WEBVTT
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A vast portion of
professing “Christianity”
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is obsessed with a myth--
a myth that clouds
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their understanding
of the end-times,
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that obscures other doctrinal
truths of the Bible,
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and that provides false
hope concerning the
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Great Tribulation and
the days before
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the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ.
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And yet, it is
widely believed.
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When I travel to various
cities giving public
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presentations concerning
the Gospel of the Kingdom
00:25.458 --> 00:29.095
of God and what to expect
before Christ's return,
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some of the most common
questions I receive are
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centered around this myth.
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So, it's about time we
put that myth to rest.
00:38.004 --> 00:40.573
Join me for this episode
of Tomorrow's World,
00:40.640 --> 00:43.843
where we'll debunk
the Rapture myth.
00:43.910 --> 00:50.083
♪
00:50.150 --> 00:52.652
Warm greetings, and welcome
to Tomorrow's World,
00:52.719 --> 00:55.221
where we work to help
you make sense of
00:55.288 --> 00:58.425
your world through the
pages of the Bible.
00:58.491 --> 01:01.494
You know, if I had a dime
for every time I've been
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asked about the Rapture,
I'd be a wealthy person.
01:05.098 --> 01:06.299
When is it coming?
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Is it before the Great
Tribulation, during the
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Great Tribulation, or after?
01:10.937 --> 01:13.907
At the heart of most of
these questions is a more
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fundamental one: Is the
common belief in the
01:18.111 --> 01:20.580
Rapture actually true?
01:20.647 --> 01:23.016
Today, we're going to tackle
that question, and we're
01:23.082 --> 01:26.419
going to do it with irrefutable
evidence from your Bible.
01:26.486 --> 01:28.488
We're also going to give
you an opportunity to
01:28.555 --> 01:29.989
request our free DVD,
01:30.056 --> 01:33.493
"Is the Rapture Your
Incredible Future?"
01:33.560 --> 01:35.895
Be sure to watch for the
information you need
01:35.962 --> 01:38.131
to order your free copy.
01:38.198 --> 01:41.501
Now let's begin by being
as clear as we can.
01:41.568 --> 01:44.471
Before we can address what
the Bible does or does not
01:44.537 --> 01:47.507
say about the Rapture,
we first need to define
01:47.574 --> 01:52.212
what we mean by the word
"Rapture"--cause people
01:52.278 --> 01:54.514
use it to say many
different things.
01:54.581 --> 01:56.983
Most use the word to
indicate their belief
01:57.050 --> 02:00.487
that before Jesus Christ
returns to rule the world,
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and before the time of
trouble and suffering
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known as the Great
Tribulation, Christians
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all over the world will be
"raptured" into thin air--
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taken to heaven.
02:10.430 --> 02:13.533
Those who are not Christians
will simply see that many
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people have suddenly vanished
without explanation.
02:16.402 --> 02:19.973
Planes will plummet from the
sky as their Christian pilots
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disappear. Non-Christian
husbands or wives will
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despair as they wonder where
their Christian spouse
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has disappeared to.
02:28.047 --> 02:30.416
And as the world
sorts through the mass
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disappearance, the Great
Tribulation will be
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unleashed on those who are
"left behind"--as the book
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series by Tim LaHaye and
Jerry Jenkins worded it.
02:39.826 --> 02:43.596
Then, 3 or 7 years later--
depending on who's explaining--
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Jesus begins His
reign on earth.
02:46.733 --> 02:50.503
This idea of the Rapture
as being mysteriously and
02:50.570 --> 02:54.407
mystically whisked away
from the earth is often
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associated with the words of
the Apostle Paul, who says
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in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17...
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"For the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with
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a shout, with the voice of
an archangel, and with the
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trumpet of God.
03:11.491 --> 03:14.561
And the dead in Christ
will rise first.
03:14.627 --> 03:18.731
Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up
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together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
03:23.269 --> 03:27.507
And thus we shall always
be with the Lord."
03:27.574 --> 03:30.176
This is an important
passage for those who
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believe in the "Rapture"
because in the Latin
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Vulgate translation of
verse 17, the word for
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"we shall be caught up" is
"rapiemur," thus, the "Rapture."
03:44.457 --> 03:47.327
But is Paul describing
what many think of as
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"the Rapture" or is he talking
about something else entirely?
