5 thoughts on “Trumpets are Sounding (Pt. 3)”

1. Pastor Jim,

   With you and I already well aware of the myriad interpretations of the prophetic/apocalyptic scriptures all throughout the Bible; that accordingly, the very INTERPRETATION of Biblical prophecy itself is a very “tricky” thing indeed!

   But nevertheless, my personal assessment of what I believe to be the “correct” Biblical view on the timing of both the RAPTURE and the coming of the ANTI-CHRIST is that; the “taking up” – or the so-called “rapturing” of the Lord’s “righteous” – into Heaven, WILL NOT take place until AFTER the 7-year rule of the “Man of Sin” is finally over; since Jesus himself already warned his “faithful” flock, in Matthew 24, to “flee” towards the Judean mountains when they finally “see” the “Man of Sin” shockingly defile God’s Temple in Jerusalem. In other words, Pastor Jim, we can deduce, by examining Jesus’ own words in Matthew 24, that during the REIGN of the Anti-Messiah, the Jewish Christians in Palestine (or other Christians anywhere else around the world) CANNOT be “taken up” into the upper atmosphere or “raptured” into Heaven – to “meet” Jesus – BUT only UNTIL some time after that the “Man of Sin” commits his gross “abomination” in Jerusalem’s temple. Otherwise, IF, according to the “Pre-Tribulation” doctrine, that the “Rapture” were to actually take place BEFORE the “coming” of the Anti-Christ – or take place DURING his very reign; THEN it would NOT have been NECESSARY for Jesus to WARN his disciples to “flee” towards the mountains in Judea as soon as they “see” the Anti-Christ’s “abomination” committed inside Jerusalem’s temple; since, the abomination itself IS the very EVENT that will USHER in the Great Tribulation; and thus, with this “great tribulation” itself being Daniel’s prophesied “great time of trouble”, Jesus already knows that there would be NO “necessity” in rapturing the saints BEFORE the “abomination of desolation”; since the saints themselves will NOT be in any apparent DANGER from the Anti-Christ – BUT only until the “Beast” himself sets off the Great Tribulation, via his “abomination”; and with the Tribulation period itself being the time whereby Human History’s final martyrdom of the saints is to inevitably take place.

   In the New Testament, there is the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, whereby we read of the dire warning that Jesus gave his disciples in regard to the latter-day advent of the “Abomination of Desolation” – the PROPHETIC and APOCALYPTIC period commonly referred by Christians as “The Great Tribulation”.

   Firstly, Pastor Jim, if any of us are familiar with Bible eschatology, we know that the “Great Tribulation” corresponds to the 70th and FINAL “week” of the Book of Daniel, mentioned in chapter 9, verses 21 to 27. It is the last “week of years” – or the last “seven years” – to follow after 69 previous “weeks” – or 69 “sevens” – of years; whereby in 69 X 7 years , i.e., after 483 Biblical years, from the time that King Artaxerxes of Persia, ca. 450 B.C., issued his decree for the “rebuilding” of the Temple in Jerusalem, there arrives the YEAR of the execution of the Messiah, which occurred approximately in 33 A.D. (according to the Gregorian calendar). However, as we are already aware, there yet REMAINS the 70th and final “week” of UNFULFILLED prophecy that is recorded in the ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel.

   When we look at the whole context of Matthew 24, especially verses 15-21, where Jesus speaks of the coming “Abomination of Desolation”, Jesus makes reference to the prophet Daniel, implying that this anointed man of God had already forewarned – in Dan.9:27 – about a time when “the Prince”, i.e., the “Anti-Christ, will “…cause the sacrifice[s] [of the Temple] and the oblation to cease; and for the overspreading of abominations, [and the Prince] shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” [KJV].

   As Jesus is making reference to Daniel’s prophecy on this same future “abomination”, he simultaneously speaks of it in relation to the Great Tribulation; as he speaks to his disciples in a prophetic manner, by warning them – in Matt. 24:15-21 – that “…when ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place [i.e., in the “rebuilt” Temple]…..[THEN] flee into the mountains [of Judea]…for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” [KJV].

