 years. During this gap, the church was established and the world is being evangelized; we are currently living in this gap period. This gap period is understood in three contexts. First, the prophecy indicates that the abomination of desolation will occur during this 70 week time period during the 70th week. Jesus indicated that this abomination of desolation would occur just prior to his Second Coming immediately after the Great Tribulation. Since Christ has not yet returned, the abomination of desolation must still be in the future and a gap must have occurred. A second consideration is that the prophecy indicates that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed within the 70 week or 490 years of the prophecy. Had there been no gap after the 69th week, then the destruction of Jerusalem would have to occur about 7 years after Christ's death, or during the 30s AD. However, history indicates that the destruction of Jerusalem did not occur until 70 AD; therefore, there must be a gap. Finally, it should be remembered that it is not unusual for a gap to be present between fulfillment of a given prophecy. For example, Isaiah 9:6 says "For unto us a child is born" (referring of course to the birth of Christ during his First Coming", and "the government shall be upon his shoulder" (referring to the theocratic Kingdom that will be established during the Millennium after His Second Coming. As another example, Zechariah 9:9-10 states "behold, thy King cometh unto thee ... lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass" (naturally referring to Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem during His First Coming), and "his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth" (which refers again to the theocratic Kingdom that will be established after His Second Coming).

vi. We can infer that since Daniel's 70 week prophecy was delivered to Israel (and not the Church), and since the Church and Israel are separate entities with separate destinies, that the following construct can be reasonably made: during the 483 years after the prophecy God was dealing with Israel: during the gap in which we now live, God is dealing primarily with the Church; after the gap is over and the Great Tribulation of the 70th week begins, God will again be dealing primarily with Israel. If God did not intend to keep the two groups separate, why didn't he establish the Church during the first 483 years? The final inference, which will be developed more completely shortly, is that God will remove the church during the final, 70th week program when he deals with Israel and Jerusalem.

The Sealed Scroll

One of the most enduring features of prophecy and probably one of the least understood is the figure of the sealed scroll indicated in Rev. 5.  Chapter 1 of the Book of Revelation contains John's records of the things which he had seen (including the glorified Christ).  Chapters 2 and 3 presents the things that are currently in existence - the Church age.  Finally, Chapters 4 through 22 indicate the things which are to come.

In this regard, Chapters 4 and 5 represent the beginnings of future prophecy in Revelations.  They serve as the introduction and lay the foundations for the rest of the book. These future events are to show seven principals:

a.    The holiness of God.  All throughout Revelations we see God in His throne; the power of God is one of the central themes of Revelation.  The four Cherubim repeat, "Holy, Holy, Holy" as they worship God at His throne.  Satan rebelled against God by asserting that He could be like God by saying, "I will be like the Most High" (Isa 14:14).

b.    God's eternality.  God is eternal - outside of time.  If God were not eternal, then he would not be all-powerful for He would be controlled by time just as are we.  God is the one "who was, and is, and is to come (Rev. 4:8) and "that liveth forever and ever (Rev. 4:10).  God's eternality indicates that He has no beginning, and will have no end.  His eternality is one of His attributes that makes Him Holy (different or unique) from any other object in creation.

c.    God created all things.  God is the creator of everything (Rev. 4:11) - including as we have alluded, time.  There is nothing that is that was not made by God.  Furthermore, all things were made for God's own benefit or purpose, and everything that happens in the Universe happens with His approval.

d.    God rules all Creation.  God's throne is mentioned 17 times in Revelation; an indication of His rule.  Also, the two doxologies in 4:11 and 5:13 use two words to ascribe great power to God.  One of the words "is designed to stress the power of God which none can withstand and hwich is sovereign over all."  (Wilhelm Michaelis, "kratos," Theological Dictionary of the new Testament, Vol III, Grand Rapids, Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965, p. 907).  The other words is used to express "the hope and longing that God will demonstrate His power in a last great conflict, destroying His opponents and saving those who belong to Him.  Thus, the righteous wait for God to reveal Himself in His power and definitely to establish His dominion."  (Walter Grundman, "dunamis," Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol II., Grand Rapids, Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965, p. 295).  Rev. 4:11 states that God is worthy of all praise and glory because He created "all things" that have been created, and He created them for His own benefit and purpose.

e.    God is the Redeemer of all mankind.  God is the Redeemer as demonstrated through His portrayal as a Lamb in Rev. 5:6, 8-9, 12-13.

f.     The Redeemer alone is worthy.  The Redeemer is worthy to read the sealed book because His redemptive work through His death.

g.    The Redeemer can exercise God's full ruling power.  He can exercise this power as He alone is worthy.

Rev. 5 is clearly an important chapter because it primarily deals with the reading of a sealed scroll.  The symbolism behind this scroll escapes most modern readers, as they assume this scroll is just that - only a piece of paper with important writings apparently written upon it.  However, there is much more that can be gleaned from this chapter in Revelations by knowing something more about the Bible, and ancient Jewish customs.  Clearly, the scroll is very important because John wept when no one was found worthy to read from the scroll.  This means that the scroll must be very holy in some way, and that only somebody who is very worthy can hope to read from it.  The concept of the sealed scroll also tie together the seven attributes of God detailed in Rev. 4 and 5, linking them together with future events in Rev. 6 through 22.  What transpires is that only the Redeemer of mankind is worthy enough to open the seals and read from the scroll.

God's Program for Land Redemption in Israel.  God is the owner of the Universe, and only loans out land and our possessions for our use while on the earth to use for His purposes.  In Lev. 25:23, God declares that "The land is mine" - God is the ultimate owner of everything.  When we die, we might pass tenantship of our possessions to others, but God is the ultimate owner.

God gave Israel the Promised Land to possess as an inheritance forever (Gen 13;15, 15:17, Dt. 19:14, Josh. 1:2).  Because the Israelites were not the ultimate owners of the land, they could not view themselves as sole owners and were not able to buy or sell their land to anybody they pleased.  This was similar to the owner - feudal tenant relationship that would become so apparent during the Middle Ages in Europe; God was the ultimate land owner, and his chosen people were only to live as tenants upon the land.

"Each family, or perhaps each individual, recognized the suzerainty of Yahweh and acknowledged themselves his vassals.  The whole relationship harmonized well with the concept of God as the owner of the land and the people as his feudal tenants."  (Judah David Eisenstein, "Sabbatical Year and Jubilee,"  The Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. X., New York: Funk and Wagnals, 1905, p. 605).

In as much as the land was Yahweh's land, the portion held by an Israelite was inalienable ... an individual Israelite received his portion by inheritance.  There was no other legal method devised whereby he might come into permanent possession of landed property, and there was therefore no proper way in which to dispose of property except to apportion it to his legal heirs.  Stephen Herbert Best, Systems of Land Tenant in Ancient Israel, p. 98).

If an Israelite became destitute so that he was forced to sell a portion of the land, he would not be permanently selling the land.  Rather, he could only legally sell the tenant possession or administration of the land - and then only for a temporary period of time.  To prevent the sale of tenant possession of property from being permanent, the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:28).  The year of Jubilee was every 50 years - the year following the seventh sabbatical year) in religious Israel's calendar system (Lev. 25:8-10).  The significance of this year is explained below,

'The Jubilee year was mainly instituted in order to prevent violent changes in the tenure of lands.  The land, the law declares, properly belongs to YHWH, who is sole landlord, while all the Israelites are but his tenants.  Therefore, the land must not be sold in perpetuity.  It may be leased, or its crops may be sold; but in the Jubilee year the land returns to its original owner." (Max L. Margolis, The Jewish Encyclopedia, p. 241).

Tenant Possession Cannot be Sold Outside the Original Tribe.  Not only was it important that the tenant possession of property revert back to its original owner every 50 years, it was also important that this same tenant possession could not be sold to anybody outside of of the original owner's tribe - let alone to anybody outside of Israel.  God commanded, "Neither shall the inheritance be transferred from one tribe to another tribe, but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.'  (Num. 36:9).

The purpose of this law is to be sure that land which was originally allotted to one tribe did not pass into possession of another tribe.  The land possessed by a tribe should be that tribe's forever.  Also, if a man died, the land would pass to a member of his family - and could not be transferred outside of the family - again, so that tenant possession would not pass outside of a given tribe.

A particular problem might arise when land passed to a man's daughters upon his death.  If a man's tenant possession were given to his daughter, and then his daughter married outside of the tribe, then her sons who would belong to the other tribe would inherit her possessions.  Thus, the property would pass from one tribe to another.  To prevent this from happening, God established another regulation in Num. 36:5-9 concerning the daughters of Zelophahad as explained below,

"In order to prevent the transfer of land in this way from one tribe to another, the daughters of Zelophahad (and other brotherless heirs) were instructed that they might marry only within their own tribe.  Every effort was to be made to see that every parcel of ground remain forever in the tribe (and perhaps clan) to which it was originally apportioned."  (Stephen Herbert Bess, Systems of Land Tenure in Ancient Israel, p. 67).

The Principal of Redemption. God commanded, "And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land." (Lev. 25:24).  If a man was forced to sell his tenant possession, it could be gotten back for that man by the principal of redemption.  He had the right to redeem it back at any time prior to the year of Jubilee if he could.  Alternatively, a close relative of the man had the duty and obligation to buy that land back for the man if he could, prior to the year of Jubilee. this right of redemption was another means to keep land within the original tribe to which it was given.

The price of redemption was also fixed, presumably so the new owner could not just ask what he knew the man or his relative could pay.  The price was, "the sum of money equivalent to the rent for the years the lease was yet supposed to run, namely, until the jubilee."  (Lev. 25:27).

If the land was redeemed by a man's relative, the land would not revert to the man immediately, but would continue in the possession of the redeemer until the year of Jubilee.  As Bess notes,

"Redemption of the land was not a sentimental regulation that the kinsman should assist the needy by preserving the property for his less fortunate relative.  The redeemer took the land into his own possession and used it for his own ends.  The purpose that was served by the redemption was the retention of the land within the tribe and family.  The land did not return to the hands of him who sold it until the jubilee, even when it was redeemed by a kinsman."  (Stephen Hervert Bess, Systems of Land Tenure in Ancient Israel, p. 80).

The Deep of Purchase.  When Jeremiah redeemed the land for his cousin, two copies of the deed of purchase were made to testify to the fact that Jeremiah now temporarily owned tenant possession.  Jeremiah then signed and sealed one of the copies of the scroll shut and had witnesses sign the copy apparently on the outside.  Concerning this practice,

"For the matter of writing the contract, he who was to buy the ground wrote two instruments; the one to be sealed with his own signet, the other he showed unclosed to the witnesses, that they might subscribe and bear witness of that which was written.  This, the witnesses did subscribe upon the back of the enclosed instrument."  (Weemse on the Judicial Law of Moses, Chapter 30, The Apocalypse, New York, 1913, vol I. p. 273).

