This is simple, folks. St. Paul spoke of the resurrection, or the Rapture, happening at the "last trump", as quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52:
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
There is also a mention of this trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18:
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Corinthians was written approximately between 53-57AD, while Paul was in Corinth. 1 Thessalonians was written earlier, around 52AD.
The Apostle John was given his Revelation by God on the Isle of Patmos in 95-96AD.
Since John's Revelation was written so much later than Paul's letter to the Corinthians and Thessalonians, they would have had NO idea what Paul was talking about if he referred to the last trump of Revelation.
However, being Jewish and/or interacting with Jews, they would have known the "last trump" referred to a specific ceremony, namely, the Feast of Trumpets, when 100 blasts of the shofar is made, and the very last shofar blast is loud and held for as long as possible. It is called the Tekiah Gedolah.
Everyone Paul preached to in that day would certainly know what the "last trump" meant.
They would not have known about the final trumpet judgment as recorded by the Apostle John decades later, and therefore cannot be one in the same.
~~Becka
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Jerusalem Divided
The video below was from two and a half years ago, from the pastor of Calvary Chapel Kaneohe in Hawaii. I've featured his videos before. He talks about the presidential elections a bit because that was going on around the time of the video, but the information about a divided Jerusalem is a bit chilling. This video is pertinent because of a new headline (3-30-11) I found on Haaretz.com:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/abbas-palestinians-to-ask-for-un-recognition-if-peace-talks-fail-1.353178
The gist is this: If Abbas of the PA cannot reach peace with the Israel soon, he will go before the UN in September and outright ask for them to formally recognize Palestine as its own independent state. What does this mean? It means despite Israel's protests to the contrary, the international community would recognize Palestine and "forcibly" divide Jerusalem whether the Jews want it or not.
Zechariah 12:1-9:
1 A prophecy: The word of the LORD concerning Israel.
Heaven help the members of the UN who might end up forcing the Jews to divide their holy city. Unlike other vague prophecies that speak of events in the future, this one in Zechariah is the LORD God speaking, promising to smite those who come against Jerusalem.
And notice, once again, the date this might happen as promised by Mahmoud Abbas is in September, the very month of Rosh Hoshanah, a possible candidate for the Rapture. I think September 2011 will be a VERY important month in Bible prophecy.
~~Becka
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/abbas-palestinians-to-ask-for-un-recognition-if-peace-talks-fail-1.353178
The gist is this: If Abbas of the PA cannot reach peace with the Israel soon, he will go before the UN in September and outright ask for them to formally recognize Palestine as its own independent state. What does this mean? It means despite Israel's protests to the contrary, the international community would recognize Palestine and "forcibly" divide Jerusalem whether the Jews want it or not.
Zechariah 12:1-9:
1 A prophecy: The word of the LORD concerning Israel.
The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: 2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. 4 On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the LORD. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.’
6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.
7 “The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. 8 On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them. 9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
Heaven help the members of the UN who might end up forcing the Jews to divide their holy city. Unlike other vague prophecies that speak of events in the future, this one in Zechariah is the LORD God speaking, promising to smite those who come against Jerusalem.
And notice, once again, the date this might happen as promised by Mahmoud Abbas is in September, the very month of Rosh Hoshanah, a possible candidate for the Rapture. I think September 2011 will be a VERY important month in Bible prophecy.
~~Becka
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Don't Let Your Plans Get in God's Way
I hear Christians nod and acknowledge that Christ will return all the time. However, all too often, these same Christians do not believe that time is at hand. Or it's years into the future.
Couldn't possibly be "right at the door."
My question is... why not? Christ taught that His Rapture was imminent. We know this because of the parable of the 10 virgins he gives in Matthew 25:1-13. Five were ready and waiting, five had allowed the oil to run out of their lamps. They knew the time was soon when the groom would arrive, so they ran off to the market to buy more oil. But when they were gone, the groom came, entered in, and shut the door, leaving the foolish virgins out in the cold.
Christ told us to always be ready and look for the signs, so that day should not overcome us like a thief. (1 Thess 5:1-11) We know Christ was speaking of a pre-Trib Rapture because according to Daniel 12:11-12, you will KNOW the exact day Christ's Second Coming (a separate event) from the day of the Abomination of Desolation. 1290 days. 45 days later, at 1335 days, Christ sets up His millennial Kingdom.
So if we are always to be ready, what makes these Christians poo-poo the idea that Christ's Rapture is coming, and soon?
Because the seeming "tardiness" of this looming imminent Rapture has made them complacent. They have become comfortable in their lives. They have a nice job, nice house, nice car. They love their wives and husbands. They have small children. They've been looking forward to watching their children grow up and one day have children of their own. They're planning for retirement. They have goals and milestones yet to reach, things yet to do, places yet to go.
But don't you understand? God does not rule His universe according to your life's plan. Do not get too comfortable in your life that you look on the return of Christ with trepidation. Do not put off getting right with God or thinking Jesus couldn't possibly return in your lifetime. He obviously meant another lifetime.
Do not get so numb to the tragedies all around you that they become trite and commonplace.
And remember, the Church will be Raptured before the Tribulation, so what we see here on earth is only the BEGINNING of sorrows. You think the 9.0 earthquake, tsunami, & resulting radiation disaster is bad? Beginning of sorrows. A birth pang. That was only a taste.
Rioting and uprisings in the Middle East? Another birth pang. How do I know? Well, considering most "awake" Christians are looking for the return of Christ, ultra-orthodox Jews are looking for their Messiah, and Ahmadinejad of Iran believes the rioting is heralding the 12th Imam of Islam (a Christ-like figure who will unite the world and rule in peace for 7 years -- sound like anyone familiar?), it seems a no-brainer. Never before have I witnessed in my life the fervor of three separate religions yearning for their "Savior" to come at the same time. That in and of itself should be a sign that something is going on.
Something not just the Christians are aware of.
Don't take my word for it. Read and study the Word of God. Find out these prophecies for yourself. Do your homework. God promises if we seek Him, we shall find Him. All I can do is point you in the direction. But don't be so comfortable in your life that you fail to find the hope in the one event every Christian before you has longed for.
~~Becka
Couldn't possibly be "right at the door."
My question is... why not? Christ taught that His Rapture was imminent. We know this because of the parable of the 10 virgins he gives in Matthew 25:1-13. Five were ready and waiting, five had allowed the oil to run out of their lamps. They knew the time was soon when the groom would arrive, so they ran off to the market to buy more oil. But when they were gone, the groom came, entered in, and shut the door, leaving the foolish virgins out in the cold.
Christ told us to always be ready and look for the signs, so that day should not overcome us like a thief. (1 Thess 5:1-11) We know Christ was speaking of a pre-Trib Rapture because according to Daniel 12:11-12, you will KNOW the exact day Christ's Second Coming (a separate event) from the day of the Abomination of Desolation. 1290 days. 45 days later, at 1335 days, Christ sets up His millennial Kingdom.
So if we are always to be ready, what makes these Christians poo-poo the idea that Christ's Rapture is coming, and soon?
Because the seeming "tardiness" of this looming imminent Rapture has made them complacent. They have become comfortable in their lives. They have a nice job, nice house, nice car. They love their wives and husbands. They have small children. They've been looking forward to watching their children grow up and one day have children of their own. They're planning for retirement. They have goals and milestones yet to reach, things yet to do, places yet to go.
But don't you understand? God does not rule His universe according to your life's plan. Do not get too comfortable in your life that you look on the return of Christ with trepidation. Do not put off getting right with God or thinking Jesus couldn't possibly return in your lifetime. He obviously meant another lifetime.
Do not get so numb to the tragedies all around you that they become trite and commonplace.
And remember, the Church will be Raptured before the Tribulation, so what we see here on earth is only the BEGINNING of sorrows. You think the 9.0 earthquake, tsunami, & resulting radiation disaster is bad? Beginning of sorrows. A birth pang. That was only a taste.
Rioting and uprisings in the Middle East? Another birth pang. How do I know? Well, considering most "awake" Christians are looking for the return of Christ, ultra-orthodox Jews are looking for their Messiah, and Ahmadinejad of Iran believes the rioting is heralding the 12th Imam of Islam (a Christ-like figure who will unite the world and rule in peace for 7 years -- sound like anyone familiar?), it seems a no-brainer. Never before have I witnessed in my life the fervor of three separate religions yearning for their "Savior" to come at the same time. That in and of itself should be a sign that something is going on.
Something not just the Christians are aware of.
