Acts 1:6,7

Discerning the times

 Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

The disciples still were hoping for the kingdom to be established. Scriptures give us events that may occur before Jesus comes again. We are in the Church age, the age of grace. It has been 2000 years of gathering a people unto God from all nations, this is the church, the bride of Christ.

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

The next event is the rapture, the removal of the church unto Christ, before the coming tribulation.

1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

When Jesus returns he will establish the Kingdom for one thousand years on a restored earth.

Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Acts 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

We are told to discern the times

Mat 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 

Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 

Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

We are to expect his coming at anytime and watch. That does not mean we should not be busy witnessing.

1 Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1 Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1 Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1 Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1 Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1 Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, salvation, Jesus Christ,ed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Pre-Trib Rapture

My understanding of the rapture is that the Lord could come at any time to take those who are looking for him up to heaven. We will be changed into his image, we will be like him. Following this we will accompany him back to earth for a thousand years as he is king, the devil is bound and placed in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. We will be rewarded for our faithfulness now and given things to do. Many will be kings and priests in the Thousand year reign. Following this satan is loosed again, many of the children of Adam with his sinful nature will follow him as he comes against the king in Jerusalem. Fire will fall from heaven and satan will be thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and false prophet. Then comes the final judgment, the resurrection of the dead that are not in Christ. We in the first resurrection will not receive the wrath of God. The rapture removes us before the wrath of God is poured out on the earth.

Perhaps the greatest proof that the rapture does not occur after the tribulation and after the wrath of God is that there will be people alive on earth during the thousand year reign of Christ. If all the bad are removed and the good raptured, then there would be no humans left living in flesh on the earth. The only way the post tribulation rapture would work is if it would be selective, taking some :"super Christians" and leaving some others on earth. One more concern is that too many are expecting the Lord to come to take them out of their problems. This is an American trait. The Christians who are being mutilated and murdered in many terrible antichrist places are leaving as martyrs. Many Christians felt betrayed because of  persecution and killing of them in past wars. The Bible says that the godly shall be persecuted. We need to toughen up, trusting the Lord, even if things get bad and we are martyred.Will we stay the course? The promise is that the wrath of God will not be on us, whether by death or rapture we will be in Christ. This is our hope and promise. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Eaglewings Ministries

All Israel shall be saved

This is the age of the church, since Jesus died on the cross all nations, the Gentiles,  are invited to receive salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The end of the church age is when Jesus comes for us in what is called the rapture of the church. Then all Israel shall be saved.

 

1Th 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.
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Rom 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

 

The LORD has a time of salvation for the nation of Israel and the called physical descendants of Israel. We are to be witnesses of Jesus to all nations until the fulness of the Gentiles come in. Then the LORD will turn to Israel. The first shall be last. Jesus came first to the house of Israel, but being rejected, he will call them and gift them in the last days. Some are coming to Jesus now, but at his second coming all will be saved. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.