Don't Be a Rapture Grinch!

There are some Christians who preach against the idea of a "rapture" or miraculous rescue of the saints before the end of the Great Tribulation. Their messages goes something like this:

Don't think we're getting raptured out of the Great Tribulation. We're going all the way through! All the trumpets and bowls of wrath. Then Jesus will come at the very end. So be ready, we're all going through tribulation!

I agree the rapture is a difficult subject and people have different points of view. Personally, I am convinced the Bible describes a rapture or miraculous rescue of the saints and it will happen at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. This doesn't mean Christians will escape all persecution and tribulation. In fact, we will see the opening of the first six seals in Revelation 6. But saints who are accounted worthy will escape the worst of tribulation - God's wrath on earth during the Great Tribulation. Please see the articles listed under RESOURCES below.

The problem I see is that those who preach we must all go through the Great Tribulation tend to have a grinch-like attitude about it. It's as if the idea that God would be merciful enough to spare us from the worst tribulation is disdainful to them. How dare anyone teach mid-tribulation! There are plenty of Bible verses to support it though. It makes me wonder if their view of God's mercy will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If they don't believe Jesus is coming to rescue them, maybe He will oblige them.

I'm thinking of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The man who hid his talent in the ground believed his master was a "hard man" who reaped where he hadn't sown. In other words, he thought God was exacting and unmerciful. In the end, he was thrown out into the darkness, while the others who were faithful received great rewards and shared in their master's joy.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6, Berean Study Bible

God is a rewarder of faith and faithfulness. While I certainly want to complete the work God has for me on earth, it also makes me very hopeful and excited to think I won't have to be here during the Great Tribulation!

To those who are disdainful of God's mercy, I would say: Be careful, check yourself and don't be a rapture grinch!

RESOURCES


The Great Rescue Is Coming - Let Us Persevere to the End!

PREVIEW: What Comes Next for Us? The Exodus out of Egypt

This Is the Rapture!

This Is the Rapture - Bible Verses

Harvest for the Kingdom, Rapture, Zombie Apocalypse and Return of the King - The Message of Daniel 9:27

The Rapture Will Happen During the Period of Judgment on America

Parable of the Virgins - The Bridegroom Comes Quickly!

Isaiah 26 - The Rapture and the Day of the Lord

Three Days of Darkness

The Four Horsemen Will Soon Ride

Note: This is a revision of an article originally published on March 16, 2015. The events described below are from that time, but the interpretation is updated to reflect my current understanding.

"For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." - Revelation 19:10, KJV

Jesus Christ is still speaking loudly and clearly in this day. His testimony is the spirit of prophecy. He is coming quickly to bring salvation and grace to the saints and His judgment and wrath to the world.

A Rude Awakening

In the fall of 2013, I realized that America and the world are headed for great calamity. Before that time, I believed the world was improving and basically a decent place to live. Boy, was I deceived! There are many dark agendas playing out in the world, all of which are building to a crescendo of evil unlike any time in history. For a long time I studied these topics. It was overwhelming, like drinking from a fire hose, and completely changed how I saw the world and my life. There were days I felt deep sadness and mourning for the losses I saw coming. But I also felt hope because I knew this was God's plan for the end of the age. When Jesus returns, everything changes.

I realized our economy will soon collapse under an unbearable load of debt, unfunded liabilities, money printing and rejection of the US dollar in international trade. The dollar itself will crash and then eventually go away. This is by design. The global elite are preparing the way for an electronic cryptocurrency transacted using the mark of the beast, as described in Revelation 13.

I realized the Twin Towers and a third 50-story building, WTC Building 7, did not collapse perfectly into their own footprints at free fall speeds on 9/11 because two jets hit them. This is physically impossible on so many levels. The evidence points overwhelmingly to a controlled demolition. Our government used the trauma of 9/11 to justify eroding civil liberties with the Patriot Act and engaging in an endless series of bloody "wars on terror" in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc.

