After much research, critical thought, and prayer, I believe what we are currently witnessing throughout both our nation and world is setting the stage for an internal civil war, along with a world war led by both China and Iran. Currently, Trump is denying concession while instigating mass protests that are steadily transforming into violence that could easily continue into a civil war. The nation has become radically polarized with both sides becoming possessed by false narratives and prophets.
All while this is going on internally, China’s leader Xi Jinping has once again stated explicitly to his military to be ready for imminent war. Iran has also went on to state last week, as well as several times throughout the year, that they are preparing to retaliate against the US and Iraq for last years assassination, Iraq being the precise location wherein the Sixth Trumpet War is to manifest, killing off a third of the world’s population. And with the control efforts and one world society being heavily pursued by the elite organizations, such as the World Health Organization, The UN, World Economic Forum, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it is easy to see how all this might play itself out.
It seems quite evident that China deliberately released the Wuhan Institute of Virology that is partnered with both WHO and the UN. From the initial mask mandates to the vaccine passport, we can see how the elites have been programming us for the coming one world system and make of the beast. Thus far, this is how I see it unfolding; US erupts into a civil war with a weakened infrastructure while Iran attacks the US and sparks WW3, all of which clears the path for China to invade and take over not only the US, but the world as a whole.
From there, we can see the full implementation of a communist regime, the mandatory vaccinating and chip implants, and for those that do not adhere will be shipped off to “re-education” camps to either be beaten into submission, executed or starved to death. I am no prophet, I am only one who examines and assesses the data. I hope and pray that I am absolutely wrong; time will only tell. For now, let us stand firm in faith, pay attention, be prepared, pray for each other and the world as a whole, and continue to trust in the Lord. God bless.
A common question and often times debated topic for most Christians and non-Christians alike during the holidays is, “What was the Christmas star that the wise men or “Magi” saw?” Much speculation has been centered around this mysterious object with theories being promoted via documentaries and books with explanations ranging from the conjunction of planets to a comet to a supernova. And now, with this year’s conjunction of planets that includes both Jupiter and Saturn, something of which has not transpired in over 800 years, the speculations on the origins of this common holiday spectacle are rising. Could the Christmas star that guided the wise men really be something of astronomical proportions? Or is it something much more profound? In this article, I am not seeking to persuade anyone either way, but merely laying out evidence to help reveal an alternate explanation that has a more profound meaning behind this Christmas phenomenon.
The Birth of Christ
To help start us off in the right direction in our investigation of the data, we must first look at the initial birth of Christ Himself found in the Gospel of Luke. As much as we love the iconic nativity scene, to most Christian’s surprise, the Magi were not present during the birth of our Savior, only the shepherds were there. The appearance of the wise men did not occur until Christ was approximately two years old, something of which we will touch on here shortly. First, let us look at the shepherds encounter with the angelic being who told them about the birth of the Redeemer.
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’”
Luke 2:8-15 NKJV
Here we see that the angel of the Lord appeared unto the shepherds by night with the glory of the Lord shining forth, which is a similar motif that we see in the story of the Exodus and the glory of the Lord being described as a intense, brightly burning and consuming fire. The Greek word for glory is “doxa,” which is translated as glory, splendor or brightness. And the word for shone all around is the Greek word “perilampo” that which is literally translated as to illuminate all around. This appearance and brightness caused the shepherds to become “megas phobeo,” which is to say they became exceedingly petrified. Now, since this transpired at night, you could only imagine the stir this caused throughout both the local and regional vicinity, especially in the absence of artificial light.
Following this startlingly appearance and message of the angel, this angel is immediately accompanied by a multitude of heavenly host praising God, all of which are “gone away from them into heaven.” Looking at the Greek word for “heaven,” it becomes clearer as to what the Magi saw that prompted them to make their way towards this particular region. Heaven in Greek is “ouranos,” and is translated as being both the realm of heaven, as well as the universe itself. Several times throughout scripture we see this notion of going away into heaven, or “up” into heaven. Now, I am not suggesting that God, Christ or the angels are aliens from within the universe, as nothing that originates from within the universe could create it, although those who chose to create might choose to dwell within our universe from time to time. Not including the fact that since the realm of heaven would be hyperdimensional, something of which we know very little of scientifically speaking, we do not know exactly how they might travel to and from this realm into our own. But, this notion that the angelic beings ascended into heaven surrounded by the glory of Lord, seems to imply that this ascension of great light would be seen for hundreds of miles, that which the Magi would have seen and that would have prompted their long journey westward.
