All about the Rapture Pt. 2
Chapter 2:1-12
Summarizing what we have said about Pre-trib problems:
The PreTrib position: The church age, which came into being at Pentecost1, ends with the rapture of the church. The church is removed from the earth because the Holy Spirit is removed (reversal of Pentecost) and if God were to leave the church here it means she would have been left as an orphan2. Also, the tribulation period is known as 'The Wrath of God', so the church is removed because she is 'not appointed to wrath,'3 Immediately after the rapture, while the tribulation is going on down here on earth, the church, up in heaven, their mortal bodes having been 'translated' into glorious eternal bodies, appears at the Bema Judgment which is seen as more of an awards ceremony and the celebration in heaven continues for seven years, including a feast which is known as the 'Marriage Supper of the Lamb”.
The problems are these:
Let's move on to some new ground.
What is Post-Trib?
This position maintains that there is no rapture at the beginning of the tribulation and everyone alive on earth will go into this terrible period of time. At the end of the tribulation Christ comes down to earth with all of the believers who were in heaven with Him … angels gather all of the living believers up into the air to meet the Lord. The Lord immediately destroys Antichrist and then moves to Jerusalem to rule and reign for a thousand years.
Problems:
What about Mid-trib?
This position teaches that the first half of the tribulation is a time of peace and prosperity on earth, and as soon as the Anti-christ reveals himself at the midpoint, the church is raptured. This has the same problems as pre-trib, since it takes out the church and leaves people to become believers during the last part of the tribulation who will never be a part of the church, the Bride of Christ.
What does the Bible teach about the rapture … consistently and in its proper context?
I will offer biblical support for the following summary:
Modified Post-Trib
At some point there will occur a great ' falling away', the 'Man of Sin' is revealed ...and the tribulation will begin. There will be no rapture at the beginning and there will be no rapture at the mid-point. After the Man of Sin sits in the temple of God and claims to be God, the church and Israel will be targeted and suffering will increase as the time draws near to the end of the seven years. At the same time, God will be using the most severe of means to cause the wicked to repent and become believers. For the most part, as God pours out painful plagues upon the wicked, they do not repent.7 There will be a final trumpet blast at which the time the dead in Christ are raised to life, living believers are translated into their immortal bodies and together all are raised to meet Christ in the air. They are taken to heaven for a short while and appear at the judgment seat of Christ, receive white robes, enjoy the experience of the marriage supper of the Lamb, descend with him out of heaven at the battle of Armageddon and see the man of sin destroyed. They will rule and reign with him on the millennial earth for a thousand years.
This would be the time that you should be thinking, “Prove it! Show me in the scriptures!”
And this I will endeavor to do … but first, let's look at the remainder of this book, and look at Paul's closing remarks.
2:13,14 Paul gives thanks to God for the church. He notes that they have 'been chosen' by God for salvation, but he does not say that this choosing happened 'before the foundation of the world'. He says they were chosen because they opted to believe the message as the truth of God.
Many are called, but few are chosen8. How were they called? They were called to salvation by the Gospel that Paul preached. (v15)
He encourages them to stand fast and keep holding on to the things that Paul has taught them.
Verses 16 and 17 is somewhat of a benediction and closing of the book or letter, wishing upon them comfort in trying times, and establishing permanence in their service to God.
In Chapter three Paul leaves with them a prayer request: This is what all of us want and need when we see ourselves as His workers. We want effectiveness is sharing the word of God with unbelievers. We want deliverance from our gospel enemies.
In verse 5 we read what sounds and looks like a final closing … but then he adds verse 6:
Very strong words from Paul, a COMMAND.
What is the command? WITHDRAW yourself, your fellowship etc, from any BROTHER IN CHRIST who is behaving DISORDERLY.
Paul defines disorderly. He says, “When I was there in person, I was not disorderly, I worked for a living.”
(7-10)
Then Paul really gets to the point: I hear you have a number of people (Church people) who are not working … they are expecting benevolence.
He COMMANDS them to get to work .. (quietly … no complaining) and eat your own bread.
And to the rest he says, Just keep up the good work.
He gives an interesting closing ...”If anyone disagrees with anything I have just written, stop hanging out with him, no going for coffee, no phone calls, no Bless you brother! as you pass him on the sidewalk.
Your attitude? … he is not an enemy .. he is still a brother … but this treatment might cause him to change.
The the final closing.
So to get back to the 'meat' of this book … because there were misunderstandings regarding the second coming, the rapture … because some thought it was so near, they quit their jobs (they likely were looking for an excuse to quit anyway) he writes this book.
Now what is the biblical basis for the 'Modified Post-Trib?