I realized that the passage in Genesis 6 about "sons of God" having children with human women was about fallen angels producing giant hybrid offspring, which the Bibles calls mighty ones or Nephilim. The Goliath David slew was one of these hybrid giants. Furthermore, Genesis 6 ties in directly to the alien and UFO presence and the many reports of human and animal abductions. Aliens are fallen angels and their minions. As they did in the days of Noah, the fallen ones are engaged in a program of genetic manipulation to create hybrid beings, but this time using advanced technology. This is what Daniel prophesied would happen during the final kingdom of this age, when iron (foreign DNA) will mix with clay (human DNA) in the seed (offspring) of men:

"And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men." - Daniel 2:43, NASB

There are other topics as well. All of them are related and point to the reality that we are living at the very end of this age, i.e. the final generation. Numerous prophetic voices confirm it as well. The world is about to become darker than it ever has, and then Jesus Christ will return to vanquish evil with a sword and bring light and justice to the world - see Revelation 19.

My wife and I reached out to people, both Christians and non-Christians, to try to share what we saw. Naively, I thought people would want to know. We envisioned building a community of Christians who are awake to the times, prepping for what's coming and seeking God's kingdom in the final days. Honestly, it was very disappointing. Most people don't want to touch these issues with a 10-foot pole. It frightens them. They love the world as they perceive it and don't want to think of it in a more sinister, apocalyptic light, or think that their world is about to change.

There is a sprinkling of people out there who are awake and I am grateful for the ones I know. Strangely, church leaders and pastors seem most resistant to these messages. I am unaware of any churches in my area that openly preach about it. 

But God has confirmed this message many, many times and I cannot doubt it: Our nation (and the world) is under judgment, we're at the end and Jesus is coming soon! It was a mercy to be awakened and have this time to make peace with this reality and prepare spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and materially. Jesus said men's hearts will faint from fear and expectation of things coming on the earth (Luke 21:26). I give God the credit for waking me up and giving me a chance to be ready. 

What's Coming Next?

Just before Thanksgiving in the fall of 2014, I asked, "Now what, Lord? What's coming next?"

Later I listened to a radio interview of John Shorey about end-times events in Revelation 6 and elsewhere in the Bible. He discussed various wars and how he believed that the Pale Horse that brings death over one quarter of the earth includes the destruction of Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17-18. I an convinced America is Mystery Babylon, so that grabbed my attention. Shorey also said that he thought the Rapture appears in Revelation 6:12-17, which is an interpretation that occurred to me. It all resonated. The more I thought and prayed about it, the more I sensed the Lord impress on my heart Revelation 6. As in, that is the answer to my prayer. That is what's coming next.

I shared this with my wife. A day or two later, as we drove home from Seattle and crossed a barren stretch of Eastern Washington, the car had quieted down and the kids were asleep. I flipped on the radio and there was a man reading Bible scriptures. He said, "Next we are going to read... Revelation chapter 6." He proceed to read the whole chapter. That was an amazing confirmation.

When I got home, I heard the latest prophetic dreams from Pastor T.D. Hale, in which the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse mounted and began to ride. There it was again! Also in his dream, lights all around the world shot up into the sky, which I think is a reference to the great rescue and gathering of the elect.

Then my mother shared with me a vivid dream of her own. In it a black horse was trying to stomp on her, but she stood to the side of it and had it by the reins. People were telling her to watch out, but she said it was okay, she had it under control. I told her that was probably the Black Horse in Revelation 6, which brings famine and privation. Another confirmation.

