THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY

Among the many mysteries of life, the most challenging and exciting mysteries are found in the

pages of the Bible. It is there that we ponder the meaning of life, the nature of God, the nature of

evil, and the realities of our existence. But few mysteries have furrowed the questioning brow of

many layers of truth. To dig down to the bedrock, many layers of preconceptions need to be

challenged and exposed. Inaccurate presuppositions must be peeled away, in search of the

deeper mysteries of God buried within his Word.

It is not comfortable to consider that the pictures held in one’s mind; the pictures on which one

bases their concepts of truth or theology, may be in error. I was an adult before I questioned the

“flannel graph” Sunday school pictures in my mind of a young boy Daniel standing safely in the

lion’s den. Once that picture was embedded I had no reason to question its validity, not until I

saw a new picture developing from the biblical record. A picture of an older Daniel, 80ish, who

had been a ruler of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and now Darius. Deeper levels

of understanding opened to me and the book of Daniel took on a texture to which I could not

have previously related.

mind inaccurate pictures of what it is like in heaven at this hour, and the way it will be in the

future. We have accepted pictures concerning the nature and timing of the return of Jesus Christ

to gather the church, as they were spoken from the pulpit; not based on scripture, but upon

traditions passed down in like manner from the previous generation. The phrase “mystery of

iniquity” is used only once in the Bible, in II Thessalonians 2:7, yet the context of this phrase is

extremely important to the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many Christians have read those

words dozens of times without ever considering their significance.

Since mysteries are not readily understood by the uninquisitive perusal of a novice, these words

have been treated as insignificant and inconsequential to the Christian church for hundreds of

earth’s most spiritually and physically significant events. These incidents concern the last days

preceding Christ’s return for his saints and his subsequent return to live and reign on earth for a

thousand years. The events that will transpire in the near future will result in a profound

disruption of life on the planet, the details of which Jesus himself wants his servants to read and

accurately understand. Your life and mine are about to change dramatically because of the events

that are about to take place in heaven and on the earth. At the time of Noah, God shook the earth

in judgment. At the time of the end, he has declared that he will not only shake the earth, but he

will shake the heavens as well. Jesus, and the angels under his command, will subdue all

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authority in the heavens and on earth in preparation for the binding and ultimate destruction of

Satan. Powers in the spirit realm must be broken and bound in preparation for the reign of Christ

on earth.

To understand the mystery of iniquity, or any other biblical mystery, we personally are

responsible to challenge our own preconceptions and thought patterns in search of the truth.

Through this investigation you will see the prophetic future of this world, from here to eternity,

through new eyes. Your vision will be clearer than you have ever thought possible as we dig

II Thessalonians 2:7, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work...

spiritual truth that is beyond natural understanding.

The substantive secrets, or mysteries of God, can be described by two categories: (a) That which

has not been revealed, and therefore cannot be known until it is explained, and (b) that which

cannot be explained to novices. The second category is much more common, as we are all, in

one field or another, inexperienced. In either case, a mystery is something that cannot be

understood without spiritual understanding.

Spiritual understanding can come via direct revelation from God to the individual or by the

revelation contained in his written Word, which originated via direct revelation from God to his

prophets. But even the understanding of the revelation in his written word does not open in full

bloom to a novice upon first perusal of the scriptures. The scriptures display the heart and

understanding of God. He will not open these treasures to those who zealously guard inaccurate

preconceptions or to those who live in disobedience to him, regardless of academic degrees or

social standing. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, without which there are

Revelation.

According to John, this book could be more accurately titled, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,”

rather than “The Revelation of Saint John the Divine,” as it is titled in most of our English Bibles

today. Furthermore, he states that this revelation is addressed to, and can only open to those who

also many things that could not be understood in past generations. The technology, as well as the

geopolitical composition of the planet, had not advanced to the state that the Apostle John

described. Fanciful, specially created monsters were conjured in the minds of the readers of the

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Revelation account, because the war machinery described by John did not exist one hundred

years ago. These “monsters” are common, and easily recognized military hardware today.

The interpretations of respected theologians of a past century, who would never live to see the

times in which the book of Revelation would be fulfilled, should be carefully reconsidered before

the Lord. It was never needful for the Lord to clarify it for them, as it was not the time of its

fulfillment. They could only interpret these prophecies in the light of the geopolitical world and

reality in which they lived, just as we do today. The horse and buggy technology of a past

generation could not have provided the experiential framework to interpret these scriptures as we

are now able to do. It is clear to us living today that past generations of theologians would never

see the book of Revelation tied daily to front page news reports of the generation that is being

primed to welcome in the world government, and the much heralded New World Order.

It is the Lord Jesus who opened the Revelation to John, to show his servants. It is the Lord Jesus

who can alone open it to our understanding, if he finds a meek and obedient heart that will listen

to him over the din of a thousand scholarly interpretations. Many of us have become so well

versed in the inherited misinterpretations of the past that we cannot see the clarity and beauty of

the chronology that unfolds in its pages. Understanding must be sought on one’s knees, and in

the discipline of one’s mind to the truth, rather than by adhering to comfortable traditions of

thought and activity. Jesus Christ, the revealer himself, is to be sought, allowing the interpretive

works of men to pale before him.

Mysteries are opened to the mind through the work of the Spirit of God. It is the work of the

spirit to personally lead us into the truth. The provisions of the Lord Jesus Christ are abundant

along the path of righteousness. The Spirit of the Lord will shine into your heart, exposing sin

and error, so the eyes of your spiritual understanding can be enlightened. Spiritual understanding

comes with asking, seeking, knocking, and aggressively obeying. The Lord Jesus desires to open

this mystery of iniquity to your understanding, but the truth must be tried on and your own

Only the Word of God is truth.

No one can force you to reconsider the pictures you hold in your mind. That is your burden

alone. However, the Lord is willing to lead you through the pain of doubt and the discomfort of

transformation. Trust him rather than your own understanding. The Word of God will not “fall

apart” if you dig deeply and reconsider your interpretation of certain scriptures, but your

eschatological viewpoint may. Are you willing to risk your present interpretation of a particular

scripture by putting your trust in the one who has promised to lead you into all truth? Do so in

prayer, and in faith, believing.

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I am asking you to “watch the movie” within these pages. I know there are many ways to look at

prophetic scriptures, and the more serious students are certain to have their own interpretive

pictures planted firmly in their minds. For now, I am asking you to just watch the movie without

attempting to defend your own or someone else’s interpretation as you read. If you can suspend

your position long enough to take a fresh look, you will understand the mystery of iniquity with

unimagined clarity.

The Tribulated Church

The gathering together, or rapture of the Church, in it’s timely relationship to the mystery of

iniquity and the revealing of the son of destruction, is the focus of the Apostle Paul's second

letter to the Thessalonians. It is in this letter that we are given a glimpse of the mystery of

iniquity for the first time. We will consider that letter in detail. It was written to encourage a

church experiencing great tribulation, but remaining faithful to Christ even to their death. Paul,

Silas, and Timothy praised their brothers and sisters for their endurance in the face of such

persecution.

Their sacrificial living was held up as an example to the entire Christian church. Then, and

through the centuries, their endurance in the face of persecution and death has remained a beacon

to the church. Their example teaches us that the reality of the resurrection is a far more certain

reward than anything that we may gain in this life.

Today the news media in America, and Christians in general, avoid acknowledging that

thousands of Christians are imprisoned and exterminated each year. This unpleasant reality has

not yet reached our shores. According to the editor of the Christian World Encyclopedia,

governments, or unrestrained mobs, have murdered over 160,000 Christians per year throughout

most of this century. In the case of the atheist/socialist governments of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao,

these numbers have been expanded to millions during particular purges. Too often, American

Christians have ignored what is happening to their brothers and sisters in other parts of the world,

because they were of another race, another color. This indifference and lack of compassion

reaches as close as the next pew. Jesus, on the other hand, cannot stop his ears from hearing the

cries of his servants. Since the blood of righteous Abel cried out from the ground for the Lord

God to avenge his death, the clock of the age of God’s goodness and longsuffering has been

ticking away toward midnight. God is very patient, not willing that any should perish, but he is

not slack concerning his promise of judgment.

is soon to end. The sword of God's righteous and holy indignation is about to fall. The day of

his wrath is fast approaching. When the last trumpet sounds, the saints of God, living and dead,

will be gathered, and the wrath of God will be poured upon those who have afflicted and killed

his people. But this will not happen until the sin of man has been brought to its climax. The

disparity between the righteous followers of God and the evil of this world will be separated by

the sword of God’s judgment. Man will have absolutely no excuse. Rejection of God and the

persecution of his people will be repaid in full measure.

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The mystery of iniquity will play a big part in your life in the next few years. Unfortunately, the

mystery of iniquity has been ignored, or redefined and neutered of its significance. It is

uncomfortable to consider its impact on the way we should live in these last days. The

redefinition of this section of scripture pertaining to the mystery of iniquity was offered as part of

the well received “peace, safety, and prosperity gospel” that caught on at the onset of the

Industrial Revolution. The outgrowth of this redefinition, and resultant doctrinal error, has

became part of the strong delusion to which both Jesus and Paul prophesied. The warnings we

see in God’s Word are clear. If God’s people continue to ignore these warnings, he will allow

those who love comfort more than truth to walk straight into the snare that has been set for them.

This is one of the workings of the mystery of iniquity. They will believe a lie, and be hung by

their own apathetic unconcern.

II Thessalonians 2:7, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work...

