Is There More To The Eclipse Than Meets The Eye?
It seems that the hype for the upcoming eclipse is only getting started. I believe that this will be the most physically watched eclipse in the history of the world and also the most talked about/discussed. The news coverage will be huge. Once we get to August stories about it will be common in the MSM for the weeks leading up to the event. Hotels have been sold out for miles since January. On the day of the eclipse it will likely be the lead story on every newscast, the top headline on every newspaper. I personally know 6 or 7 different groups of people who are all traveling to see the event (and we live quite a ways away from the path of totality). This event will grab the worlds attention in a unique way.... and the amazing thing is this event sure seems to be prophetic in nature as you will learn in the article below! At the very least it offers a glimpse of the Rev12 Sign to a captive audience for a few short minutes just a month before its final alignment.
Eclipses have been know has harbingers of bad things to come since the beginning of man. They are ominous, out of the ordinary, and attention grabbing. The fact that we are even on a planet with a moon so perfectly sized and placed to create such a thing is a miracle in itself. This event is surely no accident... it is an example of God's precision engineering. Whatever you think of signs in the sky, this event should not be dismissed and I would encourage you to study the implications further.
With that in mind, Gary from Unsealed.org has just released another article on the August 21st Eclipse. This one is titled: Is There More To The Eclipse Than Meets The Eye? In this article he digs even deeper than his previous one which we discussed here back on June 29th which went somewhat viral online. Check that one out if you missed it, along with our other recent post on the topic here.
Here is an excerpt to Gary's new post and a link:
Ok, one last thing I feel led to share about all this...
Warning Label: I have had this thought for a while but haven't run it past my peers, so proceed at your own risk!
I am just putting this out there simply to spur discussion. I know the following idea could be out of context, but this idea is worth sharing in my opinion. Consider the info below as conjecture at this point and just read freely and see if you see a potential shadow prophetic fulfillment like I do. God has been known to work in layers in the past... could this be the same type of thing?
First, lets read from Mark 13:24-27. I have color coded the verses so you can connect them with the potential timeline below.
First - tribulation with a "lower case t" (Prior to August 21st?)
Second - Solar Eclipse (August 21st?)
Third - Stars falling (think Rev 12:3-4) prior to the birth of Rev 12:5 (Aug 21 - Sep 23?)
Fourth - Satan shaken when cast out (Rev 12:8-9)of heaven (Aug 21 - Sep 23?)
Fifth - Elect caught up to God (Rev 12:5) (maybe on or around Sep 23?)
Let me know your thoughts on this.... to me it could all easily match the timing found in Revelation 12. I admit that this could be way off, but I feel led to share this idea regardless, as long as you know it is just that: an idea. So as long as you understand this is not a firm belief then please comment and tell me if you think I am "onto something" or just "on something". : )
Thanks for reading....back to your normally scheduled article. Gary, sorry to hijack a post that was supposed to be about your article!
Eclipses have been know has harbingers of bad things to come since the beginning of man. They are ominous, out of the ordinary, and attention grabbing. The fact that we are even on a planet with a moon so perfectly sized and placed to create such a thing is a miracle in itself. This event is surely no accident... it is an example of God's precision engineering. Whatever you think of signs in the sky, this event should not be dismissed and I would encourage you to study the implications further.
With that in mind, Gary from Unsealed.org has just released another article on the August 21st Eclipse. This one is titled: Is There More To The Eclipse Than Meets The Eye? In this article he digs even deeper than his previous one which we discussed here back on June 29th which went somewhat viral online. Check that one out if you missed it, along with our other recent post on the topic here.
Here is an excerpt to Gary's new post and a link:
Suppose God wanted to send a message to the people of earth. How would He send it? Language barriers present a real problem and it took hundreds, even thousands of years to finally get the Bible translated into enough languages to be readable in every nation. But what if God wanted to deliver a dramatic message and there was only a very short time to give it?http://www.unsealed.org/2017/07/is-there-more-to-eclipse-than-meets-eye.html
Ok, one last thing I feel led to share about all this...
Warning Label: I have had this thought for a while but haven't run it past my peers, so proceed at your own risk!
I am just putting this out there simply to spur discussion. I know the following idea could be out of context, but this idea is worth sharing in my opinion. Consider the info below as conjecture at this point and just read freely and see if you see a potential shadow prophetic fulfillment like I do. God has been known to work in layers in the past... could this be the same type of thing?
First, lets read from Mark 13:24-27. I have color coded the verses so you can connect them with the potential timeline below.