03:52.432 --> 03:56.235
God wants us to read His
word carefully, putting
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the details together to
get the most complete
03:58.905 --> 04:02.241
picture we can, and
that takes diligence.
04:02.308 --> 04:04.444
As Paul told the
evangelist Timothy,
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"Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God,
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a worker who does not
need to be ashamed,
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rightly dividing the
word of truth."
04:15.088 --> 04:18.925
Similarly, the prophet Isaiah wrote the following,
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"Whom will he
teach knowledge?
04:21.394 --> 04:24.564
And whom will he make to
understand the message?
04:24.631 --> 04:26.866
Those just
weaned from milk?
04:26.933 --> 04:29.469
Those just drawn
from the breasts?
04:29.535 --> 04:33.840
For precept must be upon
precept, precept upon
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precept, line upon line,
line upon line,
04:37.210 --> 04:39.646
here a little,
there a little."
04:39.712 --> 04:41.280
Let's do that.
04:41.347 --> 04:45.652
Let's "rightly divide the
word of truth" and put
04:45.718 --> 04:49.422
the whole of God's word
together to help us see
04:49.489 --> 04:51.891
the truth about the
Rapture theory and to
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understand what to truly
expect of the end times.
04:55.395 --> 04:59.532
And since ideas differ so
widely in their details
04:59.599 --> 05:02.235
concerning the Rapture and
what it really means,
05:02.301 --> 05:05.405
we're going to focus on
Bible passages that will
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help us clarify the most
common elements that are
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central in most people's
beliefs about the Rapture.
05:12.145 --> 05:14.514
So, as the program
progresses, keep in
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mind these three
crucial questions:
05:18.084 --> 05:20.920
Will Christians vanish
around the world
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without explanation?
05:22.822 --> 05:26.592
Will Christians be caught
up into the air years
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before Jesus returns?
05:28.194 --> 05:31.531
[And] Will Christians
spend the Great Tribulation
05:31.597 --> 05:32.699
in heaven?
05:32.765 --> 05:35.168
Remember those questions.
05:35.234 --> 05:37.370
And as we look into
what the Bible says will
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actually happen with true
Christians at the return
05:40.573 --> 05:43.242
of Jesus Christ, you
will see each of these
05:43.309 --> 05:47.647
questions answered plainly
and simply in God's word.
05:47.714 --> 05:50.583
And when you do, you will
see that the popular idea
05:50.650 --> 05:54.687
of the Rapture is little
more than a popular myth.
05:54.754 --> 05:57.156
If you're ready,
we'll jump right in
05:57.223 --> 05:58.758
in our next segment.
05:58.825 --> 06:01.594
But first, let me pause
briefly to give you an
06:01.661 --> 06:04.430
opportunity to request
today's free DVD,
06:04.497 --> 06:07.934
"Is the Rapture Your
Incredible Future"
06:08.000 --> 06:11.471
This DVD compiles three powerful Tomorrow's World programs
06:11.537 --> 06:13.940
that shed light
on misunderstandings
06:14.006 --> 06:17.944
most have about what the
Bible actually says.
06:18.010 --> 06:21.581
You've probably never heard
these topics explained as
06:21.647 --> 06:25.151
clearly and completely as they are in these videos.
06:25.218 --> 06:29.088
Take this opportunity to get
a free copy of this DVD.
06:29.155 --> 06:33.326
And I'll be right back to examine what God Himself reveals
06:33.392 --> 06:36.662
about whether Christians
will mysteriously disappear.
06:36.729 --> 06:38.331
So, don't you disappear.
06:38.397 --> 06:39.298
♪
06:39.365 --> 06:45.972
For today's free
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06:56.883 --> 06:59.986
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Or go to...
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♪
07:38.825 --> 07:39.892
Welcome back.
07:39.959 --> 07:42.995
Let's start tackling
our "Rapture" questions.
07:43.062 --> 07:46.632
As we do, take note of
the Scriptures we read.
07:46.699 --> 07:50.002
We don't want you to just
believe us--we want you
07:50.069 --> 07:52.238
to believe your Bible.
07:52.305 --> 07:55.641
So, does the Bible teach
that years before Jesus
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returns in visible
glory to rule the world,
07:58.845 --> 08:02.381
Christians around the
world will vanish and
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secretly be caught up into
heaven right before the time
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of global horrors known
as the Great Tribulation?
08:09.822 --> 08:12.158
No, it doesn't.
