The Second Coming

The Second Coming -- In Two Parts
The Bible often appears to address the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as if it were one event, but upon closer examination, it is obvious that it takes place in two separate parts with an interval of time between them.
The Lord returns once for His Church as its Redeemer and then again at the end of the Tribulation Period as its Avenger. The first coming is in secret. It is signless – that is to say – there is nothing that must occur first.

That first, secret coming for His Church could have taken place at any time in history from the 1st century until now, something known to theology as the “doctrine of immanency.”

This secret coming is called the Rapture of the Church.
There will be some who will argue that the Rapture is a made up doctrine and point to the fact the word rapture does not appear in the Bible as ‘evidence’. (It is worth noting at this point that the word ‘Bible’ isn’t in the Bible either.) The word ‘Rapture’ comes from the Latin word rapios which is itself a translation of the Greek word ‘harpazo’ which means, “to snatch away, grab, or carry off.”

So it’s not a very compelling argument, and its rebuttal is devastating: The word ‘Rapture’ does not appear in the English Bible for the same reason that there IS an English Bible. Because the Greeks and Romans used different words for everything than we do.

Whether the word Rapture is in the Bible or not, the picture of the Second Coming taking place in two-part harmony is unmistakable.

In the first part, He comes as a thief. (Revelation 16:15)
In the second part, He comes as lightning. (Luke 17:24)
In the first part, as the Morning Star. (Revelation 22:16)
In the second part, the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:1-2)
In the first part, as a bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1-6)
In the second part, as a King. (Matthew 25:31-34)
In the first, to the marriage. (Matthew 25:10)
In the Second, to the Throne of His Glory. (Matthew 25:31)
In the first, to the virgins. (Matthew 25:1)
In the second, to the nations. (Matthew 25:32)
In the first, before the marriage. (Matthew 25:1)
In the second, after the marriage. (Luke 12:36)
In the first, for His Bride. (John 14:3)
In the second, with His Bride. (Colossians 3:4)
In the first, He meets His Bride in the air. (1st Thessalonians 4:17)
In the second, He puts His foot down on the Mount of Olives. (Zechariah 14:3-4)
In the first, He comes to receive His Bride unto Himself. (John 14:3)
In the second, He comes to be received by repentant Israel. (Zechariah 11:10)
In the first, He comes to take His bride to the heavenly city. (John 14:1-5, Song of Solomon 4, Ephesians 5:27)
In the second, He comes to the earthly city of Jerusalem to take up His Throne as King.
The first part is called, “our gathering together unto Him” (2nd Thessalonians 2:1)
The second part is called, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven.” (2nd Thessalonians 1:7)
The Rapture of the Church is clearly not a new doctrine invented by a Scottish schoolgirl, or by C.I. Scofield or by J.N. Darby. For fourteen hundred years, it was a lost doctrine, along with the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith.

Martin Luther didn’t discover a new doctrine when he read Ephesians 2:8-9, he rediscovered what the Vatican had buried during the Dark Ages. (That's why they were called "the Dark Ages" in the first place). Luther rediscovered the truth that salvation comes through grace and by faith, not by paying money to a priest for absolution from purgatory.

To the degree one can credit Schofield or Darby or anybody else, it can only be for the rediscovery of a doctrine long buried by the Vatican for the same reason. If the Lord is to come for the living saints, then the Vatican dogma that requires additional purification in Purgatory collapses.

It is beyond question that the Bible presents the Second Coming in two-part harmony – to argue otherwise is to argue that the Bible contradicts itself, rather than harmonizes.

Having established the clear Biblical timeline that proves the Second Coming is in two parts, the next question is whether or not the Rapture takes place before, during or after the Tribulation.

Note with me the one doctrine that demands the Second Coming must be in two parts. The doctrine of immanency. (2nd Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3, Luke 12:40, Luke 12:46, Matthew 24:36,42, Mark 13:32)

I could fill the page with similar references that confirm that the date of the Rapture will be incalculable, whereas the length of the Tribulation period is precisely outlined and concludes with His visible return, and can therefore be calculated. (Daniel 9:24-27, Daniel 12:7,11-13)

This is the same problem with the Pre-Wrath, Mid-Trib and Post-Trib views – each conflicts with the doctrine of immanency, a doctrine Jesus hammered home many times.

The Rapture of the Church could have happened at any time in history without being early and the Tribulation could still be future without being late. That has always been the spiritual status quo – until this generation.

For this generation, that equation is turned on its head. Instead, the Rapture is like a floodgate on a dam. During the Church age, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit within believers serves to hold back the onset of unrestricted evil.

When that floodgate is removed, then evil is allowed to flow unrestricted. We are that floodgate – once the Church has been removed, there will be nobody left to stand in the way.

In the meantime, we are all that stands in the enemy’s way.

Jimmy Root Jr
Author: DISTANT THUNDER and the AWARD WINNING MAGOG RISING
Books One and Two of the Lightning Chronicles
$15 per Copy...SIGNED!
Buy several for the same shipping rate as ONE! Give them as gifts.
OR
Send a check to Jimmy Root Jr PO Box 112, Smithville, MO 64089
(add $5.00 for shipping)
MAGOG RISING
is the READERS FAVORITE 2010 National Writing Competition SILVER MEDALIST in the Christian Fiction Genre
ORDER NOW
Visit: http://www.lightningchronicles.com/

Toll Free at 1866 909-2665
Or use the above address to send a check for $18.00 (includes shipping) and ask for Magog Rising...or get both books....SIGNED!
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,

The Pressure Increases to Divide Israel

The pressure continues to mount for Israel to back off and finally acquiesce to shrinking back to the 1967 borders. The pressure is coming at a frenetic pace, and is being applied by the Obama administration.

Somehow, according to Obama, Israel is the one at fault for all the Palestinian/Arab/Iranian/terrorist unrest. Shoot, if Israel would only pull back, "America wouldn't keep getting sucked into regional (Israeli) conflicts where it is losing its blood and treasure." Funny thing is America has yet to have fought beside Israel in ANY of Israel's regional conflicts. Israel has shed the blood and treasure, while American administrations have always found a way to wag the finger and force Israel to the concession table. But now, the effort to shrink and divide Israel, including Jerusalem, is practically breathtaking.