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.Look at the order of these events... could this be fulfilled this fall?
- after that tribulation - some tribulation is happening now and has been happening for a while and could easily ramp up between now and August 21st. Not the Great tribulation stuff, but tribulation in general. Christians are being persecuted around the world at alarming rates, terrorism is almost a daily story, natural disasters have been ramping up for quite some time. So lets just say those things qualify as tribulation for the sake of this little study and the things described next happen after them.
- the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light - this is a clear depiction of a solar eclipse. In a eclipse the sun is greatly darkened, but not totally dark. The moon gives none of it light... it is black. See the picture below with this text in mind. This is next stop on our timeline. Lets say the soon to be most covered and watched Solar Eclipse in history is this event, which happens on August 21st.
- the stars will be falling from heaven - Ok, here is item 3. We know from Revelation 12:3-4 that there is a great red dragon which casts a third of the stars to the earth prior to the birth of the child. There are many ideas about what this means... Could they be the same stars referenced in Mark 13:25? Since we know the position of this event prior to the birth of the Man Child in the Rev12 Sign, then it makes some sense considering the order given in Scripture. This would then probably happen sometime in the 33 days between August 21st and September 23rd.
- and the powers in the heavens will be shaken - This is talking about Satan and his demons and would probably happen the same time as item 3. Satan is the prince of the power of the air. It's not talking about God as He doesn't get shaken. Rev 12:8-9 tells us that around the time of the birth in Rev 12 Satan will be cast to earth by Michael. Could this war be soon to start or happening now? If this is correct I have a sense we will surely find out in the coming months as we get closer to 9-23. He will surely be shaken when he is cast down, and shaken again when he see's the elect caught up out of his reach!
- And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven - Could the rapture of the church be a shadow fulfillment of this passage? Jesus will come in the clouds and GATHER us from all corners of the earth and bring us to heaven. The elect are gathered from ends of the earth up to heaven. This would follow the order given in Revelation 12 as the child is caught up to heaven prior to being devoured by the dragon who is waiting to devour the child. The dragon is there waiting to devour it prior to the birth but at the last moment the child is thankfully snatched out of harms way to a place of safety. To me, the fact that the Dragon is sitting there prior to the birth is clear (even though we don't really know what that means yet). But what is also clear is the word Harpazo in the original language of Rev12:5 which should give us all much hope since we don't have to worry about that dragon getting us!
First - tribulation with a "lower case t" (Prior to August 21st?)
Second - Solar Eclipse (August 21st?)
Third - Stars falling (think Rev 12:3-4) prior to the birth of Rev 12:5 (Aug 21 - Sep 23?)
Fourth - Satan shaken when cast out (Rev 12:8-9)of heaven (Aug 21 - Sep 23?)
Fifth - Elect caught up to God (Rev 12:5) (maybe on or around Sep 23?)
Let me know your thoughts on this.... to me it could all easily match the timing found in Revelation 12. I admit that this could be way off, but I feel led to share this idea regardless, as long as you know it is just that: an idea. So as long as you understand this is not a firm belief then please comment and tell me if you think I am "onto something" or just "on something". : )
Thanks for reading....back to your normally scheduled article. Gary, sorry to hijack a post that was supposed to be about your article!
Re "Stars Falling" (3rd event): the Perseid meteor shower peaks on Aug. 12th this year, but continues until the 24th. Not saying it's relevant, but the timing is right.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing... interesting timing for sure.
DeleteI definitely think you are onto something, the moon IS dark on Aug 21st, so both of those things will be happening during the solar eclipse. https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/usa/arcata?month=8&year=2017
ReplyDeleteYes, that is correct. For any Solar Eclipse to occur, the Moon must be in "New", which is when it is positioned between the earth and the sun. Thank you.
DeleteThe passage clearly says After the Tribulation. Harvest must be understood by the analogy of the field Harvests. They actually mean resurrections. According to the way things were done, during Biblical times, the field was divided into FOUR harvest cycles. Many have tried to make this fit the post tribulation view, all the way to a flat earth theory. When put in proper context, it explains even more scripture. The First Harvest is the portion of the field set aside as the First Fruits. One tenth/tithe of the barley field, was roped off, and blessed by the priesthood. This harvest was to be made into the bread for the Temple. Jesus himself was the "First Fruit of the Resurrection" as a guarantee we would experience the same. He rose from the dead on this feast. The second portion was the Main Harvest. This will be the Rapture of the Church. The next portion, known as the "FOUR CORNERS" are reserved for gleaning (book of Ruth). This represents the Tribulation saints (also mentioned in Revelation 7). They missed the main harvest, but will be resurrected after the Tribulation, as alluded to in this passage. The last section of the field, is waste, what is left for food for the animals. These are those who refused the salvation of God, and will be resurrected for Judgment. Understanding this will help with grasping the whole redemption picture. I pray this has been a blessing.