08:12.225 --> 08:14.961
We can begin to see
this if we go back
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to 1 Thessalonians 4.
08:17.930 --> 08:21.934
But this time, let's
begin reading in verse 13.
08:22.001 --> 08:25.304
"But I do not want you
to be ignorant, brethren,
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concerning those who have
fallen asleep, lest you
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sorrow as others
who have no hope.
08:31.978 --> 08:36.249
For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again,
08:36.315 --> 08:41.621
even so God will bring with
Him those who sleep in Jesus.
08:41.687 --> 08:45.524
For this we say to you by
the word of the Lord,
08:45.591 --> 08:48.761
that we who are alive and
remain until the coming of
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the Lord will by no means
precede those who are asleep.
08:54.634 --> 08:57.670
For the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with a
08:57.737 --> 09:01.240
shout, with the voice of
an archangel, and with
09:01.307 --> 09:03.142
the trumpet of God.
09:03.209 --> 09:06.579
And the dead in Christ
will rise first.
09:06.646 --> 09:09.782
Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up
09:09.849 --> 09:15.688
together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
09:15.755 --> 09:19.825
And thus we shall always
be with the Lord."
09:19.892 --> 09:24.430
Too many are so "enraptured", pun intended, with seeing
09:24.497 --> 09:28.434
the "Rapture" in this passage that they skip right over
09:28.501 --> 09:32.905
those elements that prove Paul is not talking about their
09:32.972 --> 09:34.640
idea of a "Rapture."
09:34.707 --> 09:37.743
For instance, Paul says
that this is the time of
09:37.810 --> 09:41.647
the resurrection of those
who died in Christ--
09:41.714 --> 09:45.017
those he describes
as "asleep"--saying,
09:45.084 --> 09:51.090
"the dead in Christ will rise
first." He also says that
09:51.157 --> 09:54.126
"the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with
09:54.193 --> 09:57.730
a shout, with the voice of
an archangel, and with
09:57.797 --> 09:59.598
the trumpet of God."
09:59.665 --> 10:04.403
This doesn't seem like a quiet, mysterious vanishing to me--
10:04.470 --> 10:08.808
more like a triumphant event announced to the world by
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the returning Jesus Christ.
10:10.943 --> 10:15.514
But my personal opinion
doesn't matter--
10:15.581 --> 10:17.049
and neither does yours.
10:17.116 --> 10:20.586
Instead of settling for
opinion, let's look into
10:20.653 --> 10:25.224
additional Bible passages
that describe this event--
10:25.291 --> 10:26.459
as we read earlier,
10:26.525 --> 10:30.129
"precept upon precept...
line upon line...
10:30.196 --> 10:32.932
here a little,
there a little."
10:32.999 --> 10:37.703
For example, the Apostle
describes the exact same
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event in another passage:
1 Corinthians 15.
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Let's read there
starting in verse 50:
10:45.878 --> 10:49.415
"Now this I say, brethren,
that flesh and blood
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cannot inherit the
kingdom of God; nor does
10:52.985 --> 10:55.554
corruption inherit
incorruption.
10:55.621 --> 11:00.326
Behold, I tell you a mystery:
We shall not all sleep,
11:00.393 --> 11:04.330
but we shall all be
changed--in a moment,
11:04.397 --> 11:08.968
in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet.
11:09.035 --> 11:11.904
For the trumpet will
sound, and the dead will
11:11.971 --> 11:16.175
be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
11:16.242 --> 11:19.612
For this corruptible must
put on incorruption,
11:19.678 --> 11:23.682
and this mortal must
put on immortality."
11:23.749 --> 11:28.087
Now notice: The dead are
raised in incorruptible
11:28.154 --> 11:31.757
glory and the living will be
transformed at that time,
11:31.824 --> 11:35.561
as well, just as we
read in 1 Thessalonians.
11:35.628 --> 11:37.430
Now is this done quietly?
11:37.496 --> 11:38.564
No.
11:38.631 --> 11:41.600
Again just as we saw
earlier, this happens
11:41.667 --> 11:43.936
with the sound of
a mighty trumpet:
11:44.003 --> 11:47.206
"...in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
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at the last trumpet.
11:50.509 --> 11:53.712
For the trumpet will
sound, and the dead will
11:53.779 --> 11:57.249
be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed."
11:57.316 --> 12:01.487
In fact, read that again
carefully: It happens not
12:01.554 --> 12:05.524
just at any trumpet,
but at the last trumpet.
