A Wake Up Call for Israel and the Church Part III

A TRUMPET CALL FOR ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH: Understanding the Book of Joel — Part Three
‎Yesterday, ‎14 ‎June, ‎2011, ‏‎2:49:17 AM | joelcrosenberg  
Both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament teach that in the “last days,” severe military threats will mount against the State of Israel, yet the Jewish state will become more and more isolated internationally. Ultimately, the Bible indicates that no country will come to the defense of the Jewish people when the major prophetic battles unfold and Israel’s enemies attack. Rather, Israel will find herself all alone in the world. This makes recent headlines all the more troubling, for international pressure against — and isolation of — the modern State of Israel seems to be intensifying this year. Consider the latest key stories from the epicenter from just the past few days and weeks:

• The New York Times reports that an anti-Israel leader and his party have just won a big election in Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) have become serious problems for Israel and the U.S. in recent years. They are increasingly moving away from the West and towards the Radicals in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, as well as building closer ties to Moscow. A new Heritage Foundation analysis worth reading rightly notes: “With the second-largest military in NATO, Turkey has been a significant actor in many NATO operations and continues to stand alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan. However, Ankara’s burgeoning closeness to Tehran and the AKP’s hostility toward Israel undermine Turkey’s reliability as a regional partner for the U.S. and Europe….Turkey’s traditionally strong relationship with Israel has declined dramatically in recent years. The Turkish government-supported IHH Islamist organization is preparing to launch a second flotilla to Gaza despite the fact that the embargo is over, and this will only further inflame relations between the two countries. The AKP government has also continued to support Hamas, which Washington and Brussels classify as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).”
• Ynet News reports that Italy is turning against the Jews, citing a “murky wave of anti-Israel zeal, demonization of Jews growing at alarming rate in Italy“
• The Washington Post reports that the U.S. is bullying Israel to make deal with Palestinians
• The Washington Times reports that the U.S. is pressuring Israel to agree to accept the pre-1967 borders as a basis for peace talks
• An Associated Press headline reads: “Obama says Israel will face ‘growing isolation’ if there is no peace process”

In light of such disturbing trends, I am posting some of my notes covering chapter two of the “Book of Joel.” In his second chapter, the Hebrew prophet gives us so much vital information about the future of Israel and how to live in the last days that I won’t be able to cover it all in one posting. But I hope you will find these notes helpful as you study the writings of this important minor prophet and teach them to others.

Chapter Two: “A Trumpet Call for Israel and the Church”