Thus, the redeemer kinsman had two responsibilities regarding the purchased tenant ownership.  First, he had to pay the actual price in order to purchase tenant ownership, and second, he had to take actual physical possession of the land.  Sometimes when the purchaser could not physically take possession of tenant ownership, squatters might occupy the land.  Sometimes, these squatters had to be removed by actual physical force before the redeemer could take possession of the land.  Bullinger noted,

"But the payment of the price is only one part of the work of redemption.  If the price he paid and there be no power to take possession and eject the holder the payment is in vain.  And if power be put forth and exercised in casting out the usurper, without the previous payment for the redemption price, it would not be a righteous act.  So that for the redemption of the forfeited inheritance two things are absolutely necessary, price and power."  (E.W. Bullinger, The Apocalypse, or "The Day of the Lord", London, 1935, p. 243).

"The earth and all things in it were originally given to Adam and his posterity for a possession.  This primeval grant is contained in the first chapter of Genesis (v. 28) ... Here, then, we have man's original title-deed to the possession of the earth.  It was given him by God himself, and is recorded in the very commencement of his Word.'  (Alfred Jenour, Rationale Apocalypticum, London, 1852, Vol 1, pp. 203-204).

Israel temporarily lost its tenant ownership of the land when they were brought into captivity, first to the Assyrians, then to the Babylonians, and finally to the Romans as Titus put down the Jewish rebellion, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.  Mankind has also lost its tenant possession over the earth to Satan at the time of the Fall.  Because mankind, represented by Adam, freely chose to follow Satan rather than God, he lost tenant ownership of the land to Satan.  Make no mistake; God still owns the earth, only the tenant possession has fallen to Satan (Gen. 3).  Because Satan has tenant ownership of the earth, he was free to offer Jesus all the power and glory the earth has to offer (Luke 4:5-6).  Jesus called Satan the "prince of the world" (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11), and Paul called him the "god of this age" (2 Cor 4:4).

The earth has become cursed and defiled because mankind forfeited their God-given tenant ownership of the land (Isaiah 24:5-6).  Creation was made subject to vanity, corruption, groaning, and awaits the time when it will be released from this curse and defilement (Romans 8:19-21).  Concerning the forfeiture of tenant ownership of the earth by mankind, Jenour said,

"Thus, then, the earth from the moment of Adam's transgression must have become, in respect to man, a forfeited inheritance.  And this is in fact everywhere implied --- It is implied in the promise to  Christ, to whom God says, "Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."  It is obvious from hence that the inheritance had been forfeited, otherwise the mention of a new heirship would be inappropriate. God having given the world to Adam in the first instance would certainly not have spoken of another heir; had not he to whom it was originally made over lost his title to it.  We have, therefore, scriptural authority for asserting that the earth is to be regarded in the light of a forfeited or alienated inheritance."  (Alfred Jenour, Rationale Apocalypticum, London, 1852, pp. 204-205).

Matthew indicates that in the future, there would be a "regeneration" that would take place "when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory."  (Mat. 19:28).  This suggests a return of the earth to its original tenant owners by Christ.  Thus, when Christ comes back to rule the earth in a theocratic government after the Great Tribulation, He will function as the Kinsman-Redeemer for mankind and will restore tenant ownership tack to mankind.  The first Adam lost this inheritance to Satan with disobedience, and Christ - the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45) will restore this ownership.  This was also foreseen by Peter (Acts 3:19-21) when he declared that there would be "times of refreshing' and "the times of restitution of all things" when Christ comes back to personally rule over the earth.  Arndt and Gingrich noted that the word "times" in the phrase "the times of refreshing" is "one of the chief eschatologic terms" and that the expression refers to the Messianic Age.  (Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 396).  Albrecht Oepke wrote that the term "restitution",

"cannot denote the conversion of persons but only the reconstitution or establishment of things.  For the concept of restoration, which is so strong in the term, does not strictly refer to the content of the prophetic promise, but to the relations of which it speaks.  These are restored, i.e., brought back to the integrity of creation, while the promise itself is established or fulfilled."  (Albrecht Oepke, "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1964, p. 391).

It would seem that the "restoration of all things" will concern the future Messianic Age (the Millennium) that Christ will establish upon His return.  Christ will at that time redeem the earth by restoring the original nature of things that were in place at the time of creation.  This restoration will include the restoration of man's tenant possession of the land, plus the removal of the defilement of nature and the curse placed upon the land after Adam's rebellion.

The Price of Redemption.  The Israelite kinsman-redeemer was required to pay a price for the redemption of land from another individual - it was not free.  Similarly, Chrrist, the Kinsman-Redeemer of mankind also had to pay a price for the lost inheritance of His relative - mankind - for their tenant possession of the eaarth.  The price that He paid was extreme - His life, the shedding of His blood paid the ultimate price for us (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14, 1 Pet. 1:18-19, Ref. 5:9).

The Kinsman-Redeemer's Keeping of the Land.  In ancient Israel, when the land was redeemed by the kinsman, he would retain tenant ownership of the land for his personal use until the year of Jubilee when it would pass to its original ownership.  Similarly, although Christ paid with His life for tenant ownership of the earth at the time of the crucifixion, He did not return tenant ownership of the land to mankind.  Rather, he will retain ownership of the land and administer it for God's purposes (Rev. 11:15).  Christ "shall be kind over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one."  (Zech. 14;9).

The Deed of Purchase.  In light of the many apparent parallels between Christ's redemption of the earth as our Kinsman-Redeemer, that the sealed scroll in Rev. 5 represents the deed of purchase for mankind's tenant possession of hte land that was paid for with Christ's blood.  The fact that the sealed scroll of Rev. 5 had writing on it both on the inside and outside in the same manner as the scroll alluded to early in Jeremiah, and also to other deeds in the Israelite system of land redemption seems to support this notion.  Joseph A. Seiss wrote,

"This again tends to identify it with these books of forfeited inheritances.  Within were the specifications of the forfeiture; without were the names and attestations of the witnesses; for this is the manner in which these documents were attested."  (Joseph A. Seiss, The Apocalypse, Vol. 1, p. 202).

"Provision has accordingly been made, not merely for the salvation of man, but for the recovery of his lost inheritance.  The redemption price has been duly paid; and "the evidence of the purchase," represented by the expressive symbol of the sealed book, is exhibited in this vision as in the Divine possession; its formal production at length taking place, because now, "He whose right it is," is coming forth to assert it."  (James Kelly, The Apocalypse Interpreted, Vol. 1, p. 289).

The Two Responsibilities of the Kinsman-Redeemer  We have previously noted that in the Israelite system, a kinsman redeemer had two responsibilities; first, he redeemer had to pay a fair price for the land he was redeemer for his kin, and second, he must take actual possession of the land and exercise administrative control over it until the year of Jubilee - at which time it would revert back to its original owner.  Similarly, Christ had to pay the redemptive price for the world with His blood, and after He had obtained that right, He next must take physical possession of the earth as its rightful tenant owner.

Several titles of Christ presented in Rev. 5:5-6 also relate to Christ's role as the Kinsman-Redeemer.  These are presented as follows:

a.  The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.  The "lion" has always been a symbol of power, royalty, and leadership.  Thus, Christ the lion has power to rule.  This attribute is further expanded by pairing the lion with the "tribe of Judah."  This tribe has historically been associated as the ruling tribe of Israel, having power to defeat its enemies (2 Sam 22:4).  The tribe has the right to rule, and this rule would ultimately culminate in a descendent of Judah - the Messiah.  Thus, this attribute of Christ as the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" identifies it as the tribe that would rule, and this identity is applied to the Messiah as the one who would also rule - the one who would eventually defeat Satan and his followers, defeating them from their possession of the earth.

b.  The Root of Jesse.  Jesse was the father of David, and hence one of the ancestors of Christ.  This curious allusion to a tree root is one that might require some explanation.  The central idea comes from Scripture, "From the root a fallen tree can renew itself and put forth fresh shoots," (Job. 14:7-9).  Thus, Israel is the tree, and when Israel in general and Judah in particular were with the Lord, the nation experienced great glory and peace.  However, when it became corrupted, and when it was ruled with corrupt kings the tree was "cut down" by conquering armies and the nation fell on very hard times for many, many years.  The stump of this royal family of David will eventually spring to life again when its King (the Messiah) comes forth from it to rule the nation.  This event is still in the future, as during the first coming, Christ did not rule as King, but rather served as a Servant.  "From the pitiable remnant of the house of Jesse there will come forth, as from the remaining stump of a tree, a new shoot which will establish the coming kingdom of peace and righteousness.'  (Christian Maurer, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968, p. 986).

c.  The Lamb that was Slain.  This is the third title that is given to Christ, and is probably the most familiar to most people.  However, in this context, it also conveys the thought that Christ paid the necessary price as Kinsman-Redeemer, and therefore will eventually be given tenant ownership of the earth back from its current squatters.  Christ has paid the price, and so has satisfied already His first responsibility as Kinsman-Redeemer.  In Rev. 5, Christ will fulfill His second responsibility and take back what is rightfully His.

Rev. 5:6 further portrays the Lamb that was Slain as having seven horns - certainly an image foreign to many.&nnbsp; However, understanding of this symbolism again requires an understanding of Scripture and Jewish tradition.  In Judaism, the number "seven" connotes completeness, and the growing of "horns" on lambs denotes their growing power.  Thus, the seven horns on the Lamb indicates His complete power.  As the slain Lamb of God who paid the ultimate price of redemption, Christ now has the fullness of power necessary to crush his opposition and retake what is rightfully His.

This unusual coupling of a lamb - a docile animal, and seven horns is rather paradoxical,

"Here is the great paradox: the Lamb bears the sacrificial wounds upon it and at the same time it is clothed with the every might of God which can now shatter and break its enemies.  The Lamb has seven horns; we have already seen that the number seven stands for completeness and perfection; the power of the lamb is perfect, bull, complete, beyond understanding."  (William Barclay, he Revelation of John, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press, 1960, p. 217).

The righteous believer will also participate at the redemption of the earth at this future time.  Those people who have been redeemed by Christ's blood - the saved - "shall reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:9-11).  It is important to recognize that this will take place after Christ has served as Kinsman-Redeemer and taken tenant ownership of the land.  The redeemed at that time will reign upon the earth as Christ's emissaries.  One significance of this phrase is that we are not now reigning upon the earth because it is in tenant possession of the enemy.  It will only be in the future when Christ opens the seven seals of the scroll (as in the days of Jeremiah), and exercises His authority which only He alone possesses, that we can reign with Him over the earth.  As Jenour notes,

"Now, why does the ransomed Church in celebrating the praises of its Redeemer, and declaring his worthiness to open the book, add, at the close of its doxology, "and we shall reign upon the earth<" but because the redemption wrought out has reference to the earth, and its restoration to its original possessor?  And what makes this the more striking is, the use of the future tense in regard to this anticipated dominion over the earth.  It is not said, we reign, but we shall reign; i.e., when thou has opened the sealed covenant deed, and fully established thy right to the purchased possession, and hast put all opposing enemies under thy feet, then shall we reign with thee upon the earth."  (Alfred Jenour, Rational Apocalypticum, Vol. 1, pp. 211-212).

Thus, Christ has power to take tenant possession of the earth from Satan due to his redemptive work on the Cross.  But, Rev. 5:11-13 also note that Christ received power to to crush Satan and his forces when He takes possession of the world as tenant possessor.  Thus, in summary, Christ has authority by virtue of his redemptive work on the cross not only to take  tenant possession of the earth from Satan, but also to banish Satan and his forces from the earth.  This will occur prior to establishment of the Messianic kingdom and partially explains why this kingdom will be as peaceful as laid out in Scripture.