“The mystery of iniquity doth already work,” and has been at work since Satan took his

rebellious stand against God, and subsequently man. One construct of the mystery of iniquity is

that do not believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, (who is the image of

God), should shine unto them.

is blinded by Satan, he is unable to see even the obvious truths of life; much less so the conflicts

of power in the spiritual realm and the deep mysteries of God. This spiritual blindness can

account for much of the disparity in the mental perception of intelligent persons like Carl Sagan,

an eminent New Age science philosopher, who stated, “The cosmos is all that is, all that was, and

all that ever will be.” This is a fine example of a blinded mind producing a profoundly distorted

view of reality, from an otherwise respectable intellect. This is one man who may be at a real

loss for words when he stands before the judgment of Almighty God. His “cosmos” philosophy

will come back to bite him, in the end. This blindness is very subtle when one considers one’s

own prejudices and presuppositions, which filter out the truth in favor of evidence that confirms

Rebellion in Heaven

To understand the mystery of iniquity, we must dig deep and search the scriptures diligently. We

must realize that the god of this age desires to blind our eyes to what he desires to accomplish, so

we can become ensnared in his world view and remain ineffective in our Christian lives. For our

search in uncovering the mystery of iniquity, it would be helpful to have a command of the

following definitions. They will be essential to our understanding. Please take a moment to

study and comprehend these important legal terms, as they are defined in the 1925 edition of

Websters International Dictionary. The mystery (the hidden secrets that cannot be revealed to

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injustice, or maleficent act.

lawlessness entails the stand of one who is in opposition to the originator, or author of the

uprising of subjects to overthrow their lawful ruler.

authority, but lacks an overt act that would constitute treason or rebellion.

Satan acted in open rebellion against the one to whom he owed his worship and allegiance.

Satan led an organized uprising of angels who sought to overthrow their lawful ruler, God. We

see that Satan was able to draw away one third of the heavenly hosts in his original rebellion

against God, as is depicted in Revelation.

Revelation 12:4, ...his (the dragon, Satan’s) tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven,

and did cast them to the earth.

Why did God not squash Satan like a bug when he rebelled against him? Why, if God is loving

and just, did he allow Satan to enter into the affairs of man and corrupt creation? Why? Because

lawless manner to subdue Satan. Satan was given great power and authority in the beginning,

and that authority can only be stripped from him in a legal manner by one who has the right to do

so. Through his obedience to God, Jesus has prevailed, receiving the authority to strip Satan of

his delegated dominion (Rev 5), defeat him in heaven (Rev 12), subdue him in his rule over the

kingdoms of this world (Rev 19,20), and finally destroy the disobedient, lawless one in the lake

of fire (Rev 20).

The Title Deed

throne of God where he now positions himself as the “accuser of the brethren.” Satan’s purposes

and methodology are exposed in Revelation 12 (verse 10), and the book of Job (1:6 -2:7) where

he is depicted in both scenarios as the accuser before the throne, and the one who steals, kills,

and destroys (John 10:10). Besides Satan’s position as the accuser before the throne of God, by

his deceptive wiles he also received the dominion of this world from the hand of Adam.

Adam originally received from God complete dominion and authority over the entire creation on

earth (Genesis 1:26). He also had dominion over Satan, but was “bribed” into a deal with Satan

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authority that was delivered to him by the original recipient, Adam. This same authority was

offered to Jesus Christ by Satan, for the small price of worship.

Jesus did not dispute Satan’s claim that this world was delivered to his authority. Jesus did not

even challenge his jurisdiction, but flatly refused Satan’s offer, choosing obedience to God and

the plan for his blood to be poured out as the atonement for sin. God had ordained the sacrificial

death of Jesus before Adam relinquished the dominion of this world to the authority of Satan.

God has chosen us in Christ before the relinquishing of the world…(MIV)

After Adam relinquished his dominion over the world to Satan, there was no way for man to get

it back. It was lost forever. However, Jesus prevailed over temptation, sin, and death, to strip

Satan of his delegated authority, securing the kingdoms of this world God’s way. Revelation

world from the hand of God. That scroll was bound by the seals of Satan’s power and authority.

Only Jesus has the authority that was given to him by God to actively dispossess Satan of his

legal claim, by stripping the seals of power from the scroll of the title deed to this world.

Revelation 5:1, I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a scroll written

man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to

the book...

John was utterly shattered over the realization that there was no hope. There was not a man

living or dead who was worthy to loose the seals of the authority of Satan from the title deed. He

was in irreconcilable emotional chaos, to weep so profoundly before the throne of the God of the

universe. There was no hope for redemption. The fate of the creation was sealed, and there was

no way out from under the authority that was delivered to Satan. Satan kept the deed bound with

the power of his authority, and no one had the power to divest his authority from the deed to the

dominion of this world. John’s only response to this desperate dilemma was to anguish in tears.

Revelation 5:5, ...And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the

tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll, and to loose the seven

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elders fell down before the Lamb...

Jesus Christ alone has prevailed, and only he is worthy to divest Satan of the dominion laid under

his authority by the first Adam. By the first Adam came the offense; by the second Adam, Jesus

the Messiah, came the reconciliation.

Revelation 6:1, And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were

the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts shout, Go! (KJV-GINT)

The power and authority by which Satan securely holds fast his claim, his legal authority to stand

before the throne as the accuser, and his authority over the kingdoms of this world is being

stripped away in heaven at this very hour. Each time a seal of Satan’s authority is torn from the

scroll, the unbridled power and fury of Satan is unleashed on the earth. With each victory in

heaven, mankind is brought one giant step closer to the global government of the destroyer.

is just the unavoidable consequence of stripping Satan’s legal command in the spiritual realm.

Satan is holding fast to his authority over the world, which we also see in Ephesians:

Ephesians 6:10-12, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his

might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of

may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (KJV-GINT)

wickedness has a powerful presence in the heavenlies at this time. But that power is being

stripped away by the authority delegated to Jesus when he was raised from the dead. There is a

battle raging in the heavenlies against the power of the accuser. He is now holding fast to his

position in the heavens as the accuser before the throne of God. But there is also a battle raging

on earth for the souls of men. It is a life and death struggle with the heavenly hosts fully

engaged. Jesus and his angels are not willing that any of his chosen perish. Jesus is not lounging

around heaven in his pajamas watching Oprah reruns. There is strife and warfare up above and a

battle here on earth. We are told to put on the whole armor of God and enjoin the battle. This

spiritual warfare is reality, it is not a figure of speech.

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Satan was delegated power and authority before iniquity was found in him. That authority has to

be removed from his dominion legally, by one who has overcome the same temptations to which

he succumbed. Jesus Christ has prevailed to loose the seven seals. Soon, an all out war in the

heavens will result in Michael and his angels’ consummate victory over Satan in the heavenlies.

War in Heaven

We now look into the throne room in heaven where the hidden, behind the scenes working of

Satan as the accuser is revealed. The mystery of iniquity begins to unfold as Jesus reveals the

details to John.

Revelation 12:7, And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the

heaven, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the

before our God day and night..."

Verses 6 and 14 in this chapter, pinpoint the war in heaven occurring 3½ years before

spoke of the heavens being shaken and the stars of heaven being cast to the earth, he was

referring to this future cataclysm. The victory of the Lamb will be completed first in heaven, then

on the earth 3½ years later as Jesus the Messiah sets up his kingdom. He will incarcerate Satan

by casting him into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.

Concerning this war in heaven, Michael and his angels will prevail over Satan and his angels.

Their victory will end his rebellious stand in heaven and despoil Satan of his authority to

stand in the midst of the throne room of God, where he now accuses the brethren day and

night. He will not relinquish his position willingly, but will hold fast to his position until he

people.

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The book of Daniel gives a vivid description of the ruler and the world government under his

control (referred herein as the New World Order). That government will bear totalitarian control

over the entire planet before the Messiah comes to rule the Earth. According to the Prophets

Daniel and Paul, the casting out of Satan occurs at the exact time that the abomination of

desolation takes place.

The Destroyer is revealed as he takes his stand in the temple mount. This is referred to as

Satan’s time, and he will control the world government and the man who sits at the top of it; the

man of sin (II Thes 2:3), the son of destruction (II Thes 2:3), the Wicked one (II Thes 2:8), the

prince that shall come (Dan 9:27), the king (Dan 11:36), the mouth of the little horn (Dan 7:8),

the mouth speaking great things and blasphemies (Rev 13:5), he who shall magnify himself

above all (Dan 11:37, II Thes 2:4), he to whom authority is given to make war with the saints and

overcome them (Rev 13:7), he who has authority to continue 42 months (Rev 13:5), he who

blasphemes God, his namesake, his tabernacle, and the angels (Rev 13:6, Dan 11:36, II Thes

2:3), he whose army shall pollute the sanctuary and shall place the abomination of desolation

(Dan 11:31), he who will plant the tents of his command post between the seas in the glorious

holy mountain (Dan 11:45), the voice of the beast (Dan 7:11), he who wears out the saints of

God for 3½ years (Dan 7:25), antichrist (I John 2:18), he whose coming is after the working of

Satan (II Thes 2:9), the Destroyer (Rev 9:11), he who rises to power out of the smoke of the sixth

seal nuclear war and it’s bloody aftermath (Rev 9:11), the commander and CEO of the New

World Order military machine (Rev 9:11), the spokesman or representative for the beast system

(Rev 19:19), he whose coming is with all lying signs and wonders (II Thes 2:9), he who has full

ability to deceive utilizing the unrighteousness that is in them that perish (II Thes 2:10), he who

will come in his own name and the people will receive (John 5:43), and he who shall be

destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming at the battle of Armageddon (II Thes 2:8).

the government system. The son of destruction sits as the undisputed ruler of the beast

government. As the head, he is referred to as “the beast” only once in Revelation 19:19-20, just

as Nebuchadnezzar was referred to as “the head of gold” in Daniel 2:38, because he was the

personal ruler of Babylon. All other references the beast, such as Revelation 13:1, are direct

references to the government. People do not have seven heads and ten horns, but governments

are described as having such features.