Don't take my word for it. Read and study the Word of God. Find out these prophecies for yourself. Do your homework. God promises if we seek Him, we shall find Him. All I can do is point you in the direction. But don't be so comfortable in your life that you fail to find the hope in the one event every Christian before you has longed for.
~~Becka
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Fascinating Insight from a Messianic Jew
These videos aren't great quality, but they're great insight from a young man who grew up in a Jewish household, and yet recognizes Jesus as his Messiah. It isn't until the second video he really begins to go into the Rapture and the Second Coming, but the first video outlines different Jewish traditions that parallel God's plan, including the Passover Seder and the ancient Jewish wedding. Enjoy!
~~Becka
~~Becka
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sooner Than Anyone Thinks?
Luke 21:28
"28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Matthew 24:44
"44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
There is a fascinating teaching from Perry Stone about the Jews' barley, wheat, & fruit harvest. If you look at it as being a picture of the Rapture and the Trib, it becomes very eye-opening. It could be just a prophetic picture. It might not literally mean the Rapture will happen at the barley harvest which is after the "latter rain" in Nissan, our current month of April.
Some people believe a passage in the Song of Solomon is prophetic to the Rapture. Read and consider:
Song of Songs 2:11-13
11 See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”
The rains spoken of in this passage is the "latter" rain, the rain that happens on or around Nissan 1. The picture of the fig tree parallels Matthew 24: 32-33:
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door.
The fig tree in Scripture is a picture of Israel. What Christ is alluding to is this; once you see Israel reborn and flourishing, when God has restored the desert into lush gardens, that is the picture of the fig tree blossoming. Scoffers say many people through the ages have been waiting for this so-called "Rapture" and it never came. But THIS GENERATION on Earth now is the first one who can say with certainty the end times can come at any moment. Why?
Because Bible prophecy revolves around Israel and her rebirth. Israel was scattered after 70AD and didn't have a nation, a homeland, until 1948. The end of days could ONLY happen according to Scripture after 1948.
And then Christ goes on to say in Matthew 24:34:
34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
"This generation" is talking about the generation who saw the rebirth of Israel. How do I know? Because this passage comes right after the parable of the fig tree, the prophetic picture of Israel! How long is a generation? Seventy years. Seventy years from 1948 is 2018. Minus seven years for the Trib, and you come to 2011.
But according to Song of Songs, if that passage IS prophetic, perhaps Christ won't "wait" until the Feast of Trumpets (September) to Rapture His Church. It could happen any time after the latter rain of Nissan 1. This still coincides with what Paul taught about the "last trump", because priests sound the shofar on the first day of every month.
Here are three videos about the harvest that I found fascinating. The third video's teaching ends after 3 minutes in.
It amazes me how MUCH there is that alludes to the Rapture and the Trib throughout the Bible. Our God is truly awesome.
Mark 13:23:
23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
~~Becka
"28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Matthew 24:44
"44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
There is a fascinating teaching from Perry Stone about the Jews' barley, wheat, & fruit harvest. If you look at it as being a picture of the Rapture and the Trib, it becomes very eye-opening. It could be just a prophetic picture. It might not literally mean the Rapture will happen at the barley harvest which is after the "latter rain" in Nissan, our current month of April.
Some people believe a passage in the Song of Solomon is prophetic to the Rapture. Read and consider:
Song of Songs 2:11-13
11 See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”
The rains spoken of in this passage is the "latter" rain, the rain that happens on or around Nissan 1. The picture of the fig tree parallels Matthew 24: 32-33:
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door.
The fig tree in Scripture is a picture of Israel. What Christ is alluding to is this; once you see Israel reborn and flourishing, when God has restored the desert into lush gardens, that is the picture of the fig tree blossoming. Scoffers say many people through the ages have been waiting for this so-called "Rapture" and it never came. But THIS GENERATION on Earth now is the first one who can say with certainty the end times can come at any moment. Why?
Because Bible prophecy revolves around Israel and her rebirth. Israel was scattered after 70AD and didn't have a nation, a homeland, until 1948. The end of days could ONLY happen according to Scripture after 1948.
And then Christ goes on to say in Matthew 24:34:
34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
"This generation" is talking about the generation who saw the rebirth of Israel. How do I know? Because this passage comes right after the parable of the fig tree, the prophetic picture of Israel! How long is a generation? Seventy years. Seventy years from 1948 is 2018. Minus seven years for the Trib, and you come to 2011.
But according to Song of Songs, if that passage IS prophetic, perhaps Christ won't "wait" until the Feast of Trumpets (September) to Rapture His Church. It could happen any time after the latter rain of Nissan 1. This still coincides with what Paul taught about the "last trump", because priests sound the shofar on the first day of every month.
Here are three videos about the harvest that I found fascinating. The third video's teaching ends after 3 minutes in.
It amazes me how MUCH there is that alludes to the Rapture and the Trib throughout the Bible. Our God is truly awesome.
Mark 13:23:
23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
~~Becka
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Feast of Purim and a Modern-Day "Haman"
An interesting video that parallels the Book of Esther with present-day Iran, along with Bible prophecy in the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. With everything going on in the Middle East, specifically Egypt and Libya, things sure look to be falling in place according to the prophets...
~~Becka
Another Prophetic Dream?
Last night, I had a strange dream that got me thinking after I woke up. I thought I'd share it with you. I have had what I believe to be a prophetic dream back in January. The dream I had last night wasn't quite so obvious. In my previous dream, I was being spoken to by God. In this dream, it was like a normal dream, however, the events in this dream seem to parallel a "Rapture-like" scenario.
There was a man I was talking to, he was a little scruffy--dirty flannel shirt, unkempt beard, soiled jeans. He was talking to me about how much he loved his neighbor, but that she was getting married. He knocked on her door and she came out. The woman was very nice and invited us into her house.
The man sat on her chair and was silent while the woman went on and on about her fiance. She was aware this scruffy man was in love with her, but she couldn't stop talking about how much she loved her fiance. She brought out a photo album and showed me pictures of them together. I don't remember what the man looked like, but I do remember he was handsome, and they looked very happy together.
She mentioned she hadn't seen her fiance for a long time. She wouldn't see him again until the day of the wedding. And it was going to be a grand affair in Egypt. She had a date of the wedding posted in the dream, like on one of those flip-style alarm clocks, but it wasn't a clock, it just showed the date. And the date it showed was 1-8-11.
I remember being confused because the dream was current, yet I knew the wedding date would be in the future. I thought, in the dream, that perhaps I was in the past, like 2010, looking at a "future" 2011 January date. I'll get back to this.
While I was talking to the woman, the scruffy man was silent. I could tell he was sad that she was going to marry another man.
Suddenly, I flashed to the wedding day. It was an enormous affair, a wedding fit for royalty. Food was everywhere. Her gown was fabulous. There were hundreds, if not thousands of people there. Even the media flew a few anchors from ABC and NBC to Egypt to cover the wedding. I remember thinking how odd, because this woman was just an ordinary woman, how could she afford such a glamorous wedding? And why did the media care?
It was night time. There was rejoicing and singing and dancing and feasting under the lighted pyramids of Egypt. I knew the scruffy man was not there. But somehow, it didn't matter because I wanted to dance and feast myself.
I then either woke up or the dream merely ended, I don't remember. But here's my thoughts on it.
After I woke up, I decided to do a little digging on January 8th, 2011 in Egypt. Had something significant happen on that date there? As far as I can tell, nothing did. It was before the riots.
That got me thinking. Europeans switch the month and the day when they write their dates. In the dream, I knew the wedding would happen in the future. Could it be August 1st, 2011? Googling that date with Egypt again pulled up nothing significant. So, I googled the date by itself.
Amazingly, the first hit on Google is for the Jewish calendar. August 1st is also the 1st of Av. It's not a Jewish feast, but it begins the nine days of mourning the Jews observe until the 9th of Av, or Tisha B'av.
The 9th of Av is the darkest day in Jewish history. On this same day, almost 600 years apart, BOTH of their holy Temples were razed.
This is also the day in 1492 all Jews were expelled from Spain.
This is also the day WWI began in 1914.
On the eve of Tisha B'av 1942, the Jews were rounded up from the Warsaw ghetto and taken to Treblinka extermination camp.
Needless to say, from Av 1 to Av 9, many Jews consider themselves in mourning, and therefore dress in black or sackcloth and do not wash and do not clip their beards.
This HAD to be what the Lord was showing me. But for what purpose?
I believe the scruffy man either represents the sin of the world wooing the Church (the Bride of Christ) away from Him, OR he represents the "church" Christ leaves behind, who wants to be with the true Church but does not truly know Christ. This seems to fit why he wasn't there during the wedding feast. For some reason, I think he represents the body of so-called "believers" Christ will not take at the Rapture. I believe this because he wasn't at the wedding, and I somehow knew he was crying that he couldn't be there with the Bride.