The Significance of Christ's Actions in Breaking the Seals of the Scroll.  When Christ takes possession of the scroll,  there will be massive expressions of praise and adoration from those present (Rev. 5:7-14).  These responses indicate that this action must have tremendous significance.  As we have seen in discussing the use of such a scroll in ancient Egypt, the scroll became especially important when the tenant possessor of the land had not actually been in physical possession of the land for an extended period of time.  Such would be the case with Jeremiah, and such will be the case with Christ; both would travel to a far away land before taking actual physical possession of the land to which they had tenant possession.  Christ received the ability to take tenant ownership of the land when He died on the Cross and thereby paid for this right.  However, Christ will not exercise this right and take actual tenant ownership of the land until some future time when He opens the seven seals of the scroll.  Thus, the scroll takes additional significance in proving Christ's right and authority to take ownership of the earth.

However, this redemptive work by Christ in taking back tenant possession of the earth will not be without protest.  Satan and his forces will issue their challenge as the time of Christ's Second Coming draws near - during the Great Tribulation.  TThis challenge will involve strong, deceptive, and particularly violent actions against everything bearing the name of Christ.  They will put to death many of the witnesses for Christ, trying to silence their faith and reduce their influence.  Christ will not stop the work of Satan until the nation of Israel repents (Zech. 13-14, Mt. 24:15-16, Rev. 12:7-17); therefore, Satan will use this opportunity to try to keep Israel from hearing the message of Christ and rob Christ of His ability to take over the earth.  Finally, Satan will try to absolutely destroy Israel so that it will be unable to repent - it will be annihilated.  This will result in he final Battle of Armageddon that will directly pit Satan and his allies against Christ and His forces.  This will be Satan's final, all-out battle against Christianity in an attempt to hold on to his tenant possession of the earth.  This direct challenge to Christ will prompt Him to provide proof that He has the ultimate right to the earth by virtue of his being mankind's Kinsman-Redeemer.  Christ will take the sealed deed to the earth from its secure place from God's right hand, breaking the seven seals, opening it, and looking at its contents.  It will be at this time that Christ will defeat the combined forces of Satan, and finally take tenant possession of what is rightfully His.

The Breaking of the Seals.  Christ is the only one who has authority to break the seals to the deed; he along has that authority as Kinsman-Redeemer of mankind.  Christ alone has paid the price.  It is Christ who, through breaking of these seals, sets into motion the great events that will take place during the Great Tribulation,

"The strong angel's challenge to find some one worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals was much more than to ask for some one capable of revealing the world's fate.  The demand as for one able not only to disclose God's plan, but to set it in motion, accomplish it, bring it to pass ... This is clearly implied in the song of praise, when at last the Lamb accepts the challenge and takes the scroll ... That is why John is careful to note in chaps. vi-viii, that the enactment of the last things is performed through the Lamb.  One by one, He opens the seals, and as each is broken, so God's plan is wrought."  (Martin Kiddle, The Revelation of St. John (New York, p. 96).

Rev. 8-18 indicate the events that will occur as these seven seals are broken.  The breaking of the seventh seal will contain the seven trumpet and seven bowl judgments.  By the time Christ has broken all these seals of the Rev. 5 scroll, He will instigate the bombardment of Satan's stronghold.  Christ will then read the contents of the scroll which will contain conclusive proof that Christ is the rightful tenant owner of the earth, and has the right to evict Satan and his forces.  This will occur just prior to the actual physical Second Coming of Christ with His forces to take physical possession of the earth.  It will be at this time that Christ will fulfill Psalms 2 when it says, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou salt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."  (Psalms 2:9).

The Pretribulational Rapture of the Church

The Concept of the Rapture

The rapture is an event that will start the timetable clock of Daniel ticking again; it will be the first great event that will usher in the rest of the end-times events. The Rapture itself comes from the Latin verb "rapto" which means "to seize and carry off" and relates to 1 Thessalonians 4:17 which states that the church will e "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air. Other theologians have called this event "the Translation" from the Latin word "translation" meaning to "transport" because Christ will transport the church from one location (the earth) to another location (heaven) at that time.

The concept of a rapture should not be new to Christians, because it is not unique and has happened already in Biblical history. Enoch and Elijah were both taken up from the earth to heaven without first dying (Gen 5:24, Heb. 11:5, 2 Ki. 2:1, 11), Jesus Christ ascended from the earth to heaven after his death and resurrection (Mk 16:19, Acts 1:9-11, Rev. 12:5), and when Paul described the rapture of a man (probably Paul himself) to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2-4). Paul uses the same verb in 2 Cor. to describe this journey as is used in Rev 12:5 for the Lord's ascension, and in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 for the Rapture of the Church.

There are three key passages in the Bible that deal with the Rapture: John 14:1-3, 1 Cor. 15:51-53, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Taken together, these passages describe the following events; (a) Christ will descend with a should and a trumpet blast from heaven to the air above the earth; (b) the souls of the dead Church Saints (those who died during the Church age since the Pentecost, will descend from heaven with Christ at this coming. When these saints died, their souls left their bodies and went to be with the Lord in heaven (2 Cor 5:6-8, Phi. 1:21-23); (c) the bodies of these dead church saints will be raised (resurrected) as an immortal, incorruptible, eternal body to be reunited with their souls (1 Cor 15:42-44, 52-53, 1 Th 4:14-16); (d) the bodies of church saints who are still alive at this time will be changed in the "twinkling of an eye" - a brief moment - into immortal, incorruptible, eternal bodies without experiencing death (1 Cor. 15:51-53); (e) both the resurrected and the changed church saints will be taken up into the air to meet Christ (1 Thes. 4:17, Jn 14:3); (f) these two groups will then return with Christ to heaven to dwell with him in safety while the events of the Tribulation are unfolding upon those left on the earth (Jn. 14:20).

The rapture is a time of great happiness for the Church, for it is then that the resurrected saints will be caught up to meet the Lord, and at that time we shall "ever be with the Lord" (1 Thes 4:17). We will never be separated from Christ again (as we now are physically separated).

The Rapture is Imminent

The time when Christ shall come for His Church is unknown. All we know that it is yet in the future, but we are not provided with a time. In fact, we are told that it could be the next second, or it could be another 1000 years, and we are told that we need to be prepared at all times for this event for it will be as a thief in the night. This concept will now be developed more fully.

First, it is important to understand what is meant when the Bible indicates that the Rapture of the Church is imminent for this has been a source of great confusion and consternation throughout the years. The English word "imminent" comes from the Latin verb "immineo, imminere" which means to "overhand" or "project" (D.A. Kidd, Collins Latin Gem Dictionary, London: Collins, 1957, p. 158). In other words, it means to "hang over your head, ready to befall or overtake one; close at hand in its incidence ("imminent," The Oxford English Dictionary, 1901, V, 66). The word could be understood as meaning something that is always hanging overhead, ready to fall at any moment. Other things may happen before the imminent thing, but don't have to happen. More specifically, if something else has to happen before the imminent thing, that that thing is not imminent. An imminent thing could take place in a short time, but it doesn't have to in order to be imminent. Thus, "imminence" is not synonymous with "soon". Therefore, the Second Coming of Christ is just as imminent to us now as it was to those living during the first century. Nothing else has to happen before this occurs, although many things may happen. Thus, the start of the final 70th week of Daniel's prophecy which ushers in the Second Coming of Christ might be the next second, or it might be in 1000 years; we just don't know. However, we are to live our live in the possibility that it could occur today.

a. The New Testament and the Second Coming of Christ.

There are many passages in the New Testament dealing with various aspects of the Second Coming of Christ. Many Christians, probably including Paul himself, believed that this event might occur in their own lifetimes. Paul noted, "Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, a the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor 15:51-52). Rudolf Bultmann indicated, "Believers are still subject, of course to physical death, though in the early days of imminent expectation of the parousia it is seen that his fate will not overtake all Christians." (Rudolph Bultmann, "thanatos" Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Voll. III, ed. by Gerhard Kittel, trans. and ed. by Geoffrey W. Bromily, Grand Raids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965, p. 18). The term, "parousia" is a Greek word used for the Second Coming of Christ. Another author noted, "Christ's return is always imminent; we must never cease to watch for it. The first Christians thought it so near that they faced the possibility of Jesus' return in their lifetime. Paul thinks he too may perhaps be alive when it happens." (Gaston Deluz, A Companion to 1 Corinthians, ed. and trans. by Grace E. Watt, London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1963, p. 248). Finally, another scholar writes, "Paul does not write as one who will certainly be dead at the Parousia, but as one who awaits the Parousia as one event which might occur at any moment and therefore he reckons with the possibility of his being alive at that time; ut this does not mean that he included himself amongst those who would necessarily be alive at its coming." (A.L. Moore, The Parousia in the New Testament, Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1966, p. 118).

Another witness to the expectation of the early Church to the imminent coming of Christ is their use of the Aramaic word "maranatha", as shown even by Paul when he stated in 1 Cor 16:22, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha". The term, "maranatha" consists of three Aramaic words: "Mar" ("Lord"), "ana" ("our"), and "tha" ("come"); therefore, the entire term literally meant "our Lord, come". (Leon Morris, The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970, p. 248). Another scholar noted regarding this term,

"It is strange to meet with an Aramaic phrase in a Greek letter to a Greek Church. The explanation is that that phrase had become a watchword and a password. It summed up the vital hope of the early Church, and Christians whispered it to each other, identified each other by it, in a language which the heathen could not understand." (William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1956, p. 188).

Another Bible verse, Philippians 3:20, indicates how the early Palestinian Church would intensely "look for" their Savior to return,

"For our citizenship is in heave, form which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

"The compound emphasizes the intense yearning for the Parousia ... the dominant influence of this expectation in Paul's thinking and working is only beginning to be fully recognized."  (H.A.A. Kennedy, The Epistle to the Philippians,"  The Expositor's Greek Testament, Vol. 3, London, p. 463).

"Let your moderation be known unto all men.  The Lord is at hand."

"the imminence of the Lord's return is used as a motivation for Christian conduct.  This does not mean that the apostle contemplated that return tomorrow.  In another place in this letter he admits the possibility that he might die before the anticipated event transpires (1:23) and he reveals plans he has made (2:23).  While the Lord's return may not be here, it is near and the Christian must conduct themselves accordingly."  Pat Edwin Harrell, The Letter of Paul to the Philippians, Austin, TX, 1969, p. 137).

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord ... Be ye also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth near.  Murmur not one against naother, brethren, lest ye be judged; behold, the judge standeth before the door."  (James 5:7-9).

"The most plausible view is that James wrote to Christian Jews who were scattered throughout the Roman empire.  They were perhaps once residents of Palestine, but persecution or lack of job opportunities forced them out of that locale.  James would have personally known many who were driven out of Jerusalem in the persecution prompted by Stephen's martyrdom (Acts 8:3-4, 11:19).  He would have also known those Jewish pilgrims who were saved on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9-11) and those diaspora Jews who worshipped in nationality-centered synagogues in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9).  At this time, Jews still knew their trial ancestry (Luke 2:36, Phil 3:5).  Since Peter later wrote to the diaspora Jewish Christians "through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1 Peter 1;1), it may be that James wrote to Christian Jews in the East, possibly Babylon or Persia.  This would further explain the late acceptance of the book by the Western Churches."  (Robert G. Gromacki, New Testament Surgery, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1974, p. 338).

