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(The Battle of Armageddon)
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=<FONT color="#aaooo" size="">'''The Battle of Armageddon'''</font>=
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=<FONT color="#aaooo" size="">====Rapture" or Resurrection====</font>
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The resurrection from the dead is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Gospel—the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The fifteenth chapter of the Book of First Corinthians is devoted to the topic of raising the bodies of the saints from the dead.
  
Or, The Final Showdown
+
If our bodies are not going to be raised from the dead our faith in Christ is in vain.
 +
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (I Corinthians 15:19)
 +
In fact, the Scripture does not consider we have been brought to life until our body has come forth from the grave.
  
"The battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:14).  
+
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. (I Corinthians 15:22,23)
 +
We shall have attained the fullness of victory when our mortal body has been made alive by the Spirit of God. This will take place at the coming of Christ.  
  
Armageddon is mentioned only once, by name, in Scripture-- in Revelation 16:16. "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:14).
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The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (I Corinthians 15:26)
  
The scenario for Armageddon. The Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27) has all but completed, when the 6th Vial is poured out. Antichrist presented himself as God, to be worshipped in the Temple, at the centre of the Tribulation Week (2 Thessalonians 2:4). The Tribulation Saints have been raptured at the 7th and Last Trump, approximately 8 days before the End of the Week. With all of God's people removed from the planet, the LORD God Almighty has the greatest liberty to deal with mankind. Remember how the LORD refused to pull up the tares (weeds) out of His wheat field?
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The resurrection from the dead, which is the final victory of the saint, must be attained.
 +
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection (Greek, out-resurrection) of the dead. (Philippians 3:11)
  
Why? Because He was concerned about harming His own. The Tribulation Saints must be completely removed by a Pre-Wrath Rapture. "He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto Him, Wilt Thou then that we go and gather them up? But He said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn" (Matthew 13:28-30). This describes the final harvest of the nations of the world. The Pre-Wrath Rapture (which is the final harvest of the Church) occurs before the separating of the sheep from the goats (which is the final harvest of all the nations of the world) (Matthew 25:31-46).  
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We attain to the resurrection by overcoming the world, the satanic lusts that dwell in our flesh, and our self-will. If we live in the appetites of the flesh we will die spiritually. If we, through the Holy Spirit of God, achieve victory over the world, sin, and self-will, we will attain to eternal life.  
  
Antichrist represents "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" (Revelation 16:14). The "kings of the east" (16:12) are a significant part of Antichrist's army from the Far East. They are not his opponent at Armageddon. Who do they really think they are going to fight? Not each other. As much as they may hate each other, they are coming to fight the KING of Kings. Unreasonable? Yes. "There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD" (Proverbs 21:30).
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For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)
  
Still, if they won't repent, they must oppose the Living God. "He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth" (Luke 11:23). Armageddon is the showdown between the LORD Jesus Christ and the Antichrist. In Antichrist's corner are all the weapons of the world, as well as Satan's lying wonders. "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians 2:9).  
+
Eternal life, immortality, that which Adam and Eve forfeited, has been lost to mankind from the time of the fall. Death has been working in our flesh and spirit since our physical birth. God has given Christians the gift of eternal life, that is, He has brought us into His Presence with a view to immortalizing all that we are—spirit, soul, and body.
  
The LORD Jesus is armed with only His person-- "and His name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:13)-- however, "out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Revelation 19:15).  
+
The gift of eternal life must be grasped. Eternal life is a demanding gift. God has not given us the gift of life as one would make a present of money but as the opportunity to attain to life. There is a difference between these two concepts.
  
The world is watching this engagement. "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindred's of the earth shall wail because of Him" (Revelation 1:7). The kings, which represent the whole world, and their armies will be there-- gathered by Satan's demons. "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:14).  
+
If we Christians choose to employ the grace of God in order to live righteously, we attain to eternal life; we attain to the resurrection out from among the dead. If we do not choose to serve righteousness, do not learn through Christ to behave righteously, we will not attain to eternal life (Romans, Chapter Six).
  
And all of God's angels will be there. "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the LORD Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the LORD, and from the glory of His power" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). And also, all of God's Saints will be there. "And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Revelation 19:14).  
+
The return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth and the raising of the bodies of the saints have been the hope of the godly from the days of the Apostles of the Lamb and ought to be the hope of the believers of our time.
  