The fact the bride was "separated" from her fiance until the day of the wedding also gave me a big clue this was a dream from God. Aside from my study of the Jewish wedding, where the groom goes to prepare a place for the bride onto his father's house, it fits with Christ leaving to Heaven only to come back and retrieve His Bride.
And this woman LOVED the groom. I can't tell you enough how much she loved him and looked forward to seeing him and how the day of her wedding filled her with such joy.
I believe my thoughts about how she could afford all of this because she was just an ordinary woman was very telling as well. Her house was non-descript, she was just like I was. And yet she had a wedding fit for royalty.
I think the media was there because obviously, the Rapture is going to be newsworthy. WHERE did millions of people go? Were we abducted by aliens? Or was it *really* the Rapture of the Church? I think that's what the media might have represented in the dream.
The only thing I don't understand is why Egypt, and why August 1st, 2011. Is the Lord telling me to look to the skies in August? Is that going to be a significant time for Egypt? Or was Egypt in there to simply to represent a faraway, grand, sweeping place this wedding is going to take place? What is more grand than dancing at the foot of the ancient pyramids, after all? Perhaps they were there to represent the awe of Heaven or the mighty presence of God.
I think it's telling, though, that the time and date of this wedding was at night on August 1st. Now, obviously no man knows the day or the hour. I remember a few days ago praying to Jesus, asking Him when His Rapture was. Heh, I don't think He'd actually TELL ME, but He might tell me approximately, since I'm already looking skyward.
Who knows. It could have been "just a dream". But I don't think so. It's rare I ever realize I'm dreaming. And I knew I was dreaming because of the realization I had with the date. I knew it was future, but it "appeared" as if it was January at first glance.
I guess we'll find out soon enough. But could the 1st of Av reference be alluding to the fact that if Christ DOES Rapture the Church at the time around Tisha B'av, that it would be "one more thing" for the Jews to mourn for? Food for thought.
~~Becka
There was a man I was talking to, he was a little scruffy--dirty flannel shirt, unkempt beard, soiled jeans. He was talking to me about how much he loved his neighbor, but that she was getting married. He knocked on her door and she came out. The woman was very nice and invited us into her house.
The man sat on her chair and was silent while the woman went on and on about her fiance. She was aware this scruffy man was in love with her, but she couldn't stop talking about how much she loved her fiance. She brought out a photo album and showed me pictures of them together. I don't remember what the man looked like, but I do remember he was handsome, and they looked very happy together.
She mentioned she hadn't seen her fiance for a long time. She wouldn't see him again until the day of the wedding. And it was going to be a grand affair in Egypt. She had a date of the wedding posted in the dream, like on one of those flip-style alarm clocks, but it wasn't a clock, it just showed the date. And the date it showed was 1-8-11.
I remember being confused because the dream was current, yet I knew the wedding date would be in the future. I thought, in the dream, that perhaps I was in the past, like 2010, looking at a "future" 2011 January date. I'll get back to this.
While I was talking to the woman, the scruffy man was silent. I could tell he was sad that she was going to marry another man.
Suddenly, I flashed to the wedding day. It was an enormous affair, a wedding fit for royalty. Food was everywhere. Her gown was fabulous. There were hundreds, if not thousands of people there. Even the media flew a few anchors from ABC and NBC to Egypt to cover the wedding. I remember thinking how odd, because this woman was just an ordinary woman, how could she afford such a glamorous wedding? And why did the media care?
It was night time. There was rejoicing and singing and dancing and feasting under the lighted pyramids of Egypt. I knew the scruffy man was not there. But somehow, it didn't matter because I wanted to dance and feast myself.
I then either woke up or the dream merely ended, I don't remember. But here's my thoughts on it.
After I woke up, I decided to do a little digging on January 8th, 2011 in Egypt. Had something significant happen on that date there? As far as I can tell, nothing did. It was before the riots.
That got me thinking. Europeans switch the month and the day when they write their dates. In the dream, I knew the wedding would happen in the future. Could it be August 1st, 2011? Googling that date with Egypt again pulled up nothing significant. So, I googled the date by itself.
Amazingly, the first hit on Google is for the Jewish calendar. August 1st is also the 1st of Av. It's not a Jewish feast, but it begins the nine days of mourning the Jews observe until the 9th of Av, or Tisha B'av.
The 9th of Av is the darkest day in Jewish history. On this same day, almost 600 years apart, BOTH of their holy Temples were razed.
This is also the day in 1492 all Jews were expelled from Spain.
This is also the day WWI began in 1914.
On the eve of Tisha B'av 1942, the Jews were rounded up from the Warsaw ghetto and taken to Treblinka extermination camp.
Needless to say, from Av 1 to Av 9, many Jews consider themselves in mourning, and therefore dress in black or sackcloth and do not wash and do not clip their beards.
This HAD to be what the Lord was showing me. But for what purpose?
I believe the scruffy man either represents the sin of the world wooing the Church (the Bride of Christ) away from Him, OR he represents the "church" Christ leaves behind, who wants to be with the true Church but does not truly know Christ. This seems to fit why he wasn't there during the wedding feast. For some reason, I think he represents the body of so-called "believers" Christ will not take at the Rapture. I believe this because he wasn't at the wedding, and I somehow knew he was crying that he couldn't be there with the Bride.
The fact the bride was "separated" from her fiance until the day of the wedding also gave me a big clue this was a dream from God. Aside from my study of the Jewish wedding, where the groom goes to prepare a place for the bride onto his father's house, it fits with Christ leaving to Heaven only to come back and retrieve His Bride.
And this woman LOVED the groom. I can't tell you enough how much she loved him and looked forward to seeing him and how the day of her wedding filled her with such joy.
I believe my thoughts about how she could afford all of this because she was just an ordinary woman was very telling as well. Her house was non-descript, she was just like I was. And yet she had a wedding fit for royalty.
I think the media was there because obviously, the Rapture is going to be newsworthy. WHERE did millions of people go? Were we abducted by aliens? Or was it *really* the Rapture of the Church? I think that's what the media might have represented in the dream.
The only thing I don't understand is why Egypt, and why August 1st, 2011. Is the Lord telling me to look to the skies in August? Is that going to be a significant time for Egypt? Or was Egypt in there to simply to represent a faraway, grand, sweeping place this wedding is going to take place? What is more grand than dancing at the foot of the ancient pyramids, after all? Perhaps they were there to represent the awe of Heaven or the mighty presence of God.
I think it's telling, though, that the time and date of this wedding was at night on August 1st. Now, obviously no man knows the day or the hour. I remember a few days ago praying to Jesus, asking Him when His Rapture was. Heh, I don't think He'd actually TELL ME, but He might tell me approximately, since I'm already looking skyward.
Who knows. It could have been "just a dream". But I don't think so. It's rare I ever realize I'm dreaming. And I knew I was dreaming because of the realization I had with the date. I knew it was future, but it "appeared" as if it was January at first glance.
I guess we'll find out soon enough. But could the 1st of Av reference be alluding to the fact that if Christ DOES Rapture the Church at the time around Tisha B'av, that it would be "one more thing" for the Jews to mourn for? Food for thought.
~~Becka
Break Open the Sky - TobyMac
This video has the lyrics of one of my very favorite songs about the Rapture. I wanted to share it because it makes me happy every time I hear it.
It's sung by TobyMac, featuring Israel Houghton, another Christian singer. I have this song on my iPod and I listen to it quite frequently. It's on Toby's album "Tonight", which is an EXCELLENT album, by the way, if you love the hip-hop dance vibe for Christian music. Enjoy!
~~Becka
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Putting it All Together
Could the Rapture happen in 2011? It's possible, considering the Rapture is imminent.
I've been talking about signs on earth, the unrest, the earthquakes in various places, the crazy weather. These might be explained away. Even the sun cycle and the supermoon can be explained away.
But could I postulate a 2011 Rapture/Trib using ONLY celestial signs and Jewish feasts?
I've brought to light the fact that Christ is fulfilling the Jewish feasts. The death of the Lamb of God (Passover), burial (Unleavened Bread), resurrection (First Fruits), Holy Spirit descends (Pentacost). What's left? Feast of Trumpets (many believe is the Rapture), Feast of Atonement (Second Coming & redemption of the Jews), Feast of Tabernacles (living forever with the Lord.)
As you learned from the videos I posted by Perry Stone, the Feast of Trumpets was the one feast governed by the new moon, and as such, no one knew the hour or the day of the start of the feast. They needed to have witnesses to watch the moon and blow the shofar the moment that sliver of the moon lit.
