In Daniel 9:20-27, he discusses a decree for Israel. First, in verse 25, he begins laying out the timeline from the command to rebuild and restore Jerusalem (the book of Nehemiah) until the Messiah comes will be 69 sevens. I won’t get into all the math, but that is roughly 483 years (69 x 7). There is one “seven” left, or one period of seven years left. There will be a ruler who comes and takes over (the Anti-Christ). In the middle of the seven, he will break the treaty with Israel, and do a lot of bad things. In other words, he will do this 3 1/2 years into the last seven, or what we would call the Tribulation period.

Now we believe the Rapture is the next event because of the doctrine of immencency (He will come as a thief in the night). It states in 1 Thessalonans 1:10 and 1 Thessalonians 5:9 that we will be saved from the wrath to come. However, the “wrath” doesn’t actually start until 3 1/2 years into the tribulation. However, if we were pulled out of here right before the wrath, then we would be able to count off and know when the rapture will take place, because it’s 3 1/2/ years into the last seven. Hence, the thief in the night experience wouldn’t come true, as well as Jesus’ statement that none of us will know the day nor the hour (Matthew 24:36).

However, what’s confusing is that it seems that Jesus meshes the rapture (Matthew 24:40-41) with the experience of the wrath (like the days of Noah). So, hmmm, I’m confused.

That’s why I stated Sunday God doesn’t want us to worry about WHEN, but HOW we need to live in light of the fact that these things will happen. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 and 2 Peter 3.

To begin the discussion about the rapture, I want to simplify one thing: what are we waiting for next on God’s “end times” calendar?

For all intents and purposes, we really only have two choices: 1) the rise of the anti-christ, or 2) the rapture. Throughout the span of the church, people have been waiting for both. They thought Hitler was the Anti-Christ and they thought that the rapture would happen in 1988. Why? I don’t remember – get the book.

Anyway, we at Lake Center are kind of waiting for both. We believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. That mumbo-jumbo simply means that God will make our bodies and souls disappear in an instant to meet Christ in the air and take us to heaven for a period of time. That period of time is the tribulation, or the Day of the Lord. The tribulation is supposed to last 7 years (Daniel 9:24-27). The first 3 1/2 years is going to be peaceful because some world leader will rise up and take over the world, and the world will love it. We believe the rapture will be the key thing this person needs in order to take over the world because all of the pesky Christians are out of the way. The rapture will create world-wide chaos and they will need someone to settle their hearts (much like Adolf did in Germany – hence the thought he was the Anti-Christ).

The anti-christ will sign a peace treaty with Israel and everything will be hunky dory (where did that phrase come from?). Then, he will do a lot of bad things (Daniel 9), break the treaty with Israel, and then God will break the earth by unleashing his wrath in the last 3 1/2 years (Revelation 6-19). So it is kind of a simultaneous thing. We are kind of waiting to see what person could possibly be powerful enough to unite the entire world because he will have to already be pretty powerful in order to assume power right after the rapture. That’s why you heard all of the spastic Christians declare our current president is the the Anti-Christ in light of his charisma, his name, and his ability to sway people. Too bad his approval ratings are so low.

So we are waiting for both. Next: will the rapture occur before or after he takes over the world?