This writer has been stirred by the Spirit of the Lord to pick this back up again. The more opposition to the escape grows, the more insistent the Spirit of the Lord is that it will absolutely positively happen just as it is written. Today we add another piece to the mountain of evidence in the Bible that tells us there is an escape from all and it is coming. Here is today's evidence:
Genesis 18:22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. 23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
^^ Far be it from the Lord to slay the righteous with the wicked.....And what is this ^^? This is the record of what happened with Sodom, and Lot. And what does the Word say about Lot?
Luke 17: “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”
The fact is, an escape from all that is about to happen IS coming and the world hates it. What is so sad is that so many Christians hate this escape as well. When they argue against it, they do not argue against man, they argue against the Word of the Lord. Yes, the Lord God, not man wrote that an escape from all that is about to happen is coming. And the Lord God told us to pray always that we may be part of that escape. This writer can tell you that the Spirit of the Lord that lives inside me that He is saying YES and AMEN to His own Word about this escape. The escape from all promised to us in Luke 21 may or may not be the harpazo/rapture of the Church. If it is, then glory to God. If it is not then the escape deniers have one more huge problem to deal with as now we are looking at an additional escape for them to deal with. Instead of solving one of their problems, they just added to their problems.
Just remember, we do not have to convince anyone else, we just have to convince ourselves. The proof we see in the Word of the Lord is being confirmed by the Spirit of the Lord as these words are typed out for this blog post right now. Yes, there will be believers in Christ during the tribulation but the question is, who are they? We know with 100% certainty who they are not. They are not 100% of the dead in Christ who have died in the Lord up through this very day. Thats right, 100% of the Church in Christ who has died in the Lord through this very day have escaped the tribulation. How did that happen? Didn't they "need" to go through the tribulation for some arbitrary man made reason or another? Obviously not.
So, again, who will the believers in the tribulation be? 3 groups come to mind immediately:
1. The foolish virgins
2. Those who believe they will be in the tribulation
3. Jacob/Israel
1. The foolish virgins:
Matt 25:1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Note that all were virgins betrothed to the Lord but only half made it in. Which half made it in? The ones who were ready to go in. Also note the door. We see a door in Revelation 3 and 4:
Rev 3:8I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 4:1After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
2. It is a Biblical fact that we receive as we believe. We cannot be "in Christ" if we do not believe in Christ. Its very simple. This law of belief or faith applies across the board to everything. The Lord illustrates it perfectly for us here:
Matt 8:5And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
As you believe, so you receive ^^. If that is not enough, how about we add this one:
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
So yes, what you believe does matter. Unfortunately for many who refuse to believe the Word of the Lord just as it was written, there are consequences for unbelief just as there are for belief.
Hebrews 3:12
| ... See, brethren, lest there be in any one of you a wicked heart of unbelief, in turning away from the living God. |
3. Jacob/Israel
The coming 7 years of tribulation is known as the time of Jacob's trouble. in Revelation 7, we see 144,000 Jews called out by name from each of the tribes of Israel. What we do not see is the Church called out by name to be sealed just as the tribes of Israel are being sealed. Did the Lord forget to seal the Church between Revelation 2-3 and Revelation 7? Surely if the Church was on earth they would be mentioned by by name again and again after Revelation 3, at least as the sealing of the servants of God on earth is concerned but we do not see the Church, we just see Israel.
Rev 7:4And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
What I do see ^^ is "all the tribes of Israel." What I do not see is a single solitary mention of the Church.
The fact is, an escape from all that is about to happen is coming and no man can stop it.
The fact is, the rapture/harpazo of the Church is coming and no man can stop it.
The fact is, those who kept the Word of the Lord's patience (Rev 3:10) will be kept from the hour of trial/temptation and no man can stop it.
Just as Noah escaped the flood, and Lot escaped the fire that destroyed Sodom, and 100% that has already died in Christ has escaped the tribulation, so also the remnant that lives on earth today will escape all that is about to happen. Any argument against this is a direct argument with and against the Lord God. It is the Lord God who made the promises to us His Church, it is for us to believe what has been written.
It is the Spirit of the Lord who has brought the escape back to the forefront of this writer's heart. We are to be prepared for it, praying for it always (Luke 21:36). Our eyes are to be on the skies, looking up.
Luke 21:And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Fix your heart and thoughts squarely on the Lord Jesus Christ. Time is short and it grows shorter each and every day. Every promise will be fulfilled to the letter causing some to rejoice and many to groan. All glory and honor and praise be to the Lord our God who has given us His Words of encouragement. Keep the faith.
grace and peace