1. As the “Day of the Lord” approaches in the last days, those who know the Lord, follow the Lord, listen to the Lord, study the Word of the Lord, and teach the Word of the Lord are supposed to do a series of things:
2. Understand that danger is coming and thus ”blow a trumpet in Zion” and ”sound an alarm” on God’s holy mountain — that is, call people to action ( Joel 2:1)
3. We are to alert “all” the inhabitants of the land of Israel that the “Day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near” ( Joel 2:1)
4. We are to let Israel know that the “Day of the Lord” will be a day of judgment, “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness”
5. We are to let Israel know that that the Day of the Lord will be historic….”there has never been anything like it” – even the previous apocalyptic plagues of locusts described in Joel chapter one – “nor will there ever be again after it” ( Joel 2:2)
6. We are to explain that the Day of the Lord will come with devastating fire that consumes everything in its path ( Joel 2:3)
7. We are to explain that the run up to the Day of the Lord will be traumatic — the land of Israel will suffer an invasion unlike anything in its history….the text indicates that the land of Israel will be completely overrun and will suffer serious devastation, far beyond the locust invasion that described in chapter one.
8. What’s interesting is that in the first 24 verses of chapter two, the word “locust” is never mentioned. Rather, we have images that are similar to a classic locust invasion, but far more devastating.
9. The appearance of the invaders is “like” the appearance of horses ( Joel 2:4)
10. And “like” war horses ( Joel 2:4)
11. They run “like” mighty men ( Joel 2:5)
12. They climb the wall “like” soldiers ( Joel 2:7)
13. So the invaders aren’t exactly locusts – they’re “like” locusts
14. The invaders aren’t human soldiers – they’re “like” human soldiers
15. Over the years, some Bible expositors have suggested that what we are seeing play out in the Book of Joel is the “War of Gog and Magog,” as prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39. There are several reasons for teachers to suggest this:
16. The Hebrew Prophet Joel describes events that will happen in the last days, as does Ezekiel
17. Joel seems to describe a land of Israel that is fertile and fruitful, like a Garden of Eden (Joel 2:3), and Ezekiel describes a land that has essentially recovered from devastating wars and is secure and prosperous (Ezekiel 38:8, 12)
18. Joel describes a threat to Israel that is unprecedented in her history, as does Ezekiel
19. Joel describes the Lord saying, “I will remove the northern army far from you” (Joel 2:20), and Ezekiel 38-39 describes the main threat to Israel coming from the north but destroyed by the Lord
20. Joel describes the Lord pouring out His Spirit after defeat of the enemy (Joel 2:28-29), as does Ezekiel (Ezekiel 39:29)
21. I certainly believe that the”War of Gog and Magog” described in Ezekiel 38-39 is real, serious, and coming sooner that many people think. That said, despite some similarities, I do not see the primary prophetic events described in the Book of Joel as being focused on Ezekiel’s ”War of Gog and Magog.” I say this for several reasons:
22. The Hebrew Prophet Joel describes Israel as being fully invaded and completely overrun by enemy forces, like a locust invasion; this is not, however, what is described in Ezekiel 38-39 where the enemy comes against the mountains of Israel but is then supernaturally destroyed, unable to completely invade and overrun the land.
23. Joel describes the land of Israel being devastated by fire (from the enemies), whereas Ezekiel describes the enemies of Israel being devastated by fire (from heaven)
24. Joel describes the judgment of “all the nations” (Joel 3:2) occurring after the enemy is defeated, whereas Ezekiel describes a limited coalition of nations being judged during their defeat.
25. Joel singles out Egypt for such severe judgment that the text says “Egypt will become a waste” (Joel 3:19), whereas mention of Egypt is noticeably absent from Ezekiel 38-39.
26. Joel also singles out Edom for such severe judgment that the text says “Edom will become a desolate wilderness because of the violence done to the sons of Judah in whose land they have shed innocent blood” (Joel 3:19), whereas mention of Edom is noticeably absent from Ezekiel 38-39.
27. To understand the End Times events that the Hebrew Prophet Joel is foretelling, we need to study the prophecies of Revelation 9:1-12 and the events that occur after the 5^th of 7 trumpets are blown during the Great Tribulation. Consider the following points:
28. In the Book of Revelation,we read that out of Hell (“a bottomless pit filled with the smoke of a great furnace”) “came locusts upon the earth” (Revelation 9:2)
29. But the Bible indicates that these are not ordinary locusts — they have power like scorpions to injure with their tails (Revelation 9:2, 5,6,10)
30. These creatures are “told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree” (Revelation 9:4)
31. These creatures are designed to attack mankind “who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads,” that is, those who are not born again followers of the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 9:4)
32. These creatures cannot kill but rather torment men for five months (Revelation 9:5)
33. Their appearance is “like” horses (Revelation 9:7)
34. They have faces “like” men (Revelation 9:7)
35. They have hair “like” the hair of women (Revelation 9:8)
36. They have teeth “like” the teeth of lions (Revelation 9:8)
37. They have armor “like” soldiers who have breastplates of iron (Revelation 9:9)
38. They sound “like” many horses rushing to battle (Revelation 9:9)
39. They have a king over them, “the angel of the abyss” whose name in Hebrew is “Abaddon,” and in Greek is “Apollyon”
40. These are not really locusts, or human soldiers, though they are like both – these are demonic creatures ruled by a Satanic king
41. They will come “upon the earth” with “power” (Revelation 9:3)
42. The Book of Revelation does not say these creatures will exclusively attack those in Israel – their attack will be global
43. But the Book of Joel does indicate that such creatures will specifically invade Israel and bring great trauma and devastation — as Joel 2:11 says: “the Day of the Lord is indeed great and very terrible; who can endure it?”