Revelation 12:11,...And [the brethren] overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and

by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Living to the end and saving our own skin is not the ultimate goal of life and never has been;

gospels, Jesus told the leaders of the New Testament Church that it would be so for us, and Paul

confirmed this truth throughout his letters to the churches. In the opening of his “revelation to

to his church, to prepare them for the rough times ahead. He that endures faithful to the end,

shall be saved (Mat 24:13; Rev 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21; Mat 10:32,33; Luke 9:25,26). Hang in

there, I have read the end of the Revelation and Jesus guarantees that it will be worth any amount

of pain and suffering the world may heap on us.

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Concerning the war in heaven and the victory won there:

inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great

wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time...

the throne room and cast down to the earth where he then takes his rebellious stand on

complemented with all the power of Satan, replete with lying signs, wonders, and a false prophet.

Abaddon, Apollyon, the Destroyer is revealed as the king or commander of the New World Order

military force. He establishes order after the war that brings the world government into full

power over the inhabitants of the earth. It is not a peculiar coincidence that Satan is cast out of

heaven 3½ years before the return of Christ to reign on earth, and the Destroyer is revealed at

However, that mystery will be in it’s full rage and devastation when Satan, the lawless one

himself, is cast down to the earth, and works his will through the son of destruction, antichrist

personified.

to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the

wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time

water as a flood [common reference to an army] after the woman, that he might cause her

woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon

war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the

testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Destroyer is thwarted in his attempt to destroy the people of Israel. They flee from Judea

into the mountains as his army is engulfed in a war with a 200 million man army from out of the

east, at the sixth trumpet. After a successful defense against the eastern communist bloc, and his

failed attempt to exterminate Israel, he then moves to wipe out the followers of Jesus Christ from

the planet. After this comes the events of the seven thunders, the details of which are presented

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Chapter Two

Prerequisite to the Rapture

We have seen that Satan does have a dominion that was his in the beginning with God, and an

authority that was transferred to him by Adam. He uses that authority stealthily and ruthlessly to

injure God by hurting his people. God is bound by his nature to be just, righteous, and loving.

God cannot act in an unlawful manner to defeat Satan, even though Satan stands in absolute

rebellion against him. God has committed all judgment into the hands of his Son (John 5:22).

Christ must rule until he has put down all authority and power in heaven and earth (I Cor 15:24-

28). The mystery of iniquity, Satan’s lawlessness, has been shrouded. But now we begin to

more fully understand the position that Satan maintains, and to which he holds fast--rights that he

was given before his rebellion, and the authority he secured by his conquest over Adam,

subjugating the entire human race. Let us now look at the context of the mystery of iniquity.

He Who Now Holds Fast

II Thessalonians 2:5-6, Remember, when I was with you, I told you these things? Now

you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his own time...(KJV)

The Greek indicates that the church in Thessalonica already knew what Paul was about to restate.

How did they know? Paul may have spent several days and nights on the subject while he was

with them. The evidence indicates that Paul was shown many of the same things that John

recorded in Revelation (II Corinthians 12). Some things he could tell them, others he could not

(such as the specific events of the Seven Thunders).

must consider the larger context:

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The context allows only one interpretation of that which is holding fast. It is, and can legally and

cast into the Lake of Fire. It is he, the lawless one himself, who now holds fast to his delegated

authority before the throne of God, and his delivered authority from the hand of Adam.

We have seen the mystery of iniquity at work as it was revealed in Revelation 12, where Satan

term used for the area within the throne room of God (Rev 4:6, 5:6, 6:6), where both Jesus and

Revelation refers not solely to a seat, but also to the expansive area around the throne, or throne

suddenly uncovered). He is the man of sin, the son of destruction, in II Thessalonians 2:3. It is

he who is revealed in verse 7 and it is he whom the Lord will destroy with the brightness of his

coming at the Battle of Armageddon, in verse 8. It is he who was also prophesied in Daniel 9:26

Straining for a “Restrainer”

For several decades I, along with a multitude of pre-tribulation rapturists, have redefined the

word katecho to mean “the restrainer.” We fabricated a scenario that was never alluded to in any

of Paul’s writings or in the text of the entire Bible: That the holy Spirit is restraining Satan’s

power, and when the holy Spirit is taken from the earth (as well as the Christians) then the man

of sin will be revealed. Even though the language and the context would never allow this

redefinition, some of the modern Bible translations were influenced by this error. That

redefinition has even further buried the working of the mystery of iniquity. But redefinition does

not truth make, especially when it is in direct contradiction to the clear teaching in the context,

and the words of Jesus Christ himself.

No matter how much one wrestles the words “that which holds fast” to say that the holy Spirit, or

the Christian church in this world, is restraining the man of sin from being revealed, it will never

make it the truth. The Christians in America could not even keep our republic, which was rooted

in Christianity, from being taken over by atheist socialists. There is not one shred of evidence in

revealed. Twisting this word to produce what the context clearly condemns is the working of

Satan. He is the author of the strong but comfortable delusion that Paul exposes.

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“uncle” by twisting his arm). However, the context would never justify twisting “the mystery of

iniquity which holds fast to his authority until he is taken out of the midst of God’s throne room

by Michael and his angels” into “the holy spirit within the believer, which restrains the working

one would be the truth, the other would be a deliberate twisting of the scripture, the result of the

working of Satan to bury the mystery of iniquity and the truth of the timing of the return of Jesus

Christ from the eyes of the Christian’s understanding.

A Letter to the Church in Tribulation

The section of scripture we have been considering in II Thessalonians is in the middle of a letter

to a church in the throes of great tribulation. It is very significant that this letter to the church in

for his persecuted church proclaiming their glorious hour of deliverance. They are encouraged to

endure faithfully to the end, when Jesus will set them free from the pains of tribulation.

To understand this letter we need to read it as a letter from the beginning, rather than by selecting

a few specific sentences that “prove” a preconceived notion. It takes a few minutes to carefully

return to gather the church and pour out the wrath of God. We will see the legal parameters of

what must occur before the gathering of the Saints, so that we will not be misled nor taken by

surprise. For clarification, brackets < > have been inserted to bring in the truths concerning

the mystery of iniquity that we have discovered from the 12th chapter of the Revelation of Jesus

Christ.

The Second Letter of Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians

To: The church of the Thessalonians in God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ:

glory in you (among the churches of God) for your endurance and faith in all the

worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are now suffering.

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do not know God, and on those that do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the glorious Day of the Lord, when he is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, just as he

indicated to his disciples on the Mount of Olives. This is the day of our deliverance, and the day

the Lord repays tribulation to those who have tribulated us.

from the glory of his power.)

“Who shall,” in verse 9, starts a parenthetical future clause which indicates the final disposition

obvious.

of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming,)

Revelation 19 indicates. Here we see the absolute necessity of staying with the chronology of the

book of Revelation if we are going to make sense of the order that these prophetic occurrences

transpire. This future parenthetical clause that we are addressing in the first chapter does not

of the White Throne Judgment after the millennial reign of Christ, when the final disposition of

Satan and those whose names are not found in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire and

inserting in bold italics the timing of this occurrence as we understand from Revelation 20:11-15.

Lord, and from the glory of his power.)

Now let us back up and read from verse 6, leaving out the explanatory parenthesis to follow the

flow of the letter.

heaven with his mighty angels,

testimony among you was believed).

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when the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel

and the trump of God, taking vengeance on those who have been tribulating the church and

suddenly relieving the pain and strain of tribulation. The tribulated church will rest when the

(from whence is derived the brand name of a famous pain reliever). The picture that the word

anacin paints is a person bound and stretched tightly on a rack. Bones are popping out of their

sockets and internal organs are beginning to tear loose from the connecting tissue. Ropes and

chains holding the body in tension are as tight as a violin string. At the point of loosing

consciousness, the avenger breaks through the door, slashes the chains that bind the extremities

(See Appendix IV, The Witness of the Heavens).

glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus

Christ.

After his prayer for the tribulated Saints, Paul expounds with clarity the day of our deliverance at

the glorious coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This third paragraph, starting with chapter 2:1, is concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

and our gathering together unto him. They were not, and we are not, to be troubled or deceived

by any of the means that truth (and lies) are generally disseminated. We are not to be worked

into a frenzy, thinking that the gathering together is imminent. We are then told the condition

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that the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction who exalts himself above God. Verse four

is nearly a verbatim recitation of Daniel’s description of the king of wickedness in chapter 11,

verses 36 and 37, and the mouth, or blasphemous spokesman of the beast government in

Revelation 13:5-8. Why did we not see it more clearly? Because the mystery of iniquity is

already at work to blind the eyes of men to the truth.

A Falling Away?

Once men formulate an opinion, they have a tendency to protect their theology, as if the universe

revolves around their interpretation. Meekness before the Lord is a fine line to walk, and not

very comfortable. The King James translators did not help things much either. After laying out

whole buildup fall flat on its face:

…a falling away

I must express my personal disappointment at such an uneventful conclusion to a most intense

crescendo. I am about to find out in no uncertain terms when the Lord is returning to gather the

saints together and end our tribulations. I am finally going to know so specifically that I will not

be deceived by any means. Then I get this vague, lackluster, inconclusive: “a falling away.”

most accurately described by pointing the finger at an object, thereby defining it precisely, and

what? The truth? That is how it has been handled in a million and six sermons. Even in Paul’s

time:

II Timothy 1:15…all they which are in Asia be turned away from me...

