75 - Between the Rapture and the Return, Part 2 | Striving for Eternity | Andrew Rappaport

Welcome to the Striving for Eternity Academy. This is another one of our many in a series of classes that we offer at Striving for Eternity. You can get all the information about the ministry and the other classes we offer at strivingforeternity .org.

Today's class is a class in the topic of, or the class of, the School of Systematic Theology. We're in, right now, what we're calling God's Program for the Ages. This is the fourth of the syllabuses. And the topics in this series of lectures is going to be on the doctrines of the church and the doctrines of last things.

That's our end times. Today's lesson, specifically, will be lesson number eight, where we will talk about the events between the rapture and the return. I understand some of you don't believe in a rapture.

Well, we'll get to that. So, I will say, just as a programming note, if I keep looking in different ways, we have changed where things are. People were complaining that I'm always looking down at my notes.

And so, to do that, we've now changed, and I have this big screen above the camera so that I can be looking up. I don't know why any of you would want to be looking at this ugly mug just saying, I got a great face for podcasts, right?

So, well, yeah, it's true. There are some podcasts that are video. So, okay, well, saying a great face for radio just doesn't work anymore because who listens to the radio anyway? Just saying. But if you would like to get the syllabus that I mentioned earlier, you can get that at our store at strivingforeternity .org.

If you have a syllabus, I encourage you to grab it now. Turn to lesson eight so that you can follow along. So, with that, we do want to go through and talk about where we looked at last time. We looked at the events of, basically, the issues or the events that were happening in heaven prior.

And as we looked at that, we saw that in heaven, there was the judgment seat of Christ. We saw that. We saw the marriage feast of the Lamb. And we looked at that as two events that happened between this time.

Now, granted, as I mentioned, I'm holding to a position that would be known as, well, it's known as dispensational theology. Okay? And I understand not everyone's holding to that. And, therefore, I'm going to have a view which is called premillennialism.

And that causes problems for folks. Don't let it cause you a problem. Okay? One of the things that we really want to emphasize here, at least in these classes, is the fact that we want you to recognize the fact that there's a lot of people that make a lot of issues here, a lot of debates here.

We're going to give you our position. But, you know, the fact that the marriage supper of the Lamb occurs, yeah, I don't think anyone disputes that. The fact that there's going to be a judgment seat of Christ, I don't think anyone's disputing that.

And so the point is that there's things here we all would agree on. And we're trying to show that agreement. I understand when it comes ten times that just doesn't seem to be possible. Well, it is possible.

And one of the ways it's possible is when we stop thinking that we are automatically right. There is this thing where there's an element that we have to recognize that all of us in our theology have areas that we're going to be wrong.

The area of end times is one that we should have the most grace and most leniency with. And yet, for some, it does seem to be like it is the least. So with that in mind, I say that we really should consider having a little bit of grace in this area.

And so I'm giving my position and what I think. And you're going to see that a little bit more with today's lesson. Because I'm going to talk about the things, the events that happen, well, on earth during the Tribulation.

And I understand that not everyone believes in a Tribulation. And it is for that reason that I'm cautious to say that this is a particular view of end times that not everyone is going to hold to. Not everyone is going to believe.

And so you just keep that in mind as you're listening and as you're following along. Know that there are differing views. We did a class several weeks ago, several classes ago, where we talked about the different overview of all the different views.

I encourage you to do that. Look at them. It is an area where every one of these differing views of end times, they have their strengths and their weaknesses. Anybody that tells you that their view is the only view that's supported by the Bible probably hasn't read the Bible well enough.

I'm saying that as someone, do I feel strongly about my view? Well, yeah, I wouldn't hold to it if I didn't, right? Everyone holds strongly to their view. The issue is, do we realize that other views have some strengths and weaknesses?

Yeah, there are. This is the view that obviously I think has more strengths than weaknesses. I have a lot of other friends who have differing views that think that their view has more strengths than weaknesses.

