Page 55 - Eschatology - Student Ebook

tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the
tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

Revelation 12:1–6 (NIV84)1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed
with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was
pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in
heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in
front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it
was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.
And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the desert to a
place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Revelation 12:13–16 (NIV84)13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he
pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two
wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she
would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from
his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with
the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river
that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

6. There is no event in God's prophetic program yet to be fulfilled before the Rapture. If the Rapture is
to occur at the end of the tribulation, then numerous prophesied events must transpire in that time
before Christ can return. 144,000 Jews must come to faith in Christ. The gospel must be preached to all
nations. A Jewish temple must be built in Jerusalem. All the judgments of Revelation 6-18 must occur
before the Rapture. Then the rapture is not imminent, meaning it cannot happen at any time, because
it is at least seven years away. But the New Testament anticipates Christ's imminent return (Phil. 3:20;
4:5; I Thess. 1:9-10; Titus 2:13; James 5:7). Peter’s martyrdom was the last event prophesied by Jesus to
happen before the Rapture. Therefore, since that event, the Rapture could happen at any time. It is
imminent.

Philippians 3:20 (NIV84)20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from
there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Philippians 4:5 (NIV84)5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 (NIV84)9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us.
They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his
Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Titus 2:13 (NIV84)13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior, Jesus Christ,

James 5:7 (NIV84)7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits
for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.

Paul and other apostles, other than Peter, were convinced the Rapture could happen in their lifetime.
They challenged Christians to eagerly wait for it. There can be no eager waiting for an imminent rapture
if the Rapture is to occur after all the events of the tribulation period.

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