The Raptures (Harpazo) of the Scriptures

Daniel's statue has always included Rome, but it was the Alexandrian and Syrian legions that destroyed the Temple, not the Latin Romans. So if we stick to what the word of God says, then we can see who these toes are in reality:

1. Head - Gold Babylon - Iraq and Arabia
2. Chest-Arms - Silver Medo-Persian - Iran
3. Belly-Thighs - Bronze Greco-Roman - Turkey-Mid-East
4. Legs-Iron - Islam - Ottoman Empire (two sects - Sunni and Shia)
5. Feet-Toes Mixed - Islam - Ottoman Empire Revived

The world waits for the Roman empire to revive and all it's doing is imploding while the Islamic empire is growing. The world isn't on alert for French terrorists in Australia or German terrorists in Canada. The world is on alert for the rise of Islam. This isn't a new study, John Wesley, Hilaire Belloc, Bishop Fulton Sheen, Gregory Palamus of Thessalonica, Venon Richards, Josiah Litch, Sir Robert Anderson, Cyril of Jerusalem, Sophronius Patriarch of Jerusalem, Maximus the Confessor, John of Damascus, Eulogius, Paul Alvarus, and the Martyrs of Cordova, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards all believed the end-time religion is Islam. Jerusalem is the center of the world not Rome so the end times will be wholly middle eastern.

As to the 10 kings, history spells it all out:

1. Egyptian Empire - 1 horn plucked by Assyrians
2. Assyrian Empire - 1 horn plucked by Babylon
3. Babylon Empire - 1 horn plucked by the Persians
4. Persian Empire - 1 horn plucked by the Greeks
5. Grecian Empire - 4 horns plucked by the Romans (notice that the Grecian empire was broken into 4 parts)
6. Roman Empire - 1 horn plucked by Islam
7. Islamic Empire - 1 horn plucked by the West

10 horns

8. The eighth (revival of the seventh) 11th horn to be plucked by Jesus!

Notice what ISIL is doing to every town and village they come across - they crush it's very existence, smashing all evidence of what was there before. Notice what Daniel says about the 4th kingdom of the statue - Islam:

Daniel 2:40 (KJV)
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all [things]: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.​

Daniel 7:7 (KJV)
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.​

We know that when Jesus comes, He destroys all the kingdoms of the statue and the "The Rock becomes a mountain (His saints) and filled the whole earth"! Jesus comes to reign for 1000 years. The fourth kingdom won't sputter out or disappear in decay, but will be wiped out by the Lord Himself.

Daniel 7:26-28 (KJV)
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.​

The sealed book of Daniel is now clearly visible to understand on the evening news these days!
 
I find this thread quite interesting because I just stumbled upon it. For some reason, Fire Fox crashed last night and when I woke up my computer this morning, I answered the crash report and realized that this thread is about the "rapture" of the Church of Jesus Christ. I am presently studying Revelation and in particular the Church at Philadelphia.

I have had Dr. John MacArthur's two volume commentary on Revelation for several years and never went slowly thru it as a study. I am now! On pages 124, and 125 Dr. MacArthur presents a very scholarly presentation on the Church at Philadelphia. His understanding of the necessary Greek words for a correct understanding on the text is vital, IMO, to place the Rapture at a pre-trib position.

Honestly, I have been all over the place on a Rapture from pre-trib to mid-trib to no trib. I have returned to my original interpretation of the Rapture to pre-trib so thank you Abdicate for presenting this thread. I agree with your findings.
 
A very long time ago, probably in the late 70s or early eighty's I was really into the study of the "Rapture". Along with other Pastor's, we were convinced of the Pre-Trib Rapture. There were a few who held to mid and post. Near the end of the conference, I told the men that I had an amusing thought. In the Scriptures, it's a fact that at times, God allows us to have what we want, even if it's not good for us. I said. "Wouldn't it be interesting if God let each one of us depart from this world according to what we teach people?" Ha Ha, I'll go Pre-Trib!
 
Well, corrie Ten Boom didnt think so.
She said pre trib teaching damaged alot of newbie christians walk, esp when persecution came, they werent prepared.
I say let the holy spirit teach you.

If you think you will die, before it all happens, well you are blessed anyway. Remember the dead in christ will rise first, and then Jesus will gather any remaining left alive together.

There are many elderly christians who are actually blessed not to have lived through any kind of severe persecution, but Jesus did say enemies will be of ones own household. I dont think you need to always be looking at the big wide world on tv and in newspapers. Its here now. The spirit of the anti christ is in people now, working iniquity.
 
Silk said:
You will note that each empire causes the fall of the previous. The feet of iron and clay is (IMO) are of the Roman eastern leg and clay which makes the base of the statue unstable because clay and metal don't really mix well. Re: Bel/Baal, I think this goes back to Nimrod. (before Babylon, Eygpt, etal). And I agree that Bel/Baal is connected to Islam.
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Correct, each empire causes the previous to fall, but only God comes to destroy it. Agree with mixed clay on being Rome. God says He comes to destroy quite a few nations, not surprising all Muslim.
Thank you Jesus you are for us.
 
Hey @Chopper (waving). I have been thinking, since I am new in the conviction of pretrib rapture, the same thing about what it means not to be able to see it clearly in scripture. It was like the scales fell off and everything made sense. I love MacArthur and feel when I listen that he is telling truth, backed by scripture after scripture..after scripture. I don't agree with all he says but at least I know why he is saying it.
 