Now, I would like to examine the correlation of the timing between that of the birth of Christ and the arrival of the Magi. In Luke chapter 2 we see the story of the birth of Christ unfold, and as I said earlier in the article that the only the shepherds were present during this awe inspiring event, and not the Magi. The particular word of focus here is that of the “Babe” found in verse 12, which is the Greek word “brephos,” translated as babe, infant, or unborn child, and is used 8 times throughout the New Testament, all of which are translated as infant. To better understand this correlation between the birth of Christ and the arrival of the Magi, we need to examine the story in the Gospel of Matthew.
Guiding The Magi
Before proceeding further with our investigation, we must now examine the text found in Matthew chapter 2.
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’
Matthew 2:1-8 NKJV
At this point, we can see that the Magi came from the East, and thus witnessing the “star” coming from this particular region towards the west. Now, this star had to be something of unique proportions to have caused these wealthy men to journey a long ways westward in hopes of finding a king-child, especially due to the fact that these prominent men knew, according to the text, little or nothing of the Bethlehem prophecy. It is also beneficial to note here the fact of the parallel between angels and stars often being referenced throughout both the Old Testament and New Testament alike (Job 38:7, Rev. 12:4).
The journey that the Magi took was a great risk for these wealthy men to take as thieves and dangerous wildlife bordered the roads that led them to the men’s desired location. And as implied by the text, these men were no fools to say the least. Not including the fact that most ancient cultures up to this point knew quite a bit about the movements of the stars and planets, and thus it would seem that a simple phenomenon like the conjunction of planets would have not been enough to prompt prominent men such as the Magi to risk traveling great distances. Examined thus far, we can see how the mere conjunction of planets, or a comet, or a supernova would have probably been far too less of a spectacle to prompt these prominent men to journey a long distance.
To help connect the dots and conclude this examination, we need to observe a few more verses and Greek words found in the proceeding verses.
“When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:9-11 NKJV
As implied in verse 9, the star was seen once in the East by the Magi and did not reappear until they departed Jerusalem, which of course cancels out the notion of a comet, conjunction of planets, or supernova event. Not only does this mysterious star or light reappear, but it actually guides them to house in which the young Child lived. Now, correlating this back to what we examined in the gospel of Luke where the Babe was dwelling the stable with that of the story in the gospel of Matthew where the young Child is now living in a house, implying that there was somewhat of a significant time difference between the stories.
What helps shed even more light on this issue is when you examine the Greek word being used for young Child in the text, “paidion,” meaning young child, little boy or girl, or toddler. In the New Testament this word is used 51 times all of which are translated as child, little child, and young child. Now, correlating this with verses 7 and 16 in Matthew wherein Herod determines the age of the child derived from the story told by the Magi, one can easily conclude, and that which most biblical scholars do, that the Christ child is approximately 2 years old upon the arrival of the Magi. Why is this so important? Because if the Magi did in fact see a conjunction of planets that was so significant to prompt their journey westward, then the likely hood that the planets would have conjoined two separate times within a two year time span is little to none.
To continue our path down the rabbit hole towards a more plausible conclusion, we must now examine the star that guides the Magi more closely. At this point in our analysis, we see that the star has now reappeared and begins to guide them to the Christ child’s home. The interesting thing to note here is that a conjunction of planets or any other celestial body would not guide anyone anywhere meaningful, generally speaking. When you look at the Greek word for guide, “proago,” which is translated as to lead forward or to go before, one can easily see the correlation and similar motif of that of the story of the Exodus found in the Old Testament wherein the angel of the Lord, a pillar of fire and cloud, leads and goes before the children of Israel.
Following this encounter with the “star,” this mysterious object not only guides them to the desired location, but also comes to a stand still over the house of the Christ child. The Greek word used for “stood” in the text is “histemi,” which means to cause or make stand, to make firm, stand still, or abide; all of which imply a pause in the motion of the object, that which natural celestial objects do not generally do. To make things even more interesting, one must then examine the Greek word used for “over” in the text which is “epano,” meaning above, over, on, thereon, and is used 20 times in the New Testament, each of which are in reference to something that is in close proximity to another object, and never something that is far off like that of planets or stars. This being said, the object not only leads the Magi to the Christ child, but seems to hover above that exact part as the Magi enter in.