Really, it comes down to how we interpret the Scriptures that we're going to see that. And there's some things that we end up seeing when it comes to prophecies and how people handle that. And that's really what it comes down to.

So I'm going to give you my views. I hope you don't stone me over it. Because the reality is, is I don't think the future things are as clear in the second coming of Christ as they were in the first coming.

I think in the first coming there was a lot of things that people didn't quite get. And there's going to be a lot of things in the second coming we don't quite get. So if we have, I'm going to keep looking that way for you.

I'm speaking to the engineer. You used to have the engineer's monitor over there, now over here. So I'm going to be looking. I will get used to it, I'm sure. But if we could put that slide up of the graph with the chart.

The Rapture, the Return, and the Seven-Year Tribulation

Yeah, there we go. So this is what you have. You have your syllabus. You're going to see this in the end where we're going to look at all the different things that we're going to look at today. Really what I want to focus here on and just so we can recognize is I want you to notice all these things we're going to talk about today.

What I think we're going to end up doing in this is we're going to look at these different views. And we're going to take a look at every one of these. You see the arrow, the first arrow where it says, where it's talking about the rapture.

You see the arrow at the rightmost side where it's talking about the return. So the rapture being an arrow up, being the church is captured into heaven. The return when Christ returns to earth. And then you see that there's this point of a seven-year tribulation.

This would be known as what's called premillennial. In other words, premillennial meaning that the tribulational period happens before the return of Christ in the millennial kingdom. And this is going to be a view called pre-tribulationalism.

And so what you have there is that the rapture itself occurs at the beginning or before this seven-year tribulation. So there is in scripture a seven-year period whether people take it literal or not.

Now in my view, I would take it as literal. And that's why I'm seeing it as a literal seven years. It's cut in half, three and a half years and three and a half years. I think that what we see here is that you see the seal judgments and the bold judgments and the trumpet judgments.

And so you see seven seal judgments that are going to be there. And what you see at the first four there are going to be rapid fire. And then there's going to be time periods. Then you're going to see the next series of seven is going to be the trumpet judgments.

And you're going to see they're going to be rapid fire. And then there's going to be these bold judgments. They again, you're gonna see the first several of more rapid fire. And what you end up seeing is that there's a little bit of overlap between the trumpets judgments and the bowl judgments.

And they culminate with the coming of the return of Christ now. This is a view that I'm holding do I believe everyone must hold to this view? No, there's like I'm trying to say I say this in each one of these classes because I think This is one of the areas that I find most interesting in theology that people get dogmatic on when There's certain things we can be dogmatic on Christ is returning.

There is a final judgment. Everyone agrees on that. Okay, there are major things that are very very clear in Scripture the things that aren't so clear are These areas that we're going to be discussing now where based on the view you have is going to determine How you're gonna view some of these things and and I'm trying to show Over and over again that we need to show grace in these areas and not be dogmatic.

Okay? So let us begin. The events on earth known as the tribulation. This is like I said the seven-year period. Where you're gonna see this in Scripture and we'll take a look at some of these things is going to be Daniel 9 verse 27 and Revelation 12 6 Revelation 13 5 these indicate for us that the tribulation will be over a seven-year period.

The first Half of that is going to be the judgment is going to the first half of the judgment is focused primarily on the nations. Outside of Israel and the second half is for Israel itself. And so we're gonna give this overview where we're gonna look at this.

So that's kind of where you you see that the there's a Not getting into all of it. Now. I realize that there's a lot of people who do get into all this. I know that some of my. Some of my covenant theologian friends new covenant theologian friends will make fun of me for throwing a chart up.

It's dispensationalism is known for its end time charts. There are some do I still yeah, I do. I still have the one here good. I've showed this before but if you're watching. Let me pull this out. You know, this is just an example of some of the charts that you end up seeing.

You may see here this, you know God's dispensationalism for the prophetic plans. I mean you see all the detail that are in these type of charts and They are I mean some people focus so much time on this and trying to get all the details.

