Las Vegas Strip: Grasshopper Swarms

[michaelvpardo]

deciding to learn Arabic was obv. prophetic, Imho.[/QUOTE]
I only served a little over 3 years. I had to loose weight to qualify for enlistment, to qualify to graduate from BMTS, to qualify to graduate from technical school, and it only took me about 4 or 5 months of active duty out at March AFB to decide not to stay in the service. I tried to stay reasonably fit, but when I was put on the "fatboy" program I just didn't cooperate and received an early discharge. I never did learn Arabic, because I revealed some things about my smoking habits during my security check in BMTS which disqualified me for at least 4 years from a top secret clearance. Apparently it wasn't a problem for just a secret clearance, because I got the job that I wanted in Ground Radio repair. I was a civilian again when the gulf war started (Desert Storm) and I recall when I heard the news (at home and in my apartment) I dropped to my knees and started praying for a merciful and short war. I think that was the first time on my knees in quite a few years, but it wasn't the big one then. I still don't know if we're heading for that scenario now, but the global players are falling into place. It doesn't really matter too much to me when things happen. I'm ready to do whatever the Lord would have me do and in the meantime there are people to tell about judgment and about the grace of God found through faith in Christ. I think that should be enough for most people.

 

[Bobby Jo]

We're over 14 months into the 42 month Tribulation.
Bobby Jo

Could be, I don't know. ...

We're told "no man knows the day or the hour", -- not: week; month; season; year (1); decade (10); score (20); century (100); daytona (500), or millennia (1,000). The church FALSELY teaches that we know NOTHING, but 1 Thess. 5 says we would know:

1 Thess. 5:3 When people say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.​

And if you're not aware, the Prophetic Psalms (Ref. J.R. Church, "Hidden Prophecies In The Psalms") provides substantiation for a significant event exactly 70 years after the international recognition of the State of Israel (May 14, 1948 to May 14, 2018) as substantiated by Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel, -- which I believe crossed us over the threshold into the 42 month Tribulation.

And if we have a Middle Eastern War this summer, we'll be on track for the Tribulation timing. But we'll have to see!


Bobby Jo

 

[michaelvpardo]

And if you're not aware, the Prophetic Psalms (Ref. J.R. Church, "Hidden Prophecies In The Psalms") provides substantiation for a significant event exactly 70 years after the international recognition of the State of Israel (May 14, 1948 to May 14, 2018) as substantiated by Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel, -- which I believe crossed us over the threshold into the 42 month Tribulation.

And if we have a Middle Eastern War this summer, we'll be on track for the Tribulation timing. But we'll have to see!


Bobby Jo[/QUOTE]
The book sounds interesting, but I'm a little leery of hidden prophecies and doctrines. At one time I believed in the "pretribulation rapture" of the Church, but the Lord taught me things that make that a problematic doctrine to say the least, including scripture that contradicts the cherry picked verses used to create the doctrine. As Christians we're supposed to be looking for Christ's return and abiding in Him until He comes. I think that the abiding part is tuff enough in our time, especially with so many professing Christians giving vehement arguments against the belief of others. I haven't even attended more than one or two worship services since I was ejected from my house for fear of having to explain myself to premature judgment. It was bad enough when the pastor of a congregation that supposedly doesn't fixate on doctrine made it very clear to me that, "here, we believe in a pretribulation rapture" and apparently those who weren't deceived weren't really a part of the congregation. So it goes. I'm looking forward to that day when every mouth will be stopped and we all will just know what's true and what isn't.

 

[farouk]

And if you're not aware, the Prophetic Psalms (Ref. J.R. Church, "Hidden Prophecies In The Psalms") provides substantiation for a significant event exactly 70 years after the international recognition of the State of Israel (May 14, 1948 to May 14, 2018) as substantiated by Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel, -- which I believe crossed us over the threshold into the 42 month Tribulation.

And if we have a Middle Eastern War this summer, we'll be on track for the Tribulation timing. But we'll have to see!