   Indeed, Rabbi Jesus warns his disciples to “flee” for their lives by running toward and hiding inside Judea’s mountains when they finally “see” the prophesied coming of the Abomination of Desolation, as the “Prince” – mentioned in Dan. 9:27 – willfully manifests this “defilement” inside the “rebuilt” Temple in Jerusalem.
   In Matthew 24:21, Yeshua says that this same “abomination” [aforementioned in verse 15] will usher in the greatest time of “tribulation” that the whole world will ever see. Our Messiah warns his disciples that the Jewish people will experience the worst time of trouble in the history of Mankind. This is also the SAME time of “trouble” that is mentioned in Daniel 12:1, whereby the prophet says, “and at that time shall Michael [the archangel] stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book [of Life]” [KJV].

   Since Jesus warns his disciples to “flee” from the reign of the Anti-Christ when this “prince” (as mentioned in Daniel) commits the Abomination of Desolation, THEN Jesus’ very admonition implies that his disciples – whichever ones that are alive at this time to witness such an awful thing – that these same disciples (whatever time in World History) will no doubt have to be “present” down here on Planet Earth – and present indeed DURING the very reign of the Anti-Christ, in order for them to actually “see” or “hear” about what the Anti-Christ himself intends on doing, in regard to defiling Jerusalem’s Temple.

   Pastor Jim, notice that Jesus tells the saints, in Matt. 24:15-21, that for those of “his” who would already be living in the Holy Land during the “coming” of Daniel’s prophesied evil “prince” – i.e., the “Anti-Christ”; that they are to “flee” to the mountains – however, NOT as soon as the Anti-Christ actually BEGINS his 7-year reign upon the Earth; BUT only when his disciples actually “SEE” or hear about the very “abomination” that Jesus himself refers to; as Christ himself simultaneously, in his warning, recalls the prophecy of this same “abomination” from the written Book of Daniel. In other words, Pastor Jim, as far as Jesus is concerned, the saints WILL NOT be in any kind of “apparent” DANGER for their lives, at the very BEGINNING of the Anti-Christ’s 7-year rule. HOWEVER though, the real and actual danger for the saints will MANIFEST itself when the “Man of Sin” commits his prophesied “abomination” in the MIDST – or very “middle” – of his 7-year period to reign; that being, exactly after ONE-HALF of his allotted seven years to rule Planet Earth; i.e., right after the FIRST 3 and ½ years of his earthly reign has transpired. In other words, in Matthew 24, Jesus tells the saints to “flee” – NOT at the beginning of the Anti-Christ’s 7-year reign; BUT only AFTER the first 3 and ½ years of his prophesied “rule” is immediately finished. Again, even as already Daniel 9:27 testifies:

   “And he [i.e., the “Anti-Christ”] shall [some time in the future] confirm the [“peace”] covenant [of Israel] with many [nations] for one week [i.e., the 70th and final set of “seven years”]: and in the midst of the [70th] week [i.e., after the first 3½ years] he shall cause the sacrifice [of the Temple] and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations, he shall make it [the Temple] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” [KJV].

   After the first 3 & ½ years of the Anti-Christ’s 7-year reign, the saints of God will not be in any apparent “danger” for their lives – UNTIL that “Wicked One” finally commits his prophesied “abomination” in the Temple in Jerusalem; and THEN – and only THEN – are the disciples of Christ to “flee” into the mountains in Palestine, as Jesus commanded in Matt. 24:15-21; OR “flee” wherever else on Planet Earth that Christians are able to take refuge and “hide” for their lives from the wicked Anti-Christ. But, of course, with the exception being that for those Christians of whom the Lord had pre-ordained to be “martyrs”, these same believers who are destined to die for Christ’s sake, in the hands of the Son of Satan, WILL NOT escape the mass slaughter of Christians during the “Great Tribulation”; but will indeed be killed by the “Beast”, as recorded in the books of Daniel and Revelation. In other words, during the reign of the Anti-Christ, not EVERY God-fearing person will be able to escape into some deserted or secluded area upon the Earth. There will be many God-fearing people upon the planet of whom Lord Himself will call, to be fearless martyrs for His Glory!! [For example, please see Daniel 7:21 & 25; 8:25; and Revelation 11:7, 13:15, & 20:4].