J. Motyer noted concerning this passage,

"His return is at hand.  It has been so from the day of the apostles.  James was not mistaken even though he lived over 1,000 years ago.  The return of the Lord was then at hand; the return of the Lord is now at hand.  We live in the last days, the days of the imminent return ... the pressure upon us of that return is not to promote curiosity as to the date and circumstances, but to promote the life of holiness and of fruitfulness, so that we may be ready to meet the Lord."  (J.A. Motyer, The Tests of Faith, London, Inter-Varsity Press, 1970, p. 107).

"The accusation that James has erred on this matter rests on the supposition that James believed that the parousia must necessarily occur within a very brief period of time.  But there is no reason to think that this was the case.  The early Christians' conviction that the parousia was "near", or "imminent", meant that they fully believed that it could transpire within a very short period of time - not that it had to."  (Doublas J. Moo, The Letter of James, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985, p. 169).

"And now, little children, abide in him, that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming."  (1 James 2:28).

"The nearness of the day affords a new motive for the effort to which they are urged.  The nearer the Parousia of their Lord the greater the need of constancy ... If that happens which, as circumstances have shown, may befall them now at any moment, they must be in a position not to be ashamed, when the object of their longing expectation is there."  (A.E. Brooke, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Johannine Epistles, Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark, 1912, p. 65).

"Let me be ever asking myself, at every moment, if he were to appear now, would I have confidence! ... Let us then be always abiding in him; every day, every hour, every instant; even as we would wish to be found abiding in him, were he to appear this very day, this very hour, this very instant.  He is about to appear; to appear suddenly; to come quickly." Robert S. Candlish, The First Epistle of John, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing house, p. 213)

"means, not "soon," but "swiftly, all at once," that is before one can be aware and make preparation ... It should therefore be clear at the onset that immanency does not mean that Christ's coming must be soon ... His day could be soon, "close at hand in its incidence."  Does this mean then that it could be so soon as to happen right away, at any time?  This is the thought that is associated with immanency, "ready to befall or overtake one."  (J. Barton Payne, The Imminent Appearing of Christ, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1962, p. 86).

"Nor is it here alone, but throughout the New Testament in general, that such expressions are used.  Everywhere is the promised Apocalypse of the Lord Jesus represented as close at hand, liable to occur at any time.  The impression thus made upon the early Christians was, that Christ might come at any day or hour, even in their own lifetime.  Exactly when he would come, was nowhere told them ... Ever, as the Church moves on through time, and above all in the day sin which we live the next thing for every Christian to be looking for in this world is the coming of Christ to fulfill what is written in this Book.  The Bible tells of nothing between us and that day."  (J.A. Seiss, The Apocalypse, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House, 1957, p. 523).

Finally, the last verses of the entire Bible concern themselves with the Second Coming,

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that heareth say, Come.  Amen. Even so, Come Lord Jesus."  (Rev. 22:17,20).

History of the Imminent Coming of Christ.  The Imminence of the Second Coming is not a theology that has been recently developed, but rather represents a mainstream understanding of eschatological events - understanding that dates back to the beginnings of the Christian Church.  Certainly, there is good evidence that such beliefs were held by Paul and other writers of the Bible, presumably under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church notes, "Primitive Christianity believed the event to be imminent and this belief has been revived from time to time in the history of the Church."  Albrecht Oepke said,

"Primitive Christianity waits for the Jesus who has come already as the One who is still to come.  The hope of an imminent coming of the exalted Lord in Messianic glory is, however, so much to the fore that in the NT the terms are never used for the coming of Christ in the flesh."  (Albrecht Oepke, "parousia," Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol V., edited by Gerhard Friedrich, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967, p. 865).

"Of a truth, soon and suddenly shall His will be accomplished, as the Scripture also bears witness, saying, 'Speedily will He come, and will not tarry.'" (J. Barton Payne, The Imminent Appearing of Christ, p. 13).

"Watch for your life's sake.  Let not your lamps be quenched, not your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord cometh."  (J. Barton Payne, The Imminent Appearing of Christ, p. 13).

However, during the Reformation in Europe, many of the great reformation leaders voiced belief in the Second Coming.  John Calvin, for example, the great religious revivalist in Geneva, Switzerland, believed and taught immanency.  For example, concerning 1 Thess. 4:15, Calvin wrote,

"by speaking in the first person he makes himself, as it were, one of the number of those who will live until the last day, he means by this to arouse the Thessalonians to wait for it, nay more, to hold all believers in suspense, that they may not promise themselves some particular time."  (John Calvin, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Thessalonians in Calvin's Commentaries, V. XXI, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1989, p. 282).

"Besides, as he has promised that he will return to us, we ought to hold ourselves prepared, at every moment, to receive him, that he may not find us sleeping."  (John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists (Volume 3) in Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVII, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1989, p. 163).

"Where is the promise of His coming?" But perhaps today, perhaps this midnight, the cry may be made ... Let that cry, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh! be continually sounding in your ears, and begin now to live as though you were assured that this night you were to go forth to meet Him"  (Jesse Forrest Silver, The Lord's Return, p. 168)

"Perhaps He will appear as the dayspring from on high, before the morning light. Oh, do not set us a time - expect Him every hour.  Now He is night, even at the doors."  (Jesse Forrest Silver, The Lord's Return, p. 161)

Finally, the 1800s brought back a full measure of belief in the immanency of Christ's return.  Charles Spurgeon, the outstanding Baptist leader in England, and pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, preached on the immanency of Christ's return,

"The Scripture has left the whole matter, as far as I can see, with an intentional indistinctness, that we may be always expecting Christ to come, and that we may be watching for his coming at any hour and every hour ... He may not come for a thousand years; he may come tonight ... It is clear that, if it were revealed that a thousand years must elapse before he would come, we might very well go to sleep for that time, for we would have no reason to expect that he would come when Scripture told us he would not ... We know not when we are to expect his coming; we are not to lay down, as absolutely fixed, any definite prediction or circumstance that would allow us to go to sleep until that prediction was fulfilled, or that circumstance was apparent ... He may come now; he may come to-morrow; he may come in the first watch of the night, or the second watch, or he many wait until the morning watch; but the one word that he gives to you all is, "Watch! Watch! Watch!" that whenever he shall come, you may be ready to open to him, and to say, in the language of the hymn we sang just now, = "Hallelujah! Welcome, welcome, Judge divine!" So far I know that we are Scriptural, and therefore perfectly safe in our statements about the Lord's Second Advent.

    Brethren, I would be earnest on this point, for the notion of the delay of Christ's Coming is always harmful, however you arrive at it, whether it be by studying prophecy, or in any other way ... Do not, therefore, get the idea that the Lord delayeth his Coming, and that he will not or cannot come as yet.  Far better would it be for you to stand on the tiptoe of expectation, and to be rather disappointed to think that he does not come ... He will come in his own time, and we are always to be looking for his appearing. ("Watching for Christ's Coming, 12 Sermons on the Second Coming of Christ, pp. 137-138)

The Bridegroom Comes

Jesus was entering the last stages of His ministry.  His band of followers still expected Him to overthrow the Roman government, or to at least set up some form of alternative kingdom here on earth to which they might give allegiance.  However, this was not to be.  Instead, Christ informed His followers that He would be leaving them; furthermore, where He was going, his followers could not come.  This certainly came as a bit of a surprise to them, for his followers had sold everything and left their former lives to follow their Master; follow Him, they hoped, into some form of earthly glory.  Indeed, this expectation was so great that Judas Iscariot decided to turn His master in to the authorities when it became clear that a new earthly kingdom was not to be established.  Jesus informs His followers that He will be leaving them on the night before the crucifixion while in the upper room, trying to calm their troubled hearts.  Jesus had already told them he would be leaving them "a little while" (John 6:62, 12;35).  A little later, he also told them, "Little children, yet a little while I am with you.  Ye shall seek me; and as I said unto the Jews, Where I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you" (John 13:33).

Jesus first told His followers that, "In my Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2), trying to calm them down.  He further emphasized the truth of this statement by following with, "If it were not so, I would have told you."  There should be no doubt that Christ will prepare a place for them in His Father's house in heaven.  Furthermore, Christ noted, "I go to prepare a place for you."  This is in the present tense, meaning this is going to happen right away, not at some distant point in the future.  As Bruce noted,

"They had been dismayed when he spoke of going away; now they are assured that his going away is for their advantage.  He is going to get a place ready for them and, having done that, he will come back and take them there."  F.F. Bruce, The Gospel of John, p. 297).

"In confident assertions regarding the future, a vivid, realistic present may e used for the future."  (F. Blass and A. Debrunner, A Greek Grammar of the new Testament and other Early Christian Literature, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 1961, p. 168).

"is so certain that Jesus can speak of it as present.  Let there be no doubt; it will certainly come about."  (Leon Morris, Expository Reflections on the Gospel of John, Baker Book House, 1988, p. 402).

"The present tense 'I come' is used rather than the future, for the Return is regarded not as a distant event, but as one ever imminent and at hand."  (Henry Barclay Swete, The Last Discourse and Prayer of Our Lord, p. 8).

"again, once more, anew when someone repeats something he has already done ... or an event takes place in the same (or a similar) manner as before, or a state of being recurs in the same (or nearly the same) way as at first."  (William p. Arnodt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Chicago, 1957, p. 611).

Another very important idea is inferred by the statement that Christ will "receive"' the apostles unto himself.  The word "receive" implies reception of the apostles from another.  This has significance in the light of Christ's promise to the apostles that He would send the Holy Spirit to minister to them after He left (John 14:16-17).  While Christ is in His Father's house in heaven before the Second Coming, he has handed care of the apostles (and the Church) over to the Holy Spirit.  When Christ returns for His believers during the Second Coming, He will take over their care from the Holy Spirit.  One expert expressed this thought as follows,

"The Holy Spirit has charge of us during the time of our absence from the Saviour; but when the mystical body of Christ is complete then is His work done here, and He hands us over to the One who died to save us." (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, Vol. II, Zondervan Publishing House, 1976, p. 352).

It is also reassuring to notice that Christ considers our coming home to Him to be so important that He will not delegate this responsibility to another, but will perform this duty Himself.  As Pink wrote, "The Lord will not send for us, but come in person to conduct us into the Father's House.  How precious we must be to Him! ... To have us with Himself is His heart's desire."  (Pink, p. 352).

This personal coming for the Church has eschatological significance because it gives a glimpse as to how important the Church is to Him.  He is the groom, and the Church is His bride.  As George Hutcheson stated, "For as bridegrooms used to fetch their brides, so he will not decline to do that to his bride."  (The Gospel of John, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1972, p. 294).  It is also important to see that the Church is being taken by Christ to heaven, and that Christ is not coming to earth to be with the Church.  Rather, Christ indicates that the apostles and the Church will be taken unto Christ (therefore away from the earth) in heaven where Christ is preparing a place for us.  This was meant to comfort the apostles who were themselves greatly troubled that Christ was leaving them - that Christ in the imminent future would Himself come back for them to take them unto Himself to Heaven where He would be preparing a place for them!