12:05.591 --> 12:09.195
This implies that there's
a sequence of trumpets,
12:09.261 --> 12:11.797
and the resurrection
and glorification of the
12:11.864 --> 12:15.701
saints occurs at the
last of these trumpets.
12:15.768 --> 12:19.538
So, ask yourself: Is there
any passage of Scripture
12:19.605 --> 12:24.276
that describes a series of
trumpets in the end times?
12:24.343 --> 12:27.246
Cause if there is, then
we have located the
12:27.313 --> 12:30.549
time of this resurrection
and transformation
12:30.616 --> 12:32.184
of faithful Christians.
12:32.251 --> 12:36.088
And, in fact, yes, the
Bible does describe a
12:36.155 --> 12:37.756
sequence of trumpets.
12:37.823 --> 12:41.026
We don't need to guess, or
theorize, or debate about it.
12:41.093 --> 12:43.496
The Bible makes it plain.
12:43.562 --> 12:46.298
And as it does, we will
see the answers to our
12:46.365 --> 12:50.269
three questions beginning
to take shape as well.
12:50.336 --> 12:54.140
But before we examine those
angelic trumpet blasts,
12:54.206 --> 12:57.676
let me pause very briefly to
give you another opportunity
12:57.743 --> 12:59.612
to request our free DVD,
12:59.678 --> 13:03.015
"Is the Rapture Your
Incredible Future?"
13:03.082 --> 13:06.018
You need the life changing
answers these three
13:06.085 --> 13:08.020
Tomorrow's World
programs hold.
13:08.087 --> 13:10.789
Again, the DVD is
completely free--
13:10.856 --> 13:13.926
there are no strings attached, and no one will ask you
13:13.993 --> 13:15.794
for a donation of any kind.
13:15.861 --> 13:20.032
Request yours right now, and
then I'll be right back to tell
13:20.099 --> 13:24.803
you exactly when the saints
rise to meet Jesus Christ,
13:24.870 --> 13:26.839
according to your Bible.
13:26.906 --> 13:28.007
♪
13:28.073 --> 13:29.608
This clear and
straight-forward resource
13:29.675 --> 13:32.411
will help you understand
this vital truth--
13:32.478 --> 13:35.214
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
13:35.281 --> 13:36.148
Call now!
13:36.215 --> 13:40.653
Or go to...
13:40.719 --> 13:42.254
♪
13:42.321 --> 13:45.324
In our last segment,
we learned that at the
13:45.391 --> 13:48.994
last trumpet, Christians
will be resurrected and
13:49.061 --> 13:52.398
transformed and will
meet Jesus Christ.
13:52.464 --> 13:55.367
And we can locate
this exactly in the
13:55.434 --> 13:59.405
prophetic sequence of
end-time events, using the
13:59.471 --> 14:02.141
seven seals of Revelation.
14:02.208 --> 14:04.743
The book of Revelation
gives us a specific
14:04.810 --> 14:08.747
sequence leading up to
Jesus' return and
14:08.814 --> 14:10.916
the commencement of
the Kingdom of God.
14:10.983 --> 14:16.222
Revelation chapter 6 reveals
the Seven Prophetic Seals of
14:16.288 --> 14:19.458
Revelation, which the Apostle
John sees in vision,
14:19.525 --> 14:24.129
opened in sequence by Jesus Christ to reveal the
14:24.196 --> 14:26.332
end-time events ahead.
14:26.398 --> 14:30.803
The first four seals represent
the Four Horsemen of the
14:30.869 --> 14:35.441
Apocalypse, symbolizing global Religious Deception, Warfare,
14:35.507 --> 14:39.511
Famine, and Disease.
Verse 8 says, that
14:39.578 --> 14:43.182
"power was given to them over
a fourth of the earth,
14:43.249 --> 14:47.853
to kill with sword, with hunger,
with death, and by the beasts
14:47.920 --> 14:49.154
of the earth."
14:49.221 --> 14:53.292
The prophetic pathway continues
with the fifth seal,
14:53.359 --> 14:56.595
describing a martyrdom
of true Christians.
14:56.662 --> 14:59.198
In Matthew 24 and verse 21,
14:59.265 --> 15:01.834
Jesus describes
this time, saying...
15:01.900 --> 15:05.371
"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not
15:05.437 --> 15:09.074
been since the beginning of
the world until this time,
15:09.141 --> 15:12.211
no, nor ever shall be."
