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Whatever one's beliefs about the last days, the most important concern is that one is ready, whatever may come... ONE MORE THING I guess you could call this a little heart to heart. Over the years of my studying God's Word and feeling compelled by Him to continue the developing of what is now to be found on this website, I have often wondered what His real purpose has been for having led me as I feel that He has. Of course, we all know that sound doctrine is of the highest interest to God. And, when I would think of this, I would experience some degree of satisfaction that this is what it has all been about. But, I consistently had lingering thoughts that there was something more, something of even greater interest to God. More recently, I have felt that I know. I am now deeply convicted that it connects with an effort of the Lord's to convince those who have put off being saved to be saved before it is too late—to not be counting on a supposed option that may not in reality exist. This effort, as it connects with this website, might best be understood by what I have written in PROPOSITION 5, especially what I have there highlighted in blue, just beyond the midpoint of the page. (click here ) Whether I am correctly understanding some of the Bible's prophecies concerning the last days remains to be seen. Of much greater importance is whether we are saved, whatever may come. If you have never been saved or are unsure, and you have felt that God may be trying to get your attention about this, be mindful that salvation is a matter of eternal concern. My first encouragement would be to not allow your heart to become hardened toward God. He loves us more than we know, and He made an unquestionable demonstration of this by what He did for us through Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. In consideration of this, I would urge you to keep your mind open and your heart soft toward Him. The matter of salvation and how to be saved has been explained a lot of different ways by a lot of different people. I have tried to explain it a lot of different ways myself. Hopefully, what I am feeling led to share at this time will resonate with all who read it. The night I began writing this (12-18-20), it happened to be seven days until Christmas. What a season! What a day! With all the exchanging of gifts that happens at this time, I have often thought that what God really wants more than anything else is to make an exchange with us. Can you imagine that? He started it all on that first Christmas by giving to humanity the greatest gift that is conceivable to give—Himself—in the person of Jesus Christ. It fails me to adequately describe all that is so special about God's gift to us, but it springs from His love. Call it eternal life, salvation, forgiveness of sins, or peace. Call it satisfaction, purpose, hope, or joy. Call it security, vision, abundance, or happiness. Call it whatever else that may be thought of that is in the category of priceless—it all springs from His love. Interestingly, the Bible tells us that "God is love" (1 Jn. 4:16). Moreover, His gift of love was found that first Christmas, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. God came in this manner, in the likeness of fallen humanity, for the purpose of becoming the supreme sacrifice and ransom for our corrupted condition. He who knew no sin became sin for us. Moreover, the sufficiency of what He did for us was confirmed for us by Christ's resurrection on the first Easter morning. This is the message of the Gospel. With God having done what He did for us, what is it that He would like for us to do? Very simply, the same thing anyone else would like—for us to receive His gift. But, what about that exchange I mentioned? The season of Christmas is so characterized by the exchange of gifts. Is there anything that God would like to have in exchange? Yes. Our love. Our heart. Said another way, God gave to us His love, His heart, Himself. And, what He would most like from us is our love, our heart, our self. When this exchange takes place, the result is a love story that will never, ever, end. This is just the way that true love goes, especially with God. How does this exchange of which I am speaking take place? I think of a painting that I have long been familiar with that shows a depiction of Jesus Christ knocking on a door. Can you remember having ever seen this picture? You can easily find it on the internet. Just search "Jesus knocking on the door" and it will come right up. I have been surprised at the number of people that can relate to having seen this picture, but have never noticed what is unusual about it. Have you noticed what is unusual about it? The peculiarity is that there is no knob to be seen on the door. Did the artist make a mistake? No. The picture is depicting the great truth that Christ wants to come into our life and that He even knocks on the door of our heart, but He can't let Himself in. There is a knob to the door, but it is on the in side. This is the way that God made us, and it all has to do with the nature of love. I'm kinda hoping that maybe it won't be necessary for me to elaborate any further on this picture, except to say that receiving Christ into our life is as simple as opening the door of our heart to Him when He is knocking. If you sense that He is knocking on the door of your heart at this time, you can open it to Him even now. If there has ever been a "prime time," it is when Jesus Christ is knocking on the door of one's heart. As an unsaved person, it is at this time that God is making His personal