Just right and yet I am one of these guys that I don't think we're gonna get those details just right. I think we might come close in some areas and a lot of us are gonna have things that are well way off.

Okay, and it's for that reason that I don't get dogmatic on this. I don't Think that it's something we should be Dividing over but it is something that we knew do need to just understand one another's views and and The positions that each other holds to it and see really what are the scriptures say and let's examine that that's the issue so with that We really want to see if there's two purposes that I think for the tribulation.

One is to prepare the way for the Messiah and the other is to judge the unbelieving world. For their sin, okay. So those are gonna be two areas one is gonna prepare the is actually prepare Israel for the Messiah.

I should say because Messiah came but Israel didn't recognize them. And so you're going to see a lot in this tribulation of period where I think the church is taken up there is going to be then without the the the restraining force of the church in the world.

The Holy Spirit is going to remove that influence of the church and I think what you're gonna see is well, you're gonna see the world doing what the world wants to do and Israel's gonna rise up and Be the really the enemy of the world as they're gonna be prepared to receive the second coming.

The the Messiah who came the first time when they didn't recognize so since neither Purpose applies to the church. It only follows that the tribulation would be after the rapture in my view, right? So I'm saying that I believe the chap that this is why I'm pre Tribulational I believe the church is removed because when I look at these things I do I don't see The church being referred to.

I see Israel being referred to now. This is where you get into differing views if you followed with us on other classes we talked about covenant theology and dispensational theology and we talked about different ways of interpreting when you see that Israel is the church a Covenant theologian will look at these events and have no problem saying this is the church because they they see the church and Israel interchanged at times.

Now, I believe there is overlap which means I'm not a classical dispensationalist if you understand those terms, but I'd be more of a progressive dispensationalist. But the thing is that when we look at it If you're mixing those two, then you're not gonna have a problem with These things that are for the in the future being referred to as the church because when it mentions Israel You're gonna read in church.

I don't do that I think church the church is an organization separate from the Nation of Israel and as such I'm gonna see these as two Separate entities not completely separate. Mm-hmm. The reason I say not completely separate is because there is overlap.

There is a people of God that was part of the Nation of Israel but they were not the real Israel and That real Israel is the believing body within Israel and that you're gonna see with in Christianity as well.

That is the universal Church. Versus the local church. The universal Church is all those who believe that they believe and They are in that belief they are. You know the true Israel you could try to you could say.

But then there's those who attend a local church. Where in a local church you have people that attend in a building and yet they're not all the church so Let's take a look at Daniel. Could we? All right, and now I got to see if I can read this with the new format I used to have it right in front of me.

All right Daniel 9 27 We see here as it says and he shall make a strong covenant With many for one week now keeping in mind here one week is one seven-year period. It's actually one Sabbath is how it is.

And so therefore when we see that just read read that as one week as one seven-year period. So let me read again Daniel 9 27 and he he shall make a strong covenant with them for one week and for half of the week he shall put an end to the sacrifice and offering and on the and on the Having trouble reading that.

And on the wing of abomination shall come one who makes desolate until the decree and Is poured out on the desolator? So what you have here in this passage is you end up seeing that there is a. You see if there's a one-week period that is is where it's going to be cut in half.

And if you see that that for half a week, so that's a three and a half year period let's take a look if we look at Revelation now and we see in Revelation the book of Revelation and We look at chapter 12 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 6 and what we see here is it says and the woman fled into the wilderness where she had Has a place prepared by God in which she will be nourished for twelve thousand Sixty days now the woman here in context is speaking of Israel the twelve hundred sixty days is speaking of a three and a half year period by the reckoning of Jew Judaism, okay in Judaism you have a period that is going to be Usually Twelve thirty day months.

Okay, now there's always an extra every few years. They had another month in another 30 day month. So that's how you do that reckoning so in Revelation 13 5 it says and the beast was given a mouth to utter a utter a mouth uttering Haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for 42 months.