15:12.278 --> 15:17.016
This is a time so terrible that no time before nor after
15:17.082 --> 15:19.018
will ever compare.
15:19.084 --> 15:21.987
After two and one-half
years of this Tribulation,
15:22.054 --> 15:26.091
the sixth seal is opened,
and the Heavenly Signs take
15:26.158 --> 15:30.362
place: a great earthquake,
the sun darkened, the moon
15:30.429 --> 15:34.433
red as blood, the stars
falling from the sky,
15:34.500 --> 15:38.837
and every mountain and
island on earth shaken.
15:38.904 --> 15:43.142
These announce that God
and Jesus Christ are about
15:43.208 --> 15:46.612
to personally intervene
in world affairs.
15:46.679 --> 15:49.815
That time is described by
the prophet Isaiah as
15:49.882 --> 15:53.819
"the day of the Lord's
vengeance, the year of
15:53.886 --> 15:56.922
recompense for the
cause of Zion."
15:56.989 --> 16:00.259
This year-long Day of
the Lord begins when
16:00.326 --> 16:03.595
the seventh seal of
Revelation is opened.
16:03.662 --> 16:07.232
We read of this in
Revelation 8:1-2...
16:07.299 --> 16:11.337
"When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence
16:11.403 --> 16:14.139
in heaven for about
half an hour.
16:14.206 --> 16:18.644
And I saw the seven angels
who stand before God,
16:18.711 --> 16:22.781
and to them were given
seven trumpets."
16:22.848 --> 16:25.818
Finally, we see where
a sequence of trumpets
16:25.884 --> 16:29.755
appears in end-time
events--exactly what
16:29.822 --> 16:32.725
Paul's description
told us to expect.
16:32.791 --> 16:36.261
After the end-time rides
of the Four Horsemen,
16:36.328 --> 16:39.732
the Great Tribulation, and
the Heavenly Signs, we come
16:39.798 --> 16:44.436
to the series of Trumpets
indicated by the Apostle Paul.
16:44.503 --> 16:49.942
And those first six Trumpet
blasts are devastating.
16:50.008 --> 16:53.679
One-third of earth's
vegetation is burned up;
16:53.746 --> 16:57.216
one-third of the seas
become blood; one-third of
16:57.282 --> 17:00.552
ships and marine life are
destroyed; one-third of
17:00.619 --> 17:04.056
the planet's waters become
bitter; and one-third
17:04.123 --> 17:07.693
of the sun, moon, and
stars cease to shine.
17:07.760 --> 17:11.997
Then, in the most destructive
military exchange in history,
17:12.064 --> 17:16.135
one-third of mankind
is obliterated.
17:16.201 --> 17:19.571
Joel 2 calls the
Day of the Lord
17:19.638 --> 17:23.675
"great and very terrible"
for a reason.
17:23.742 --> 17:27.479
It represents God's
wrath unleashed on
17:27.546 --> 17:29.681
unrepentant mankind.
17:29.748 --> 17:33.819
Yet, these terrors are
only the first six of
17:33.886 --> 17:35.220
the Seven Trumpets.
17:35.287 --> 17:42.961
The Seventh, Last Trumpet is
described in Revelation 11:15...
17:43.028 --> 17:46.432
"Then the seventh angel
sounded: And there
17:46.498 --> 17:48.467
were loud voices in
heaven, saying,
17:48.534 --> 17:51.904
'The kingdoms of this world
have become the kingdoms
17:51.970 --> 17:56.508
of our Lord and of His
Christ, and He shall reign
17:56.575 --> 17:59.011
forever and ever!'"
17:59.077 --> 18:02.714
Paul says that at this
trumpet--the seventh,
18:02.781 --> 18:05.784
declaring the authority
of the Kingdom of God over
18:05.851 --> 18:09.755
the world--the Resurrection
occurs, when faithful
18:09.822 --> 18:12.791
Christians, past and
present, are gathered,
18:12.858 --> 18:15.694
glorified with
immortality, and brought
18:15.761 --> 18:18.831
to meet Christ to
become His Bride and
18:18.897 --> 18:21.567
to participate in the
vanquishing of His enemies
18:21.633 --> 18:25.170
and the inauguration of the
reign of God's Kingdom.
18:25.237 --> 18:29.441
All of this proves that this
is no secret "vanishing."