The fact the Apostle Paul mentions "at the last trump" for when we'll be caught up in the air to Jesus suggests there will be many "trump" blasts before the final one. Priests blow the shofar 100 times on the Feast of Trumpets. Many people believe we will be Raptured at the final trumpet of the Trib plagues, but I do not believe that is so.
When is the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hoshanah, of 2011? Sept. 29/30. It's a two day feast because, as I said, "No one knows the hour or the day" of the feast. Now we can calculate the sliver of the new moon, but the significance remains the same. There is a verse in Revelation about the virgin and the beast.
Revelation 12:1-4:
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.
A YouTuber found a celestial sign in the heavens that coincidentally fits this verse in the Bible. I happened to notice the date of the future event. September 29, 2011. Rosh Hoshanah.
Now, what does Rev. 12, verse 3-4 say again?
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.
Amazingly, Earth will have a spectacular meteor shower on October 8th, the Draconids. And what just "happens" to fall on October 8th, 2011? The Feast of Atonement.
http://www.space.com/8604-nasa-prepares-potentially-damaging-2011-meteor-shower.html
Couple these amazing celestial events with the lunar tetrad in 2014-2015, that bookends Passover and Tabernacles each year, and you have the possible marker for the Abomination of Desolation. Remember, there will also be a total solar eclipse on March 20th, 2015, the first day of the Jewish new year. IF the Antichrist violates the yet-to-be-built Jewish Temple on Passover 2015 (3 1/2 years from fall of 2011, the exact mid-point of the Trib), then there would be a solar eclipse (sun as sackcloth) and a blood moon (moon as blood) before the great and terrible Day of the Lord (the last 3 1/2 years of the Trib.)
HOWEVER, and this is a big thing, that means the Jews would most likely need to begin building their Temple probably in the fall of 2011 as well. Why? It's easy to throw up a building, but the Jews would need approximately 42 months to complete the ceremonies they would need to sanctify and dedicate the Temple to God.
We know from The Temple Institute they have everything in place, already made and waiting for the Temple. We also know that a kosher red heifer, the one animal that can purify the Temple, has been born after almost 2000 years. A sign from God He wants His Temple built?
But obviously building their 3rd Temple is a sticky situation. The Muslims won't allow the Jews to build on the Temple Mount. However, many believe this is the purpose of the two witnesses of Revelation. Here is some video of Perry Stone explaining the purpose behind the two witnesses aside from preaching the Word of God in Jerusalem. The fourth and final video completes the teaching after about one minute in.
Pastor Stone believes if it takes 42 months to build the Temple, then RIGHT BEFORE the Jews can have their first sacrifice in almost 2000 years on Passover 2015 (the very day of one of the lunar tetrads, btw), the Antichrist swoops in, kills the witnesses, reclaims the Temple Mount, and defiles the brand new Temple with the Abomination of Desolation, most likely a pig sacrifice and a statue of himself in the Holy of Holies (as Antiochus Epiphanes once did, another AC figure.) It's a good hypothesis.
THIS will be the defining event that will tell the Jews once and for all this man is bad news and they will flee from Jerusalem (hence the desolation).
But do you see how it all seems to "make sense" when you look at the celestial signs alone? And I didn't even TOUCH on "nation against nation, earthquakes in diverse places, etc." Or the fact the world is pushing Israel for peace with Palestine and divide their holy city.
Oh, and when is THAT supposed to take place, by the way? September 2011.
I don't know if this year's Rosh Hoshanah is the Rapture of the Church. No man knows the day nor the hour, but we CAN know the season, so this day does not overtake US like a thief in the night... (1 Thessalonians 5:4) The Lord doesn't have to Rapture the Church on the Feast of Trumpets. It can happen any time, so be ready.
But 2011, more than any other year before it, with the signs on Earth AND the signs in the heavens, seems to be the most promising year we've ever had in looking forward to His Coming.
~~Becka
I've been talking about signs on earth, the unrest, the earthquakes in various places, the crazy weather. These might be explained away. Even the sun cycle and the supermoon can be explained away.
But could I postulate a 2011 Rapture/Trib using ONLY celestial signs and Jewish feasts?
I've brought to light the fact that Christ is fulfilling the Jewish feasts. The death of the Lamb of God (Passover), burial (Unleavened Bread), resurrection (First Fruits), Holy Spirit descends (Pentacost). What's left? Feast of Trumpets (many believe is the Rapture), Feast of Atonement (Second Coming & redemption of the Jews), Feast of Tabernacles (living forever with the Lord.)
As you learned from the videos I posted by Perry Stone, the Feast of Trumpets was the one feast governed by the new moon, and as such, no one knew the hour or the day of the start of the feast. They needed to have witnesses to watch the moon and blow the shofar the moment that sliver of the moon lit.
The fact the Apostle Paul mentions "at the last trump" for when we'll be caught up in the air to Jesus suggests there will be many "trump" blasts before the final one. Priests blow the shofar 100 times on the Feast of Trumpets. Many people believe we will be Raptured at the final trumpet of the Trib plagues, but I do not believe that is so.
When is the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hoshanah, of 2011? Sept. 29/30. It's a two day feast because, as I said, "No one knows the hour or the day" of the feast. Now we can calculate the sliver of the new moon, but the significance remains the same. There is a verse in Revelation about the virgin and the beast.
Revelation 12:1-4:
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.
A YouTuber found a celestial sign in the heavens that coincidentally fits this verse in the Bible. I happened to notice the date of the future event. September 29, 2011. Rosh Hoshanah.
Now, what does Rev. 12, verse 3-4 say again?
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.
Amazingly, Earth will have a spectacular meteor shower on October 8th, the Draconids. And what just "happens" to fall on October 8th, 2011? The Feast of Atonement.
http://www.space.com/8604-nasa-prepares-potentially-damaging-2011-meteor-shower.html
Couple these amazing celestial events with the lunar tetrad in 2014-2015, that bookends Passover and Tabernacles each year, and you have the possible marker for the Abomination of Desolation. Remember, there will also be a total solar eclipse on March 20th, 2015, the first day of the Jewish new year. IF the Antichrist violates the yet-to-be-built Jewish Temple on Passover 2015 (3 1/2 years from fall of 2011, the exact mid-point of the Trib), then there would be a solar eclipse (sun as sackcloth) and a blood moon (moon as blood) before the great and terrible Day of the Lord (the last 3 1/2 years of the Trib.)
HOWEVER, and this is a big thing, that means the Jews would most likely need to begin building their Temple probably in the fall of 2011 as well. Why? It's easy to throw up a building, but the Jews would need approximately 42 months to complete the ceremonies they would need to sanctify and dedicate the Temple to God.
We know from The Temple Institute they have everything in place, already made and waiting for the Temple. We also know that a kosher red heifer, the one animal that can purify the Temple, has been born after almost 2000 years. A sign from God He wants His Temple built?
But obviously building their 3rd Temple is a sticky situation. The Muslims won't allow the Jews to build on the Temple Mount. However, many believe this is the purpose of the two witnesses of Revelation. Here is some video of Perry Stone explaining the purpose behind the two witnesses aside from preaching the Word of God in Jerusalem. The fourth and final video completes the teaching after about one minute in.
Pastor Stone believes if it takes 42 months to build the Temple, then RIGHT BEFORE the Jews can have their first sacrifice in almost 2000 years on Passover 2015 (the very day of one of the lunar tetrads, btw), the Antichrist swoops in, kills the witnesses, reclaims the Temple Mount, and defiles the brand new Temple with the Abomination of Desolation, most likely a pig sacrifice and a statue of himself in the Holy of Holies (as Antiochus Epiphanes once did, another AC figure.) It's a good hypothesis.
THIS will be the defining event that will tell the Jews once and for all this man is bad news and they will flee from Jerusalem (hence the desolation).
But do you see how it all seems to "make sense" when you look at the celestial signs alone? And I didn't even TOUCH on "nation against nation, earthquakes in diverse places, etc." Or the fact the world is pushing Israel for peace with Palestine and divide their holy city.
Oh, and when is THAT supposed to take place, by the way? September 2011.
I don't know if this year's Rosh Hoshanah is the Rapture of the Church. No man knows the day nor the hour, but we CAN know the season, so this day does not overtake US like a thief in the night... (1 Thessalonians 5:4) The Lord doesn't have to Rapture the Church on the Feast of Trumpets. It can happen any time, so be ready.
But 2011, more than any other year before it, with the signs on Earth AND the signs in the heavens, seems to be the most promising year we've ever had in looking forward to His Coming.