At some point there will occur a great ' falling away',
2Th 2:3 ¶ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
1Ti 4:1 ¶ But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
Mt 24:12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
the 'Man of Sin' is revealed
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Mt 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),
...and the tribulation will begin.
Mt 24:16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
There will be no rapture at the beginning and there will be no rapture at the mid-point. After the Man of Sin sits in the temple of God and claims to be God, the church and Israel will be targeted and suffering will increase as the time draws near to the end of the seven years.
Re 13:5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
At the same time, God will be using the most severe of means to cause the wicked to repent and become believers. For the most part, as God pours out painful plagues upon the wicked, but they do not repent.
Re 9:20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.
Re 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
Re 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds
There will be a final trumpet blast at which the time the dead in Christ are raised to life, living believers are translated into their immortal bodies and together all are raised to meet Christ in the air.
Mt 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1Co 15:51 ¶ 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Re 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded … 18 The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
They are taken to heaven for a short while9 and appear at the judgment seat of Christ,
2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Psalm 50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 "Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."
6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. Selah
receive white robes, Re 6:11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both [the number of] their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
Re 19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
enjoy the experience of the marriage supper of the Lamb
Re 19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
descend with him out of heaven
Re 19:11 ¶ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war... 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
at the battle of Armageddon and see the man of sin destroyed.
Re 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.Re 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
They will rule and reign with him on the millennial earth for a thousand years.
Re 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,Re 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
Re 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
To summarize by using Paul's words at the beginning of chapter 2 …
2Th 2:1 ¶ Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (the rapture), we ask you,
2Th 2:3 ¶ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (the rapture) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
Paul left the Thessalonians with just these two signs to watch for:
The great falling away
The revealing of the man of Sin.
The second one has been a subject of a lot of conjecture throughout the centuries. For a while the Antichrist was thought to be the pope. Then various world leaders were pointed to as having names where the numeric value of the letters somehow added up to 666.
Biblically we would look for a powerful leader that talks about how to bring in world peace. He would have specific ties with Israel, but more than all of that Paul says he will sit in the temple of God, claiming to be God. This he will not do until the midpoint of the tribulation. And, of course, he will not be able to do it until the temple is built.
So, will believers be able to identify him right at the beginning of the seven years? Perhaps. But by midpoint it will be clear.
The beginning of the Great Falling Away might be harder to identify because it is not a 'one-time' event, but rather it will be a trend.
The Bible gives much more light for this subject than just these few verses. Paul's main concern was that this church would not be sidetracked and stop evangelizing just because they thought the time of the rapture was due.
We do well to take his advice. Evangelism is number one. God is not willing that ANY should perish but that ALL would come to repentance. At the same time, there will be a generation that will face this terrible time. So Paul added in First Thessalonians that suffering and tribulation are normal for Christians of all ages … accept that fact. Prepare to face suffering. Don't blame God and lose faith because persecution and suffering happen. Trust God in times of suffering, ask for wisdom regarding how you should live in times like that … look for His appearing.
1The church did not begin at Pentecost, but rather during the personal ministry of Jesus. The Law age ended with John the Baptist. Lu 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
2John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 ¶ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
31Th 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
4Re 6:14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.(15) And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, (16) and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
5Re 6:9 ¶ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
6Mt 13:40 "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
42 "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
7Re 9:20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.
Re 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
Re 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
8Mt 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
9 The second half of the tribulation, is referred to as 42 months and also referred to as 1260 days (Rev 11:3, Rev 12.6) but Daniel mentions 1290 days as marking the very end. This leaves a total of 30 days from the time the seventh trumpet sounds and calls believers up to heaven … and the time Jesus returns to earth with all the saints.
The PreTrib position: The church age, which came into being at Pentecost1, ends with the rapture of the church. The church is removed from the earth because the Holy Spirit is removed (reversal of Pentecost) and if God were to leave the church here it means she would have been left as an orphan2. Also, the tribulation period is known as 'The Wrath of God', so the church is removed because she is 'not appointed to wrath,'3 Immediately after the rapture, while the tribulation is going on down here on earth, the church, up in heaven, their mortal bodes having been 'translated' into glorious eternal bodies, appears at the Bema Judgment which is seen as more of an awards ceremony and the celebration in heaven continues for seven years, including a feast which is known as the 'Marriage Supper of the Lamb”.
The problems are these:
- A 'reversal' of Pentecost would mean that all new tribulation believers would not be 'indwelt' by the Holy spirit. They would not be empowered by the Holy Spirit. The indwelling and the empowering of the church were two promises made specifically for the church, and it came to pass on Pentecost.