18:29.508 --> 18:34.046
In fact, Jesus Christ personally described this moment to His
18:34.112 --> 18:38.884
disciples to make the public nature of this event very clear.
18:38.951 --> 18:44.890
Read it yourself,
starting in Matthew 24:29...
18:44.957 --> 18:48.193
"Immediately after the
tribulation of those days
18:48.260 --> 18:51.964
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give
18:52.030 --> 18:55.267
its light; the stars will
fall from heaven, and the
18:55.334 --> 18:57.536
powers of the heavens
will be shaken.
18:57.603 --> 19:00.939
Then the sign of the Son
of Man will appear in
19:01.006 --> 19:04.743
heaven, and then all
the tribes of the earth
19:04.810 --> 19:08.480
will mourn, and they
will see the Son of Man
19:08.547 --> 19:12.651
coming on the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory.
19:12.718 --> 19:15.387
And He will send His
angels with a great sound
19:15.454 --> 19:19.057
of a trumpet, and they will
gather together His elect
19:19.124 --> 19:23.962
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
19:24.029 --> 19:27.432
My friend, these
passages are inseparable.
19:27.499 --> 19:30.302
Their descriptions of the
end-time events are consistent
19:30.369 --> 19:33.739
and in perfect sequence:
The Great Tribulation,
19:33.805 --> 19:37.776
the Heavenly Signs, the Seven Trumpets, the revealing of
19:37.843 --> 19:41.346
Christ to the world at the Last Trumpet, and the resurrection,
19:41.413 --> 19:45.851
gathering, and glorifying of true Christians as the
19:45.918 --> 19:49.087
Kingdom of God commences
its glorious reign.
19:49.154 --> 19:51.790
And where will
that reign begin?
19:51.857 --> 19:56.862
Not in heaven. Rather, as
Revelation 5 says, those
19:56.929 --> 19:58.530
glorified Christians
will have been
19:58.597 --> 20:02.234
made kings and priests to [their] God; and [they] shall
20:02.301 --> 20:04.102
reign on the earth.
20:04.169 --> 20:07.673
No one will vanish into
thin air as unsaved
20:07.739 --> 20:09.775
loved ones wonder
where they went.
20:09.841 --> 20:14.346
All eyes will see, and
all ears will hear.
20:14.413 --> 20:18.150
The Rapture is simply
a misunderstanding that
20:18.216 --> 20:21.053
conceals the magnificent
truth of Scripture.
20:21.119 --> 20:23.689
Still, that might
leave some worried.
20:23.755 --> 20:26.892
Does this mean that every
Christian must go through
20:26.959 --> 20:28.160
the Tribulation?
20:28.226 --> 20:32.097
No, it doesn't, though
some will, while others
20:32.164 --> 20:36.134
are protected--though
not by a "Rapture."
20:36.201 --> 20:39.838
Who will be protected from
that time, and how will
20:39.905 --> 20:44.343
they be protected, is exactly
what we'll answer next.
20:44.409 --> 20:47.245
Before that, let me take
just one more break
20:47.312 --> 20:49.314
to let you request
our free DVD,
20:49.381 --> 20:52.918
"Is the Rapture Your
Incredible Future?"
20:52.985 --> 20:56.154
It contains three full
Tomorrow's World programs
20:56.221 --> 20:58.857
on topics you must understand:
20:58.924 --> 21:02.027
"Your Ultimate Destiny," "Heaven, Hell, and the
21:02.094 --> 21:05.564
Resurrection," and "Will Christians Be Raptured?"
21:05.631 --> 21:08.567
The Bible's message on
these topics is more
21:08.634 --> 21:12.237
hopeful and inspiring than
most have ever heard.
21:12.304 --> 21:16.408
You need the hope that
only God's word provides.
21:16.475 --> 21:19.911
Order your copy, and I'll
be back to explain who is
21:19.978 --> 21:23.849
protected during the Great
Tribulation--and how.
21:23.915 --> 21:24.816
♪
21:24.883 --> 21:31.623
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21:31.690 --> 21:36.962
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21:37.029 --> 21:39.698
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21:39.765 --> 21:42.367
will help you understand
this vital truth--
21:42.434 --> 21:45.804
straight from the
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21:45.871 --> 21:48.206
If you're calling for the
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21:48.273 --> 21:50.876
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21:50.942 --> 21:52.344
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21:52.411 --> 21:55.947
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21:56.014 --> 21:58.917
and modern culture will
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21:58.984 --> 22:02.421
your world from a
biblical perspective.
