Church of God Message
Call Us: 8133745451
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
BELIEFS 20, 21, 22
BELIEF 20 – DIVINE HEALING
God’s Church believes that a person can be healed even today according to his faith but according to God’s will for the individual. One of God’s names in Hebrew is Jehovah-Rapha, which is translated as “The Lord Who Heals.”
The title is mentioned in Exodus 15:26. In this event, ancient Israel found no water in the wilderness for three days. Then they came to Marah but could not drink the water there because it was bitter. God then showed Moses a tree and asked him to cast it into the waters which were made sweet. Then God told the Israelites in Exodus 15:25-26, “25... There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
David wrote in Psalm 103:2-3, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases...”
Peter the apostle wrote in 2 Peter 2:24 (NIV): “He [the Messiah] himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds [stripes] you have been healed.” Here Peter was quoting the prophecy by Isaiah the prophet that the Messiah would fulfill in Isaiah 53:4-5, “ 4 Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
James gives the instructions on how we ask God for healing in James 5:14-16, “14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
The procedure of anointing for healing is very simple. A sick person goes to a Church minister and requests anointing for healing. The minister takes a drop of oil on his finger, puts it on the forehead of the sick person and prays for 1-2 minutes asking God for His intervention to heal the sick person as He has promised in His word, the Bible. There is nothing more to it. Many members in God’s Church have been miraculously healed of dreadful diseases and infirmities.
Ability to heal persons is a “spiritual gift “God gives to certain individuals as stated in 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4, 9, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:...4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...9 to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same spirit...”
We understand that God will heal a person according to his faith but also according to His own will for the person.
When two blind men came to Jesus to be healed, he told them in Matthew 9:29-30, “29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened.”
God used the Apostle Paul to heal many people by anointing with oil and many other ways. In Acts 19:11 “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” However, Paul asked God to heal him on three occasions as described in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, “7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul certainly did not lack faith to be healed. But God told him that it was not His will to heal him to keep him humble.
Elisha the prophet raised a Shunammite woman’s dead child to life in 2 Kings 4:32-37. He also healed Naaman the Syrian of his leprosy in 2 Kings 5:1-19. But he was not healed of his own sickness and died from it (2 Kings 13:14, 20).
We must acknowledge that all of us are going to die. It is God’s plan for mankind. While God can heal people repeatedly, He will not continue healing people so that they can continue living. He lets people die of old age.
Some believe that if you go to doctors and take medicines when sick then you are demonstrating lack of faith in God. Some (tares or infiltrators in the Church) have misguided people in God’s Church with serious illnesses into canceling their health insurance because they were told they are lacking faith by relying on doctors to heal their sickness. Once canceled, they could not get health insurance again because of pre-existing conditions. This was wrong advice. I know of people who have died of sickness because they refused to rely on doctors or take medicines to be healed. We need to exercise balance.
Jesus Christ did not dislike doctors or think them to be evil. He stated, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12). In this verse, Jesus indicated that physicians could help with sickness and disease. The Apostle Paul would not have called “Luke the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14) if he disliked doctors.
There are certain health situations where medical help is necessary and should be taken. In case of injury, it is important to bind up wounds and apply some antiseptic to prevent infection. For example, in the parable of the “Good Samaritan” Jesus mentioned how the “good Samaritan” bound up wounds and applied wine as an antiseptic (Luke 10:33-34). If some bones are broken in an injury, it is best to use the services of an orthopedic surgeon. Help of pediatricians should be sought for prenatal care, delivery and post-natal care. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul counseled Timothy to use some wine for his stomach’s infirmities.
Every true Christian needs to understand that balance is required on this issue. It is up to the individual to make his decision as to when and how much to seek medical help when ill or injured. Seeking medical help and relying on God to heal are not mutually exclusive.
God always fulfills His promises. In James 5:14-16, God has promised to heal. When God will fulfill that promise is His prerogative. When a person is resurrected to eternal life in the first resurrection, he will be healed of all sickness. When a person is resurrected to physical life in the second resurrection, including a person who would have died sick and feeble at more than 100 years of age will be given a healthy, healed body that would allow the person to live another hundred years so that he can receive his one and only chance for salvation. God will fulfill His promise to heal.