offer of Himself (and salvation) to us. By the very nature of His wisdom and timing, if we open our heart to Him at this time, we are realizing our need, and our response will be what He is seeking—a repentant heart with faith towards Him in our willingness to receive Him as our Savior. Do you realize your need to be saved? The Bible says that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). We have all been corrupted because of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. In Romans 5:12 we read, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Any sin we commit is evidence against us of our corrupted fallen condition. Do you realize what God has done for you (and all of us!) concerning this? The Bible says, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). The very night before He was crucified, Jesus said, "I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (Jn. 14:6). The inspiration for the painting that I spoke of earlier was this that Jesus said: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man (or person) hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20). While it is understood that this invitation given by Jesus is being gleaned from a letter addressed to a church (Rev. 3:14-21), His invitation is to "any man" (or person) and is quite reflective of His manner. What remains to be done resides in the decision of one's will. We can receive Christ, or we can turn Him away. So, how do we receive Christ? An example would be that when He is dealing with you, to acknowledge to Him your realization that you are a corrupted fallen creature (i.e., a sinner) and your acceptance of what He has done for you through Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. Then, simply let Him know that you want Him to come into your heart and life and save you. What happens when we receive Him? I can think of no comment that quite captures the specialness of Jesus entering one's heart, as did the remark a young boy is said to have made when asked if he knew what Jesus did when He comes in. The young boy's remark was this: "Yeah, He just comes in, closes the door behind Him, and stays!" If you have invited Christ into your heart, you may wonder, "Where to from here?" I would first of all recommend this that has long been my life Scripture: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths " (Pro. 3:5-6). Feel free to make this your life Scripture as well, if you would like. Beyond this, as with any relationship, it is of the utmost importance to communicate with God. Basically, this happens when we read and study the Bible (God's Word to us) and when we pray (our words to God). Further, it is important to find a good church home where you can sense God's presence and have the support of other brothers and sisters in Christ. And further still, know that God has a very special purpose for all of His children (you included!) and that we experience the most fulfillment in our lives when we seek to accomplish this in our walk with Him as followers, or disciples, of His. For me, it has always been hard to find satisfaction that I have said enough. I sometimes feel that I will never be finished with this website or with all that I would like to say. In bringing my thoughts to a close for now, the importance of understanding truth, or sound doctrine, would be hard to overemphasize. While I would certainly encourage you to consider my listing of WHAT I BELIEVE , my greater encouragement would be that you seek Christ's Spirit concerning truth, being ever mindful of His promise (Jn. 16:13). Finally, if this website has been a help to you in coming to Christ, or in any other way, it would surely be a blessing for me if you would let me know. I assure you, there will never be any strings attached or solicitations made in connection with me or this website. Hope to see you in glory! "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21) To contact

For those who may be interested in what the publisher of the website, sevensealedbook.com believes about other things... bACK tO TOP NEXT WHAT I BELIEVE I hope the following will give you a good feel for what I believe about other things and in a way that will be of a help to you in your own understandings of what the Bible teaches: I BELIEVE that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" ( 2 Tim. 3:16) and is infallible and inerrant. Whereas what we have in our English Bibles are translations that have arisen from copies of the original autographs, God has not ceased to "keep" and "preserve" His words (Psa. 12:6-7). Though I have been helped by other translations and do much comparing, I regard the King James Version above all the rest. God's hand has been upon this translation as no other, and it has most certainly stood the test of time. I BELIEVE that the world was created by Almighty God in accord with the Genesis account, interpreted literally. For example, the most basic and simple understanding of "the evening and the morning" of Genesis chapter one (e.g., vss. 5, 8, 13, etc.) entirely suffices for me. I am without any reservations in the category of a young-Earth creationist. I believe accordingly concerning the flood of Noah's day. It remains a curious thing to me that the unbelieving sector of the scientific community allows that every place upon the face of the earth has been covered by water at sometime or another, just not at the same time. Surely, if the Bible showed that the global mass destruction that once occurred was caused by the impact of a giant asteroid, the aforementioned community would no doubt be arguing that it was caused by a global flood instead. And so