“These
Are the False Teachers . . . in the Latter Days”
…Corrie
Ten Boom
Chapter
28 – The False Prophet
By
Doug Krieger
(A
Friendly Response to Jack Hook’s Inquiries)
There are
some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will
be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning
us to expect in the latter days. (Corrie Ten Boom, 1974 – Nazi
Concentration Camp Survivor and Renown “Tramp for the Lord”)
Strange
that I’d match our beloved Corrie in a faceoff with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - not
really. For what is at stake here is a war between the “forces of darkness”
and the “forces of light.” Between the children of light and the children of
darkness – and think not otherwise. Now, before you conjecture I will shortly announce
the Antichrist to be someone out of the Middle East, who is a Moslem, forget it
– that’s not going to happen. What will happen is the aforementioned faceoff
that the “spirit of glory and of God may rest upon us.” Yes, we who may endure
unto the end in order that testimony and witness to His abounding grace will
make known to Principalities and Powers in high places His manifold wisdom. A
witness and wisdom that results in a “multitude that no one can number from all
nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before
the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands…These are
the ones who come out of the Great Tribulation, and washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-17).
Now,
there are some who out of “ignorance” affirm that the “Blessed Hope” is the
appearance of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ prior to this untoward
faceoff. Yet, there are some who know full well this to be the insidious
doctrines of demons that have fomented this travesty of celestial bliss (i.e.,
the pre-tribulational doctrine that we shall escape the Seventieth Week of
Daniel’s prophecy). The pre-Tribbers nigh all believe that 144,000 Jewish
evangelists shall reap a “multitude which no one could number, of all nations,
tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” –
Rev. 7:9-17. Nevertheless, these hoards of faithful (though their sighting is in
heaven) are destined to pro-create the Millennial Earth. Imagine, in heaven’s
portal only to be humanized to pro-create as some ignorantly conjecture---see
below concerning this jaw-dropping numbskull contrivance.
Notwithstanding
the devious nature of this contorted doctrine of multiple, partial and
pre-tribulational raptures (for there is but ONE First and Superior
Resurrection of the Just) – we do differentiate between the unwittingly blinded
and they who for selfish and carnal gain espouse their wholly indefensible
position. They are forced to create preposterous doctrines, such as the “Wife
of Jehovah” being all the Old Testament saints (excepting the inclusion of the betrothal
of the peculiar but massive number of “Tribulation Saints” into “Jehovah’s
Wife” status). These saints belatedly constitute the “friends of the
Bridegroom” having been invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. Their “secondary
status” still allows them to celebrate the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” It
is here that they will be introduced to the Woman, the Lamb’s Bride (i.e., the
Church – excluding the Tribulation Saints, of course) while as a guest at the
Marriage Supper so defined. No wonder – I would assume – that some of these
invited guests known as the “Wife of Jehovah” might display some unrequited
disgust for “That Woman” while so seated (pun intended).
THE ARAB SPRING
Consider this not a distraction from the Whirling Dervishes currently embracing
“democracy.” This swirling phenomenon is aligning their ultimate aspirations
in accordance with Gog-Magog’s constellation of belligerents. They ready
themselves to pounce upon the Mountains of Israel. Only the foolhardy – a.k.a.
the American and most of the International media – are blinded to the reality
that Turkey-Iran and now Egypt-Libya as King of the North and King of the South
adjust to the hooks now being placed in their jaws (Ezekiel
38:4). Indeed, as the allies of Gog (i.e., Magog) the Chief
(Rosh – a.k.a. “Aquila”) Principality over the spiritual Powers of Meshech and
Tubal consolidate their anger towards the Beautiful Land. Soon they will arrive
upon the “mountains of Israel” – and manifest their terrestrial confederation
as Persia (Iran), Cush (Northern Sudan), Libya (all of North Africa), Gomer,
the House of Togarmah (Turkey), and Egypt. These media moguls are arrogantly
mystified how democracy somehow plays the fool in all this reshuffling of
power. But what will amaze them will be the conclusion of “the war” seen in Daniel
9:26. This war, prior to the infamous Treaty of Hell and Death,
will pit Syria (the lead belligerent), as the “Oracle of Damascus.” It will be
the finality of the Arab-Israeli Conflict which commenced with some six phases
since 1948. The concluding, and seventh and last phase will be the Burden of
Damascus.
What insanity the Arab Spring has wrought!
Championed by these United States of America and her European lackeys - only to
witness Damascus, Tyre & Sidon, Gaza and the Palestinian Authority (the
“fortress of Ephraim”) pre-empt the Gog-Magog conflagration! But to the “pre-Tribbers”
these pending catastrophes are inconsequential – why? Because we’re not here
in any event, for we (the Church) have been raptured to the heavens. This
allows the Almighty greater leeway to deal with but one people, the Jews, who
shall abide the Wrath of the Devil – alone and alienated one more time. Whereas,
John Hagee, et al, observe from their heavenly perch Jacob’s Trouble! Doesn’t
sound like Corrie Ten Boom – nor does it sound like the Scriptures…so let’s get
at it….but remember, I’d rather be given to witness and testimony (and I know
Jack is) than to a false hope in an early bail out!
(Note: Jack Hook’s writing in BLACK; Doug’s writing in BLUE; other authors
in other colors like GREEN)
Christ or
Antichrist: Your Choice
By
Jack Hook
Greetings,
I have written many times concerning the timing of the
return of Jesus Christ. Sadly, many who profess to be Christians have
been deceived to think the Church has been given, by God, the authority to
establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth without the physical presence and
return of Jesus. There are other Christians, including some very
great and special friends of mine, who are exposing this serious error, and
with love and compassion calling these misguided brethren to repentance.
Doug:
Amen – the “physical
manifestation” of the Kingdom of God wherein the “Son of David” will
ascend to His Millenarian throne in accordance with scores of
Scripture is yet in the future. “Post-millenarianism” has been around
for centuries and commenced codification and doctrinal development
shortly after the Church began to degenerate into a ecclesiastical
hierarchical system – mirroring itself after the general
administration of the Roman Empire and was duly systematized as such
under Emperor Constantine who chose the “Roman Model” of
administration to be that of the Church.
Later, “Saint Augustine” systematized
this error and the entire doctrine of the “just war” was, as they say, “up and
running.” Jack and we are on the same page here – what, however, deeply disturbs
us both is the “domestic manifestation” of Post-millenarianism” in the earthly
misplacement of “patriotic Christianity” wherein genuine believers adhere to
the concept of “American Exceptionalism” to the extent that Bible-believing and
God-fearing Christians embrace a form of “manifest destiny” and affirm that the
Almighty has some sort of “special mission” for America to fulfill – yes, they
are saddened at the general degradation of society but likewise feel that their
mission to be “salt and light” in this “evil and adulterous generation” provides
ample proof that America is the world’s leading “light to the Gentiles” and
Israel’s one true friend and, ipso facto, God is committed to “blessing
America” because she stands for righteousness and liberty and the State of
Israel; therefore, although she is full of “sin” on many fronts – she’s still
the best “game in town” and, therefore, blessed of the Lord for a special
purpose – hence, American Exceptionalism – driven as we are toward Dominionism
in sheer desperation to its alternative: Hedonism and Second-rate Status among
the Nations.
