June 10, 2008

• Biblical Eschatology Revisited
  
  
  
  Implication of the Sixth Seal as the “harpazo” – Part 1

  It’s been a while since I’ve posted on this subject and while it’s been
  a very busy time, it has also been a good time to contemplate the
  implications of the sixth seal of Revelation and its connection to
  Matthew 24:29-31. As we make this connection, we can begin to associate
  other verses related to the matter and have some context for the seals
  that precede it. Another reference, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, also then
  ties into these two and provide some detail of how the actual event
  will transpire.

  
  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are
  asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will
  bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say
  to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until
  the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
  voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in
  Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught
  up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so
  we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with
  these words.  I Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NASB)

  This passage now ties in well with the context of the sixth seal and
  its results and immediately subsequent occurrences. For the words
  “caught up”, many folks have used the word “rapture” in connection with
  these verses and perhaps a better term is using the Greek word,
  “harpazo”.  The reason for saying this is that it correlates well with
  the verses given by Jesus specifically in Matthew 24 identifying His
  return for His own people before the wrath of God is poured out. The
  word “harpazo” which has the literal meaning of “to seize upon”,
  “spoil”, “snatch away”, “to seize upon with force”, “to rob”. It can be
  properly contrasted with the Greek word “klepto” which means “to steal
  secretly”. Here’s how Jesus actually referred to the event…

  
  Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is
  coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at
  what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the
  alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this
  reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour
  when you do not think He will. Matthew 24:42-44 (NASB)

  Having seen how this all fits very well within the flow and context of
  the various passages on this subject, we can have a strong level of
  confidence that this is indeed how things will transpire. The event
  itself is one that the true believer in Christ looks forward to (or
  should) as it is the day of redemption and we are to be changed… and
  for good reason, there is a very practical matter that must happen in
  order for the “harpazo” to happen…

  
  Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
  kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
  Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be
  changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;
  for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable,
  and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the
  imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this
  perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have
  put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written,
  “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O
  DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?  I Corinthians 15:50-55 (NASB)

  Now most of the naysayers reject this whole notion citing the suffering
  of Christians destroys the notion of the “harpazo”. Yet would you
  believe that the Lord has even given us a very simple answer to this
  but because we haven’t understood the significance of the link between
  Matthew 24:29-31 and the sixth seal in Revelation, we often miss this.
  Let’s take a close look at this by examining the fifth seal. The subtle
  truth about this is that we are given the seals sequentially in
  Revelation 6 and the fifth seal precedes the sixth.

  
  When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the
  souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and
  because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out
  with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You
  refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the
  earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were
  told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number
  of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even
  as they had been, would be completed also. Revelation 6:9-11 (NASB)

  Has the Lord kept from us the fact that many will die a martyr’s death
  before He comes back for His people in the “harpazo”? He doesn’t if we
  read this correctly and properly correlate it with the verses
  concerning this event.  If we are perceptive here, we can even see that
  the results of the first four seals ultimately come to the fifth seal
  and its results, martyrdom of believers who have kept a good testimony…
  the destruction of those doing true “good”, those who are peaceful
  citizens who have trusted in what God has truly said.

  Clearly, there are people who are going to die a martyr’s death before the
  “harpazo” and this should not present a problem of understanding to us
  since we already know this is true and can readily affirm this. Yet we
  must realize that this martyrdom is not the same thing that we can read
  happening concerning those who are mentioned who would be killed for
  not taking the “mark of the Beast” in Revelation 13.  

  What we should come away with here is that if we are seeing the gradual
  erosion of civil liberties granted to Christians and believing Israel
  then we may be either seeing the actual things predicted in the
  scriptures or a prototype of when it is the “real thing”.

  To be sure, we have some alarm, almost on a daily basis of good, decent
  folks being charged with “hate crimes” when all they were doing is
  exercising their faith and are being denied expression of that faith
  and even to the point of prosecution for it. This should not be in a
  country such as ours where freedom of religion and its exercises was a
  hallmark point in our Constitution. However, as we can see the effects
  of Constitutional revisionism taking hold and destroying the very
  foundations that were set to protect the citizen, it was only a matter
  of time before the godless and haters of men and all things good would
  start maliciously attacking the simple act of worship. Who knows how
  long we will be able to retain possession of our Bibles?  Setting aside
  the acts that the men of Sodom and Gomorrah intended to do to the
  angels that had visited Lot, it is not hard to see the parallel of
  their attitude and those in our government and even in our communities
  who attempt to destroy all the good our country is known for. Read and
  notice the attitude…

  
  But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in
  as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat
  you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to
  break the door.  Genesis 19:9 (NASB)

  Didn’t they say, “Shut up and get out of our way! Who are you to judge
  what we do? Since you think you are so righteous, we are going to teach
  you a lesson.” Isn’t this the message that we see in our country
  whether it comes from an official authority or those who would simply
  seek to actively remove godliness from the earth and those who hope to
  promote it? While this is a horrendous occurrence to contemplate, it is
  upon us and our government and communities will (and are beginning to)
  treat us just like that. However, we need to see this as did the eyes
  of the angels that visited Lot. Against all the men’s  pressure to
  crush Lot, the angels were able to push them all away and pull Lot
  inside and blind and confuse them all in a moment. Their blindness and
  confusion was so complete that Lot could leave his home and talk to his
  future sons-in-law about the pending judgment and beg them to avoid it.
   

  Yet we should take some hope in what we see happening today. It means
  that we are closer to the end than ever before and we could be standing
  before Him, totally and fully redeemed, healed and rescued very soon. 
  Given this, we certainly should contemplate our actions in advance and
  purpose to serve Him to the very end, sharing the Gospel to all who
  will hear while there is still time.

  
  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
  praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting
  anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And
  have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out
  of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment
  polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from
  stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless
  with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our
  Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and
  now and forever. Amen.   Jude 20-25 (NASB)

  These are critical words for us today right here in the little book of
  Jude… Beloved, keep yourselves in the love of God and blessings as you
  serve Him.  Mr.Vee

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