David Horowitz made this clear observation in the Jerusalem Post:

This Israeli mind-set has also been made publicly evident – in the open rejection of the notion of a widened building freeze, and in ministers’ complaints that America’s disproportionate pressure on Israel is actually keeping the Palestinians away from the peace table. It was also strikingly clear in Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s interview with The Jerusalem Post last week, when this member of the septet took direct aim at the administration: “Those who want to continue the Oslo process, who want us to continue to give and give and give, without a Palestinian willingness to recognize our right to a national home,” he charged furiously, “are cooperating with the phased plan for Israel’s destruction.”

AND SO we find ourselves in today’s debilitating and dangerous mess. Day by day, despite the flurry of assertions from Obama and others that the relationship is unbreakable, Israel, or at least its current leadership, sees itself becoming increasingly ill-loved by Washington, and perceived to be increasingly ill-loved by the watching American public, by the international community and by a delighted Arab world.

Day by day, in America, the sense is deepening that support for Israel is becoming a more partisan issue – that this Israeli government is an irritant to the Democratic presidency for its perceived obduracy on settlements and its stubborn complication of Obama’s efforts to rebuild America’s relationship with the Muslim world. Opinion polls still show remarkably high American public support for Israel, and Capitol Hill is still robustly in Israel’s corner, but the presidency does set the tone for much of the wider American mind-set, and the presidency, not the Hill, determines the conduct of foreign affairs.

Further afield, the United States seems to be coming into line with an international leadership community that, again as Olmert correctly pointed out, has been peppered with men and women who see themselves as true friends of Israel – people like Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel – but who nonetheless see that Israel as being legitimate only within its pre-1967 dimensions, give or take a limited, Palestinian-sanctioned land swap or two.

Will the land be divided? If you look at the situation as it is, the land is already divided. Israel voluntarily withdrew from the Gaza Strip, and pressure is mounting for a complete withdrawal from the West Bank. The prophet Joel states that the dividing of the land will set the world on a course to Armageddon in chapter three. Are we there? The following is a short list of what I believe is soon to happen. Again, remembering that prophetic events are given to bring about repentance and the advance of the Kingdom, look at what is coming through the lens of sharing Christ in greater opportunities than ever before.

Here's my short list.

a. Israel will be forced to act alone, and in defiance of the world, against Iran.

b. Though the Arab world is in fear of Iran at the moment, an Israeli attack will bring the world of Islam together. The nations surrounding Israel will mount up to push Israel into the sea. Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, Jeremiah 12, Obadiah 15-18, Zephaniah 2, Zechariah 3.

c. The war will be quick and ultimately destructive to the nations that attack Israel and the Jewish national borders will be expanded to the boundaries of Solomon's Empire. At that point, the world will fear Israel, yet Israel will live in security for a short time believing that its enemies have been subdued.

---An International Harvest for Jesus Christ will take place. Short and powerful!

---I believe, though no man can know, the RAPTURE of the Church will take place in this

interval.

d. A coalition of nations will rise as found in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Led by Russia, the coalition will include Iran, Turkey, Libya, the nations of the Horn of Africa, and the nations allied with Russia that are Muslim in orientation.

e. God will destroy these armies, and the seacoasts of the sending nations. Ezekiel 39

f. In the ensuing chaos, a leader will arise who will make a covenant to defend the world from Israeli aggression, yet will gain Israel's favor by rebuilding the Temple. The Jews will think this man is the Messiah. He will set up his imagine in a wing of the Temple and the Jews will understand their great mistake. A 3 1/2 year period of intense persecution of the Jews will begin, but God will protect his covenant people.

g. The Anti-christ will again divide the land possessed by greater Israel.

h. The march to Armageddon will commence and culminate in an unprecedented gathering of armies against Jerusalem. Rev. 19, Joel 3

i. In the midst of the battle, Jesus will return to the planet. Rev. 19

k. Everything after that is pure frosting. Zechariah 14

"Listen Live" or on Demand

WORLD NEWS and BIBLE PROPHECY

CLICK HERE

Dealing with headlines from the Middle East and comparing them with Bible Prophecy

Jimmy Root Jr

Author: DISTANT THUNDER Book One of the Lightning Chronicles
NOW at SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED PRICE
$10 per Copy...SIGNED!
Buy several for the same shipping rate as ONE! Give them as gifts.

OR
Send a check to Jimmy Root Jr PO Box 112, Smithville, MO 64089

(add $5.00 for shipping)
I must clear out my stock in order to make room for "A Gathering Storm"

Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,

In the Fullness of Time

A chill crisp wind greeted the disciple as he climbed the rocky, eastern slope of Golgotha. The sun had not yet arisen, nor had travelers begun the journey home after a historic Passover celebration. The hill was quiet but for the singing of birds.

There stood the cross, the place where his world had come crashing down not three days before. Tears filled his eyes, not just from the grief he felt at having lost the Master, but at the knowledge that he'd been just like the other. He had run! He was a traitor to his King.

He looked toward the city gates, still worried that he might be discovered, and that only increased his sense of self-loathing. Try as he might, he could not deny his fear of ending up just like Jesus; dead--buried--gone!

He approached the foot of the cross and felt his stomach turn. Dried blood and flesh was still clinging to the rough wood of the beam. The spikes that had been used to pin his friend to the device were still wedged in place. He gasped as he read the crudely carved sign reading "King of the Jews."

Jesus said the fullness of time had come, but I missed his meaning. I missed his time, the disciple thought to himself. How could I have been so blind. He wept all the more as he struggled for an answer.

The sun had finally broken the horizon and the sounds of the days preparations reached his ears. The disciple wiped his eyes and turned away. A sad journey to Emmaus awaited his first step. As he turned toward the road he was ignorant of the fact that his Savior had exited the tomb in which he'd been deposited. Later that day, he would realize he'd missed the fullness of time again.

Another "FULLNESS OF TIME" is scheduled. Are you ready, or has religion, faithlessness, or the cares of life blinded you to its arrival.

Jesus said three things very clearly.

1. He would go to Jerusalem and be crucified.

2. He would be raised from the dead on the third day.

3. He would return to take his followers back with him to his Father's house.

Count on it. The event is going to happen! It might be today! It might be in the middle of the chaos that is coming when Israel is forced to defend itself. It might be in the middle of the Gog and Magog War. Maybe before. Maybe after. Whenever it happens, be assured that IT WILL HAPPEN!

HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY

Listen Live or on Demand

WORLD NEWS and BIBLE PROPHECY

CLICK HERE

Dealing with headlines from the Middle East and comparing them with Bible Prophecy

Jimmy Root Jr

Author: DISTANT THUNDER Book One of the Lightning Chronicles
NOW at SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED PRICE
$10 per Copy...SIGNED!
Buy several for the same shipping rate as ONE! Give them as gifts.