Some true brethren, however, have
finally concluded that America is Babylon the Great – much like the late David
Wilkerson – but, like Hal Lindsey and many other fine brethren who embrace the
doctrine of the pre-tribulational rapture of the Church – i.e., believers will
escape the coming Seventieth Week of Daniel in its entirety, they do not see
any role for America in future events and believe that the Bible is silent on American
involvement in the Last Days; therefore, since there is this “apparent”
occlusion of America’s precise mentioning in prophecy (so alleged by most of
these brethren), she must either be destroyed by economic, natural, physical,
military or any host of possibilities that will diminish her during the
Seventieth Week yet future – scores of books have been written of late
detailing in no uncertain terms how America will become the “tail” and not the
“head” of the nations.
These “pre-trib rapturists” – many of
whom currently embrace “American Exceptionalism” – affirm that one of the major
reasons why “America doesn’t even have a bit part in Bible prophecy” (Bro. Hal
Lindsey’s famous remark) isn’t the Yellowstone Caldera going off – nor a
Sino-Russian nuclear sneak attack – or for that matter economic devastation
caused by Jihadists blowing up major American cities with dirty bombs – but the
very devastating effects of the rapture of the Church, causing all sorts of
calamity in that there are so many believers in Jesus here in America.
A SERIOUS DISAGREEMENT WITH JACK?
Jack Hook:
However, a few of these dear friends have a
serious disagreement with me over the timing of the Lord's rapture and removal
of the born again remnant from this planet to Heaven. They think the Lord
will not come until the end of what is known as Daniel's 70th week, a seven
year period of time in which God's judgment and wrath will be poured out upon
the nations.
Jack, it’s really hard for me to have a
“serious disagreement” with you about anything – if we had more folks believing
what you believe in, I would be absolutely “spiritually thrilled” – so, no
matter how hard I try, I’m not upset with Jack – but I am totally opposed to
the pre-tribulational rapture of the Church for a host of solid biblical
reasons. Also, I can speak from some experience in that I attended a Bible
School wholly immersed in pre-tribulational Dispensationalism – and, in
addition to the otherwise fine teaching received from these beloved brethren, I
considered (and still do) many of them until their passing to be some of my
dearest friends and colleagues (no need to drop names – but if I did you’d
certainly know virtually everyone of them – and I considered them all “allies
in the faith” who would go to the barricades with me).
But then, I became keenly aware of the
“Purposes of God” in His plan for the ages in the ultimate New Jerusalem
wherein Israel and the Church – the 12 Tribes of Israel after whom the gates of
the city are named – and the 12 Apostles of the Lamb (the Church) after whom
the 12 foundations of that city are named and how, at the close of this age, in
the crucible of the Seventieth Week of Daniel He would display His glory to the
heavens (to “principalities and powers in heavenly places”) through the Church
and to the Gentile World Powers through Israel on the earth – this is the
Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes! And, oh yes, one clarification –
“God’s judgment and wrath will be poured out upon the nations” AFTER the
terminus (end) of the Seventieth Week of Daniel and not before – the Church
does not suffer the “Wrath of the Lamb” nor the “Wrath of God” which will be
poured out of the Seven Vials commencing with the Seventh Trumpet at the
commencement of the “30 days” beyond the 1260 Days or Latter Half of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week – an IMMENSE TECHNICALITY which, if not observed, results in a
great deal of confusion (which it has) amongst, in particular, the
pre-trib/mid-trib camps.
Jack Hook:
I have always believed the Lord will come for his hated
and persecuted followers before the 70th week, leaving the world-wide Great
Harlot of Christendom void of true believers. This letter is meant to
help explain why I believe as I do. Please read Paul's letters to the
Thessalonians to better help you understand what I am saying. For as I
see it, the Apostle Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians lays out the
chronology of end time events concerning the second coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ and the rise of the infamous Antichrist, also known as the Wicked One
and the Man of Sin.
Well, for
starters, God’s Word is very clear that the “tares and the wheat” would grow
together until that Day – it is only at the very end that there is the
winnowing and the “tares” are exposed for what they are.
“So the servants of the owner came and
said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it
have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to
him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest
while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat wit them. ‘Let both
grow together UNTIL THE HARVEST, and at the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn
them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Matthew 13:27-30)
Secondly, the overall “condition” of the
Latter-Days’ Church in Laodicea is one which is “poor, wretched, miserable and
blind” – hardly what you’d call an on fire bunch of believers suffering
persecution and, in the main (especially of late), just trying to blend in –
into the extreme relativism characteristic of the coming “age of Aquarius” –
you know, the ‘old tune: “Happiness and understanding!”
Unless Jack is speaking specifically
about “the remnant” – and, yes, I’m sure there are at least 7,000 who haven’t
bowed their knee to Baal but, in the main, we’re in a sorry state of affairs,
indeed!
But let’s listen to Jack’s presentation
and even “strengthen” his position before I tear it apart! J
------------------------------------------------------
Jack Hook:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-14
(1)Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2)That ye be not
soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by
letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3)Let no man
deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a
falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
(4)Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself
that he is God.
(5)Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I
told you these things? (6)And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be
revealed in his time. (7)For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he
who now letteth (hinders or restrains) will let, until he be taken out of the
way. (8)And then shall that Wicked One be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of
his coming:
(9)Even him, whose coming is after the working of
Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10)And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11)And for this cause God
shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (12)That they
all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.
(13)But we are bound to give thanks always to God for
you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
(14)Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
-------------------------------------------------------
Now, it wouldn’t be transparent nor fair
if I didn’t tell you that I’m a RED APPLE – please see: Who’s Who in Bible
Prophecy @ http://www.soundchristian.com/prophecy/who/ - dear brother Tim Osterholm says of me
and others of my ilk:
The post-tribulation view blends the
rapture and the Second Coming into a single event at the end of the tribulation
period. Many who hold to this theological concept often adhere to the historicist
view which contends that Bible prophecy spans the time from the end of the
first century A.D. through the Second Coming of Christ (yet
future). In a nutshell, historicists believe that the events of
Revelation are a symbolic outline of Church history, taking place over a 2000
year period of time, ending at the Second Coming. Followers of this
theology generally tend toward a more liberal and/or allegorical view of
prophecy, though some combine both literal and allegorical viewpoints.
For example, a majority of self-proclaimed prophets hold to a post-tribulation
rapture view, as do leaders of most pseudo-Christian cults. Many liberal
denominations also accept this view.
Also – Tim has this little picture/graphic
out there – but for the life of me, I can’t understand why he chose RED APPLES
to depict the brethren who are really “out of it” and GREEN APPLES for the ones
who are spot on (i.e., pre-trib, etc.) – why, I can’t stand Granny Apples but
find red ones outstanding (Notice: I’ve put Tim’s remarks in GREEN.)
Good Apple = excellent prophecy teacher, generally sound
doctrines
Okay Apple = very good prophecy teacher, some questionable
doctrines
Bad Apple = avoid this teacher's
prophecy doctrines, use extreme caution
So – you’ve got fair warning – I would
suggest you AVOID THIS TEACHER’S PROPHECY DOCTRINES or proceed with EXREME
CAUTION!
Brother Tim has painted with such a
broad brush-stroke that it is really embarrassing to abide under the shadow of
his brush because virtually everything he said about me and my post-Tribbers
“with whom I associate” is off the mark!
