|
12/10/05 See "Printable" button below for "easy to print" format. The
Last Day
In
my younger jouneys through the book of John, I happened across certain verses
which promise a direct deliverance by Jesus Himself taking place 'At the last
day." But due to my youth and uncertainty at the time about a
pre-tribulation rapture, I feared the worst and read this to mean the last day
of the tribulation period, which indeed seemed to perfectly fit into the
chronology of the Olivet Discourse description Jesus gave the Apostles in
Matthew chapter 24. Here we see a
direct act of harvest separation at the end of the passage in Matthew 24:40-51,
if the context of the passage is intended to be read chronologically. But this
was indeed in conflict with the well-known 1 Thessalonians promise in chapter 4.
Therefore,
what is Jesus talking about when He tells of a last day deliverance? I have
asked about this many times, but the answers received have been either silent or
vague. Let's look at the passages in question:
This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up AT
THE LAST DAY.
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise
him up AT
THE LAST DAY.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him
up at the last day. Knowing
how many references Jesus gave to the peril of hell in the gospels, we know that
He often repeated warnings of dire importance. And in these passages, we see Him
doing the very same thing. So what is the warning, or in this case, the promise?
How often I have wondered. But
a 'possible' revelation into this has settled into my heart recently. Let's take
a closer look at the nature of dispensation: In
Noah's time, he was given the command to build the ark and prepare to survive
the flood coming to destroy the world, which he did to the last detail and him,
his family, and the animals on board survived, as we all know. But we also see
how soon the rains began to fall once the door was shut to those who scoffed and
refused to enter. There was no long period of time in between. And just as Jesus
said, the days of Noah have returned: (Emphasis added mine) "But
as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as
in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until THE DAY that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the
flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man
be."
(Matthew 24:37-39). There's
that "Day" or "Last Day" description again. When
God delivered Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah, He did so on the very day these
cities were judged and destroyed. On the same day. And just as Jesus said, the
days of Lot have returned as well: (Emphasis added mine) “It
was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and
selling, planting and building. But THE DAY Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur
rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on
the day the Son of Man is revealed.’ (Luke
17:28-30) Again,
"The Day" or "The Last Day" on the very day judgement fell
justly on these wicked and immoral cities. In
the Egyptian exodus of the Jews, led by Moses and God Almighty, judgement and
destruction came immediately upon Egypt and the persecuting armies after the
fleeing Jews were led safely across a divided Red Sea. There was no delay
between deliverance and judgement. Now
that I hold firm to the blessed hope, the final deliverance before the final
judgement(s) fall upon a fallen mankind in the tribulation period, resting on
our very horizon now, I must consider the fact that God's ways never change. In this light, I cannot foresee a rapture event happening
long before the onset of the tribulation period, even a few days beforehand as
many may suppose or consider. Look at it this way: We,
as the true Body of Christ, living in the latter-half of what remains to be the
church age, also live in the age of grace. What comes after grace? Judgement, of
course. But if a rapture event occurred even two days prior to the official
grand opening of Daniel's 70th week, what could the short period of time be
considered? A moment of recovery, and a calm before the storm? It is neither a
period of grace nor judgement. And this does not make sense, biblically.
Therefore, it seems logical to conclude that a pre-tribulation rapture event
must occur immediately (meaning on the same day, if not moments before) the
covenant with many is officially signed. On this 'Last Day.' The last day of the
age of grace. Perhaps this is what Jesus was trying many times to tell us in the
repetitions of John chapter 6. Current
EU political schedules of the European Neighborhood Policy, and the
Euro-Mediterranean partnership (which both are by chance for a period of
7 years) are currently scheduled to be put into place January 1, 2007. And these
serve as both the financial and political backbone to the foreseen peace
covenant with the nation of Israel, and the projected creation of a Palestinian
state made up of her internal division of the promised land. In no way is this
an attempt at date-setting, as the given facts at this time can change at any
given moment. Political schedules and agendas often change suddenly as we all
know. They may be pushed forward or backward, or newly-evolved schedules and
policies may take their place in the meantime. Or, these have nothing to do with
the foretold covenant with many in the long run. Therefore, due to this
uncertainty, we are unable to peg a precise time applicable to the very day or
hour Jacob's Troubles begin, but we can know the season. Indeed, we are
certainly in this season now, as all the signs and events clearly reveal. If
the verses in John chapter 6 do not apply to this timeline, then they can only
apply to the last day of the tribulation period, and the promise to remove the
restrainer before the antichrist is revealed, and to keep us from wrath is a
broken promise. Therefore,
I can only logically conclude that our blessed hope will be answered on the last
day of the church age, and on the first day of Daniel's 70th week called the
tribulation period. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:13) The Last Trump (posting board)
|
