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Why The Return Of

 

Jesus Christ May Be Near

 

Part 5

 

An Overview of a Key

Biblical Prophecies Awaiting Fulfillment

 

By

R.A. Coombes

Author of
“America, The Babylon: Vols 1 & 2”
and Publisher of
The Alpha-Omega Report
aoreport.com

 

For readers not familiar with the various Biblical Prophecies awaiting their fulfillment this article will provide a brief overview of key events that are predicted to occur before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and how events are shaping up towards the fulfillment of these events.

In presenting this overview, it should be noted that there are various opinions as to the timing in regards to most of these key events. It is the editorial opinion of The Alpha-Omega Report that one event most often referred to as “The Rapture” is an event that will occur prior to what is termed the Great Tribulation period and prior to the rise to power of the Antichrist. The timing of The Rapture is hotly debated by many prophecy commentators and the reader should keep this fact in mind. The purpose of this article is not to debate the order of events or the timing thereof, but rather to simply present the events themselves.
The Rapture of Believers

The term rapture is an English word derived from the Latin. It is not a word that itself is found in the original Greek texts of the Bible. It does however carry the same meaning as the original Greek word – ‘harpadzoh.”

The concept for the “rapture” or “harpadzoh” is found in New Testament book of First Thessalonians chapter 4 and verses 13 17. The King James Version refers to it as “shall be caught up.”

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

 

The Greek word for “shall be caught up” is the Greek root word “harpadzoh.” This Greek root word can be tracked via Strong’s Concordance Reference # 726. Below, you will find various Greek lexical definitions from various authoritative Greek lexical dictionaries.

Strong’s Concordance

To seize, to catch away, to catch up, to pluck, to pull, to take by force.

H.K. Moulton’s Analytical Greek-English Lexicon

To seize, to take away by force, to snatch away, to seize upon with avidity, eagerly,  to appropriate, to suddenly do so, to transport hastily. {connotes the idea of suddenness or surprise.

Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon

Thayer notes that in classical Greek writings the term meant to seize or carry off by force, as in a military sense. Also Biblically – to rescue from danger of destruction. See Jude 23 and the Greek Septuagint of these Old Testament passage – Amos 4:11 and Zechariah 3:2 and also the same but adding the concept of speedily in the New Testament – John 6:15 and Acts 23:10,  Also used of divine power transferring a person marvelously and swiftly from one place to another, -- to snatch or catch away. See also Acts 8:39, Revelation 12:5, 2nd Corinthians 12:2 and 4.  and 1st Thessalonians 4:17.

Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich & Danker’s Greek-English Lexicon:

2nd edition 1979. Page 109 column 1 – upper column.

#1. To steal, to carry off, to drag away as in reference to wild animals.

#2. to snatch or take away

             a. forcefully – to take someone away from a group. Of seed already
                 sown and torn out. Of rescue from threatening danger.

             b. in such a way that no resistance is offered. To transfer someone
                 from one place to another. Biblically – to be caught up to the third
                 heaven – see 2nd Corinthians 12:2. To grasp something quickly with
                 eagerness and desire.

Vocabulary of the Greek Testament by Moulton & Milligan.

The editors note that in secular Greek usage in the first century A.D. the term was used in conjunction with theft, burglary or robbery.

Summation of the definition of “harpadzoh:”

The term does indeed then carry the idea of a ‘catching away” or a seizing, or a taking away. It carries the idea of stealth, surprise and speed.

 

The Skeptics

Many skeptics of the concept of The Rapture like to boast that the word is not even found in the Bible. As we noted earlier, they are indeed correct and yet also dead wrong. Rapture is actually a Latin word which was used in the Latin translation of the original Greek text. The actual Latin word is “rapere” or “raeptius;”  the Latin root – “raptus” which The American Heritage English dictionary notes the meaning as “to seize.”

The bottom line is that no matter how you slice the term whether it is “rapture” – “raptus” – or “to catch away” or “to seize” the meanings are identical to the original Greek word.

As we noted at the beginning of this section, this author believes this predicted event will occur after Israel’s rebirth and repossession of Jerusalem but before the other events which we are about to list.

 

The Great Tribulation Period

 

Jesus mentions this period in Matthew 24: 21 as “great tribulation.”

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Daniel 9:27 indicates that it is composed of one Hebrew prophetic week or 7 years that is divided into two time segments of three and a half years each
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

In the book of Revelation it is more defined as two periods of 1260 days.each or three and half years per the Jewish calendar of 360 day years.

Revelation 11:2-3

“But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 12:6

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

Revelation 13:5

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”

 

Within this time period known as the Great Tribulation period, we will see the following events unfold.

Demise of Super-Power Nation Babylon

A critically important prophecy is the judgment and divine destruction of a super-power nation code-named as “Babylon” although many commentators mis-name it as “Mystery Babylon.”

