Doves,
Last week I shared with you (from scripture) what I believe is the real rapture story line or the huge back-story concerning the rapture....... not just what is portrayed by almost everyone as the total event. What most people propose as the rapture event is just the final tip of the iceberg so to speak. What they miss is all the events and circumstances leading up to that finally. Here blow is the link from last week that explains all of this back-story information. And this week I would like to share with you more passages of scripture that foreshadow and interpolate and add to what I described last week. Once you have read these two posts, I believe you will agree that only a fraction of the rapture story-line is normally put forth and the vast majority is kept hidden.
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/feb2021/johnb228.htm
First lets look at the passage in Revelation 21 starting in verse 9 where John the Revelator (in conjunction with an angel) is carried away in the Spirit (sees a vision from the future). In this vision John is shown the New Jerusalem complex, the Father's new kingdom complex descending from heaven to earth after the war in heaven (Revelation 12). This happens when the Father closes up heaven..... as is portrayed in Revelation 6.....sun darkened, moon darkened, stars no more and everything else above our heads in the sky rolled up like a big scroll. No natural light (sun / moon / stars) on earth after that point. The New Jerusalem complex when it lands on earth adjacent to Jerusalem is illuminated totally by the glory of God. Revelation 21:23
The angel that is guiding John at that time proclaims to John that within this huge 1500 square mile complex that's descending to earth is.... the bride...the Lambs wife. In this case, it's the dead-in-Christ, millions of them who have accepted Jesus as their Savior over the last two centuries. This passage totally agrees with the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 where it says that God the Father brings with Him when he comes those who have “fallen asleep” in Christ.
It's soon after this time point when New Jerusalem has landed in it's place in the Middle East (where the Father has re-structured the ground to fit His needs) (Isaiah 25) that the alive in Christ as per Matthew 24 will be “gathered”by Jesus and His angels and taken.... where? Obvious to me, to join the dead in Christ within this huge new complex......New Jerusalem or the Father's new kingdom complex on earth.
The bible says that all this (landing and gathering) happens on a special day known only to the Father. Zechariah 14 says of this day.....
“It shall comes to pass in that day
That there will be no light;
The lights will diminish.
It shall be one day
Which is known to the Lord-
Neither day nor night.
But at evening time it will happen
That it will be light.”
And look what the verse just before that says....
“Thus the Lord my God (The Father) will come,
And all the saints with You.”
Jesus also has something to say about this special day when He and His angels come to “gather” the elect. Jesus says....”But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
It's obvious to me that this special day (when the Father somehow alters time and space) is needed to secure the arrival of New Jerusalem and secure the arrival of all those whom have been gathered by Jesus and His angels and taken there.
Secure them from what?
As we well know from scripture....... earth and the atmosphere that is above it are controlled by Satanic forces. It's my belief that in order to relocate the Father's kingdom here on earth and safely move the “elect” to the safety of this new kingdom complex the Father has to alter the present reality to defeat any attempts by Satan to harm either New Jerusalem or God's elect in this transfer / relocation process.
Let's move on to another tidbit I didn't mention last week about all of this. Checkout Hebrews 10 starting in verse 19- 22. There we see IMHO a dual meaning like in so many other areas of scripture. Most would look on these verses as we Christians being able to boldly enter the throne room of God because we have accepted the blood sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.
But lets also look at these verses from the perspective and meaning of entering the New Jerusalem complex when Jesus and His angels bring us there.
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest (New Jerusalem) by (because of) the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way (those who are alive when this happens are brought there alive) which He consecrated (arranged) for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21 and having a High Priest (Jesus) over the house of God (this new Father's kingdom complex),
22 let us draw near (when we are arriving in New Jerusalem) with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Last week I discussed the passages in Revelation 22, Zechariah 14 and Isaiah 12 which focus on this new river flowing within the New Jerusalem complex. A river emanating from the very spot in Jerusalem where Jesus deposited His water, blood and Spirit. A river then which contains pure water and is described as living waters and wells of salvation that we are to bath in...... in order to be “born again”.
Another exciting aspect of this is the term “veil” which is discussed and defined in Hebrews 10:20. There, I believe it says, that Jesus, or more specifically that it's His body that forms the covering (the security cover) the veil, of this New Jerusalem complex. And as such it has to be consecrated or arranged through Him (Jesus) to get into this complex. It says in verse 21 that He is the High Priest (the security overseer) over this house of God....... or in this case the New Jerusalem complex and He (Jesus) arranges the alive in Christ a safe arrival and passage into the complex.