With all the data in and examined, it seems as though the same angelic being that the shepherds saw and that told them about the baby Christ in the gospel of Luke is the same “star” or light that guided the Magi to Christ child, a divine interaction and not that of a natural celestial body far above the sky. But rather this light source was something that was in close proximity to the Magi, and that guided them before coming to a stand still and hovering directly above the house of Christ, representing a similar motif found in the story of the Exodus and the guidance of the angel of the Lord in the pillar of fire. Hope this helps shed light on the issue of the Christmas star and Merry Christmas.
Once a society begins to devalue empirical data, and yet at the same time seeks to elevate their reprehensible ideologies as the ultimate truth that have no roots in reality; this form of radicalism has risen it’s serpent-like head has went on to poison the fragile minds of the masses.
At this moment, both the right and the left are pursuing such corruption through the possession of reprehensible ideologies like Black Lives Matter, Antifa and QAnon, all of which disregard empirical data. All three of these groups are out to promote division, lies, and to distract us from the actual truth, that is found in Christ Himself.
One group is rooted in Marxism and cries out against inequality while demeaning a group by calling them white privileged, contradicting their own proclamation of equal treatment. At the same time they state a belief in science, and yet desire to dismantle the nuclear family structure in American which has been empirically backed as being detrimental to children’s health and well-being.
Another group is rooted in fascism and proclaims mass voter fraud while at the same time proclaiming that the elites run the world and have a pedophile ring, and yet this statement is self-contradictory, as if the elites do run the world, then voting is delusional as they have already picked out their next leader to run the country.
For the left; a utopian society that promotes true equality while maintaining diversity can only be found within a society that is Christ centered, and not self centered.
For the right; Trump is not the savior, and the only storm coming is when Christ Himself appears in the clouds to gather His people and judge the world.
We are currently witnessing a great deception, do not be apart of the one’s that is deceived. Scripture tells us that Lucifer currently owns the world, that which is quite evident. But, we are called to stand against corruption, not through the means of politicians such as Trump, but through the power of Christ working in and through us. Stand and voice the truth, veer from ideological possession, and in the words of the movie “They Live,” put on the glasses and see the corruption for what it is and fight against it.
Speaking up against corruption is nobler than remaining silent. Doing good is greater virtue than being nice. Standing up against tyranny takes greater courage than hiding in your house. Assuming the role of a soldier is of greater value than playing the victim. Fight the good fight, assume the role of the archetypal hero, be a defender of the weak and a preserver of society; this is true nobility in action.
The progression of systems are properly executed through an extraction and implantation of ideas embedded within both progress and tradition. Progression without tradition leads to the eradication of values that uphold society, while tradition without progression leads to stagnation, both of which lead to tyranny in one form or another, and the degeneration of society as a whole. A uniformed extraction and implementation of the ideas embedded within both tradition and progression is essential, both within the life of the individual as well as society as a whole.
Peace is often obtained, not in the pleasant pursuit of agreeableness, but in the active contentions of the individual, whether inside themselves, or out in the existing culture. And this is a physical representation of the mythological hero; be the hero.
Wonderfully expressed, reprehensible words from Preston D. Mitchum: “I won’t empathize with, support, forgive, understand, make amends for, reconcile with Trump supporters. Not a single one,” tweeted Preston Mitchum, a liberal community organizer in Washington, D.C. “He was a proud white nationalist who proudly raised up many white supremacists. That’s who supported him. And I make no apologies for saying this.”
First, this man desires to play group identity politics by categorizing all Trump supporters as racists, and it wasn’t because we voted for pro life and against the tyrannical reign of the radical left and the ideology that possesses them, among other things.
This same group identity politics can be used against Mr. Mitchum by stating that all Biden supporters are baby killers and Marxists. And yet, anyone with any common sense and that is not possessed by corrupted ideology, can properly conclude that this statement is inaccurate, as so is the statement that all Trump supporters are racists.