Hi Silk (waving back). Dr. MacArthur has been a favorite since day one of my Salvation. My Pastor gave me a tape to listen to and the rest is history. I have his study Bible in the NKJV edition. His notes are very good. For the most part I have found him very valuable in developing a sound theology.

I think that he supports the "Bride of Christ" going up in the Pre-Trib Rapture, and the rest of the sleeping Church to wake up during the first half of the trib. and to be raptured at Mid-Trib. I may be wrong on His support,but that's what I believe.
 
Abdicate said:
How about this for OT Rapture? All the early church fathers believe Songs of Solomon was about Jesus and His bride - the church. With that in mind, read these verses:

Song of Solomon 2:8 (KJV)
The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.​

Skipping entails air between you and the earth! "... meet Him in the air..."

Song of Solomon 2:10 (KJV)
My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.​

Rise up... caught up... and come away... come up hither...

Parable of the fig tree explained...

Song of Solomon 2:13 (KJV)
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines [with] the tender grape give a [good] smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.​

Song of Solomon 2:14 (KJV)
O my dove, [that art] in the clefts of the rock, in the secret [places] of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet [is] thy voice, and thy countenance [is] comely.​

The word in Genesis translated as Night also means protective shadow and comes from the root word meaning staircase or enclosed space and the word for darkness is translated the secret place. In other words, the secret place of the stairs is HEAVEN! Come away with me to Heaven!

What are we going to do? Marriage supper of the Lamb!

Song of Solomon 5:1 (KJV)
I am come into my garden, my sister, [my] spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.​

Finally:

Proverbs 25:7 (KJV)
For better [it is] that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
​
There ya go...
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All good stuff!!!
 
Chopper said:
Hi Silk (waving back). Dr. MacArthur has been a favorite since day one of my Salvation. My Pastor gave me a tape to listen to and the rest is history. I have his study Bible in the NKJV edition. His notes are very good. For the most part I have found him very valuable in developing a sound theology.

I think that he supports the "Bride of Christ" going up in the Pre-Trib Rapture, and the rest of the sleeping Church to wake up during the first half of the trib. and to be raptured at Mid-Trib. I may be wrong on His support,but that's what I believe.
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Yes he does Chopper, as do I. I have several books that he has authored which he confirms this belief in the Rapture.
 
Chopper said:
Hi Silk (waving back). Dr. MacArthur has been a favorite since day one of my Salvation. My Pastor gave me a tape to listen to and the rest is history. I have his study Bible in the NKJV edition. His notes are very good. For the most part I have found him very valuable in developing a sound theology.

I think that he supports the "Bride of Christ" going up in the Pre-Trib Rapture, and the rest of the sleeping Church to wake up during the first half of the trib. and to be raptured at Mid-Trib. I may be wrong on His support,but that's what I believe.
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I'm unsure what MacArthur's position is on this. I can't remember altho I have literally watched hours of MacArthur's sermons and have some of his commentaries plus strange fire.
I always wondered why The Song of Solomon was included in scripture. When you combine it with the wedding of Christ and His church - it makes total sense. Learning ancient Jewish wedding traditions is also helpful.
 
Abdicate said:
Thanks sir. Perry Stone showed that one :)
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He is an excellent teacher. I marvel at people like him who have such memory recall of details.

I was like that one day but those days are gone.

Just the other day I was standing in the bathroom and I could not remember if I was coming in or going out.
 
Silk said:
I'm unsure what MacArthur's position is on this. I can't remember altho I have literally watched hours of MacArthur's sermons and have some of his commentaries plus strange fire.
I always wondered why The Song of Solomon was included in scripture. When you combine it with the wedding of Christ and His church - it makes total sense. Learning ancient Jewish wedding traditions is also helpful.
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Absolutly correct!
 
Abdicate said:
Not for long...
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Yep, it looks like their economics (Or lake there of) is about to hit the fan. But then, that may just be the precursor that would lead to something else.

One of the 4 horsemen is all about "Econ0mics" as I know you have expounded on many times. So........
 
Major said:
He is an excellent teacher. I marvel at people like him who have such memory recall of details.

I was like that one day but those days are gone.

Just the other day I was standing in the bathroom and I could not remember if I was coming in or going out.
Click to expand...

I think it was Perry Stone that I got the possibility that Golgatha (place of the skull) was the resting place of Goliath's skull, cut off by King David (and who founded Jerusalem as the capital of Israel). Goliath was from Gath. You get an amazing picture of Christ's heel on this particular skull.
 
I forgot to add that the historian, Josephus, talks about bones of giants displayed in the Temple in his day, to show what Israel had to fight in ancient times. Sorry for the off-topic.
 
Silk said:
I'm unsure what MacArthur's position is on this. I can't remember altho I have literally watched hours of MacArthur's sermons and have some of his commentaries plus strange fire.
I always wondered why The Song of Solomon was included in scripture. When you combine it with the wedding of Christ and His church - it makes total sense. Learning ancient Jewish wedding traditions is also helpful.
Click to expand...
Just something on the side, I once read a bit from SoS to my wife after writing it on a piece of paper (Do not question the intention, okay).
She was disgusted with me, I had to fetch the bible to prove it's in there.
I did not at the time make the bride of Jesus wedding connection, but think I see it now. I'll just have to read it again.
 
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