At the end of the seven year time of Tribulation, Christ will return with His saints. The saints who return with Jesus will have their new glorified bodies (Philippians 3:21). Those who survived the Tribulation Hour and who are not condemned in the judgment of nations are allowed to enter the Millennium in their mortal bodies (Matthew 25:34). Since they are in mortal bodies and are able to procreate, babies will be born during this thousand year period. They, of course, will also have mortal bodies.

Because Satan is bound in Revelation 20:1,2), there is no enticement to sin among these mortals, their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. However, the children born during the Millennium still possess the old Adamic, or sin prone, nature. Because Christ rules with a rod of iron, they are kept under control for that thousand year period.

After 1,000 years of being bound, Satan is loosed again for a brief season (see Revelation 20:7); because God has always wanted everyone to follow Him by his or her own free will. So these millennial children are tested, and I am sad to say that multitudes after being with Jesus and seeing His sweetness, His tenderness, His love and His compassion will say, “I want to be with Satan.” It is really the same as at His first coming, when the people were with Jesus, and yet refused Him.

Matthew 24:36 says: “But that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” No one should make a prediction as to the exact time of the Lord’s coming. Many Bible scholars, Dr. Van Impe included, point to verse 33 of the same chapter, which states that, “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” These verses in Matthew 24 refer to the Revelation of Christ 7 years after the Rapture of the Church. Since we see the signs fulfilled which precede His return at the Revelation, we know the Rapture must be imminent. However, no man can know the exact day or hour though we certainly know the time is near. Jesus could return today! Every sign that points to the Lord’s return has been fulfilled.

The Rapture is indeed found in II Thessalonians 2:3.

Here are the Bibles before the King James Version: Wycliffe Bible-1384; Tyndale Bible -1526; Cloverdale Bible-1535; Cranmer Bible-1539; Breeches Bible-1576; Beza Bible-1583; Geneva Bible-1608. They all used the term “Departure”.

It is evident from John 16:7,8 that the work of the Spirit in the world is that of conviction and restraint concerning sin. He accomplishes this work through the bodies of those He indwells (I Corinthians 6:19). Spirit-indwelled believers have a purifying effect on the world. The Antichrist cannot be revealed until the Bride of Christ (the Church – all believers dead and living) are removed (II Thessalonians 2:3,7,8).

This does not mean that the Holy Spirit must be removed from the earth. This is not possible since He, as God, is omnipresent (present everywhere at all times) Psalms 139:7-11 and always will be.

The key names in Ezekiel’s prophecy are first mentioned in Genesis 10 as sons of Japeth, the son of Noah. They are Gomer, Magog, Tubal, and Meshech (Genesis 10:1, 2). These key verses describe the repopulating of the earth after the Flood. It was customary in ancient times for the descendants of a man to adopt his name for their tribe. Using this system, scholars have furnished the following information:

1. Magog – his descendants are the Scythians or Tartars, whose descendants today are found in modern Russia. Scythians were called Magogites by the Greeks 2,000 years ago (Josephus, book one, chapter seven).

2. Tubal – his descendants peopled the region south and north of the Black Sea. Tobolsk (the “sk” being the Russian suffix) perpetuates the tribal name and is presently located southwest of Siberia.

3. Meshech – his descendants are northern nations mentioned in connection with Tubal and Magog. Meshech is the original name for Moscow.

4. Rosh – the word “chief” in Ezekiel 38:3 is “Rosh” in Hebew. “Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the Rosh prince of Meshech and Tubal”. “Rosh” was the name of the tribe dwelling in the area of the Volga and it is the word for “Russia” today in some languages of the world. The name “Russia” was formed from the ancient name “Rosh”. It is clear that Ezekiel was delivering a warning to the Russian prince of Meshech and Tubal. Gog is the prince, Magog his land, the reference to Meshech and Tubal (Moscow and Tobolsk) is a clear mark of identification.

Allies of Russia in that fierce conflict will be Persia (Iran and Iraq), Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer (Eastern Germany and Slovakia), and Togarmah (Turkey). Daniel adds Egypt to the names of nations coming against Israel (Daniel 40-44).

The Russians will be pleased to cooperate with the others, knowing that when their military forces overrun the Middle East they will control all the wealth there, including Arab oil. Add to this the mineral wealth of the Dead Sea (two trillion dollars), as well as the wealth being generated in Israel through industry and agriculture. The Arabs will join the attack to take a prey, Israel, while Russia will be invading to take a spoil (Ezekiel 38:11,12).

The Jews will be dwelling securely. It seems likely this security (vs. 11) will come from enacting a treaty with the head of the Western Alliance, or the revived Roman Empire. It is intended to last for seven years (Daniel 9:27).

It appears that the Russian invasion will come about the middle of the Tribulation period, approximately three and one-half years after signing the treaty. This attack on Israel will be her greatest military blunder ever. Though brief, the conflict will be one of the most destructive in history. Their casualties will be so great that only one-sixth of the fighting force is left after the battle.

Two important developments will follow the defeat of the invaders of Israel:

1. Russia’s attack will give Antichrist an excuse for full occupation of Israel under the pretense of protection and will extend his power over the entire world.

