Saturday, September 9, 2017

Toward an Understanding of the Lord's Return

                  Having recently completed a seven part series on Daniel’s prophesies which instruct us concerning developments on the earth including the revelation of the son of perdition we are brought to the very point of the Lord’s return. It has seemed reasonable and necessary to me that we would next cover that most important event and bring as much scripture to bear upon it as possible. We have fully established that the tribulation period covers three and one-half years. Daniels’s later prophesies verify that fact but there is no mention of the actual return of the Lord. That is because it is an issue to be revealed in the New Testament and the grounds for his return are not established under the old covenant. The truth established clearly in the New Testament record is that the Lord’s return occurs after the tribulation and not before it as multitudes of Christians assert. There exist several other misconceptions in the most popular paradigm set forth in dispensational theology which is what the vast majority of evangelical churches reach.
            In order to bring these facts out all of the errors must be exposed and the supporting scripture must be visited. It is strongly asserted by these people that the text of I Thessalonians 4:13-17 is an account of the alleged pretribulational ‘rapture’ of the entire church body. On close examination of the text we can easily discern that what is in view here and is being described is the resurrection and not ‘rapture’. This is proven when you follow through into chapter five at verse one where the day of the Lord is introduced. The gathering or the saints introduces the day of the Lord as the resurrection is the precursor to the Lord’s coming to  execute the day of the Lord. This fact is proven at Matthew 24:29-31(and other texts) which reads in part: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days  shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven….then shall appear the son of man in heaven, an then shall the tribes of the earth morn….and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and  they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” This is almost identical to the Thessalonian passage because they both speak of the same event, i.e. the resurrection. Confirming passages are in the synoptic gospels at Luke 21 and Mark 13, the seventh chapter of Revelation and Revelation 11:11-12. Take careful note that nothing is said about his coming to the earth to establish a kingdom, save Jewish Israel or set up a throne in Jerusalem. This is because these things have nothing to do with the purpose of his rectum. These activities will be the work of Antichrist and the great deceiver Ludifer.
            We will discover that his return is twofold in nature. First it is to gather his faithful people into the heavenly kingdom and he does not alight on the earth to accomplish this marvelous reality.  This manifestation is a coming in the clouds. There exists then a brief interlude (see Rev.chapter eight) between the gatherings, i.e. resurrection (Rev., chapter seven) and his being revealed as the appointed Judge to execute a vast and all-encompassing judgement upon the ‘inhibitors of the earth’. He is  identified there as Abaddon and Apollyon (Rev. 9; 11), that is to say the Destroyer of Revelation, chapter nine. The interlude is accounted for as a period which includes “the marriage of the Lamb” (compare Rev.19:7-8).  His return to execute this judgment includes the vast army of the saints who make this appearance accompanying him. For the verification of this truth see Psalms 149:6-9, Joel 2:1-11, Jude verses 14 and 15, and Rev. 19:11-20. The context to the verses are too lengthy to cite here, but must be understood as an explanation of Revelation, chapter nine and the role of the Destroyer (Jesus Christ). Besides reviewing these scripture texts you would be well instructed to obtain my book These Prophets and the Revelation. You will gain a very comprehensive understanding of Biblical prophecy by reading the book. Link to the book and all of my blogs is at authordavidlancedean.com.
            Why is this so vitally important?  Answer: Because the prevailing theological views of end time prophecy have been totally corrupted by the entrance of Christian Zionism.    These adherents have no true understanding of the Book of Revelation asserting that chapters four through nineteen deal only with the period of the tribulation and have  nothing to do with the church which they contend has been ‘raptured’. These heresies and numerous others blind the mind to any true understanding of the entire content of the books of Daniel and Revelation.
            In that regard we see their prophecy model is really all about national Israel and ethnic Jewry. There concept of the Lord’s return involves an intervention by him on behalf of Israel to save them from their earthly adversaries which means his appearance is actively involved in the projected history of the earth. From there an earthly kingdom is to be established according to them centered in earthly Jerusalem and the expanded state of Israel in recovery of the ‘Promised Land’. These are deceptions completely contrary to the true narrative of end time developments.  The deception is very wide spread, massive and controlling of their theological interpretations and conclusions.
            Jesus warns us at Matthew 24:26-27 as follows: Wherefore if they shall say unto you, behold, he is in the desert: go not forth: behold he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightening cometh out of the east even unto the west; so the coming of the son of man shall be.” In other words his coming is not to establish or set up anything on this present earth. And in the second phase of his coming it is totally related to judgement of the earth and its inhabitants even unto its total destruction. (See II Peter 3:10-11 and context. Also Rev. 21 1-2). This great admonition from Jesus is given at Matthew 24:4 “Take heed that no man deceive you.” This is precisely the condition of today’s evangelical churches as well as others in the so-called Christian community.

David Lance Dean                            Books available at:authordavidlanced

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