Daniel and the Boys in the Band by Brian E. R. Limmer - HTML preview

Chapter 7: INTERLUDE

It is here, between chapter 3 and chapter 4 of Revelation I must insert a break to discuss how we interpret these prophecies.

From here on in, Christian pilgrims must travel alone through lands where wolves live. They will meet on their journey, (as I have met on mine), many who want to show them a short cut. Mr worldly-wise will try to entice them with his wisdom, saying he knows the sequence of events from here on. He doesn’t! Mark well what Jesus said:

“Many will come in my name saying The Christ is here, the Antichrist is there; the beast is rising in the north. Don’t believe them”!

I asked myself, when Jesus came last time, why were the Pharisees and others so blind? I conclude it was partly due to the well meaning academics who had convinced the people that the Messiah must conform to their doctrine which was mistaken. The ‘media-talk’ of the day simply repeated the old ‘red herrings’ daily. ‘How can Messiah be both suffering servant and conquering king?'. The diversion tactic was, (as it is today), just keep asking the same old questions until people could not hear the answer. How I hope when Messiah comes again the consensus of opinion from the experts will not blind the people, as the Pharisees did the first time Jesus came. Scripture suggest many will rather follow the explanation of the clever, even after such a mystery as the rapture. God is not bound by your doctrine or mine. He Is! It never ceases to amaze me, that even after a thousand years of Jesus’ reign on earth, the world will rebel and look for another to reign in his place¹⁶¹. I can only offer the following advice as you travel this part of the journey: Keep your eyes on the landmarks and away from the diverting footpath signs. Look for the markers and not the doctrines that have cocooned them.

The Rapture

You may be in the rapture before, during or after the tribulation, or you may have to wait for the return of Jesus himself. What you wish for by choice or place in your doctrine, will not alter the course of the path God has set. The rapture of the church is imminent; no other biblical prophecy needs to be fulfilled or signpost when the rapture will happen:

When Christ comes in the clouds to “snatch away” all those who trust in Him..,¹⁶²

 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.¹⁶³

 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other¹⁶⁴.

I tell you, in that night there shall be two people in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left¹⁶⁵.

 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven¹⁶⁶.

Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. With one indivisible thrust and in one moment of time, as the last trump sounds, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we that live shall be changed¹⁶⁷.

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not¹⁶⁸.

There are seven raptures mentioned in scripture:

Enoch in Genesis 5:42 and Hebrews 11 5

Elijah in 2 kings 2: 1 and 11

Jesus in Mark 16 19 Act 1 9 and revelation 12,5

Philip Acts 839

Paul 2 Corinthians 12: 2 4

And the body of Christ 1 Thessalonians 4:17

John revelation chapter 4

All of these use the word rapture. Interestingly, like the death of the firstborn in Egypt, they were all explained by authorities afterwards. Such strange events in history, like the disappearance of the dinosaurs, can all be explained by the experts given time. But not all are predicted so confidently by prophets.

The marker is:

There will be a rapture! There will be no pre-empting it. Both it and its timing is a mystery.

The Rise of the Antichrist.¹⁶⁹

A deceiving man will gain worldwide control, with promises of peace¹⁷⁰. He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet¹⁷¹. There are many candidates out there already who might look like this ‘prince that is to come’. There are already those saying follow me for Peace, (when there is no peace)'. He may be the predicted one, or he may be a foreshadowing of the one to come.

 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here¹⁷².

 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such Antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come¹⁷³.

And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an Antichrist¹⁷⁴.

I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an Antichrist¹⁷⁵.

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world¹⁷⁶.

This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles¹⁷⁷.

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones¹⁷⁸.

But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived¹⁷⁹.

The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place (reader, pay attention!)¹⁸⁰.

The marker is:

Evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. They will be around throughout the time of the gentiles. Some will even make contracts of peace between Israel and other nations. The final Antichrist will make a contract between Israel and the surrounding nations for seven years and renegue on it part way through.

The Abomination of Desolation¹⁸¹.

There have been several abominations in Jewish history. In Daniel’s time it was a gold plated statue of Nebuchadnezzar. During the Maccabean reign it was a statue of the Roman emperor and a feast of Bacon set up in the temple. The one to watch for will occur at the midway point of the seven-year contract, signed by the Antichrist. It will break his covenant with Israel and will itself be a marker that Daniel’s prophecy is on track.

The marker is:

The Antichrist will reveal himself only after he has fooled many, from that point on he will persecute the faithful ones.

The Tribulation ¹⁸²

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

The time the Antichrist reneges upon his contract will trigger a breakdown in the cosmos that will rebound on all humanity at the same time¹⁹¹. This may or may not coincide with the seven seals described in Revelation.

The Battle of Gog and Magog

A great army from the north, in alliance with several other countries from the Middle East and Africa, surrounds Israel ready to invade it. How Gog, (which may or may not be Russia in today’s language), marches his armies down from The north to the Megiddo plane and surround Jerusalem for the final battle is an unknown. Human logic might suggest, (because they are described as a land army), he must lead them through Ukraine, Turkey and Syria, (gathering them on the way), but that limits the plan of God to human intelligence and is ill-advised. The purpose once again is to watch what happens in the nations north of Jerusalem. The fool will have egg on his face if God chooses to bring them by another way.

The Marker is:

When you see the armies from the north, gathering in the Megiddo Valley. (not when you see the armies of the north at war with other nations). Then look up because God will intervene to save his own people very soon.

The Judgment Of The Nations¹⁹²

The judgement of the nations is the scope of judgement. It is not a judgement on the collective choice of nations. Like the shepherd gathers all his flocks in one place to walk through them, (separating those that are pregnant or those ready for market), so the individual sheep will be chosen and placed in groups. The truth is we do not have a choice where we are born. Nations do not give their allegiance to God, people do.

The Marker is:

When the Son of Man comes with the angels then he will separate individuals into groups not by nationality but by allegiance¹⁹³. 

The Binding of Satan and the Millennial Kingdom.¹⁹⁴

Jesus will be enthroned in Jerusalem. Satan, will be bound in chains, for the period of His reign. The earth and the cosmos will have this period to renew and recover, and the people will live in peace and prosperity¹⁹⁵. Not all nations will be happy with this.

Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the LORD¹⁹⁶.

Jesus will now have to rule with a rod of iron to keep the nations in check. At the end of that period, many people and nations will rebel against the authority of Jesus once again.

When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations… to gather them for battle¹⁹⁷.

This fact may alter the imagination of many believer’s, about the millennium period and its reign. Will it all be utopia?

The Marker is:

When the Son of Man comes with the angels he will set up His kingdom and rule all nations with a strong arm. Satan’s exploits in the world will be very limited, but still there.

The Great White Throne Judgment And The New Creation¹⁹⁸.

This is a renewal process period, Satan will be released from his limitation to stand before the throne of God himself. He will be judged and cast into the lake of fire. All those in hell will be brought forth, and all the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected to stand before God in a final judgment¹⁹⁹.

The Marker is:

A complete remake of the heavens and the earth. It is at this time that God wipes away all tears and there will be no more pain, death, or sorrow. The new Jerusalem and heaven’s Jerusalem unite, and the children of God will enjoy eternity with Him.