Now – those of you who know my writings
know that I’m the most wordy guy this side of the Seventieth Week of Daniel –
but I will try to be concise – but if you really want to know that we’re not a
bunch of kooks – please read the outstanding and scholarly works of several
post-Tribbers who know their stuff – and my rather wordy but helpful broadside
(a bit theological in its substance) which will enlighten those of you who
really wish to understand how one can be a thoroughly committed
post-tribulational Dispensationalist in every sense of the term.
(1) Tim Warner,
Pastor of Oasis Christian Church @ http://www.totall.exagorazo.net/Post-Tribulation/Mirrors/Last%20Trumpet%202000/www.geocities.com/lasttrumpet_2000/index.html#disp
(2) Text: Grant
R. Osborne: REVELATION – Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament – Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,
Deerfield, Illinois – 2006
(3) Doug
Krieger’s Chapter 11 – The False Prophet – ANOTHER GOSPEL…Israel & the Church
in Covenantal Confusion
But what Jack wants here is a lively and
friendly discussion and, I have a profound suspicion, to expose the Post-Trib
View in a better light – at least better than Tim’s somewhat “liberal –
Historicist (a la Harold Camping) – Kingdom Now” lot! After all, if you
go to our web site at www.the-tribulation-network.com you’ll find scores of articles
excoriating one Historicist after another – and insofar as Preterists concerns,
I can amply assure you that Hank Hanegraaff can’t stand us – especially, me!
But, if you like Corrie Ten Boom – well,
then, you’ll love us!
Jack Hook says:
In verse one (2 Thessalonians 2:1-14) please note that
he refers to the "coming" and the "gathering together" as
distinct events, and begs or beseeches them to understand the meaning and
timing of the two events. For in verse two he encourages them to not be
shaken or troubled by false rumors that the day of Christ is at hand.
Paul is obviously not referring to the rapture here, but the days of Christ’s
vengeance on this war-torn planet, which rightly should shake up all who hear
this proclamation. Think about it for a moment. True lovers of
Jesus long for his return, so rumors of his coming would not trouble us, but
encourage us to call more lost souls into the Kingdom of Heaven before God’s
wrath is unleashed.
Simply put as a response here: The growing majority of
post-tribulationist distinguishes between the Wrath of God/Wrath of the Lamb
and the “Wrath of the Dragon” – as in:
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with
the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not
prevail, nor was a place found for them[a] in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that
serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he
was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev. 12:7-9)
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in
heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power
of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them
before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and
they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O
heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the
sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows
that he has a short time.” (Rev. 11:10-12)
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he
persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But
the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a
time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed
water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to
be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and
the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had
spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the
woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the
commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:13-17)
If you carefully note – insofar as “wrath
concerns” – the believing Church has always endured persecution for
righteousness sake; however, the Wrath of the Lamb and the Wrath of God are not
poured out of the SEVEN VEILS until the Church is raptured/resurrected at the
very close of the Seventieth Week and THEN and then only is the WRATH OF GOD
poured out on the Beast, the Second Beast and all those who have taken the Mark
of the Beast – i.e., the Image of the Beast (the sequence is undeniable insofar
as the Wrath of the Lamb concerns – believers will NOT endure the Wrath of God
nor the Wrath of the Lamb) – if you wish to call this a PRE-WRATH position – so
be it; however, the rapture and the FIRST (BEST) RESURRECTION of all saints
from Adam to the end of the Seventieth Week will occur PRIOR TO the Wrath of
the Lamb during the commencement of the 30-days unto the end of the 1,290 days
of desolations – Daniel 12 – or 30-days past the time, times and half a time,
or 42 months, or 3.5 days, or 1,260 days or 3.5 years or the latter half of
Daniel’s Seventieth Week. During this time of “persecution, perseverance and
endurance” – the believing Church – yes, the VAST MULTITUDE OF TRIBULATION
SAINTS OF REVELATION CHAPTER 7 and 12 – shall “overcome by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of their testimony and will not love their lives unto the
death” – PRAISE GOD!
Jack:
In verse one please note that he refers to the
"coming" and the "gathering together" as distinct events,
and begs or beseeches them to understand the meaning and timing of the two
events. For in verse two he encourages them to not be shaken or trouble
by false rumors that the day of Christ is at hand. Paul is obviously not
referring to the rapture here, but the days of Christ’s vengeance on this
war-torn planet, which rightly should shake up all who hear this
proclamation. Think about it for a moment. True lovers of Jesus
long for his return, so rumors of his coming would not trouble us, but
encourage us to call more lost souls into the Kingdom of Heaven before God’s
wrath is unleashed.
Again – we have no problem with what
Jack is saying here – however, it is obvious that our “timing is off” – i.e.,
the “days of Christ’s vengeance” is NOT endured by the believing Church –
that’s reserved for the 30-days unto the end of desolations. True lovers of
Jesus, like Jack and me, do long for His return – and we by God’s grace will
redeem the time to bring more souls to Jesus as we see the day approaching!
All hell will break loose – but like our Lord Who has gone on before us – His
Life, His death, His suffering, His resurrection, His ascension is ours! Jesus
did not “flee Jerusalem” – He knew full-well He would be offered up as the Lamb
of God…He set His face as a flint to Jerusalem, to the cross!
Jack:
In verse seven Paul says the satanic deceptions that
will produce the wicked Antichrist have not come to a final fruition yet
because of the hindering power of "he" who is the Holy Spirit working
through both the true Church and the archangel Michael to restrain the coming
of the Antichrist, who is first revealed by his peace covenant of Daniel 9:27.
Now,
Jack, indeed He Who restrains the Antichrist insofar as Satan entering into the
body of Antichrist to parody the resurrection after he receives such a wound –
this is the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION – just as Satan entered into Judas
Iscariot to commit the dastardly deed of betrayal – even so, Satan will
incarnate into the body of the wounded Antichrist and thus desecrate his temple
wherein from hence he is entitled THE BEAST – having absolutely no redeemable
possibility to fellowship with the Almighty … BUT, pray tell, who are the vast
multitude that no man can number who have come out of Great Tribulation and
whose robes have been made white by the blood of the Lamb – who have the
TESTIMONY OF JESUS and from whence came this testimony? And, are they not
members of His One Body – or are they, as Tim Osterholm suggests, but BREEDERS
in the coming Millenarian rule and reign – destined to populate the Millennial
earth, having (obviously) been “humanized” and sent back from heaven’s portal?
The lame excuse that these “tribulation saints” who unequivocally bear the
Testimony of Jesus must populate the Millennium is ludicrous in that Zechariah
clearly states:
16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to
keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship
the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If
the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do
not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the
punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up
to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14)
And, pray tell, if those who are
“beheaded” are in a “holding tank” prior to the resurrection and then
resurrected and given a “new body” to “reproduce” in the Millennium – hey, am I
missing something here? What about Jesus’ word that they “neither marry nor
are given in marriage but are as the angels.”
That’s right: “everyone who is left of
all the nations which CAME AGAINST JERUSALEM shall go up from year to year to
worship the King, etc.” – folks, you’ve just encountered those who will
repopulate the earth during the Millennium spoken of by Tim Osterholm (man,
he’s going to love me for this – well, he shouldn’t have called me a RED APPLE
– although I resemble that remark! Just as long as I’m not a “rotten apple!”).