BELIEF 21 – FIRST DEATH AND SECOND DEATH
THE FIRST DEATH
Death is the natural “cessation of life.” God told Adam in Genesis 2:17, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely [begin to] die.” God said in Ezekiel 18:4, “...4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.”
Romans 5:12 (New Living Translation) says, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone [has] sinned.” ). 1 Corinthians 15:22 tells us, “...in Adam all die,” and Hebrews 9:27 says, “...it is appointed for men to die once...”
All these scriptures are mentioning the first death. The first death is described as sleep in Acts 13:36, “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep...” 1 Corinthians 11:30, “30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep,” and in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
After experiencing the first death, all human beings will be resurrected to life as mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
As described in Chapter (Belief) 13 on the three resurrections, all those who were called by God during the first 6,000 years of human history and qualified to receive eternal life will be resurrected to eternal life at the return of Jesus Christ. After the millennium (1,000 years of God’s kingdom), all those who were not called during the first 6,000 years of history will be resurrected to physical life to receive their first and only chance for salvation. They will live 100 years. This is called the White Throne Judgment period. At the end of the 100 years, those who qualify to receive eternal life will be made immortal. Then, those who were called during the 7,000 years but did not qualify to receive eternal life will be resurrected to physical life. They along with all those during the 100 years who did not qualify to receive eternal life will have their lives permanently extinguished. That is the second death.
Jesus mentioned this in John 5:28-29, “28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [the first resurrection]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [the third resurrection].”
THE SECOND DEATH
The “second death” is eternal death—complete extinguishing of life without the possibility of ever again becoming alive. Those who experience the second death will never ever regain consciousness. They will be turned to ash permanently. This is described in Malachi 4:1, “For, behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”
Matthew 10:28, “28 And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The word translated “hell” is the Greek word “Gehenna” which means “hellfire” at the end when God’s plan of salvation is complete. Also, Matthew 25:46, “46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Revelation 20:14-15 mention the second death, “14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
After a person receives his chance for salvation and receives knowledge of the truth and then “sins willfully,” such willful sins cannot be forgiven. Those are the persons who will die the second permanent death. Hebrews 6:4-8, “4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.”
Also, Hebrews 10:26-31 describe the second death, “ 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
BELIEF 22 – GREAT TRIBULATION, “DAY OF THE LORD” AND FALSE BELIEF IN RAPTURE
God’s Church believes that the Bible prophesies of an unprecedented time of trouble accompanied by great catastrophic and cataclysmic events called the “Great Tribulation” at the end of man’s age. It is also called the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” Jacob means the descendants of Jacob, primarily the USA, British Commonwealth nations and Israel, but also include those living in France, Switzerland, Ireland, Scandinavian and Benelux countries. It will be a time of trouble that mankind has never experienced before and unless those days were shortened by the return of Jesus Christ to earth, “no flesh would be saved.” We believe that this time is almost at our door. The “Great Tribulation” will be of three-and-a-half years duration. Last one year of the Great Tribulation is called the “Day of the Lord” or “Lord’s Day”, in which God pours out His wrath on ALL nations for their sins.
God’s Church believes that “Rapture” is a false doctrine believed by mainstream Christianity. They falsely believe that before the beginning of the seven-year-long Tribulation (they call the last three-and-a-half years the Great Tribulation) devout Christians will be suddenly taken away from the earth to heaven to be protected from the Tribulation with its catastrophic events and destruction on earth which all those who are left behind will suffer. Therefore, pastors urge their followers to be good Christians so that they can be raptured and saved from worldwide destruction.
SCRIPTURES
The Great Tribulation
Jesus Christ prophesied about a time of catastrophic events called the “Great Tribulation” in Matthew 24:21-22, “21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”
The parallel account about the Great Tribulation is given in Mark 13:19-20. The account in Luke 21:19-36 provides additional details.
Conditions for those in God’s Church who find themselves in the Great Tribulation are described in Matthew 24:9-13, “9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
Daniel 12:1 (NKJV) also mentions the Great Tribulation: “At that time Michael [the archangel] shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people [physical Israelites and spiritual Israel which is God’s true Church]; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.”