II Timothy 4:16…all men have forsaken me…

Falling away from the truth had certainly happened in Paul’s time, but it happened during the

Dark Ages as well. Can we be more specific, since we are pointing the finger at an occurrence

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God for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? Or do we acquiesce to “a generic falling away,” to

point to the absolute prerequisite to his coming to deliver us?

and has come laden with the misconceived meaning “a falling away from the truth.” In Greek

It was a stand in opposition to one’s spouse, not a simple “falling out of love.” There is only one

other time that the word apostasia is used in the Bible. This one occurrence is rich with meaning.

Acts 21:20 …You see brother Paul, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe,

and they are all zealous for the law; And they were seditiously informed about you, that

overt act that would constitute treason or rebellion.

They considered Paul’s speech as an incitement to rebel against the lawful authority of Moses.

They accused him of teaching people to rebel against the authority of God. His speech, if their

accusations were true, would have been sedition. The act of the people in response would have

been rebellion against Moses.

uprising of subjects to overthrow their lawful ruler.

stand taken. That would put this “stand in opposition” into the category of rebellion, if it were

acted upon by the hearers of Paul’s so called seditious teachings.

We see then that the apostasia in II Thessalonians chapter 2 is not a vague falling away but rather

the act of rebellion. This rebellious act is an active stand against the lawful ruler of the universe,

God. The act of rebellion was initiated by Satan himself. He has stood in rebellious opposition

to God’s authority since his original act, and his rebellion is not yet complete. He now opposes

God before his throne. When he is cast down to the earth he will take his stand of rebellion

against God and his people here, through the son of destruction - the man of sin.

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category of a rebellion that was begun, but is not yet completed. The stand of rebellion that

Satan initiated against the Most High God will be quashed while he is bound in the bottomless

pit for 1,000 years. His rebellion on earth will resume when he is released and deceives the

world one last time at the end of the Millennial reign of Christ on earth. Satan’s rebellion will be

eternally terminated as he is cast into the lake of fire and tormented day and night, from ages to

ages.

that is called God, is venerated by all those that dwell on the earth. He as God, will sit in the

general sinful condition of man or some destructive tendency of mankind. It is in no uncertain

venerated; so that he, as God, sits in the temple of God, proclaiming that he is God. Now we

plainly see that the event which must come to pass is the event spoken of by Jesus and Daniel, as

the abomination of desolation, or the revealing of the king of unrighteousness. This statement is

a near verbatim recitation of the accounts in Daniel, Revelation, and Isaiah.

Daniel 11:31, Arms shall stand on his behalf...and they shall place the abomination that

and magnify himself above every god and shall speak marvelous things against the God

he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his

with the saints and to overcome them: and authority was given to him over all kindreds,

and tongues, and nations.

exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in

the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most

high.

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This section in Isaiah has been attributed to the rebellion of Satan, but in the context it is a

proverb spoken against the king of Babylon who is portrayed as the morning star having fallen

from heaven. This could very well be speaking prophetically concerning Satan’s future casting

down to the earth, and the ruler of the last “Babylon” taking his throne under the power of

Satan’s working. It also could have a direct prophetic application for Satan, Nimrod, and

Nebuchadnezzar, and a final specific fulfillment at the end time with the antichrist. In any case,

the attitude and verbiage are the same as we see in II Thessalonians chapter 2. It appears that the

II Thessalonians 2:5, Remember, when I was with you, I told you these things?

Paul had rehearsed the specifics of this revelation with them in detail while he was with them in

Thessalonica. He also put some of these things down on parchment so the church would have a

record of the things that must come to pass in the latter days. This revelation fully corroborates

the revelation that John received on Patmos Island. We were not there to know all of the things

that Paul revealed to those Christians in Thessalonica. He may have spent days unmasking the

mystery of iniquity for them. What you are seeing unfold in this book is a portion of what Paul

laid out for those believers. What was necessary for the church in tribulation to know then is

even more necessary for the church (who will experience the great tribulation) to know now.

unrighteousness.

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The Legal Prerequisite

The context of the first and second chapters of II Thessalonians gives us a picture of a

persecuted, but courageous Christian church. They are being encouraged to endure. Paul told

them that they will be relieved of the strain and pain of persecution when the Lord Jesus is

revealed from heaven with his angels, taking fiery vengeance on those who have been tribulating

them with torture and death.

Paul instructs them not to be shaken up by anyone who indicates that the day of the Lord

No Christian is to be deceived by anyone who teaches that the Lord could return at any moment,

even though they mean well. And no Christian should be deceived into thinking that the Day of

the Lord does not refer to the day that the Lord raises the dead in Christ at the first resurrection,

and gathers those that are alive and remain to meet him in the air. They are one in the same.

This is made abundantly clear in the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, as well as I Corinthians

and the Revelation.

We can now see that over the last 1990 years, the Lord's return was never imminent. He could

not have returned 100 years ago. The abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel, Jesus

Christ, Paul, and John must occur first. Paul reminded them that what he is saying refers back to

what he taught them while he was in Thessalonica. They were already aware of the mystery of

iniquity at work and holding fast to his position in heaven, until the future war with Michael and

his angels results in his being cast down to earth. When that takes place, the Wicked one will be

revealed whose coming is energized by the power of Satan. That man of sin will be destroyed by

Jesus Christ when he returns to establish his kingdom, at the Battle of Armageddon. Those who

love this world more than they love the truth will be allowed to go to a working error of the

mystery of iniquity. They will believe the lie of which Paul again tells them not to be deceived.

Thessalonians 2:11 (KJV) reads:

churches and the world would rather listen to the voice of men over the voice of God as it is

recorded in the scriptures, God will send them home to where they are comfortable with their

own delusions and commodious errors. All who do not love and believe the truth, but find their

reward living in the comfortable lap of the world, will be judged accordingly.

In II Thessalonians chapters 1 and 2, there is a clear and repeating emphasis all through this

section of scripture concerning Satan and the revealing of the man of sin.

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Satan: The Destroyer:

There is also a clear and repeating emphasis all through this section of scripture concerning the

day that the Lord Jesus is revealed at his coming for the saints, to gather them together.

The Lord Jesus Christ:

Their is absolutely no context for that which is now holding fast to be considered as anything

other than Satan holding fast to his position before the throne of God, as the accuser. This

section of scripture is telling the Church that the prerequisite for Jesus Christ returning to end the

pain of tribulation is the events laid out in the book of Revelation, when Satan is cast out of

heaven and the man of sin is then revealed at the 5th trump, the 1st Woe. He will not return

before then. He cannot. Legal prerequisites exist. God cannot break his word. Praying contrary

terminated there before the victory in heaven is complete. Jesus cannot gather us to the sea

of fire and glass in front of the throne of our heavenly Father, until the mystery of iniquity

is conquered and taken out of the midst. We cannot enter the throne room for the

Marriage Supper of the Lamb until Satan is permanently expelled from heaven, and the

wrath of God is completely poured out. Satan’s authority must be stripped from him,

legally and permanently. No one goes up before Satan is cast down. Period!

I was guilty of twisting these scriptures in just the way that I have exposed to you. I had to do so

to prove my pre-tribulation rapture teachings. I was an energetic exponent of the teachings of my

church and theological institutions. I had a doctrine, position, reputation, and denomination to

protect. In short, I was party to the system of this world that had been well rooted in my religious

sect. Just because a denomination is in the mainstream of modern Christianity does not mean

that truth is much of a concern.

But I did have concerns. For twenty years I did not feel completely comfortable with the way

that I was handling II Thessalonians chapter 2; but I would feel more uncomfortable not having a

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command of the denominational party line on these verses. One weekend of seclusion, with no

one to impress and nothing to prove, I prayed honestly: “Lord, you know that I don’t understand

the mystery of iniquity or how it relates to the gathering together of the church. If you desire, you

can show it to me. I know that you are able to reveal anything that you want.” I was in no hurry.

I picked up my Greek New Testament and began to read and think. I was compelled to leave II

Thessalonians and go to the 12th chapter of Revelation, which in my mind had nothing to do

with Thessalonians. The Lord revealed the mystery of iniquity to me by using a chapter of the

Bible that I had blindly misinterpreted for over 20 years. Fourteen hours later, it all fit together.

I was electrified by what I saw, but my eschatology lay in shattered pieces on the stone picnic

table at which I sat. The verses on which I had based my dispensational interpretation of the pretribulation

rapture had melted before my eyes. For the first time in my life, I understood what

Paul was communicating to the church in Thessalonica, and the church today. Once I dropped

my haughty intellectual pre-suppositions and went to my knees before the Lord, he began to open

my heart to the truth of his Word.

Hours later, I asked the Lord Jesus if he was willing to open the book of Revelation to me. I had

been pretending to have a command of the book of Revelation for years. Although it was my

by studying the interpreters of current and past generations. I knew that if Jesus had given the

revelation to John to show his servants, then Jesus could, if he wanted, open it up to me. As I

prayed on my knees, an explosion in my mind resulted in my repeating over and over, “It is all

there, and it is all in order. The abomination of desolation is there, the gathering of the church is

there, it is all there and it is all in order.” I repeated that explosion in my mind so many times,

that now a year and a half later, it is as fluent as the moment I saw it. I reached for my unmarked

reading Bible and began to feverishly mark up the book of Revelation with a rainbow of color. I

knew where all of the major events were instinctively. I was unable to sleep for the next three

days. My personal interpretation was in ruins, but for the first time the book of Revelation was

clear to me and without confusion. It is all there, and it is all in order. Reading it in sequence,

setting aside the chapters of parenthetical explanations, brings out a Technicolor picture that is

both horrifying in its destruction, and awesome in its glory.