My mother had another dream that featured a pale green horse. She took out a wash cloth, wet it and said that was its color. The Greek word for pale in Revelation is 6 is chloros, which is the root for English words like chlorine and chlorophyll, implying a shade of green. Chloros can mean pale or ashen as well as pale green. She saw the Pale Green Horse in her dream.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

What's coming next are the Four Horsemen described in Revelation 6. They come as Jesus the "Lamb of God" opens the first four seals: 

White Horse
"Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, 'Come!' I looked, and there was a white horse. The horseman on it had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a victor to conquer." - Revelation 6:1-2, Holman

The white horse brings conquest. The rider carries a bow and wears a crown, so he is a political leader, a king. When Jesus arrives to lead the armies of heaven in the battle of Armageddon (see Revelation 19), he will wear "many crowns" and have a sword, not a bow. The rider of the white horse in Revelation 6 is imitating Jesus, but is not Him. Therefore, this rider is a false messiah king, a.k.a. the Antichrist, the son of perdition, the little horn, the first beast. This person is already on the scene today and quietly building support for his reign in the background. Here is a sly hint about who he is. Here is another.

Red Horse
"When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its horseman was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him." - Revelation 6:3-4

The red horse brings war. Its rider carries a large sword. Expect to see war between nations and violent, civil conflict within nations.

Black Horse
"When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' And I looked, and there was a black horse. The horseman on it had a set of scales in his hand. Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius—but do not harm the olive oil and the wine.'" - Revelation 6:5-6

The black horse brings economic collapse and famine. The rider carries "a set of scales in his hand." Scales were used in the old world for commerce - to sell and to buy. In other words, they represent the economy. "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages." A quart of wheat is enough to make only a loaf or two of bread. How much money do you make in a day? $100, $200, $300? Imagine if you had to pay that much for a loaf of bread. The Black Horse brings an economic crash followed by hyperinflation, scarcity of resources, and famine.

Pale Green Horse
"When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 'Come!' And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. The horseman on it was named Death, and Hades was following after him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth." - Revelation 6:7-8

The pale horse brings death. It has authority over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague and wild beasts. I take this to mean a plague of death will affect one-quarter of the world, not that a fourth of the world's population will necessarily perish. America will be affected since it is the prophetic Mystery Babylon whose plagues of death, mourning and famine will come "in one day" (Revelation 18:8).

Slain for the Word of God

After the fifth seal is broken in Revelation 6, the souls of those who were slain for their faith in Jesus cried out and asked, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" They were given a white robe and told to wait a little while longer until the number of those slain should be completed. This represents the persecution of believers in Christ.

The Gathering of the Elect and the Wrath of the Lamb

After the sixth seal is broken, there is an earthquake, the sun turns dark and the moon like blood, the stars fall and the sky splits apart. People on earth are in anguish for the coming wrath:

"Then I saw Him open the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred; the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair; the entire moon became like blood; the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; the sky separated like a scroll being rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of Their wrath has come! And who is able to stand?'" - Revelation 6:12-17

This is the same celestial and earthly scene as the coming of Jesus Christ and gathering of the elect in Matthew 24.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the celestial powers will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." - Matthew 24:29-31

In fact, Jesus' description of the end of the age in Matthew 24 matches the events in Revelation 6:

• White horse - conquest by Antichrist, i.e. false messiah king: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many." - Mat. 24:4, Holman 
• Red horse - war and conflict: "You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars... For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." - Mat. 24:6-7
• Black horse - economic collapse and famine: "There will be FAMINES and plagues and earthquakes in various places." - Mat. 24:7 
• Pale green horse - death: This is a result of war, famine, plagues and wild animals. 
• Fifth seal - persecution and martyrdom of Christians: "Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another." - Mat. 24:9-10

Given all the similarities between these passages, I believe the sixth seal with its identical celestial imagery implies the coming of Jesus Christ and gathering of the elect, an event some call the Rapture. 

After this, the seventh will open up the seven trumpets in Revelation, and the seventh trumpet will open up the seven bowls of God's wrath. They are like Russian dolls, one inside the other. The seventh seal marks the Great Tribulation, the final 3.5 years of this age when the height of wrath and judgment are poured out on earth.