OR
Send a check to Jimmy Root Jr PO Box 112, Smithville, MO 64089

(add $5.00 for shipping)
I must clear out my stock in order to make room for "A Gathering Storm"

Or, Goto
AMAZON.com
Amazon.com just slashed the price of DISTANT THUNDER

Buy now, and move it up the ranking!

Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,

Erasing Ezekiel's Jewish identity

By KSENIA SVETLOVA

For centuries Jews, Christians and Muslims came to Al-Kifl, a small town south of Baghdad, to visit the tomb of the Prophet Ezekiel and pray.


The distinctive Jewish character of the Al-Kifl shrine, namely the Hebrew inscriptions and the Torah Ark, never bothered the gentile worshipers. In the 14th century a minaret was built next to the shrine, but the interior design remained Jewish. The vast majority of Iraq's Jewish community left some 60 years ago, but Shi'ites took good care of the holy site.
Until now.
Recently "Ur," a local Iraqi news agency, reported that a huge mosque will be built on top of the grave by Iraq's Antiquities and Heritage Authority, while Hebrew inscriptions and ornaments are being removed from the site, all as part of renovations.
Prof. Shmuel Moreh of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, winner of the 1999 Israel Prize in Middle Eastern studies and chairman of the Association of Jewish Academics from Iraq, speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, confirmed the report.
"I first heard the news of tomb desecration from a friend of mine who is a German scholar. After visiting the site he called me and said that some Hebrew inscriptions on the grave were covered by plaster and that a mosque is planned to be built on top of the tomb. He told me that he found the changes at the tomb disturbing and warned me that I'd better act quickly, before any irreversible damage will be inflicted," Moreh said.
"I had contacted Mr. Shelomo Alfassa, US director of Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, and told him about this situation. Then I saw the report from the Ur news agency, mentioning the decision of the Antiquities and Heritage Authority to build a mosque and to erase the Hebrew inscriptions and ornaments," Moreh said.
He asked friends to check out the developments at the site. The most recent to visit the shrine said that some of the inscriptions are now hidden by a layer of plaster.
Iraqi press reports claim that the building must be destroyed because of its poor condition. However, Alfassa believes that Iraq's Antiquities and Heritage Authority "has been pressured by Islamists to historically cleanse all evidence of a Jewish connection to Iraq - a land where Jews had lived for over a thousand years before the advent of Islam."
According to the Baghdad-born Moreh, many of the Muslims who visit the tomb today are unaware Ezekiel was a Jew.
Iraq, the biblical Aram Naharaim, is rich in Jewish religious sites. Not only Ezekiel is buried there, but also Ezra, Daniel, Nehemiah, Nahum and Jonah. (Another tomb attributed to Ezekiel is located in Dezful, in southwestern Iran.)
Soon after the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraqi authorities indicated that they intended to take good care of the Jewish sites, which might become an powerful tourist magnet. In May 2009, the Tourism Ministry declared that it intended to preserve all of Iraq's heritage sites, regardless of creed, and would soon begin the renovation of Ezekiel's tomb.
But the future of Jewish sacred sites looks grim in the intolerant current climate of post-Saddam Iraq, where only eight Jews are left, the Christian minority is severely persecuted by the fundamentalists and ancient Shi'ite mosques are blown up.
"Let's hope that the Jewish sites will be spared, but someone must intervene before it's too late," Moreh warned.

Now why would they do that? Islam is doing its best to remove any vestige of Jehovah from its midst. Ezekiel prophesied the ultimate GREAT SHOWDOWN between Allah and Jehovah ( Ezekiel 38 & 38), and Jehovah WINS. It is any wonder why the enemy of men's soul is hard at his deceptive work? This article may not stand out to most, but to me it is quite significant. Israel continues to be pushed into a box. Jewishness is being deligitimized at an alarming pace. The Bible is being relegated to the trash heap of history. Even Christians are disclaiming its Inspiration and truth. But Jehovah-God will not be mocked. Judgment Day for Islam, and the world, is fast approaching.

The Good NEWS....the day of Jesus' coming for his bride is also fast approaching. Are you ready?

LISTEN LIVE or LISTEN ON DEMAND To

WORLD NEWS and BIBLE PROPHECY

Mondays at 1:00 pm CST

CLICK HERE

Next Scheduled Talk Show....Monday, January 18, 1:00 pm CST

Dealing with current events through the lens of a truly Biblical Worldview

Jimmy Root Jr
Author: Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles
A Gathering Storm Book Two of the Lightning Chronicles (Coming Soon)

Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,

The Comparison Really Isn't Fair: I mean it is God vs. Mortal

I was listening recently to the latest episode from the History Channel, The Nostradamus Effect, which compared various ancient sources regarding the "end of the world." I admit my dogmatic stance. I mean, once you know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west because of the rotation of the earth, what is wrong with being rigid and dogmatic?

To compare the quatrains Nostradamus to the prophetic passages of Scripture is absolutely unfair. How can one seriously liken the words of a mere mortal, probably under the influence of his own medicinal blend (Michel de Nostradame was an apothecary in the 16th century) to the words of the Almighty, Creator, God of the universe?

For example, the most recent episode emphasized the Biblical Doctrine of the Rapture while attempting to align Nostradamus' prophecy of the same....then, to top it off, they went to the Mayan Calendar to see if both prophecies lined up with the 2012 doomsday prediction.

First, the Mayan Calendar does not predict the end of the world as taking place on December 21, 2012. That is simply when the Mayan "Long Calendar" resets. The system lays out linear time by tracking seasonal cycles like the phases of the moon, orbit of the earth around the sun, and the orbital position of the solar system in the galaxy. That is all it does. It is not predictive in any way other than calculating cyclical events (and done with extreme accuracy for an ancient people!) It really is an amazing system, but it is not prophetic.

Nostradamus, on the other hand, recorded his predictions and published them in a book titled "The Prophecies." One particular prophecy has been labeled Nostradamus' Rapture prophecy and is found in Century 10, Quatrain 74 (like chapter and verse). Here is what Michel prophesied;

"The year seven of the great number accomplished, it will appear at the time of the games of hecatombe (slaughter), not far from the age of the great Millennium, when the dead will come out of their graves."