it goes, in my thinking, to Satan's delight. I see the "theory of evolution" as representing the best explanation (howbeit, a poor one) that unbelievers can come up with to support their position that there is no God. As a country boy, "that dog won't hunt for me." I'm not able to buy that "anything can happen, given enough time." Can one throw a scenery puzzle up into the air and expect it to ever land assembled? Can a tennis shoe be tumbled in a clothes dryer with its shoe lace and be expected to ever lace itself correctly? It's not going to happen. Moreover, these things are nothing in comparison to the faculties one has by which he or she is enabled to even read this—and there is the rest of the world besides. On the question of what we have come to call "dinosaurs" and how some of these could have been gotten into the ark, I'm sure that Noah would have directed his boys to seek the younger of something like a "T-Rex" pair instead of trying for the grownups. Concerning the actual mention of such large-sized animals in the Bible, consider the "behemoth" of Job 40:15-24. While some suggest this to be a hippopotamus, I've yet to see one of these that "moveth his tail like a cedar" (vs. 17). So far, the only tail I've ever seen on a hippo reminds me of a dust swiffer. Similar logic can be applied to the "leviathan" of Job 41 concerning whether this is in reference to a crocodile, as some suggest. Relating to the animals that the fossil record bears testimony to that are no longer in existence, all that were on the ark would have easily been in the category of "endangered" right after the flood. Early on, the death of either one of a pair would have spelled extinction for that pair. For years, things would have been precarious for much of the animal population. Those that remain today are simply those that have made it, and even in our generation, there are extinctions and those that are endangered. Of course, so much more can be said. For now, for here, I would offer this advice to the reader, especially if a school or college student: When you are being taught evolutionary theory, always be careful to think a little more for yourself than you allow others to think for you. I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ, when He walked upon this earth, was (and still is!) God, robed in human flesh. Though I grew up with plenty of exposure to the teaching of the Trinity and fully believing that Jesus was the Divine Son of God, I did not realize that He was so much more until the first time I read my Bible through at the age of 25. Prior to this time, no thought of Jesus actually being God had ever captured my thinking—flesh and blood had not revealed this to me. Neither did I see this the first time I read past Isaiah 9:6 or Matthew 1:23 or even John 1:1-14. It was at John 14:8-9 that God revealed this to me—and it has remained my favorite, and by far, most meaningful Bible doctrine. I have never got over the fact that my Creator put on a robe of flesh and did what He did on the cross at Calvary for the world and for me. When I try to help others understand this great truth, I often ask the question, "If God desired to become a man, could He?" People normally respond affirmatively, whereupon I reply, "Well, He did, in the person of Jesus Christ!" To me, a help is to think of Jesus as the flesh of God, in accord with Paul's words in Colossians 2:9 and 1 Timothy 3:16. I BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit is God's Spirit—Christ's Spirit—and that by His Holy Spirit, God dwells within His children. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus spoke these words to His disciples: "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, AND SHALL BE IN YOU. I will not leave you comfortless: I WILL COME TO YOU " (Jn. 14:16-18). I BELIEVE that salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and what God did for us all through Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Though I have tried to live right and do right for the last 43 years of my life (I am now 68), this does not better my chances of going to Heaven—at all. My only hope for Heaven is what God did for me by His shed blood through Jesus on the cross. I like to express it this way: There is nothing that we can add to God's grace and it still be grace, except it be our gratitude. I BELIEVE that the gift of salvation can only be received when God is making the personal offer of it to the individual. It is only at this time that an individual can repent of his corrupted fallen condition (i.e., his sinfulness) and receive Jesus Christ as his or her Savior. To not receive God's offer of salvation is to reject it (and Him), and He makes no promise that He will continue to offer His gift to the individual. While I am persuaded that God makes repeated offers of His gift to those who ultimately reject Him, it should be realized that none can be saved on their own timetable or at their own convenience. Those who reject God's offer of salvation with thoughts of getting saved at some later time have no promise that this will be a possibility, for as Jesus said, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him... " (Jn. 6:44). I BELIEVE that salvation is much more than the thing of being saved from the sins we commit. It is being saved from the entirety of our corrupted fallen condition. The sins we commit are merely the evidences against us that we are indeed corrupted fallen creatures. Every one of us stands in as great of a need of salvation as every other, no matter the number or nature of the sins we have committed. Like glasses of water that have been equally