22:02.487 --> 22:05.390
Call today and join
millions around the world
22:05.457 --> 22:08.026
who are turning to
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22:08.093 --> 22:13.699
truth, prophecy, and hope
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22:13.765 --> 22:15.033
Call now!
22:15.100 --> 22:19.271
Or go to...
22:19.337 --> 22:24.242
♪
22:24.309 --> 22:25.444
Welcome back.
22:25.510 --> 22:27.779
At the beginning of our
program, we summarized
22:27.846 --> 22:31.883
some major points about the popular belief of the Rapture
22:31.950 --> 22:34.386
that we could examine in
the light of Scripture.
22:34.453 --> 22:35.687
We asked:
22:35.754 --> 22:39.858
Will Christians vanish around
the world mysteriously
22:39.925 --> 22:41.259
and without explanation?
22:41.326 --> 22:45.497
We saw in the pages of the
Bible that, no, they will not.
22:45.564 --> 22:47.866
Christians will join
Christ at the first
22:47.933 --> 22:51.169
resurrection at the same
time when all the tribes
22:51.236 --> 22:54.239
of the earth will
see Jesus returning.
22:54.306 --> 22:56.975
Will Christians be
caught up into the air
22:57.042 --> 23:00.278
years before Jesus
returns to rule?
23:00.345 --> 23:02.147
Again, no they won't.
23:02.214 --> 23:05.283
The resurrection of true
Christians occurs when the
23:05.350 --> 23:09.621
very Last Trumpet is blown
when Christ is inaugurated
23:09.688 --> 23:13.325
as Ruler of the world, only
days before Satan is
23:13.391 --> 23:17.062
bound for 1,000 years, as
described in Revelation 20.
23:17.129 --> 23:18.230
Finally,
23:18.296 --> 23:21.133
Will Christians spend
the years of the Great
23:21.199 --> 23:23.068
Tribulation in heaven?
23:23.135 --> 23:24.803
Again, no.
23:24.870 --> 23:27.973
They rise to meet Christ
at the commencement of
23:28.039 --> 23:30.942
His reign, after
the Tribulation.
23:31.009 --> 23:34.679
Indeed, from that moment on,
they will reign alongside Him,
23:34.746 --> 23:38.717
ruling on this Earth,
with Him, for 1,000 years.
23:38.784 --> 23:42.687
At the same time, some
Christians will be
23:42.754 --> 23:45.724
protected during the
Tribulation--but they
23:45.791 --> 23:48.760
will be protected
here on Earth.
23:48.827 --> 23:51.930
While God reserves many
details to Himself,
23:51.997 --> 23:55.934
He does make this plain in
a number of passages.
23:56.001 --> 24:00.639
For instance, in Revelation 12,
we read of the Church in
24:00.705 --> 24:05.744
the end times, symbolized by a woman, persecuted by Satan
24:05.811 --> 24:09.414
the Devil, symbolized by
a dragon-like serpent.
24:09.481 --> 24:11.850
Starting in verse 14, we read,
24:11.917 --> 24:16.121
"But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle,
24:16.188 --> 24:20.158
that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where
24:20.225 --> 24:24.162
she is nourished for a time
and times and half a time,
24:24.229 --> 24:27.065
from the presence
of the serpent."
24:27.132 --> 24:30.435
The "time, times, and half
a time" here is the
24:30.502 --> 24:32.938
two-and-one-half years
of the Great Tribulation
24:33.004 --> 24:36.775
before the Heavenly Signs,
followed by the year-long
24:36.842 --> 24:39.244
Day of the Lord we
read about earlier.
24:39.311 --> 24:42.781
This passage makes plain,
too, that while a portion
24:42.848 --> 24:45.550
of the Church is
protected, she is not
24:45.617 --> 24:47.552
protected in heaven.
24:47.619 --> 24:49.988
Note that the passage says
she is protected in
24:50.055 --> 24:53.792
"the wilderness"--a word
which is never used by God
24:53.859 --> 24:57.128
to describe heaven in the
Bible, but which He does
24:57.195 --> 25:01.333
use to describe locations
here on Earth.