As you probably know, all of Michel de Nostradame's prophecies are hazy, abstract, and open to individual or frenzied interpretation. For instance, the lastest interpretation of Quatrain 74 describes the resurrection of the dead taking place in the 7th year from the great millennium (2000) during the hecatombe. The hecatombe occurred on the fourth day of the Olympic games when 100 cattle were slaughtered and barbecued as an offering to the gods. It was also the day in which the most violent sports were played, namely the Olympic version of the Ultimate Fighter. Therefore, as the interpretation goes, the Rapture would occur in 2007 during the World Olympic Wrestling Championships held in Baku, Azerbaijan, which also corresponded to Rosh HaShannah, the Jewish feast of Trumpets.

The problem is no rapture happened in 2007 on Rosh HaShannah. (I was paying attention:) But lest we bash Nostradamus, several evangelical prognosticators have also made rapture predictions that did not pan out...i.e...Hal Lindsey and 1988. What do we learn? That you cannot interpret Nostradamus, nor is it wise to attempt to write something into the Biblical stream of prophecy. The fact is, Nostradamus' predictions are so hazy that interpretations must be forced in order to make any sense out of them at all. Not so with the Biblical predictions of the Rapture and the end times. They are spelled out clearly, although dating is highly inadvisable.

Here are clear Biblical Signs that clarify the season in which the end time events will occur.

Jeremiah 12:14-17... The nation God has plucked up because of wickedness will be reborn.

Ezekiel 36 ... in which Israel is reborn and the end time events are triggered.

Ezekiel 37, 38, 39....Israel is reborn and the Gog/Magog war occurs.

Daniel 12:1-12... Israel is reborn as Michael the Arch Angel is again placed in position to protect God's covenant people...terrible war will occur, then the dead will rise from their graves. hmmm

Joel 3:1... Israel is reborn then God will call the nations to account in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. (Armageddon)

Zechariah 8-14... Israel will be reborn, Israel's enemies will be judged, and then the King returns.

Notice the reoccurring theme.... ISRAEL WILL BE REBORN....then the rest of the end time prophecies will be fulfilled. BTW... that happened on May 14, 1948, with Jerusalem being retaken in 1967.

Regarding the RAPTURE of the Church....

1 Corinthians 15:50-15 declares that we will all be "changed" (made different) in the twinkling of an eye (shortest Greek measurement of time) in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. It would happen at the last trumpet...meaning it would be an actual event, not some hazy quantum leap.

1 Thessalonians 413-18... the Lord himself will descend with a cry of command, the shout of an arch angel, and the trumpet call of God. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive (in Christ) and remain will be caught up (harpazo = snatched away, gathered away) together with them (the now resurrected in Christ) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (Note to those who say the word "Rapture" is not in scripture; the Greek word harpazo is translated raptos in Latin, thus rapture in English. The Latin Vulgate specifically uses the term Rapture. We simply speak in English in our part of the world...)

Seems quite clear to me. The event that would trigger the season in which the rapture would take place is

The Rebirth of Israel

That means, the RAPTURE of the Bride of Christ, the Church of true believers, the household of God, the citizenry of the Kingdom, is imminent! ARE You ready? Or, are you a skeptic who prefers hazy sources in order to prevent conforming to the narrow parameters of scripture? You see, the Bible applies the same power of truth to redemption as it does to its 100% accuracy when it comes to prophecy. The Bible clearly states that the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the road that leads to the Kingdom is narrow and few find it. The Bible says that the only entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven is by way of repentance from sin and a complete turning to Jesus as the only Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. The Bible says Jesus is coming soon. HE IS!


Jimmy Root Jr
Author: Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles

Listen Live or Listen on Demand to

World News and Bible Prophecy

Monday's at 1:00 p.m. CST

CLICK HERE

Next scheduled talk show.....Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. CST

Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,

Listen In: World News and Bible Prophecy

Just a reminder to listen in LIVE on Mondays at 1:00 pm (CST). WORLD NEWS and BIBLE PROPHECY is a live, internet radio talk show with you in mind.

Great friend and fellow pastor, Mike Neff, joins in as we shine the light of prophetic scripture on the key headlines in the news. You will be informed, entertained, and encouraged.

Next Show: December 21, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. (Central). In the light of this week's history channel presentation of Nostrodomus' hazy predictions, we will be discussing the topic of The Rapture of the Church and how close it really is to fulfillment.

You can send in your questions to jimmyrootjr@gmail.com and we will deal with them as time allows.

See you on Monday! CLICK HERE to Listen Live or Listen to Archived Shows on Demand.

Jimmy Root Jr

Author: Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles

www.lightningchronicles.com

Coming Soon: A Gathering Storm Book Two of the Lightning Chronicles

Zechariah 9: A Chapter on the Verge of Fulfillment

The first necessary item in tackling this chapter is to get a real grasp on the time frame involved. That actually begins in Zechariah 8:7-8; “Thus says the Lord of host: behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” Part of that verse has been fulfilled…God has brought back the Jews to the land. As of yet, Israel remains a predominantly secular nation, but that will eventually change.

Now, unfortunately for some, we have to do some mathematics in order to confirm that what we are about to study actually depicts the times in which we live. So, let’s start with the ancient captivity of the Jews at the hands of Babylon, beginning in the year 606 B.C. God had warned Judah that if they did not repent of their ways, he would raise up a nation from the north, a nation that would overwhelm them and cart them off into captivity. Of course, they chose not to repent and Nebuchadnezzar became the instrument God used.

However, God is not without mercy. His judgment is always meant to bring about repentance if the people are willing. So, he promised Jeremiah that the initial captivity of the people would last for no more than 70 years if the people would only turn and repent. Remember that Daniel had read those words and was driven to pray for their fulfillment. God had also revealed to Isaiah, several hundred years earlier, that a man named Cyrus would be the anointed ruler whom God would use to decree an end to Jewish captivity. You got it, exactly 70 years after the Jews were relocated in Babylon (606 B.C.), Cyrus the Persian issued a decree for the Jews to return to Palestine and rebuild the Temple. He even sent the temple furnishings back with Joshua the Priest, and Zerubabbel of the line of David. That decree was issued in 536 B.C.