Tim’s exact remarks:
The elect who have come through the tribulation period (70th
week) will populate the earth during the millennial reign of Christ. If
the elect are raptured (instead of gathered), then there would not be anyone
left to populate the earth during the new millennium. Remember, evildoers
are gathered, judged and bound with Satan at this time. The elect must be
separated from them. (The Pre-Tribulation Rapture – A Self-Evident Promise,
by Tim Osterholm @ www.soundchristian.com)
Listen, overcoming by the “blood of the
Lamb and by the word of their testimony” – having the TESTIMONY OF JESUS – and
whose robes have been made white by the blood of the Lamb – are they Israel?
No. Are they “breeders for the kingdom yet to come?” No. Do they follow the
Lamb whithersoever He leads? Absolutely – they are MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF
CHRIST, pure and simple; smack dab in the middle of the Seventieth Week of
Daniel. There are NOT four groups of people on the earth; naught but three: the
Gentiles, the Jews and the Church – period! You are either “born from above”
or not – you cannot be born again and be a follower of Jesus unless the Holy
Spirit gives you the new birth; that would necessitate the Holy Spirit’s
regenerating presence on the earth and ipso facto the presence of the
Church – “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit – ye must be born again!”
He Who restrains is not restrained in His work of regeneration! The
Restrainer is NOT the Church. The Church is not put on hold until the “mystery
of God would be finished” and that does not occur “but in the days of the
sounding of the seventh angel…when he is about to sound” (i.e., after the sixth
trumpet and at the sounding of the seventh trumpet – i.e., the LAST TRUMP when
the “dead in Christ” shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain (from
the Seventieth Week) are caught up to meet the Lord in the cloud/air”) – see Revelation 10 – the whole chapter. The Holy Spirit has the glorious
task of conforming us to the Image of Christ, as the Body of Christ – this is
the work of the Holy Spirit…all unregenerate men and women who are “born from
above” are brought into the Spirit’s one work on the earth: The preparation of
the Bride of Christ – the Lamb’s Wife – the WOMAN, the Lamb’s Bride. The
innumerable multitude is in this position:
“So he said to me, ‘These are the ones
who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the
throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on
the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger
anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them
to living fountains of waters.[c] And God will wipe away every tear from
their eyes.’”
Come on now – who then is this special
class of people? Even in his texts on Revelation (Please see: Chapter 27, The False Prophet), John Walvoord, the prince of
Dispensationalism and former President of Dallas Theological Seminary had on
several occasions only one thing to say of these “tribulation saints” – THEY
ARE THE CHURCH! They are before the throne of God and they are there
permanently! They are hardly “breeders” to populate the Millennium – that is
an absolute insult to their presence before Him Who sits on the Throne, and
unto the Lamb. Furthermore, to suggest that they who are before His throne
will somehow return to populate the earth suggests reincarnation – oh wretched
thought is this!
Also, Brother Tim
has made a somewhat innocuous distinction between the "dead/beheaded"
Tribulation Saints and the "Elect Tribulation Saints." He says that the
"Elect Tribulation Saints" who have made it through the Great
Tribulation are the ones who repopulate the earth during the Millenarian
Rule & Reign of the Messiah, the Son of David (Note: Not "necessarily"
those who came up against Jerusalem - as it proclaims in Zechariah 14).
This clever little distinction is meaningless. Why? Well, what happened
to the VAST MULTITUDE of Tribulation Saints in Revelation 7? There sort
of in an ethereal state of affairs, aren't they? Better we simply gloss
over their status - neither Israel, nor the Church, nor the
Gentiles...they're just in a special class of folks that the pre-Tribbers
created and will be lumped into the Old Testament saints, become
(somehow) the "Wife of Jehovah" in the process...that's the best we can
do for them. In other words: Like when I used to get a cheap ticket at
the game when I was a kid...HEAD FOR THE BLEACHERS; you're lucky you got
into the park! Well, at least you, as the Wife of Jehovah, can be
considered as a guest of the Bride of Christ - I'm sure if Jehovah
brings His wife to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that the Bridegroom -
you know - the One Who's to be the Bridegroom of the Bride of Christ -
will really appreciate meeting you folks in your "guest role" as the
"Wife of Jehovah!" REJOICE! Oh, friends of the Bridegroom!
Jack Hook:
Paul, knowing these Old Testament prophecies of
Daniel, is clearly teaching there are also two revelations of the Man
of Sin, first as he dazzles deceived nations with all power, signs, and lying
wonders, producing a Temple building "peace covenant" for Israel. And second, three and a half years later,
as the Man of Sin who rises from the dead and declares himself to be the
Messiah, Revelation 13.
Yes – the Antichrist signs the “treaty
of Hell and Death” with Israel in Daniel 9:27 at the commencement of the Seventy Weeks as per: “Then
he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week…but in the middle of the
week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of
abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation,
which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”
The Historicists will say that the “he”
in Daniel 9:27 who makes covenant is Christ – better get real clear on
that heresy! It’s Antichrist – and everything surrounding him is desolation,
until the consummation and he’s finished! Please read several of our articles
on this at the Tribnet as in: Israel’s Temple Sacrifice and the
Abomination of Desolation.
Now, when the Abomination takes place,
if you would, this is the SECOND REVELATION of Antichrist as THE BEAST – it is
only when the Abomination of Desolation takes place “in the middle of the week”
that his title in Scripture changes to the Son of Perdition, the Man of Sin,
the BEAST – yet prior to that he is the Antichrist who enforces the treaty on
Israel!
Jack Hook:
When the rapture or the gathering together of the
hated and persecuted remnant takes place by the Lord's removal of them from the
Earth, the first revealing of the Antichrist is then allowed by God to
begin. The Holy Spirit’s hindering or restraining power is silenced as
the Lord commands Michael to no longer restrain the fallen angels who will then
prepare and present their Antichrist peacemaker to the nations. This is
the "silence in Heaven" of Revelation 8:1 which lasts for about half an hour (seven year hour of temptation) or
three and one half years.
Slightly mixed up here…the “silence in
Heaven” for half an hour (Note: Half an hour is 30 minutes which sounds mighty
close to the “30” as between the 1,260th day and the 1,290th day – i.e., 30 days)….
Chapter 8 of Revelation introduces the 7
Trumpets embodied within the Seventh Seal; however, I affirm that the “silence
in heaven for half an hour” is a precursor to that final 30 days wherein the
final Trumpet, the Last Trumpet, the Seventh Trumpet will sound as follows and
it will sound THROUGHOUT the entire 30-days of the Wrath of the Lamb:
15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And
there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms[f] of this world have become the
kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones
fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“ We give You thanks, O Lord God
Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is
to come,[g]
Because You have taken Your great power
and reigned.
18 The nations were angry,
and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they
should be judged,
And that You should reward Your
servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and
great,
And should destroy those who destroy
the earth.”
15 Then
the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdoms[f] of this world have become the
kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,
and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the
twenty-four elders who sat before God
on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17
Please note that the Wrath of God is
poured out at the “sounding” of the Seventh Trumpet and by the time it finishes
THEN the Kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His
Christ! This is NOT a seven-year sounding but a 30-day sounding!
Furthermore, according to Tim Osterholm
in his piece entitled: Pre-Tribulational Rapture – A Self-Evident Promise @ http://www.soundchristian.com/prophecy/:
"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your
people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not
happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your
people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be
delivered." Daniel 12:1
We see the true followers of Jesus during the tribulation period
are being handed over to those in authority. Scholars point out the persecution
will be on a global scale, as indicated in several other passages. That
will be a perilous time unlike any before or after. During the present
age (Church Age), believers will see tribulations, but not the tribulation
period.
