FROM THE BOOK: "THE END TIMES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER"
by Ron Rhodes
REMEMBER THE NEXT LARGE EVENT TO HAPPEN ACCORDING TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PROTESTANT PROPHETS IS THE "RAPTURE" -- YES IT IS THE WORD USED FOR RESURRECTION [OR INSTANT CHANGE FOR LIVING CHRISTIANS] BY THEM. BY THEIR VERY TEACHING, CHRIST IS TO COME IN TWO PHASES, THE FIRST IS INVISIBLE, AT ANY SECOND, TO TAKE THE "CHURCH" TO HEAVEN FOR 7 YEARS [MOST OF THEM TEACH 7 YEARS] THEN THE LAST GREAT TRIBULATION ON EARTH TAKES PLACE, AFTER WHICH CHRIST COMES BACK VISIBLY WITH THE SAINTS TO EARTH - Keith Hunt
THE BOOK - QUOTE:
The Results of the Rapture
IN THIS CHAPTER
The Restrainer Is Removed
Christians Are Resurrected (Glorified)
The Restrainer Is Removed
"The mystery of lawlessness is already at work Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed" (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8). This verse indicates that the lawless one (the antichrist) cannot be revealed until the one who restrains is taken out of the way.
But who is this restrainer? And how does the restrainer relate to the mystery of lawlessness? What is the mystery of lawlessness? The Bible Knowledge Commentary offers this explanation:
A mystery in the New Testament is a new truth previously unknown before its revelation in the present dispensation. In this case the mystery is the revelation of a future climax of lawlessness in the world. Then and now a movement against divine law directed by Satan was and is operative. But it is being restrained somewhat, and this restraining will continue until the time appointed for revealing the man of sin and the climax of lawlessness.1
The "man of sin" (2 Thessalonians 2:3 nkjv) is the antichrist. He will embody sin and will promote sin as it has never been promoted before. Everything about him. will be rooted in sin.
Of course, this aspect of biblical prophecy would be much easier if Scripture precisely identified who (or what) the restrainer is. But for reasons known only to God, this information is not provided to us in Scripture. However, as will become clear below, we can logically infer who the restrainer is.
First, however, let's review some inadequate views.
(THE AUTHOR SHOWS SOME SAY ROME AND SOME SAY HUMAN GOVERNMENT, BOTH ARE INCORRECT -- I AGREE -- Keith Hunt)
The Holy Spirit
Many theologians believe that only one person—the omnipotent God-—-is powerful enough to restrain Satan. For this reason, they interpret the restrainer as being the Holy Spirit who indwells the church. This view was held by many in the early church, including Theodoret, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Chrysostom.6
Bible expositor Thomas Constable is representative of more modern scholars. "The Holy Spirit of God is the only Person with sufficient [supernatural] power to do this restraining.. .The removal of the Restrainer at the time of the Rapture must obviously precede the day of the Lord."7
In keeping with this, 1 John 4:4 tells us, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." "He who is in" Christians is the Holy Spirit, who is more powerful than "he who is in the world"—-that is, the devil.'
The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary draws support for this view from the grammar of 2 Thessalonians 2.
The word "restrain" (Greek, katecho, "to hold down") in both verses 6 and 7 is a present active participle, but in verse 6 it appears in the neuter gender ("what restrains") while in verse 7 it is in the masculine ("he who restrains, holds down"). Such usage also occurs in reference to the Spirit of God. The Greek word for "spirit," pneuma, is a neuter gender word, but the masculine pronoun is used when referring to the person of the Holy Spirit.
The Greek word translated restrain carries the idea, "to hold back from action, to keep under control, to deprive of physical liberty, as by shackling."9 This is what the Holy Spirit does in our day in preventing the antichrist from arising.