A WAKE UP CALL FOR ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH

A WAKE UP CALL FOR ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH: Understanding the Book of Joel
— Part Two ‎11 ‎June, ‎2011 by Joel C. Rosenberg

 Record breaking natural disasters keep happening around the world. The global economy remains in serious trouble. Millions are sinking into poverty. Islam is spreading around the world. Rumors of new wars in the Middle East are mounting. New threats to Israel are metastasizing. Yet as the world is being shaken and serious new threats and challenges are rising, so much of the world seems to be asleep. Alarm bells are going off, yet so much of the Church seems to be asleep as well, intoxicated by the pleasures of the world and unable or unwilling to respond to the call of God to pray, fast, and repent despite the fact that, as the Hebrew Prophet Joel wrote in the Bible, ”the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near.”

As we read in Joel 1:14-15,“Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near.”

Joel Chapter One: “A Wake Up Call”

• The first 13 verses of chapter one reference an actual, historic disaster, a literal plague of locusts that has just so devastated the “inhabitants of the land” of Israel that it will be remembered for generations to come. ( Joel 1:2)
• The Hebrew Prophet Joel does not begin by describing a prophetic or metaphoric event. He is referring to an actual historic event. The Lord is saying to all the current inhabitants of the land of Israel, “Has anything (else) like this happened in your days or in your fathers’ days?” ( Joel 1:2)
• The Lord is saying through Joel that the devastation that has been wrought foreshadows a future apocalyptic disaster coming to Israel in the End Times.
• Locust plagues are classic forms of God’s judgment in Scripture, both in times past and in End Times prophecies yet to be fulfilled.
• The Lord used Moses and Aaron to bring a plague of locusts as the 8^th plague against the Pharoah and the Egyptian people during the events of the Exodus (Exodus 10:1-20)
• The Lord used Moses to warn the children of Israel to obey Him fully when they enter the Promised Land or one of the judgments they will suffer will be plagues of locusts who will consume their fields (Deuteronomy 28:15,25,38)
• King Solomon prayed to the Lord, asking if a plague of locusts ever came upon the children of Israel as a judgment and they should repent and pray and come back to the house of the Lord – the Temple that they were dedicating that day — that the Lord would hear from heaven and forgive them and heal their land (1 Kings 8:37-40)
• The Lord responded to Solomon’s prayer and said that if there were a plague of locusts due to judgment and the children of Israel repented of their sins and turned back to the Lord and truly prayed and sought His face that He would hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)
• The Lord used the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation to warn Israel and the world that during the terrible events of the “Great Tribulation” when the 5^th of 7 trumpets of judgment sounds, He will unleash a plague of demonic locusts and bring about a terrible devastation. (Revelation 9:1-12)
• In the Book of Joel, chapter one, the Lord speaks through the prophet to various groups of people in Israel who have been devastated by the actual, historic locust plagues: “Elders,” who are supposed to hear God’s Word ( Joel 1:2); ”All inhabitants” of Israel, who are supposed to listen to God’s Word (1:2); ”Drunkards,” who are supposed to wake up ( Joel 1:5); ”Wine drinkers,” who are supposed to wail ( Joel 1:5); ”Virgins,” who are supposed to wail ( Joel 1:8); ”Bridegrooms,” who are supposed to wail ( Joel 1:8); ”Priests,” who are supposed to mourn/wail/lament ( Joel 1:9, 13); ”Ministers of the Lord,” who are supposed to mourn/wail ( Joel 1:9, 13); ”Farmers,” who are supposed to “be ashamed” ( Joel 1:11); and “Vinedressers,” who are supposed to wail ( Joel 1:11)
• Interesting are some of those not mentioned: No mention of a king (the words king/kings/kingdom/etc are used 2,597 times in the New American Standard Bible, but not here); No mention of government leaders of any kind; No mention of prophets (the word prophet is used 461 times in the NASB, but not here)
• Perhaps the most important verse of  Joel 1:5 is “Awake!”
• This chapter is a wake up call for Israel, who should know better than to live in such sin because they have been given the Holy Scriptures and the prophets….and for the Church — people who say they are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ – who should know better than to live in such sin because they have the Holy Scriptures to teach and guide them
• The question is: Will we wake up?
• Do we see how far we are from the God who made us and loves us and is jealous for our love and affection?
• Do we realize how drunk we are — with alcohol, with illegal drugs, with legal drugs, with entertainment, with the “things of this world”?
• Do we realize how blind, deaf and dumb we are to what the Lord is trying to say to us through His Word?
• Do we realize that if we don’t turn around quickly, the Lord is going to come and rock our world, shake our world, devastate our world, until we choose to curse Him, or until we choose to fall at His feet and give Him the worship He so richly deserves?
• The good news is that the Lord tells the people through the Hebrew prophet what to do:
• First, we must wake up from our drunken, intoxicated stupor ( Joel 1:5)
• Second, we are to consecrate a fast ( Joel 1:14)
• Third, we are to proclaim a solemn assembly ( Joel 1:14)
• Fourth, we are to gather the elders ( Joel 1:14)
• Fifth, we are to gather all the inhabitants of the land ( Joel 1:14)
• Sixth, we are to cry out to the Lord ( Joel 1:14)
• What should we say when we cry out to the Lord? The rest of the Bible teaches us to cry out in repentance and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us, to help us, to heal us, to save us, to cleanse us, to adopt us into His family, to fill us with His Holy Spirit, and to teach us to walk in His ways. In John 1:12, we read, “But as many as received Him [Jesus, the Messiah], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” In John 3:16, Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
• The Hebrew Prophet describes the urgency of getting right with the Lord — because the “Day of the Lord” is coming ( Joel 1:15)
• It is near and will come as destruction from the Almighty
• There will be a horrific famine ( Joel 1:17)
• There will be a horrific fire ( Joel 1:19-20)
• Animals will suffer ( Joel 1:18)
• People will suffer ( Joel 1:19)
• Therefore, we should turn to the Lord now, before all these End Times judgments are unleashed

