Is the Rapture Near?


US Dollar Dominance Nears End
Moves Afoot To Launch NWO Currency
"Leaders Call For Peace and Prosperity"

 

 

 

China, along with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa are leading the charge to stop trading in dollar denominations. Such a move would accelerate the development of a New World Order currency system which would eventually culminate in the infamous 6-6-6 monetary program as prophesied in Revelation chapter 13.

The news headline of one Chinese newspaper boasted: "Leaders Call for Peace and Prosperity." That headline is reminiscent of the famous prophetic Biblical Prophecy of "Peace and Safety" passage by Paul in his first letter to the church in Thessalonica.

Ist Thessalonians 5: 1-3  then also 4-10

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

"For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

"But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

"Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Paul's final words in his first letter to the Thessalonians is to identify the prevalent world attitude of "Peace and Safety" as the signal that the God's judgment is about to descend upon humanity.

Furthermore, Paul follows up with encouragement, reassurance and a series of commands. Note the contrast of Paul's statement in verse 3 with what follows in verses 4-10. In verse 3, Paul states that with the world view of "Peace and Safety" comes sudden Divine Judgmetn upon the earth and then in verse 4 a sharp contrast is presented by the condition and attitude of believers in Christ.

In verse 4, Paul begins with a conjunction or a connective word, "BUT." Furthermore. the word translated as "but" is not the first word in the Greek sentence structure. The first word in the sentence is "You" followed by the word "de" which is translated as "but." Now what is so important with this word order?

The Greek grammar did not use exclamation points to underscore the stress of a word. The way an author would indicate stress is to take the word to be stressed and misplace it within the sentence structure. So, here Paul changes the word order and puts "You" ahead of "but" then followed by the word for "brothers."

So here's the actual word order by Paul:  "You, But, Brothers" - instead of "But, You, Brothers..."  So what is Paul trying to tell us?

BUT, YOU Brothers are ... and then Paul uses a negative to contrast the positive in verse 3 which is judgment. So Paul is saying "BUT YOU Brothers are NOT in darkness, whereas the world is in darkness, so that "that day" should overtake you as a thief.

Paul is saying to the Thessalonians that believers are NOT in darkness to be surprised when the judgment does come. Paul then positively states that we are all children of light and children of the day and not of the night nor of darkness. The implications are that the judgment comes in the night and of darkness. This is a further hint that genuine, true believers will not be around to experience the night, the darkness and the judgment.

Paul then admonishes us to not fall asleep as do others - but rather we are warned to "Watch" and be of sound mind (sober). Then in verse 7 he gives us the reason to watch and be sober.

"For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night."

Then Paul once again uses the word "BUT" to draw a sharp contrast. The contrast is night versus day and in particular in verse 8 -- "BUT" let us who are of the day, be sober, -- putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

Now the Greek word translated in verse 8 as "hope" is not what the original Greek word means. It is the world Elpides and it means "a belief or attitude or expectation" of security with a guarantee. So the idea does not carry the idea of uncertainty as we would think of with the word hope. It means an a secure expectation with a guarantee or a guaranteed expectation. The statement finishes with what the guaranteed expectation is - salvation.

So that, verse 8 states that we are to put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet (indicating brain activity or thought) of a guaranteed salvation.  Salvation is guaranteed. This is further underscored by Paul's statement in Ephesians 2:8-9 where Paul tells us that we are saved by grace (a free gift given to us) are you "being continually and foreever saved" ( a Greek perfect participle) at a point of time in the past continuing into the present and never ending. A washing process from which you cannot escape and a process that never ends, having eternally abiding results. And to underscore this, Paul states there can be no human activity involved in the salvation process.

So then, Paul tells us that we are to put on the helmet of understanding that our salvation is guaranteed.

Then in verse 9, Paul continues with the conjunction "For." The conjunction "For" means were are to connect what has just been stated to the concept in words that is to follow.

For ... God has not ... and here again, Paul uses a Negative for contrast...  God has NOT "appointed" us to wrath.

Now the Greek word translated in the KJV as "appointed" is the Greek word - "etheto" and its root "tithemi" which is also found in Acts 1:7. It is really best translated as "decreed" where in God issues a "decree" or a 'command" or an "order." In the context of Acts 1:7 God decreed the times and the seasons. In Paul's comment of Ist Thessalonians 5:9 the word references believers as having been decreed to NOT experience His wrath as in the Divine Wrath about to descend on Earth as the context indicates from this passage.

So what are we to conclude from Paul's statement in verse 8? The context of the passage is found in verse 3 of impending judgment from God upon humanity. In verse 8, Paul informs us that believers have been decreed to NOT experience God's Day of Wrath or God's Divine Judgment upon humanity as in the Tribulation period. Therefore, this verse tells us that believers will not experience the Tribulation Wrath of God. So how will believers avoid being afflicted by God's wrath? We won't be here to witness or experience it. The prior chapter, chapter 4 tells us that we will have been raptured away from planet Earth prior to the Great Tribulation Wrath. This verse stands in sharp contrast with the claims by some that the Church will go through the Tribulation and experience God's Wrath on humanity.

I believe that prior to the launch of Divine Wrath, God will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to 'snatch away" (Harpahdzho) those believers both dead and alive and transport them to a place of safety. Then as events unfold, others may come to believe in God's plan of salvation but they will have to endure the Tribulation wrath and or be martyred for Christ.

The bottom line here brings us back to the very beginning of this article and the Chinese newspaper headline: "Leaders Call for Peace and Prosperity." Such a declaration reminds us of how close we must be to that point of time when, suddenly as a thief in the night, believers are "harpahdzhoed" out of humanity and taken to a place of safety by a supernatural act of Jesus Christ and His accompanying angels, just as 1st Thessalonians 4 describes it and as Revelation 18:4 fills in the detail of the "shout of command." which Paul speaks of in 1st Thessalonians 4: 16-17.

Are you ready for that shout of command and the event which leads you to safety, prior to God pouring out His wrath on Earth?

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