Before the Antichrist (man of sin/lawless one) is revealed and
begins to persecute believers all over the world, the Church (restrainer) must
first be removed:
Krieger’s Response:
The Church is NOT the Restrainer – the Church is the work of the
Holy Spirit. Frankly, the whole notion that somehow the Church is commissioned
to restrain the manifestation of the Antichrist is nowhere to be found in
Scripture – indeed, the Testimony of the Two Witnesses for the first 1,260 days
of “prophesying” is undiminished and with great anointing and power akin to
that of Moses and Elijah but, again, they are not supermen – they are our
Lord’s prophetic witness at the end of days and used mightily by Him to reap
the harvest of the earth in Revelation
14 prior to the final reaping of the tares (the “ripened grapes”)
who shall be cast into the winepress of the wrath of Almighty God (the sequence
is uncompromisingly clear). They are called to give witness for Christ and
against Babylon the Great City – after all, the revelation is a “cosmic
courtroom” and the Almighty cries out: CALL THE WITNESSES – and here they
come! Their goal is to get an indictment against that Great City…by calling
multitudes to repentance, dressed in sackcloth as they are.
Are not the "true followers of Jesus" members of His
One Body? Apparently NOT according to certain pre-Tribbers! Osterholm
states: "Antichrist...begins to persecute BELIEVERS all over the
world" but the "Church...must first be removed." In order for
"believers all over the world" to be persecuted by Antichrist the “Church
must be removed?” Now if that isn’t oxymoronic, I don’t know what is!
His logic is preposterous. The "believers in Jesus Christ" are
the Church or they are prophetically insulted to become but "breeders"
for the Millennium - plain and simple - they apparently represent a
"second class group of folks" - who, incidentally "cannot be
numbered" according to Revelation
7 and who have the "TESTIMONY OF JESUS!” I might
righteously inquire: Will these “tribulation saints” destined to populate
Osterholm’s Millennium be summarily kicked out of heaven?
9 After these things I looked, and
behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes,
peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying
out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on
the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the
throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces
before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders answered,
saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come
from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir,[b] you
know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great
tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him
day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among
them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the
sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in
the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of
waters.[c] And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Brothers – this “great multitude” crying “Salvation belongs to
our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” – guess what? THESE ARE THE
ONES WHO COME OUT OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND WASHED THEIR ROBES AND MADE THEM
WHITE IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB! So, to whom do they belong? Israel? The
Gentiles? The Church? – Come on now: THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD – THE BODY
OF MESSIAH - that’s who? I sound angry, don’t I? My wife tells me to reread:
Be angry and sin not! So…this gives me good practice.
Jack
Hook:
For
further evidence of the pre-70th Week rapture please refer to my article, "The
Judgment Chronicles", where among many other things I attempted to show
that the seventh trumpet sounding in Revelation 11 heralds and
opens the final seven vials of God’s wrath which last 387 days. This is
when God pours out the fullness of his wrath, due in part to the antichrist
President and false prophet Pope having the two Jewish prophets murdered, and
allowing their bodies to lay out in the streets of Jerusalem;
when to the utter shock of the world they are resurrected and ascend into the
heavens.
Jack is absolutely right here (well,
somewhat) – the Seventh Trumpet does open the final seven vials of God’s wrath
but it doesn’t last for 387 days – it lasts for exactly 30 days as per Daniel
12:11:
11 “And from the time that the
daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set
up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
And, Jack, I have no idea where you get
“two Jewish prophets” lying in the streets of Jerusalem – please reread Rev. 11
in light of the fact that fire-breathing olive trees are obviously symbolic.
So, if you’re going to be “literal” – then how is it that these two lampstands
are breathing out fire? These Scriptures resound with “allegorical meaning”
and say so in Rev. 11:
8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom
and Egypt, where also our[c] Lord was crucified.
The types and shadows in the Old
Testament, the book of Hebrews and the gospels are emphatic: Christ was crucified
OUTSIDE THE CAMP and we are enjoined to go to Him outside the camp as well for
we have here “no continuing city.” And, every single time that the phrase
“great city” is used in the Revelation it is used in reference to Babylon the
Great – even in Rev. 21:10 does not associate “great city” with Jerusalem in
the original – see the Darby Translation and many others and the margins of the
New King James Version:
Revelation 21:10
Darby
Translation (DARBY)
10And he
carried me away in [the] Spirit, [and set me] on a great and high mountain, and
shewed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God,
Jerusalem in the Revelation is THE HOLY
CITY – whereas Babylon is THE GREAT CITY – end of story – for this is a “tale
of Two Cities.”
Jack Hook:
The seventh trumpet is not the last day of Daniel's
70th Week as some teach. It has no bearing with the "last
trump" Paul alluded to in 1st Corinthians 15:52. Only the two prophets rise from the
dead in Revelation 11:3-15, and then "before" the seventh trumpet even sounds,
thereby ending the sixth trumpet which lasted three and one-half days. I
believe the rapture trumpet Paul referred to is found in Revelation 4:1 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
I have read Revelation 20:4-7 many times over the years. Some have said this proves the
post-70th week return of Jesus Christ to rapture his followers. I will
try to make my understanding of this portion of scripture clear and
simple. Revelation 19:7-8,14 shows me that the "armies that were in heaven" are the
glorified resurrected church that were "given" their white garments
of Revelation 3:4-5; 4:4, before the 70th week begins, for they were in Heaven
before Jesus descends to Earth to take down the Antichrist and False Prophet.
The TWO
WITNESSES of Revelation 11 are NOT 2 super-duper X-Men – no matter what
DC/Marvel Comics has led us to believe. Nigh all know that the TWO OLIVE TREES
and the TWO LAMPSTANDS equal 4 or 2 + 2 = 4. So, right away you know there’s
something more going on here than simply “two.”
Secondly, the Devil, Dragon, the Old
Serpent, Lucifer is making WAR against them – and that word WAR in the
Greek constitutes a major conflagration. Jack you know the difference from a
“fire fight” to a major mission – this is a global conflagration of immense
significance – and who are these folks with whom the same creep is enraged all
the more?
17 And the dragon was enraged with the
woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the
commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.” (Rev. 12:17).
These TWO WITNESSES are the only two the
Almighty has had since Abraham – Israel and the Church – open persecution
abides their lot – but praise God they overcome him (the Dragon) by the blood
of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony – these are they who “keep the
commandments of God” (Israel) and “have the testimony of Jesus” (The Church).
Also, the same group “sing the Song of Moses” (Israel) and the “song of the
Lamb” (the Church) – see Revelation 15:1-2 (and please note from whence they
come):
1 Then I saw another sign in heaven,
great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them
the wrath of God is complete.
