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RAPTURE WHEN? |
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Books by Dr. Kenton Beshore Rapture, Apocalypse, Armageddon,
Millennium
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All students of Bible prophecy understand that there
will be many warning signs prior to
the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation. Jesus commanded us to “watch” for His return (Matthew
24.42-44; 25.13; Mark 13.33-37; Luke 12.40). The only way to do this is to
“watch” the prophecies
(warning signs) that will be
fulfilled before the Rapture/Tribulation. As we see more prophecies fulfilled
before the Tribulation starts (Appendix A) we will know the Rapture is
drawing that much nearer. When Jesus made His startling prophecy that the
Temple would be destroyed Peter, James,
John and Andrew approached to question Him privately (Mark 13.3-4). They
asked the all-important question that every student of Bible prophecy desires
to know the answer to, “And
as he sat on the Mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and
John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall
these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things
are all about to be accomplished?” They asked three specific questions: 1. When will the Temple be
destroyed? 2. What will the sign be of its destruction? 3. What will the sign be of the return of Jesus and the
end of the age? The disciples asked the When and the What. The What are
the warning signs of the Tribulation, and the When is the start of the Tribulation. Since the Rapture takes
place before the Tribulation all prophecies that have been fulfilled alert us
to the nearness of the Rapture. Two primary examples are the establishment of
the nation of Israel in 1948 and the retaking of Jerusalem in 1967. Ever since the Disciples asked the Lord that all important
question, “When
shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of
thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
(Matthew 24.3), Bible students have tried to determine When the Lord will return to Rapture His bride. Unfortunately,
many have stumbled over the doctrine of imminence.
In their search for When they have
spent much time in futility as did Ponce de Leon in his search for the
fountain of youth which he discovered did not exist. They, like him, have
been led astray by a word that does appear in the Bible or a doctrine that is
not taught anywhere in sacred Scripture. As long as they keep looking for
that elusive fountain of youth of imminence
they will never be able to know When, because
they do not know the answer to What. And
so, until the answer to What is
discovered we will never know When. This book answers the When, but before one can know the When, one must first know the What (the warning signs of the approaching Tribulation). Timothy LaHaye, co-author
of the Left Behind series, believes
that all Christians must be prepared for the greatest opportunity for
worldwide evangelism of the last 2000 years. In his book, The Beginning of the End, he said the
greatest sign that will produce a
ripe crop of souls for harvesting is the destruction of Russia and its allies
when they attack Israel: If the magnifying and sanctifying of the Lord, as
indicated in Ezekiel 38:16, 23 and 39:7, 13, 22 does indeed mean a short
period of time when men call upon the Lord as a result of his miraculous
preservation of Israel, then we should work diligently to prepare for it.
Since we can expect the period to be brief, we should begin now to train
ourselves and find positions of service where we can reach a maximum number
of people with the gospel (p. 84). The invasion of Israel by Russia is a super-sign. After the Russian-led
forces are defeated, the world will see their defeat was a divine judgment.
People all over the world will be receptive to the gospel, and we must be
prepared to share the gospel in a clear, concise and loving manner.
(Christians should always be prepared to share the gospel – 1 Peter
3.15.) In their 1999 book, Are We Living in the End Times?, Tim LaHaye
and Jerry Jenkins emphasized the importance of signs: We are surrounded by so many obvious signs that one would have to be blind not to see
them – yet some fail to recognize them even when they are called to
their attention. So many signs exist
today that you could write a book about them. In fact, I [LaHaye] did, The
Beginning of the End, first published in 1972 and then again in 1991.
Many changes in the twenty-seven years since that book’s first
publication have only brought further confirmation that we are indeed living
in “the times of the signs.”
Never in history have so many legitimate
signs of Christ’s return existed (pp. 26-27, emphasis added). There are so many warning signs of the approaching Tribulation that we must be
living in “the times of the signs.” Numerous warning signs have already been given to us, with many more to follow.
God gave Noah and the people of his day 120 years of warning (Genesis 6.3);
Lot and his family were given a warning; the Egyptians were given 10 warning signs (Exodus 5.1-12.36); a
40-day warning was given to Nineveh (Jonah 3.4); and Jesus gave the nation of
Israel a warning 37 years before her destruction (Matthew 24.1-2). God warns His people before judgment falls, and
saves those who are obedient. He will do this before the start of the
Tribulation with specific signs,
and then save them by snatching them off the planet (the Rapture). Surely the
Lord Jehovah will do nothing, except he reveal his
secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos
3.7) Jesus also gave a promise to all of His disciples in
the disciples’ prayer and in the letter to the church of Philadelphia: And bring
us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6.13) Because
thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour
of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that
dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3.10) Jesus taught all Christians to pray (Matthew 6.13)
that they not be brought into temptation (peirasmos). In
His revelation He promises to keep His disciples from the hour of trial (peirasmos). The
“temptation” of the
prayer is the “trial”
of the Tribulation (Revelation 3.10). Jesus answered that prayer, “I will keep thee from the hour of trial.” This book is written from a Pre-Tribulation Rapture
perspective. We quote men of various denominations who are considered to be
knowledgeable in eschatology. While we do not necessarily agree with their
eschatology or other doctrines, or necessarily endorse them or their
ministries, we quote them to show what some of the most notable prophecy
preachers teach. This book is written for all Christians, but
especially for students of prophecy who want to know exactly what the Bible
teaches about the Rapture and the Tribulation. Do not accept what we write or
what anyone else writes as fact. Instead, examine the Scriptures daily to see
whether or not that which is written by prophecy teachers is true: Now these
were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that
they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the
Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11) We all need to study Bible prophecy carefully, using
the Bible as our map. See for yourself if the claims in this book are based
on Scripture. We urge you, as Paul urged Timothy: Give
diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the
word of truth.
(2 Timothy 2.15) As you study the Bible and this book remember the
“Golden Rule of Interpretation”: When the plain sense of Scripture makes common
sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary,
ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate content,
studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental
truths, indicate clearly otherwise. To study every aspect of the Rapture order
your copy of Rapture When? Call
800.866.WORD (9673). WORLD BIBLE SOCIETY P.O. Box
5000 Costa
Mesa, CA 92628 714.258.3012
or 800.866.WORD |