Please understand we will all experience tribulation on earth - the first six seals, all of Revelation 6 - before the gathering of the elect. Then the Great Tribulation will come, the final 3.5 years of this age.

Please also understand that the gathering of the elect is for those who are accounted worthy - who persevere in their faith and seek to obey Jesus Christ:

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." - Luke 21:36, KJV

"Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth." - Revelation 3:10, Holman 

See also the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25. All ten virgins wanted to meet the Bridegroom, but only the wise virgins who took extra oil for their lamps entered the wedding banquet. The unwise virgins were left out because they ran out of oil - i.e. they did not maintain their relationship with Jesus Christ.

I point out these things because there are a couple false doctrines circulating around the Christian community. The first is that Christians will escape tribulation because of the gathering of the elect. Not true. We will go through the first six seals, including the Four Horsemen. The second is that everyone who claims to be a Christian will be rescued during the gathering of the elect. Not true. Those who maintain their relationship of faith and obedience to Jesus Christ will be accounted worthy. This is a challenge I personally feel. We must persevere in faith, because the others will be left on earth to be purified during the Great Tribulation.

Are We Really the Last Generation?

In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus said there would be a final generation that will see all end-times events come to pass:

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near—at the door! I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place." - Matthew 24:32-34

Are we that final generation? I asked God that question, or rather, I asked Him what the fig tree represents, because the sprouting of the fig tree marks the beginning of the end. He showed me the answer in Mark 11! I recommend reading the whole chapter closely because the answer is not stated directly, but is woven into the fabric of the text.

In Mark 11, Jesus encountered a fig tree with leaves but no fruit, because it was not the season for figs. So He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" Later, Jesus and his disciples passed by the tree again and it was withered from the roots up. 

Immediately before Jesus encountered the fig tree, He entered Jerusalem, went into the temple complex, looked around and then left. What was He observing?

The next day, Jesus encountered the fruitless fig tree and cursed it. He went again to the temple complex in Jerusalem and was distressed to see all the buying, selling and money changing. He began to throw people out of the temple and said:

"Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!" - Mark 11:17

The chief priests heard it and began to look for a way to destroy Him. Jesus was the long-awaited and prophesied Messiah, but the religious leaders wanted Him dead.

Jesus and his disciples then returned to the fig tree to see it had withered. Do you see what the fig tree represents? It represents Israel. Jesus went into the temple complex in Jerusalem to observe the spiritual condition of Israel, because this was the center of religious life. Israel was fruitless, which is the spiritual meaning of the fruitless fig tree. Except for a small remnant, Israel had rejected their Messiah. Thus the fig tree was cursed and withered, and thus Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD and Israel withered.

It withered until the time of the end and Israel sprouted leaves again. There are many prophecies in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah about how God will regather the house of Israel to the Promise Land in the last days as part of His plan to save the whole nation. This began to happen on May 14, 1948, when David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, proclaimed the establishment of the state of Israel. US President Harry Truman recognized Israel that same day. That was 70 years ago this year. According to the Psalms, a person's life and by implication the length of a generation is 70 to 80 years:

"As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years." - Psalm 90:10, NASB

My friends, we are not only the last generation but the tail end of it. Seek God in humility and repentance because the world in its present form is quickly passing away. Jesus Christ is coming soon!

 

The Great Rescue Is Coming - Let Us Persevere to the End!

"Because you did obey my message about persevering, I will keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world to put the people living on earth to the test." - Revelation 3:10, Complete Jewish Bible

During a prayer time recently I asked the Lord what I should do. It was not about a particular situation, but a general prayer for guidance in life. I was expecting the answer might be an assignment or mission, but what He spoke I did not expect. He impressed on me that the most important thing I can do is lead my family out of here before the Great Tribulation.

Wow.

This blog is all about the reality that we are nearing the end of this age and Jesus is coming soon. That's good news! The bad new is the Great Tribulation is coming too, when the Antichrist will rise to a position of global leadership and all hell will break out on earth.