The problem gets worse rather than better for the Jews, because only a remnant chose to leave their exile and return to Judea. That had also been written into God’s judgment. In a note to Moses, found in Leviticus 26:18, 21, 23-24, and 27-28, God warned the Jews that if they went into captivity and were given the opportunity to accept their freedom but did not return to Judea, he would curse them. The curse was built upon the same number of years that Israel was in captivity to Egypt…430 years! If, after going into exile the Jews chose not to return, God would subtract the number of years served (like a prison sentence) from the 430. But the remaining number would be multiplied by 7. (I warned you about mathJ) So, our base line is 430. The Jews served 70 years up to the decree by Cyrus, but chose to stay. That left a remainder of 360 years to be multiplied by 7. 360 x 7 = 2483.8 years. (Jewish years are calculated in 360 days.) Splay that number out and we see that the exile of the Jews would end, as it did, on May 14, 1948. Wow! God is true to his word.

In other words, the times and seasons have aligned with Zechariah 8. The beginning date for the end times began on May 14, 1948. That means what we are about to study in Zechariah 9 are on the cusp of being fulfilled. So let’s begin a verse by verse study. (You read it in your Bible, I will offer the commentary.)

(9:1) – Hadrach was an area of northern Syria that encompassed the city of Damascus. Isaiah 17 reveals that Damascus would be destroyed in a day at the hand of Israel. I project that this destruction will be through the use of nuclear weapons. The fact that an entire region – including the neighboring area to the west known as Hamath – would be uninhabitable seems to confirm that hypothesis.

(9:2-4) – Not only Hamath (or eastern Lebanon) would be affected, but the coastal cities of Tyr and Sidon (Lebanon) would also take a nuclear hit. This is born out in Psalm 83 and you can read earlier blogs to see that scenario.

So, to this point we must review the facts.
Israel returns from exile….check….May 14, 1948.
Damascus and Lebanon are destroyed by fire at the hands of Israel… has happened yet.

(9:5-6) – Next, the prophecy is extended against prominent cities of ancient Philistia. These cities still exist today and are populated by Arabs (Palestinians). Ashkelon will be completely destroyed as would be Ekron. The Gaza Strip will writhe in anguish, but not be destroyed, nor would Ashdod. The term “King” is used to refer to the leadership of the people. Today, that leadership is split between Hamas and Fatah. Both will fall at the hands of the Israeli’s as pointed out in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 25. However, God is rich in mercy. Many do not realize that today, a large population of the Palestinian people, both in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ! Wow!

Now we come to the incredible, God-ordained solution to the Palestinian issue that plagues the Middle East today, and has for most of the last century.

(9:6-8) -- With the leadership (Islamic instigators of terror and hatred) violently removed from among the Palestinians (a mixed people), God will show his great mercy and engraft the surviving population into his covenant with Israel. The Palestinian people will be come like a clan of the tribe of Judah. (vs 7) And just as in ancient times when the foreigner that chose to worship Jehovah were to be protected and accepted as citizens, so will the Palestinian survivors. They will live securely and never again be oppressed. Their current oppression had come at the hands of their own Arabic brothers, the Islamic terrorists that use them as pawns, and even by Israel that cannot allow the terrorist leaders to gain a foothold that would again doom the Jews.

Chapter nine ends with a dual-fulfillment prophecy of the coming of Jesus. The first time he would come riding on a donkey’s colt. The next time, he will arrive in a spectacular display of power in order to rescue his people Israel.

As you read Zechariah 8-14, you cannot help but understand that we have arrived at the hour of seeing these events fulfilled. It will be in a cataclysmic way. But do not fear! Keep your eyes locked on the prize, for Jesus is coming first for his bride—and then to deliver the fulfillment of his ancient covenants to Abraham and David.

This is the BEST time in all history to be alive and serving the KING!

Listen Live or on Demand

Most recent show -- Monday, Dec. 7th

Next show -- Monday, Dec. 14th @ 1:00 p.m. CST

World News and Bible Prophecy

Internet Talk Show on Global Talk Radio

Host: Jimmy Root Jr

Today's Topic: What is America's role in the world, the Middle East, and Biblical Prophecy?

Will the United States be drawn into a war with Iran?

CLICK HERE

News: DISTANT THUNDER has been nominated for Book of the Month in the Suspense category at

American Christian Fiction Writers

You can vote by joining the book club.

VOTING ENDS DECEMBER 11th Help spread the news!

Jimmy Root Jr http://www.lightningchronicles.com/

Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,

Don't Buy Stock In Chicken Little

Over the course of the last few days I have witnessed more youtube videos about the end of the world than I care to remember. Some have demonstrated the creation of "Concentration Camps" for anti-OBAMITES, for those who refuse the H1N1 Vaccination, and Christians. New World Order videos decrying a one world currency abound. Implanted chip stories are running wild. "America is DOOMED" is being shouted by everyone from Glen Beck to Joe down the street.

CHICKEN LITTLE is freaking out! Fear is wrapping its slimy fingers around every unguarded throat. Hysteria is lurking in every dark corner, not only of the internet, but in Sunday School rooms and coffee shops. Yikes!

I DON'T BUY IT! What is the point of getting all Chicken Littled? HELLLLOOOO....the Bible warned us about these types of events. Jesus said it. Did we not believe him? Does getting all worked up somehow help the cause of Christ? For crying-out-loud friends, aren't we supposed to have the peace of God that passes understanding? Isn't that peace guarding our hearts and minds? Or is Chicken Little pecking on the top of your head?

Maybe America is about to go over a cliff into a Marxist-led one world order. Don't we believers in Christ carry just a temporary visa to this land? I've had temporary visas stamped in my Passport while living overseas. It is what it is....TEMPORARY......not ETERNAL! Our citizenship is in a greater Kingdom. Does that mean we shouldn't voice our morals, stand up against a growing tyranny, and warn as many people as possible? Of course not. We are to be good citizens of our beloved country. But, sheeesh, we do not have the right to get all worked into a frenzy. Think it throug...no....PRAY it through. Our spiritual eyes must be on our King, even as our skeptical eyes are on our President. Please do not forget that.

Now....as to the coming one world government, the anti-Christ, and the Mark of the Beast. It will soon be a reality. (Soon is relative only to God's timetable.) The seeds of it are upon us, but it is not here yet. In fact, the anti-Christ cannot be revealed until a certain Restrainer is taken out of the way. (2 Thess. 2) For those of you who believe the Bride of Christ will be here when God's wrath is poured out... you need to rethink your position according to scripture. The church/Bride is not appointed for wrath. Would you beat up your wife? No? Then tell me why you think Christ would beat his? Nope...we will be gone...taken out of the world before the Father squishes the world like ripe grapes. (1 Thess. 4:15-18) Does this mean we will not go through tribulation....certainly not! We are PROMISED tribulation FROM THE UNGODLY WORLD, not from God. News Alert!....Tribulation is coming! It will come in the form of Hate Crime Legislation, and economic meltdown, terrible persecution, and inner city violence. That is the current course of things on this earth. (Matthew 24) However, we are to encourage ourselves with the fact that we will be snatched from this earth before the really horrible wrath of God is poured out.