~~Becka
Monday, March 21, 2011
Israel Peace Treaty, World to Declare Palestinian State
Most Bible prophecy revolves around Israel and Jerusalem. That shouldn't come as a shock, seen as how God has made it quite clear that Israel is His chosen nation. Just as I have outlined the Jewish wedding and the Jewish feasts as being particularly interesting in prophecy, so too should we be looking to Israel and Jerusalem themselves.
The above video is 10 minutes long, but shows how many countries are banding together to declare Palestine an independent state. What does that have to do with anything?
In Zechariah 12:3, it states:
3And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
What does this "peace" accord outline? That Jerusalem be divided back to the 1967 borders, giving East Jerusalem to the Palestinians for their capital. And what's going on now? MANY countries of the world are recognizing Palestine, and the UN has given Israel and the PA until September to settle their differences.
What else does the Bible say about the last days and "peace"?
Daniel 9:27:
27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week
"He" is the Antichrist. "One week" is seven years.
The maker of the above video suggests that we Christians have always thought these prophecies would be fulfilled by Israel naively making a peace accord with a "Messiah"-like public figure.
But perhaps come September, Israel will be forced by the world to recognize the Palestinian state because the rest of the world will recognize it.
Read this article:
After Libya, Obama will have hard time thwarting Palestinian state
Hmm...
I believe the momentum of the uprisings in the Middle East is now bringing about Bible prophecy.
~~Becka
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Lunar Tetrad in 2014-2015
Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries has done a fascinating study into future heavenly events as compared to Bible Prophecy. Most Christians know the "Day of the Lord" (the Trib) is preceded by "the sun will be as sackcloth and the moon will be as blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord." ~Joel 2:31
While gazing at a photograph of a blood moon (a total lunar eclipse where the moon passes through the penumbra of the earth's shadow, giving it a red glow), Pastor Biltz realized the "moon to blood" was probably a blood moon eclipse. He wanted to find out when these blood moons appear on a future calendar date, and the above video is what he found.
We cannot be certain of what will happen during these years, obviously. Some people believe it's a sign of the Tribulation's beginning. Others believe it will mark the Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Daniel 9 and Matthew 24. However, since the "AoD" takes place mid-Trib according to Daniel, that would mean the actual Trib would have to begin in the fall of 2011. I guess time will tell.
What isn't touched on in this video is there is a total SOLAR eclipse in the middle of this 2014-2015 lunar tetrad as well. It falls on March 20th, 2015. And guess what day that is on the Jewish calendar? The first day of their new year, 5775. Not a feast day, true, but the fact that it falls on the first day of the Jewish new year also seems significant to me.
Genesis 1:14:
14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.
~~Becka
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Olivet Discourse
Some of you may or may not know that Jesus' end-time prophecies in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 is called the "Olivet Discourse". It's called this because the disciples came to Jesus privately on the Mount of Olives after He'd taught in the Temple all day. They asked Him what would be the signs of the end of the age -- the signs of His Second Coming.
A lot of people are more familiar with Matt. 24, but I like to quote Luke 21. I like it because just like in real life, two witnesses give different versions of a story. Here is what Luke 21 says about the signs to look for right before Jesus comes.
Luke 21: 10-11 & 25-28
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Many scoffers say things like:
"Earthquakes happen all the time, even bad ones."
"There's always a war somewhere."
"The sun goes through a normal 11 year cycle of activity."
"Famines are nothing new."
"What about the Black Plague? That was a pretty wicked pestilence and Christ never came."
What you have to keep in mind when Jesus gave his disciples these words is the fact that taken by themselves, these events are not signs of the Second Coming. I will be the first to readily agree that earthquakes are quite normal and the sun goes through cycles and sometimes eclipses happen and crazy weather happens.
What Christ was alluding to is that these signs would be happening all at once. Together. One right after another, hence the "birth pangs" getting stronger.
The reason why I personally believe we are living in the days right before the Rapture and Tribulation is not JUST because we've had scores of mass animal deaths. Not JUST because we've had earthquakes. Not JUST because there have been flooding and record snows. Not even JUST because of the enormous solar storms or the Supermoon. And not JUST because of the wars, uprisings and riots. Each of these taken by themselves is not a sign of the Second Coming.
But because these are happening all at once, right now.
Did you know Japan has had about 600 aftershocks since the 9.0 earthquake struck a week ago? And ALL of these aftershocks are in the 5/6 range on the Richter Scale. WHAT?! That's decidedly NOT normal. Did you know Japan was having earthquake swarms like this right before the big one as well? I don't believe the earthquakes are finished with Japan. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if they were hit by another huge one. I've read a few reports that wonder if the shelf Japan is sitting on might be crumbling. The entire island DID move eight feet to the east, after all.
That's a scary, sobering thought.
Aside from Japan, the flooding and landslides and crazy weather elsewhere in the world have ruined crops all over the globe. The price of food will soon soar and is beginning to increase even now. We might not notice it for a few months as there's a delay from farm to shelf. But it's coming. And the 3rd Horseman of the Apocalypse is Famine and the enormous inflation of food prices, after all. I do not believe the Black Horse has ridden yet, but he's chomping at the bit.
And with many countries of the UN agreeing to the no-fly zone over Lybia, could we soon "see" the White Horse (conqueror) or the Red Horse (war) ride soon? If we succeed in taking out Gadhafi, what the heck are we going to do in Yemen? Bahrain? They're firing on their protesters too. And Saudi Arabia's troops are firing on Bahrain's protesters as well.
Is THIS the conflict Jesus spoke of, "Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom"?
And while all of this is going on, we have huge earthquakes. A massive tsunami. Nuclear meltdown. Are these the earthquakes, the waves roaring, and the fearful sights Christ spoke of?
I'm of the opinion...how could they NOT be?
I asked a few days ago on this blog--before Japan's quake, "How much worse does it have to get before we understand we are living in the end times?" Last week it got worse. In a BAD way. And I believe God has shown us a glimpse in Japan of the world-wide Tribulation that is to come.
But we have a Blessed Hope, the Hope of every Christian who has come before us:
Luke 21:34-36:
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
When Jesus said, "I am coming quickly", He didn't mean, "I am coming soon." He meant that when these signs begin to take place, then "I will come quickly" -- sooner than you expect, before you know it, and it will shock most people, who thought the Rapture or the end times were years or decades away.
There is no Bible prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture comes. It is imminent. The time is NOW to get right with God.
~~Becka
A lot of people are more familiar with Matt. 24, but I like to quote Luke 21. I like it because just like in real life, two witnesses give different versions of a story. Here is what Luke 21 says about the signs to look for right before Jesus comes.
Luke 21: 10-11 & 25-28
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Many scoffers say things like:
"Earthquakes happen all the time, even bad ones."
"There's always a war somewhere."
"The sun goes through a normal 11 year cycle of activity."
"Famines are nothing new."
"What about the Black Plague? That was a pretty wicked pestilence and Christ never came."
What you have to keep in mind when Jesus gave his disciples these words is the fact that taken by themselves, these events are not signs of the Second Coming. I will be the first to readily agree that earthquakes are quite normal and the sun goes through cycles and sometimes eclipses happen and crazy weather happens.
What Christ was alluding to is that these signs would be happening all at once. Together. One right after another, hence the "birth pangs" getting stronger.
The reason why I personally believe we are living in the days right before the Rapture and Tribulation is not JUST because we've had scores of mass animal deaths. Not JUST because we've had earthquakes. Not JUST because there have been flooding and record snows. Not even JUST because of the enormous solar storms or the Supermoon. And not JUST because of the wars, uprisings and riots. Each of these taken by themselves is not a sign of the Second Coming.
But because these are happening all at once, right now.
Did you know Japan has had about 600 aftershocks since the 9.0 earthquake struck a week ago? And ALL of these aftershocks are in the 5/6 range on the Richter Scale. WHAT?! That's decidedly NOT normal. Did you know Japan was having earthquake swarms like this right before the big one as well? I don't believe the earthquakes are finished with Japan. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if they were hit by another huge one. I've read a few reports that wonder if the shelf Japan is sitting on might be crumbling. The entire island DID move eight feet to the east, after all.
That's a scary, sobering thought.
Aside from Japan, the flooding and landslides and crazy weather elsewhere in the world have ruined crops all over the globe. The price of food will soon soar and is beginning to increase even now. We might not notice it for a few months as there's a delay from farm to shelf. But it's coming. And the 3rd Horseman of the Apocalypse is Famine and the enormous inflation of food prices, after all. I do not believe the Black Horse has ridden yet, but he's chomping at the bit.