The Great Tribulation - A Time of Unparalleled Distress

The Great Tribulation is the final three-and-a-half years of this age before Jesus Christ returns to lead the armies of heaven, take back the earth and establish his throne in Jerusalem for a 1,000-year reign. During the final years of this age we will see the culmination of everything Satan and his fallen angels have been working on and organizing since Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden. It is Satan's final thrust to enslave and destroy humanity and rule the earth. It is also the agenda of the New World Order elite. Much of the book of Revelation describes this period.

"And they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?' There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him... It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him." - Revelation 13:4-5, NASB

"How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed." - Daniel 12:6-7, NASB

Forty-two months and "time, times, and half a time" are expressions for 3.5 years. The authority of the Antichrist and Satan's beast kingdom will extend over the whole world. It will be a time of unbelievable cataclysm and persecution. The Scriptures say believers in Christ will be "shattered" and "overcome." 

"If anyone is meant for captivity, into captivity he goes! If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he is to be killed!" - Revelation 13:10, Complete Jewish Bible

"And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." - Revelation 20:4, NASB

Furthermore, Jesus said the Great Tribulation would be like no other time in history:

"For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short." - Matthew 24:21-22, NASB

I don't want my family to be here for the Great Tribulation. I don't think anyone who understood what will be would want to be here either. Thankfully, blessedly, there is a means of escape for those who attain it. I am aware this topic is controversial, but I believe the Scriptures tell us both when it will happen and how we can escape. Please consider and read on.

The Great Rescue

I used to call this event the rapture, as many do, but I avoid that term now because it is loaded with so many preconceived notions, strong feelings and disagreements. Some accurately point out that the word "rapture" does not appear in the Scriptures, which is another reason not to use it.

However, these phrases ARE in the Bible: "rescue," "escape" and "keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world." So now I call this event the Great Rescue, which Daniel referred to in his end-times prophecies:

"And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued." - Daniel 12:1

The reference to the "time of distress" is the same as the Great Tribulation. Then, AT THAT TIME, everyone who is found written in the book will be rescued.

Jesus' message to the church of Philadelphia in Revelation also mentions this rescue:

"Because you did obey my message about persevering, I will keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world to put the people living on earth to the test." - Revelation 3:10, Complete Jewish Bible

The "time of trial" coming on the whole world, at least for our generation, is the Great Tribulation. Jesus is offering to deliver from this trial anyone who obeys his message of perseverance. As He said in Matthew, this means a perseverance to the end:

"But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." - Matthew 24:23, Berean Study Bible

In Luke 21, after talking to his disciples about end-times events, Jesus added:

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." - Luke 21:34-36, NKJV

Jesus warned about having hearts distracted by sin and worry and worldly pleasures, because this can cause us to fall into a trap - the trap, I believe, of missing the Great Rescue and being stuck on earth during the Great Tribulation. He is referring to the events that will play out on the whole earth, just like in Revelation 3. We must stay alert (spiritually awake and in communion with God) and pray we may be counted worthy to escape all these things - in other words, to persevere. More on what this means later.

Revelation 12 contains another reference to the Great Rescue. After Satan (the dragon) and his angels are thrown to earth in Revelation, they will persecute the saints (the woman)

"And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent." - Revelation 12:13-14

After a short while, the persecuted saints will be delivered from the presence of the serpent. Here again is the Great Rescue! Notice how long the saints will be hidden away - "time and times and half a time," or 3.5 years, the full length of the Great Tribulation. Since Satan will inhabit the earth at that time, the place of deliverance must be somewhere other than earth. Heaven?

By the way, the reference to wings of an eagle and the wilderness are an allusion to how God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt and brought them to his presence on Mt. Sinai:

"Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself."'" - Exodus 19:3-4

In fact, the Exodus from Egypt, moving through the wilderness and finally entering the Promise Land are an amazing prophetic parallel to end-times events. God works history in repeating patterns. The plagues on Egypt represent the coming judgments on the world. The miraculous rescue by parting the Red Sea represents the Great Rescue in the end times. For more details about this prophetic parallel, see What Comes Next for Us? The Exodus out of Egypt.