So, how do we face these days? Here are my simple suggestions:

1. If you really want to have peace, spend more quiet time with the giver of Peace.... Jesus Christ.

2. Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, especially as you see that day approaching. That means, GO TO CHURCH! What is the point of soccer, football, basketball, and tiddlywinks when the world is winding down? Do we really have a right to go to our Christian gatherings only when it is convenient? Not if we are true followers of Christ. (I don't imagine my church is going to reach a new attendance record by saying that...but so be it.)

3. Spend time watching the signs, but spend more time in the WORD! Glen Beck is pretty good and I enjoy seeing his passion. However, GOD is AWESOME and actually created passion. Get passionate about God and what he is doing.

4. Pray for your President. Speak out against his policies, but do not allow hatred and wild emotions rule you.

5. If you want to see what's coming next prophetically, keep your eyes on Israel, not America. America is not mentioned in scripture, meaning it either won't exist, will be irrelevant, or will have joined the rest of the world community against Israel. (I believe the latter is the case, but that's just me.) Israel is the key.

6. Let not your heart be troubled. A troubled heart is absolutely no good to the Lord. A steadfast heart will be sought out. Witness will be given, and God will use you like never before.

7. Finally, be prudent as you watch the approaching signs that things are falling apart. It's okay to store away food in order to sustain your family and to help others in need. But the best thing to do is to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. How? By being generous now in your giving. Give to your church. Give to the pour. Give to missions. Give Give Give. You will wish you had when the dollar dries up. Banking in God's economy never loses its value. In fact, his multiplication system is the best in the universe.

There you have it....my thoughts on Chicken Little, Chicken Soup, and sundry other items. Take or leave it. I will not be freaking out anytime soon. I will, however, rejoice in the Holy Spirit as I see these things that were spoken long ago come to pass.

Please pass this blog along! www.prophecyalert.blogspot.com

Jimmy Root Jr

Author Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles

Christmas Special Sale at www.lightningchronicles.com

Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,

A True Story Yet to Happen

by Jimmy Root Jr
Author of the following is known only as Jenny


As I put to paper what I’ve seen and heard, I confess I cannot control the trembling of my hands. Every corpuscle in my body is overflowing with fear. I barely have the ability to slow my racing mind. I cannot for the life of me determine where I should turn for help. Everyone I’ve encountered has the same problem as I. I am scared to death. This is what I have so far.


I arrived at my cubicle just before 7:00 this morning, filled my mug from the office coffee pot, and went to my station to begin the preparing for my shift at the board. Time never stops at the 911 Emergency dispatch offices, at least not until this morning.


At exactly 7:01, I sat up and glanced across the divider toward the desk of Tom, a fellow operator. Tom had not arrived. That was unusual as the man was punctual to a fault. I’d asked him about it once, and his response was odd. “Just being the best I can for my master,” he smiled. I chose not to pursue his statement simply because it sounded like something out of my past, something boorishly religious I’d learned in Sunday School, something I had no use for. I smiled at the thought that Tom’s religious sentiment had suddenly lost its value.


And then, with a horror I haven’t been able to shake, all hell began to break loose around me, around the world.


I saw it happen. Looking out my fifth floor window, I saw it happen. A small plane, a Cessna I think, nosed into the building across the street. At the same instant, someone stepped off the elevator at the end of the hall and screamed.


It was hard to take my eyes off the burgeoning fireball, but the scream was shrill and terror-filled. It was Angela, an operator who worked four monitors over. She’d turned white. Her hands where pulling at her own hair and her shrieks were matching her exhalation of breath.


Instinct drove me down the aisle and to Angela’s side. Most everyone had gone to the window. Some were looking up, some down, but everyone’s attention was drawn to what was happening outside.


My attempt to calm Angela failed at first. She would not allow me to pull her hands away from her hair. Though I was right in her face, she wouldn’t lock onto me with her eyes. They were far off, seeing into some black hole I could not fathom. She just kept screaming.


I finally had enough. My heart was racing and my eardrums were being pierced, so I gripped the woman by the shoulders and shook her until she snapped out it.


“Angela! What is wrong?” I shouted. I got nothing, so I shouted again, louder this time.


She finally looked me in the eye. “He vanished,” was all she could muster.


Then I saw panic well up. She scanned the floor around the immediate area until she spotted a small trash receptacle. She let go of her hair as she scooted to the can. She dove onto the floor and wretched into it over and over again. When the fit was over I settled in beside her. I had to ask. “Who vanished, Angela? Who vanished?”


She wiped her mouth with the side her hand and whispered, “Tom. We were on our way up, talking and laughing. Jenny, he just disappeared.”


“What?” I said as I glanced toward the elevator. The door was still open, and no one was inside.


“Are you sure?” That’s when I saw a pile of clothes, a wallet, a cell phone.


Every line on every console began to buzz. Operators who’d been lined up at the windows began to rush to stop the cacophony of tones, but the chaos only converted from switchboards buzzing to voices raised in disbelief. Every face I scanned registered one level of shock or another.


Then the monitor Tom was supposed to be manning lit up. I ran and slammed a headphone to my ear.


“Jenny Johnson,” my voice cracked. I looked up at the clock instinctively. The habit of registering the minute of every call was ingrained. The time was 7:05 a.m. The call emanated City General Hospital.


“My God, oh God,” was all the man would say.


Training kicked in. “Sir, calm down. What is the state of your emergency.”


Nothing. I repeated.


“What is happening?” he asked.


“Sir, you are the one with the emergency,” I responded with growing fear.


“No, you’ve got to tell me what is happening!”


“Sir, who are you and what is your name?” I tried to jar his thinking back to reality.


“Uh, what?” he stammered. “Oh....this is Ben Fisher. I’m a surgeon here at the hospital.”


“Tell me what’s wrong Ben.”


The doctor paused and evidently collected himself a bit. His voice was stronger and his words more directed. “I don’t even know what help I need,” he started, “you’re not going to believe what just happened.”


“Ben, just tell me. Slow down and tell me,” I tried to encourage.