For the next several weeks of solitude I prayed over and over again, “Lord, if you have shown

this to me and it is true, and not the fabrication of a sin sick mind, burn it in my soul and don’t let

me compromise what you have shown me. Show me how to communicate this, if it is you Lord.

If this is not true, take it from me Lord. I cannot bear to separate myself from my Christian

friends. If this is not your revelation, take it from me Lord.”

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The fire kept growing in me. In the months to come, the Lord confirmed his Word to me very

unforgettably. He repeated specific verbal confirmations from several sources, verbatim.

Sometimes from very unwilling sources. A fire is shut up in my bones that I cannot quench.

Months passed with nothing to sustain me but the clarity of the revelation and the drive to teach

it to the people who will be able to make a real difference in the weeks and months to come. I

have a reward because I do this willingly, without the chance of personal gain.

In May of 1996, this manuscript began as a personal letter to a fellow minister. Within a few

hours, I knew that I could not stop until I had secured in written form, some of the things that the

Lord had revealed to me. I have deliberately avoided reading any of the prophetic works that

have been recently published until the draft of the manuscript was finished. I have been asked by

many if I had read Rosenthal’s work on the pre-wrath rapture. I have not. If the revelation

stands or falls, it must be judged against the Word of God and not by man’s work. I do not know

what revelations have been seen or what conclusions have been reached by others. There are

however, a few specific revelations to which the Lord has led me, to verify what he had shown

me from the pages of scripture. Appendix III concerns the modern day prophets, whose voices

the Lord used to confirm the revelation.

It is my responsibility to speak out on this, because I had been in the past an unwitting party to

the mystery of iniquity. No minister would want to be party to that mystery. Yet by omission,

the mystery of iniquity has been hidden from the Christian church, because ministers like myself

have not exposed the hidden, behind the scenes workings of Satan. While the system of the god

of this age labors to bring about the world government and the man who will be revealed as the

prince of the New World Order, the church has remained mute as godless humanism is forced

upon our offspring. By our silence we are playing into his hand. By teaching error from the

pulpit, we have set the snare of Satan that will catch the church in its own comfort zone.

Remember, ministers, the denominational hierarchy will not be standing in front of you at the

judgment seat of Christ. He will. You will answer to him personally, and you cannot plead

ignorance or, “I was just following orders.” Jesus gives the orders around here. If you don’t

want to listen to him, get out of the way and quit misleading God’s people. Your reward may not

be as severe if you decide to quit actively promulgating the mystery of iniquity.

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Chapter Three

The Chronology: From Here to Eternity

The most well defined signpost concerning the end times is the event referred to by Jesus and

Daniel as the abomination of desolation, which takes place precisely 3½ years before Christ

establishes his earthly kingdom. This event and timing is one of the most documented facts on

the prophetic calendar. Paul refers to this as the revealing of the man of sin, the son of

destruction, the Wicked one who proclaims himself to be God. John refers to him as antichrist,

the mouth speaking great things, and Abaddon, Apollyon, the Destroyer.

The chronological order of end time events is detailed within the specific seals, trumpets,

thunders, and bowls of wrath in the book of Revelation. Please note that chapter 12, from which

we have been reading, sets as a parenthesis within the chronology of the Revelation. This

particular parenthesis covers several thousand years. It details among other things, the original

rebellion of Satan and his angels in heaven, the birth and ascension of the Messiah, and Satan’s

subsequent rebellious stand on earth after he is cast out of heaven 3½ years before Armageddon.

But before we discuss the parenthetical explanations in the book of Revelation, it will be helpful

to set the chronology first.

Nowhere else in scripture are we given future prophecies concerning the end times in a

chronological order. Those who have studied the prophetic accounts in the gospels and Old

Testament prophets are painfully aware of this. They simply were not written by one man and

laid down chronologically. For generations we have attempted to assemble the ancient

prophecies in an order that has made sense, both biblically and in the current geopolitical world

in which we live. It is wise to remember that only the Word of God is flawless. Our

interpretation of Bible prophecy is subject to our own presuppositions, the times in which we

live, and our limited comprehension of the eternal purposes of God.

Well respected prophetic interpreters of the past have fallen into disrepute because they have

failed to reconsider their interpretations in the light of what has developed on the world scene.

Many of these interpretations have proven invalid through the years. If they do not reevaluate

their positions, they both become relics of a past generation. God’s Word alone is completely

the introduction, the book of Revelation begins by Jesus Christ laying down the structure for how

the entire revelation will be given. The revelation commences in verse 10.

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Revelation 1:10, I (John) was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great

After John was given this instruction, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory of his resurrected

body. John was so shaken that he fell down on his face as if he were dead. Jesus then touched

him, told him not to fear, and to:

which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands. The seven stars

the seven churches.

back then), their relevance to the church throughout history, and today, is undeniable. It is

sobering to recognize that Jesus sees behind our facades and cannot be fooled by the front we

project to even our closest friends. Reading this section of Revelation on your knees can be a

very rough experience. The format is there in each message to a church. What does Jesus have

against your personal lifestyle and walk with him? What can he praise you about? What

encouragement to a more worthy endeavor can he entice you with? What vision of the future

reward will give you courage to endure? If you will read these messages to the churches, asking

your Lord to speak to your heart and to be brutally honest with you, you can be brought to the

place of true repentance before him, and you will not need to be crushed by the world before you

turn your heart to him. If you will judge yourself and keep yourself from sin, Jesus will purge

you and keep you in the hour of tribulation that is coming upon the whole world. That is one of

his promises to you.

Otherwise, you can try this thing on your own, do it your own way, and see how you fare.

Business as usual is not going to cut it in the months and years ahead. If you are not living for

him and walking by the spirit of God now, don’t think that you are going to miraculously change

when the economy crashes and you can’t buy a loaf of bread with your entire retirement fund.

Do not think that a host of angels is going to descend on your house to keep you warm and safe

while you watch five hours of entertainment TV and eat steak out of a freezer that never goes

empty. There are only so many angels to go around. If Daniel had to wait for 21 days for an

angel to get through the spiritual battle to deliver a message to him, I think that it would be wise

to make our lives valuable in doing the will of our Lord. Perhaps then we will “rate” an angel to

keep us and our family protected, which may result in others turning to the Lord Jesus.

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addresses those thing which are in the future to the 90 AD churches in Asia, and have been future

to all but the Christians that will see the end of the age. Jesus described some of these events to

his “future followers” as he addressed his disciples just days before his crucifixion, when he sat

them down in private on the mount of Olives (Matthew chapters 24, 25).

John was then taken to the throne of God to see the future of mankind, and the battle that rages in

the heavens because of the rebellious stand that Satan has taken against God and his people. To

extrapolate from this verse that John “represents” the church as it is taken up into heaven in a

secret rapture, destroys any possibility of understanding the book of Revelation.

Utilizing that logic, we must say that John, falling down as dead at the feet of Jesus, represents

the church being paralyzed by fear and unable to live for Christ (Rev 1:17). Of course this is a

inane abstraction, but not more so than the “secret rapture indicator.” If we are allowed to

allegorize the Bible in this “anything goes” fashion, we might as well close the book and make

see the day that he raises and rewards his Saints later in the book of Revelation. It will be no

secret. It will not be a vague allusion or indication. It will not be stuck in between verses or

between seals or thunders. It will be the greatest revelation in the history of the planet. Jesus

said that every eye will see when he sends forth his angels to gather the elect, and all of the tribes

ARMAGEDDON: Christ returns to the earth to rule; Satan bound for 1,000 years.

MILLENNIUM: The 1000 year reign of Christ on earth; saints rule with a rod of iron.

ETERNITY: The new heaven, and earth, and new Jerusalem; God wipes the tears away.

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Every significant prophetic future event in the Old and New Testaments will fit precisely into the

chronological sequence that unfolds in Revelation. When speaking of the chronological order of

seven angels with trumpets are introduced and begin sounding their trumpets in successive,

chronological order. If this seems like we are dealing with elementary logic, we are. Why then

have we not been able to intelligently see the order of events in the book of Revelation?

Honestly, because we don't like seeing what takes place. I don’t like it either, but that is not the

criterion by which God rules the universe. Where the chronology is clearly disturbing, some

have attempted to legitimize an “early out” by engaging in a “dance of the seals and trumpets,”

that stacks seals on top of thunders, on top of trumpets, on top of bowls. This leaves the book of

Revelation in an indecipherable time warp continuum, all in an attempt to get us out of here

book of Revelation).

Every prophetic event in the Old and New Testaments will fit precisely into the

chronological sequence that unfolds in Revelation. Prophetic events of great significance

are indicated by the events described by the seals, trumpets, thunders, last trumpet, and

of the dead in Christ at the rapture of the church is there. It is all in there, and it is all in order.

There is an extremely important and fearsome warning to those who would trifle with the book

of Revelation. It originates in the Gospel of Matthew, in Jesus’ warning to, “Take heed that no

man deceive you, for many shall come in my name...and deceive many.” Sincerity will not make

a difference when it comes to casually explaining away the solemn warnings of Jesus Christ

concerning his second coming. The snares have been set. Most Christians will walk blindly into

them. Yes, I am talking about you! Unless you carefully listen and take heed in meekness,

willing to broadly apply the warnings of your Lord to your own thought processes, you will be

snared.