- The tribulation period is NOT known as the wrath of God. It is primarily the wrath of Satan through the person of the Anti-christ. Near the very end of the tribulation, unsaved people will be in terror because the Wrath of God is about to fall on them4. The Wrath of God is not the tribulation, rather it is the final destruction of Anti-christ and the enemies of God.
- New believers on earth must face the Antichrist without the indwelling comfort of the Holy Spirit, without the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
- New believers who come to faith during the tribulation, will suffer greatly and may wonder why it is that they were appointed unto wrath. They may have heard teaching that God would never let one of his children go through 'The Wrath', and it could cause them to doubt whether they actually are a child of God.
- New believers who come to faith during the tribulation, if they make it alive to the end, may have to wait until the end of the thousand year reign before they get their new bodies and rewards.
- New believers who come to faith during the tribulation, who die for their faith, will appear in heaven having missed the judgment and most of celebration of the bride. And since it was the church, the bride of Christ mentioned in Ephesians 5, that was raptured, these believers would have to look on as guests, and not as part of the church. They will appear in heaven but they will only be a 'soul under the altar5' without an eternal body. There is no other 'wedding of the Lamb of God' mentioned in scripture, so they probably will never be a part of the Bride of Christ.
Let's move on to some new ground.
What is Post-Trib?
This position maintains that there is no rapture at the beginning of the tribulation and everyone alive on earth will go into this terrible period of time. At the end of the tribulation Christ comes down to earth with all of the believers who were in heaven with Him … angels gather all of the living believers up into the air to meet the Lord. The Lord immediately destroys Antichrist and then moves to Jerusalem to rule and reign for a thousand years.
Problems:
- This view has the battle of Armageddon taking place before the Wedding Supper of the Lamb and before the Judgment Seat of Christ. In this view the rapture is a meeting in the air, but not a trip to heaven. The biblical strength of this view is based on God's taking out the wicked first. Example 1: God took out the wicked in Noah's time and left Noah to inhabit the new earth. Example 2: The parable of the Tares and Wheat teach that both grow together until the endtime … and then God sends his reapers to take out all the tares, allowing the righteous ones to 'shine' in the new kingdom age6.
What about Mid-trib?
This position teaches that the first half of the tribulation is a time of peace and prosperity on earth, and as soon as the Anti-christ reveals himself at the midpoint, the church is raptured. This has the same problems as pre-trib, since it takes out the church and leaves people to become believers during the last part of the tribulation who will never be a part of the church, the Bride of Christ.
What does the Bible teach about the rapture … consistently and in its proper context?
I will offer biblical support for the following summary:
Modified Post-Trib
At some point there will occur a great ' falling away', the 'Man of Sin' is revealed ...and the tribulation will begin. There will be no rapture at the beginning and there will be no rapture at the mid-point. After the Man of Sin sits in the temple of God and claims to be God, the church and Israel will be targeted and suffering will increase as the time draws near to the end of the seven years. At the same time, God will be using the most severe of means to cause the wicked to repent and become believers. For the most part, as God pours out painful plagues upon the wicked, they do not repent.7 There will be a final trumpet blast at which the time the dead in Christ are raised to life, living believers are translated into their immortal bodies and together all are raised to meet Christ in the air. They are taken to heaven for a short while and appear at the judgment seat of Christ, receive white robes, enjoy the experience of the marriage supper of the Lamb, descend with him out of heaven at the battle of Armageddon and see the man of sin destroyed. They will rule and reign with him on the millennial earth for a thousand years.
This would be the time that you should be thinking, “Prove it! Show me in the scriptures!”
And this I will endeavor to do … but first, let's look at the remainder of this book, and look at Paul's closing remarks.
2:13,14 Paul gives thanks to God for the church. He notes that they have 'been chosen' by God for salvation, but he does not say that this choosing happened 'before the foundation of the world'. He says they were chosen because they opted to believe the message as the truth of God.
Many are called, but few are chosen8. How were they called? They were called to salvation by the Gospel that Paul preached. (v15)
He encourages them to stand fast and keep holding on to the things that Paul has taught them.
Verses 16 and 17 is somewhat of a benediction and closing of the book or letter, wishing upon them comfort in trying times, and establishing permanence in their service to God.
In Chapter three Paul leaves with them a prayer request: This is what all of us want and need when we see ourselves as His workers. We want effectiveness is sharing the word of God with unbelievers. We want deliverance from our gospel enemies.
In verse 5 we read what sounds and looks like a final closing … but then he adds verse 6:
Very strong words from Paul, a COMMAND.