Let's go to Isaiah 25 to reinforce what I just said about the “veil”......
There in chapter 25.....and in other Isaiah passages.....we see Isaiah lost for words in trying to describe this gigantic New Jerusalem complex so he just calls it a mountain. But notice there in verse 6 he says......in this mountain. Obviously he knows what is inside and outside this huge complex.
Now remember in Hebrews 10 that we discussed above that the term “veil” referred to Jesus's flesh or His flesh like a veil, a covering. Like one's flesh covering the body like a veil. In Jesus's case the veil to me also indicates His power over things.
Now in verse 7 of Isaiah 25 we see Isaiah say this concerning that same veil.
7 “And He will destroy on this mountain (New Jerusalem)
The surface of the covering cast over all people,
And the veil that is spread over all nations.”
What does that mean?
To me it means that when it reaches this point when the New Jerusalem complex is here and the elect have been brought there......... that the grace period, the era of grace will have expired. Jesus's body, His flesh and blood was the veil that was spread over this mountain (New Jerusalem) and the whole world for the forgiveness of sins and Isaiah is saying here that that veil, that covering, has expired. In verse 7 He says He will destroy or end this situation, this assurance that has embraced the earth since Jesus was put to death. Era of grace over....
Then in the next verse we see both the Father and Son making proclamations. Jesus is saying of His followers, ....”He (Jesus) will swallow up death forever” referring to the immortality that will be bestowed upon His bride.
Then we have the Father speaking in the next phrase of that verse, speaking of His remnant and His resurrection of the whole House of Israel. There He (the Father) says....”And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. The rebuke of His (the Father's) people that He will take away from all the earth” . This promise and coming reality is also reflected in the end passages of Ezekiel 37.
OK....lets move on to “outer darkness” does that term have any relevance or meaning under this discussion of New Jerusalem?
Yes.....In Matthew 22 God outlines (through a parable) what will happen within the New Jerusalem complex pertaining to a wedding ceremony that will be held there. As the story-line goes the initial invitees (the Jews) of the wedding refused to come and even killed the king's servants (Jesus and the apostles) that he sent to invite them. Then the king dispatched his servants to invite any and all (the Gentiles) to the wedding.
When the guests arrived it was found that one or some had managed to sneak in without the proper attire. When the king saw this he ordered his servants to bind them and cast them into “outer darkness” where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Ok....as I have described in great detail in last week's post....after the New Jerusalem complex descends from above (near the midpoint of the 7 year trib period) and is located in the Middle East adjacent to Jerusalem many important events will happen within this complex. One of the final happenings is the marriage ceremony between Jesus and His church, His bride. This is for the most part a Gentile wedding and the benefits for being part of this bridal party are immense. So it would certainly cause great temptation and envy for someone trying to disguise themselves as part of this bridal community who was not. Obviously as per the wedding parable in Matthew 22 some (a Jewish remnant who are also within this complex ??) will try to become part of the Gentile bride without having accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They will not have or be wearing the correct “spiritual attire”. When this person or persons are brought to the attention of God the Father (in His house) He will order His angels to bind them and cast them out of His New Jerusalem complex.
Do you remember from last weeks post what is exterior or outside of this complex? Physical and spiritual darkness. Physical darkness because when The Father closed up the heavens above (as per Revelation 6) after the war in heaven He literally shut off the lights.....no sunlight, no moonlight no starlight. Everything outside of the New Jerusalem complex has no natural light.......outer darkness.
And by this time anyone living on earth external to the New Jerusalem complex knows that they have missed the gathering which happened during the great sign in the sky event........... when Jesus and His angels gathered the elect and took them to the New Jerusalem complex.
Yes.... all those who chose not to accept Jesus and His blood sacrifice will be literally in the dark, worldwide, and under the complete demonic evil control of the Satanic trinity. And yes there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth under that evilest of realms.
There are other foreshadowing and relative scripture verses pointing at the reality of this whole New Jerusalem complex scenario and where it fits into the final 7 year happenings but this is enough for today. Today's post added to last week's post should give you an overview of the rapture story that few have heard. What I have gleaned from all of this is.......that the actual going up to meet Christ in the air is just the tip of the iceberg. The back story or what happens prior to the final ascension is where the real meat of the story lies.
Blessings.......John B