Isaiah 26 also has a reference to the Great Rescue. See Isaiah 26 - The Rapture and the Day of the Lord. 

Expect Tribulation and Persecution

Though I believe the Great Rescue is biblically sound, the doctrine of pre-tribulation rapture is not. We should all expect persecution and tribulation. Not only as a constant in history, but especially during the run-up to the Great Tribulation, also known as the birth pangs. I believe we are in the birth pangs right now and serious persecution has already begun. Look at what is happening to Christians in the Middle East and North Africa and China. These things are coming to the Western world too.

Please don’t let your guard down and think you won’t have to face tribulations and persecution. Pre-tribulation rapture is a siren song that lulls Christians to sleep and makes them unprepared for the coming trials. Those who embrace it are apt to lose their hope and faith when things aren’t as easy and pain-free as they were told. For more on this, see Living in the Time of the Antichrist - The Message of Daniel 11:32-35. 

If the Great Rescue is not a pre-trib view, then what is it? I would call it pre-wrath, because the wrath of God is poured out on earth during the Great Tribulation:

"Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God." - Revelation 14:18-19

The Great Rescue Timing

Next I'll make the case that the Scriptures place the Great Rescue at the midpoint of the final seven-year period of this age and at the start of the Great Tribulation. But I have to tell you, these things are not obvious to see. They are in fact concealed by design:

"But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." - Daniel 12:5

"Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time." - Daniel 12:9

Daniel 9:27 is a key verse that places the Great Rescue at the start of the Great Tribulation. This verse is analyzed in depth in the post Revival, Rapture, Zombie Apocalypse and Return of the King - The Message of Daniel 9:27. There I also explain why I believe the best translation to use for this verse is the Septuagint:

"And one week shall establish the covenant with many: and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation." - Daniel 9:27, Brenton Septuagint Translation

In the age before the coming of the Messiah, the regular sacrifice was a twice-daily offering presented to the Lord in the temple. It honored and symbolized God's continual presence, communion and blessing among the people of Israel. 

In 169 B.C., Antiochus Epiphanes conquered Jerusalem, massacred many Jews and plundered the temple. The following year he set up an altar to the pagan god Zeus in the temple. Zeus represented the chief god of the pagan pantheon, the sun-god. From a Hebrew perspective, Zeus represented the head fallen angel leading mankind astray, known as Lucifer or Satan. In other words, this was an altar to Satan in the temple of the Lord, fulfilling the prophecy in Daniel chapter 11:

"Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation." - Daniel 11:31, NASB

Plundering the temple did away with the regular sacrifice and setting up the altar to Zeus was the abomination of desolation.

NOTE: Prophecies in the Bible often have multiple fulfillments, and biblical events often prefigure events that will occur in the future. As Mark Twain said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." For example, Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac prefigured God's sacrifice of his Son Jesus. Abraham bound Isaac on Mount Moriah, the place where Solomon's temple eventually was built, and in the city of Jerusalem where Jesus would ultimately be sacrificed. It doesn't repeat precisely, but it rhymes. Another example is the Passover lamb that the Israelites were commanded to sacrifice and apply its blood to their door lintels to ward away the angel of death during the plagues of Egypt. The ultimate Lamb of God whose blood overcomes death is Jesus.

Antiochus Epiphanes prefigures the man of lawlessness or Antichrist that will appear in the end times according the books of Daniel, Revelation and II Thessalonians.