Armageddon is more an event than it is a place. It is "the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:14).  
+
Instead, an unscriptural emphasis on the catching up ("rapture") of the saints has been inserted in place of the historical hope. According to Dr. Ladd of Fuller Theological Seminary, the doctrine of a pre-tribulation translation of the believers came into existence in the nineteenth century. It was not known before this time (George E. Ladd, The Blessed Hope , Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956, p.19).
  
As a location, Armageddon relates to the Mount of Megiddo, in the northern part of Israel. It also relates to Megiddo, a city located in the Valley of Jezreel (also called the Plain of Esdraelon). Blood will flow thick and deep. 1,600 furlongs is about 200 miles. "And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs" (Revelation 14:20).  
+
The emphasis on the catching up of the saints rather than their resurrection has destroyed the spiritual vitality of the Christian churches. The doctrine of the catching up, as it currently is presented, appeals to the unregenerate nature of man. The catching up is perceived as a means of escaping suffering, a doctrine with no scriptural support (see, for example, the fourth chapter of First Peter for the scriptural attitude toward the suffering of the believers).
  
The entire length of Israel will be a killing field-- but only for the dead bodies of Antichrist's troops. "And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh" (Revelation 19:21).  
+
The Old Testament speaks of the resurrection of the saints but never, to our knowledge, of their being caught up. The fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians is the "resurrection chapter" of the Scriptures; yet, this chapter does not mention the catching up of the saints. Paul was not seeking to attain to the catching up (Philippians 3:11).
  
Though the Campaign of Armageddon lasts 5 days (Tishri 10 to 14), the actual Battle will probably take place in one day. When the LORD Jesus Christ begins to slay His enemies, it will probably be ended the same day. "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Revelation 19:15).  
+
Except for I Thessalonians 4:13-18, a passage written for the comfort of the bereaved believers but which is now regarded as a special, secret appearing of Christ, none of the epistles of the Apostles alludes to the catching up of the saints.
  
However, if an extra day is needed to complete Armaggedon, the LORD Jesus could do for Himself what He did for Joshua-- give Himself an extra, supernatural day! "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher?
+
There is no indication in the fourth chapter of I Thessalonians, that Paul is referring to a flight to Heaven or a flight to escape suffering. These ideas have no basis in Scripture.
 +
The fourth chapter of I Thessalonians, with its "shout," its "voice of the archangel," and its "trump of God" is speaking of raising from the dead the army of Christ in anticipation of the Battle of Armageddon (Ezekiel 37:10).
  
So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day" (Joshua 10:13).
+
The Epistles emphasize the resurrection but not the catching up. The Book of Revelation emphasizes the return in Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and speaks directly of the first and second resurrections from the dead. The catching up of the witnessing saints is mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
 +
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (Revelation 11:12)
  
On Antichrist's part, just the logistics of amassing his forces will take a good part of those 5 days-- as well as the last part of the Tribulation Week after the 6th Seal Judgment. The final outcome of the Battle of Armageddon is assured. Jesus will win. Satan will lose. "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season" (Revelation 20:1-3).  
+
If the catching up of the saints had one-tenth the importance being assigned to it today it would be discussed in several passages of the New Testament, as is true of the doctrine of righteousness, for example.
  
Both the Beast (the Antichrist) and the False Prophet will immediately receive their eternal judgment, being cast into the Lake of Fire. "And the beast was The Battle of Armageddon Text 2 of 3taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation 19:20).
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The Book of Revelation, which is the definitive unveiling of the future, does not reveal a withdrawing of the believers to Paradise for the purpose of escaping suffering or escaping the Antichrist. It is the resurrection, not the catching up, that is the victory.  
  