Jeremiah 30:5-7 calls the Great Tribulation the “time of Jacob’s trouble”: “5 “For thus says the Lord: ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. 6 Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? 7 Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”
Jacob refers to nations descended from Israel, which are the USA, British Commonwealth nations, the Jews in the state of Israel, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Scandinavian and Benelux countries.
Why Will God Punish Israel
Why Will God Punish Israel? The answer was provided at the time God made a covenant with ancient Israel in the time of Moses.
Deuteronomy 4:5-8 (NKJV), “5 “Surely, I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?”
Verses 23-27, “23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 25 “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image [don’t we see images of Jesus and Mary in stained glass windows in Christian Churches and crosses?] in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you.”
In their time of great distress during the Great Tribulation, Israelites will repent of their sins and call on God, and He will deliver them from their slavery among other nations. This is mentioned in verses 29-31: “29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days [latter days refers to the end time, meaning our days], when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice 31 (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.”
“Not forsake you nor destroy you” should be words of encouragement for Israelites in slavery because God can prevent them from being destroyed by the cruelest of masters, whether they be Germans or of any other nation. One turns to God by beginning to obey His commandments and His Law.
Ezekiel 5:7-9 also refers to this time of unprecedented trouble: “7 Therefore thus says the Lord God; Because you [Jerusalem, which was the capital of the undivided kingdom of Israel. Hence this prophecy refers primarily to USA, British Commonwealth nations of U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and whites of South Africa - and Israel] multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you; 8 Therefore thus says the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, am against you, and will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations. 9 And I will do in you that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all your abominations.”
Great Tribulation also for God’s True Church
In the Olivet prophecy written in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, Jesus’ disciples asked Him in Matthew 24:3, “...what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus returns to earth near the end of the Great Tribulation. He was telling the disciples specifically what would happen to the disciples, meaning members of God’s Church, at that time. He said in:
Matthew 24:9, “9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”
Mark 13:13, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
Luke 21:12, “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.”
Members of God’s Church are called “Saints” in the Bible. A great leader called the Beast who will literally be given authority over the world will make war with the saints in collaboration with a religious leader [pope of the Roman Catholic Church] and overcome them in Revelation 13:7, “7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” This authority was granted to him by Satan as stated in verses 2, 4: “2...The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority... 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
A woman in prophecy is a Church. Revelation 17:5 discusses a “Mother of Harlots”, which means a false Church and what it will do in verse 6: “6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.”
Daniel also prophesied about the persecution of the saints by the “little horn”, a false religious leader [the pope of the Roman Catholic Church] in Daniel 7:25, “25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” The pope calls himself “Vicar of Christ” which means “in place of Christ.” Those are certainly very pompous words.
A time in prophecy is one year of 360 days, times is two years, and half a time is half year. The persecution, therefore, lasts for 1,260 days.
God’s true Church is promised protection during the Great Tribulation in Revelation 3:10, “10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” That protection is promised in a place of safety in Revelation 12:13-14, “13 Now when the dragon [Satan] saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place [place of safety], where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [1,260 days], from the presence of the serpent [another name for Satan].”
While members of God’s Church who persevere in overcoming sin and doing God’s work are protected during the Great Tribulation as stated in Revelation 3:10, some who do not persevere will have to go through the Great Tribulation to try their faith. They will be persecuted by Satan: Revelation 12:17, “17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [those who were not considered worthy to be protected in the place of safety], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”.
Duration of the Great Tribulation
As already mentioned in Daniel 7:25, saints will be given into the hands of the false religious leader for a time, times and half a time or 1,260 days. That is the duration of the Great Tribulation.
When the book of Daniel discusses the Great Tribulation in Daniel 12:1, its duration is given in verse 7: “...it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.”
It is also the time when the woman [God’s Church] is protected from Satan in Revelation 12:14 which is for a time, times and half a time or 42 months, or 1,260 days, each month being 30 days. The holy city, Jerusalem will be given to the Gentiles to “tread underfoot” during the same 42 months (Revelation 11:2).