And so what you see here again, you're seeing One reference to a seven year period and half of that three and a half. You're seeing another reference to the number of days 1270 days you're seeing now here a reference in Revelation 13 to the number of months.

Okay being 42 months. Three different ways of illustrating that there's this half of there's a. There's a seven year period and it's broken in half. Okay, that's the emphasis that we end up seeing in those passages.

So Let's take a look now at the events. So you the first thing we have is the revealing of The Antichrist in his power. That's your blank there the revealing of the Antichrist in his power. This it will see in Daniel 7 we're gonna see this in in Daniel 7 7 to 8 and if we read that it says there I Consider the horns and behold there came up among them another horn a little one before which three of the first horns were plucked up by its roots and Behold in this horn were eyes like a man and The a mouth which speaks great things now.

This is very descriptive language in Daniel and what you're seeing here is and I'm taking a verse which is always Dangerous to do is to take just one verse, but we don't have time to look at the entire chapter.

But I encourage you to do that. But what I think this is referring to in Daniel 7 as we look at the context is a referencing to a Particular person that we know as the Antichrist and it talks about his rise to power.

We see this in the New Testament in 2nd Thessalonians 2 8 and in 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2 verse 8 it says and then the lawless one Will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will kill with breath in his mouth and Bring it to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

So here what you see in this passage this lawless one speaking of this individual and So again, you see I think the rise of this of an individual person you see this in Revelation 13 verse 1. Then I saw the beast rising out of the sea and the ten horns on and this Horns With ten horns and seven heads with ten diadems on its horns and a blasphemous names in its head.

So it's this one beast Revelation 17 12 the and the ten horns that you saw were ten kings and not yet Received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings. For one hour together with the beast and so you have here I think a reference to this rise of this one ruler that will rule and so That is what we end up seeing there.

We saw in Daniel 7 if you look actually at verses 7 and 8 when we look at that. When we look at verse 7 and 8 we're gonna see that he is a gentle leader. Okay after this I saw a night vision and behold the fourth beast terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong.

It had a great iron as teeth it. It devoured and broken pieces. It was What was left as feet it was different from the other beasts that were before it. Sorry, I said gentle it should be Gentile sometimes I Misread, but you see that this is coming from outside of the nation of Israel.

This is not someone from within Israel. It's not an Israel like an Israelite. Okay, this is a Gentile ruler so the one thing that we could see is this is someone from outside of Israel that's going to be this one world ruler.

In fact, we kind of know he's going to be from Rome. And the reason we know that is in Daniel, I don't think I don't think I have this I keep looking that way for you. I'm gonna keep doing that so We got to remove that monitors.

We got All right, sorry, so what you see in Revelation in Daniel's Revelation on 70 weeks he talks about that those who destroy the temple that this one world ruler will rise up from the same from the the nation that Destroyed.

That the the temple and that was Rome that did that now. So is it actually Italy and many many people in times pasted? This is why the Pope is the Antichrist because he represents Rome. Will be Rome specifically or Europe being the Roman Empire.

I don't know lots of people take guesses I'm not going there. But one thing we do know in Daniel 11 is that he's a military leader. Let's not put that up because we just don't have time. But Daniel 11 verses 36 to 38 if you look that up Daniel 11 36 to 38 you're gonna see that he will be a military leader.

You're gonna see in 2nd Thessalonians 2 8 He's gonna be a wicked leader and in in 2nd Thessalonians 2 9. He's gonna be a powerful leader. So what do we know about this Antichrist? Well as we see that things are gonna be revealed here.

We're gonna see that this is gonna the first thing we're gonna see the first Half of the tribulation is gonna be the rise of this Antichrist. He's gonna rise to power. I think what you end up seeing when you look at all the picturesque language in Daniel and elsewhere you see this reference to a Seven-headed beast with ten horns on it.

You you see several references to ten kingdoms. The idea is is that there will probably be in this time period Ten nations or ten kingdoms that will rise up and out of those ten. One will rise above the others and one will become really bring the others together.

