Explanation: For the
purpose of my sharing today, I will refer to the secular church as
churches. I will refer to the Church of Jesus Christ as the Body of
Christ. When I am addressing churches, I am referring to the physical
churches we see. When I am addressing the Body of Christ, I am
referring to the invisible church made up of all believers.
Beginning of Sorrows
Matt. 24:5, “5For
many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many. 6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that
ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass,
but the end is not yet. 7For nation shall rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8All these are
the beginning of sorrows.”
Mark 13:, “And
Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man
deceive you: 6For many shall come in my name, saying, I am
Christ; and shall deceive many. 7And when ye shall hear
of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things
must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8For
nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and
there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be
famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.”
First we must look
at the context of these verses in relation to the immediate
application. Christ was probably alluding to the immediate future
when many of the circumstances would occur and also at the end of the
coming age. We can conclude that these scriptures were partially
fulfilled when the Romans destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem in AD
70. The Jews were scattered to every corner of the world and only
began to return to their homeland in 1948. Since that time, God has
been bringing them home. Since the events of last weekend, the
French Jews are going back to Israel.
“The tribulations
and calamities which preceded and accompanied the overthrow of Jewish
polity are a sign and warning of the great and universal woes which
shall hearld the day of judgment...” Pulpit Comm. The reference
here is to the Day of the Lord.
There appears to be
a consensus among the sources that I consulted that this phrase
“beginning of sorrows” is referring to the first half of the 70th
week of Daniel's 70 weeks of years (Daniel 9). Then, we must conclude
that the reference is to the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation
period.
(8) The beginning of
sorrows.—The words mean strictly, the beginning of travail
pangs...St. Paul speaks of the whole creation as “travailing in
pain together” (Romans 8:22). So a time of national suffering and
perplexity is one in which “the children are come to the birth...”
Romans 8:18, “For
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us. 19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth
for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20For the creature
was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who
hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature
itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know
that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together
until now. 23And not only they, but ourselves also,
which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan
within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body.”
At
one point in my encounter with the Lord, He said to me that
“this judgment is as natural a breathing.” My impression was that
it will happen whether we think about it or not. In light of these
scriptures in Matthew and Mark, I am convinced that the Holy Spirit
is connecting the “natural as breathing” to the birthing process.
The term “beginning of sorrows” is associated with child birth
and literally means the beginning of travail pangs. If
that is correct, we can conclude that the judgment we are seeing
(which is the result of sowing sinful seeds) and will see in the
immediate future is a
prelude to the birthing process which will bring forth a new Israel
reborn, a new kingdom (the implementation of the literal Kingdom of
God) and a new world (new heaven and earth).
The
Rapture will be a sudden event.
Rev.
3:3, “3Remember
therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a
thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”
Jesus was speaking to the Church at Sardis, the Body of Christ at
Sardis. (read Rev. 3:1-6).
We find numerous
other references advocating for a sudden Rapture. Matt.
24:42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth
come. 43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had
known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and
would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44Therefore
be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man
cometh.”
Matt. 24:40, “Then
shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other
left. 41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the
one shall be taken, and the other left.”
The
Body of Christ will be ready. (the Bride of Christ will be looking
for and anxiously awaiting the Bride Groom)
The Body of Christ
is made up of all believers. Therefore the Body of Christ is composed
of individuals across denominational divides and from different local
churches. For example: When the Rapture occurs all true believers
from everywhere (even the heavenlies) will be caught away regardless
of church affiliation. The Body of Christ will be ready. The Holy
Spirit will make sure of that.
The
purging prior to the
appearance of the Bride Groom
will insure
that the Bride has made
Herself ready. Eph.
5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify
and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That
he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish.” Through
the Word and the Spirit, the Bride
of Christ will be ready.
The unbeliever will
not be ready. (Parable of the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins Matt.
25:1-13)
Having had the
opportunity to receive the truth and subsequently rejecting the
truth, the unbeliever walks in darkness. This includes secular
churches. I am talking about those groups and individuals who
fail to embrace
Biblical Truth. Those who generate their own carnal doctrine to
appease their followers and bring in the money. The sad thing about
these groups is that they provide a centralized government and
structure for deception. Paul describes the perilous times of the
last days in a litany of ills in 2 Tim. 3:1-5. He especially
addresses religious apostasy. Give special attention to v. 5,
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away.” He is addressing those professing Christianity but
describing them as resembling Christian service but without the
spiritual dynamic of the Holy Ghost.
What is Paul's
solution to Timothy's challenge? 2 Tim. 4:2, “Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they
heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables.” If they turn away from the Truth, they are
unbelievers. The unbelievers, who are without the discernment of the
Word or the Spirit, will walk in carnality and will not be ready.
They will not be able to discern the times. The conditions in the
world prior to the Rapture will so closely mirror the conditions
immediately after the Rapture IE the beginning of the Tribulation,
the carnal mind will not realize when it takes places except to know
that a lot of people are missing. The transition for the saints will
be seamless but for those left behind conditions will grow
progressive worse until the consummation of all things at the second
Advent of Christ. Christ will return with the saints, set His feet
upon the Mount of Olives and set up His Millennial Kingdom.
Revelation is so important in our walk with God. He is giving us a
preview of what is to come!
(continued to part 1B)
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