And with many countries of the UN agreeing to the no-fly zone over Lybia, could we soon "see" the White Horse (conqueror) or the Red Horse (war) ride soon? If we succeed in taking out Gadhafi, what the heck are we going to do in Yemen? Bahrain? They're firing on their protesters too. And Saudi Arabia's troops are firing on Bahrain's protesters as well.
Is THIS the conflict Jesus spoke of, "Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom"?
And while all of this is going on, we have huge earthquakes. A massive tsunami. Nuclear meltdown. Are these the earthquakes, the waves roaring, and the fearful sights Christ spoke of?
I'm of the opinion...how could they NOT be?
I asked a few days ago on this blog--before Japan's quake, "How much worse does it have to get before we understand we are living in the end times?" Last week it got worse. In a BAD way. And I believe God has shown us a glimpse in Japan of the world-wide Tribulation that is to come.
But we have a Blessed Hope, the Hope of every Christian who has come before us:
Luke 21:34-36:
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
When Jesus said, "I am coming quickly", He didn't mean, "I am coming soon." He meant that when these signs begin to take place, then "I will come quickly" -- sooner than you expect, before you know it, and it will shock most people, who thought the Rapture or the end times were years or decades away.
There is no Bible prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture comes. It is imminent. The time is NOW to get right with God.
~~Becka
Thursday, March 17, 2011
John MacArthur: The Rapture Of The Church
My sister and I both love John MacArthur. He's written many books on Christ, Christianity, and the Church. The reason why I love him is because he's obviously a very learned man, however he explains things in a way anyone can understand. This is only an audio clip with a pic of John, but it is still excellent.
~~Becka
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Rapture of the Church and a Jewish Wedding
I've been talking lately about how the Rapture parallels the ancient Jewish wedding tradition. Here is a great video I found showing those parallels.
Love in Christ,
~~Becka
Acts 2:17
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
I've never told anyone this, in part, because it's a personal thing, but also, because I didn't believe my friends and family would understand or take my experience to heart. It could be explained away. But to me, it was one of those REAL things, more real than anything I'd ever experienced. I suppose you don't fully understand until it happens to you.
You see, I had a dream a couple of months ago. A dream I believe came from God. It is one of the major reasons I've started this blog and begun to talk to my friends about the end times.
I remember the dream was longer than what I can recall. I wish I could grasp now what I'd fully dreamt. Perhaps I will remember the full dream in time. But I knew immediately I was dreaming. I knew I *had* to remember what I was being told. It was important. And somehow, I knew it was God talking to me.
I had this dream right after the riots first began in Egypt. Like maybe a day or two after, around the end of January. I was flying over a huge map of the Middle East. Each country was a different color, but I could see the geography. I flew out of Egypt to the northeast, toward Israel. I flew over Jordan and looked toward Syria and Lebanon. I heard a masculine say voice say to me, "The spirit of antichrist lives in the heart of every family."
Then I flew across the eastern border of Israel and the voice said, "The chastening has begun."
Immediately, I woke up. Like not groggily, but my eyes snapped open, and I stared at my ceiling.
I was confused. "Chastening" isn't exactly a word people use in everyday language these days. I knew what it meant, but that morning, I had to look up how it would properly be used in a sentence. "Chasten" means to punish, chastise, a rebuke or a correction.
"Catching the child red-handed, Ms.Smith felt justified in chastening the little girl."
In context of the Trib and end-of-days, "chastening" seems like a good word to describe what God is about to do. The wrath of God is His punishment upon those who do not heed His commands.
This was not what convinced me the dream was from God.
What convinced me the dream was from God was the phrase "spirit of antichrist." The voice did not say "spirit of THE Antichrist." It was not specific, alluding to a single man. After I looked up chastening, I looked through the Bible for the phrase "spirit of antichrist." What I found, I had no foreknowledge of.
Here's the verse. The specific wording in my dream is found in the King James Version.
1 John 4:3:
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
This verse in context is talking about testing spirits. If you see and/or talk to an "angel" or a spirit, the test to see if they're actually from God is to full on ask them if they acknowledge Christ is the Son of God and came in the flesh. Here's the entire context in the NIV translation (to make it easier to understand)
1 John 4:1-3:
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
Now, in my defense, I DID know of this spirit "test". However, I never memorized this verse, nor did I know the specific wording of "spirit of antichrist".
I thought a long time about what God might have been telling me. At the time, I thought God was telling me the spirit of antichrist was alive in the heart of every Middle Eastern family. However, as time went on, and as more horrible things continued to escalate in the world, I realized God could have been and probably was quite literal.
Every single family on Earth, even the families of Christians (because not family member is a believer), has this "spirit of antichrist", this rebellious, anti-God, anti-Christ spirit within them. Obviously not to be confused with THE Antichrist, a specific person, but an opposition, an aversion, a hatred for Jesus.
I have never (to my knowledge) been given a dream by God before. I've never heard His voice when I pray and I've never claimed to have any heavenly visions. But I DID have this dream. Could have been coincidence, I suppose. But coupling the word "chastening" with the phrase "spirit of antichrist" convinced me it wasn't my own subconscious showing me something I knew already.
Along with the knowledge that I was dreaming and watching something important, and the otherworldly feeling I had that I needed to LISTEN and REMEMBER what I was being told convinced me as well. And it wasn't just a "feeling". Somehow, I knew it was God speaking in my dream. I just knew. It was obvious.
Believe what you like. Perhaps the Good Lord will give you a dream as well. In the book of Joel as well as the book of Acts, it clearly says in the last days, your sons and daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams. Is a dream from the Almighty possible? Absolutely.
Did my God talk to me in a dream? I believe it. And I will cherish that dream for the rest of my life, because I heard His voice.
~~Becka
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
I've never told anyone this, in part, because it's a personal thing, but also, because I didn't believe my friends and family would understand or take my experience to heart. It could be explained away. But to me, it was one of those REAL things, more real than anything I'd ever experienced. I suppose you don't fully understand until it happens to you.
You see, I had a dream a couple of months ago. A dream I believe came from God. It is one of the major reasons I've started this blog and begun to talk to my friends about the end times.
I remember the dream was longer than what I can recall. I wish I could grasp now what I'd fully dreamt. Perhaps I will remember the full dream in time. But I knew immediately I was dreaming. I knew I *had* to remember what I was being told. It was important. And somehow, I knew it was God talking to me.
I had this dream right after the riots first began in Egypt. Like maybe a day or two after, around the end of January. I was flying over a huge map of the Middle East. Each country was a different color, but I could see the geography. I flew out of Egypt to the northeast, toward Israel. I flew over Jordan and looked toward Syria and Lebanon. I heard a masculine say voice say to me, "The spirit of antichrist lives in the heart of every family."
Then I flew across the eastern border of Israel and the voice said, "The chastening has begun."
Immediately, I woke up. Like not groggily, but my eyes snapped open, and I stared at my ceiling.
I was confused. "Chastening" isn't exactly a word people use in everyday language these days. I knew what it meant, but that morning, I had to look up how it would properly be used in a sentence. "Chasten" means to punish, chastise, a rebuke or a correction.
"Catching the child red-handed, Ms.Smith felt justified in chastening the little girl."
In context of the Trib and end-of-days, "chastening" seems like a good word to describe what God is about to do. The wrath of God is His punishment upon those who do not heed His commands.
This was not what convinced me the dream was from God.
What convinced me the dream was from God was the phrase "spirit of antichrist." The voice did not say "spirit of THE Antichrist." It was not specific, alluding to a single man. After I looked up chastening, I looked through the Bible for the phrase "spirit of antichrist." What I found, I had no foreknowledge of.
Here's the verse. The specific wording in my dream is found in the King James Version.
1 John 4:3:
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
This verse in context is talking about testing spirits. If you see and/or talk to an "angel" or a spirit, the test to see if they're actually from God is to full on ask them if they acknowledge Christ is the Son of God and came in the flesh. Here's the entire context in the NIV translation (to make it easier to understand)
1 John 4:1-3:
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
Now, in my defense, I DID know of this spirit "test". However, I never memorized this verse, nor did I know the specific wording of "spirit of antichrist".
I thought a long time about what God might have been telling me. At the time, I thought God was telling me the spirit of antichrist was alive in the heart of every Middle Eastern family. However, as time went on, and as more horrible things continued to escalate in the world, I realized God could have been and probably was quite literal.
Every single family on Earth, even the families of Christians (because not family member is a believer), has this "spirit of antichrist", this rebellious, anti-God, anti-Christ spirit within them. Obviously not to be confused with THE Antichrist, a specific person, but an opposition, an aversion, a hatred for Jesus.
