The Day of the Lord
Returning now to Revelation 6, we see God's wrath beginning and the Day of the Lord being poured out upon the earth. The sixth seal opens accompanied by a great earthquake and then tremendous heavenly signs which will frighten and terrify mankind upon the earth until they seek to hide themselves in the very dens and rocks of the earth. Verse 17 identifies this as the day of GOD'S wrath upon the earth.
Rapturists would have us believe that the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are one and the same. However, the Tribulation is the time of the first five seals — the time of Satan's wrath upon the earth. Following the Tribulation comes the dreadful and terrible Day of the Lord in which His wrath is poured out upon the earth to bring an end to the rebellion of the Babylonish systems of this world and the Satanic deception that has entered into the hearts of men.
Notice these same events as portrayed by the prophet Joel. "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the great and terrible day of the Lord come" (Joel 2:30-31).
Did you notice that the prophet Joel said there would be blood, fire and smoke in the earth and then heavenly signs before the great and terrible Day of the Lord comes? This again rules out any possibility of a rapture before the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ returns at the end and culmination of the great and terrible Day of the Lord — not before.
The Day of the Lord begins with the opening of the sixth seal and the heavenly signs being revealed in the heavens.
Chapter 8 of Revelation depicts that terrible Day of the Lord. It is pictured under the seven trumpets which comprise the seventh seal. These seven trumpets portray the wrath of God being poured out upon this earth to cause all who have turned their backs on God's way and His Word to realize the error of their ways and to cause them to turn finally to acknowledge Him.
As we have previously noticed, it is at the culmination of these seven trumpets that the mystery of God is finished — the resurrection and transformation of all who have obeyed Jesus Christ and been a part of His true Church (Rev. 10:7).
The last trumpet — the seventh trumpet — is divided into the seven last vials of wrath — which are the vials of Almighty God poured out upon the kings of the earth which cause them to rebel and to fight against the returning Jesus Christ in the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:13-14).
Finally the seventh and last trump sounds and Jesus Christ returns to this earth. That event is portrayed in Revelation 19, beginning in verse 11. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."
Yes, all of the nations of this earth who have been buffeted and afflicted by the wrath of God, finally in one great last rebellion will attempt to fight and make war against the returning Jesus Christ.
Jesus and the armies which were in heaven (Verse 14) make war upon the nations of this earth and destroy the rebellious army, leaving a pitiful remnant of people scattered across the face of the earth.
Are These Armies Saints?
Rapturists would have us believe these armies are the saints returning with Jesus Christ to the earth in His second phase. However, Jesus Christ makes this very clear that it is not the saints but all His holy angels returning with Him. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and ALL THE HOLY ANGELS WITH HIM, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory" (Matt. 25:31).
Some also would use Jude 14 to imply that these are saints and not angels. However, the word "saints" in Jude 14 is the Greek word hagios which can also be translated "most holy ones." Therefore, although translated "saints," this word could very well have been translated "holy ones." Therefore, the reference is again a parallel to Matthew 25:31 and Revelation 19:14 — and means the holy angels of God returning with Jesus Christ to wreak vengeance upon the disobedient nations of this earth.
At His return, Jesus Christ will subdue all of the nations of the earth — will cast the Beast and the False Prophet (antichrist) into the lake of fire and slay the remnant of the army with the sword.
Then will Jesus set His feet upon the Mount of Olives and establish His Kingdom of God upon the earth — first during the Millennial reign of 1000 years and then forever and ever. The heavenly Jerusalem will come to this earth as the very Headquarters of Almighty God of the universe (Rev. 20, 21, 22).
Rapturists Will Miss Out
Those who believe in a secret rapture will NOT be looking for these events that Jesus Christ prophesied would come! They will ENTIRELY MISS the significance of the world happenings heralding the approach of the dreadful and terrible Day of the Lord! Rapturists will miss the key that after an initial persecution (Rev. 12:13), there will be a way provided for the true Church of God to escape the great wrath of Satan which is to come upon the earth (verse 14).