Second, when stating that you will never forgive nor reconcile with a Trump supporter due to their views is not only hate speech in and of itself, but is also racist, as the comment is specifically addressed to white supporters. From a so called believer in inclusiveness, this man is so far from his “belief” that I am not sure he knows what he actually believes in. My advice for him and everyone alike-be precise in your speech.
The American presidential election is less than two months away with tensions between the radically polarized parties rising to ever greater heights. This election may just be the most profound election in American history with freedom set at the center stage; one party representing a nationalistic approach that centers its underlying philosophy on that of smaller government, and the other party representing a globalized approach that centers its underlying philosophy on that of a large governmental role in the lives of individuals.
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From a Christian perspective, it may seem difficult as to which group one must identify with as both parties have positioned themselves on the razor edge of radicalism. We have come to a point in our country’s social climate where people, both from the secular and religious sectors, glorify the party leaders as holy prophets and priests that will lead our society to ever greater heights. It seems now that Christians have become so entangled with the affairs of this life that they too have become victims of radical political ideologies, rather than the Spirit and Word of God.
“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
In the Christian community, we have become devote followers of mere men rather than that of Christ. We herald the proclamations and promises of governmental leaders rather than that of the words and promises of God. We have become possessed by the idea of identifying ourselves with political parties and our country rather than that of God and His Kingdom. We have come to idolize those in governmental positions rather than worshipping and glorifying God. We have become more offended by those that offend our reverend political leaders rather than those that offend Christ. What has went wrong in the Christian community? Have we truly missed the mark? What can we do to fix this issue?
In second Timothy chapter two verse four, Paul explicitly exhorts us, as faithful soldiers of Christ, to not entangle ourselves in the affairs of this life. The word entangle being used in the verse is the Greek word “empleko,” which means to inweave, to be involved with, to entangle ourselves. The word affairs in Greek is “pragmateia,” which means affairs, business, occupation, and pursuits that pertain to civil life.
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A concise examination of this text, one can derive the notion that we are to abstain from involving ourselves with the affairs, or rather the secular patterns and systems. Does this mean we should not vote? No, it means we should partake in that which is necessary to maintain a properly functioning society, and yet doing so without becoming possessed by political ideologies and their concoctors.
The next key word found in the previous verse is that of warfare, which in the Greek is the word “strateuo,” meaning to make a military expedition, to be a soldier, be on active service. This idea of being soldiers of Christ can be found in the prior to this verse in verse three:
“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
2 Timothy 2:3 nkjv
As Christians, we are called to fight the good fight as soldiers of Christ. We should therefore mimic somewhat of the life of a soldier by not becoming distracted by the affairs of this life, but rather centralizing our focus on Christ and His mission He has bestowed upon our lives. Does this mean that we should not pay attention to, or voice our concern for current matters embedded within society and culture? Absolutely not, as we are still called to be watchful and sober to the things occurring around us and their correlation with the end times and that of the return of Christ. A fine balance between that of paying attention to issues, and that of becoming possessed by them.
Lets look at the concept of warfare again as it is vitally important in understanding the implications of Paul’s admonition here. What warfare could he be referencing towards, precisely? Paul goes on to explain this warfare representation in his epistle to the Ephesians:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:10-13 nkjv
Here we see Paul expressing the warfare that we are engaged as residing in and manifesting from the dark places nested within the higher dimensional realm. We are essentially engaged in a spiritual warfare that is only won in and through the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives of which can only be accomplished by putting our trust in Christ, and not another. The only way in which we can win this daily battle is through prayer, and by standing firm in faith and proclaiming Christ to the lost, dark world around us, and again, not another.
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By pay attention while not becoming distracted, and putting on the whole armor of God and centralizing our attention on the mission that Christ has bestowed upon us, we can become overcomers in a world of chaos. But, as soon as we become distracted by all the noise of secular culture and we begin to put our trust in politicians, we will easily be overtaken by the opposition. No matter how prominent or intelligent a person may seem, they’re ways are futile and weak when it comes to the evil, chaotic power that works within the world. Peter touch on this same idea of paying attention and centralizing our focus on the mission in his epistle:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
1 Peter 5:8-10 nkjv
The word be sober used here is the Greek word “nepho,” which means to be calm and collected in spirit, to be watchful. And the word vigilant is of the same importance, and is the Greek word “gregoreo,” which means to watch, give strict attention to, to be awake. Both words essentially mean the same thing with the focus being that of paying attention to what is going on, and yet remaining calm and collective, which essentially means to not be entangled in that which you are paying attention too.