This event may actually start the Tribulation period or it may follow shortly after the Rapture and yet still precede the Tribulation by a short period of time. The prophecies indicate two judgments. This would be the first of two destructive judgments. The first one being by fire – as revealed in Revelation 17:16 and again in Revelation 18:9-19. Also various Old Testament passage as in Isaiah chapter 13 and 47 plus Jeremiah 50 and 51. The second judgment is a water judgment where in Babylon sinks below the ocean waves never to rise again. See Jeremiah 51: 42, 55, 64 as well as Revelation 16:17-21 and 18:21.

The timing is thought to be just after the Rapture of the Church, which is noted in Revelation 18:4 where the church is called “My People.” Careful analysis of the original Greek grammar rules as well as the definition of the Greek verb “ek” indicates a Rapture event. This is followed in verses 5-6 by God’s decree of judgment on Babylon where in verse 6, the idea of twin judgments is given as -- “double unto her double according to her works…double. (the judgment ) This would indicate two distinctly different judgments and the descriptive passages we’ve cited confirms this.

Rev 18:4-6

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

“For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

“Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.”

 

The second judgment – per Revelation 16-17-21 indicates the second judgment occurs at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Judgment number one takes one hour to complete.

Revelation 18: 8-10

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

 “and the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

“Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Revelation 18: 17 and 19 gives further testimony to the ‘one hour’ time frame for the first or fire judgment to be completed.

Vs 17 "For in one hour so great riches is come to nought."

Vs 19 "for in one hour is she made desolate."

The second judgment a water and sinking judgment is found in the following passages of Jeremiah 51: verses 42, 55 and 64

Vs. 42
"The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

Vs 55
"Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

Vs 64
"And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: "

And again in Revelation 18:21

"And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

 

There are many reasons to identify this future, end-times super-power nation that is code-named Babylon as being the United States. To understand this – one needs to read “America, The Babylon” Volumes 1 and 2 to understand why I arrive at the view that America is this Babylon of prophecy.

 

The Rise of the Antichrist & False Prophet

(also referred to as “the beast” with 7 heads and 10 horns) and the False Prophet who assists the Antichrist. See Revelation chapter 13

 

The Building of a Third Temple in Jerusalem

See Revelation chapter 11.

There is a Jewish group in Israel, called “The Temple Mount Faithful” which has dedicated itself to prepare for the building of a new Temple. They have organized and gathered all of the necessary items needed for temple worship. Even the Pharisee group called The Sanhedrin has been reformed. The only thing that is needed is permission to build the Temple.

The rise of a one-world religion

 

This is revealed in Revelation 13 where the False prophet causes the world to worship the Beast/Antichrist. The Mark of the Beast or 6-6-6. is part of this new one-world religion. See Revelation chapter 13.

 

The Ministry of 2 “Witnesses”

 and

The Development of 144,000 Witnesses

 

Jewish Believers who come to belief in The Tribulation Period. They are sealed believers – 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Revelation chapter 11. They coincide with the preaching of the 2 Witnesses

 

Antichrist Affirms Peace Treaty With Israel

 

The Antichrist re-affirms a peace covenant with Israel and her neighbors. See Daniel 9:27

"He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. "

The Antichrist declares himself to be God and desecrates the newly built temple- Daniel 9:27 – see the prior quote above.

Other events include:

The 7 Seals Judgments

The 7 Trumpets Judgments

The 7 “Bowls” or “Vials” Judgments

 

At the end of the Tribulation period comes:

 

The Battle of Armageddon

 

This is actually a military campaign against Israel with a siege of Jerusalem by armies camped in the plain of Megiddo near the “hill of Megiddo” known also as “Armageddon.” This battle takes place at the moment Jesus Christ appears – in the Second Coming with the Church believers and God’s angels following behind Jesus Christ in the air.

See Revelation 16:16

"Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon."

 

The Magog Invasion Attempt against Israel

Somewhere in this Tribulation period or perhaps just before the Tribulation Period, a group of nations attempts to invade Israel from the north. This invasion group is led by a nation code-named “Magog.” There are several allied nations with Magog, including Iran, Libya, and other lesser nations. Magog is thought to be either Turkey or Russia. See Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.

And of course then we have:

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

See Revelation 19.

This concludes our overview of Prophetic Events. It is not an exhaustive look but merely a broad overview of the major, key elements. There is much more than what has been presented in this article but the purpose here is to simply show the overall aspects and why we need to know it and why we need to be on the alert and not living in ignorance nor living without being vigilant and on alert to prophetic fulfillments.

We'll now examine in Part 6, the reasons why Christians should be aware of and know prophetic events and why we as Christians should be prophecy watchers.

 

Index of Article Segments

Part 1 – Introduction – LINK 

Part 2 –THE TRIGGER SIGNS - 2 Events Started The Ticking Time Clock - LINK

Part 3 – Signs in the Geo-Political World Now Developing - LINK

Part 4 – Signs in Nature Now Developing - LIINK

Part 5 – An Overview of a Key Biblical Prophecies Awaiting Fulfillment - LINK

Part 6 – Why Believers Need To Know & Follow Prophetic Developments - LINK

FREE E-Book Download is available, too.  The Gift of Salvation – How to Have Eternal Life – LINK HERE.

 

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