A Wake Up Call for Israel and the Church

Understanding the Book of Joel
‎7 ‎June, ‎2011, ‏‎10:39:26 PM | by Joel C. Rosenberg

 

I believe God wants all of Israel and all of the Church to turn our attention to the Book of Joel in the weeks and months ahead. There is a critically important message there that is on the Lord’s heart and it is deeply relevant for our time. Over the next few days, I’m going to share with you my own personal study and message notes from the Book of Joel. I hope you will find them helpful as you study the writings of this important minor prophet and teach them to others.
Let’s begin today with an overview. What follows are the notes I used to deliver the first message of the 2011 Epicenter Conference.

THE DAY OF THE LORD IS COMING: An overview of the Book of Joel

1. The focus of this year’s Epicenter Conference is the Book of Joel. Today, we will go through the Book of Joel verse by verse, chapter by chapter. We’ll observe, interpret and begin to apply. What does this fascinating ancient text say? What does it mean? And what does it mean to you and I today whether we live in Israel or anywhere else around the world?
2. Tomorrow, we will take the next step. We’ll explore a range of threats facing Israel and her neighbors and consider these threats – and how to respond to them – in light of what we learn from the Book of Joel and the rest of the Holy Scriptures.
3. The question that might reasonably be asked is, “Why?” Joel is not a particularly popular book of the Bible. Some pastors refer to it. Some teach through it. But most don’t. Why, then, should we? It’s a good question and one I’d like to address before we dive in with our blessed line up of internationally renowned Bible teachers.
4. Let me start by saying it’s not because it’s my favorite book of the book, though it is and it has been since I was in high school — and yet I have never taught the Book of Joel before today or ever attended a church or conference where I heard it taught cover to cover.
5. And it’s not because my life verse comes from the Book of Joel, though it does, again since high school – Joel 2:11….“The Lord thunders at the head of His army; unlimited are His forces, and mighty are those who obey His command. The Day of the Lord is great and dreadful. Who can endure it?”
6. And it’s not because my friend, Pastor Ray Bentley, called me one day a few years ago and said we really need to have an Epicenter Conference that teaches through the Book of Joel, though he did, and I thought He was right, and have been praying about it ever since.
7. All these are contributing factors. But the reason is more simple and far more profound: the Lord told us to proclaim in 2011 in the message He proclaimed through the Prophet Joel thousands of years ago, and we are being obedient to that heavenly command. There is a message here that is relevant for our time. There are warnings here that we dare not ignore. There is a sense of urgency in the heavenlies we need to share. This is a book that is near and dear to the heart of the Father…there is a fallen world that is not listening…and a Church that by and large is not proclaiming. May we purpose in our hearts today to change course while we still can.