DAY OF THE LORD
The “Day of the Lord” or “Lord’s Day” is mentioned in many prophecies.
Isaiah 13:6-13, “6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man’s heart will melt, 8 And they will be afraid... 9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. 11 “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible...13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger.”
A day in prophecy equals one year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6). Therefore, the day of the Lord is one year of God’s fierce anger on sinning humanity.
“For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8). Chapter 34 is also discussing God’s wrath on the nations, particularly Edom (which is modern Turkey and the Palestinians, verses 5-6 ), for the controversy concerning Zion, or Jerusalem. Zion is also God’s Church. Therefore, this prophecy concerns punishment on the nations for brutally treating God’s Church [“cause of Zion”] and the Jews in Israel during the Great Tribulation.
Day of the Lord is also mentioned in Obadiah 1:15, “15 “For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.” This is directed at nations, particularly Edom (verse 1, 6-10, 18), who will treat their Israelite slaves brutally. They and all nations will suffer the same that they will have done to their Israelite slaves.
Joel 2:31 mentions conditions on earth just preceding the Day of the Lord: “31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” It is pictured by the sixth seal of the Book of Revelation (Revelation 6:12-16).
These are also the conditions prophesied by Jesus Christ immediately after the tribulation but just before His return in Matthew 24:29-30, “29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
The Book of Revelation also concerns the Day of the Lord. John says in Revelation 1:10, “10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day...” John saw visions concerning events that would take place during the Lord’s day. John recorded what was revealed to him in the messages of the seven seals.
Messages revealed in opening of the seven seals parallel what Jesus mentioned to His disciples in the Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24. Here are the parallels:
SEAL 1 (Revelation 6:1-2; Matthew 24:4-5): Religious deception.
SEAL 2 (Revelation 6:3-4; Matthew 24:6-7): The Third World War and wars around the world and devastation.
SEAL 3 (Revelation 6:5-6; Matthew 24:7): Famines following the war.
SEAL 4 (Revelation 6:7-8; Matthew 24:7): Disease epidemics following the famines, earthquakes and other natural disasters.
The first four seals thus describe the Third World War and its aftermath.
SEAL 5 (Revelation 6:9-11: Matthew 24:9-13): The Great Tribulation with persecution of God’s Church and Israelite nations, particularly USA, British Commonwealth nations and the Jewish state of Israel [UBI nations] during their slavery.
SEAL 6: (Revelation 6:12-16; Matthew 24:29): A great earthquake, meteor showers and other terrifying heavenly signs. Revelation 6:17 tells us that the day of God wrath has come. Since day equals one year in prophecy, this means that the tribulation [for UBI nations] lasts two-and-a-half years followed by one year of God’s wrath on all nations [including UBI nations as they will be slaves living in other nations] during the “Day of the Lord.”
The catastrophic events during the day of the Lord are pictured by the seventh seal.
Before the plagues pictured by the seventh seal begin, 144,000 from the tribes of Israel are sealed (Revelation 7:4-8) to be protected during the catastrophic events of the Day of the Lord. Revelation 14:4 declares these to be the firstfruits to God. This means they have been sealed to receive the reward of the firstfruits. They will be changed to spirit beings as sons of God at the return of Jesus Christ to earth. The reason they receive the reward of the firstfruits is that these Israelites went through two and a half years of the Great Tribulation and did not give in to the beast and the false prophet but instead preached the good news of the very soon coming kingdom of God wherever they found themselves as slaves among the nations. These are literally those who were called into God’s Church during the eleventh hour.
Preaching of the 144,000 and Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 will result in conversion of tens of millions around the world of all nations and languages who will also be protected through the catastrophic and cataclysmic events during the Day of the Lord. Revelation 7:9-15 describe this group.
SEAL 7: (Revelation 6:17; 8:1-2, 6; Matthew 24:30): Day of the Lord (“the great day of His wrath”). Seventh seal includes the seven trumpet plagues. The seventh trumpet is further divided into seven vials (bowls) of God’s wrath poured out over the nations.
