Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

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Why do Christians celebrate resurrection day on a different date than the Jews celebrate passover and the feast of firstfruits?

Using the Jewish calendar today to tell us when Passover is does not make sense. According to the OT God divorced the Jews. These Jewish leaders who have this current Jewish calendar are the same ones who rejected Jesus Christ, the Messiah. They are without any doubt the definition of false prophets.

If we look at history we will see that they have adjusted their calendar on several occasions to fit with the nations where they lived. This is like trusting a witness who you know has lied blatantly and while under oath.

Logically, imagine if the rapture were on resurrection day? That would be a testimony to the whole world concerning Jesus. Granted, the west is on the Gregorian calendar and the East uses the Julian calendar, so they rarely ever celebrate this day on the same day. However, 2025 is the exception to the rule with both East and West celebrating Jesus' resurrection on the same day.

The reason God establishes Holy days is because they are a shadow of things to come. When Jesus was crucified as the lamb of God it had to be done on that day, according to that timeline as a testimony to all the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. If this had been any other day it would not have been a fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus was the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

So is the rapture going to testify that the Jews who have been divorced and are being led by false prophets who rejected Jesus as the Messiah are the ones with the truth, or will it testify that Jesus is the truth, that no man comes unto the Father but by Him?

 

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Behold He Comes 4-20-25@ 6:00 AM

Behold -- means to pay close attention.

 

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Self Justification -- the Ego run amok

Job 32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

Job was self righteous. We see this all the time among the religious.

2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

When things happen to us we can blame others, but that is useless. The only person we have control over is ourselves. Instead of harping on what others did we should examine what we did. James says that God does not tempt anyone with sin. It is our own lusts that fall to temptation.

3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

This is also a frequent and ugly occurrence. We see this in the New Testament "who sinned this guy or his parents that he is born blind?" We assume any time something "bad" happens to someone it is the result of that person sinning. But Jesus gave us a third option, John 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

This is why God rebuked the three friends and they had to be reconciled back to Job. They had assumed he had sinned and thus condemned him. That is not righteous, we need a trial, we need evidence. There is nothing in the Bible that says "to be born blind" is a sin, so condemning someone because something happened to them that is a sin because Jesus did say "judge not lest you be judged for with what judgment you judge you shall be judged".

To be self righteous is to be proud and we are told that pride goes before a fall. So then the proper response to things that happen to you, like the things that happened to Job, is to look to the Lord. First examine yourself, is there anything that you should confess and repent of. No doubt pride and being self righteous would be two things to confess and repent of. Then we are to seek the Lord to see how the works of God might be manifested in this experience. We are one with Jesus, if we go through something He is also going through it.

I remember a playoff game in Boston where the air conditioning went out. It was over 90 degrees on the basketball court. All the players were dragging, hardly able to play, except for one, Larry Bird. He didn't complain, played like nothing was wrong. After the game they asked him about that and he said it wasn't any hotter there than back in Indiana in the summer where he played in the offseason. The air conditioning going out manifested what was within each of these players.

I remember a playoff game in Utah. The night before the game Michael Jordan orders a pizza and the people who made it put something on it to make him sick. During the game the next day they claimed he "had the flu" but the truth was he had been poisoned. Not to kill him but just to help their team win. Still he played the whole game and was instrumental in winning the game and the series. Again, did Michael Jordan sin that this happened or did it happen to manifest the works of God in him? Actually, it was both. His teammates sensed something was very wrong about the pizza, they didn't eat it and warned him not to, but he ate the whole thing. So he did not listen to their warnings, but on the other hand we can see God wanting everyone to see what had been wrought within him.

I remember as a kid we had a Boston Whaler, and one of the requirments my dad had was that we carried this map with us on that boat. I hated that, there was no place to put that map, it would fly around, get wet, it was a mess. Then one morning my father and I are pulling up lobster pots and when we are done the fog is so thick we couldn't see two feet in front of us. The boat was in the midst of rocks. I thought there was no way out, but that was when my dad used that map. That only happened once in all the time we had the boat, that was the Lord letting me see that yes, most of the time we didn't need the map, but when we did need it, then it was invaluable. Did God send the fog because in my mind I was questioning my dad or was it because God wanted to manifest my father's wisdom?

Let me give you another example.

The San Francisco 49ers were playing the Dallas Cowboys in the championship game. The winner goes to the superbowl. The 49ers were winning near the end of the game when their safety, Ronnie Lott stepped in front of a receiver and intercepted a pass. That would have sealed the win for the 49ers but the refs threw a flag. They called pass interference. This is one of the most blatant bad calls in the history of the NFL, if that call was valid it would make it a penalty to intercept a pass, as though that is "pass interference". The penalty helped Dallas to go on and score. Now, the 49ers needed a touchdown to win. You can whine and complain about the refs being unfair or you can look at this as a way to manifest the works of God and put all the arrogant ones to an open shame. The refs were in a position to call back any touchdown claiming there was a hold on the offensive line. On the other hand the only way the 49ers win is with a touchdown so they can let them move down the field just so long as they don't score a touchdown. On the final play, three men break through the line and chase down Montana who is fleeing to the sideline when he throws the ball out of bounds. At least that is what it appeared he had done. The play is called "the catch" because everyone assumed he had thrown it away only for the ball to be caught and the 49ers to win. When people realized what had happened it was way too late to throw a flag.