What is the command? WITHDRAW yourself, your fellowship etc, from any BROTHER IN CHRIST who is behaving DISORDERLY.
Paul defines disorderly. He says, “When I was there in person, I was not disorderly, I worked for a living.”
(7-10)
Then Paul really gets to the point: I hear you have a number of people (Church people) who are not working … they are expecting benevolence.
He COMMANDS them to get to work .. (quietly … no complaining) and eat your own bread.
And to the rest he says, Just keep up the good work.
He gives an interesting closing ...”If anyone disagrees with anything I have just written, stop hanging out with him, no going for coffee, no phone calls, no Bless you brother! as you pass him on the sidewalk.
Your attitude? … he is not an enemy .. he is still a brother … but this treatment might cause him to change.
The the final closing.
So to get back to the 'meat' of this book … because there were misunderstandings regarding the second coming, the rapture … because some thought it was so near, they quit their jobs (they likely were looking for an excuse to quit anyway) he writes this book.
Now what is the biblical basis for the 'Modified Post-Trib?
At some point there will occur a great ' falling away',
2Th 2:3 ¶ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
1Ti 4:1 ¶ But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
Mt 24:12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
the 'Man of Sin' is revealed
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Mt 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),
...and the tribulation will begin.
Mt 24:16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
There will be no rapture at the beginning and there will be no rapture at the mid-point. After the Man of Sin sits in the temple of God and claims to be God, the church and Israel will be targeted and suffering will increase as the time draws near to the end of the seven years.
Re 13:5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
At the same time, God will be using the most severe of means to cause the wicked to repent and become believers. For the most part, as God pours out painful plagues upon the wicked, but they do not repent.
Re 9:20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.
Re 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
Re 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds
There will be a final trumpet blast at which the time the dead in Christ are raised to life, living believers are translated into their immortal bodies and together all are raised to meet Christ in the air.
Mt 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1Co 15:51 ¶ 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Re 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded … 18 The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
They are taken to heaven for a short while9 and appear at the judgment seat of Christ,
2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Psalm 50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 "Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."
6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. Selah
receive white robes, Re 6:11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both [the number of] their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
Re 19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
enjoy the experience of the marriage supper of the Lamb
Re 19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
descend with him out of heaven
Re 19:11 ¶ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war... 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
at the battle of Armageddon and see the man of sin destroyed.
Re 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.Re 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
They will rule and reign with him on the millennial earth for a thousand years.
Re 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,Re 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
Re 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
To summarize by using Paul's words at the beginning of chapter 2 …
2Th 2:1 ¶ Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (the rapture), we ask you,
2Th 2:3 ¶ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (the rapture) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
Paul left the Thessalonians with just these two signs to watch for:
The great falling away
The revealing of the man of Sin.
The second one has been a subject of a lot of conjecture throughout the centuries. For a while the Antichrist was thought to be the pope. Then various world leaders were pointed to as having names where the numeric value of the letters somehow added up to 666.
Biblically we would look for a powerful leader that talks about how to bring in world peace. He would have specific ties with Israel, but more than all of that Paul says he will sit in the temple of God, claiming to be God. This he will not do until the midpoint of the tribulation. And, of course, he will not be able to do it until the temple is built.
So, will believers be able to identify him right at the beginning of the seven years? Perhaps. But by midpoint it will be clear.
The beginning of the Great Falling Away might be harder to identify because it is not a 'one-time' event, but rather it will be a trend.
The Bible gives much more light for this subject than just these few verses. Paul's main concern was that this church would not be sidetracked and stop evangelizing just because they thought the time of the rapture was due.
We do well to take his advice. Evangelism is number one. God is not willing that ANY should perish but that ALL would come to repentance. At the same time, there will be a generation that will face this terrible time. So Paul added in First Thessalonians that suffering and tribulation are normal for Christians of all ages … accept that fact. Prepare to face suffering. Don't blame God and lose faith because persecution and suffering happen. Trust God in times of suffering, ask for wisdom regarding how you should live in times like that … look for His appearing.
1The church did not begin at Pentecost, but rather during the personal ministry of Jesus. The Law age ended with John the Baptist. Lu 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
2John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 ¶ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
31Th 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
4Re 6:14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.(15) And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, (16) and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
5Re 6:9 ¶ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
6Mt 13:40 "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
42 "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
7Re 9:20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.
Re 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
Re 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
8Mt 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
9 The second half of the tribulation, is referred to as 42 months and also referred to as 1260 days (Rev 11:3, Rev 12.6) but Daniel mentions 1290 days as marking the very end. This leaves a total of 30 days from the time the seventh trumpet sounds and calls believers up to heaven … and the time Jesus returns to earth with all the saints.