In the seventh seal, seven angels blow their trumpets one after the other. Blowing of each trumpet by an angel is followed by a cataclysmic or catastrophic event.
TRUMPETS 1-4: The first four trumpets picture the war Between the King of the North (the Holy Roman Empire led by a German leader) and the King of the South, an Islamic leader, prophesied in Daniel 11:40-45.
The first four trumpets picture destruction of a third part of trees and all green grass burnt up (Revelation 8:7); devastation of a third part of ocean and sea life (Revelation 8:8-9; since this is a war between the King of the North and King of the South involving Europe and the Middle East, the ocean and sea life destroyed is most likely in the Mediterranean sea, Red Sea and Arabian Sea); devastation of a third part of rivers and other fresh water sources (Revelation 8:10-11); sun, moon and stars darkened for a third part (Revelation 8:12).
The fifth and sixth trumpets describe wars between the King of the North and an Eastern Alliance, known as “Kings of the East.”
TRUMPET 5: Fifth trumpet is described in Revelation 9:1-12. It pictures the pre-emptive strike of the King of the North (also known as the Beast or the Holy Roman Empire) against the Eastern Alliance with biological, chemical and other weapons. These weapons do not kill human beings but inflict terrible pain and suffering on them for five months. Undoubtedly Satan guided the development of these weapons. He now leads the armies of the beast against the Eastern Alliance.
Description of this war in verse 4 indicates that the effects of the biological and chemical weapons will be felt globally. That means the Eastern Alliance has similar biological and chemical weapons and uses them against the King of the North and those loyal to him.
TRUMPET 6: Sixth trumpet describes the counterattack of the Eastern Alliance against the King of the North and his alliance partners. This is described in Revelation 9:13-21.
After 5 months of incredible physical suffering throughout the world pictured by the 5th trumpet, the Eastern Alliance then counterattacks with a massive army of 200 million.
Both the King of the North and the Eastern Alliance have weapons that could destroy all of humanity. That’s why each side is reluctant to use them. That is why the King of the North had used biological/chemical weapons in his pre-emptive strike. Therefore, the only alternative for the Eastern Alliance to retaliate against the King of the North is to send a huge 200 million strong army to fight him globally rather than use nuclear weapons. A third of mankind will die in this war from the fire, smoke and brimstone (or weapons) alone. As many as 2 billion people could die worldwide in this war. The King of the North and his alliance partners worldwide will take a very severe beating in this war.
Notice God’s purpose in allowing humanity to inflict this catastrophe on itself. Revelation 9:20-21 state, “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders, or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” God wants humanity to wake up and repent of worshipping Satan and the demons and idols, and of their murders, sexual immorality and thefts. Despite this catastrophic war, humanity still refuses to repent.
TRUMPET 7: Seventh trumpet sounded and great voices in heaven announce the return of Jesus Christ (Revelation 11:15) accompanied by the resurrected saints, saying: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
After the war between the King of the North and the 200 million-man-army of the Eastern Alliance in which the Holy Roman Empire is decimated, the King of the North will be contemplating using all his nuclear weapons to stave off utter destruction. If God does not send Jesus Christ to take over the kingdoms of the world, all life on earth would be destroyed (Matthew 24:21-22).
God the Father then sends Jesus Christ to earth and the saints are resurrected to meet the returning Jesus Christ in the air (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). They return to earth at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4). They do not go to heaven to be protected for seven years as the false Rapture idea teaches. Return of Jesus Christ to earth is urgent to stave off destruction of all life on earth. He will not be thinking of whisking away the resurrected saints to heaven to protect them from the remainder of the events of the “Day of the Lord.”
Jesus Christ returning to earth will not be a secret event but will be seen by everyone. Matthew 24:27, “27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” It will get everyone’s attention.
Jesus then sends three angels with three messages to proclaim a final warning to the world to repent. Revelation 14:6-11:
“6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
“8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon [The Holy Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church] is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand (Revelation 13:14-18), 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb [another name for Jesus Christ. This verse also shows that Jesus Christ is on earth at this time and not in heaven with the resurrected saints]. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Humanity rejects even this last dramatic warning. Nations and individuals don't repent of their sins, do not submit to God's rule in worship, and don't release their Israelite and Jewish captives. As a result, Jesus Christ has no alternative but to punish the nations and pour out plagues on an unrepentant world.