The Secret Rapture?

Our thought processes and beliefs are primarily shaped by the pew that we sat in, and the

experiences that grew out of that understanding. But there is a higher authority to whom we must

answer, and our minister will not be with us before the throne to accept the blame for what we

believed about life, or how we lived it. Do not trifle with the warnings of Jesus Christ, but

rather, try your heart diligently according to his words.

Revelation 22:18, I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this

prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city,

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the warnings, thereby taking away the validity of the entire book, by insisting that it is not written

to the Christian church as the Servants of Jesus Christ, but rather to “Israel in the future.” I will

the side of caution than to assume a most damnable attitude of frivolity concerning these

warnings. Let me err on the side of caution. As a man, err I will. I will not attempt to change

the timing of events by insisting that extremely significant events must have happened between

the book of Revelation. Instead, I will wait for Jesus Christ to return to raise the dead and gather

the church, when Jesus clearly revealed to John and Paul that it would take place: At the 7th and

last trump.

The seals, trumpets, and thunders record the destruction of man against man under the influence

of Satan. Nations are being judged at this time, by God’s time honored method of allowing other

nations to crush those who have turned away from him. Yet, none of the occurrences in

Revelation is the vengeance and wrath of God until we get to the seven bowls of God’s wrath.

That is the time of his punishing those who have destroyed the earth (Rev 11:18).

the end, but the journey looks a bit rough. I would like the waters of life to be very smooth until

Jesus returns to take me to heaven in the middle of a five course Sunday brunch. I would also

like my daughters to grow up in the America of 40 years ago. I would like to have a million

dollars in my pocket, and peace on earth. I would like...

Once you read the book of Revelation by staying directly with the chronology of the 7 seals, 6

trumpets, 7 thunders, last trumpet, 7 bowls of Wrath, and the Battle of Armageddon and

succeeding events, you can then go back and fill in the details with the parenthetical sections of

detail, and show cause and effect. They describe past and foretell future events. They tie

Some parentheticals cover 3½ years, one covers several thousand years, but the chronology of the

book of Revelation stands alone.

The Three Resurrections

The parenthetical section that we have been dealing with in the 12th chapter of Revelation is

directly after the chronological revelation of the seventh and last trump, when the mystery of God

who are “in Christ” from both the old and new covenants. This is the first resurrection, the

resurrection of the just, when the saints will be raised incorruptible and rewarded for their

faithful service.

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prophets.

This is the mystery of God concerning the resurrection that Paul revealed for the first time to the

Corinthians. It is important to recognize that before Paul revealed this mystery, the resurrection

of the saints was not understood in the detail that we comprehend it today. The body with which

we will be raised is addressed for the first time in the records of the church.

I Corinthians 15:50, ...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God...Behold I show

This is the first time that Paul puts together the change from the corrupted corpse to the

incorruptible new body and from the mortal flesh to the immortality of a body like Christ’s

I Corinthians 15:52, ...In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye...

I Corinthians 15:52, ...At the last trump...

There is no confusion between Jesus, Paul, and John. This is when the mystery of God is

executed, at the last trump. This is the moment that the dead in Christ will be raised and the

righteous will be judged and rewarded. This is the exact picture that we see when the seventh

angel sounds the last trumpet:

the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give

reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy

have died in Christ) at the last trumpet. They will be given authority to reign with Christ a

thousand years. Of the two resurrections, this is without question the better one in which to

participate.

Hebrews 11:35 ...others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a

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Some say that there is no resurrection or future judgment. In I Corinthians 15:12 and following,

Paul refuted some errors that had crept into the body of believers at Corinth. Paul laid out the

among those who have died, being alive now and forevermore.

man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his

authority to add the word cometh. It is improperly supplied and should be deleted and read as

follows:

(When he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall

have put down all rule and all authority and power.)

Christ will have put down all rule, authority, and power by the time of the “Great White Throne

Judgment.” He will have cleansed heaven of the exercised authority of Satan. He will have put

down all rule on earth and subjected this world under himself as Adam was to have done. Then

he will overcome all the power of Satan, opening the grave and casting Satan into the lake of fire.

resurrections.

After Christ’s resurrection, the next resurrection, in order, will be those that belong to Christ at

his coming. This is referred to as the first resurrection (Rev. 20:5). In I Corinthians 15:12-54,

entire context of this section of scripture is the resurrection of “they that are Christ’s at his

coming” for his saints at the last trump. This is our hope; not a “get out of tribulation free” card.

resurrections all will be made alive:

1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the firstfruits from among the dead.

2. Those that are Christ's at his coming. The justified in Christ who looked forward to his

coming in faith, such as Abraham, Moses, and David, and those of us who look back at

his sacrifice in faith, as we do today. They will be rewarded for their righteous works.

This is the resurrection of the just.

3. The end, or last resurrection, when all who have ever lived will stand in judgment before

the great white throne. This excludes all those who have previously stood before the

judgment of Christ at the first resurrection.

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The two resurrections remaining to be fulfilled are those who are Christ’s at his coming, and the

end resurrection when he has conquered all principalities and powers. These remaining two

resurrections are documented fully in the book of Revelation. They occur at the 7th and last

trump (Rev 10:7; 11:15,18), and at the end, just before the final judgment (Rev 20:11-15). These

Do not tamper with God's Word. There remain two resurrections after Jesus was raised from the

dead. He now holds the keys to the grave, and all who live will be raised and judged by him. Do

Corinthians chapter 15. You will find yourself in contempt of God, having loved a comfortable

lie more than you love the truth. He will not change his plan to suit your fancy, you will simply

There are those who have redefined the resurrection of those in Christ in I Corinthians 15 as not a

“resurrection,” but only a “raising of the dead.” This asinine and illegitimate redefinition is a

contrived striving over words in a vain attempt to insert another resurrection of the dead. The

raising of the dead in Christ is a resurrection; the terms are synonymous and legally describe the

resurrection of the justified at the last trump. The audacity to redefine this entire chapter is

inexcusable. Attempting to redefine the resurrection as “a raising” is a prime example of the

wrestling of definitions that needs to be accomplished to support an extra resurrection in which

to insert the secret, pre-tribulation rapture of the church.

Without the illegitimate redefinition of the word “resurrection,” there is no legal base for a pre or

mid-tribulation rapture. None. The theological juggling of parables must then be resorted to, in

order to justify the assumption. The word “resurrection” appears in the 15th chapter of I

Corinthians more than any other place in the Bible. This chapter is speaking specifically of the

gathering of those in Christ as the resurrection of those who have been justified by him. If you

are in Christ, when the last trumpet sounds you will either be resurrected or changed. You will in

a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, be “born again.”

Born Again?

Scripture declares a literal resurrection of every person who has ever lived. The euphemism

“sleep” is used here in I Corinthians, because death will end. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus holds the

keys to death and hell (the grave). All will be made alive by him, and stand before his judgment.

inherit the kingdom of heaven. Nicodemus responded with a question for further clarification.

Nicodemus knew that one does not enter into their own mother’s womb a second time. He was

not a fool, he was a doctor of the law.

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Nicodemus knew that Jesus was using a parable, which is simply a parallel between a well

known reality of the physical universe, as it relates to a spiritual reality, or a concept that has not

yet been revealed. Just as we are born into the physical world with a body equipped to live in

this physical universe, we must be born again with a spiritual body equipped to live in the

kingdom of heaven.

Paul clearly expounded the truth concerning the incorruptible body with which we will be raised,

“flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.” This corrupted body must put on

incorruption, and this mortal body must put on an immortal one (I Cor 15:50ff). That new body

from among the dead. He was raised with a body that was no longer powered by blood, but by

the spirit, yet it had physical properties that are quite tangible. This is when Jesus was “born

again” as he used the term when speaking to Nicodemus.

Jesus was raised from the dead with a new body that is equipped to live eternally in the kingdom

of heaven. We too will receive a new body that is like his resurrected body (Philippians 3:21), at

the time we are either raised from the grave, or clothed with a new body at the moment of his

return. Then, we too will be “born again.” Since the flesh and blood body of this first physical

birth cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, “marvel not that I say unto you, you must be born

again.” No one enters by any other door, and Jesus himself is the door to eternal life.

I realize that most Christians, like myself, have grown up in the church using the term “born

again” as describing the experience of confessing Jesus as Lord and being filled with the gift of

holy spirit. I in no way deny that experience. I am simply saying that Jesus did not use the term

“born again” to describe that experience. While this is not an evil error, its wrong usage paints

an incorrect picture of not only our salvation, but the change that must transpire before we can

inherit the kingdom of heaven. The lights will go on when this truth takes root in your heart.

One thing is obvious, however, none of us are “born again” at this time. It is a future experience

that will have a physical impact on our bodies, whether we are alive or in the grave.

Be Not Misled

star. It means to mislead or cause to wander. It does not carry the weight of the word

“deception.” Jesus explained, when the blind leads the blind, they both fall into a ditch (Mat

15:14). The blind are attempting to help each other, but they still get hurt. They may be helping

each other to live a Christian life. The two walking together may find strength, encouragement,

and hope from each other as they stumble down the road. Their assistance from each other is

more encouraging than no help at all, yet they are still blind and cannot know what they cannot

see. They are not to be criticized and condemned as unenlightened fools. They need to be

helped out of love, or left alone, but certainly not jeered.