   Furthermore, Pastor Jim, in regards to the “Mark of the Beast” itself; that accordingly, if I am indeed “correct”, the “mark” COULD NOT be established ANY time during the FIRST 3 and ½ years of the Beast’s reign; since, that would mean that Jesus’ disciples COULD NOT “receive” that same “mark”; and thus COULD NOT, according to Revelation 13:16-17, “buy or sell” – being in either in the city [such as Jerusalem], or out in the suburbs (or out in the “country”). That is, hypothetically speaking, if the Beast were to establish his “mark” at the VERY beginning of his diabolical rule; then “THAT” would mean that the saints of God would have to “refuse” taking this same “mark” at the very beginning of the Anti-Christ’s 7-year rule; and thus, the disciples of Christ would immediately be PREVENTED, by the “Man of Sin”, from “buying or selling” anything; regardless whether the saints would be living either in the “city” or out in the “country”; and thus, the saints COULD NOT “survive” safely ANYWHERE throughout the Earth; since, the penalty for REFUSING to accept the “mark of the Beast” will be immediate DEATH – as ordered by the Anti-Christ himself!! And if the “mark of the Beast” were to be hypothetically established at the beginning of the Man of Sin’s reign; then, no doubt, Jesus would’ve ALREADY warned his disciples to “flee” for their lives – at the very beginning of the Anti-Christ’s 7-year reign – BUT NOT have them wait 3 & ½ years for the Anti-Christ to commit his infamous “abomination” in Jerusalem’s temple; with Jesus knowing full well that if the saints just calmly “stayed” wherever they resided – and were told that they did not have to “flee” anywhere, while they refused to take the Beast’s “mark”; then, of course, Jesus would be cruelly subjecting his disciples to automatic and immediate “CAPTURE” by the Man of Sin; and thereby have his disciples to face certain and unnecessary EXECUTION, as commanded by the Son of Satan himself. Pastor Jim, if there are to be, in the future, any believers who WILL become “martyrs” for refusing to take the “mark of the Beast” during the reign of “That Wicked One”, then most certainly, these same believers CANNOT become martyrs at the beginning of the Anti-Christ’s rule; since this martyrdom itself will NOT begin UNTIL the “Great Tribulation” arrives; before which itself, according to Daniel and Revelation, will be ushered in AFTER the very act of the Anti-Christ’s “Abomination of Desolation” against the Temple in Jerusalem; and of which, according to the prophet Daniel, is to take place immediately AFTER the FIRST 3 & ½ years of the Beast’s reign is complete.

   Pastor Jim, by the mere FACT that Jesus himself had already warned his disciples to immediately LEAVE their houses and forsake everything that they “own” – AND quickly head into whatever “wilderness” in which they may be able [BY the Holy Spirit] to take refuge, in order to escape the worldwide mass slaughter of Christians who refuse to “bow down” and worship the Anti-Christ; ALL THIS would imply that the saints – prior to the “abomination” – would, theoretically, have already HAD direct access their own private POSESSIONS; which, in turn, would automatically imply that those particular Christians who will be ALIVE during the first 3½ years of the Anti-Christ’s 7-year reign – will STILL have the “legal right” to private ownership for the FIRST half of the Anti-Christ’s global rule; and ultimately, in turn, would imply that the saints would NOT “feel” any IMMINENT “danger” from the Anti-Christ, at least, for the first 3½ years of his worldwide rule. In other words, Pastor Jim, the mere FACT that Jesus warns his disciples to NOT try to grab any of their belongings out of their houses, when the Anti-Christ’s “abomination” finally takes place, automatically PRESUPPOSES – or is indicative of – the saints, during this very time, still having “access” to their private possessions even during the reign of the Anti-Christ; but only UNTIL the end of the first HALF of the 7-year reign of the “Beast”; for before this time, the saints would theoretically NOT YET would have had all of their property CONFISCATED by the Beast himself – but only until the saints themselves begin to publicly and officially “refuse” to take the very “mark” of the Beast; for, by which time AFTER the Beast’s first 3½ years is “up”; THEN, that will be the same time WHEN his “abomination” actually begins; and subsequently, the very ushering in of the Great Tribulation; which will entail the martyrdom of the saints; and of which automatically signifies that the “mark of the Beast” is to be established during this same time; for the saints themselves, by REJECTING his infamous “mark”, WILL NOT be able to “buy or sell” anything [according to Revelation 13:16-17], thereby resulting in the saints having all of their property CONFISCATED by the Beast himself, and for the saints to be summarily executed for refusing to take this same damnable “mark”.