by Tom Stewart
+
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
  
 +
Once we have been raised from the dead we have no need of being caught up to deliver us from suffering. We shall have immortal bodies. Therefore it is not logical to speak of the catching up as being for the purpose of escaping suffering or danger.
 +
 +
Rather, the catching up of the saints is for the purpose of arraying the army of Christ in battle formation under the Commander in Chief.
 +
 +
It is Christ’s resurrection, not His catching up, that saves us, that justifies us. We are being pressed into His crucifixion and His resurrection. The power of Christ’s resurrection is associated with the fellowship of His sufferings. Christ’s ascension, which took place forty days after His resurrection (as may prove to be true also in our own case), was not an act of redemption on a level with His resurrection.
 +
 +
Redemption is the reclaiming of that which disobedient man forfeited to Satan. Man forfeited access to eternal life, not residence in Heaven.
 +
To our knowledge there is no inkling of such an emphasis in the Old Testament, while the resurrection from the dead indeed is presented in the Old Testament— (Job 19:25,26; Isaiah 26:19; Ezekiel 37:12; Daniel 12:2).
 +
 +
Resurrection into eternal life in the Presence of the Lord Jesus is the great hope of the Christian Church. Ascension into the realm of spirits is no guarantee that we will not suffer. Indeed, there is much suffering in the spirit realm. The worst suffering anyone can experience is found in the spiritual Hell and the spiritual Lake of Fire. There is no release there by means of unconsciousness or death.
 +
 +
Numerous believers in Christ are facing stripes (or worse!) in the spirit realm because of their halfhearted, disinterested, disobedient walk in Jesus. The concept of a "rapture" to deliver them from suffering is not taught in the Scriptures. Indeed, it may be "out of the frying pan into the fire" for multitudes of the church-attenders of our day.
 +
 +
If the present generation of Christian "believers" were to be caught up into the Presence of Him whose eyes are a flame of fire there would be scenes of agony, remorse, wailing, terror, that no person could bear to watch
 +
 +
The believers have been taught that once they make a profession of Jesus as Christ they no longer need to fear the judgment of God. While such a concept can be derived from one or two passages, the bulk of the New Testament writings declare the opposite.
 +
 +
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:30)
 +
 +
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:8)
 +
 +
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23)
 +
None of the above passages is addressed to the unbelievers.
 +
 +
Nowhere in the New Testament is there a suggestion that Christ will deliver the believers from tribulation by lifting them up to Heaven. Are we preaching and teaching that which is not taught clearly in the Scriptures?
 +
 +
A change in emphasis from the doctrine of the catching up of the immature believers to Heaven to avoid tribulation, to an emphasis on the pursuit of righteous and holy behavior such that the resurrection from the dead is attained to (which was the expressed hope of the Apostle Paul), will restore spiritual vitality to the Christian churches.
 
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=====Rapture" or Resurrection==== The resurrection from the dead is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Gospel—the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The fifteenth chapter of the Book of First Corinthians is devoted to the topic of raising the bodies of the saints from the dead.

If our bodies are not going to be raised from the dead our faith in Christ is in vain. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (I Corinthians 15:19) In fact, the Scripture does not consider we have been brought to life until our body has come forth from the grave.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. (I Corinthians 15:22,23) We shall have attained the fullness of victory when our mortal body has been made alive by the Spirit of God. This will take place at the coming of Christ.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (I Corinthians 15:26)

The resurrection from the dead, which is the final victory of the saint, must be attained. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection (Greek, out-resurrection) of the dead. (Philippians 3:11)

We attain to the resurrection by overcoming the world, the satanic lusts that dwell in our flesh, and our self-will. If we live in the appetites of the flesh we will die spiritually. If we, through the Holy Spirit of God, achieve victory over the world, sin, and self-will, we will attain to eternal life.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)

Eternal life, immortality, that which Adam and Eve forfeited, has been lost to mankind from the time of the fall. Death has been working in our flesh and spirit since our physical birth. God has given Christians the gift of eternal life, that is, He has brought us into His Presence with a view to immortalizing all that we are—spirit, soul, and body.

The gift of eternal life must be grasped. Eternal life is a demanding gift. God has not given us the gift of life as one would make a present of money but as the opportunity to attain to life. There is a difference between these two concepts.

If we Christians choose to employ the grace of God in order to live righteously, we attain to eternal life; we attain to the resurrection out from among the dead. If we do not choose to serve righteousness, do not learn through Christ to behave righteously, we will not attain to eternal life (Romans, Chapter Six).

The return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth and the raising of the bodies of the saints have been the hope of the godly from the days of the Apostles of the Lamb and ought to be the hope of the believers of our time.

Instead, an unscriptural emphasis on the catching up ("rapture") of the saints has been inserted in place of the historical hope. According to Dr. Ladd of Fuller Theological Seminary, the doctrine of a pre-tribulation translation of the believers came into existence in the nineteenth century. It was not known before this time (George E. Ladd, The Blessed Hope , Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956, p.19).

