April 22, 2017

TWO ARMIES WITH BANNERS

Messages have been posted and read that sometimes confuse and cause conflict. Some of these messages foresee an army going forth in the tribulation helping bring souls to Christ. It seems foreign to most believers who are expecting to be raptured and taken to heaven. It has been long taught to be that way, but perhaps we need to reexamine and perhaps their message can be understood by a reconsideration of the rature passage found in I Thess 4:13-18. It reads thus in the KJV:

13) “But, I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as other which have no hope. 14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15) 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. 16) 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: 17) 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. 18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words”.

The word “prevent” is an old English word meaning precede. We shall not go before the dead in Christ, is the meaning here.

The word “remain”, found twice in this passage and translated from the Greek, means to stay, not move, and to stay behind and not go with a group or person leaving. It means here to stay behind.

Stay behind what or who? And what or who causes these to stay behind? And why do these need to stay behind?

First, what or who? It is the Philadelphia Church's tranformed and living saints that are staying behind.

Second, What or who causes them to stay behind? It is the Lord and His reason is to bring our dear sister church, Laodicea to completion so that she can join us in the rapture. The reason or need for that is because the Shulamite girl in the Song of Solomon is indeed the Bride of Christ in this play, and because of this, Laodicea, being the Shulamite just as much as any of the prior six Churches is part of the Bride of Christ too. We will not be wed to Christ without her as the Church will not be whole without her.

Third, why does Philadelphia need to remain? The Philadelphia Church Christians will be transformed into immortal bodies and in these glorious bodies will minister as an army of saints to those Laodiea Christian who are left behind and who must be refined. Philadelphia will assist in the refinement.

This revelation of an army of saints is found in the rapture sequence in chapter 6 of the Song of Solomon. It says in verse 4 “Thou art beautiful, O my dove, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners”. Note the term, an army with banners. Then notice that later, in verse 12, the Shulamite gentile girl (the Church) is taken away by the chariots of Aminadib (not a person's name but a term meaning a person with many chariots). The Scripture says, “Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Aminadib”. Thus by chariots the Shulamite is taken up in the same manner as Elijah. We know this to be the rapture because of the reaction of the “daughters of Jerusalem” (modern regathered Israel). They say in verse 13a “Return, return, O Shulamite (Church); return, return, that we may look upon thee”. Someone asked “What will ye see in the Shulamite?” Evidently someone asks Israel what do you see that makes you want the Church to return? Their reply is simple “As it were the company of two armies”.

Do you see? The rapture of the living saints began with the appearance of one army with banners (Philadelphia, Christians all changed into immortal bodies and made into an army for the Lord to use to salvage the Laodicea Christians from their love of the world. Then the ministry of this first army causes the readying of the Laodicea Christians which causes the formation of the second army. Both armies are seen displaying banners. The Bride of all seven Church ages is now complete and can be taken to heaven to the wedding supper and the wedding of the Lamb, who purchased His Bride with his own blood. Now all that is left on the earth is for the great tribulation to do its awful work. Thank God a multitude that no man can number finally comes out of there having washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.

So then, “what about the Spring rapture verses of the Song of Solomon?” Chapter 2 and verse 10 says “My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away”. He said this twice, once at the Spring equinox and again when the grape vines smell very good.

Does this verse make more sense to enhance it like this? “My beloved Jesus spake, and said unto me (who has been in the grave, a very long time waiting for the resurrection) Rise up, (resurrect) my love, my fair one, and come away (to Me in the clouds to meet Me where I will reunite you with your soul which I have brought with Me for that very purpose). In this case, then I Thess 4:13-18 takes on a different meaning than we traditionally have been taught.

So, just suppose that it should be understood that the word “remain” has a special significance. It must mean something or it would not be in the passage not once, but twice, first in verse 15 and second in verse 17. Both times it has the connotation of a time word. That is a second, minute, hour, etc? No matter, because it is for some time period. Yet, the companion passage to I Thess 4:13-18, which is found in I Cor 15:52ff tells usthat, “In amoment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound and dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”. The word “remain” may fit here in that it will indicate that we will be tranformed all right, but we will remain to help our sister Church and thus will become the first army with banners found in the Song of Solomon chapter 6 and verse 4..

I declare that this is speculation on my part, but nevertheless it is worth consideration.

It surely seems to me to be working as detailed above as I write this.

Maranatha

Gerry Almond