When things happen to us, if Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, is within you, don't whine and complain and blame the refs. Realize this is an opportunity for Jesus Christ to be manifested within you.

Galatians 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

 

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2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

There is a lot of debate about whether or not Christians should be involved in politics. So my question is this, if you take a Christian and he runs a Christian campaign for office, will he confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh? Of do you compromise, perhaps refer to "God" but not to Jesus Christ as God? Perhaps you want the Christians to vote for you but argue you need to compromise or else you won't be elected. So right off the bat you are losing the salt in your speech.

But now, how am I supposed to know if some guy claiming to be a "conservative Christian" is truly a Christian if they won't even confess that Jesus Christ is Lord? This is the problem, every political campaign is like listening to a preacher preach the gospel, but it is never about Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, but some politician. By definition that makes them a deceiver and an antichrist (counterfeit Christ).

Granted there may be exceptions, but how would you know who is who? Look at how you are opening yourself up to be deceived.

So then don't let it be a factor. Simply look at the platform of both candidates, don't assume this one is something you can't prove.
So then, let's consider Donald Trump. Pray for him, that is what we are told to do. By all means pray for his salvation. But unless he confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh do not think that he is a Christian. He is a politician, he preaches his "gospel" which involves him coming in the flesh, not Jesus Christ. I pray that he is saved and that he does know the Lord, but I have no assurance that he does. I believe that God has placed him in the position of president and I also believe that God preserved his life during the assassination attempt. But neither of those things is proof that he is a Christian. The whole world lies in the evil one and there is about to be a great persecution of born again believers, so the Lord may have other plans for Trump. He may be the instrument by which God judges Jezebel, that is very possible. But killing people who are in organized crime is not proof that you are a "good guy". Most people in organized crime are killed by other people in organized crime. For the most part they kill each other.

 

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3 John 1:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

Diotrephes was a church leader. He speaks nonsense, empty charges, false accusations, fake news. On social media and Christian forums you can find people just like this.

 

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Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

This word translated ordained is "written beforehand". It is used several times in the New Testament and in other places is translated as "written beforehand". The ones who creep in unawares, we can see them in the Old Testament. We can see ones like Balaam, Judas, the Antichrist, Absalom, Adonijah, Saul, Eli and his two sons, Delilah, Cain, Nimrod, Esau, the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.

It is as though Jude is saying we are living in a video game with all the NPC's having been written before.

 

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Jude 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

The word translated "filthy dreamers" means to be beguiled with sensual images and carried away to an impious course of conduct. It describes modern TV and movies. So we can understand this today as "these filthy TV shows and movies defile the flesh, despise dominion and speak evil of dignities"

 

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Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Enoch is a direct reference to the church that is raptured prior to the tribulation. Here they prophesy of tens of thousands of His saints coming, I wonder if this is a reference to the 144,000 that come during the seven year tribulation.

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

I wonder if this church age isn't like training camp for a football team, or basic training for the marines. Those who make the team are raptured and then come as this army of the Lord, like the mighty men of David.

 

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Lazarus being raised from the dead is a picture of the rapture. He apparently is raised prior to the month Nisan. His name is equivalent to the Hebrew Eleazar, the servant of Abraham from Damascus that goes and gets Isaac's bride, Rebekah. He is in the grave four days when he is raised and there is a prophecy that Damascus will become a ruinous heap. Since Damascus is the oldest continually inhabited city on earth it is similar to the prophecy about Methuselah, when he dies the end comes. Jesus said the end would be like the days of Noah so if you see Damascus become a ruinous heap you should see that as a four day warning of the rapture. Likewise, in Luke it says Lazarus lay at the rich man's gate and in Jerusalem there is a "Damascus gate". At that gate there is a Catholic church. It is called the Church of St. Stephen recognizing the martyrs who have died in Christ. At the same time that Lazarus dies the rich man also dies. So if you see the Pope die at the same time Damascus becomes a ruinous heap that should be a double confirmation that the rapture is in four days.

Then when Samson pushes out the pillars it is a picture of the church, the pillar and base of the truth, being removed and causing the world's economic temple to collapse. They say that this takes place during a sacrifice to Dagon. We can interpret Dagon to be the Catholic church because the hat the pope wears is the same hat that the priests of Dagon wear. However, this is not a holy day of the Catholic church. According to Elijah calling down fire God called the assembly and all the religious leaders from around the world are there. This would indicate it is the funeral of a pope which takes place four days after he dies. In the gospel of Luke Lazarus doesn't rise from the dead because the gospel concludes with the rapture.

In Mark and Matthew the rapture is at the start of the gospel. In Mark as soon as Jesus is baptized he is thrust out into the wilderness, just as the tribulation saints will be. In Matthew they first have to see that Jesus was the son of Abraham and the son of David before they can appreciate the rapture event.

Vatican announces Pope Francis has died