Finally, it is important to note that this was new revelation, new information for the Apostles; the fact that Christ would be coming back for His Church as a bridegroom for his bride was new revelation never before shown to anybody before,

"But here n John 14 the Lord gives a new and unique revelation; He speaks of something which no prophet had promised, or even could promise. Where is it written that this Messiah would come and instead of gathering His saints into an earthly Jerusalem, would take them to the Father's house, to the very place where He is?  It is something new ... He speaks then of a coming which is not for the deliverance of the Jewish remnant, not of a coming to establish His kingdom over the earth, not of a coming to judge the nations, but a coming which concerns only His own."  (Arno Clemens Gaebelein, The Gospel of John, 1925, p. 268).

[Reconciling Contradictions]

One of the most difficult aspects of the Second Coming of Christ is to recognize that there are two Second "comings" - one for His Church, and another as the Conquering King.

The first event - the coming of Christ for His Church, is the Rapture.  It is during this event that Christ will come for His people, that the Church will be taken into Heaven, that the Church Age will be closed, and that the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn from the earth. The time of the Rapture is imminent; it could happen today or 1000 years from now.  I believe there is every indication that it is going to happen very soon, but certainly it may not.

The second event - the true Second Coming of Christ, at which time Christ will come with His forces to wage war against Satan and his forces at the great battle of Armageddon.  This will be Satan's last great battle during which time he will be defeated, and will be forcibly removed from the earth (along with his forces, and especially the Anti-Christ), and be thrown into Hell.  There will be a new earth established, along with a new Messianic Kingdom - a theocracy - with Christ as the head.

It is this double nature of the events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ which has, I believe, given to so much confusion regarding this great next event in the world calendar.  As we have seen previously, the Day of the Lord (or the Great Tribulation) will be a separate event from the Rapture.  Indeed, there may be a considerable span of time between the Rapture and the Great Tribulation (although many believe the two will be temporally close for aesthetic reasons).

Reverse Order.  One of the more interesting things concerning a comparison between the Rapture and the Second Coming is the concept of reverse order.  During the Rapture of the Church, as we have already noted, the living Saints and the righteous dead will be taken up to meet Christ, and be with Him during the time of the Great Tribulation.  This is illustrated in both John 14:2-7 and especially 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  The unbelievers will be left on earth to encounter the forces of Satan and the wrath of God.  By contrast, at the end of the Great Tribulation, all non-believers will be bodily removed from the earth in judgment, but the live believers (who converted during the time of the Great Tribulation and were not killed - the minority) will step alive into thhe Millennial Kingdom.  I believe that whereas the physical removal of the saints during the Rapture is well recognized by many believers, the concept of the physical removal of the non-believers for judgment at the end of the Great Tribulation is less well appreciated.  We will now investigate this concept.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares.  In Matthew 13:24-30, Christ taught a parable concerning he kingdom of heaven.  A farmer sowed good wheat seeds in his field which were growing good crops; however, his enemy sowed weeds (tares) in the same field which grew together with the wheat.  The farmer's servants asked him what the were to do - whether they were to try to root out the tares from the wheat during the growing season. The farmer said that rather than trying to root out the tares during the growing season - a formidable task indeed - what they should do is to wait until the harvest.  At that time, they were to first gather the tares and throw them into the fire, and then take the wheat and put it into the barn.  Jesus then interprets this parable for his followers to be sure they understand.  The farmer is the Son of man (Christ), the wheat represents the believers while the tares represent the non-believers.  The enemy is Satan, and the farmer's servants are the holy angels (vv. 37-39).  These events were to take place at the end of the age at the time He sends forth His Holy Angels.

I believe what we are to understand from this parable is that at the end of the age when Christ sends forth His Holy Angels, they will separate the believers from the non-believers; the non-believers will be first separated and "taken away" to be burned in the fire, and the believers will then be left on earth to function in His kingdom.

The Parable of the Dragnet.  A similar parable is offered in the parable of the dragnet.  In this parable, fishermen are bringing in a net full of fish - some of the fish were "good" and others were not.  The fishermen threw the bad fish back into the water, but kept the good fish.  In Christ's interpretation of the parable, He indicated the orders by which the Angels will separate the wicked from the righteous.  The angels will "sever the wicked from among the righteous, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire" (vv. 49-50).  Thus, as with the parable of the wheat and the tares, the non-believers (unrighteous) will be removed from the righteous, while the righteous are left behind.  The non-believers will be removed for judgment, whereas the righteous will be kept to enter into the Millennial (Messianic) Kingdom.

The Olivet Discourse.  One of the most important messages Christ gave with respect to the end-times is found within the so-called Olivet Discourse toward the end of Matthew.  This message draws a comparison between the evil days of Noah, and the time associated with the coming of Christ's angels immediately after the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21, 29-31).  The order of things when He comes with His angels and is seen by all nations (not the Rapture), will be the same order of things as during the day of Noah.  In verse 37, Christ noted, "But a the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."  Second, Christ concluded with the assertion, "so shall the coming of the Son of man be."

The Second Coming will be similar to the events surrounding Noah in at least four ways,

a.  Unpreparedness of the People.  Just like in the days of Noah when most people refused to hear the warnings of Noah and carried on their activities of daily business, so to when Christ comes.  People will have the advantage of the severe, strident last warnings of the Great Tribulation but will refuse to repent and follow Christ but will continue in their usual ways until it is too late.  As a result, they will not be prepared for the coming judgment of Christ by repenting.

b.  Precise Day Not Known.  The people in the days of Noah did not know the precise day when judgment would come.  All they knew was this "silly" man building a great arc in the middle of the desert.  As a result, the day of judgment came quickly and left them unprepared and unable to repent in time - they were caught totally unprepared in  judgment.  Similarly, the unsaved, unrepentant people of the Great Tribulation will also be caught unprepared and will not know the specific time deadline by which they must repent.  There will similarly be no time for the unrepentant to come to Christ and so they will be caught unprepared in judgment.

c.  Removal of the Unbelievers.  In Noah's day, the unbelievers were removed from the earth by the great flood in judgment.  In verse 39, Jesus noted that the unsaved of Noah's dayu "knew not until the flood came, and took them all away" and "so shall the coming of the Son of man be."

d.  The Saved were Left.  In the days of Noah after the flood, the righteous were left on earth to start the next age of world history.  Similarly, at the end of the Great Tribulation, the righteous will be left on earth after the unrighteous are removed in judgment, to begin the next stage of human history - the Messianic Kingdom.  It will be at this time that one person will be taken from a field (to judgment), while another person will be left in the field, or that one person will be taken from a mill (to judgment) while the righteous person will be left behind.  Note that this is in reverse order to what will happen at the rapture!

Finally, a somewhat disturbing passage in the Olivet Discourse makes more sense when seen in the light of the previous passages.  After the disciples were given examples about people being taken and left as recorded in Luke 17, they asked, "Where Lord?"  I think it is clear they were not asking where the people left would be taken, for they would be left here on the earth.  Rather, they were asking where the unrighteous would be taken.  In light of this knowledge, Christ answers, "Wherever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together" (v. 37).  Generally, "eagles" is taken to mean "vultures" which will be eating the dead, decaying flesh of dead bodies.  Jesus' answer indicates that those taken from the bed, place of grinding, or the  field when He comes will be taken into death and their bodies left behind to be eaten by birds of prey.  Thus, these are not Church members who are taken away in the Rapture, for the bodies of church saints will not  eaten by vultures but will be changed into immortal resurrection bodies and transported from the earth to meet Jesus.  Thus, Luke 17 refers to those unrighteous people who will be taken away in death and whose bodies are left on earth to decay; those left on the earth will be the saved righteous.

Matthew 25:31-46.  This passage mirrors the events already discussed in Matthew 24 and Luke 17.  In this passage, Jesus declares that when He comes in glory with His angels, all living Gentiles will be gathered before Him into two groups - the saved (sheep) and the unsaved (goats).  The saved will be granted entrance into the Millennial Kingdom on earth (vv. 34-40) whereas the goats will be taken away from the earth to a fiery place of judgment (vv. 41-46).  Once again, Christ teaches that the unsaved will be removed from the earth while the saved will be left behind - the reverse order from the Rapture.

Reconciling Contradictions.  Personally, I have always had some difficulty with the apostles and the Second Coming of Christ.  This difficulty a born out of the same confusion that most of us have had regarding the Second Coming - how could the Apostles, who were with Christ during his earthly ministry, thought that His Second Coming would possibly be in their lifetime.  How could they have been so wrong, for surely He has not yet come and 2000 years have passed since the days of the Apostles.  Indeed, how can we believe other words from the Apostles when they clear had this very central dogma to the Christian faith - so wrong?

The answer to this dilemma is simple.  Just as the Jews of the New Testament did not understand that there would be two "comings" of Christ - one as a Suffering Servant and the other as a Conquering King - so the Church generally does not understand that there will be two "comings" during the Second Coming - one to gather the Church secretly as a "thief in the night" and another in majesty with his Saints in Judgment  upon the world to set up his earthly Kingdom.  When Scripture is approached in this manner, so-called "contradictions" are resolved and the Bible becomes much more clear regarding the last day.  Also, the apostles are now seen to understand the first part of the second coming as imminent - that is, it could occur at any time, whereas the latter part of the second coming is predicated upon a whole host of events occurring first and is therefore decidedly not imminent.

When shall these things be [the destruction of the temple]? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered [in the next 28 verses He gives numerous signs and then He says] ... when ye shall see all these things [signs He has given], know that it [the Second Coming] is ear, even at the doors.  Therefore, be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Matthew 24:3,33,44).

The seeming contradiction is that on the one hand, Christ declares that His Second Coming will follow immediately upon the heels of multiple and unusual signs widely scattered throughout the glove: wars, pestilences, famines, earthquakes, a time of trouble (the Great Tribulation) such as the world has never known nor even shall know again.  There will be supernatural occurrences in the sky: a darkened sun and moon and "the sign of the Son of man," visible to all.  These signs will be visible simultaneously to everybody living upon the earth.  There will not be the slightest doubt that Christ's coming is at hand, "even at the doors." No one will be taken by surprise.

On the other hand, Christ with no less clarity clearly declares that His coming will catch almost everybody by surprise.  The contradiction could hardly be more blatant and obvious.  Paul said,

"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thess. 5:4)

Some say that this seeming contradiction can be understood by asserting that those who are spiritually blind won't recognize the signs given by Christ, and they are the ones who will be caught by surprise as if by a thief.  However, this interpretation does not withstand scrutiny with the Word of God.