They think now some people people have differing views. One of the things you do see though here is that Israel is going to be in the temple worshiping. So what many think is that the way that this one world leader is going to bring peace in the Middle East?

Which something some people think will never happen they think he'll bring peace by allowing a temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem that will appease the Israelites the Jewish people and they will probably be willing to get along with that person and so I think you'll have someone that can bring peace between the Muslim and Jewish peoples and so many do think that since there's talk about a Prophet that will work with this one world leader.

Many think that this one world leader will be from Europe area. But that the want the Prophet now in years past and people before the rise of Islam many thought that it was Would be Roman Catholicism that it would be the Pope that would be this False prophet that rises and works with the one world leader some thought the one world leader the Antichrist was the Pope.

You'll see Puritan speak of that the Reformers but I actually kind of think that with the rise of Islam and being that Islam is dominant in the area of Israel that I Think that the false religion will be Islam.

I also I based that also on the fact that if you actually study Islam and you look at what Islam is looking for in Their Messiah in their 12th Imam. It matches very similar to it this Antichrist that there would be a one world leader.

Who would who would gather the world together? That he would be a powerful Military leader that's what they're looking for. And so with that many of the prophecies that you see of the Antichrist seem to be Similar prophecies to the 12th Imam.

There's many people who make this argument it can we be dogmatic about that? No, we can't. If you're speaking to a Muslim, you're gonna make that a case you may find some egg on your face. It's not gonna be something that's gonna be a strong because not everyone believes in a 12th Imam.

So it's it's a certain sect within Islam but but there is some things that become kind of interesting there because there is some similarities there. So we see that this Antichrist. He's gonna be Gentile.

He's gonna be Military, he's going to be wicked and he's gonna be powerful. Those are your blanks there for the for number one or actually letter a through D. They're under number one I should say number two that the there will be a Covenant with the Antichrist with Israel for seven years.

This is in Daniel 927. If we could put that one up anytime. Okay, so that's the one. All right, so it says here in Daniel 927 and He shall make a strong covenant With many for one week. That's all we actually want to see in that.

So what you see is you see that he's going to make a covenant. This this one world leader is gonna make a covenant with Israel for one week one week one Sabbath. Sabbath is seven. That's really what it is.

Seventh. It is the seventh day the seventh year. It is in this case. It is a seventh year. Okay, that's what it's referring to. So One of the other things that we see here. Is that the the tribulation?

The number three in your syllabus the tribulation is introduced with the four seal judgments occurring at the beginning of the seventh. That's the seven years. So if you look in let's look in Revelation six.

We're gonna see here the first four seal judgments. Okay, so in Revelation six. What you see here. In Revelation six we're in verses one and two to start we're gonna look at more but verses one and two now I Watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder come and I looked and And behold a white horse and Its rider had a bow and a crown was given to him and he came out Conquering and to conquer.

So we see here. The first is we're gonna see the first is the first seal is gonna be intimidation. I'm gonna try to give a label to each of the seven seals. But the set the tribulation is introduced with the first four of these seal judgments that are gonna be broken.

It's described as being on a scroll. One of the things that you do on a scroll is you would you would write something out? And you would Fold it up or roll it up and you'd put wax on it and you'd put a ring imprint that would have your ring showing who sealed it and Only the person whose name is on that is able to break the seal.

So God writes this. He seals it himself and he writes it to himself to open the seals and there's seven seals so what the idea here is that this would have been a long sheet of paper or that's Sealed together that they'd scroll up and each each one.

They would seal one page to another and seal it shut or that it's a judgment and they're breaking a seal. Reading part of a judgment breaking the next seal reading the next part of the judgment and so on for seven seals.

That's that's the picture here. And so the first seal is one of intimidation. Let's look at the next seal if we look at the next two verses. This is Revelation Chapter 6 still and verses 3 4 when he opened the second seal I heard the second living creature say come and Out came another horse Bright red its rider was permitted to take To take peace from the earth.