BOWLS 1-5: (Revelation 16:1-11) - Jesus Christ then sends 5 angels one after the other to pour out the plagues of His wrath on unrepentant humans. The five plagues of each bowl are: 1) A foul and loathsome sore comes upon men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image; 2) Sea turned to blood as of a dead man and every living creature in the sea dies; 3) Rivers and springs of water become blood; 4) Men scorched with fire [This means the orbit of the earth around the sun may be slightly altered to cause temperatures on earth to rise which starts fires that burn alive many people as punishment for having burnt alive members of God’s Church in the recent persecution against them] Men scorched with great heat, and they blaspheme the name of God but do not repent and give Him glory; 5) Throne of the beast, and his kingdom become full of darkness.
BOWL 6: (Revelation 16:12-14) - Because of the pain, sores and suffering due to these plagues, humans blaspheme the God of heaven and still do not repent of their evil deeds. They become hopping mad and are led by demons working through the Beast [German head of the Holy Roman Empire] and false prophet [Pope of the Roman Catholic Church] to gather at Armageddon (Hill of Megiddo in Israel) to attack Jesus Christ. Then they move to Jerusalem for the attack.
This will be the greatest war the world will ever fight in the number of people who descend on the battlefield, perhaps more than 100 million. Literally people from all over the world gather to fight. One can gauge the number of people involved from the amount of blood that pours out of their bodies, as indicated in Revelation 14:20 (NKJV): "And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles [about 4 feet deep], by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs [approximately 184 miles].” Fallen dead soldiers, their armor and coagulated blood that flowed out of their bodies could produce such a huge river of blood. All the people that come to the battle perish.
How all these armies are destroyed is described in Zechariah 14:12 (NKJV): "And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths."
BOWL 7: (Revelation 16:17-21) - Though all the soldiers, captains, generals and rulers gathered at Jerusalem for the war against Jesus Christ perish, the war is not over yet. Almost all citizens of the nations were involved in opposing the rule of Jesus Christ, and against releasing their Israelite captives. They fully supported their armies that attacked Jesus Christ and the saints. They too are guilty of war and deserve to be punished. Their punishment soon follows. The world experiences the greatest global earthquake ever in the history of mankind. It levels the cities of the world and the mountains. Islands are either submerged, or the surface of the oceans is raised so that islands no longer remain islands. Then there is great hail all over the world with hailstones weighing up to 100 pounds each.
With this final plague, the world is finally brought into subjection to the rule of Jesus Christ. These are the events of the “Day of the Lord.”
“Second Exodus”, Much Greater than Exodus from Egypt
At the end of the 1,260 days of the Great Tribulation, nations are devastated, finally willing to accept Jesus Christ's authority, and free their American, British and Jewish slaves. Otherwise, they know they could all be dead, just as Pharaoh of ancient Egypt realized after the death of all the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 12:33 – NKJV: "And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, "We shall all be dead.")
The nations will think the same and will release the captives. The nations in fact will help bring the Israelites to the Promised Land (the modern state of Israel), as prophesied by Isaiah 43:5-6 (NKJV): "Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, "Give them up!" And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar and bring My daughters from the ends of the earth."
This second Exodus will be much greater than the first. The first Exodus from Egypt involved about 3 million men, women and children. The second Exodus will involve many more millions than that, perhaps 7-15 million. And they will come from all over the world, not just Egypt.
Isaiah 11 (NKJV) mentions the Stem of Jesse and a Branch out of his roots, referring to Jesus Christ who will rule the earth. Verses 11-13, 16 then mention the second exodus:
“11 It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria and Egypt, from Pathros and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, from Hamath and the islands of the sea. 12 He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 15 The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt (the Red Sea); with His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, and strike it in the seven streams, and make men cross over dry-shod. [This is how captives in Egypt will be brought over to the holy land, much like the first Exodus.] 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who will be left from Assyria, as it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.”
Then Isaiah the prophet continues in Isaiah 43:1-5-6, 21 (NKJV): “1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east and gather you from the west; 6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth…21 This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.”