Instead of being taken away in a rapture, because of their belief in such a theory, they will entirely miss the opportunity to ESCAPE Satan's great wrath upon this earth. Therefore, proponents of the Rapture Theory are being robbed of the knowledge and understanding of truly how to escape!
A Stern Warning
Jesus Christ sternly warned, "Watch ye therefore and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36). If we are watching for a false event that shall never happen, our eyes will be taken off of the true; significant events which will warn us of the time to flee to a place of safety.
You can't afford to take a chance! You cannot allow yourself to blindly follow a doctrine without proving it!
Satan knows that the true Church of God will be given a place of safety on this earth during the great wrath to come. He doesn't want You to know this truth! He wants to rob you of the knowledge that is in the Bible. That is why he has inspired this doctrine of the rapture to be widespread among Protestantism — in order to blind you to the truth of the return of Jesus Christ.
God reveals that the Church is NOT going to be raptured away to heaven — but RATHER to be spared the time of Satan's wrath on this earth by being shown and taken to a place of safety in a remote and desert region RIGHT HERE ON THIS EARTH.
Are you really seeking the truth? Are you really seeking the true Church of God — trying to be obedient to Him and to serve Him as He has outlined in His Word? If you are being faithful — AND HONEST — you will see the truth and ' know where the true Church of God is. Then, the words of Jesus Christ will apply to you, where He said, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, TO TRY THEM that dwell upon the earth" (Rev. 3:10).
You can know where the true Church of God is! You can identify it if you are willing to prove it in all honesty from the Word of God. Send immediately for the free booklet "A True History of the True Church." Prepare yourself for the shock of your life! Learn where God's true Church is — learn its mission and commission on this earth. Then, you may learn that YOU can be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are coming on this earth.
A Final Warning
Paul warns of the rising up of that man of sin — the antichrist — who will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God. Let's notice the significance of this final warning.
Paul begins by beseeching the Thessalonians, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that you 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" (II Thess. 2:1-2).
Paul is talking about the one and only return of Jesus Christ. Rapturists would have us believe that Paul mentioned both the rapture of Jesus Christ and His second phase return all in the same verse. Such a conjecture is ridiculous in light of Paul's further word in the second verse when he shows that it is all one time — the day of Christ.
Now notice the significance of Paul's warning. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of the return of Jesus Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away [a rebellion against God's government] first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember you not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?" (verses 3, 4, 5).
The coming of the antichrist — the man of sin — must occur before the return of Jesus Christ. Rapturists would have us believe that this is to come after the return of Jesus Christ when He raptures His saints away to heaven.
However, Paul said that in his very day this mystery of iniquity was already at work (v. 7). If it was already at work in Paul's day, how could the rapture occur first? Paul continues to show in verse 7 that he who letteth (restrains) will continue to restrain (let) until he (the man of sin) be taken out of the way. Paul is showing that the very power of God — through His Holy Spirit — is restraining the final rising up in power of the man of sin. The power of God will continue to restrain the rising up of the man of sin for a very SHORT TIME yet in the future, "and then shall that Wicked One [that's the correct translation] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming" (v. 8).
Now for the deep significance of this warning! Those who believe in a rapture will be waiting and waiting for this rapture to take them away! No rapture will occur! Soon a time of great trial and trouble and persecution will begin on the earth! There will be great signs and wonders appearing in the heavens — yet all the inhabitants of the earth will seek to hide themselves from this sign — thinking it is an evil power!
The actual sign in heaven will be the warning signs of the return of Jesus Christ to the earth! THE WORLD WILL BE DECEIVED INTO THINKING THIS POWER IS THE VERY POWER OF THE ANTICHRIST! That is why all of the nations of the earth will gather together to fight against Him at His return!
Therefore, those who adhere to a Rapture Theory have fallen into the deception of Satan the Devil who has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9). They will actually be guilty of accusing the returning Jesus of Nazareth of being the antichrist and will fight against Him and be destroyed!
Will you be deceived into believing this satanic doctrine of a Rapture Theory? Will you go on blindly believing the traditions of men and the theories they have advanced without proof? Read your Bible! Check carefully! Prove all things (I Thess. 5:21). Your very life is at stake.