25:01.399 --> 25:04.836
If we're going to let God
interpret His own word,
25:04.903 --> 25:07.672
then we have to agree that
Christians are going to be
25:07.739 --> 25:10.976
protected during the Great
Tribulation, but that
25:11.042 --> 25:14.646
protection is not going
to be in Heaven as many
25:14.713 --> 25:16.815
Rapture fans would
have us believe.
25:16.882 --> 25:20.218
It will be right here,
somewhere on planet earth.
25:20.285 --> 25:24.856
But notice, too, not all
Christians are protected.
25:24.923 --> 25:26.858
As we read in verse 17,
25:26.925 --> 25:31.062
"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make
25:31.129 --> 25:34.799
war with the rest of her
offspring, who keep the
25:34.866 --> 25:38.737
commandments of God and have
the testimony of Jesus Christ."
25:38.803 --> 25:43.008
Yes, some Christians, "the
rest of her offspring,"
25:43.074 --> 25:47.045
must endure the trials of
the Great Tribulation
25:47.112 --> 25:48.613
and the anger of Satan.
25:48.680 --> 25:52.951
The distinction--one group
protected and one sent
25:53.018 --> 25:55.520
into the Tribulation--
is reflected in Christ's
25:55.587 --> 25:59.291
comments to the two prophetic
End-Time Churches of
25:59.357 --> 26:02.961
Revelation 3: the zealous Christians of Philadelphia
26:03.028 --> 26:04.396
are told by Jesus
26:04.462 --> 26:08.099
that He will "keep [them] from the hour of trial which shall
26:08.166 --> 26:09.868
come upon the whole world",
26:09.935 --> 26:13.438
while the lukewarm Christians
of Laodicea are told
26:13.505 --> 26:17.943
they must "buy gold [from
God] refined in the fire
26:18.009 --> 26:21.446
[of persecution]" and that
they need His "chasten[ing]."
26:21.513 --> 26:24.482
Those Laodicean Christians
who must go through the
26:24.549 --> 26:28.653
Tribulation are described
as those unable to see
26:28.720 --> 26:32.590
their need to repent and to change--too self-satisfied
26:32.657 --> 26:36.695
in what they already believe they know, and too willing
26:36.761 --> 26:39.264
to compromise in
their actions.
26:39.331 --> 26:42.600
There is a reason that
Jesus Christ says to
26:42.667 --> 26:45.337
all of us concerning
the times to come,
26:45.403 --> 26:50.909
"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted
26:50.976 --> 26:55.580
worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass,
26:55.647 --> 26:59.184
and to stand before
the Son of Man."
26:59.250 --> 27:02.754
Yes, there will be protection
during the climactic,
27:02.821 --> 27:06.624
earth-shattering events of the end times--not a Rapture off
27:06.691 --> 27:11.363
to heaven, but right here, somewhere on earth--for zealous,
27:11.429 --> 27:14.566
faithful Christians
who are unwilling to
27:14.632 --> 27:17.902
compromise on the truth
God has shown them.
27:17.969 --> 27:21.039
As Jesus warns us,
whether we're a part
27:21.106 --> 27:25.243
of that group or not is
fundamentally up to us
27:25.310 --> 27:28.146
and the choices
we make now.
27:28.213 --> 27:31.750
We pray that your choice
will be the right one.
27:31.816 --> 27:34.085
And we pray you'll
request a copy of today's
27:34.152 --> 27:38.156
free DVD and come back to
join us again next week.
27:38.223 --> 27:41.126
When you do, Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Rod McNair,
27:41.192 --> 27:43.795
and I will be right
here waiting for you,
27:43.862 --> 27:45.930
ready to share the
good news of the Kingdom
27:45.997 --> 27:49.467
of God, the true teachings
of Jesus Christ, and the
27:49.534 --> 27:52.737
meaning of the end-time
prophecies in your Bible.
27:52.804 --> 27:55.006
Until then, take care.
27:55.073 --> 27:55.974
♪
27:56.041 --> 28:01.980
For today's free
offer call...
28:02.047 --> 28:07.052
Or go to...
28:07.118 --> 28:09.687
Call today and join
millions around the world
28:09.754 --> 28:12.390
who are turning to
Tomorrow's World for
28:12.457 --> 28:16.361
truth, prophecy, and hope
in these confusing times.
28:16.428 --> 28:18.563
♪
28:18.630 --> 28:20.832
The preceding program is produced by the
28:20.899 --> 28:22.100
Living Church of God.
28:22.167 --> 28:24.436
♪