I have never (to my knowledge) been given a dream by God before. I've never heard His voice when I pray and I've never claimed to have any heavenly visions. But I DID have this dream. Could have been coincidence, I suppose. But coupling the word "chastening" with the phrase "spirit of antichrist" convinced me it wasn't my own subconscious showing me something I knew already.
Along with the knowledge that I was dreaming and watching something important, and the otherworldly feeling I had that I needed to LISTEN and REMEMBER what I was being told convinced me as well. And it wasn't just a "feeling". Somehow, I knew it was God speaking in my dream. I just knew. It was obvious.
Believe what you like. Perhaps the Good Lord will give you a dream as well. In the book of Joel as well as the book of Acts, it clearly says in the last days, your sons and daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams. Is a dream from the Almighty possible? Absolutely.
Did my God talk to me in a dream? I believe it. And I will cherish that dream for the rest of my life, because I heard His voice.
~~Becka
Monday, March 14, 2011
End Times Cliff Notes
Here's a quick video of some of the prophecies about the end times and their corresponding Bible verses.
This one goes into signs other than the earthquakes in various places.
~~Becka
03-13-2011 A.D. - Bible Headlines of the End - Against Kingdom & Nation ...
An excellent sermon on the book of Revelation and the prophecies Jesus gave in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, as well as some insight into the ancient Jewish wedding, and why God allows catastrophes to happen. It's an hour & seven minutes long, but I encourage you to play it in the background of whatever you're doing, listen to it like a podcast, if you will. It might just enlighten you.
~~Becka
Sunday, March 13, 2011
1 Thessalonians 5
Today, I'm going to quote the entire fifth chapter of 1 Thessalonians. I cracked open my Bible today, and felt compelled to quote this chapter to you. This is an excellent chapter to awaken sleeping Christians.
The emphasis and notes placed upon the text is my own.
~*~*~
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath (the Rapture is NOT a cop-out for Christians to skip the Trib) but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, (those living or dead when Christ returns) we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; (the prophecies are there to WARN us!! If you are unsure, TEST them, STUDY them for yourself!) hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Amen.
~~Becka
The emphasis and notes placed upon the text is my own.
~*~*~
1 Thessalonians 5
The Day of the Lord
1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. (Every Christian should be able to recognize the return of our Lord.) 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath (the Rapture is NOT a cop-out for Christians to skip the Trib) but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, (those living or dead when Christ returns) we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (Warn everyone!) 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, (you need a relationship with God, not just lip service)18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (Even the hard times, folks.)19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; (the prophecies are there to WARN us!! If you are unsure, TEST them, STUDY them for yourself!) hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Amen.
~~Becka
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Pre-Trib vs Pre-Wrath: What is our "Blessed Hope"?
A literal interpretation of the Bible outlines a Pre-Trib Rapture. The more I study the ancient Jewish wedding, the more I'm convinced it is a picture of God's plan for His Church in the last days. ESPECIALLY because Christ continually calls His Church the "Bride" and Himself as the "Bridegroom" throughout Scripture.
Logic follows that God wouldn't make that comparison unless our relationship to Him is like a husband and wife (Ephesians 5:24-26). And since God's chosen people are the Jews, it stands to reason He would parallel that "husband/wife" relationship with His Church in the context of a Jewish wedding.
True, we are not Jews, we are the Gentile Church. But we have been grafted onto His chosen people through the redemption of Christ. (Romans 3:29) God doesn't do things on OUR timetable or OUR calendar. He never changes, therefore, He works on the Jewish calendar and through Jewish traditions. In light of Bible prophecy, we must always remember this.
~~Becka
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Earth is in Hard Labor
The 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan today is not the "only" earthquake they've had. I'm not talking about mere "aftershocks" every quake has. Japan has been rumbling hard lately, seemingly ramping up for this quake. Did you know in the past few days, they've had SWARMS of earthquakes, and not small 2's and 3's. They've been 5's, 6's, and 7's, all substantial earthquakes in their own right.
Here is another earthquake update on what's been going on, again using the program called "Earthquake 3D" that you can download for free off the Internet. It's powered by the USGS, however it does not show the activity for Europe, as that information is not monitored by the USGS. But that is not to say quakes haven't been hitting Europe. You can look it up.
But even without the data from Europe, you can see for yourself the obvious uptick in earthquake activity, even in the past week. When we thought we had it bad when the New Zealand earthquake hit, the quakes have seemed to gain in power and intensity since then. And that wasn't very long ago, a couple of weeks at best.
God's got this Earth by the collar and shaking it, yelling at us to WAKE UP! The time to get right with God is now.
I doubt we've heard the last from Japan. My prayers are with them, and anyone effected by the tsunami.
~~Becka
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Everything is a Prophetic Picture
Did you know that pretty much everything God does is a prophetic picture of what is to come? He does this so we can look back and realize just how pervasive His plan is. Abraham called to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar was a prophetic picture of God sacrificing His own Son. The very first Passover in Egypt was a prophetic picture with the lamb's blood covering the doorways for the Angel of Death to "pass over" them. It was a picture of Christ's blood atonement, the Lamb of God.
But did you know the ancient Jewish wedding AND the Jewish Feasts are also prophetic pictures? Did you know that Christ is fulfilling the Feasts? The Feast of Passover, He was killed. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, He was in the tomb. The Feast of First Fruits, He rose from the dead. And Pentacost is when He sent His Holy Spirit down to His church.
So what feasts are next? The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hoshanah), The Feast of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Many scholars believe the Rapture will be the fulfillment of Rosh Hoshanah, the Feast of Trumpets.
The Feast of Atonement would be a picture of Judgment. And the Feast of Tabernacles would be living forever with the Lord. (I'm paraphrasing, I might find more videos on this.)
Here are three awesome videos on the subject if you want to really dig into it. They're by a pastor named Perry Stone, a very passionate man that I love to listen to. It's a 23 minute teaching on the Jewish wedding and Rosh Hoshanah, and how they parallel the picture of the Rapture. The first two videos are 10 minutes each. The third video is over 8 minutes, but the teaching itself ends at 3 minutes in, so only 23 minutes. I encourage you to watch the whole thing. It really opened my eyes to a lot of things. I hope it helps to open yours.
But did you know the ancient Jewish wedding AND the Jewish Feasts are also prophetic pictures? Did you know that Christ is fulfilling the Feasts? The Feast of Passover, He was killed. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, He was in the tomb. The Feast of First Fruits, He rose from the dead. And Pentacost is when He sent His Holy Spirit down to His church.
So what feasts are next? The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hoshanah), The Feast of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Many scholars believe the Rapture will be the fulfillment of Rosh Hoshanah, the Feast of Trumpets.
The Feast of Atonement would be a picture of Judgment. And the Feast of Tabernacles would be living forever with the Lord. (I'm paraphrasing, I might find more videos on this.)
Here are three awesome videos on the subject if you want to really dig into it. They're by a pastor named Perry Stone, a very passionate man that I love to listen to. It's a 23 minute teaching on the Jewish wedding and Rosh Hoshanah, and how they parallel the picture of the Rapture. The first two videos are 10 minutes each. The third video is over 8 minutes, but the teaching itself ends at 3 minutes in, so only 23 minutes. I encourage you to watch the whole thing. It really opened my eyes to a lot of things. I hope it helps to open yours.
O Death, Where is Thy Sting? O Grave, Where is Thy Victory? ~1 Corinthians 15:55
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. ~~1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
This video is an old skool song of my favorite Christian band, Petra. It's called "Grave Robber", and it's very apropos for the Rapture. Since I've loved Petra's music for over half my life, I thought I would share this song and give you hope of the Resurrection, if someone you know and loved has passed.
~~Becka
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
"And There Will Be Signs in the Sun, Moon, and Stars..." ~Luke 21:25
A lot of people think God's heavenly signs before the Apocalypse are eclipses, since the Bible spells out "the sun will be like sackcloth and the moon will not give its light." (Isa. 13:10, Eze. 32:7, Matt. 24:29, Rev. 6:12). And I agree with that.
But I also believe there can be other signs in the heavens we may miss or DISmiss.
Such as the sun ramping up it's 11 year solar cycle at the same time earthquakes, strange weather, animal die-offs, and uprisings in the Middle East are going on. Are the X-Class flares (the largest the sun produces, by the way) meant to get our attention? We had an X-Class flare headed our way in February, and now another one just today. But the sun goes through its cycles, so perhaps there's nothing to see here.