Jeremiah the prophet also prophesied about the greater second Exodus in Jeremiah 23:3-8 (NKJV): “3 "But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King [Jesus Christ] shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah (the Jews) will be saved, and Israel (the Americans and the British) will dwell safely…7 "Therefore, behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "that they shall no longer say, 'As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,' 8 but, 'As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.' And they shall dwell in their own land."
Yes! When the world later talks about the Exodus, they will not refer to the first Exodus from Egypt, but the second Exodus from all around the world.
RAPTURE
I am going to provide the Church of God view on the most popular version of the false theory of “Rapture” believed by most of Christianity. For a more detailed study on the subject of “Rapture” I suggest reading the United Church of God (UCG) booklet titled “The Rapture vs. The Bible” (https://www.ucg.org/learn/bible-study-aids/rapture-vs-bible).
The most popular version of the Rapture theory, widely believed by Christianity, is that a seven-year-long Tribulation is soon to strike the earth with the last three and a half years called the Great Tribulation in which humanity will experience catastrophic wars and cataclysmic natural phenomena. During this time the earth will be ruled by an Anti-Christ. Before the beginning of the Tribulation, Christ will whisk away devout Christians (saints) in a secret rapture into the air to meet Him to be taken to heaven to be protected there for the entire duration of the seven years of the Tribulation, while those not raptured will have to suffer the ravages of the Tribulation on earth. After the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will descend to earth with the raptured Christians to establish God’s kingdom which will rule for 1,000 years.
This belief is very comforting for Christians and those who espouse it are called "pre-tribulationists." There are variations of this belief. There are also "mid-tribulationists" who believe in a "mid-Tribulation rapture," thinking that the whisking away occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation which is 3 1⁄2 years before Christ's return. “Post-tribulationists," believe in a "post-Tribulation rapture," in which believers rise to meet Christ in the air at the end of the 3 1⁄2-years of the Great Tribulation.
Our main concern with this false theory is that Christians will be waiting and hoping to be snatched away from earth to meet Christ in the air but will be disappointed and traumatized when they find themselves in the Great Tribulation because the bible teaches no such thing as “rapture” of Christians.
Idea of the Pre-tribulation rapture is generally attributed to John Nelson Darby, a 19th century Anglo-Irish bible teacher and popularized in the USA by the Scofield Reference Bible and later by the writings of Hal Lindsey. Recently, pre-tribulation rapture was popularized in the 1990s with the Left behind series of fictional books authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins some of which were New York Times bestsellers and turned into films.
Idea of the rapture comes from the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NKJV), “16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
The word rapture is nowhere found in the English bible. The idea comes from the Latin Vulgate translation of the Greek word harpazo for “shall be caught up” in verse 17 into the Latin word rapiemur from the Latin verb rapio.
Another scripture provided as support for the rapture theory is Matthew 24:40-42, “40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”
According to the rapture theorists, verses 40-41 are describing the rapture when one of the two men in the field and one of the two women grinding at the mill will be suddenly raptured into the air while the other will be left on earth. In verses 36-39 Jesus was talking about His return to earth which we know will not be a silent, secret event as 1 Thessalonians 4:16 tells us as well as Matthew 24:27. Therefore, verses 40-41 are not talking about a secret rapture, but about the return of Jesus Christ to earth. That’s when the righteous are separated from the unbelievers.
Parallel scripture to Matthew 24:40-42 is Luke 17:34-37, “34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So, He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
A parallel verse to Luke 17:37 is Matthew 24:28, “28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles [vultures] will be gathered together.”
I Corinthians 15:50-53 provide further insight into when this event takes place: “50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Verses 52 and 53 make it clear that those raised to meet Christ in the air are changed to immortal spirit beings. This is a problem for the rapture theory. Those who become immortal beings don’t need to be protected in heaven from the Great Tribulation on earth. They are immortal spirit beings with a body like that of Jesus Christ (1 John 3:2). Catastrophic or cataclysmic events on earth cannot hurt them.