2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire,
and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark[j]and over the number of his name, standing
on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3 They sing the song of
Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb 1 Then I saw
another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last
plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
So – tell me – are these not in glory –
HAVING THE HARPS OF GOD? And, are they not in heaven PRIOR to the seven angels
pouring out the seven vials upon the earth – and are not these the so-called
“tribulation saints” in that they have gotten the “victory over the beast
(political Babylon), over his image (religious Babylon) and over his mark
(commercial Babylon) (Rev. 15:2)? They are absolutely “tribulation saints” and hardly
destined as “breeders” for the Kingdom! This all happened in “heaven” – and on
earth the wrath of the Lamb is to be poured out. Why, oh why, can’t the
pretribulationists see this sight – why? I’ll tell you why – because they have
totally confused the “Blessed Hope” with the “Great Escape” and claim that the
saints so described here in Revelation 15 who have come out of this Great
Tribulation victorious were looking forward to Antichrist, not Jesus Christ –
NONSENSE! There’re the ones who are victorious. They are the ones who gave
unmitigated testimony – and have throughout the ages – against Babylon the
Great and have “gotten the victory.” Don’t call them “second rate” “guests at
the Marriage Supper of the Lamb” and please, don’t call them the Wife of
Jehovah or “breeders for the Millennium.” Call them what they are: The Church
without spot are wrinkle, washed in the blood of the Lamb! And sing it with
gusto.
Furthermore, this business of letting
the Jews have at it with the Antichrist…listen, sister Corrie Ten Boom and her
family made a conscientious decision to face off with Hitler! That’s right.
They knew precisely the cost of his insanity and they were willing to pay the
price for the Savior and for the sons and daughters of Abraham. That’s the
kind of faith demonstrated by the Tribulation Saints – FIRST CLASS CITIZENS OF
GLORY – just like Corrie. Jack – man up, brother – and, NO, we can’t do this
by ourselves…but by His grace alone!
Their body lies in the “street of the
Great City” – and don’t tell me that’s Jerusalem because every time it is
mentioned in the Revelation it refers to Babylon – so, now we make this out to
be Jerusalem when we know full well that Jesus was crucified OUTSIDE THE CAMP –
not in Jerusalem and we are enjoined to follow Him “outside the gate.”
Sodom and Egypt – was Jerusalem ever called these two
names together? Don’t think so – perhaps as in Sodom but not as in Egypt.
Besides after 3.5 days or if you look at the 3.5 days as 3.5 years (which they
are) for the Evil One as it says:
7 When they finish their testimony, the
beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them,
overcome them, and kill them…
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the
breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great
fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud
voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven
in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there
was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven
thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God
of heaven.
You just
got through reading the RAPTURE and the RESURRECTION! Guess what? It isn’t
secret and He does say: COME UP HERE – WITH A LOUD VOICE! Right after that a
GREAT EARTHQUAKE as in 30-days of the Wrath of God is poured out and 1/10 of
the City fell – that’s total judgment and 7,000 died – now, come on now, hundreds
of thousands died in Haiti and you’re telling me this is all that died? No,
God’s judgment is complete – 7 is completion big time.
Indeed, therefore, the only ones who
hear the blast of the trumpet in Revelation 11 are precisely that great
multitude of witnesses, called, MY TWO WITNESSES! He’s only had TWO WITNESSES
since Abraham – there is no class known as “the Tribulation Saints” – they are
Israel, or the Church or the Gentiles – that’s that.
Jack Hook:
Furthermore, in Revelation 20:4 John sees in his vision thrones and "they" sat on them to
judge. The "they" are the resurrected armies who were in
Heaven. But John also says..."and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded". The word "and" is the key to understanding that
John saw two groups of saints...those already resurrected and clothed in white
"and" the souls of them who are "about to be" resurrected
to rule and reign on the Earth with the others in the millennial Kingdom of
Jesus Christ.
Let’s take a look at Rev. 20:4:
4 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[a] thousand years. 5 But the
rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him
a thousand years.
The “souls of those who had been
beheaded for their WITNESS TO JESUS” you have in sort of a “holding tank” – but
aren’t they resurrected and if so – are they the “breeders” of the millennial
reign? Furthermore, there is no AND mentioned in Revelation 20:4. The
“thrones” to which you allude are NOT all the saints of the Most High God but,
frankly speaking, they are the same “thrones” mentioned in Daniel 7:9 – and as judgment is meted out, these
“thrones” echo the only two references in the New Testament relative to
“thrones” and can be found in Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30 wherein the 12 Apostles of the Lamb are
commended to “sit on thrones” judging the 12 Tribes of Israel and, to “sit with
Me on My throne” as found in Rev. 3:21 regarding the overcomers on that day. But
if they have the “witness to Jesus” – aren’t they members of the Church, the Woman,
the Lamb’s Bride? Sure they are – they can be no less. And, wait a minute –
remember the TRIBULATION SAINTS – aren’t they clothed in white as well…
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying
to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir,[b] you
know.”
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation,
and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Indeed, they have the best white there
is – “made white by the blood of the Lamb!” Apparently, these saints hold an
unusual standing in that they may be beheaded and are “souls” but these “souls”
are clothed in white robes – go figure….washed, made white, as brother Jack is
bold to proclaim: By the bloody cross!
Jack Hock:
It is imperative that we understand
these executed by beheading are followers of Christ who
entered the 70th Week as unbelievers, both Jew and Gentile, many of whom had a
form of godliness, were members of Christendom, but had never truly departed
from their sin nature through repentance and faith in the shed blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. These people have now become the fruits produced
by the two prophets and 144,000 "first fruits" Jewish
missionaries. John says later that..."blessed is he that hath
"part" in the first resurrection. There are two parts or phases
to the first resurrection. Also, we
must know that believers who physically survive the 70th Week will be the
ones who will replenish or repopulate the Earth for one thousand years.
(Note: No, they who “came up against
Jerusalem” will repopulate the earth for one thousand years – so great is His
mercy!) Now, Jack – a bunch of Jewish evangelists are not in view here and
there’s nothing in Rev. 7 that says Jews evangelize Gentiles
during this time – it says that 12,000 from each of the Tribes of Israel are
SEALED – that’s that – “servants of God”…but that’s as far as she goes. Then
it talks of this great multitude of folks who’ve washed their robes in the
blood of the Lamb – brother, that’s the Church you’re looking at – triumphant
in the blood of the Lamb – that “bloody cross” has made their garments white –
for these are they “who have overcome him (Satan, the Dragon, that Old Serpent,
the Devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and
loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelation 12:11). You’re right, “followers of Christ”
– and, tell me, how can you be a follower of Christ and not a member of His One
Body? You know, the CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD! To make a quantum leap by
saying the Great Multitude that cannot be numbered were somehow evangelized by
144,000 on-fire for Christ Jews, is just not happening here (I could have said
that in a very condescending way – but somehow I refrained) – the point is:
These 144,000 represent Israel in Revelation 7 and the other group of 144,000
represent the Church in Revelation 14 (standing in the heavens on Mt. Zion) and
the “144 cubit” wall (no length, depth or height is given just “144”) of the
New Jerusalem represents BOTH Israel and the Church in the New Jerusalem or AS
the New Jerusalem – 12x12=144. Furthermore, the only two proper names
committed to the New Jerusalem, His singular and only Bride, the Woman (Note:
There’s no mention of another woman called the “Wife of Jehovah”.) are the
names of the 12 Tribes of Israel for the gates and the names of the 12 Apostles
of the Lamb for her foundations – the Church.
