Dear Mercer;

 

I would have replied sooner but the recent "Hurricane Irene" blew out our power!

 

Lewis's statement (and yours) that we are not in the "tribulation" is indeed correct!

The period of "Great tribulation" has not yet begun....but the 70th Week HAS!  The misunderstanding is that the tribulation is a 7 year period, when it is not.  The 70th WEEK is a 7 year time period.  That 7 year time period is a normal passage of time.  It operates on the Gregorian calendar of 365 days per year but also contained within it will be the prophetic appointed time period of "great tribulation," referred to as a time, times, and half a time, or 1260 days, or 42  months.  But that prophetic time determined and appointed by God for His Plan to fulfill Daniel 9:24 still runs within the time of the regular normal year.  So since we are not yet IN the midst of the week when the prophetic time period will begin, then we are indeed NOT YET IN THE (great) "TRIBULATION."

 

The intention of my previous post (and this one) was neither to promote nor defend Godstimeline; however, I must say that Godstimeline, as far as the material posted there, has not "failed" except for the error that was made in setting speculative dates for the possibility of the Resurrection/Rapture.  And, to be sure, many others have also speculated and shared possible dates without accusations against them or dismissal of everything they shared.  But, if you or anyone else have re-visited Godstimeline lately, you will see this:  

 

My apologies for any speculative days/ dates from Jan.27th through Feb.18th 2011, in regard to the possibility of Jesus Christ coming for the "resurrection/ Rapture"!  At the time I didn't know that they were to be connected to Nissan in the Book of Esther and the time of the Passover connected to the Purim's of both Adar 1 and Adar 2!!

 

And with regard to the connection between the Resurrection/Rapture to Nissan, Esther, Passover and Purim, a link is offered for anyone who wishes to understand the logical relation and sequence of its contextual resemblance.  >   The Purim Connection to the Rapture?  However, as I said, I am simply posting what I believe to be true....and that is to first basically understand that the 70th Week is simply a passage of time, while inside that time is running a prophetic appointed time period that quite scripturally begins in the midst of the 70th Week, and which is called (by Jesus Himself) "a time of great tribulation such as the world has never seen, nor ever will see again..."  (Matt.24:21)

 

No, Mercer, what's going on in the world does not make me think we are "IN the "tribulation."  I know what we are experiencing and it is called the birth pangs of the Messiah....the beginning of sorrows (Matt. 24/25) >>>  wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, famines, pestilences, earthquakes in divers places, false prophets, deception, the love of many waxing cold, etc......all while most of us are still enjoying most of the same blessings we've always had (marriage, giving in marriage, eating, drinking, one merriment after another - JUST LIKE IN THE DAYS OF NOAH!  But, as you said, these are not the days of tribulation and I agree because the days of great tribulation begin with JUDGMENT!.....the Opening of the Seals, the revelation of the antichrist, etc. etc.....a time such as the world has never seen nor ever will again.  And that great time of tribulation begins in the midst of the 70th Week. 

 

The middle of the 70th Week is the 4th year of the 7 years.  The middle year will begin on Rosh Hashanah, September 29, 2011 and run until Rosh HaShanah, September 17, 2012.  Sometime in the midst of the Week, or more specifically> sometime between, or in the midst of, Rosh HaShanah 2011 and Rosh Hashanah 2012, (which is about April/Nissan/Passover season) satan will be cast out of the Heavens, to the Earth.  He will be granted 1260 days/42 months to "conquer" and he will empower the antichrist to accomplish it.

 

I don't expect to "be here" when the antichrist is revealed because Paul said "The Day of the Lord will not come until The man of lawlessness is revealed.  This is the same as saying the antichrist's revelation will come FIRST and then the Day of the Lord (meaning the great tribulation) will start.  That makes sense because until the antichrist is revealed - in the midst of the Week - AFTER Satan is cast down and empowers him - only then can the great tribulation begin ! 

 

And just what comes even before satan is cast down?......the two witnesses!  How do we know this?  Because their ministry is 1260 days, the same as the antichrist's reign.  HOWEVER, the antichrist kills them BEFORE the END of HIS 1260 day reign.....so they must arrive and begin their ministry BEFORE the antichrist is revealed!!!  Now I think we will be gone either at the time the witnesses come down or shortly afterward - but before the antichrist is revealed!  Personally, I'd like to see the witnesses before I go up, as long as I go up before the man of lawlessness is revealed (when he commits the abomination)......although for me, his identity is clear already.

 

Yes, Mercer, Noah was shut in the ark before the flood and Lot was dragged out of Sodom, and He even protected the harlot Rahab.  But we aren't going to be shut in or dragged out and we don't have to hang a scarlet cord out the window to show Him where we are!  We are going to simply vanish out of here faster than the twinkling of an eye!  And we will be GONE in the midst of the week, before the revelation of the antichrist and before the period of great tribulation!  

 

The word "hope" in Hebrew is “yachal”, meaning “trust."  The Blessed Hope is more than looking for the Rapture.  The Blessed Hope is the TRUST that Jesus is returning to this earth VERY SOON!   

 

Mercer, you warned me not to be "dogmatic" (which means to make an authoritative, arrogant assertion of unproved or unprovable principles) regarding being in the tribulation, please stop and consider you misunderstood that I said we are in the tribulation.  I am saying we are NOT in the (great/1260 day) tribulation YET.  But on the other hand, let's not be "dogmatic" about a so-called 7 year tribulation either - especially when there isn't a single scripture verse to prove it.

Sherry Vance