ReplyDeleteChris, can you elaborate more? I am tracking with you on the harvest typology as I have read that before (makes great sense), but need more clarification on how that applies to Mark 13:24-27. Thanks in advance!
DeleteChris is right about this harvest typology. Jack Prinsloo (Gods roadmap to the end) teaches it too and I do agree with him on this (if not on all he says in his videos). Leviticus 23:22 is the "poor harvest" described, the tribulation period.
DeleteBrad, regarding Mark 13 you should notice the context and chronology. In verse 19 Jesus talks about "the" tribulation He refers to in v. 24 again. In verse 26 He clearly appears VISIBLE to the world so this must be dealing with the 2nd coming at the end of tribulation to tread the winepress of the Gentiles at Armageddon, when we will be with Him. Look at the word "see" in Matthew 13:26 (optanomai G3700 Strongs Def.) which clearly indicates "visible" to all on earth. Much blessings to you! :)
Brad, sorry above I took the wrong gospel but don't want to delete all the comment. It must of course be Mark 13:26 ! :)
DeleteAnnabel, Thanks for helping clarify for Brad while I was away from my computer, and could not respond right away. Brad answering your question: The last part of the passage, relates to the Harvest. Putting everything in a proper timeline. Reading Matthew 13: 24-27 in context, Clearly talks about the "Second Coming", when Christ is seen by all, coming in the clouds, (with us by His side). I am sure there will be other celestial events, happening during, and most certainly at the end of the Tribulation. I am stating this particular eclipse, which I believe has huge significance, is not the event mentioned in this passage. The timelines do not fit. I shared the Harvest scenario, to bring clarification to this, and other events. I strongly believe this eclipse is America's last call, before the Rapture. Enjoying your teachings very much. Keep up the good work.
DeleteMid tribbers (or intra seal to be more precise) would hold the same perspective as you Chris. It is hard interpreting Mark 13 without reading Matthew 24 (and Luke 21) together, as they can not be properly interpreted in isolation. The differences between the two comings, really consist of one being in an instant (twinkling of an eye) with us being gathered to him (harpazo), with the second (as noted above) being Jesus coming down (descending in like manner as he ascended into heaven, as described to his Disciples in Acts 1:11). Matthew 24 holds one of the keys to Mark 13. 29“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." Since when do the nations mourn at the rapture...they don't...from what we can see in the scriptures anyway. The key alignment with Rev 12 I guess, is that we cannot for certain state at which points of the 70th week Rev 12 takes place. I am yet to buy into the alignment of Isaiah 66 with Rev 12, as Rev 12 is emphatic in that the child is born after the pain of labour takes place. We tend to neglect the fact that the stars are swept to the earth PRIOR to the birth of the child. This means we must certainly bear some of the tribulation events prior to the rapture. This is why the differences between Rev 12 vs 3 and 9 are simply that it is Satan himself who is sweeping the stars to earth in vs 3, whereas he and his angels are thrown out in vs 9. HOWEVER - here I am arguing for an intra-seal rapture, and I am not giving clarity between the rapture and the final gathering of the trib saints. I guess this is why hundreds of books are written on the subject. My belief is we are raptured between 6th and 7th seal, with the final gathering taking place 3.5 years later (end of 70th week). I believe we all ensure the beginning of the 70th week tribulation events, with the appointment of Gods wrath taking place mid week post rapture. Either way, I am ready to go, but wishing I would use the time better to witness to my neighbours.
DeleteRyan D
I recently watched a YouTube video from the Seven Spirits International channel that talked about the yearly harvest cycle. The barley, wheat and grape harvests were respectively likened to the pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib raptures. I like the idea of several raptures, for a variety of reasons!
DeleteLOL, I read the book of Mark last night ... and then you post this...!
ReplyDelete*kinda spooky; we must have been on the same brain wave or something*
When I read Mark, I paused on the same verse you mentioned and read it a few times.
What I reflected on was the "elect".
I'm certain that Jesus was paraphrasing Joel 2 inside the words of Mark 13:
Joel 2
30"And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
BEFORE the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord."
Sooo... we know it's BEFORE the day of the Lord...