The signs which Christ and the apostles and prophets mention are not of such a subtle nature that any spiritual discernment would be required to recognize them.  The signs are instead so overwhelming that they cannot be ignored by anybody.  The Second Coming takes no one on earth by surprise.  The events leading up to Christ's return to the Mount of Olives are so unprecedented and universally calamitous that the whole world knows the time has come for the prophesied face-to-face confrontation between Christ and Antichrist.  The Bible declares that "the beast [Antichrist], and the kinds of the earth, and their armies" will all gather together at Armageddon to make war with Christ (Rev. 19:19).  The world knows the final hour has come for the showdown.  The signs of Christ's return are terrifying; there will be terrific destruction upon he earth which is mentioned in Chapter 6 of Revelation.  At this early stage in the Great Tribulation, one-fourth of the world's population will be destroyed - about 1.5 billion people! Natural disasters beyond imagination had assaulted this beleaguered planet.  Catastrophic meteor showers rain destruction upon the earth's populace, accompanied by gigantic earthquakes and volcanic upheavals of such magnitude that "every mountain and island [moves] out of their places."  Every person on earth recognizes that God's wrath is being poured out from heaven.  Proud leaders are so terrified that they cry out to the mountains and rocks to fall upon them to hide them from God's fierce anger (Rev. 6:15-17).  No, Christ does not warn us to be watchful and waiting - to be "ready" - because we might otherwise not have the godly discernment necessary to recognize the subtle spiritual signs that will herald His coming.  This signs will of such magnitude and character that they will be recognized by everybody no matter how spiritually blind.

Christ warns us to "watch" for an entirely different reason.  He will come at a time when mankind, confident and complacent - and a sleeping church (Matthew 25:5) - will least expect Him: "At such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44).  There will have been no signs.  For that to be the case, the disasters mentioned above could not yet have occurred.  God's judgment is the last thing the overconfident world will be expecting.  There will be no advance warning.  It will be like the calm before a hurricane - but in this case there will be no sense of a storm approaching.

Jesus warned that He would come when conditions would be like those just prior to the flood: "They did eat, they drank, they married wives ... until the day that Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:27).  His coming will be at a time of business as usual, of pleasure, and of optimism for things to come.  Surely, Jesus Christ is not describing the Second Coming in the midst of Armageddon! Normal business conditions, complacency and surprise could only apply to a previous event - the Rapture.  At the time of the Second Coming mankind has endured perhaps four years of God's wrath and is expecting more.  The world is in ruins and teetering on the brink of total world destruction.  For Christ's coming to be without warning and to catch everybody by surprise, it must come before the time of great disaster referred to in Matthew 24.  Christ comes before God pours out His wrath as described in Revelation - otherwise, He could not say that His coming would be at a time similar to the days of Noah just before the flood.

The contradiction is inescapable: He comes when there have been nor warning signs, yet He comes after all of the signs have been displayed to a terrified world; He comes like a thief when no one would expect Him, yet He also comes when everybody will be expecting Him - and lines up in battle to fight Him at Armageddon.  How can Christ come "when they say peace and safety" (1 Thes. 5:3), and at the same time come in the midst of Armageddon, the most destructive war the world has ever known? How can the saints be caught up from earth to heaven to dwell with Christ eternally and at the same time come with Him from heaven to execute judgment upon this earth?  Obviously, these diametrically contradictory descriptions cannot refer to the same event.

We saw that what the Old Testament prophets said of Christ's coming could not fit into one time frame and one event.  Thus, two comings of the Messiah were required, though the prophets didn't say so directly.  However, there was no excuse for Christ's contemporaries not to realize that face.  Likewise, it is inexcusable today not to realize that what the Bible says of His return simply cannot fit into one time frame and one event.  There is no way to combine in one event and in the same time frame an ecstatic catching away of all believers to heaven with the descent of Chist and all believers from heaven to rescue Israel at Armageddon.  The Second Coming takes place after the incredible destruction of earth, called the Great Tribulation, which the Bible predicts for that time.  The Rapture takes place before the Great Tribulation.  The whole world will know that the Second Coming is about to take place, whereas no unbelievers and even very few Christians, will be expecting the Rapture when it occurs.

The Second Coming, which is the climactic event of the Great Tribulation, will occur in the midst of Armageddon.  The armies of the world will have conquered much of Israel and will be pressing their attack against Jerusalem.  They will be intent upon effecting what Hitler called the "final solution to the Jewish problem" - the enraged extermination of every Israeli and probably of all Jews on the planet (Zech. 12).

Threatened with total destruction, Israel, in desperation, will undoubtedly retaliate with nuclear weapons.  The entire human race - and indeed, the fate of all life on the planet - will be in danger of annihilation as this nuclear exchange escalates.  Christ referred to that moment with these solemn words: "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive]" (Matthew 24:22).  Christ will have to intervene not just to save Israel, but also to save all life on this planet.

The Rapture itself will be amazing and awesome.  Millions of Christians - and likely all infants and young children, will suddenly vanish from the earth.  Those who are left behind will not believe that christ has caught away those who have disappeared and taken them to His Father's House in heaven.  A seemingly plausible explanation will be provided by the Antichrist, who will take over the world's leadership at that time.  His hypothesis will satisfy the world - but it will be a lie.

Several times, Christ's coming is likened to a thief that creeps into a man's house when all are asleep, taken away that which he wants, and then leaving without anybody's knowledge.  Similarly, the Rapture will be a secret snatching away of a prize from this earth. Christ declared: "Behold, I come as a thief" (Rev. 16:15).  Secretly, like a thief, Christ will take out of this world His church and the world will not know about it until suddenly millions of people are missing.  Those who complain that a "secret Rapture" isn't Biblical need to look again?

Relationship of the Church Saints to the Wrath of God

The Pretribulational Rapture of the Church indicates that the Church will not experience the wrath of God.  Naturally, this makes some sense since the wrath of God is reserved for all those who have not yet heeded the message of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Those who continue to lead their lies according to their own will rather than the will of their Creator will be in jeopardy of feeling the wrath of God, either during the period of the Great Tribulation, or during judgment.  Nevertheless, those who have surrendered their lives to Christ truly making Him their Lord and Savior will be rescued from the Tribulation and live with Christ forever in heaven.

Pretribulational dispensationalism can be inferred directly or indirectly from many passages in the Bible.  We will now go through some of them with a detailed investigation of the underlying Greek phraseology in order to understand these principals.

1 Thessalonians 1:10.  In this verse, Paul tells the Christians residing in Thessalonica "to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come."  These Christians apparently had an understanding of the imminent return of Jesus Christ   Examination of the Greek gives a good explanation of what Paul was trying to tell the Thessalonians.  The infinitive (amamanein) which is translated, "to wait for" actually consists of two parts.  The first part (ana) means "up", and the second part (meno) means wait for and is used to describe people who are waiting for somebody who is arriving.  Thus, Paul is telling the Christians to "wait up for somebody who is arriving."  This is the idea that this "somebody" (Christ) might be coming at any moment; his arrival is imminent.  There is nothing that must occur prior to the arrival of Christ; it could happen at any time.  The scholar D. Edmond Hiebert wrote,

"The infinitive rendered "to wait for" (ananenein) means, "to await, expect, wait up for" and pictures them as people who are eagerly and expectantly looking forward to the coming of one whose arrival is anticipated at an time; the present tense gives this as their continuing attitude.  Clearly the Thessalonians held the hope of the imminent return of Christ."  (D. Edmond Hiebert, The Thessalonian Epistles (Chicago, 1971, p 70).

"If they had been taught that the Great Tribulation, in whole or in part, must first run its course, it is difficult to see how they could be described as expectantly awaiting Christ's return.  Then they should rather have been described as bracing themselves for the Great Tribulation and the painful events connected with it."  ((D. Edmond Hiebert, The Thessalonian Epistles (Chicago, 1971, p. 205).

Furthermore, the Greek word "ek" is translated "from" in the expression "delivered us from."  This word connotes a separation, and when used with a word of action such as thuomai, the verb further establishes that the saints will be delivered to snatched out from a place, and then presumably will then go to another place.   Thus, Paul is telling the Christians that they will be protected from future wrath by separating them from it, and not by sheltering or protecting them during the Tribulation.  Thomas L. Constable agrees with this interpretation,

"The word translated "from" means the Christians are kept from, not taken out of it.  The same verb (rescues) and preposition (from) are used in 2 Corinthians 1:10 where Paul said he was delivered from a deadly peril.  Obviously this does not mean Paul died and was resurrected.  Christians will be kept away from god's wrath, not kept safe through it."  (Thomas L. Constable, 1 Thessalonians in The Bible Knowledge Commentary,(Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983), p. 693).

"The question whether ek here means "out of the midst of" or "away from," is to be determined by some statement of Scripture where the subject is specifically mentioned; this is provided, e.g., in 5:9, the context of which makes clear that believers are to be delivered from (not "out of") the Divine wrath to be executed on the nations at the end of the present age."  (Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vol. III, p. 149).

1 Thess. 4:13-18.  This passage represents the longest New Testament passage dealing with the Rapture of the church.  In verse 13, Paul notes, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope."  This passage seems to indicate that some in the Thessalonian church had become distressed because some of their members had died.  There are two things that can be inferred from this passage.  First, if the Rapture were to take place after the Tribulation, then the saints might have been happy that their loved ones had escaped the Tribulation.  Also, Paul did not comfort these saints by stressing that their loved ones had escaped the wrath of God; rather, he goes on to describe the Rapture of the Church and how they will eventually be reunited with their loved ones.

In verses 16 and 17, Paul notes that when Christ comes back for His church, the dead saints will be resurrected and caught up into heaven to go together with the living saints to meet their Savior in the air.  The Greek verb translated as being "caught up" (harparzo) has the sense of snatching away.  In this instance, it is used for the work that Christ will do in snatching away the Church from danger during the Tribulation.  Similarly, the same verb was used to denote a rescue from a threatening danger (Jude 23).  Finally, whenever it was used for divine activity, it was "always expressing the mighty operation of God."  (Werner Foerster, "harpazo," Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 1, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964, p. 472).

1 Thess. 5:9.  In this passage, Paul declares, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."

In order to understand this passage, it is necessary to understand the context in which it falls.  1 Thess. 5:1-11 discusses the future broad Day of the Lord, a significant future span of time that will include major changes and disruptions in history.  A major event taking place period is the future literal Second Coming of Christ whereby he takes back His possession of the earth from Satan - a possession that was lost by man to Satan in the Garden of Eden.

The first phase of this Day will be characterized by a tremendous outpouring of God's wrath upon the earth; this will be the Great Tribulation and is characterized by darkness.  The second phase of this Day will be the Messianic Kingdom and is characterized by light.  During this latter phase, God will pour out His blessings upon the earth through His divine rule.

Paul contrasts two spheres of existence in this verse; the sphere of darkness and the sphere of light.  The sphere of darkness is ruled of demonic beings (Eph. 6:12), and that as a result of being in that sphere, the understanding of the unsaed will be darkened (Eph. 4:18).  They will not understand reality with respect to things eternal; rather, they are oblivious to the judgment that is coming, and they practice the deceitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11).

However, the Church Saints are not in the sphere of darkness because they have become right with God - who is light.  They once were in the sphere of darkness prior to becoming Christian, but then through acceptance of Christ have been delivered out of the sphere of darkness (Col. 1:13) into the sphere of light.