The Holy Spirits restraining of the lawless one (the antichrist) is in keeping with His broader work of restraining sin in the world. Prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock notes, "The Holy Spirit is spoken of in Scripture as restraining sin and evil in the world (see Genesis 6:3) and in the heart of the believer (see Galatians 5:16-17)"
(IT IS INDEED THE SPIRIT OF GOD THAT IS RESTRAINING THE COMING OF THE MAN OF SIN. HE WILL COME WHEN GOD SAYS ITS TIME FOR END TIME PROPHECY TO START. WHAT MANY DO NOT REALIZE IS THIS MAN OF SIN, THE END TIME FALSE PROPHET OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION, WILL COME AS BEING HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS, SOMEONE FROM GOD, LOOKING LIKE A SHEEP, BUT HE WILL BE A WOLF IN SHEEPS' CLOTHING. HE WILL NOT COME DRESSED IN BLACK WITH TWO HORNS COMING OUT OF HIS HEAD AND WORKING BLACK MAGIC ARTS. HE WILL BE THE GREAT FALSE PROPHET BECAUSE HE AND HIS WORK [CHURCH] WILL COME AS IF IT IS ALL FROM GOD; HENCE HE WILL BE ABLE TO DECEIVE 2 OR 3 BILLION PEOPLE - THE WESTERN WORLD. THIS MIGHTY END TIME WORK ALREADY HAS WELL OVER A BILLION PEOPLE IN ITS MEMBERSHIP, WHO ALREADY THINK IT IS FROM GOD. ALL EXPLAINED IN DETAIL IN MANY STUDIES ON MY WEBSITE UNDER "PROPHECY" -- Keith Hunt)
Christians Are Resurrected (Glorified)
The evidence that Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead is overwhelming (Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18; Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5,18). Once He was resurrected, many witnesses came forward to attest that it happened (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 10:39-40; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; see also John 20:24-29).
The wondrous fact that now lies before us is that Jesuss resurrection ensures our own resurrection from the dead. Recall Jesuss words to Martha following the death of Lazarus: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26). To prove His authority to make such statements, Jesus promptiy raised Lazarus from the dead!
Jesus had made a similar affirmation before. "This is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:39-40).
Because of what Jesus Himself accomplished on our behalf, we too shall be resurrected from the dead. We can rest in the quiet assurance that even though our mortal bodies may pass away in death, turning to dust in the grave, they will be gloriously raised, never again to grow old and die.
What are death, the grave, and decomposition in the presence of such power as this?...Millions that have been moldering in the dust for thousands of years shall spring up in a moment into life, immortality and eternal glory, at the voice of that blessed One.14
Raised Imperishable, Glorious, and Powerful
This wondrous resurrection from the dead will take place at the rapture of the church. In an instant—in the twinkling of an eye—dead believers will be raised from the dead. Even better, at that same rapture, the bodies of living Christians will be instandy transformed into resurrection bodies, and we will all meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessa-lonians 4:13-17). Never again will we be subject to the frailties of our weak, mortal bodies.
In 1 Corinthians 15:42-43, the aposde Paul says this of the resurrection body: "What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power." What a forceful statement this is of the nature of our future resurrection bodies......
END QUOTE
YES, THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHES SAINTS WILL BE RESURRECTED OR INSTANTLY CHANGED FROM MORTAL TO IMMORTAL, IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, WHEN CHRIST COMES. THE GLORIOUS TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION IS FULLY EXPOUNDED FOR YOU IN STUDIES ON MY WEBSITE.
NOW REMEMBER THESE PROTESTANT PROPHETS TEACH CHRIST FIRST COMES INVISIBLY, AT ANY SECOND [THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF SECONDS] TO BRING ABOUT THIS RESURRECTION AND INSTANT CHANGE, SO THE SAINTS FROM ADAM TO THE INVISIBLE COMING, CAN BE TAKEN TO HEAVEN, AND SO ESCAPE THE 7 YEAR END TIME TRIBULATION [NOT SURE WHY THE SAINTS IN THE GRAVES HAVE TO BE RESURRECTED, THEY WILL NOT KNOW ABOUT THE TRIBULATION ANYWAY.....AND ARE THEY NOT SUPPOSED TO ALREADY BE IN HEAVEN, AT THEIR DEATH, SO THE CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANTS TEACH.....WELL BETTER NOT CONFUSE THEM WITH SUCH MATTERS, MAY SPOIL THEIR DAY.
FROM THE VERY TEACHING OF THE PROTESTANT PROPHETS THIS INVISIBLE COMING, AT ANY SECOND, MUST BE TERMED "A SECRET RAPTURE" -- CAN NOT BE OTHERWISE.
SO THE VERY NEXT THING IN WORLD EVENTS THAT THE PROTESTANT PROPHETS LOOK FOR IS THE SECRET RAPTURE. AND SO THE RESULTS OF THIS RAPTURE; THE MAIN TWO BEING - THE MAN OF SIN COMES ON THE WORLD STAGE, AND THE DEAD AND LIVING SAINTS GO TO HEAVEN FOR 7 YEARS.
THE FALSENESS OF THIS SECRET RAPTURE IS BLOWN APART WITH IN-DEPTH STUDIES ON MY WEBSITE UNDER "PROPHECY."
Keith Hunt
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