The "elect" in this case would be found in the next verse:
Joel 2
32 "And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among the remnant whom the Lord calls."
"...whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved."
That sounds just like Romans 10 doesn't it? The "elect" in Mark 13 could very well be those saved through Grace before the Rapture!
SO... if "the great and awesome day of the Lord" is the last 7 years, then "before" that would mean you might be right.
Let's see how Joel defines "the day of the Lord":
Joel 2:11 "...For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?"
This means the day of the Lord is bad!... REALLY REALLY BAD!
I would equate "the day of the Lord" as the 7 year tribulation.
You might be right!
Blood, fires, and pillars of smoke BEFORE the great day of the Lord. That would surely count at tribulation before THE Tribulation... Great find James! I for one would not be surprised if He shook up this world while we are still here for a bit to help wake people up before the fireworks really started flying in the final 7 years to perhaps help people realize their need for Him prior to the rapture. Keep digging... this is great!
DeleteThe pillars of smoke could be volcanic. We see that increasing now. 7/17/2017. Of course nuclear explosions would qualify too. I am thinking we may see a mideast war this summer. Maybe around the August 21st time? The Psalm 83 war and the destruction of Damascus Isaiah 17:1 for example. Interestingly there is a new show on CBS currently. There is an asteroid headed for earth from Jupiter. It will impact is 186 days as an ELE. (Extinction Level Event). Some of the younger characters even try to "live it up" in a worldly way as a shadow of foolish virgins. There is another character who is a billionaire who is trying to build space craft to save the human race by going into space as an escape. Shadows of what the powers that be know is coming? Predictive programing? The name of the show is "Salvation". All very interesting in light of timing of prophetic events.
DeleteJeff Black, wow this news about new 'Salvation' CBS series is pretty much interesting, I checked it out and premiere was just on 12th July!! Yes I'm convinced this is mainstream programing, like with 'Left overs' and other stuff (not only 'Left Behind' movie but also '2012' Yellowstone eruption and crustal shift predicted). Governments or NASA will never tell what they know long beforehand because of avoiding panic and anarchy in the streets but they have to 'prepare' people somehow. So that when it happens, no one can ask them 'why didnt you tell us about if you knew?' Thank you for this information, I will have a look into the free episode. ;-) MARANATHA brother!
Deleteyeah Joel 2 is marvellous, but you have to start at Joel 1:14, and read right through to the end of Joel 3 to get a better understanding. Its important to note that many scholars consider Daniels 70th week as being different to the 'day of the Lord' or 'time of Jacobs trouble' - in which they consider the day of the Lord and time of Jacobs trouble to be the final 3.5 years of Daniels 70th week (which would align with the timeframe in Rev12.) Joel 1:14 sounds like the famine from one of the 3rd and 4th seals in Rev 6. Interesting that Joel 2 then starts with the trumpet, possible post seal 6, as the language of 'for the day of the Lord is coming' in Joel 2:1 is similar to that used in Rev 6 at the end of the 6th seal with those crying out 'for the great day of his wrath is come, and who is able to stand'.
Deleteetc etc
RD
https://youtu.be/JHg9yku3LSA
ReplyDeleteDaniel Matson's videos and blog posts are awesome!
Deletehttp://www.watchfortheday.org/
I find this completely fascinating, and I don't know how it will all play out but thank you for exploring this...your site is a blessing! My belief is that we are in the seals and have been since Jesus returned to heaven.
ReplyDeleteRev 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?”...Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
The seals all represent things that have been happening the entire time...conquerings, conflict, scarcity, death, martyrdom.
It is my VERY humble opinion that the rapture happens in the end of the 5th or at the 6th seal. And that the actual 70th week of Daniel / Jacob's Trouble starts with the trumpets.
Case for possible 5th seal rapture:
Rev. 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. …11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
The souls are under the altar and not with their bodies. ("To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.") 1 These 4:14 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." White robes are given to bodies. It could be that this possible 5th seal rapture is the Lord bringing those souls with him as the dead in Christ rise first and we meet them in the air.
I am leaning more toward a 6th seal rapture, because we are not appointed to wrath....Rev. 6:12 -17 (Can’t post it all due to space) “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
In a dramatic contrast to this description, the following chapter describes:
Rev. 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands…13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple.”
