From:  Ted Porter
Marilyn Agee:  Day of the Lord

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/sep2005/marilyna95.htm

Dear Marilyn:

I was aware of your stated view that the "Day of the Lord" is right after the tribulation but before or as Jesus Christ decends to establish His millennium kingdom where there is a 'pre-wrath" rapture of all the saints that had not been beheaded during the tribulation or had participated in the pre-tribulation rapture.  I am also aware there are other respected members of the Body of Christ such as R.C. Sproul and Hank Hanegraaff that have a hard time finding one rapture in the Word of God, let alone two.  But regardless, it is often hard to separate out events fortold in the Bible as the Bible is not exactly chronological but more of a holographic image, (i.e. you cut the Bible in two and you still have an  image of Jesus, just not as strong, which you can keep repeating over and over).  And the point of my previous "Day of the Lord" post had nothing to do with whether there is one upcoming rapture or two before the return of the Prince of Peace as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to usher in the millennium.  It was what the "Day of the Lord" was described in scripture as being, that being when heaven and earth pass away, (cease to exist).

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/sep2005/tedp93-2.htm

It was actually F.M. Riley's assertation that the "Day of the Lord" was 2,520 days in length, which upon doing google searches I found was not unique, that first spured me on to try to set the timetable straight, well at least as far as I see it.

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/aug2005/fmriley824.htm

F.M. Riley wrote:

   The “rightly divided” Word of God is quite clear that the coming “day of the Lord” [Tribulation] is 2,520 days in length.  It is composed of two equal periods of 1260 days [42 months…..three and one-half years] to each period.  See Daniel 9:27, Revelation 11:3, and Revelation 13:5.  This is a total of seven years of 360 days in each year.  2520 divided by 7 = 360.  This is what the inspired Word of God teaches, and I have no intention of trying to explain it away.  The Tribulation will be seven years of 360 days to the year; a total of 2,520 days.

Such pronouncement of profound clearness in the Word of God on this matter almost demand a response, considering that you too would disagree that the "Day of the Lord" is 2,520 days in length.

Regarding Elijah coming before the "Day of the Lord".  Whether Elijah comes during the tribulation as you have stated, he would have still come before the "Day of the Lord", whether the "Day of the Lord" is before Jesus Christ comes to rule the earth for 1,000 years or whether the "Day of the Lord" is when all the heavenly bodies, (planets and stars), along with the earth, cease to exist, (pass away), and a new heaven and earth is created by God at the end of the millennium and short season.  But just for the record, let us remember what Jesus said regarding the coming of Elijah:

And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.  Matthew 17:10-12

And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?  And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.  But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.  Mark 9:11-13

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.  And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.  And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.  And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.  Luke 1:13-17

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.  Matthew 11: 13-14

I will receive it.

But lets go on to your quote of 2nd Peter 3:10, and your inserted comments.

>>2Pe 3:10 says, "THE DAY OF THE LORD will come as a thief in the NIGHT (it starts at 6 PM); in the which the heavens (atmospheric) shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

Below please find the same quote but with my own comments. (Inserting my comments gave me the feeling for some reason of being sacreligious to dare insert my own thoughts into the Holy Word of God, the profane among the holy, so I've used footnotes instead). 

>>2Pe 3:10 says, "THE DAY OF THE LORD will come as a thief in the NIGHT; in the which the heavens (1) shall pass away (2) with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

1 - all the heavenly bodies, sun, stars, and planets
2 - cease to exist

The heavens are given priority mention over the earth in the explanation of the "Day of the Lord" in 2nd Peter 3:10.  If the heavens actually only meant the atmosphere around the earth, the air we breathe, why is it given such priority and the earth mentioned as almost an afterthought?  Does the "atmosphere, the air we breathe" really work as a substitute for the word "heavens" in the Bible?  Here is one verse:

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  Psalms 19:1

Try substituting the "atmosphere" or the "air we breathe" and do you agree that these declares the glory of God?  Or:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  Genesis 1:1

Does "heaven" in Genesis 1:1 only refer to the atmosphere?

But even more important consider:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  Revelation 21:1

Here we have the same phrase but in past tense, ("passed away" instead of "shall pass away").  When does this passing away happen?  Before Jesus Christ comes down to this (or would it be next) earth and rules for 1,000 years?  Notice the old heaven and the old earth are even numbered as being the "first" heaven and the "first" earth.  That means the new heaven and the new earth are the "second" heaven and the "second" earth.  That means they are not the same heaven and the same earth!

Does this verse fit best before the millennium or after the millennium and the short season where all matter as we know it which inherently decays and is headed for destruction, is destroyed?

However, let me make it clear that I'm not making any argument for or against there being a "pre-wrath" rapture.  I'm merely objecting to the use of the phrase "The Day of the Lord" when all matter will disappear with a great noise as being the "pre-wrath" rapture.  Think of it this way.  On the FIRST "Day of the Lord", all matter lept into existence.  On the FINAL "Day of the Lord", all matter will pass away with great noise.   Remember to have a 'Day" one must have time.  After, the FINAL "day" of the Lord, time, and days will cease to exist.  All that will exist is eternity!

But let us look on matters that we may share a common view.  In doing a recent Goggle search regarding "ten years of tribulation" I found your P&C 8 where you talk about the 10 years of tribulation.  And again in P&C 596 you also talk about it but seem to say that you have abandoned that view because you believe the millennium day of the Lord will begin September 13, 1997.  Maybe you could reembrace instead the ten years of tribulation?  My main thought here is many people may be looking forward to a savior at the end of almost 7 years of tribulation.  When such a savior appears, they may think this "beast" is the Messiah instead of the Anti-messiah, the substitute messiah, and accept him instead during his prophecied 42 month reign before the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Shalom!
Ted Porter
www.EndOfAge.com