So people should say should slay one another and he was given a great sword. So what you see in the second seal is warfare. The second seal would be one of warfare. The third seal would be one of famine and we see this in verses 5 6 so Revelation 6 verses 5 6 and Here we see it says when he opened the third seal I heard the third living creature say come and I looked and behold a black horse and its rider had a pair of scales in his hand and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of four living creatures say a court of Wheat for a denarius and three quarts of barley for a denarius and Do not harm the oil and the wine.

And so what you see here is famine. This is a court of wheat for a denarius a denarius is one day's wage. The idea here is that for one day's wage, you're gonna get a quart of wheat and three quarts of barley.

In other words, you're you're barely getting enough. To survive on per person you need you need two days wages. To pay for enough to survive on for one day for one person. Okay, that's the idea there that that you you don't have enough food for one person.

Okay to live on that's a famine. That's when people start getting desperate. Verses six and seven talks about the fourth seal one of death. So revelation six seven and eight Revelation six seven and eight says when he opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say come and I looked and behold a pale horse and its rider was name was death and Hades followed him and they were given authority over the fourth of the earth to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and with wild beasts of The earth and so what you see here is You see now the fourth seal of death.

So we see the tribulation begins. You have this covenant that's made with the Antichrist and then all of a sudden you see intimidation warfare famine and death in in rapid fire is the idea that this is going to be rapid fire and.

So when we see that Well, well, I believe that we as Christians won't see that but if you're still here and you see that Yeah time to repent. Um. But I think that these are going to be rapid fire and I think the next number four what we're gonna see is the rise of a hundred and forty four thousand Jewish Missionaries that are gonna evangelize the world outside of Palestine Right at the beginning of the tribulation.

We we see this in Revelation now chapter 7 and the first eight verses so if you turn to Revelation chapter 7 and The first eight verses you're gonna see that the hundred and forty four thousand are made up of each of the twelve tribes of Israel 12 ,000 from each of the twelve tribes.

This is how that we gather to them. And so what we see here in Revelation chapter 7 verses 1 to 8 After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds the four winds of the earth.

That no wind might blow on the earth or sea or Against what against any tree? When I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the Sun With the seal of the Living God and he called with a loud voice To four angels who had been given the power to harm earth and sea saying do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until We have sealed the servants of our God on Their foreheads and I heard the number of the sealed one hundred and forty four thousand sealed From every tribe of the sons of Israel 12 ,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed 12 ,000 from the tribe of Reuben 12 ,000 from the tribe of Gad 12 ,000 from the tribe of Asher 12 ,000 from the tribe of Naphtali 12 ,000 from the tribe of Manasseh 12 ,000 from the tribe of Simeon 12 ,000 from the tribe of Levi 12 ,000 from the tribe of Asahar 12 ,000 from the tribe of Zebulun 12 ,000 from the tribe of Joseph 12 ,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were Sealed and so what you see here is The idea that there is these 12 ,000 from each of the tribes.

This is also by the way One of the reasons I think it's literal is because God is giving specifics like this. And so what I'm saying here is that there's going to be a hundred and forty four thousand Jewish missionaries.

So what do we see we see here that we're gonna see the the first period this first half three and a half year period 42 months hundred twenty twelve hundred seventy days that first half of the tribulation.

You're you're gonna see the rise of an Antichrist that Antichrist is gonna be a Gentile military wicked powerful leader. You're gonna see that there's gonna be a covenant made with the Antichrist in Israel.

You're gonna see that there's gonna be four rapid fire Judgments on the earth that are gonna start with intimidation and warfare and famine and death. You're also gonna see the rise of a hundred and forty four Thousand Jewish missionaries that the the the destruction doesn't begin until they till they're they're sealed on their foreheads.

Can you see that seal? No, I don't think people will be able to seal it. But God is basically saying there's a timetable for these things and when that when he is ready with his missionaries then things are gonna move forward and then the last of the fifth thing that we have here is That the participants Sorry that the there there will be martyrdom.