Basic Background

1. WHO: The author is the Hebrew Prophet Joel (Joel 1:1)
• “Joel” means “Jehovah is God” or the “Lord is God”
• Joel was the “son of Pethuel” (1:1), which means: “vision of God”
• We don’t learn much about the life and ministry of the Prophet Joel in this book or anywhere else in the Bible. Why? Because the Book of Joel isn’t about Joel – it’s about the coming of the Day of the Lord and God’s call on Israel and all men and women everywhere to repent, turn away from their sins, and get ready to meet the Lord face to face, before it is too late.
2. WHAT: This small book of the Bible (three chapters in English; four chapters in Hebrew) is a book of End Times prophecy.
• The Lord speaks to Israel, to the Church, and to all the nations through the Hebrew Prophet Joel, telling us details about the future and sharing His heart that all men and women everywhere would choose to turn to the Lord and let Him change and restore our lives.
• The Book of Joel is referred or alluded to numerous times in the New Testament. A few notable examples:
• The Apostle Peter quotes “the prophet Joel” directly in Acts 2:16-21
• The Lord Jesus refers to Joel 2:10, “the sun and the moon [will] grow dark and the starts lose their brightness” before the Day of the Lord, when He describes the signs of the last days in Matthew 24:29
• The Apostle Paul cites Joel 2:32, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved,” in Romans 10:13
• The Apostle John alludes to Joel 2:10 when he describes events of the Tribulation in Revelation 8:12
• The Apostle John alludes to the Book of Joel and language of the locust invasion in Revelation chapter 9
3. WHEN: Unlike many other books in the Bible, the Book of Joel provides us with no clear, definitive time references regarding when it was written.
• Some scholars say around in the 9^th century B.C.
• Some say 6^th or 7^th century B.C.
• Some say in the 5^th century, B.C.
• The fact is, we simply don’t know for certain
• Why doesn’t the Lord want us to know precisely when the book was written? Because the Book of Joel wasn’t written to get us focused on the past. It was written to get us focused on the future and the coming of the “Day of the Lord” and to get our hearts ready for that Day
4. WHERE: The events described in these prophecies take place in Israel, Jerusalem, Judah and Zion
• Israel is mentioned 3 times in the book
• Joel 2:27
• Joel 3:2
• Joel 3:16
• Jerusalem is mentioned 4 times in the book
• Joel 3:1
• Joel 3:6
• Joel 3:17
• Joel 3:20
• Judah is mentioned 6 times in the book
• Joel 3:1
• Joel 3:6
• Joel 3:8
• Joel 3:18
• Joel 3:19
• Joel 3:20
• Zion is mentioned 7 times in the book
• Joel 2:1
• Joel 2:15
• Joel 2:23
• Joel 2:32
• Joel 3:16
• Joel 3:17
• Joel 3:21
• The “fig trees” of Israel are referred to 3 times in the book. [NOTE: Figs and fig trees are often used throughout the Bible as symbols of the nation or state of Israel. In Matthew 24:32-33, the Lord Jesus referred to the “parable of the fig tree” to tell us that the State of Israel would be prophetically reborn in the last days and that in the last days the Jewish people would prophetically return to the Holy Land after centuries of exile. Other examples of Israel connected to fig trees can be found in Jeremiah 24....1 Kings 4:21-26 (“So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon”)....and in Habakkuk 3:16-17, to name a few.]
• Joel 1:7
• Joel 1:12
• Joel 2:22
5. WHY: The Book of Joel was written for several reasons. Among them:
1. To serve as a “wake up call” to the people of Israel, Judah and Jerusalem to prepare for and repent ahead of the coming “Day of the Lord,” judgments that would be similar to but far worse than the devastating plague of locusts Israel once experienced.
2. To serve as a “trumpet call” to all those who love the Lord and His Word and profess to be the Lord’s followers to prepare for and repent ahead of the coming “Day of the Lord.”
3. To serve as a warning to the nations that in the Day of the Lord they will face judgment for sins they have committed against Israel and the Jewish people.
4. To highlight the importance of the “Day of the Lord.” Joel mentions the “Day of the Lord” in each chapter and five times in total (Joel 1:15, 2:1, 2:11, 2:30, 3:14). The “Day of the Lord” – and similar/related Biblical references such as “the day” and “that day” and others – are mentioned more than 70 times in the New American Standard translation of the Bible