   Furthermore, Pastor Jim……..and again, although I COULD very well be “wrong” about this matter – I personally believe that the Anti-Christ’s “mark” will be established DURING the very SAME time that he commits his “abomination” in the Temple in Jerusalem. In other words, I believe that right in the midst of the 70th week of Daniel – i.e., at the very end of his the FIRST 3 and ½ years of his reign – or the very TIME of him purposely “defiling” Jerusalem’s temple – that the “Man of Sin” will finally institute his damnable “mark” for the entire world. I believe this because; if you go back and read Matthew 24:16-18, Jesus warns his disciples [particularly, for those who will be alive during this time] that “persecution”, around the world, will get so awfully dangerous for Christians that; by the TIME that the “abomination” is finally committed; that Christians themselves will be immediately and officially “hunted down” by the Anti-Christ of Daniel & Revelation; and thus, the saints of God will have NO CHOICE but to “flee” immediately for their very lives. And in order to try to save their very LIVES as quickly as possible; THEN, according to Matthew 24:16-18, their “fleeing” itself [to the mountains] will have to be so URGENT and so expedient that the saints themselves WILL NOT have enough time and convenience to even try to hurry and grab all of their most cherished belongings out of their houses. In other words, Jesus warns his disciples [in Palestine] to flee as quickly as possible towards the mountains of Judea. However Jesus warns them to “flee”, NOT BEFORE the Anti-Christ’s defilement of the Temple – BUT soon right AFTER they actually “see” or “hear” about it. And thus, Pastor Jim, these New Testament scriptures seem to IMPLY that the lives of the saints will NOT be in any apparent danger from the “Man of Sin” – even at the beginning of the Anti-Christ’s 7-year rule; since Jesus himself tells his disciples to flee ONLY when they actually witness the “Abomination of Desolation” itself. In other words, I believe that the “mark of the Beast” will be established DURING the second half of the Anti-Christ’s 7-year reign – i.e., during the LATTER 3 and ½ years of the Anti-Christ’s evil rule upon the Earth; since Jesus does not WARN his disciples to flee at the very BEGINNING of the Beast’s rule; BUT to “flee” in the midst of the 70th week of Daniel – i.e., right AFTER the FIRST 3 and ½ years of the Anti-Christ’s reign is OVER. That is, at the very time-frame that Jesus connects the disciples’ “fleeing” to the mountains WITH Daniel’s prophesied coming of the “Abomination of Desolation”.

   THEREFORE, with Jesus WARNING his disciples that, during the “Great Tribulation”, the Anti-Christ’s immensely bloody campaign to “KILL” all Christians will be so unprecedentedly “bad” for World History; and FOR Jesus to likewise warn his disciples that this SAME “time of trouble” – as recorded in the Book of Daniel – will be so unspeakably “horrible” – because the Anti-Christ’s global mayhem will get so dangerous; THAT Jesus himself sees the NECESSITY in warning his disciples that they won’t even have enough “TIME” to get all of their “stuff” out of their homes, since the Anti-Christ’s bloody rampage against “faithful” Christians will be worldwide – and so immediate and so vicious, to the POINT whereby those saints who REFUSE to take the “mark of the Beast” will have NO CHOICE, but to leave nearly all of their property behind, as they obey Jesus’ command to quickly “flee” into the mountains of Judea; or fleeing to any other places of refuge of which the Lord Himself will provide for His children, during the Great Tribulation.

   So, once again, Pastor Jim, as I fearfully, before the Lord, already stated; THAT we are all well aware of the myriad interpretations of the prophetic/apocalyptic scriptures all throughout the Bible; and thus, the very INTERPRETATION of Biblical prophecy itself is a very “tricky” thing indeed! I don’t claim to be “scripturally correct” about ALL of my aforementioned comments. The only thing that ANY of us can do NOW – is just WHAT you and your dearly beloved wife, Lori – and faithful friend, John Shorey – has always been warning us about. That is, regardless whether we are pre- or post-Tribulationists, that nevertheless…….STILL GET PREPARED!!!

   And simultaneously “wait” LATER on for the Lord to REVEAL to us everything ELSE on the things that we’re supposed to know about His Second Coming. AMEN.

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2. Thank you Jim for your faithfulness in sounding the warning to get ready. I pray for you and Loir and all your staff for strength, energy and blessed health. Also what is on my heart is the 9th of Av this year beginning on sunset August 04th. The 9th of Av has been connected to severe trials for Israel and with what is currently going on I pray especially for her safety now but also for her future!

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3. You can’t pay off a house if you’re unemployed. Suggestions please!

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4. I totally agree with you, I believe this year is the year that American will see something that they never experience before

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5. Praise God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit. I thank God for your and your ministry and lobour for God. Lois Klaus, Canada

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