The emphasis on the catching up of the saints rather than their resurrection has destroyed the spiritual vitality of the Christian churches. The doctrine of the catching up, as it currently is presented, appeals to the unregenerate nature of man. The catching up is perceived as a means of escaping suffering, a doctrine with no scriptural support (see, for example, the fourth chapter of First Peter for the scriptural attitude toward the suffering of the believers).

The Old Testament speaks of the resurrection of the saints but never, to our knowledge, of their being caught up. The fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians is the "resurrection chapter" of the Scriptures; yet, this chapter does not mention the catching up of the saints. Paul was not seeking to attain to the catching up (Philippians 3:11).

Except for I Thessalonians 4:13-18, a passage written for the comfort of the bereaved believers but which is now regarded as a special, secret appearing of Christ, none of the epistles of the Apostles alludes to the catching up of the saints.

There is no indication in the fourth chapter of I Thessalonians, that Paul is referring to a flight to Heaven or a flight to escape suffering. These ideas have no basis in Scripture. The fourth chapter of I Thessalonians, with its "shout," its "voice of the archangel," and its "trump of God" is speaking of raising from the dead the army of Christ in anticipation of the Battle of Armageddon (Ezekiel 37:10).

The Epistles emphasize the resurrection but not the catching up. The Book of Revelation emphasizes the return in Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and speaks directly of the first and second resurrections from the dead. The catching up of the witnessing saints is mentioned in the Book of Revelation. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (Revelation 11:12)

If the catching up of the saints had one-tenth the importance being assigned to it today it would be discussed in several passages of the New Testament, as is true of the doctrine of righteousness, for example.

The Book of Revelation, which is the definitive unveiling of the future, does not reveal a withdrawing of the believers to Paradise for the purpose of escaping suffering or escaping the Antichrist. It is the resurrection, not the catching up, that is the victory.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)

Once we have been raised from the dead we have no need of being caught up to deliver us from suffering. We shall have immortal bodies. Therefore it is not logical to speak of the catching up as being for the purpose of escaping suffering or danger.

Rather, the catching up of the saints is for the purpose of arraying the army of Christ in battle formation under the Commander in Chief.

It is Christ’s resurrection, not His catching up, that saves us, that justifies us. We are being pressed into His crucifixion and His resurrection. The power of Christ’s resurrection is associated with the fellowship of His sufferings. Christ’s ascension, which took place forty days after His resurrection (as may prove to be true also in our own case), was not an act of redemption on a level with His resurrection.

Redemption is the reclaiming of that which disobedient man forfeited to Satan. Man forfeited access to eternal life, not residence in Heaven. To our knowledge there is no inkling of such an emphasis in the Old Testament, while the resurrection from the dead indeed is presented in the Old Testament— (Job 19:25,26; Isaiah 26:19; Ezekiel 37:12; Daniel 12:2).

Resurrection into eternal life in the Presence of the Lord Jesus is the great hope of the Christian Church. Ascension into the realm of spirits is no guarantee that we will not suffer. Indeed, there is much suffering in the spirit realm. The worst suffering anyone can experience is found in the spiritual Hell and the spiritual Lake of Fire. There is no release there by means of unconsciousness or death.

Numerous believers in Christ are facing stripes (or worse!) in the spirit realm because of their halfhearted, disinterested, disobedient walk in Jesus. The concept of a "rapture" to deliver them from suffering is not taught in the Scriptures. Indeed, it may be "out of the frying pan into the fire" for multitudes of the church-attenders of our day.

If the present generation of Christian "believers" were to be caught up into the Presence of Him whose eyes are a flame of fire there would be scenes of agony, remorse, wailing, terror, that no person could bear to watch

The believers have been taught that once they make a profession of Jesus as Christ they no longer need to fear the judgment of God. While such a concept can be derived from one or two passages, the bulk of the New Testament writings declare the opposite.

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:30)

But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:8)

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23) None of the above passages is addressed to the unbelievers.

Nowhere in the New Testament is there a suggestion that Christ will deliver the believers from tribulation by lifting them up to Heaven. Are we preaching and teaching that which is not taught clearly in the Scriptures?

A change in emphasis from the doctrine of the catching up of the immature believers to Heaven to avoid tribulation, to an emphasis on the pursuit of righteous and holy behavior such that the resurrection from the dead is attained to (which was the expressed hope of the Apostle Paul), will restore spiritual vitality to the Christian churches.