“We were right in the middle of an appendectomy. I had just refocused my lens to take out the organ and bam, there was suddenly no body. My God, she disappeared.”


I said nothing. I couldn’t. I looked over at Angela still lying on the floor hugging the bucket.


“Did you hear me? The woman vanished into thin air. So did three of my nurses and the anesthetist,” his voice was rising in crescendo. “One second they were all there. The next, woosh…gone…just like that. What happened?” he shouted.


I had no answer. Voices were chattering all around me. Sirens were sounding in the streets. I felt the concussion of an explosion from across the street. And then climbing tone of an air raid siren, something I hadn’t heard since I was a girl, began to wail.


Now, at the end of a day like no other, I write in this journal what I’ve found. In the wake of planes crashing, thousands of traffic accidents, and mass hysteria, one common denominator stands out. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have disappeared. I have come to the conclusion that the world has ending and I want no part of it.


If you are reading these words, know that I did not die in peace. There is no peace. Peace is non-existent. I die by my own hands before something worse comes upon me, upon the planet.
Goodbye.

Post Script
“Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” Jesus (Matthew 24:40-41)

The story you have just read is true. It has not yet taken place, but it will. The heart of this writer was not ready for what took place. But for those of you who are longing to see the appearance of your Master, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the news is only good.

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep in death, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed.” I Cor. 15:51-52

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep (in death) we might live with him.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 5:9)

A Few Things to Remember

1. God is really in control of the events of the world, the nations, and the world’s leaders. They may arrogantly mock Him, but he is orchestrating every current event.

2. Whether you believe it or not, Jesus is returning for those who belong to him. They are called his inheritance. You must be a part of that inheritance, or your story will be similar to the one you just read.

3. You can never be good enough to make it to heaven. That is why we all needed someone else to do the job for us. His name is Jesus. He wasn’t a good moral teacher. He wasn’t just a prophet. He is the living Son of God who died to redeem anyone who would ask.

4. Once the events portrayed actually take place, all Hell WILL break out on the earth. You do not want to be here. I repeat, you do NOT want to be here.

5. Trust in someone bigger than you. Put your trust in the one who loved you enough to pay for all your mistakes and failures…called sin! His gift is free to all who will receive it. Believe me, you WANT to receive this gift. Just ask him to forgive you, make you new, and then turn and follow him instead of yourself.

6. This may be your last chance!

Jimmy Root Jr
You MUST get a copy of my book: Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles get it at Amazon.com or at the lightningchronicles.com

Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,

Rattled Knees and Rapture Dreams

It's time for a little quiz. Answer honestly! There are only two questions.

When you read or watch the news, does your heart-rate increase? Yes - NO

Is your increased adrenaline due to a sensation of fear, or hope? Fear - Hope

That wasn't so hard now was it? For some, the mere mention of a QUIZ strike Ben-ladenesque fear. But there is more behind your answer than you might realize, especially for the believe in Messiah.

Oh, you want to know how I answered, do you? (Why do you think I'm writing this blog?)

The age/time/generation/days we live in are unique. There's no question that they are rapidly fulfilling a Bible prediction: "In the last days perilous times will come." I, for one, think peril has arrived. Today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a brilliant statement. He said, "There is no doubt that Iran will be able to launch nuclear-tipped missiles against its neighbors a lot sooner than it will be able to reach us." Duh! But it gets worse. He also said, "Iran's completion of its nuclear program may be sooner than we think." One word comes to mind... PERIL!

But my heart races for another reason. "For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power, love and self-control." (2Timothy 1:7) The elements of this verse are not only available to the believer in Messiah, they have already been given. FOR GOD GAVE! In the same way that God so loved the world that he GAVE, he has given us a spirit that looks beyond peril and acts outside of terror. So, fear is not my heart-racer unless I'm speeding down the highway and see a State Trooper coming the other way, or unless I am sneaking a cookie and my wife comes in the room. (Now that's real fear!)

My increased heart rate is for accompanies this great time of peril.

First: A Great Outpouring of Power is on the way. That makes me excited. People need Jesus, but right now their ears are stopped up. Trouble is coming, and with it, people are going to seek for truth like never before. I get to be a part of the giving of life! lub-dub lub-dub lub-dub...

Second: With the increasing peril of our day will come a release of those things that matter not. It won't matter what my bank account looks like. There won't be one. It will not matter in the least what stuff I have...stuff crammed in the garage or storage. Why? Because when life is on the line, stuff doesn't matter. "The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Heart rate at 130 and climbing)

Third: With the coming showdown on the horizon, the Gog and Magog War against Israel, my heart beats the fastest whenever I look up to see redemption speeding my way. Terrorism has no hold. Bible Prophecy speaks to the coming victory more than it speaks to horror, at least for the believer. Iran and Ahmadinijad will do their thing...God will pay the back for their misdeeds. And although we can see it all coming, what really pumps fresh surges of adrenaline into my system is the RAPTURE! (Get the heart monitor)

If you are in fear of these days, get in touch with the truth of the Word. Your only fear should be that which is intertwined in having a relationship with the God who measures the universe in the span of his hand...yet love YOU enough to offer redemption through his only Son Jesus Messiah. So, quit shaking in your loafers. Look up! Jesus is at the door. (Get new heart)

Jimmy Root Jr

Author: Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles

Watch for my Virtual Book Tour coming in August. Details to follow.

Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,

Being RAPTURE Ready

Can there be any doubt that the Rapture is imminent? Some still shirk away from coming to full expectation of an imminent rapture simply because a certain amount of prudence says that the Lord may delay his coming for a few more generations there just isn't any way to know for sure. If we are going strictly by prudence, I'm positive I would take out a membership in that club. However, a cautionary prudence can miss the details of scripture.

The signs have been converging since Christ relayed them to his disciples in Matthew 24. The key is not found in the signs, however. The key is found in the intensification and frequency of the signs. Wars...rumors of wars...terror....earthquakes and other natural phenomena....pestilence and disease.....false prophets and false christs....increased rejection of the truth by individuals claiming Christianity....and the list goes on. One cannot deny that the intensity of these "happenings" have arrived at what Jesus described as labor pains. When my wife was in that state of her pregnancy, I would have been a fool if I'd have shrugged my shoulders, spoken a disclaimer, and then gone about my business. (A slap on the back of the head would have been necessary.) Why then do so many ignore the obvious about the birth of the Kingdom of Christ? They do so at their own peril.