This can be better understood by examining the primary word in the following verse, resist. This word is the Greek word “anthistemi,” which means to oppose, resist, to stand against. The only way in which we can resist the opposition properly is by paying attention to their tactics while remaining collective and standing firm on the solid foundation in which we stand-that is Christ Himself. And as I stated before, our weapons of warfare are that of spiritual means-prayer, fasting, proclamation of Christ and His Word to the world.
Now that I have broke down how Christians should act in accordance to political influence and agendas, there is still one more thing I would like to touch on, and that is the notion of patriotism. Not only have we come to idolize political leaders and become possessed by politically driven ideologies, but we have also come to identify ourselves more as American rather than Christians. Am I stating that it is bad to be happy to live in such a great country as we do? Absolutely not. And yet the problem is not that we are happy to live in this wonderful country and call ourselves Americans, it is that we are more attached to the idea of being American than that of being apart of God’s kingdom.
“But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
hebrews 11:16 nkjv
“For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.”
Hebrews 13:14 nkjv
As stated in the previous two verses, just as with the patriarchs of old, we too have no permanent home here on earth as we look forward to our true home with God for eternity. This idea is echoed even more so with Paul as he goes on to state that there are no Jews, Greeks, male or female, and so on. Paul went further with this notion as he briefly bragged about his Jewish background, and yet at the end of the day none of it mattered in comparison to his faith in Christ and his heavenly citizenship.
The radical infatuation with being American is rooted within secular culture, and not Christianity. Now, I am not stated that we should not be happy to be placed in such a wonderful country, or that we should not respect all those that fought for our freedom that we have today. But, I am stating that this is not our true home, and that we should be more excited and devoted to the notion that we are children of God and citizens of the heavenly realm. Thank God for America and freedom, and yet my primary focus and desire is to proclaim Christ to others while praising God for His mercy towards me in having me be a citizen of the eternal realm.
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I believe, according to scriptural interpretation and theological examination, that we should thank God for all He has blessed us with, and yet do not lift them up as idols. We should thank all those that have died for our country and for the freedom that has been bestowed upon us, and yet remain humbled in due process. We should applaud politicians that are striving for the good in our country, and yet we should never idolize them. We should be active in society through means such as voting, and yet remember that only through the power of Christ working in and through us can we truly make a difference. Pray, praise, and proclaim Christ, and therein make a difference in the world.
A radically new theory of evolution that has been conjured up over the past decade or so by Lynne Isbell, suggests that snakes were the root component that enabled us to increase our vision and enlarge our brains over the course of the past 100 million years. Snakes were a constant threat to the survival of our primate ancestors on the jungle floors, and this constant threat steadily heightened our level of awareness which essentially went on to produce radical transformations within the structure of these prehistoric tree dwellers.
One fascinating fact is that much of the ancient mythology stories spread throughout the world involve snakes or dragons, which are often symbolic representations of that of the unknown, or chaos. In the ancient myths of Sumeria and Egypt, both Marduk and Horus descended into chaos in order to retrieve something of immense value, and essentially re-emerge transformed.
We see this same typology found within the stories of the Bible, including that of Abraham, Moses, and Christ Himself, all of which departed from the familiar territory of home to go into the wilderness where they encountered the divine presence of God as well as various trials, only to re-emerge transformed.
In psychology there are various studies to indicate the truth embedded within these stories, how when people encounter unfamiliar territory, whether it be the death of a loved one, a failed marriage, venturing from home, surprised illnesses, etc., we begin to use most of our brain which activate dormant regions within it. Overtime we begin to develop a new perception of reality that replaces the old, transforming our very being into something new. It is primarily do to this encounter with the unknown that we discover something of value, either within the world or within ourselves, and re-emerge with a new perception that helps us be a better contender with reality, someone of greater value to the world than before.
This process works even more proficiently when we take it upon ourselves to encounter the unknown voluntarily rather than involuntarily. When we move into the unknown (a new job, moving from home, going for the degree, starting your own business, etc.) voluntarily and forthrightly, and then overcome the fear of the unknown (that is the serpents), we will then obtain more value from our journey as our eyes become adapted to the potential that lies within the unknown territory. What is the unknown territory of your life, and are you willing and ready to embark on the journey?