Everything about these “tribulation
believers” indicates a heavenly status (for those “martyred for their faith”) –
how, pray tell, can they who occupy the heavenly throne room be they who are
going to repopulate the Messianic Kingdom? NEVER! Coming out of Great
Tribulation – into the very presence of Him Who sits on the heavenly throne –
only to be ousted from heaven’s reality and sent back to repopulate the planet
– absolute nonsense! Any way you try to ameliorate the stupidity and doctrinal
error of this contortion, it comes out the same: REINCARNATION! So much for:
“It is appointed unto men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
You simply cannot be a follower of
Christ without being a member of the Body of Christ – plain and simple – such
an “entity” does not exist – i.e., a “follower of Christ” who is not a member
of the Body of Christ? – But you’re right, by implication, that One Body is
“having it out” against the Dragon; all done on planet earth during this time
and millions are turning to Christ because of their prevailing witness – the
witness of the Church!
Yes, there are two groups of 144,000 and
they are NOT Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Mormons, or just Jews
– one group in Rev. 7 are definitely the 12 Tribes of physical Israel and the
other group of 144,000 in Revelation chapter 14 is standing on Mt. Zion with the Lamb –
the Church! By the time you get to the New Jerusalem they show up again as the
wall: 144 cubits or 12x12=144! And the 12 gates have the names of the 12
Tribes of Israel and the 12 Foundations the Names of the 12 Apostles of the
Lamb – God’s ultimate intention is to have ONE WOMAN, HIS BRIDE – not two Women
– the Wife of Jehovah and the Bride of Messiah as some ignorantly and
shamefully imply that my Jesus is a polygamist! No – He has but One Bride:
Revelation 21:
“Then one of the seven angels who had
the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me[f] and talked with me, saying, “Come, I
will show you the Woman, the Lamb’s Bride.”[g] 10 And he carried me away in
the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the Holy City,
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of
God.”
And, please don’t tell me that the Wife
of Jehovah is the “Father’s Bride” – not only is this confusing, it is
altogether heretical doctrine.
And one more final blast: There’s only
ONE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST – from Adam to the end of the Seventieth Week of
Daniel and everyone in between who has called on the Name of the Lord – listen,
this word for FIRST Resurrection is the same word for BEST love –
as you hear of the Church in Ephesus who left their “first love.” There is no
better resurrection – no superior resurrection – this is it – the one and only
resurrection of the just and we’re all in it! All this “partial resurrection”
business is simply not biblical – and what an insult as Tommy Ice and brother
Fruchtenbaum allege that the Old Testament saints will be invited to the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb as GUESTS at the feast! OUTRAGEOUS! You mean to
tell me that Moses is a guest? And, worst of all, he shows up as the “Wife of
Jehovah” – talk about a split personality! Man, this is where I lose it –
imagine Samuel, Joshua, Ruth, David, Daniel – a bunch of “second rate saints”
who show up as guests and with another man or as the “Wife of Jehovah!” This
is sick doctrine at its extreme – it is so foreign to the nature of God
Almighty that it doesn’t deserve consideration – I reject it outright and with
outrage! Come on now – there’s only ONE WOMAN – THE BRIDE OF MESSIAH – that’s
that! The protoevangelium announces this Woman in Genesis 3:15 and she persists unto the New Jerusalem
– just ONE WOMAN! Ice and Fruchtenbaum are utterly confused – to the contrary,
they claim that a great deal of confusion is seen if we don’t see these two
resurrections of the saints, but in point of fact by having two such
resurrections of the just we are forced into two “wives” – “two brides” – and
on and on it goes. Finally, who says these “Jewish evangelists” are “first
fruits?” Sealed servants of God – that’s it. And, insofar as the Jews are
concerned: “You will not see my face again, until you say: Blessed is He Who
comes in the Name of the LORD” – how blessed will be “unto the 1,335th day” (Daniel 12:12; Matthew 23:39).
Jack Hook:
Our Lord Jesus Christ is returning to first deliver
his own to Heaven, thereby leaving the apostates of Christendom on the Earth,
and then in wrath begin his judgment upon Satan's world system. This
judgment ironically begins with him permitting the "final" President
and Pope to channel all of their demonic power and influence to establishing
peace in the Middle East, including the
rebuilding of the Temple. Israel will fall under the spell of these men
because their leaders reject the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah.
Please read on my web site the two articles, "The Wise Man" and
"Moved with Compassion", for more details.
A bunch
of apostates (i.e., the so-called “left behind”) are not going to bring a
“great multitude that no man could number” to become blood bought, blood
washed, witnessing believers and if you think for one minute that they can do
any of this – such as laying down their lives for Christ – without the power of
the Holy Spirit then “you” – whoever you are out there – don’t know the same
Holy Spirit I do, nor for that matter, the one that Corrie Ten Boom knows!
Frankly, whether you want to or not Jack – your Blessed Hope is the GLORIOUS
APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST – same as mine – and I
know you know that. This notion that God wouldn’t let His people suffer is
ridiculous and wholly unbiblical…just ask Corrie Ten Boom and Pastor
Wally who spent
70 days and 70 nights tortured for Christ in Saudi Arabia before the Lord
delivered him. I’m not looking forward to Antichrist – I’m utterly looking
forward to Christ. No man “knows the day nor the hour” but we sure are
enjoined to know the “signs of the time” – and, furthermore, “no man knows the
day” because the DAY OF THE LORD and His coming to set up His earthly kingdom
is NOT on the Jewish Calendar….hard to celebrate something that hasn’t happened
yet. The doctrine of imminency was blown away by the rebirth of the State of
Israel – really? Sure it was – all those brothers back in the day knew that
Christ would not return until Israel became a nation and then He would return –
so much for “any moment” stuff.
Now, regarding President and Pope –
we’re probably on the same page here – but, fortunately, God Almighty will have
His Two Olive Trees and Two Lampstands on the earth – yep – fire-breathing
Baptists and on fire Holy Spirit anointed Bible-thumping fundamentalists –
now’s your time to go Pentecostal big time! And, I’d dare to say that a bunch
of Catholics will lay down their lives for Christ as well!
Jack Hook:
Until the day the Lord Jesus Christ comes for his own,
we are to speak the truth in love and compassion to all the lost souls in this
world, always remembering that before Jesus created a new pure heart within us
by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit and his shed blood, we also walked
daily in the powerful delusions of this demonic world system, Ephesians 2:1-7.
We should also remember that as followers of the Lord Jesus our new hearts are
still engaged in a major battle in our minds with the remnants of our sin
nature that yet reside in our unsaved bodies.
As I have said before many times, our sin nature
thrives on pride, love of self, and love of money, and it is the sin nature
which dominates over most of Christendom today. The wood, hay,
and stubble represented in the seducing pride of patriotism, the love of money
taught by the prosperity prophets, and the new age psycho-babble of the purpose
driven life and emergent church movements prove this to be true, 1 John 2:16.
Let us all burn away these false doctrines from our lives and replace them with
the eternal doctrines of Christ which are like gold, silver, and precious
jewels.
Knowing this evil about our body's sin nature, we long
for Jesus to come when he then will change our sinful bodies into the likeness
of his glorified immortal body, Philippians 3:17-21. Those people who do not have this hope and longing for his
return deeply imbedded in their hearts or spirits, are still blinded by the
deceitfulness of sin.
Now, that’s why Jack and we get along so
well – everything he says here he means it and I can’t think of a more precious
brother to be with in the Great Tribulation than with a brother like Jack – if
that’s what God desires, then, Lord, have at it!