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They may be doing their best, as they follow the advice of other blind men who have walked the

path before them. They may very well be doing their best and they will answer to their Lord for

how they have walked. They may be walking a straighter path than we, just because they are so

earnestly endeavoring to please their Lord. I will not mock them, yet I will not put out my eyes

and join them either. I have enough blind spots in my own life without making more.

In the Gospel of Luke we find another very critical warning from Jesus. It concerns his return

and the prophesied deception that will be rampant in the church.

Luke 21:8, And he said, “Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many will come in my

To not be deceived, Jesus said that it is up to us to take heed. It is our responsibility to

listen carefully to what he has said, comparing his teachings with the teachings of those

may speak the truth in many areas. They may be completely sincere ministers and teachers, but

they still mislead, especially those who are not rooted in the Word of the Lord. There is,

however, a very specific warning that Jesus focuses on here. Those who are going to be

just as it does in the companion record in Matthew chapter 24.

hand. Its usage paints the picture that the time of his return is intently imminent, the time is now

at hand, it could happen at any moment. Jesus warned his followers: When those who name the

clarify in the following verses. When teachers in the church at the end of the age say that the

return of Jesus is imminent, Jesus said very boldly and clearly to go not after them; do not follow

their teachings for they are not teaching the truth. In the following dissertation, Jesus tells them

that many things will happen that will terrify most people, but that even then, the end is not

imminent. Jesus goes on to describe the days of Satan’s vengeance that will cause his disciples

to be persecuted and killed. He speaks further of the signs in the sun, moon, and stars; the

shaking of the powers of the heavens that will precede his return for them. In verse 27, Jesus

great glory.

Right here Jesus wraps up the whole teaching on “the scandalous deception,” and ties it with a

big pretty bow. He starts out the warning by telling his disciple not to follow those that say his

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they to look up? When all of these things begin happening, as they are initiated by the shaking of

the heavens when Satan is cast out. These are the exact terms that are used by Jesus to indicate

the beginning of the devastation of the Great Tribulation.

Do not follow those who come in his name and say that his return is imminent. They are

speaking a lie. They will answer to Jesus for their deceptive handling of the scriptures, even if it

was handed down to them by their denominational traditions. They are setting the snare of the

mystery of iniquity for the strong delusion. Do not follow them. Reprove them. Give them a

copy of this book so that they will see the error of their ways and repent. Do not assume that they

are too hard hearted or set in their ways. The Lord knows their heart and he may have been

working on them for years. I was in the same deception. Our Lord is merciful to those who seek

him with their whole heart.

less than 3½ years after the Destroyer is revealed as the commander of the New World Order,

Jesus will return for his church. Our redemption will be especially longed for, after a few years

of great tribulation. I have observed that those who teach the imminent (at any moment) return

of Jesus avoid Luke 21:8-28 like the plague. I do not feel that the words of Jesus Christ can be

swept under the rug as insignificant chatter. I will stick with Jesus on this one, if you don’t mind.

The Greatest Scandal of the Christian Church

This scandal will not likely be reported on the evening news, yet it is the most serious scandal

that the Church will ever face in its history. It will be more shocking than the bones of hundreds

of babies found at the bottom of the lake at the cloistered convents of the Roman church in

France. It will be more contemptible than the executions of millions of Christians in Europe by

Popes during the Dark Ages. It will be more devastating than Stalin exterminating 7 million

Christians in the Ukraine with the financial aid and knowledge of the United States government,

under the regime of Franklin Roosevelt. It will be more newsworthy than exposing Jim and

Tammy Faye Bakker’s air conditioned doghouse. This scandal will result in Christians hating

will hate and betray each other. They will be snared in their own preconceptions and habit

patterns, because they have believed what Jesus said, “Believe not!”

WHY? What could cause such bitterness, disappointment, and hurt that Christians would betray

each other to the death? What terrible traps have been laid for the Christian church? What are

the plans of the mystery of iniquity that could put us into such a condition? It appears that there

will be two groups of Christians: The haters and betrayers, and the hated and betrayed. It will

not be a pretty picture, just as it isn't when it happens in the church now.

I know how it is to find your denomination riddled with envy, pride, jealousy, and sexual

promiscuity and perversion. I know many ministers who are now recuperating as truck drivers

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because they have witnessed the same hypocrisy within the upper echelons of their own

denominations. It crushed their lives and their spirit. I know what it is like. Life can be bitterly

disappointing, even when things are going relatively well. But what could cause such wholesale

hatred against each other? What disappointed expectation? What could cause the Christian

church to turn their back on Jesus Christ and each other? What could cause such bitter hostility?

Could it be that they would have reason to believe that Jesus himself has let them down? Life is

not lived in a vacuum. What is the cause of this terror? What is this trap, Lord?

betray one another, and shall hate one another.

patterns. The snare is set by watching the habit patterns of the intended victims. You observe

where they feed, where they go to water, and where they go for rest. You learn the comfort zones

of the beasts that you are attempting to capture. The snare is then set to catch them in their own

habit patterns by a device that is well camouflaged and appears to be a harmless part of their

comfortable environment.

Christian church will be caught in their own habits, snared by thought patterns and taken captive

in their own comfort zones. Their expectations are about to be irreversibly disappointed. When

this snare is sprung it will cause them to turn on each other. Their world will be turned upside

down. What are the snares that will catch the Christian church in their own expectation, thought

patterns, and habits?

shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

nature of salvation, confessing Jesus as Lord, and our accountability to him. Part of this snare

concerns our responsibility to Jesus as our Lord, our continuing in the path he laid down for us,

and the requirement of enduring and remaining faithful to the end. It is clear that we are

accountable to the Lord for our works as his servants. That is the main thrust of the parables in

this section. The result of this snare does not manifest itself until he returns to gather the church.

Many grief stricken servants will be weeping and wailing and gnashing their teeth over lost

opportunities, lost rewards, and, perhaps worse, being left behind to inherit the reward of

disobedience. The parable in Matthew 24:42-51 and the warning of II Thessalonians 1:8 speak to

those who do not obey their Lord.

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timing, I do not mean the day and hour, but the parameters that we as awake and sober Christians

are instructed to know so as not to be deceived by the strong delusion already at work in the

Great Tribulation, will feel betrayed. The let down will be severe. It is certain that they will feel

lied to by those who have preached this “gospel.” The hatred and betrayal will cause the love of

God to grow cold in many. The ensuing confusion will cause all but the very elect to be deceived

by the “prince that shall come.”

Forewarned is Forearmed

Jesus foretold the wrestling of scriptures to try to prove that there is another resurrection, a secret

rapture or “tameion” coming for his saints, as Jesus referred to it. He detailed this deception in

Matthew, and warned about adding and subtracting from the chronological sequence of

Revelation. He then told Paul that those who love comfortable lies more than the truth will be

hell.” The snare has been set, just as Jesus foretold.

For thirty years I assumed “behold, I have told you before,” meant that Jesus was reiterating

something that he had told them previously. That is what the King James Version indicates.

Since we do not have a scriptural record of the previous occurrence, I relegated his warning to

insignificance. I never seriously questioned the scope of his statement, I just read by it with

...Look, I am foretelling this!

These words highlight one of the most serious warnings of Christ to his followers concerning his

return for them. Cautiously heeding this warning will ensure that we will not be deceived by any

man. He is foretelling the future condition in the church that will allow all but the very elect to

be deceived. This deception will dominate the teachings of the church before he returns, and it

will have been introduced by ministers who have spoken what Jesus has not authorized, and

repeated by those who found the message comforting. Given the solemnity of the warnings, it is

a dangerous position to ignore, gloss over, or attach an insignificant meaning to the specifics

Jesus describes.

Jesus stated to the Apostles of the New Testament church, nearly 2000 years before the fact, that

these false teachings will so permeate the church that it will deceive nearly everyone! Listen!

Listen! If there is one warning to be heeded from the lips of Jesus Christ concerning his coming

for his followers, it is this prophetic warning of the teachings that will abound before he returns.

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Do not trivialize this warning! Let it haunt you day and night. I pray that you will not be able to

sleep until the truth of what Jesus spoke grabs your heart and shakes you to the depth of your

soul. I pray that you wake up shaking in cold sweats over the veracity of this warning. This is

serious. You have been set up for the great deception if you love the words of manufactured

comfort from man more than you love the warnings of your Lord. He has shown us the path and

has promised us strength to endure until the end.

Matthew 24:26, Therefore if they <false Christs> shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the

pictures in the mind as a means of communicating thoughts and emotions from one mind to

Here eremos is a noun used as an adjective which is a descriptive, indicating the environment.

This Hebrew linguistic construction is very common in Matthew and Revelation. But, what is

the environment? It is the same word, and environment, which described where John the Baptist

was teaching:

Mark 1:4, John did baptize in the wilderness <eremos>, and preach the baptism of

Judea...

Jesus described the same environment here. False Christs will mislead the church to think that

us the true environment of his coming that cannot be falsified.

other.

could deceive you unless you were taught to look for a “different” coming: A secret,

by false teaching among his future followers.

False Christs, for the most part, are not very good at deceiving the church; at least not to this

date. But the mystery of iniquity has laid plans for a very dangerous deception in the near future

that will deceive all but the very elect of God. Most of the Christian church will fall prey to this

snare. Be forewarned, this is not an idle prophecy from Jesus! The snare is set. To keep from

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You may very well witness this snare as it is sprung on the church. Remember, Jesus has

foretold it. But how will this snare be set for the church? By prophets and teachers in the church

who have spoken falsely in the name of the Lord. However, this snare cannot be sprung without

the false teaching that Jesus now exposes for his future disciples who will live to see his return.