For approximately 150 years now, since the time that John Nelson Derby promoted the pre-tribulation rapture theory, most of the church has misunderstood the correlation in occurrence of that of the rapture and second coming. Much of the church today maintains the belief that the rapture will occur prior to the tribulation era, while Christ’s second coming, or Parousia in Greek, will transpire sometime following the conclusion of the three and half year period. But what evidence is there to support such a notion? Let us look at the argument that is proposed, and then proceed to breakdown the argument and see where the evidence leads.
“Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 nkjv
Proponents of the differentiation of the gathering of God’s people and the Parousia put most of their weight on these few verses and the ones that follow, of which we will examine here shortly. Somehow, for at least what I have seen so far, the devote followers of the separation point to the first verse as an indication, or proof rather, that the gathering and the Parousia are indeed separate events, and that the gathering precedes the Parousia in the last days timeline. How, precisely? Not sure as no articles I have personally read shred any light on that conclusion. If indeed the first verse is “proof” (of which you would need much more evidence to make the case stand), and it reveals a timeline of occurrences, then the Parousia would precede the rapture as indicated by the sequence found within the text-“the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (primary) and our gathering together to Him (secondary).”
In Matthew 24, Jesus Himself explains how the chronological events will unfold:
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the earth to the other.”
matthew 24:29-31 NKJV
As would could easily conclude from the text, Christ’s coming occurs immediately after the tribulation era and precedes the rapture, henceforth making the events both separate and one and the same. Christ comes back to judge the world and gather His elect at the same time. Parousia first followed by the gathering.
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 we see Paul explaining the coming of Christ and the rapture occurring simultaneously:
” For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NKJV
Again the evidence points towards the Parounia occurring first which then is followed by the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the gathering together of those that are “alive and remain”-hinting at that of the believers who survived the tribulation era. The sound of the trumpet is in correlation to the last trumpet found in the book of Revelations, of which Paul touches on again in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 15. The last trumpet takes place after the tribulation era is complete and the wrath of God is set to be poured out on the earth.
This passage is echoed and expressed in detail in Revelations chapter 19 and 20, revealing the Parounia, resurrection and rapture in vivid detail:
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.”
Revelations 19:11,13-14 nkjv
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
Revelations 20:4-5 nkjv
Here we see the Parounia taking place and the resurrection of which takes place during the Parounia and judgment of the world and beast. As Paul stated in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 that the alive and remaining in Christ will by no means be taken up until the dead are resurrected first, so is this scenario layout for us in Revelations 19 and 20 where we see Christ coming followed by the resurrection of the dead which includes those that died during the tribulation era, meaning that the second coming, rapture and resurrection all occur simultaneously and following the tribulation era.
Now, as with any argument, there are the counter arguments, of which the proponents of separation recede to their one of their last arguments, and that is the saints coming with Christ. How could saints descend with Christ during His second coming if the church has not been raptured? The dead in Christ have not been resurrected either, so how could He return with His saints? A plausible explanation can be found by examining what is meant by the term “saints” being used, and then correlating it with other pieces of scripture.
“So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”
1 thessalonians 3:13 nkjv
“Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’”
Jude 1:14-15 NKjv
It seems to put a hamper on much of what I have proposed thus far, and yet just a little research will help shed some light on this impeding issue. The Greek word being used for both verses is “hagios,” which can be translated as saints or holy. This word is often translated holy and used for the first word for Holy Spirit. But the word is also used in several places for holy angels. Two verses in particular that correlate with the scene laid out for us by both Paul and Jude are found in both the book of Matthew and Mark, and the words are stated by Christ directly.
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”
Matthew 25:31 nkjv
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:38 nkjv
As you can see, the evidence points towards a better understanding of the scripture as referencing that of angels rather than Christian saints. Christ will descend with His angels at the sound of the last trumpet, and the dead will be resurrected followed by the rapture of those that are still alive, all of which occur after the tribulation era. Therefore, we can conclude that the evidence directs us to both a separate and single occurrence that unfolds after the three and half year period known as the tribulation, of which Christ’s return precedes the resurrection and rapture.
-Michael Thacker
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Michael Thacker 