What does the temple of the Lord prefigure? In the age before the coming of the Messiah, the temple was a building in Jerusalem dedicated to the worship of God and holding his Presence. The moment Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the earth shook. This event signified God's Presence and power would no longer dwell in a temple in Jerusalem. Instead, God's Spirit and Presence would dwell in our bodies - leading, empowering and teaching us.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" - 1 Corinthians 6:19

At Pentecost this was fulfilled dramatically and continues to present. In the end times, the era between the first and second comings of Christ, the temple is the human body. 

So, what does the regular sacrifice prefigure? The New Testament gives us clues:

"You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:5, NASB

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." - Romans 12:1, NASB

Do you see it? WE ARE THE REGULAR SACRIFICE! We who believe in Christ and are born of the Spirit are the daily sacrifice in the temple of our bodies, as we act on obedience to the Lord.

Therefore, what is the removal or taking away of the regular sacrifice? This is the Great Rescue, as foretold by Daniel :

"Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, WILL BE RESCUED." - Daniel 12:1, NASB

Back to Daniel 9:27: "And in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away." The middle of the week (a 7-year period) places the Great Rescue  halfway through the 7 years, or at the start of the final 3.5-year Great Tribulation.

Isaiah 26 also places the Great Rescue before the Great Tribulation.

Furthermore, Revelation 18-19 suggest that the Great Rescue will happen sometime during the period of judgment on Mystery Babylon (America), and probably just before its final destruction by fire. For an explanation, see The Rapture Will Happen During the Period of Judgment on America.

Be a Wise Virgin

Back to the question of who is rescued. Jesus' parable of the ten virgins addresses this directly:

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour." - Matthew 25:1-13

Please note that all ten are virgins. Could we imply all ten have been made clean? All had lamps and oil. All wanted to meet the bridegroom. I think we are looking at a group of ten Christians, not unbelievers. Jesus is the Bridegroom, as implied in Revelation 19 and the Song of Solomon.

The only difference between the wise and the foolish virgins was that the wise ones brought extra oil. The lamps of the foolish went out before the bridegroom arrived, since he arrived later than anticipated.

The wise were welcomed to the wedding feast - a wonderful and joyful celebration! But the foolish were shut out. In the end, the bridegroom said to the foolish, "I do not know you."

What can we say about this? It appears the foolish virgins did not persevere to the end. They let worldly pleasures, worries (fears), sins and deceptions crowd out their relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, they were not received.

What does it mean to have a relationship with Jesus Christ? Jesus puts it simply here: 

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand." - John 10:27, NASB

A relationship means we hear his voice and do what He says. Therefore Jesus says, "I know them." In other words, we spend time reading and taking in the word of God and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts. Then we walk it out in our lives. The Apostle Paul stated it this way:

"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." - Philippians 2:12-13

This does not mean we are saved by works, for we are saved by God's grace through faith. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that covers our sins and makes is right with God. However, churches and ministries do a disservice when they portray salvation as a one-time event: Just pray this prayer! Salvation begins when we believe in Jesus Christ and are born again, but it does not stop there. Salvation is the whole process of being sanctified, walking with God, REPENTING, learning to do right and not wrong, cleaning up the bride and making her ready for the Bridegroom. Someday we will even be perfected in Christ!

By the way, attending church, participating in religious activities, reading Christian books, etc. is not the same as having a relationship with Jesus Christ. With the state of the American church as lukewarm and deluded as it is, doing those things can even be a hindrance. Many people are deceived into thinking they are walking with God when they are not, simply because they perform religious activities. You can't go wrong if you stick to the basics: Faith, Bible, Holy Spirit, obedience. 

The Great Rescue is a reward for faithful Christians who persevere to the end. God is a jealous God, and Jesus Christ wants to be first in our lives. He rewards faithfulness in a BIG WAY.

Conclusion

Praise God He has given us a way out! Not a complete pass from tribulation and persecution, but a Great Rescue from the worst of it.

By God's grace, I intend to lead my family out of here. I want to carry out the work God has for me to do, and then I'm outta here! 

To everyone reading this message, I hope you will resolve in your heart to do the same.

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6