• What is the “Day of the Lord” and is it different from the “last days”?
• The “last days” is the Biblical term describing the period of time filled with prophetic events of signs and wonders that lead up to the Rapture of the Church, the period between the Rapture and the Tribulation, and the Tribulation itself, all of which build towards the Second Coming. The last days – characterized by wars, rumors of wars, revolutions, natural disasters, the rise of false messiahs/prophets/teachers, apostasy, lawlessness, persecution of the believers, the spread of the gospel to all nations, the rebirth of Israel, and similar signs described in the Bible – are a time of great trauma for the world as well as God’s mercy, for the Bible indicates that many will come to faith in Jesus Christ during the last days.
• The “Day of the Lord” is the Biblical term describing the culmination of the last days of world history as we have known it — specifically, it refers to the actual, physical, literal Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the time when Jesus Christ wins the Battle of Armageddon and the Battle of Jerusalem and then His feet literally touch down on the Mount of Olives, splitting the mountain into two, as foretold by the Prophet Zechariah. The Day of the Lord is described throughout the Scriptures as a day of darkness, gloom, distress and judgment for the nations. The Day of the Lord sets into motion the setting up of the MillennialKingdomin which Jesus Christ will reign from a new Temple in Jerusalemfor a literal 1,000 year period, as described in the Book of Revelation.

After the Rapture

Shortly after the rapture, those who left behind would face a seven-year period known in the Bible as the Great Tribulation that will take place. It will begin with the signing of a peace agreement between Israel and her enemies and it will end with the physical return of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom on earth. In between, will be seven years of terror for those on earth. The following events and trends will take place in that seven-year period:


o A man will arise who will achieve victory after victory both in politics and in war(Rev 13:7). This man, who should be easily identified by his rapid rise and popularity, is your the anti-christ. Many people believe that this person must be Jewish. That is, in order for Jews to accept him as Messiah, only a Jew will suffice. This is not necessarily the case. The Bible does not specify that he is a Jew, and it does not specify nationality. Only God-fearing Jews will require a Jewish Messiah. The liberal, ungodly Jews who dominate Israel will be as lost when it comes to Biblical truth as the Gentiles of the world and will be deceived by his charisma, and more than likely, the desires of the world's media. Currently the new nickname for the United States is the Great Satan. This may have some significance.

o Violence will increase in all parts of the world, both nation against nation (ethnic wars) and domestically. Men will indiscriminately slay one another as peace will be removed from the earth (Rev 6:3-4).

o There will be extreme inflation, poverty, and lack of food as one day's wages will buy enough food for one day for one person (Rev 6:5-6).

o In a very short period of time, one-quarter of the earth's population will be killed due to wars, famine, pestilence and wild beasts. These wild beasts could very well be viruses, bacteria and other microbes. In late 1995, Time magazine ran a cover story on the rise of new infections and called microbes "malevolent little beasts" (Rev 6:7-8).

