The Palestinian Decision--Wavering

Update: This is good news; The U.S. today vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "illegal" and ordered all construction operations there to stop.

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice said after the vote that the U.S. position should not be seen as a support for Israel's settlement program. "We reject in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity," she said. Source: ABC News

Looks like the USA is wavering on its position on the Palestinian state.

The U.S. informed Arab governments Tuesday that it will support a U.N. Security Council statement reaffirming that the 15-nation body "does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity," a move aimed at avoiding the prospect of having to veto a stronger Palestinian resolution calling the settlements illegal.

But the Palestinians rejected the American offer following a meeting late Wednesday of Arab representatives and said it is planning to press for a vote on its resolution on Friday, according to officials familiar with the issue. The decision to reject the American offer raised the prospect that the Obama administration will cast its first ever veto in the U.N. Security Council...

Source: Turtle Bay

It looks like Friday is the crucial day. Let's pray--for the sake of our country and our children--that we veto the resolution and do not support the U.N. security council statement.

The Palestinian Decision--For Now

Looks like the state department has made it clear that they will veto the move to freeze Israeli settlements and to try to stop other nations from recognizing the Palestinian state. Maybe that is why we have had some nicer weather lately!

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States, a veto-wielding permanent UN Security Council member, will use "the tools that we have" to block a resolution condemning Israeli settlements, a top US diplomat said Thursday...Steinberg also told the lawmakers that Washington was making a vigorous diplomatic campaign to stop countries from declaring their recognition of an independent Palestinian state, as several Latin American nations have done.

source: Activist Post

The next date to watch for is the summer of 2011 when the palestinian state is scheduled to be created.

Tribulations

So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: 2 Thes 1:4,5

Since beginning this blog back in March 2010 the amount of tribulations that I have experienced seems to be steadily increasing. For example just in the last few months I have had 4 viruses, I was cheated out of $1000 plus from a fellow Christian, had a car window smashed or shot out, my credit card was hacked, pellet stove broke, have had many sicknesses in my household, plus other things I will not mention. And just two days ago within hours of posting Is the Rapture Imminent? I had 2 immediate family members come down with high fevers and an hour after that I was taking another family member back from the doctor for a recheck on pneumonia and the spark plug blew out of my Ford requiring it to be towed to the shop for a costly repair. (Just found out it is an all to common problem with some Ford engines--they will be getting a letter!).

Now these things are not really all that bad--like what some may be experiencing such as cancer, loss of job, house foreclosures, deaths in the family, prison, etc. But for me they have been very trying and at times overwhelming because many things happened all at once.

In experiencing these things I began wondering; was I doing something wrong--was God punishing me? I felt that these tribulations were related to the blogging. On several occasions things got so intense I was ready to just shut the whole thing down, but many people have encouraged me and thanked me for helping them understand various end times truths. I sought the Lord in prayer and beseeched Him about these things willing to do whatever He wanted me to do.

I shared my difficulties with a few people who helped me to get a handle on the whole situation. Here is my conclusion; When you stand for the truth of God's Word tribulation will come your way. I also believe that the tribulations will increase more and more as we see the day drawing near but so will God's Spirit.

I tell you these things because maybe for some of you since you may have begun believing the truth about certain end times topics, and sharing it with others, you have had an increase in tribulations too. So take heart because it "is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God." We also know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God to those called according to His purpose. So if God allows it in our life He will use it for our good.

I also tell you these things because I need your prayers for God to encourage me, strengthen me, protect me and my family, and guide me in the His perfect will. So when you read this blog if you could remember to say a little prayer for me and my family I would really appreciate it.

So I also ask your prayers for God to speak through me in putting the data together in a coherent easily understandable format and that satan would not be allowed to hinder me in the work.

Is the Rapture Imminent?

Is the rapture imminent? The believers in Thessalonica were addressed by God through the apostle Paul on that very subject. The Thessalonians thought that the Day of the Lord/rapture was ready to occur or had already occurred and they missed it.

1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 2 Thes 2:1,2

Paul was trying to comfort their shaken mind regarding the timing of the rapture--"the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto him." Paul's response...

3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Here Paul clearly tells them that the day--day of Christ/the rapture--cannot come unless a couple of things happen first;

1. A falling away.

2. The man of sin--the antichrist--is revealed, worshipped as God and sits in the temple as God.

The falling away is a time when Christians in large numbers will suddenly forsake the faith. The man of sin sits in the temple as God at the abomination of desolation which happens near the middle of the last 7 years.


With that in mind let me state the verse more plainly; let no man deceive you by any means: for the rapture shall not come, except there come a falling away first and the antichrist performs the abomination of desolation. So how can the rapture be imminent if those things have to happen first? It can't be. The rapture cannot be imminent until these things are fulfilled. BTW without imminency the pre tribulation rapture theory cannot stand.

So to answer the question; Is the rapture imminent? No, it will not be imminent until the great falling away and abomination of desolation occurs--let no man deceive you by any means.

Setting Dates

Throughout our lifetimes we have most likely heard of someone setting a date for the rapture or the "end of the world"--the latest example being Harold Camping of Family Radio--May 21, 2011.

On May 21st, Judgment Day will begin and the rapture (the taking up into heaven of God’s elect people) will occur at the end of the 23-year great tribulation. On October 21st, the world will be destroyed by fire (7000 years from the flood; 13,023 years from creation). http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/may21/

Will this be the way it happens? Absolutely not! How do we know? Because of what scripture says. God clearly tells us that no one knows the day or hour of the rapture. God also clearly tells us that before Christ returns at Armageddon the antichrist will reign for 3.5 years, and the trumpet and bowl judgments will occur. So therefore according to scripture the rapture will not occur on May 21, 2011 and the world will not end on October 21, 2011 or for that matter any time before the antichrist begins to reign. This is what a literal interpretation of scripture demands. The only way people can support erroroneous theories such as the one above is to forsake a literal interpretation of scripture and spiritualize everything.

I feel led to address this issue...First off let me plainly state I do not know when Christ will return and I do not know when the rapture will occur. Scripture is clear that the antichrist is only given 3.5 years to reign.

3. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9. If any man have an ear, let him hear. Rev 13:3-9

His reign begins after the abomination of desolation and continues for forty two months--3.5 years until he is thrown in the bottomless pit at the return of Christ. We also know that after his reign begins he will start to persecute Jews and Christians--seal 5.

1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 2 Thes 2:1-4

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Rev 13:7

After the persecution of seal 5 Christians will be rescued at the rapture which occurs after the sixth seal is opened, God's wrath is then poured out upon the world.

12. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Rev 6:12-17

So it will be possible to set a date for the return of Christ after we see the abomination of desolation and the antichrist take over the world. It will be 42 months or 1260 days after that and the rapture would occur at an unknown time between those two events.

Again In my writings I am not predicting when Christ will return. I do not know when it will be. When will we know for sure? When we either know for sure that a seal has occurred or see the antichrist arise.

I suggest reading The Coming Epiphany for a further explanation.