Bobby Jo

The book sounds interesting, but I'm a little leery of hidden prophecies and doctrines. At one time I believed in the "pretribulation rapture" of the Church, but the Lord taught me things that make that a problematic doctrine to say the least, including scripture that contradicts the cherry picked verses used to create the doctrine. As Christians we're supposed to be looking for Christ's return and abiding in Him until He comes. I think that the abiding part is tuff enough in our time, especially with so many professing Christians giving vehement arguments against the belief of others. I haven't even attended more than one or two worship services since I was ejected from my house for fear of having to explain myself to premature judgment. It was bad enough when the pastor of a congregation that supposedly doesn't fixate on doctrine made it very clear to me that, "here, we believe in a pretribulation rapture" and apparently those who weren't deceived weren't really a part of the congregation. So it goes. I'm looking forward to that day when every mouth will be stopped and we all will just know what's true and what isn't.[/QUOTE]
I would in fact look for the pretribulation rapture of 1 Thess. 4; 1 Cor. 11.26...

 

[michaelvpardo]

I would in fact look for the pretribulation rapture of 1 Thess. 4; 1 Cor. 11.26...[/QUOTE]
The timing is wrong, that is, the sequence of events described in scripture place the catching up, or gathering of the church, at the last trump, at Christ's return in glory (so that we can come back with Him in glory, transformed and with new bodies freed from sin.) If you read the passages carefully, the "rapture" follows what is called the first resurrection of the dead, which is described and explained in chapter 20 of the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ. It puts the timing of the first resurrection after the death of the last two witnesses, well into the period of time called the tribulation, pretty much the end of it really.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 describes the 1st resurrection.
1 Corinthians 11:26 isn't about the rapture, but about the observance of "the communion cup" as an act of testimony kept until the Lord's return. (He's coming back, but according to scripture, just the once and He's bringing His saints back with Him.)

 

[farouk]

I would in fact look for the pretribulation rapture of 1 Thess. 4; 1 Cor. 11.26...

The timing is wrong, that is, the sequence of events described in scripture place the catching up, or gathering of the church, at the last trump, at Christ's return in glory (so that we can come back with Him in glory, transformed and with new bodies freed from sin.) If you read the passages carefully, the "rapture" follows what is called the first resurrection of the dead, which is described and explained in chapter 20 of the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ. It puts the timing of the first resurrection after the death of the last two witnesses, well into the period of time called the tribulation, pretty much the end of it really.[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't see the great tribulation of Matthew 24 as the same as the tribulation principle in John 16.33. Clearly the great tribulation is on earth, a unique event after the church has gone.

 

[michaelvpardo]

I wouldn't see the great tribulation of Matthew 24 as the same as the tribulation principle in John 16.33.
Clearly the great tribulation is on earth, a unique event after the church has gone.[/QUOTE]

It pretty much depends on how you define the "great tribulation", but the book of the Revelation describes the persecution of the saints by the antichrist and most teachers of a pretribulation rapture claim that the church will not be among those saints so that we have two different sets of saints being resurrected in two different first resurrections. You have to do real violence to the text of scripture to make that doctrine work. God has taught me otherwise, just from reading what the text actually says.

 

[farouk]

I wouldn't see the great tribulation of Matthew 24 as the same as the tribulation principle in John 16.33.
Clearly the great tribulation is on earth, a unique event after the church has gone.

It pretty much depends on how you define the "great tribulation", but the book of the Revelation describes the persecution of the saints by the antichrist and most teachers of a pretribulation rapture claim that the church will not be among those saints so that we have two different sets of saints being resurrected in two different first resurrections. You have to do real violence to the text of scripture to make that doctrine work. God has taught me otherwise, just from reading what the text actually says.

Well, we are not likely to agree on this, I think...

 

[michaelvpardo]

Well, we are not likely to agree on this, I think...

We don't have to. The Lord has kept back things even from His apostles when they were not yet ready to bear them, so understanding comes when needed. The important thing to remember is that the Lord, who does not lie, has promised to keep those that believe Him from any temptation that is greater than they can bear. In the case of the coming tribulations, I would think that those who were unable to keep their faith through, would succumb to plague, or the sword, or perhaps some more peaceful way of passing into eternity, but God is faithful to keep His word, including all His promises to His saints.

 

[Bobby Jo]

@farouk
@michaelvpardo

... ummmmmm, it seems to me that the Dead are raised first. And according to Rev. 20, that happens at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. And then those who are alive and remain on earth shall ascend (to the New Jerusalem) to be with the LORD forever in the air.

Now if this premise is incorrect, then Rev.20:4-6 has some 'splainin to do LUCY, because any "raptured" church certainly ain't com'in back with Jesus and the Martyred Saints.


Bobby Jo