o Many people will experience a religious conversion and become followers of Jesus Christ and most of these people will be hunted down and killed (Dan 7:21).

o There will be a great earthquake, the sun will be blackened, the moon will turn red and all mountains and islands (which are underwater mountains) will be moved (Joel 2:30-32).

o There will be a brief period of calm on the earth following this great earthquake which will give those who survive a false sense of security.

o One-third of the earth, one-third of all of trees and all the green grass will be burned up due to a comet or meteor that hits the earth (Rev 8:7).

o A meteor will hit the earth causing the sea to become like blood, killing one-third of all sea creatures and destroying one-third of all shipping (Rev 8:8-9).

o A "star" named Wormwood will fall from the sky and poison one-third of all fresh water killing many people (Rev 8:10-11).

o The sun, moon and stars will be darkened by one-third. The day and night will be reduced by one-third. There is some speculation that this means the rotation of the earth will be changed so that a day lasts only 16 hours instead of 24 hours (Rev 8:12).

o Fearsome locust-like beings will be released from underground who only attack people who are not followers of Jesus Christ. These attacks will be very painful but last only 5 months (Rev 9:1-11).

o An army of 200 million horse-like creatures will kill one-third of mankind (Rev 9:13-19).

o Two men (known as witnesses) of Jewish origin will preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ for 3 1/2 years and be killed at the midpoint of the 7 year tribulation. These two will be responsible for a 3 1/2 year world-wide drought and will be killed by the anti-christ (also known as the beast in the Bible).

o People will be required to receive a mark on their right hand or forehead in order to buy and sell. Those who receive this mark will develop a loathsome and malignant sore on their bodies within a short period of time (Rev 13:13-18).

o The oceans will chemically change and become like the blood of a dead man (congealed?) and everything in the sea will die (Rev 16:3).

o The fresh waters will become like blood (Rev 16:4-7).

o The sun will scorch the people on earth with fierce heat (Rev 16:8-9).

o The throne of the anti-christ and his kingdom will become darkened (Rev 16:10-11).

o The Euphrates river will dry up allowing the kings of the east to march westward (Rev 16:12).

o The kings of the world will gather their armies together to battle God at Armageddon. There will be an earthquake so great that all of the mountains and islands will disappear. There will be hailstones weighing close to 100 pounds that will crush the armies that have gathered (Rev 16:17-22).

o Shortly after this great earthquake, Jesus Christ will return with His army to claim the earth as His possession (Zech 14:3-5).

Script by Kurt Seland

See also:

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

This web page is addressing for those are born again Christians and those who are lukewarm Christians, if you are neither of them, you too have come to the right place, at the right time to reveal to you the rapture soon to be taken place especially in this generation before your eyes:

1. Those reading this page before the rapture &

2. Those of you who read it after the rapture.

I am more concerned about those who found themselves left behind during the rapture. What is rapture? Rapture referred to the Second Coming of Christ which will occur in stages. First, He will remove all true Christians from the Earth, to protect them from the wrath to come (7 years Great Tribulation events begin from Revelation 6 outlines the beginning of birth pangs). This is called "The Rapture." The term comes from the Latin verb raptare, and the Greek word harpizo, both meaning "to be caught up" or "to be snatched up." Jesus will "snatch us" out of harm's way.

1Thess 4:15-17 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

1Cor 15:51-55 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. [53] For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. [54] When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." [55] "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

For anyone reading this material before the pre-tribulation rapture, I appeal to you that you ponder the serious negative consequences of being left behind and seriously consider committing your life to Jesus if you have not done so already.

Why am I so sure that the end time is within this age?

These signs speak directly of the time immediately prior to Christ’s return.

1. Cosmic Signs: Luke 21:25-28 "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, [26] people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [27] And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [28] Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Dramatic changes in world weather patterns will exist in this Last Day, these are the Lord’s forecast of His soon return.