Directly after this is the 7th seal featuring the ritual of the incense, the golden censor, and then fire from the altar thrown to earth, and then the seven angels prepare to sound the trumpets. It could be that this is another way to explain the last shall be first, first shall be last as at the LAST trumpet, the Church is received to her bridegroom. The seventh seal altar & fire is also indicative of the atonement, as shown in Lev. 16. The incense and smoke hide the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant. In Rev. 11:19, at the seventh trumpet when the kingdom is proclaimed, we read: "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant *was seen in His temple.* And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail."
Your musings seem to me to be along the lines which the entire movement is heading ala informedchristians teaching about so much happening during the Dragon Tail Time BEFORE the Rev 12 sign. The 'sweep' of the Dragon's Tail concludes about 7/20. Couple that strong teaching. which includes the Song of Solomon Summer time angle. with the brouhaha about Pentecost, and its correct timing putting THAT milestone to 7/24-25, ala Watchman for that Great Day, et al, and it is certainly possible that much of this becomes clear even BEFORE the eclipse! A word of advice from the Younger Captain Kirk here: Buckle Up.
ReplyDeleteLastly, some additional thoughts. How Gracious of our Father to not just set up the Rev 12 sign and say, "Well, there you go. TOLD you it was a GREAT sign, so, hope you were paying attention in CLASS."
DeleteNo. He DOES do that, but, doesn't stop there. No. He gives us the unexpected blood moons seen worldwide and the eclipse, no, wait a moment, the Great American Eclipse of 2017, that's the one.
So, apart from everything in all the other areas, this is now two witnesses in the heavens, to be sure,
Sometimes I ask myself about the "X" shape of 2017/24 US eclipses because the continent will certainly not be the same after 7 years' cataclysmic events (earthquakes, tsunamis, meteor strikes) but the symbolism we get out from the 'picture' now before all this happens is stunning. I assume it even has sth to say about the origin of the coming world NWO leader (political AC) from the US and his later decline = fifth vial in Revelation 16:10 so that now everybody gets the message beforehand.
ReplyDeleteRev16 deals with all kinds of natural disasters and the (Roman empire) world leader will not be able to solve all the problems not by miracles nor wonders nor by all his sourceries whereas the people will begin to doubt his dominion which will eventually lead into Armageddon war.
Please check as well out the Rev15,1-sign parallel to the second visible coming of the LORD in 2024 = Pleiades in Taurus exactly on the 9th of Av! (see both articles on unsealed and watchfortheday on this topic Februar 2017) MARANATHA! :)
Oh no worries Brad! Thanks for sharing my article. I like your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI think the eclipse in 2024 will be the one to apply to that verse.
ReplyDeleteCould be! I guess my point was that maybe this upcoming eclipse could be a partial / shadow / limited application of that verse since the timing would match as well. Kind of a precursor to the big fulfillment at the end of the Trib. I probably didn't articulate that very well, but that was my idea. : ) Thanks for reading and commenting!
DeleteI agree there are possible repeating "Types". Everything God does has a look, I did it x time, and then next we get more info, then next we get more info. so history repeats itself in that way. Just like [Ezra 3]!
Delete@ Ryan D and everybody who tends to mix up different "trumps": please consider and discern the different meaning of diverse terms used in the bible! The "last trump" of 1 Corinthians 15:52 = Feast of Trumpets / Rosh Hashanah (1st return of Jesus at pre-trib rapture) is NOT the same as the "great trumpet" of Matthew 24:31 = Yom Kippur / day of Atonement (2nd coming for rescuing Jewish remnant after tribulation)! If you discern these things according to Hebrew roots and tradition you will not need a hundreds of books written but misleading the Christian reader of today but you will understand Jesus' and Pauls words as the early disciples did understand them all well because they knew the proper meaning of these terms. Therefore Paul said this should not have to be further explained as everybody KNEW! = 1 Thessalonians 5:1
ReplyDeleteAfter all, please be aware that the book of Revelation is not written strictly chronologically as often traditionally teached but in LAYERS from chapter 4-19. Check out the videos of Scott Clarke who was not the first one to discuss that but the best to teach about it so far. Everybody can understand easily that Rev12 tells a whole story from rapture to millennium but the chapter in itself is not chronological with the other chapters and is in itself not a single event but a whole story. Each chapter starts at the beginning again, therefore the different types of judgement (seals, trumpets, vials) do overlap and are similar. It is therefore not unusual to find darkened sun and moon, shaking heavens or falling stars in almost every chapter as these are the same events but only described from a different angle. MARANATHA! :)
Hi Annabel. My point was that if highly discerning biblical teachers can have different interpretations of scripture regarding trip events (including which trumpets are referred to at different times), then we are likely to continue to have different understandings of these events. For example, mid/post tribbers also look at the early church fathers to see what they believed. Is it strange that most of them were post-tribbers. Does that mean that they didn't understand 1 Thes 5:1 properly? No, because they understood the context of the points that Paul was making to the church. The context was nothing to do with his timing, but everything to do with the fact that his return will come unexpectedly to the unbelievers, but not to the believers. It doesn't give evidence of pre/mid/post trib beliefs, but everything to do with expectation and acknowledging the signs of his impending return. This is why we continue to have the discussions that the early church fathers had on Jesus return.
DeleteAnd yes - very aware of how Revelation is written. None of the authors (Arnold F, Jacob P, Chuck M) I read/watched on revelation have ever taught on it in a chronological manner, but reflect it back to OT teachings and the gospels.
The fact is, and I have mentioned this before, we cannot be dogmatic about the when the return of Jesus is. I don't believe that the authors of Rev12daily, DailyCrow, Unsealed all agree on the interpretations of Rev12 that the likes of Scott Clarke might have. His info is great, but I disagree with some of it. That is not the point. Whether you are pre-trib (like you), or intra seal (like me), we are exhorted to expect a soon return of Jesus and to be aware of the signs of his return.
RD
Dear Ryan, I humbly disagree with you here - for some logical and biblical reasons. For me, being a "highly discerning biblical teacher" doesn't prove at all that the Holy Spirit truly dwells in a person to guide and teach him. It might simply be a scholar or scribe (as many expose themselves as such like e.g. Michael Heiser and others). The same can be said from early "church fathers" whom I personally cannot judge so far and do not know what exactly does 'qualify' them as being titled this way. What can only be said of them is that they at least hadn't yet left their Hebrew roots like the reformatory church (Sardes) 500 years ago from which much traditional teaching of today occured and has concreted some errors that can hardly be broken up and newly discovered without prejudice again (like e.g. the "birth" of the church at Pentecost instead of "conception" and many other misleading thoughts).
DeleteSecondly, bible prophecy events always only have exactly ONE WAY to be fulfilled, not several different ways to be interpreted arbitrarily. But to find the correct answer you have to divide the word correctly and using James 1:5 by doing so. God is always right about ONE thing here which can only be pre-trib rapture as Revelation 12 chapter STARTS with the description of the "great" (!!) heavenly sign appearing, to be SEEN by John (our brother in Christ) with his own eyes and directly FOLLOWED by the dragon celestial body and church rapture getting snatched up out of danger zone (verse 5) and THEN tribulation period for the "woman" Israel (and the world).
The different views of the church onto this is also due to the fact that endtimes prophecies were SEALED UP until due season (according to Daniel 12:4 + 9 = sealing up is mentioned TWICE = biblically means: absolutely sure!) and not revealed before. What the "early church fathers" didn't yet catch in the right way is now possible to endtimes saints because THIS is due season today but wasn't then at their time. It wasn't theirs yet to comprehend endtimes events; BUT they understood the feast days well and could discern the "trumpets". Besides, it was never easy to understand Pauls words to ALL of the saints, as Peter writes 2 Peter 3:16 but to the adult and mature ones.
So in fact you have 3 reasons for different understanding and opinions on prophecy in the church:
1. Unsaved scholars and scribes (tares) mixing with true saints in the church (human factor)
2. Different condition of spiritual growth among the true saints (human factor, see James 1:5 not Gods problem)
3. Endtimes revelation only due to fulfilled time and season (Gods factor)
Blessings be to you! :)
But wait, there's MORE. Posting is popping about Nehemiah 8 as a picture of the rapture:
ReplyDelete(2) So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand.
1st Day, 7th month, all the people GATHERED, AS ONE MAN, in the Holy City. OK I get that. One detail folks, including myself, have been digging into is "The Water Gate".
Latest finds include that The Water Gate was built so water could ESCAPE from the temple springs and not flood the temple. This is the ONLY main gait built to allow an ESCAPE get it?). As we await for the Women's WATER to break, before delivery, opening her "water gate", check this out:
The Great American Eclipses that cross at the New Madrid Fault line? What, prey tell, is the menaing of "Madrid"? Glad you asked, wait for it, wait for it ....
Madrid, as we know, is the capitol of Spain, and, "The name of the city, however, hints at its Arabic roots: "Madrid" comes from "al-majrit," meaning "the water channel." (http://www.islamicity.com/travel/spain/city_madrid.asp)
MADRID = THE WATER CHANNEL
You have GOT to be kidding, right?
Nope