Scripture: Joel 2 v 28 - 32: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call."
There was much hype of the Rapture coming in September 2015 because of the 4 blood moons on significant dates in 2014 and 2015, but here we still are! The Bible tells us that no-one, not even Jesus, knows the date or time which the Father has kept in His heart.
The Rapture is the catching away of believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the heavens above the Earth. 1 Thessalonians 4 v 16 - 17: "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:
17 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."
He is not willing for any to perish and so He has revealed through Old Testament prophets like Joel what we can expect before the end comes. This scripture in the book of Joel starts with 'afterwards' this will happen. After what?
After Israel dwells in safety and the land and people are restored, which happened in 1948, whatever the locusts and cankerworm have eaten will be replenished - meaning whatever has been devoured of the blessings and protection of Israel will be restored. Since they regained their land Israel has blossomed and the accomplishment of Jewish people has been excellent.
Unfortunately, Israel is yet to know peace and safety because since she was made a nation again there has been continual Arab wars against her.
The prophetic and Biblical timeline is having the curtain raiser to the end times, the last 7 years, happening now. This prelude is showcasing the signs of the end times. Basically the world system is collapsing and those who have faith in it are starting to panic.
This week the U.S. state of Texas has been hit by Arctic weather with temperatures up to 35F below normal. It has knocked out the electricity power grid which affects supply to 14 US states. In Europe they are bracing for an expected snowstorm to bring up to 40cms of snow. In Texas it has stopped the rollout of Covid vaccines and may have the same effect in Europe. The pandemic is another sign of end time prophecy from Jesus in Matthew 24.
The real beginning of the 7 years of tribulation will happen AFTER the Seven Year Peace Treaty between Israel and all Arab nations is signed. The actual Antichrist (Man of Peace) will be present at the signing ceremony. They still have to sign one with the Palestinians before this big one happens. The timing is in the Lord's hands.
Daniel 9 v 27: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
This one week is the last segment of Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy. It refers to the last seven years, i.e. week of years, the great tribulation. In the midst of the week, the Antichrist will set up the abomination that makes desolate, most likely an image of himself to be worshipped, mentioned also by Jesus in Matthew 24, which will cause the sacrifices in the Temple to cease.
This is when the eyes of Israel are opened to the false messiah, setting up an image like Nebuchadnezzar did in Daniel chapter 3. The many nations that have signed a covenant (peace treaty) with Israel recently is opening our eyes to how close we are to the end.
When the Treaty is signed the Holy Spirit will be poured out on all flesh. Believers, unbelievers, Hindus, Buddhists, Roman Catholics, Moslems, Jews, witches, goths, satanists, murderers, rapists, paedophiles, cults, prisons, asylums, atheists, forgotten tribes in the Amazon and Bornea. Everybody. And those who call on the name of Jesus Christ will be delivered.
People will prophesy, dream, see visions, and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit - miracles, healings, walking on water, calming storms, greater works will be the norm. It will be the greatest revival ever seen as the power of God squares up with the forces of the Antichrist.
The war in the heavenlies will come nearer earth. We will need the supernatural power of God to withstand the pressure. This will last for the first three and a half years until the two great prophets in Revelation 11 who wield great power, are slain.
After 3 days of lying dead on the street they are raptured up to Heaven. I believe this is when the full Rapture of the Body of Christ will occur. This ends the first half of tribulation called The Beginning of Sorrows.
Those who refuse Jesus during this time will be left behind on earth to face the Wrath of the Lamb, the great tribulation. They will have the mark of the beast containing the number 666 inserted in their right hand or forehead, without which you cannot buy nor sell. Only those who refuse the mark will be saved.
When the rapture occurs the eyes of the Jews will be opened to know their true Messiah Jesus. Revival will break out and 144,000 virgin Jewish young men will be given a song which will bring all Jews who heed it, salvation and deliverance. Around this time the battle of Armageddon will begin and Jesus will arrive on earth to rescue His Bride. The Spirit and the Bride say Come Lord Jesus. Long after the rapture of the church. Revelation 22.
We are told that we will know the season of our deliverance but not the day nor hour so we must live our lives humbly, kindly and in moderation knowing that whatever we do for one another we are doing it to Jesus. We are His actual Body.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, its important to understand Your prophetic words and put them in the correct context. Teach us to interpret Your Word correctly so we don't make assumptions that lead us in a wrong direction. Thank You for all these prophecies to show us that the coming of Jesus is near! In Jesus' name. Amen.