The Broad Day of the Lord will have two portions.  The first portion will be the portion of darkness, and will be inhabited by those committed to darkness and its deeds.  Amos 5:18-20 notes that the darkness will be the total nature of the Day of the Lord for the unsaved.  There will be no divine light or blessing delivered unto them; they live in darkness.  The Saints, because they are with God at this time as it occurs after the Rapture of the Church, will not experience darkness but rather will be in the light of God.  The reverse thing happens at the end of the dark portion of the Day of the Lord.  The evil people are taken away into judgment (as goats) whereas those people who have accepted Christ during the Great Tribulation will enter into the day of the Millennium - the Kingdom of Christ after his triummphant Second Coming.  At this point, only the saints are living on the earth, whereas the evil people are taken elsewhere.

Comparison of 1 Thess. 4:16-18 and 1 Thess. 5:10-11.  These two passages deal with similar ideas and refer to similar portions of history; they are parallel.

a.  The language of 1 Thess. 5:10 deals with dead church saints being physically with Christ implies a physical resurrection for them; 1 Thess. 4:16 specifically refers to the physical resurrection of the dead church saints at the Rapture.

b.  1 Thess. 5:10 indicates that both the living and the dead church saints will live together with Christ at the same place, while 1 Thess. 4:16-17 teaches that at the rapture living and dead church saints will be caught up together to meet Christ in the same place - and will from then on into eternity be always with Him.
c.  In 1 Thess. 5:10, church saints are told to continually support and edify each other with the truth of their destiny of living with Christ rather than sharing with the unsaved population the wrath of God.  In 1 Thess. 4:18, saints are commanded to continuously supporteach other with the truth of their destiny of being raptured to be with Christ.

Furthermore, both 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Thess. 5 are parallel with John 14:2-3 which refers to the future time of Christ's return for His Church when He will receive His believers to Himself so they can forever more be with Him.

Rev. 3:10. Christ promised the  Saints in Philadelphia that, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patients, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."  The basis of this promise is that the saints in the ancient city of Philadelphia had kept the "word of Christ's patience."  The word translated "patience" (hypomone) is related to another word, "hypomeno" which means, "remain instead of fleeing, stand one's ground, hold out, endure in trouble, affliction and persecution."  This probably relates to the saints enduring testing or persecution.  The saints in Philadelphia had followed Christ's example by steadfastly enduring persecution or testing.  Smith wrote,

"The reference here is to the patience of Christ in 1:9.  Compare also 11 Thessalonians 3:5 where the literal rendering is: "The Lord direct you ... into the patience of Christ."  The believers at Philadelphia followed the example and teaching of Christ who likewise endured the contradiction of sinners (Hebrews 12;3), and they had the mind of Christ who was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."  (J.B. Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ, Herald Press, 1961, p. 87).

The second and probably more familiar usage of he word translated "temptation" is to entice to sin.  One good example of this usage is found in James 1:13-14 which notes that God cannot be "tempted" to sin, and that a man is "tempted" when he is drawn away from God and "tempted."

It seems more in keeping with the context of the Bible verse that Paul meant to use the word "temptation" in the first sense; that is, that the people of Philadelphia would be kept from a temptation that would show expose the kind of people being tested.

Also, it is important to see that the text states that the people of Philadelphia would be kept from the "hour" of testing - not just the temptation itself.  Also, the verse uses the Greek word "ek" translated "from" in the phrase "from the hour."  As we have noted previously, this word carries the context of being taken away from the hour of testing.  Thus, Christ was promising to keep the Church saints from the hour or time of testing by separating them from it.  It does not seem as though the Church saints would be living through the temptation and somehow shielded from it - as with the Israelites living in Egypt - because the verse carries of sense of being physically removed from the testing.  Another Greek word, such as en (meaning "in") or "dia" (meaning "through") would have been used; "I will keep you in or through the time period of testing" rather than the Greek word "ek."

Finally, Scripture follows with Christ's exclamation, "I come quickly."  This immanency of Christ's return makes sense when coupled with the previously stated promise that Christ will separate the Saints from the time of testing.  It seems as though Christ is coming quickly to separate the Saints from the time of testing.  The specific implication is that it will be through the Rapture that the Saints will be removed prior to the time of testing.  This is in agreement with other Scripture (John 4:2,3, 1 Cor. 15:51-52, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) that discusses this future imminent event.

Distinction between Israel and the Church in Prophecy

The church and Israel are different entities with respect to biblical prophecy.  Demonstrating that such a distinction is necessary from evidence presented in the Bible is a purpose of this paper.

Definition of Israel

The term Israel is viewed theologically as referring to all the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  This term is not limited to the present political and national state that is established in the Middle East, nor is it limited to those who adhere to the religion of Judaism only.

The Election of Israel

In dealing with the concept of election, it is important to distinguish between individual election and national election.  The former results in the salvation of individual, and and extends to both Jewish and Gentile individuals.  Indeed, any person who has ever believed in Jesus Christ as their savior, either Jewish war Gentile, was the object of God's individual election.  However, a national election refers to the election of a whole nation for a special-purpose.  National election does not guarantee the individual salvation of any person in the nation sense only individual election can do that.  Nor does national election guarantee the physical salvation of any individual of the nation.  What national election does guarantee is that God's purposes for choosing a nation will be accomplished and that the elect nation will always survive as a distinct physical entity.  It is the national election of Israel that is the basis of Israel's status as a chosen people.

Israel's election

The Book of Deuteronomy, more than any of the other four books of Moses, emphasizes Israel's national election as a special chosen people.  The earliest reference to Israel's election can be found in Deuteronomy 4:37: "and because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee count with his presence, and his great power, after the Egypt."

In this verse, Moses makes three points.  First, the basis of current selection was his love for the fathers-Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-with whom he had made a covenant.  On the basis of that covenant relationship, God chose Israel to be his elected nation.  Third, on the basis of that election he delivered Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Later in Deuteronomy 7:6-8, garden states that he chose Israel and declared them a "holy people," not because of any innate or particular righteousness, but simply because "Jehovah thy God hath chosen thee".  Notice that the election of Israel as God's chosen people is similar to the election of individuals as one of God's chosen or saved persons; namely, it is not based on righteousness of a nation or an individual but solely upon an election based upon the sovereignty of God.  Not only was Israel chosen to be a wholly people, but it was also chosen to be guides "own possession" and "above all peoples thereupon the face of the earth".  These statements separate the nation of Israel and its people from all other nations and so Israel alone is the elect nation chosen for the purposes of God.

The concept of Israel as a chosen nation for God's special purposes is reaffirmed twice.  The first time is in Deuteronomy 14:2, "for thou art a wholly people unto Jehovah thy God, and Jehovah hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth."  The second reaffirmation of God's choosing Israel is in Deuteronomy 26:18.  Because Israel was "a people for his own possession," she was expected to keep the Commandments of God explicitly.

In Deuteronomy 7: 7-8, Moses listed in the basis for Israel's election, both positively and negatively.  And negatively, it was not because of Israel's great numerical size for the exact opposite was really true; Israel was one of the smallest nations when compared to her neighbors.  Positively, Israel was chosen for two reasons: first, because God gloved Israel in spite of her small size; and, second, because God has a covenant relationship with the fathers, the three patriarchs, and, therefore, God must keep his those made to them.  It is for this very reason that God rescued the nation of Israel through their exodus from Egypt.

 God chose Israel to be any elect nation, separate from any other nation in the world.  However, national election does not guarantee the salvation of any individual number of that nation as individual salvation is based upon individual election on God's part.  In Deuteronomy 10:16, individual members of the elect nation of Israel are encouraged to "circumcised therefore the foreskin of your heart."  While circumcision of the flash is a sign of the continental relationship between Israel and God, circumcision of the heart is a sign of individual election from God.

The Reasons and Purposes of Israel's election

Though Israel was chosen on the basis of God's love, there was a purpose and reason for Israel's being selected from all other nations.  One purpose of God's election was for Israel to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (exodus 19: 6).  Israel had a priestly tribe, the tribe of Levi, but the nation as a whole was also to be a priesthood.  The historical function of a priest was to represent land to God.  The tribe of Levi represented Israel before God; and the nation's Israel was to represent the Gentile nations before God.

A second reason for Israel's election was that God chose Israel to be the recipient of his revelation into recorded.  It was for this reason that Israel received the law of Moses.

A third reason was to propagate the doctrine of the one true God.

A fourth reason was to produce the messiah.

The Distinction between Israel and the church

Some theologians insist that after Jesus was betrayed by national Israel, the promises that were given to Israel were transferred to the church (known as a replacement theology).  Some believe that the terms church and Israel are used virtually interchangeably, most citing Galatians 6: 16 and Romans 9: 6 for their biblical support.

Dispensationalists have seen a clear distinction between Israel and the church in the Bible.  Some had made this distinction by calling Israel and "earthly people" with "earthly promises," while the church is a "heavenly people" with "heavenly promises."  However, such a distinction is not correct because each entity has its own earthly future with its own earthly promises and each has a heavenly future with its own heavenly promises.  The distinction between Israel and the church rather wrests upon clear distinction in God's purposes for each, but the contrast between earthly and heavenly purposes is not one of them.

Evidence’s for the Distinction between Israel and the Church

The first evidence is the fact that the church was born at Pentecost whereas Israel had existed for many centuries previously.  There is no biblical evidence that the church existed in the old Testament.  The church that was born at Pentecost is the body of Christ, "and he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; and in all things he might have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18

Entrance into the body of Christ is by spirit baptism, "for in one spirit were we all baptized into one body, where the Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free, and were all made to drink of one spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13).  So when did spirit baptism into Christ's body actually began?  According to Acts1:5, spirit baptism was still future as a setpoint, "for John indeed baptized with water; but he should be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence."  The answer is that spirit baptism began in Acts 2:1-4: while this passage and does not state that the events at Pentecost included spirit baptism; Acts 11:15-16 indicates that the spirit baptism did occur then.

Peter, while defending his actions of going into the house of a Gentile, something a devout Jew who would never normally do (Acts 10), points out that the Gentile believers received the same experience of spirit baptism as to the Jews (11:15).  Peter explained that the "holy spirit fell on them" (the Gentiles), as the holy spirit once fell "on us at the beginning."  Then Peter states that the prophecy of Jesus in Acts 1:5 was fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4.

The second evidence is that certain events in the ministry of the messiah were essential to the establishment of the church; the church does not come into being until certain events have taken place.  These events include the resurrection and ascension of the messiah to become the head of the church,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit and his right hand and heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and Dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come: and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.  (Eph. 1:20-23).

The church, with believers as the body and Christ as the head, did not exist until after Christ ascended to become its head.  And it could not become a functioning entity until after the holy spirit provided the necessary spiritual gifts to the members of the church.  According to Eph. before: 7-11, these spiritual gifts could only be provided after the ascension,

But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.  Wherefore he says, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto man.  (Now this, he ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the Earth?  See that to send it is the same also to ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some to be apostles; and some, profits; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.

The third evidence is the mystery character of the church.  A New Testament mystery is a truth not revealed in the Old Testament.  At least four defining characteristics of the church are described as a mystery:

• The body concept of Jewish and Gentiles believers united into one body is designated as a mystery in Eph. 3:1-12
• The doctrine of Christ indwelling every believer, the Christ in you concept, is called a mystery in Col. 1:24-27 
• The church as the bride of Christ is called a mystery in Eph. 5:22-32
• The rapture is called a mystery in 1 Cor. 15:50-58.