2. The divine protection of Israel, prophesied by Ezekiel and proclaimed by the 144,000 evangelists, will turn many Jews to their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Russia will be driven back to Siberia (Ezekiel 39:1,2; Joel 2:20) where she will strengthen her forces and return to Israel once again. The scope and intensity of the offensive continues to increase until all nations become involved and are finally gathered together against Israel at Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2). At that point, the Battle of Armageddon takes place (Revelation 16:16).

Jesus mentioned the word “generation” in Matthew 24:34. He stated that a specific generation would live to see His return.

According to Matthew 1:17, there were 42 generations between Abraham and Jesus Christ. This covers a period of 2,160 years. Divide the 2,160 by 42 and it comes to 51.4. But since the Jerusalem War was won in 1967 in June, you have six more months to the end of December. Add six months to 51.4 and you have roughly 52 years for a generation.

Now in Luke 3:23-38, you have 77 generations from Adam to Jesus Christ. That’s a period of 4,000 years. Divided by 77 it comes out to 51.9. Again that’s about 52 years. Now without a doubt we know the length of a generation.

This is why though we are not setting a specific date, we believe that the Lord’s Return could happen any day now.

Daniel 2:44 says “And in the days of these kings (the alignment of the ten Western nations) shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…”

Beloved, Christ is coming soon as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Be prepared! The final truth that I would have you see is that a world church is closely associated with this

world government. Revelation 17 portrays a woman sitting upon the beast who rules internationally. John says, 'So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns…and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great…' (Revelation 17:35). Who is she? Clearly an amalgamation of all denominations and religions who have been left behind because of being apostate or Christ rejecting. This church reigns '…over the kings of the earth' (Revelation 17:18). It will not be church and state, but church and world unification that then plagues our planet.”

I do not believe the Antichrist knows that he is predestined to become the monstrosity of the 21st century. It is only after Satan enters his body that he begins to call himself God (Daniel 11:36: II Thessalonians 2:4).

The Believer is “raptured” in Revelation 4:1, then the Antichrist comes to power Revelation 6:1,2 and then midway through the Tribulation period begins the usage of his “666” identification system. During the Tribulation, the Antichrist will also have a false prophet who will be the religious leader of that period.

There will definitely be a pre-tribulation Rapture. The Lord will call Christians home before the Tribulation begins. Here are some verses that would be good for you to look up: I Thessalonians 4:16,17, I Corinthians 15:51,52 and Revelation 3:10. The book of Revelation was written chronologically. Revelation 1:19 says: “Write the things which thou hast seen, the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter” (past, present and future). Chapter 1 speaks of the past and chapters 2 and 3 speak of the present. Time wise, we are approximately at Revelation 3:15,16 and 17—the cold, lukewarm, lackadaisical Laodicean church. The future is shown in chapters 4-22.

The next event is Revelation 4:1 where John says: “After this I looked, and behold the door was open and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither…” This is the Rapture. Some people think this passage is speaking only to John but if you read ahead you will see that verses 10 and 11 talk about the 24 elders casting their crowns before the throne. This scene must take place after the Judgment Seat of Christ in order for the 24 elders to have crowns to cast at Jesus feet. The Judgment Seat of Christ cannot take place unless all Christians are present. This would mean that the Rapture has taken place.

The next event in Revelation, after the Rapture, is chapter 6, which is the Tribulation. Since chapter 4 comes before chapter 6 (the Tribulation) then we must conclude that the Rapture does take place before the Tribulation.

Nowhere in the Bible are believers told to request prayer for the dead.

Once a person has passed from this life, the prayers of others for that soul are to no avail. The accepting or rejecting of Christ and His shed blood for the remission of our sins must be made during the person’s lifetime. Hebrews 9:27 tells us: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” The story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke chapter 16 is additional proof that the decision to accept or reject Christ must be made during a person’s lifetime. These are sobering thoughts.

Jacob is Israel (Jeremiah 30:7; Romans 11:26). This period of time is also called “Daniels’s Seventieth Week” (Daniel 9). In history, the first 69 weeks involve Israel (9:24) and it follows that the seventieth or final week must also involve Israel. Chapters 30 and 31 summarize Israel’s endurance in the hour of Tribulation. All Old Testament prophets affirm this truth. In Ezekiel 38,39, seventeen different passages mark Israel as the victim of Gog and Magog’s deadliest war.

Jacob’s trouble is so named because of Jeremiah’s prophecy: Alas! for that day is great so that none is like it; it is even the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). He was speaking of the seven-year period known as the Tribulation. With the removal of the Church, earth plunges into its most horrendous hour (Matthew 24:21).

The tree of life bears 12 manner of fruits and produces them monthly. When Adam and Eve sinned by partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17), God drove them out of the Garden of Eden to keep them from eating the fruit of the tree of life lest they would eat and live eternally in their sinful state.

The tree of life will appear again in the Holy City (Revelation 22:2). Undoubtedly this tree plays a part in promoting our endless existence, for even the leaves contain healing or health for the nations living under, or in the light of, the city. The word “health” is the proper translation, not healing. Since there is no sorrow, sickness, or pain, healing is unnecessary.