Churchwork
03-02-2006, 11:10 PM
To Reject Escaping According to Readiness is not to be Ready, and Not to be Ready is Escapism
"But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21.36).
The only way God can make this promise if we fulfill His condition is through rapture, since there will be martyrs in the Tribulation.
"And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard [was] as [the voice] of harpers harping with their harps: and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures [from heaven, representatives of all creation] and the elders [24 archangels]: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, [even] they that had been purchased out of the earth" (Rev. 14.1-3).
How do you get purchased out of the earth? Some will be purchased in their resurrection from Abraham's bosom (and were redeemed at the cross). Others, if alive at the time of the first rapture, will be raptured according to readiness, and still other overcomers are received at the 7th trumpet rapture and resurrection. The 144,000 are the closest to Christ of all overcomers in Christ: "These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These [are] they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth" (v.4).
"slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women [this speaks of the Tribulation]; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary [today's christendom]" (Ez. 9.6).
Who is protected here? Would it not be in the coming day of the Lord those that are raptured? And why are they raptured? Why do they escape? They escape because they are godly righteous people. All the heads of the tribes of Israel died before the bondage in Egypt began. All the righteous men up to Enoch and even Methusala who married the daughter of Enoch, died on the very day the flood began.
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Peter 2.9).
When the righteous people seem to be nowhere to be found and have passed away through death, tribulation comes since the world does not have enough God fearing souls. I have not had the experience that many righteous souls are passing away right now, but I have heard others have this experience in knowing many righteous souls are passing away now for the past several years, more than is normally the case, which sets up for a Tribulation, even the last one. I can say, however, that I find so few godly righteous people. It's amazing to me that once I had entered the Church, how quickly did I soon discover the condition of the world and of the kingdom of heaven. I pray other believers sense the same for almost none accept Biblical locality, partial rapture, gap in restoration, osas arminian and our being tripartite.
"But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21.36).
The only way God can make this promise if we fulfill His condition is through rapture, since there will be martyrs in the Tribulation.
"And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard [was] as [the voice] of harpers harping with their harps: and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures [from heaven, representatives of all creation] and the elders [24 archangels]: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, [even] they that had been purchased out of the earth" (Rev. 14.1-3).
How do you get purchased out of the earth? Some will be purchased in their resurrection from Abraham's bosom (and were redeemed at the cross). Others, if alive at the time of the first rapture, will be raptured according to readiness, and still other overcomers are received at the 7th trumpet rapture and resurrection. The 144,000 are the closest to Christ of all overcomers in Christ: "These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These [are] they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth" (v.4).
"slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women [this speaks of the Tribulation]; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary [today's christendom]" (Ez. 9.6).
Who is protected here? Would it not be in the coming day of the Lord those that are raptured? And why are they raptured? Why do they escape? They escape because they are godly righteous people. All the heads of the tribes of Israel died before the bondage in Egypt began. All the righteous men up to Enoch and even Methusala who married the daughter of Enoch, died on the very day the flood began.
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Peter 2.9).
When the righteous people seem to be nowhere to be found and have passed away through death, tribulation comes since the world does not have enough God fearing souls. I have not had the experience that many righteous souls are passing away right now, but I have heard others have this experience in knowing many righteous souls are passing away now for the past several years, more than is normally the case, which sets up for a Tribulation, even the last one. I can say, however, that I find so few godly righteous people. It's amazing to me that once I had entered the Church, how quickly did I soon discover the condition of the world and of the kingdom of heaven. I pray other believers sense the same for almost none accept Biblical locality, partial rapture, gap in restoration, osas arminian and our being tripartite.