This is the picture that Jesus paints of his return for his disciples. However, Jesus warned us of

false prophets who would sow the seeds of a deadly snare into the church at the end of the age.

Jesus stated the form that this deception would take so that his disciples would not be deceived

by anyone who taught a different gospel. Remember, he is foretelling this so that we will not be

deceived by men!

the environment of his coming back for his disciples. The significance is clearly not on the

place, but the condition. The Hebrew emphasis is again on the picture the words paint, rather

than the more typical mathematical construction of the Greek language. The environment of his

coming is the emphasis. What is the environment described? Please look at the context of these

two other occurrences of tameion. It becomes very clear.

Tameion shows us that which is done deliberately in secret so as not to be seen openly. It is an

done openly. Tameion can be, and is translated as closet, storehouse, storeroom, inner chamber;

anyplace that can obscure the actions of one from being observed. Its usage is not meant to

convey where one hangs clothes or stores grain. Jesus is not painting the picture of a deception

by false prophets who will teach that Jesus will come, and you will find him in a closet standing

teaching is that he will return to gather us in a secret rapture, unseen by the world. The

coming, however, will be preceded by several events that are an integral part of the Great

Tribulation. Jesus foretold of the deception by false prophets. That you would not know when it

would happen, and that it would be an unseen event. Let’s look at Jesus’ other usage of tameion:

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What are the conditions described by tameion? Secret, covered, hidden, not known, in darkness,

silent. Tameion clearly indicates that which is not open for visual inspection, a secret

occurrence, or a mystery event unseen by the world. If false prophets (who may be honest,

Jesus said that this teaching would become predominate in the church. He foretold it 1900 years

ago! Yet we have swallowed this secret pre-tribulation rapture hook, line, and sinker, since it

made its major debut in the early 1800s. Jesus said that this would happen, yet many people are

more willing to accept the words of a man in the pulpit than the words of Jesus Christ. It is not a

question of the sincerity of those who teach it, it is a question of authenticity.

It has been recently reported that pre-tribulation rapturists have uncovered evidence that suggests

that the pre-tribulation rapture was taught hundreds of years before the false prophecy of

Margaret McDonald started this current craze. I fail to recognize that the longevity or antiquity

of a lie qualifies it to be considered truth. It does not matter when the lie was first spoken, or by

whom. It was exposed by Jesus as a future deception that would mislead all but the very elect.

His prophecy stands. All that are contrary, are misled misleaders, the unwitting assistants of the

mystery of iniquity. We will all stand before his throne very soon. Let us at least consider what

How then is he coming? His disciples asked…

deceive you. He then went on to answer their question, but gave them prophetic detail about the

snares that will be set by the false Christs and false prophets in the church. Jesus painted the

picture of what life will be like before he returns for the Apostles, and the church that will be

established by them. He made no effort to paint a rosy picture for those “to whom were given to

know the mysteries of the kingdom of God” (Mat 13:11). After a very discouraging set up, Jesus

was speaking to his disciples, his dedicated followers, about his promised return for them.

shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

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the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Jesus nailed every specific that he had just warned them about concerning the false Christs and

false prophets:

to raise the dead and gather the elect.

2. It will not be a secret in its timing or in its execution. Every eye on earth will witness

his power and great glory; all those left behind will mourn. This will be the great and

desolation, detailed in verses 15 - 22. The powers of heaven will be shaken and the Great

Tribulation begins when Satan and his angels are cast down to the earth, forevermore defeated in

has promised. The gathering together, or rapture of the elect, is neither a secret in its timing or in

it will happen.

The Rapture: Timing and Execution

Nearly two thousand years ago Jesus prophesied of the secret pre-tribulation rapture heresy and

warned us of the “false prophets” that would be teaching this very doctrine (just as I, myself, did

for over twenty-five years). Must the Christian church continue to deny his words and every

scripture concerning his coming for his church because we are afraid to believe the Bible over

our denominational associations? The Day of the Lord will be the most triumphant revealing in

the history of man. Unfortunately, many who have been misled by the false prophets, insert a

secret rapture between verses, and then allegorize the book of Revelation any way that fits that

presumption. The pre-tribulation rapture is not reality. It is a fairy-tale from the prince of fairies

himself, Satan. No one can read the Bible and come up with a pre or mid-tribulation rapture. It

simply is not in the plain text of the Bible. It needs to be explained by the “enlightened ones,” to

the theologically ignorant masses. After the masses are shown which sentences to isolate to

prove this fabrication, we then can pass it down to the next generation of unenlightened

“sheeple.” This self comforting theology attempts to get us out of here before we must face what

life is now like in many other parts of the world. But it won’t happen! If you think things are

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carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.)

As scavengers make their timely arrival at the carcass of those who have fallen, so will the angels

make their timely arrival at the graves of the just, when they are sent forth to raise them in the

twinkling of the eye.

moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the

heaven:

other time in the history of mankind, and unless those days were cut short, there would not be

west, as he sends forth his angels to gather the elect. In the atmosphere darkened by the nuclear

war in the west at the sixth seal, and the conventional war in the Mideast at the sixth trumpet, the

entire earth will witness the angels in full glory being sent out to gather the elect over all the

many times in both Old and New Testaments (Joel 2:10,31; 3:15; Mat 24; Mark 13; Luke 21;

Acts 2:20). But we never learn the cause of the condition until it is revealed in the book of

mighty angels piercing the darkness as they are sent forth to gather the elect from the four winds.

from all ages> from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

desolation) will we all see the angels sent forth. Not everyone on the globe will see Jesus

This is Jesus’ coming in power and great glory!

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Chapter Four

Coming in Power and Great Glory

Lets look at these verses in the light of the other records of Christ's coming to gather the church,

that “where he is, we may be also” (John 14:3).

one end of heaven to the other.

Does this scenario of his coming look and sound familiar? Let us peruse the New Testament for

other accounts.

I Thessalonians 4:15, For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which

in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Plenty of noise and glory going on here. This cannot be a secret to anyone on earth. Caught up,

is used in Christian circles today. “Caught up” and “gathering together” are used in the KJV

Bible as the event described by Jesus of his coming again to his followers to receive them unto

himself. The place he has prepared for us in his Father’s house, will be accessed via Jesus Christ,

who is The Way. Any attempt to get to the throne of God, other than by him, will be a futile

not a moment sooner.

Christ.

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Pay back time is coming. The day of vengeance and the wrath of God nears. The tribulated

his vengeance and wrath on all those who have tribulated his people in the last days. The glory

and power of the Lord will be revealed on that day.

There is no secret here either. The last trump is the great day of victory for the Lord Jesus Christ

and his church. Every eye shall see and all the earth shall wail, who have not made him Lord.

If this is a secret rapture, the trumpet has got to go. If the English and Greek language can be

not some obscure reference to a vague occurrence somewhere in the annals of ancient

Hebrew history. It is the establishment of the revelation that John and Paul received

these verses after seeing them a thousand times, it is easy to forget that when Paul wrote

Christians had never before heard this revelation. The mystery he was revealing to the

Corinthian church is the same mystery to which Jesus alluded, and God has kept secret until this

time. It is the mystery of the new birth, when our corrupted or mortal bodies will be changed into

a body that is equipped for the kingdom of heaven. Paul said the same thing Jesus told

Nicodemus, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. We must be changed.

We must be born again, just as Jesus was when he was raised from the dead. Jesus has been

given the keys to death and hell. No one gets up until he raises them, and the first to rise will be

declared to his servants the prophets.

When is this mystery to be executed? When the 7th and last trump sounds.

that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants

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shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Here it is at last. The last trump was revealed by Jesus to his servants, the prophets John and

saints to their reward was established. There is no confusion. This is exactly the same picture

Jesus presented to his disciples, as recorded in the book of Matthew. Paul presented it to the

church in tribulation in Thessalonica, when he was with them, and to the Corinthian church,

when he revealed the mystery of the new birth at the resurrection of the saints. This last trumpet

is the day of the Lord and our gathering together unto him, thereby saving us from the wrath of

God. The 7th trumpet is also the day of vengeance of our God, when he will tribulate those who

have tribulated us. This is the glorious day of our deliverance from tribulation and the grave.

The Time of the Dead

of the dead is this? It should be obvious to even the most casual student of the Bible. According

to I Corinthians chapter 15, there remain only two times that the dead will be raised. This is

looked forward in faith to the coming of Christ, such as Abraham, Moses, David, and those who

looked back in faith, like Stephen, Peter, and Mary. This is the first resurrection, the resurrection

of the just, the better resurrection. This is the resurrection out from among the dead, when the

dead will be raised incorruptible and the living in Christ will be changed. This is when we will

be rewarded for faithful service by the one who raises us from the dead. This will be the

execution of the “mystery of the resurrection out from among the dead and the changing of the

mortal to immortality,” as was declared by the prophets of Jesus Christ (I Cor 15:51, Rev 10:7).

by Paul.

The reference to this particular “mystery of God” presented a great problem to me as a lifelong

dispensational, pre-tribulation secret rapturist. When I considered the truth that this mystery is

executed at the 7th and last trumpet, I had to go back and reinterpret the book of Revelation to fit

what was revealed by Jesus. This was not comfortable to do, as I had over 25 years invested in

my theology. But when I did, the chronology of events fit in a perfectly logical sense and I no

longer had to shut my eyes to the myriad of evidence that does not make any sense at all to pre

and mid-tribulation secret rapturists. After 25 years of reading it, the book of Revelation finally

made sense from beginning to end. The Lord Jesus is faithful to open up new treasures in his

Word each day.

When I say that the book of Revelation finally made sense, I mean that even the geopolitical