Jack Hook:
These are the reasons I believe as I do about the
second coming of our Lord Jesus and the rise of the Antichrist. There are
many other teachings that point to an “any day any hour” rapture of the
"hated and persecuted" remnant. And, as I have said countless
times before, the scriptures teach us that the combined power of the bloody
cross and second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, is the only
"permanent" solution for stopping the death and destruction that men
inflict upon one another to the sick delight of their fallen angel
masters. Remember the words of the Lord...."I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me", John 14:6.
Please visit our website and sign the
"guestbook" or send an email. Thank you for reading this and I
hope to hear from you soon. I hope you will consider reading the articles
"Then Comes the Fire", "The Judgment Chronicles" and
"The Fundamentalist" posted on our web site. For details
concerning my military background during the Vietnam era, please read the articles " Vietnam : The Manchus of Charlie
Company", "Pacifist, Patriot, or Pilgrim" and "Moved with
Compassion". Just click on the website link below and click on
"Articles". The radio interviews I have been part of can be
listened to by clicking on this link: http://www.thebyteshow.com/JackHook.html
Sincerely,
Jack D. Hook
jdhook@cox.net
Babylon the Great is Falling
http://www.babylonthegreatisfalling.net
I’d encourage everyone to go to Jack’s
website – and, insofar as the differences go – the Lord will sort all that out
on that day. Now, when that Treaty is signed it’ll be real sneaky (because he
– Antichrist – will have as his hallmark, deception – trust me – imagine you’re
still here and “someone” forces Israel to “make peace” with all her neighbors –
sound familiar? So this “treaty” is forced down her throat – and you’re still
here – so the rapture hasn’t happened and, therefore, this can’t be THE treaty?).
But it will be….and then the Gog-Magog War and we’re off to give testimony to a
dying and apostate-stinking world of sinners out there – Hallelujah! A
multitude which no man can number – that sounds like a whole lot – and we’ll be
there evangelizing – what glory that will be!! If the Lord tarries – I expect
to see Jack out there somewhere leading the charge and preaching his heart out
while all hell is breaking loose around him.
Now to quote Corrie Ten Boom here –
please hear her out, because that “Tramp for the Lord” traveled the globe and
spoke the “truth in love” wherever she went – but she didn’t pull any punches
and you’ve got to know what she said and how she said it; well, only the Lord
can move you on that one:
Corrie:
This is the future and hope of this world. Not that the world
will survive – but that we shall be overcomers in the midst of a dying world.
Betsy and I, in the concentration camp, prayed that God would
heal Betsy who was so weak and sick.
“Yes, the Lord will heal me,” Betsy said with confidence.
She died the next day and I could not understand it. They laid her thin body on
the concrete floor along with all the other corpses of the women who died that
day. It was hard for me to understand, to believe that God had a purpose for
all that. Yet because of Betsy's death, today I am traveling all over the
world telling people about Jesus.
There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation,
that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false
teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the
world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible
persecution.
In China, the Christians were told, "Don't worry, before
the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured." Then came a
terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death.
Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,
"We have failed.
We should have made the people strong for persecution,
rather than telling them Jesus would come first.
Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution,
how to stand when the tribulation comes,
– to stand and not faint."
I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this
world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in
training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ
across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to
escape it.
We are next.
Since I have already gone through prison for Jesus' sake, and
since I met the Bishop in China, now every time I read a good Bible text I
think, "Hey, I can use that in the time of tribulation." Then I
write it down and learn it by heart.
When I was in the concentration camp, a camp where only twenty
percent of the women came out alive, we tried to cheer each other up by saying,
"Nothing could be any worse than today." But we would find the next
day was even worse. During this time a Bible verse that I had committed
to memory gave me great hope and joy.
"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye;
for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you;
on their part evil is spoken of,
but on your part He is glorified."
(I Peter 3:14)
I found myself saying, "Hallelujah!
Because I am suffering, Jesus is glorified!"
In America, the churches sing, "Let the congregation escape
tribulation", but in China and Africa the tribulation has already arrived.
This last year alone more than two hundred thousand Christians were martyred in
Africa. Now things like that never get into the newspapers because they cause
bad political relations. But I know. I have been there. We need to think about
that when we sit down in our nice houses with our nice clothes to eat our steak
dinners. Many, many members of the Body of Christ are being tortured to death
at this very moment, yet we continue right on as though we are all going to
escape the tribulation.
Several years ago I was in Africa in a nation where a new
government had come into power. The first night I was there some of the
Christians were commanded to come to the police station to register. When they
arrived they were arrested and that same night they were executed. The next day
the same thing happened with other Christians. The third day it was the same.
All the Christians in the district were being systematically murdered.
The fourth day I was to speak in a little church. The
people came, but they were filled with fear and tension. All during the service
they were looking at each other, their eyes asking, "Will this one I am
sitting beside be the next one killed? Will I be the next one?"
The room was hot and stuffy with insects that came through the
screenless windows and swirled around the naked bulbs over the bare wooden
benches. I told them a story out of my childhood.
"When I was a little girl, " I said, "I went to
my father and said,
"Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for
Jesus Christ."
"Tell me," said Father,
"When you take a train trip to Amsterdam,
when do I give you the money for the ticket?
Three weeks before?"
"No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just
before we get on the train."
"That is right," my father said, "and so it is
with God's strength.
Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for
Jesus Christ.
He will supply all you need – just in time…"
My African friends were nodding and smiling.
Suddenly a spirit of joy descended upon that church and the people began
singing,
" In the sweet, by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore."
Later that week, half the congregation of that church was
executed.
I heard later that the other half was killed some months ago.
But I must tell you something. I was so happy that the Lord used
me to encourage these people, for unlike many of their leaders, I had the word
of God. I had been to the Bible and discovered that Jesus said He had not only
overcome the world, but to all those who remained faithful to the end, He would
give a crown of life.
How can we get ready for the persecution?
First we need to feed on the Word of God, digest it, make
it a part of our being. This will mean disciplined Bible study each day as we
not only memorize long passages of scripture, but put the principles to work in
our lives.
Next we need to develop a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ. Not just the Jesus of yesterday, the Jesus of History,
but the life-changing Jesus of today who is still alive
and sitting at the right hand of God.
We must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
This is no optional command of the Bible, it is absolutely necessary. Those
earthly disciples could never have stood up under the persecution of the Jews
and Romans had they not waited for Pentecost. Each of us needs our own personal
Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We will never be able to stand in
the tribulation without it.
In the coming persecution we must be ready to help each other
and encourage each other.
But we must not wait until the tribulation comes before starting.
The fruit of the Spirit should be the dominant force of every Christian's life.
Many are fearful of the coming tribulation, they want to run. I,
too, am a little bit afraid when I think that after all my eighty years,
including the horrible Nazi concentration camp, that I might have to go through
the tribulation also.
But then I read the Bible and I am glad.
When I am weak, then I shall be strong, the Bible says. Betsy
and I were prisoners for the Lord, we were so weak, but we got power because
the Holy Spirit was on us. That mighty inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit
helped us through. No, you will not be strong in yourself when the tribulation
comes. Rather, you will be strong in the power of Him who will not forsake you.
For seventy-six years I have known the Lord Jesus and not once has He ever left
me, or let me down.
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him", (Job 13:15)
for I know that to all who overcome,
He shall give the crown of life.
Hallelujah!"
- Corrie Ten Boom - 1974