The fourth evidence that the church is distinct from Israel is the unique relationship that exists between Jews and Gentiles, called Wanda Newman in Eph. 2: 15, "having abolished in his flush the enmity, even the law of Commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace."  This one new man, separate from both Israel and the Gentiles, is comprised of believing members from both.  The same three groups are again distinguished in 1Cor. 10:32, "give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God. 

The fifth evidence for the distinction between Israel and the church is to be found in Galatians 6:16.  Since this is a key text for replacement theology it will be further examined in the next section.

The Use of Israel and the New Testament

The term Israel is used a total of 73 times in the new Testament.  Replacement theologians state that the church is the new Israel; however, it is clearer upon examination of these verses that such interchangeability is not supported.  Of these 73 citations, the vast majority refer to national, ethnic Israel.  A few refer specifically to Jewish believers who still are ethnic Jews.  Generally replacement theologians who try to support their thesis that the church equals Israel use three of these passages.  Of two of these references (Romans 9:6, 11:26), they are not unanimous.  The key verse for replacement theologians is Galatians 6: 16, and this evidence will now be examined.

The Israel of God of Galatians 6: 16

The purpose of this section is to examine Galatians 6:16, a passage that is frequently cited by replacement theologians as evidence for the church being spiritual Israel.  Have an important emphasis on the book of Galatians as correcting those Gentiles who were attempting to please God through trying to keep the law.  The ones who were deceiving them are called Judaizers demanding adherents to the law of Moses.  To them, a Gentile head to convert to Judaism as part of salvation through the messiah.

In Galatians 6: 15, Paul states that the important thing for salvation is the work of God in forming a new creation and not to reliance upon circumcision or uncircumcision.  Individuals out of these two groups who responded to the grace message of faith in Christ would become "church saints," united as one in Christ.  In Galatians 6: 16, Paul pronounces a blessing on the members of the two groups who would experience the work of divine grace apart from human works such a circumcision, "and as many as shall walk by this rule, peace be unto them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."

Paul writes about "them" and "the Israel of God."  Are these the same entity?  In the epistle to the Galatians, Paul has already mentioned both Jewish and Gentile believers.  From an ethnic or national standpoint believers are called from two distinctly different backgrounds.  Replacement theologians generally affirm that both terms refer to the same group and thus conclude that church is called the Israel of God.  However, in order to accept the proposition that the terms them and the Israel of God both describe the same group, one must ignore the primary meaning of kai (and) in the expression "and upon the Israel of God."

There are two main views concerning this verse.  The first insists that the Israel of God is the church as a whole while the other limits the reference to Jewish believers.  The first view is described as follows:

The first is the claim that "the Israel of God" is simply a term descriptive the believing church of the present age.  The Israel of God is the body who shall walk by the rule of the new creation, and they include believing people from the two ethnic bodies of Jews and Gentiles.

A cursory reading of the context however reveals that Paul was distinguishing between physical status and spiritual status for those were living in Christ.  Although the Judaizers or emphasizing physical qualifications, namely circumcision, Paul states that one's position in Christ depend solely and exclusively upon spiritual qualifications.  Notice that Paul does not even talk about the church, but refers to position in Christ (Galatians 6-15).  Certainly, Paul does not wish to demean or eradicate physical differences, and bucked nearly states that they have no bearing on whether or not one is in Christ.  Just as Paul states that gender distinction and social status are irrelevant to position in Christ (Galatians 3: 28), so does he now explain that circumcision also means nothing.  And just as physical differences do not keep persons from believing in Christ, so these physical similarities cannot put them in Christ.  All Jews belong to ethnic Israel while Gentiles do not to.  So there's no basis for concluding that Paul intends to imply to his readers that Israel can refer to Gentiles whether or not they are in Christ.

The second view is that the Israel of God is the believing Jewish remnant within the church.  S. Lewis Johnson, former professor of Greek and New Testament exegesis at Dallas theological seminary, states new parenthesis and theologically the view is sound in its maintenance of the two elements within the one people of God, Gentiles and ethnic Jews.  Romans 11 spells out the details of the relationship between the two entities from Abraham's day to the present age and onto the fulfillment of the future of the great unconditional covenantal promises made to the patriarchs.

The conclusion is that the church is never called a "spiritual Israel" or a "new Israel."  The term Israel is either used of the nation or the people as a whole war of the believing the remnant within.  It is never used to the church in general war of Gentile believers in particular.  In fact, even after the cross there remains a threefold distinction.  The first, there is a distinction between Israel and Gentiles (1 Cor. 10:32, Eph. 2:11-12).  Second there is a distinction between Israel and the church in 1 Cor. 10:32. Third, there is distinction between Jewish believers (the Israel of God) and Gentile believers in Romans 9: 6 and Galatians 6: 16.

The Seed of Abraham

Another argument that is frequently used in replacement theology to teach that Israel is the church is a Gentile believers are referred to as the "Edith Abraham" (Galatians 3:29) and therefore can be equals with Israel, which also is identified as the seat of Abraham.  It should be noted that the term seat of Abraham is used in four different census in the Scripture.  The first it refers to the physical seat of Abraham.  That is, the natural offspring who are physical descendents of Abraham which also logically includes the Arabs.  However, in the old Testament, the term always refers to the physical descendents of Abraham who are the Jews.  But the term seat of Abraham is not limited to referring to the physical seed.  Second, it refers to the messiah who is the unique individual seed of Abraham (heavers 2: 16-17).  Third, it is a reference to the believers today; the church is the spiritual seed of Abraham (Galatians 3: 29).  This seed includes the Jews who are physical descendents of Abraham as well as Gentiles who are not physical descendents of Abraham but who have Abraham's faith.  But we must ask: is this spiritual seed of Abraham ever called "Israel"?  The answer is, no.  Those who are the spiritual seed our partakers of Jewish spiritual blessings but are never said to become partaker said the physical, material, or national promises.  Fourth, the term seed of ever hams sometimes identifies the righteous remnant of Israel (Romans 9: 6 and parenthesis 

Ethnic Jews have always who have accepted a Jesus Christ as their messiah, the Jewish Christians, are the Israel of God, and they are spiritual descendents of Abraham.  And other groups are also Abraham's spiritual seed, but none of these groups is ever referred to as Israel.

The seed of Jacob

What replacement theologians need to prove their case is a statement in Scripture that Paul believers are love "the seed of Jacob."  Such teach and would indicate that the church is spiritual Israel or that Gentile Christians are spiritual Jews.  This is exactly however what is not found in Scripture.  Not all the physical descendents of Abraham are Jews, but all the physical descendents of Jacob are.  The very term Israel originated with Jacob and not with Abraham.  If there were even one verse in the Bible that showed that the church is the seed of Jacob, replacement theologians could support one of their key contentions.  This however they cannot do.  They can only resort to passages that speak of the seed of Abraham, which, by itself, is not sufficient to prove their contention since the use of "Israel" is more restrictive than that of the seed of "Abraham."

Romans 2: 25-29

In other biblical passage that he's used by those teaching that Israel and the church are identical it is Romans 2: 25-29, where Paul contrasts near outward conformity with inward conformity:

For circumcision indeed profited, if thou be a doer of the wall: but if thou be a transgressor of the wall, the guy circumcision is become circumcision.  If there for the circumcision keep the ordinance of the law, shall not his circumcision be reckoned for circumcision?  And shall not the circumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the wall, Judge D., who with the lecture and circumcision art a transgressor of the law?  For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not a man, but to God.

Paul's focused in this passage was the concept that all who were circumcised automatically became part of God's kingdom.  Paul recognized that certain privileges accompanied circumcision, but circumcision itself did not establish this covenant.  Rather, circumcision was only the sign of the covenant that already had been established.  The circumcision did not establish the covenant but it did bring blessings that were dependent upon obedience.  If a Jewish person pleaded exemption from judgment because he was a member of the covenant nation shown by his circumcision, it's only follows that the only way judgment could have been avoided was by keeping the law. The mere act of circumcision did not exempt the Jewish male from judgment if he failed to keep the law.  Near ritual will not bring justification.

Just as water baptism does not save any Gentile, so circumcision will not save any Jew.  Jeremiah taught that circumcision without spiritual transformation is no better than not being circumcised at Paul.  Paul taught the other side of this issue: not being circumcised with transformation it is circumcision.  In Romans 2: 25, Paul spells out the principle: a right without reality is unrighteousness.  A Jew cannot be saved by his circumcision since he could not keep the law anyway.  Conversely, verse 26 points out that reality without right is righteousness.  If a Gentile could keep the law but lacked circumcision, that lack of  circumcision would not condemn him.  Verse 27 states that, in fact, the righteous uncircumcision will judge the unrighteous circumcision.  They obedience of the uncircumcised Gentile can judge the disobedience of the circumcised Jew.

Having said that circumcision cannot save because ritual does not bring justification, Paul shows, in Romans 2-28 to 29, why circumcision itself will not work either.  The physical birth cannot save, neither can physical circumcision.  Physical circumcision is outward, whereas God demands inward circumcision, that witches of a change in the heart.  A true Jew is one who is both a Jew outwardly as well as inwardly.

This passage does not teach that Gentiles become spiritual Jews.  Paul concluded his discussion of the Gentiles in Romans 2: 16.  In Romans 2: 17-3: 20, he considers the Jewish question.  In this section, he uses the same reasoning as in Romans 9-11.  Namely, he distinguishes between Jews could not believe in Jews who do believe.  This is not a distinction between Jews and Gentiles, nor between Israel and the church, but between the remnant ending non-remnant-between the Jewish believer and the Jewish unbeliever.  He shows that a Jew who is not a believer, but whose religion is merely outward, is not exempt from divine judgment, for he too has fallen short of the righteousness of God.  He has greater revelations, but that greater insight carries with it greater responsibility.  Indeed, his failure to keep the law shows that he is not living up to the righteous standard of God.  Therefore, he, like the Gentile, has fallen short of God's righteous standards.  So he too, like the Gentile, is under divine condemnation of sin.  Paul points out that the true Jew is not a Jew who only has outward circumcision.  Rather, a true Jew is one who has had both types of circumcision, both outward and inward.

These verses must be kept in their context, which is that Paul is dealing with Jews and making a distinction between Jews who believe, and those who do not.  He is not teaching that every Gentile Christians is a spiritual Jew.  Rather, he is teaching that every Jew is not a full Jew.  A complete Jew is one who has had both circumcisions, that of the flesh which is an outward obedience to the covenant of Abraham, as well as in inward circumcision of the heart as in act of obedience to the new covenant.  McClain comes to the same conclusion:

Paul shows that there is such a thing as being a Jew merely an outward form.  But God demands and inward reality and would not recognize any man as a Jew unless he has had that.  Some people think this statement teaches that every Christian is a Jew, but what it's really teaches is that every Jew is not a Jew.  No man can be a Jew unless he is born outwardly as a son of Abraham, and also inwardly in the spirit; therefore, a man born only outwardly of Abraham is not a true Jew.

A true Jew is one who has responded to the revelation of God and has excepted Christ as messiah.  This person is an ethnic Jew who is a member of the church.  That's person belongs to two groups simultaneously both Israel and the church.  However, they are never blended.

Conclusions and Summary

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