Verse 52 also indicates the timing of the event. It occurs at the last trumpet, which is the seventh trumpet mentioned in Revelation 11:7 discussed earlier. When the seventh trumpet sounds, great voices in heaven announce, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” At the seventh trumpet, Jesus Christ has been sent to reign on earth and not merely into the air to meet the believers who rise to meet Him and then take them back to heaven for seven years of the Tribulation.
Seventh trumpet sounds well into the Day of the Lord, after events pictured by the six trumpets have already taken place, which is close to the end of the 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. This is the time Jesus Christ is returning to earth to reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:7; Zechariah 14:4; Revelation 5:10; 20:4, 6). This is not talking about Jesus coming into the clouds to whisk away Christian believers to take them to heaven to be protected. When they rise to meet Christ in the air, they are changed into immortal sons of God. As immortal beings, they don’t need protection from physical events on earth. Christ has been sent by the Father to earth to urgently intervene in human affairs to prevent man from annihilating all life on earth (Matthew 24:21-22). This is no time for Jesus to go back to heaven with the believers to spend seven years during the Tribulation when His presence is needed immediately on earth. He has to take charge to prevent an imminent catastrophe of global proportions.
It is now clear that Paul in I Corinthians 15:50-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 was discussing the First Resurrection of the saints who were called during the first 6,000 years of man’s history and qualified to receive eternal life and had died, and those who were still alive on earth. The first resurrection is mentioned in Revelation 20:4-6, which also states that the second death has no power over them because they have been made immortal. If second death has no power over them, that means they don’t need protection from physical catastrophic events on earth.
Matthew 24:40-42 and Luke 17:34-37 need further explanation. Who are the men and women who are taken while others are left? Obviously, these are saints who are still alive and changed into immortal beings. Some of the saints are in a place of safety, being protected during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 3:10; 12:14-16). They will be resurrected/changed at the return of Jesus Christ. It’s possible some in the place of safety may include unconverted spouses. The converted spouses are resurrected while the others are left.
However, a remnant is left in the world to face the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:17). Most of them are likely to be martyred during the Great Tribulation. It’s possible some may survive. And the 144,000 of Revelation 7:4-8 go through the Great Tribulation and are the firstfruits (Revelation 14:4). That means they too are resurrected to eternal life at the return of Jesus Christ. They are the men and women who are taken while others are left.
In Luke 17:37, the disciples asked Jesus where the men and women would be taken. “37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So, He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles [“vultures” in NIV and most other translations] will be gathered together.” What does this mean?
The place is where the “dead” Babylonian Mystery Religion will be located during the Great Tribulation: Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:4 tells us that Jesus Christ will land at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem with the saints. That’s also where bodies of those who come to attack Jesus will be and the fowls [vultures] will be filled with their flesh (Revelation 19:21). Therefore, the phrase “wherever the body is, there will the vultures be gathered together” identified Jerusalem as the place where the resurrected saints will be taken.
This in summary is what 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 really say:
* Jesus Christ’s return to earth is heralded by the angel’s last (seventh) trumpet blast. It is not a secret event. The seventh trumpet sounds near the end of the 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation and not before the beginning of the Great Tribulation.
* Believers who have died will be resurrected to eternal life and rise in the air.
* Believers who are living will be changed into spirit beings and will rise and join the dead who were resurrected in the clouds.
* Both groups of resurrected saints will then rise in the air to meet Jesus Christ in the air and will be with Him forever. This is the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ that we are looking for (Titus 2:13).
* Then the saints will immediately descend to Jerusalem with Christ to rule with Him in the Kingdom of God on earth for 1,000 years (Zechariah 14:1-5; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:6). Christ does not take the saints to heaven
* During the Great Tribulation, God’s people will be protected in a place of safety on earth (Revelation 3:10; 12:14) and not in heaven.
There is no secret rapture of believers before the tribulation period.
This is the great hope of all those who believe in God and trust in Him. God does offer protection through the catastrophic events that are at our very door in this end time followed by resurrection to eternal life at the return of Jesus Christ for all those who are diligently working to develop a relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. There is no time to waste to begin developing that relationship.
Copyright © Church of God Message. All rights reserved.