2. The Budding of the Fig Tree: Luke 21:29-33 "And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. [30] As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. [31] So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. [32] Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. [33] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." The Fig Tree is symbolic of Israel. Such budding means that Israel would be a signal to the final generation that the Lord’s coming was near. When Israel became a nation again in 1948 she fulfilled this part of Christ’s prophecy.

In 1948, the nation of Israel was reborn and then Jacob's descendants regained control of Jerusalem.

Amos 9:14-15  I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. [15] I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God.

This miracle, the fulfilment of this sign, has caused many of us to wonder if we, "the 1948 generation" are going to witness the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The answer is ‘yes’ (The Budding of the Fig Tree: Luke 21:29-33) The reasoning is fairly simple to follow; a generation, the amount of time an average person lives, is around 70-80 years. (1948 + 80 years = 2028). Christ's coming is around within this period, 2011 - 2028.

The Bible commands us to watch and states that the generation that sees the beginning of the birth pains will not pass away until all these things are fulfilled and Jesus returns. We have several "signs" recently that have grabbed our attention; great earthquakes in diverse places, devastating tsunamis, and technology explosion. Though we are able to know roughly the years of His coming but we do not know the days and hours of His coming.

Matt 24:32-46 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. [33] So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. [34] Truly, I say to you, this generation(The Birth Of Israel in 1948) will not pass away until all these things take place. [35] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. [36] "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. [37] For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [38] For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, [39] and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [40] Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. [41] Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. [42] Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. [43] But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. [44] Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. [45] "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? [46] Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

The Lord Jesus Christ informs us that before He returns certain conditions will exist in society in general. These conditions are a sign to believers that His Second Coming is near. There has always been corruption in society, but the idea here is of such decadence and depravity reaching the point of no return.

The Lord makes use of two Old Testament characters to illustrate the characteristics and conditions that will exist at all levels of humanity prior to His Second Coming.

As it was in the days of Noah

Luke 17:26-27 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. [27] They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Some have suggested that there is a certain normality in this description and that there is nothing sinful in the illustration. They claim that the text simply refers to the everyday carelessness of mankind as he ignores the coming judgement. Though there is some truth in this idea, we cannot fail to recognise the fact that the people of Noah’s day were not destroyed simply because they ate, drank and married. These people were destroyed in the Flood because of their sinfulness - “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The apostle Peter writes that Noah was a preacher of righteousness in a godless society, “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:5). Therefore, as well as rejecting God’s Word, there must have been increased immorality in the areas mentioned by Jesus.

Life will go on as normal until the Lord comes again, but such normality will become increasingly depraved to the point that people only think about pleasure - hedonism (eating, drinking, and parties). They will plan ahead (marrying and giving in marriage). Those who live for themselves with no thought for God will reject any idea that judgement is on its way. This was true in Noah’s day. Peter tells us that it will be true in the Last Days also, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:3-7).

To the unsaved, lost in their unbelief, carelessness and depravity, life will look as though it will go on for ever, that nothing have really changed. Sad as it is to say, the same attitude exists within the Church today also.

As it was in the days of Lot

Luke 17:28-30 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot--they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, [29] but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—[30] so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. This illustration should not be seen as separate but intertwined with that of Noah’s day. Jesus is here revealing that the conditions that existed in Lot’s day will go hand in hand with that of Noah’s day in the Last Times.

Again, there appears to be a certain normality and legitimacy about the conditions in Sodom (and Gomorrah). For what can be sinful about eating, drinking, buying, selling, building and planting? The fact is, God did not destroy them for these things but because they had rejected His righteous ways and become totally immoral. They refused to listen to anything that even suggested that their lifestyle was wrong.

Peter describes the reasons why God poured out fire and brimstone upon them, 2Peter 2:6-8 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; [7] and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked [8] (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); Here we see that their ‘alternative lifestyle’ was considered filthy and ungodly. We only need to read through Genesis 29 to find that what both Jesus and Peter had in mind was Sodom’s homosexuality. It appears that this perversion was in all areas of society (from the Government down so that God could not find even ten righteous people amongst them), “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude :7).

See also:

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation