Why I believe in the rapture.

[amigo de christo]

Why is there an argument here? How about because...

It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. - Acts 1:7

And Christ's council....

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. - Matthew 24

It is the will of God for us to watch for his return as if it could happen today...

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. - Revelation 22 the last two verses.

The signs of the times are declaring , LOOK YE UP and BE WATCHING . FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD
shall soon come unwares to many and much wailing will be heard .
Stay focused on Christ . Stay alert and ready , be watching and in prayer .
AND one more thing . LET THE LORD BE PRAISED .

 

[Timtofly]

Wait. So…just because a book is written in a particular genre means it is then forbidden from using literary devices that belong elsewhere?
So…when reading historical books, we’re not allowed to take some of the language as poetic or figurative? Like…when God tells Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. It is…unlikely that that promise is literal, and more likely to be figurative. Statistically, when considering the numbers of heavenly bodies.

Besides, your objection falls flat, I’m afraid. Genre is not absolute, and you ought to know that very well. Let’s say that a person follows YOUR insistence that Revelation is read LITERALLY. Except….you are not saying that YOUR genre of literal-ness must be forced onto everything within the text…are you? Because if you are, then Jesus is both an actual slain lamb AND a lion at the same time. And the churches are actually lampstands, rather than churches.
You see how it goes.

No…apocalyptic genre allows for things to be read ‘literally’ if called for. In point of fact, I would say that reading Revelation ‘literally’ is reading is as apocalyptic. The genre itself tells us when to interpret a symbol as a symbol, and when to take something as factual. And as there is no image within Revelation that does not appear somewhere else in scripture, I feel comfortable in letting God interpret his own words.

First of all, I do not label books by genre. That is your argument. The Bible is the Word of God, and that is how I view it.


The book of Revelation being deemed only as one genre is again your argument, not mine. I have never claimed the book is using literal terms to describe literal phenomenon. John uses symbolic terms to describe literal phenomenon. You claim even the phenomenon itself can only be figurative. So you claim John in essence is using figures to describe more figures, thus leading to the point nothing is real any more.

Example: the day of the Lord is the symbolism for a literal 1000 years. 1000 years is not a symbolic phrase meaning the Lord is not bound by time. The Day of the Lord is not the literal point. The Day of the Lord is the symbolism. The 1000 years is the literal time, that the Day of the Lord is symbolizing. There is the symbolic term, Day of the Lord. Then there is the literal time frame of 1000 years. If a literal Day of the Lord is a literal 24 hour day, it would make the 1000 years meaningless. If a day on earth was 1000 years in heaven, it would make the thought meaningless.

The coming Day of the Lord starts out in judgment, but it still will last for 1000 years. Not the Judgment part. The reign Christ comes to do, at the Second Coming, will last for 1000 years. Christ has to rid the world of sin first. Coming as Messiah was a 3.5 year ministry, that ended with Christ being the annoited Lamb of God. God Himself provided the sacrifice of Atonement for Adam's disobedience. Even when the Law was given, God reminded us that work would only be for 6 days. Yet no one remembers the Sabbath nor what even went on during the Sabbath after the 6 days of Creation. The punishment given to Adam would be no longer than the 6 days of Creation itself. That is why the Holy Spirit reminded us in 2 Peter 3:8 when pointing out how patient God was with the length of sin being present on the earth.

The first coming was as Messiah. The second coming is as Prince. Being the Prince to rule the earth from Jerusalem as promised to Eve, about her seed. This was promised to Abraham through Isaac, and later Israel. This was promised to David as his offspring. An earthly kingdom ruling physical humanity. Only after this reign, will God return with Adam's redeemed, and the city where the sons of God dwell in as the full image of God. The city will come down as the New Jerusalem in a NHNE.

This fact does not contradict that many raised to life has happened several times. Those cast into the Lake of Fire also happens several times. In Revelation 20:13, we also see two different locations where the dead are held until the GWT. Sheol along with a place called Death contains souls waiting to be cast into the Lake of Fire.

 

[marks]

No…apocalyptic genre allows for things to be read ‘literally’ if called for. In point of fact, I would say that reading Revelation ‘literally’ is reading is as apocalyptic. The genre itself tells us when to interpret a symbol as a symbol, and when to take something as factual. And as there is no image within Revelation that does not appear somewhere else in scripture, I feel comfortable in letting God interpret his own words.

Personally, I think of the Revelation mostly as Prophetic Narrative, and Vision.

Hebrew Apocalyptic was a genre of non-spiritual writing before the time of Christ. It found meaning in the interpretations of humanly devised symbols and narratives, and it is not spiritually discerned.

But for the most part I'd say what you've said about genre.

And I agree, all symbols are interpretted for us, and if they are not, then our interpretations lack Scriptural authority.

Much love!

 

[marks]

If I had to pick an end time date I would go with the scientist, Isaac Newton...

"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half. " - Daniel 12:7

From a folio cataloged as Yahuda MS 7.3g, f. 13v:

"So then the time times & half a time are 42 months or 1260 days or three years & an half, reckoning twelve months to a year & 30 days to a month as was done in the Calendar of the primitive year. And the days of short lived Beasts being put for the years of lived kingdoms, the period of 1260 days, if dated from the complete conquest of the three kings A.C. 800, will end A.C. 2060." - Isaac Newton

And to bring back the thief statement and that we don’t really know Isaac Newton goes on to say….

"It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner. This I mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fancifull men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, & by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail. Christ comes as a thief in the night, & it is not for us to know the times & seasons which God hath put into his own breast." - Isaac Newton

2060, OK, I was remembering wrong. I think I posted 2030 as his thought last week sometime. Oops!

Much love!

 

[marks]

I suppose here’s what I think: I think the Olivet Discourse was largely about 70AD…simply in terms of Jesus warning his beloved ones how to avoid it, which we know they did, thanks to the historian Josephus. However, the Discourse also tells us of Christ’s sure return, which is also future. And, given scriptures oft-used trope of foreshadowing, it would not surprise me to see the warnings of the Olivet Discourse see more than one use.

I like your posts and your attention to detail!

I'd still say Matthew recorded Jesus' prophecy of the AOD at the end of the age, while Luke recorded Jesus' prophecy of "but before all these", the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Much love!

 

[rockytopva]

2060, OK, I was remembering wrong. I think I posted 2030 as his thought last week sometime. Oops! Much love!

And to bring back the thief statement and that we don’t really know Isaac Newton goes on to say….

"It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner. This I mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fancifull men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, & by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail. Christ comes as a thief in the night, & it is not for us to know the times & seasons which God hath put into his own breast." - Isaac Newton

We, unfortunately, still have, “rash conjectures of fancifull men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, & by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail.”

It is acceptable to put together a timeline and a prediction as Isaac Newton did, it is nice to conclude after all is said, “Christ comes as a thief in the night, & it is not for us to know the times & seasons which God hath put into his own breast." Christ can come today, tomorrow, 2030, or 2060!

 

[Jay Ross]

Where does Jesus say, Satan's followers will be resurrected and live in the Millennium reign of Christ?

Where did I say this?

Have you understood the Parables of the Minas and the Talents and what Jesus was telling us in these two parables about Satan's good and faithful servants?

The 1 Thess 4 "rapture", i.e. the gathering up of the saints of both the resurrected and living saints, will occur at the time when Christ's return with all of the heavenly Host in the clouds occurs, at the end of the labelled Millennium Age. The "Rapture" is a distant future event, around 1,050 years into our future, and is not a near future event as it seems you are suggesting.

Shalom

 

[Marvelloustime]

The signs of the times are declaring , LOOK YE UP and BE WATCHING . FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD
shall soon come unwares to many and much wailing will be heard .
Stay focused on Christ . Stay alert and ready , be watching and in prayer .
AND one more thing . LET THE LORD BE PRAISED .

Yes. He shall come like a thief in the night. We must be watching and be sober.

 

[Jay Ross]

If I had to pick an end time date I would go with the scientist, Isaac Newton...

"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half. " - Daniel 12:7

From a folio cataloged as Yahuda MS 7.3g, f. 13v:

"So then the time times & half a time are 42 months or 1260 days or three years & an half, reckoning twelve months to a year & 30 days to a month as was done in the Calendar of the primitive year. And the days of short lived Beasts being put for the years of lived kingdoms, the period of 1260 days, if dated from the complete conquest of the three kings A.C. 800, will end A.C. 2060." - Isaac Newton

And to bring back the thief statement and that we don’t really know Isaac Newton goes on to say….

"It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner. This I mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fancifull men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, & by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail. Christ comes as a thief in the night, & it is not for us to know the times & seasons which God hath put into his own breast." - Isaac Newton

How about Isaac Newton being 1,000 plus year out as to when the Daniel 12:7 time period ends.

For me, the end of the Age of the Ages will be sometime around the year 3070 AD. However, many will disagree with my rational.

Shalom

 

[rockytopva]

How about Isaac Newton being 1,000 plus year out as to when the Daniel 12:7 time period ends.

For me, the end of the Age of the Ages will be sometime around the year 3070 AD. However, many will disagree with my rational.

Shalom

If that prediction includes the thousand years of peace then I do not believe you are that far off…

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison… - Revelation 20

 

[rockytopva]

Remember… Christ comes as a thief. It is not well announced.

 

[Jay Ross]

Remember… Christ comes as a thief. It is not well announced.

You are referencing the 6th Bowl judgement, i.e. Rev 16:12-16, which is a near future event that will occur around 25 years from now.

We also should be mindful that the 7th Bowl judgement, i.e. Rev 16:17-21, based on the two witness events mentioned that occurred in 1926 and 1948, played out over the past 100-120 years. In this bowl judgement, the Greek word "Seismos," is better understood to have the meaning of turmoil rather than earthquake as it is presently translated in our various English translations. The reason I am stating this is because there have been no "major" earthquakes that have impacted the whole of the earth during this same time period like the two world wars has. However, with the change in the core temperature of the earth over this time period, the frequency and intensity of the earthquakes occurring has increased markedly.

Shalom.

 

[Keraz]

Remember… Christ comes as a thief. It is not well announced.

It is evident that there are two separate ‘Days of the Lord’ in which the Lord acts to punish His enemies. The Sixth Seal, the Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, is the next prophesied event that we can expect, of a worldwide judgement/punishment by fire from the sun, which will clear and cleanse His Land. Most clearly described in Isaiah 30:25-30, Isaiah 63:1-6 and Habakkuk 3:12 ‘Furiously You traverse the earth, in anger You trample down the nations.’ But the Lord is not seen: Psalms 11:4-6, Psalms 18:11

Then, much later, at the Return of Jesus, is the Sixth and Seventh Bowl fulfilment, the great Day of the Sovereign Lord, when He Returns in glory; seen by everyone and disposes of the armies of the Anti Christ by the Sword of His Word. Revelation 19:19-21, Zechariah 14:3-5

 

[Timtofly]

Context, if you please! Did Jesus say ‘the hour is now here’ when talking about the resurrection? What IS he talking of?

John 5:24-25
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

There are two ways we know this is NOT speaking about the resurrection. One….he doesn’t mention resurrection or graves.
The other is the context he gives us the verse before. He is talking about salvation, not resurrection. He is talking eternal life, not new bodies.
So when he says “the dead will hear the voice”, we know from the verse IMMEDIATELY prior that when he says those “who hear my voice” will have “eternal life” and have “passed from death to life”.
The two verses go hand in hand and you may not separate them.


No, and I didn’t claim it was. But, within the two categories of living and dead, we have both those people groups: the just and the unjust. Right?

So, we have the Just who are living, and the Just who are dead. We also have the unjust who are living and the unjust who are dead. You follow?

If the bible puts the resurrection of both just and unjust DEAD together. And then also puts together the resurrection of the just living and dead….do we not have an ipso facto sort of conclusion? Where do you pry any of them apart, biblically? After it has just put them together?



Ephesians 1:3-14
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, [4] even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. [7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, [8] which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight [9] making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ [10] as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. [11] In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, [12] so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. [13] In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Please….explain to me how my salvation and election is NOT part of God’s unique plan of predestination….a plan that is ultimately for HIS glory and praise.

This corruptible body is dead and needs resurrection, that is the bottom line. Not many are changed without going through the physical process, referred to as sleep, or the valley of the shadow of death.

Enoch was the first to be translated without physical death. Adam and Eve were translated from life to death. They had incorruptible bodies, immediately after Adam disobeyed, they had corruptible bodies. They literally physically died, as God promised. So thus physical life is still physical death. We are in dead corruptible physical bodies.

That is the state that needs to be changed and resurrected. John 11 and the resurrection of Lazarus is proof that Jesus was the Resurrection and Life. That is what Jesus was describing in this verse:

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

And this verse:

"all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

Because both the living and those in their graves are both dead.

The living are born into life. Not resurrected into life. Salvation is the second birth, not the first resurrection. The first resurrection is physical into an incorruptible permanent physical body.

The point is who Jesus calls and when. The hour started while Jesus was still on earth even before the Cross. This is an ongoing calling by Jesus from death into life. The last call will be at the GWT. The heavens and earth will be no more. The dead will stand before God.

 

[Timtofly]

I see nothing in that account of Lazarus that says he was raised in an immortalized body.

There are still people raised from the dead today by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead who indwells believers (HS), and they aren’t immortals now, either.

No such thing as an immortalized body.

The second birth is not the first resurrection.

 

[Naomi25]

In reference to Daniel 7 it appears to me that in the scripture above this is the ascension of Christ.


Daniel 7:13-14 KJV
[13] I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. [14] And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
many apparently believe that this book is about the second descent of Christ.

They probably believe that because of where we find 7:13-14. It’s sort of bang after

Daniel 7:9-11
[9] “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
[10] A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
[11] “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.

We see, as I pointed out before, what appears to be a direct reference to Rev 20, when ‘books are opened’ and judgment is committed on the evil.
More….if we look further in Daniels vision, he has it explained to him, and this is how the explanation is given:


Daniel 7:26-27
[26] But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
[27] And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’

It’s no longer speaking so much of Christ’s ‘coming to the Ancient of Days’….while that was a magnificent image, apparently what the vision means is that when God sits in judgment of this little horn and he is ‘destroyed to the end’ (lake of fire-eternal destruction) that is the time when the Saints are glorified and reign with Christ. And his Kingdom will be ‘everlasting’. It’s a vivid picture of Christ’s return, his followers vindication and release from the vestiges of sin and from death, and the ushering in of the eternal Kingdom.

That’s how I’d see it, anyway.

 

[Timtofly]

Praise God, someone on this forum finally agrees that they saw the AOD, and Jesus isn’t a liar.

They saw armies, they did not see the AoD. Many fled. Many were still hunted down and killed or turned into slaves for many years afterward. Jerusalem was destroyed and made desolate. It is still desolate. No glory of a temple can be found.

 

[Curtis]

No such thing as an immortalized body.

The second birth is not the first resurrection.

Whet do you think Jesus rose in? A mortal body? What kind of body do those raised at the resurrection have? A mortal body?

Obviously no, to both questions.

 

[Naomi25]

No need to extrapolate, when John clearly states as an eye witness that the rest of the dead lived not again for 1000 years.

John also says some fairly interesting things, when it comes to life and death, and what believing in Christ means:

John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 8:51
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

John 20:31
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 3:15
that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.


What do you suppose all these could mean? Some of them are rather clear, are they not? Outside of Christ, we are currently dead. The life we have, is no life at all…a parody of animation. When we believe in Christ, THEN we truly have life. We have passed from death TO life.
Now…while that does not DEMAND that we interpret Rev 20 and the ‘first resurrection’ in this light, it certainly makes it not just biblically possible, but, in my view, suggests we take it quite seriously.
Why? If…before we even reach Revelation, we have the biblical authors speaking about a spiritual resurrection (life in Christ) AND then a bodily resurrection (at his return)…then why on earth, when we get to Revelation, do we need to find another sort of resurrection to fit into our model? The bible has already given us what we need, so in my mind, we ought to follow it.

.
Daniel and the OT prophets saw a vision from 3500 years away. It was not clear and concise. One need not extrapolate their version, when John had a clearer view. Even 500 years later, we see John presented this view 1900 years ago. The first century church could not see it clearly being still 3000 years away. Yet Revelation has not changed in the last 1900 years. Now that 2500 years have past, since Daniel, it should be getting clearer, and no need to extrapolate. Satan was never bound during the last 1991 years, nor loosed to decieve the nations. The nations have not had a time where they have been free of Satan's deception. In fact the Reformation was the revelation that Satan was working in an idolatrous church, and the popes were deemed AC. So claiming that Satan needs to be revealed and presented to the UN so the whole world can see him, is not the revealing that Paul told should happen. There have been revivals and falling aways many times since Satan has been revealed and his deception, and yet the church still falls for Satan's lies.

I find this unconvincing, sorry. It’s not Daniel or John giving us visions they made up. It’s them writing down “what they saw”. In which case, it’s God who gave the vision. So…unless you believe God just couldn’t quite see 3000 years into the future, I don’t buy it.
Also….fussing about details like “It’s got to be the UN! Look, it’s an exact match!”….I think that is not, perhaps, what Revelation is about. How do you ‘exact match’ something that is given in symbolic visions? It’s fine if they visions have been interpreted very clearly for us, as they were in Daniel…ie: that will be the Kingdom of Greece….but we don’t tend to find that in Revelation. Instead, we are just warned to be on guard against systems and governments who are anti-God. Which are plenty. There will, quite possibly, be a final one which will prop up this Man of Sin, and I suspect once it arrives and does its thing, we’ll know about it, simply because of the severity of it. But until then? Trying to guess and “pin the tail” on certain aspects of the book…not what it was intended for.

.
The Reformation happened over 500 years ago, about the length of time between Daniel and Christ. John never claims in Revelation there is an AC to take over the nations. Not because he was contradicting Paul. Paul never claimed an AC would take over the nations either.

Paul clearly speaks about the Man of Lawlessness. And that he will deceive the nations. One might conclude that he deceives the whole world simply to be famous, but if he truly is like most evil men, he’ll want power and to force his will on other men.
It’s not a stretch to link Paul’s “man of lawlessness” to Daniel’s little horn, or John’s Antichrist. Or Revelations first ‘beast’.
Whether you believe it to be a world power or a single man, there seems to be the idea that Christ will have SOMETHING he will need to kill with the breath of his mouth when he returns.

.
Satan has never been bound, so no little season can happen either. Paul states this working of Satan started prior to Paul and will still go on until the Second Coming. Just because Satan has been outed, does not mean Satan will present himself as Supreme Lord of the earth. If Satan did that, then people would also be forced to choose that Jesus Christ and God are also very real. Satan will continue to undermine the church behind the scenes, and may still be allowed to work in such groups who would prefer the riches of this world over having faith in an unseen God.

Okay. Let me ask you two questions here. First one: when Satan confronted God about Job, and demanded to torment him, what did God say?
He gave permission, right? Except…he put strict conditions on what Satan could and could not do. So…we know it’s entirely possible for God to limit how Satan works, and Satan has no choice but to obey him. But that does NOT mean Satan is completely helpless; he still made Job’s life woeful.
Second question: when Jesus said this: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”(Matthew 12:28-29)
Do you think he was just being facetious?
Or do you think he was telling them something profound. Like the fact that the Kingdom of God had come in a very real way, and that it was going to ‘prevail against the gates of hell’ despite everything, because Christ had bound the strong man.

So many people, when they look at Rev 20 say “Satan’s not bound, because he can still do stuff!”

But Rev 20 only says that Satan is bound against deceiving the nation into gathering together against the Saints of the Most High. In other words…Satan is forbidden in making a concerted effort to wipe Christianity from the face of the planet. Which is why he hasn’t, even though he is the ‘Prince of this world’. I mean, think about it…if Satan really was the Prince of this world and it was his to command, all people and demons his to command, why is Christianity still the largest religion there is? Why aren’t we hunted everywhere like they are in North Korea or Iran? That’s what you’d expect, right? Unless….Satan has restrictions placed upon him, so that the whole, in its entirety, may not stand as one against us. The Church will prevail.

.Matthew 27 declares there was a resurrection at the time of the Cross. One would have to refute that witness to keep insisting there is still one singular event for all the dead to rise at one time. The hour of resurrection was the Cross. In fact it was already proven by Jesus Christ to be effective when Jesus called Lazarus out of his grave.

Are you speaking of all the times Jesus restored old life to dead people, or are you speaking resurrection…as in, new resurrection bodies, of the sort Paul talks of in 1 Cor 15?
Because nothing in scripture tells us that these other ‘coming to life’ events, where legit ‘resurrections’. In fact, I’d argue against it. The ‘coming out of the graves’ event in Matt 27…that happened before Jesus’ resurrection, right? Paul tells us in 1 Cor 15 that Jesus is the “first fruits” of new resurrections bodies. And that while he has his now, we shall received ours AT his return. So…no…no one gets their resurrection body until the end. Which means anyone else who showed up out of the grave or back from the dead before that, had a miraculous, life extending event happen. But it wasn’t a “real” resurrection. Scripture basically stamps that idea out.

 

[Timtofly]

Where did I say this?

Have you understood the Parables of the Minas and the Talents and what Jesus was telling us in these two parables about Satan's good and faithful servants?

The 1 Thess 4 "rapture", i.e. the gathering up of the saints of both the resurrected and living saints, will occur at the time when Christ's return with all of the heavenly Host in the clouds occurs, at the end of the labelled Millennium Age. The "Rapture" is a distant future event, around 1,050 years into our future, and is not a near future event as it seems you are suggesting.

Shalom

Do you not place the rapture at the Second Coming?

Christ comes to earth the second time to physically reign for 1000 years. Otherwise what point is there in a 1000 year reign of Christ? Your quote was:

Daniel 7:13-14 gives us a clue. Christ's dominion is that all of the people on the earth should serve Him, but we know from scripture that this will not be so, because Christ has already told us that Satan will have his "Good and faithful servants," opposing Christ while Satan is imprisoned in the Bottomless Pit for 1,000 years in the vain hope that He, Satan, can after the 1,000 years of imprisonment will then be able to reign over all of the peoples who he has not killed, because they would not bow down to worship him. After Satan's imprisonment for 1,000 years he and his fellow fallen wicked angels, and the kings of the earth will be released for a little while to usurp Christ's dominion over the peoples of the earth.

The tares and wheat where Satan's followers are the tares happens during the GT, the Trumpets and Thunders. Satan gets 42 months after the final harvest. He gains more followers because many were already killed in the 7 Thunders. At Armageddon all those who followed Satan will also be killed. Revelation 19:20-21

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

At the end of Armageddon all Adam's flesh and blood will be dead. Only a resurrection allows humans to become alive and populate the earth.

Those people Satan decieves after 1000 years were born hundreds of years after Armageddon. More like 850 years after Armageddon.