Interestingly enough, on March 19th, we're going to have what the media is calling an "Extreme SuperMoon". What does that mean? It means the moon is going to be HUGE in the sky on that day, as it will be approximately 225,000 miles from Earth, the closest it gets.
http://www.businessinsider.com/extreme-supermoon-2011-3
Some people believe it might ramp up the craziness of weather and earthquakes and volcanic activity and ocean tides. Others believe it might not be as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Only time will tell.
And remember last year when Jupiter lost one of its atmosphere bands?
That was weird.
What about the possibility of Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation about to go supernova this year or next? Or Comet Elenin that's supposed to do a very close drive-by of Earth in Sept/Oct.?
Perhaps all these things are coincidence. Unless something major and obvious happens in the skies, I guess we won't know for sure. We always have eclipses, how can we know for sure that such-and-such eclipse is The One Christ and the prophets spoke of...? Perhaps because it happens at the very same time as the other signs?
These phenomena is by no means "proof" of Jesus' coming, however it is indeed compelling for those of us who are looking up.
~~Becka
But I also believe there can be other signs in the heavens we may miss or DISmiss.
Such as the sun ramping up it's 11 year solar cycle at the same time earthquakes, strange weather, animal die-offs, and uprisings in the Middle East are going on. Are the X-Class flares (the largest the sun produces, by the way) meant to get our attention? We had an X-Class flare headed our way in February, and now another one just today. But the sun goes through its cycles, so perhaps there's nothing to see here.
Interestingly enough, on March 19th, we're going to have what the media is calling an "Extreme SuperMoon". What does that mean? It means the moon is going to be HUGE in the sky on that day, as it will be approximately 225,000 miles from Earth, the closest it gets.
http://www.businessinsider.com/extreme-supermoon-2011-3
Some people believe it might ramp up the craziness of weather and earthquakes and volcanic activity and ocean tides. Others believe it might not be as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Only time will tell.
And remember last year when Jupiter lost one of its atmosphere bands?
That was weird.
What about the possibility of Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation about to go supernova this year or next? Or Comet Elenin that's supposed to do a very close drive-by of Earth in Sept/Oct.?
Perhaps all these things are coincidence. Unless something major and obvious happens in the skies, I guess we won't know for sure. We always have eclipses, how can we know for sure that such-and-such eclipse is The One Christ and the prophets spoke of...? Perhaps because it happens at the very same time as the other signs?
These phenomena is by no means "proof" of Jesus' coming, however it is indeed compelling for those of us who are looking up.
~~Becka
Ultra Orthodox Jews Looking for the Messiah?
Here's an interesting link I've found. I don't know much about the Ultra Orthodox Lithuanian Jews, admittedly. But one of their prominent rabbis has suggested the Arab unrest is a sign of Messiah's coming.
Quote:
"People have come to me and said that it's 'Gog and Magog'. (Ezekiel 38) We cannot know. But it's probable that any unrest that God creates shows that the Messiah is coming, and that we must begin to prepare for it and become stronger."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4032909,00.html
Remember, Jews don't believe Jesus was their Messiah. They are still looking for him. If some of the super-religious Jews believe the Messiah is coming, should Christians take note as well?
~~Becka
Quote:
"People have come to me and said that it's 'Gog and Magog'. (Ezekiel 38) We cannot know. But it's probable that any unrest that God creates shows that the Messiah is coming, and that we must begin to prepare for it and become stronger."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4032909,00.html
Remember, Jews don't believe Jesus was their Messiah. They are still looking for him. If some of the super-religious Jews believe the Messiah is coming, should Christians take note as well?
~~Becka
I Think This Qualifies as "Earthquakes in Diverse Places"
This poster on YouTube is making videos of recent earthquake activity, and this is today's video for March 9th, 2011. He's using a free program called "Earthquake 3D" that is downloadable off the Internet and powered by the USGS. This program allows you to turn up and down the Richter Scale, depending on what size quake you want to see, and it shows you up to the past 7 days of activity.
The sheer amount of earthquakes, *large* earthquakes, is unreal. True, they happen every day. But not. Like. This.
Matthew 24: 4-8:
"4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains."
As one who's given birth five times, I think I'm qualified to tell you that birth pains start as short and annoying twinges, building in intensity until they are hard, swift, and one right after another, taking your breath away. If this *ISN'T* the birth pangs Christ spoke about getting worse, then how bad do the "pangs" have to get before they capture our attention?
~~Becka
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
"I'm Not Buying Any More Green Bananas!"
Hey everyone, here is a video that I found from a Calvary Chapel in Hawaii. I actually watch this pastor's sermon every week, it's posted on Mondays. I believe his name is JD, and he's an Arab from Egypt, fluent in Arabic, so I love listening to him talk about current events in the Middle East as he pronounces everything correctly.
This video is a 31 minute video, but worth it with regards to how close we just might be to the Rapture of Jesus Christ. If nothing else, jump 27 minutes in and watch to the end. Powerful wake-up call for sleeping Christians.
~~Becka
Welcome to My Blog About the Second Coming of Christ!
Hello, everyone! My name is Rebecca, but most folks call me Becka. I am a romance novelist and a stay-at-home mom who homeschools four kids (my fifth child is still in diapers!) I am also a Christian, and lately I've been feeling a burden to share my thoughts and feelings about the Pre-Trib Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (two different events). Therefore this blog will not be about my writing or my adventures with my kids, it will be about the end times, and what I believe to be happening in today's day and age with regards to Bible prophecy.
So as not to confuse my fans or clog up my inbox with emails to friends and family, I decided to open up a dedicated blog on the subject. That way, friends and family can come and read what I find interesting if they so choose, and perhaps have discussions in the comments without feeling like I'm "preaching" to them.
I will be posting interesting links, videos, Bible verses, and anything else I can think of that points to the Second Coming of Christ. I've felt called to do this for a couple of months now, but in emailing my unbelieving friends, it seemed as if I was coming at them with WALLS of text that was too much to take in all at once. Therefore, I wanted to open this blog as a way of getting sleeping Christians to wake up, and perhaps educate some people who might be on the fence about this whole "God" thing.
All comments will be moderated. I'm not going to sensor heated debate as long as it's civil. However, blatant God bashing and belittling for beliefs will NOT be tolerated or posted. And if they slip by me, they will be deleted.
This will not be a "news" blog, but rather, I will have postings about current events and how they pertain to Bible prophecy, along with some interesting videos. I do not claim to be an expert on the Bible, nor am I a Bible teacher or scholar. But I AM a Christian of 23 years with a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. And since I'm a stay-at-home mom, I don't get much opportunity to enlighten people on what I know and what I've seen and believe in my heart. Therefore, the Internet will be my way to wake the masses. And if God is willing, He will use this blog for His purpose.
As Christians, we are called to watch for His coming. Since I believe Christ is coming SOON (to quote a pastor in Hawaii -- "I'm not even buying any green bananas anymore!"), the time is NOW to wake up. The time is NOW to look up. For Jesus is at the very door, and our redemption draweth nigh.
Love in Christ,
~~Becka
So as not to confuse my fans or clog up my inbox with emails to friends and family, I decided to open up a dedicated blog on the subject. That way, friends and family can come and read what I find interesting if they so choose, and perhaps have discussions in the comments without feeling like I'm "preaching" to them.
I will be posting interesting links, videos, Bible verses, and anything else I can think of that points to the Second Coming of Christ. I've felt called to do this for a couple of months now, but in emailing my unbelieving friends, it seemed as if I was coming at them with WALLS of text that was too much to take in all at once. Therefore, I wanted to open this blog as a way of getting sleeping Christians to wake up, and perhaps educate some people who might be on the fence about this whole "God" thing.
All comments will be moderated. I'm not going to sensor heated debate as long as it's civil. However, blatant God bashing and belittling for beliefs will NOT be tolerated or posted. And if they slip by me, they will be deleted.
This will not be a "news" blog, but rather, I will have postings about current events and how they pertain to Bible prophecy, along with some interesting videos. I do not claim to be an expert on the Bible, nor am I a Bible teacher or scholar. But I AM a Christian of 23 years with a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. And since I'm a stay-at-home mom, I don't get much opportunity to enlighten people on what I know and what I've seen and believe in my heart. Therefore, the Internet will be my way to wake the masses. And if God is willing, He will use this blog for His purpose.
As Christians, we are called to watch for His coming. Since I believe Christ is coming SOON (to quote a pastor in Hawaii -- "I'm not even buying any green bananas anymore!"), the time is NOW to wake up. The time is NOW to look up. For Jesus is at the very door, and our redemption draweth nigh.
Love in Christ,
~~Becka
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