But even then, the biggest sign of all has taken place. Israel has once has become a united nation again after 2500 years of exile, slavery, and dispossession of the promised land. Ezekiel prophesied the return of an undivided people to the land....their name would be Israel...they would possess Jerusalem....they would be prospered and protected by God. (Ezekiel 36:8-15; 37:15-24.) Joel prophesied an outpouring the Spirit of God at a time AFTER the restoration of the nation of Israel. (Joel 2-3) Amos prophesied a return after God lifted his hand of discipline in Amos 9:11-15. All of these prophecies declare that Israel will become a nation again, and then God would judge the nations, once and for all. The SIGN of all SIGNS has been given.

What's next? I'm glad you asked. You see, before the great judgment of nations during the time we tag as The Great Tribulation, Paul says whatever power is restraining that period must be taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) Before the anti-christ can be revealed, the restrainer must be removed. Evil must be unrestrained. Arguments abound as to who that restrainer might be, but I am convinced it is the power of the Spirit of God operating in the Church. Remove the Church, you've removed the restraining influence that continues to hold back the flood tide of the evil being generated by Satan.

The RESTRAINER must be removed. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-13, that those who are believers/followers/lovers of Jesus will be snatched (caught up--raptured) from the earth, and then all hell would be unleashed. Of course, all heaven will be unleashed, and that is a whole lot more deadly and dangerous to the rejectors of truth. The only event standing between the return of Israel and the initiation of the Great Tribulation is the snatching away of the bride of Christ. Are you ready? Are you watching? Are you working for that day?

A Three-Part Action Plan will help you be prepared for a rapture that could happen at any moment. Here's the steps to that plan.

First.....BE PRAYERFUL

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard and pray (be alert in prayer)! You do not know when that time will come." Mark 13:32-33

Are you prayerful? Prayerlessness will bring about a lack or loss of moral and spiritual strength, the exact fiber that you need to have in order to survive these perilous days. Are you prayerful? Are you communing with the one who restores and renews? Prayerfulness provides an abundance of strength and boldness....ingredients that will provide you with a timely word or answer for those who are seeking. Prayerfulness will help you maintain an encouraged outlook. Prayerfulness will repel fear.

Second....SEPARATENESS

"Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters." Isaiah 52:11 & 2 Corinthans 6:17-18

Our separation is not from people in our culture, society, neighborhood, or world. We must, however, separate ourselves from their influence. We step away from the worlds way of doing things...its prinicples of self-delight...its seeking after self-elevation....its half-truths and rejection of all things godly. Rather, because of our prayerfulness, we push to be the influence. Anyway, why must we partake in activities that pull us away from the hope that we have in Christ? I see no reason.

Third....WATCHFULNESS

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.....therefore watch yourselves lest you be overcome with dissipation and the cares of this life, and that day take you unaware." Luke 21:28, 31

I love that...LOOK UP.... I think Jesus is telling us to stop meditating on the dirt...the death of this world, and start looking toward our future. Our future is forever, and it is secure. The snatching away of the people of God is fast approaching. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be ready. How? It is as simple as turning to Jesus. Fully commit yourself to his leadership. Believe wholeheartedly that he IS the ONLY begotten SON OF GOD, that he lived a sinless life where we couldn't, that he paid for our death by dying on a Roman cross, that God raised him from the dead, and that he is the rightful Lord and Leader of your life. Then follow after him with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Only then will you be ready.

Jimmy Root Jr

Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,

Is the Rapture Imminent?

Those who are watching for signs of the Lord’s imminent appearing to snatch away His saints, as commanded in Matthew 24:42-44, sense that the Rapture is quickly approaching. Although no sign is given in the Scriptures concerning “the day and hour” of the Rapture, some believe Hebrews 10:25 implies that we will be able to see the day of the Rapture approaching: “...Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is: but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.”

Anticipation of the approaching Rapture of God’s saints seems to be implied in Luke 21:28: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near.” We are admonished in Luke 21:34-36, concerning the Rapture, to “...take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be weighed down with dissipation, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it [i.e., that day—the Rapture] come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch you therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:4 that “...you brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” These verses teach that the Rapture (sometimes referred to as “the great escape”) should not catch us off guard (“unawares”) even though we don’t know “the day or hour” that Christ will return for His bride, the Church. Let’s review one of the major Rapture passages before going further:
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The timing of the what Paul calls “blessed hope” in Titus 2:13, will be as a thief in the night to those not watching, but the “times and seasons” of the Rapture will not be a surprise to those who are looking for His return (1 Thessalonians 5:4, Matthew 25:1-13). Christ told His apostles, as recorded in Acts 1:6-7, that it was not for them “...to know the times or the seasons...” But Paul gave indication that we would know the season as it approaches. “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so will come as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction will come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).

The Thessalonians passage just quoted (5:3) provides clear evidence that our generation is now living in the “times and seasons” of the Lord’s return. The specific wording Paul used to link the Rapture with a specific generation that would see Christ’s return is “peace and safety.” Some translations say “peace and security” (ESV, ISV, Douay-Rheims, et al.). Paul said: “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

In retrospect, the “peace and safety (security)” concept could not be understood properly until Israel had returned to its land during the 20th century and the current Middle East peace process had progressed to the point that Paul’s statement about “peace and security” was common usage among those who were promoting “peace and security.” The “they” and “them” in verse three refers to those who would be using the words “peace and security” frequently in “their” speeches when this prophecy was nearing fulfillment. The “peace and security” speeches “they” would be giving prior to the Rapture would also need to take place in a public setting (i.e., London, New York, Jerusalem, the White House, et al.) on numerous occasions so there would be no misunderstanding about whom the “they” referred to.

Further, we understand the season according to pertinent passages in the Old Testament that clearly demonstrate that the end times are triggered by the regathering of the Jews to the promised land of Israel. Ezekiel 36 tell of the ingathering. Ezekiel 37 (The Valley of Dry Bones) tells of the restoration of the covenant people. Verses 11-18 clearly specify that Israel would be drawn together, not as a divided nation as in pre-Ezekiel times, but as a Unified Israel never again to be destroyed. May 14, 1948 became the pivot point of all apocalyptic history. Knowing the the alignment of the Ezekiel 39-39 nations has occurred, we are sensibly led to conclude that the Rapture of the church is not only within our generational time period, but imminent.

Are you ready? Look to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ made for your sins and mine. Believe in his resurrection and provision. Seek to follow HIM instead of YOURSELF. Only then can you be assured of a quick and speedy exit when the trumpet sounds.
Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,