muddied, whether we have sloshed forth a lot of what is in us or just a little, we stand equally in need of being made pure. At salvation, we are born-again, inwardly, spiritually, the millisecond that Christ comes into our heart or soul. At this time, though we have been "saved" and have become a child of God, God is hardly finished with us. As has been often expressed, at the moment of salvation, we are JUSTIFIED. Then begins the work of God in our life whereby we are SANCTIFIED. And ultimately, by God's power, we will be GLORIFIED. As has been said another way, as a child of God, we have been saved from the PENALTY of sin, we are being saved from the POWER of sin, and we will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin. I BELIEVE in the security of the born-again believer. I understand why some believe that one can lose his or her salvation, as some even believe that they have lost their own salvation. While there are many scriptures that can be appealed to to argue the case either way, one way is ultimately right and one way is ultimately wrong. My experience with the scriptures is that every Scripture on which a belief might turn can be interpreted at least two ways: one right, one wrong. Satan will see to that. We must seek an understanding that will align with all of Scripture, and for me, this is possible with the doctrine of security, but not otherwise. Aside from the many scriptures that can be appealed to on this question, consider: If Satan was able to engineer the loss of one's salvation, on the basis of what criteria would our Heavenly Father allow this success with one of His children, but not another? Rather, Satan's PLAN A for every individual is that he or she dies LOST. At salvation, he is forever foiled on this plan. But, his PLAN B is similar—that the child of God die A LOSER. As someone has rightly said, "It is possible to have a saved soul, but a lost life." Further, my observation (and experience) has been that the most miserable person on the face of the earth is not the lost person, but the child of God who is out of the Father's will. For that child of God who can relate to this, God can certainly turn things around! He did for me. I BELIEVE that at salvation, when one is born-again, he or she begins as a spiritual babe in Christ, with a special purpose and all kinds of potential for his or her future. As in the physical realm, the stages of one's growth as a child of God can be likened to the delivery room stage, the crib stage, the crawling stage, the toddler stage, the various school age stages, and the graduation stage. The graduation stage would be that time in our life when we more fully recognize God's purpose for our life and embark on the fulfilling of this for His Kingdom purposes. It is helpful to realize that everyone in one's local church family is in a different stage of spiritual growth and maturity. This being the case, it should be realized that many mistakes will be made, and some hurtful, but one is still much better off being a part of the body (a local church), than not. It is tragic when a body is missing a part, but it is more tragic when a part is missing a body, for that part will surely wither. While God sometimes performs transplants, it is important to remain united with the body that He puts us with, for then we experience the best growth. And, even through hurts, we can better learn love, patience, forgiveness, care, healing, and a multitude of other things that our Heavenly Father desires for us to learn. I BELIEVE in being a faithful part of the local church, one's immediate Church family. Each local church is unique, like an individual, and there is a local church for every Christian where he or she belongs and can feel a part. Whether in number two or three, twenty or thirty, two or three hundred, or two or three thousand (or more), the important thing is to be where you feel that God would have you to be, in accord with what I consider my life Scripture, from Proverbs 3: 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Concerning the purpose of the local church, I see it as being at least four-fold, that being corporate worship, corporate evangelism, corporate discipleship, and communion of the saints (i.e., Christian fellowship). Further, the ordinances of the Church are baptism (by immersion) and the Lord's Supper. I BELIEVE we are living in the last of the last days, days of which Paul's words to Timothy have never been more true. Consider, from 2 Timothy 3: 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof... Because of this, there has never been a time when God's children have needed to be more serious about their walk, to unceasingly endeavor to be salt and light in a world full of corruption and darkness. For me, this is best accomplished when we walk with the Lord daily in the fellowship and strength of His presence as disciples of His. I BELIEVE that when Christ comes again, He will rule and reign upon this earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords for a literal thousand years (Rev. 20:1-6). During this time, God will fulfill His covenant promises to the Israelite nation, and Christians will experience the rewards of their faithfulness to Christ. The estate of God's children in Heaven is a gift of God, and will be equal for all, for all of eternity, as reflected in Revelation chapters 21-22. But, the estate of God's children during Christ's Millennial Reign will vary greatly, for it is a reward, based upon what we have done for God's Kingdom purposes in this life, as reflected in Jesus' parables of the talents (Matt. 25:14-23ff), the pounds (Lk. 19:11-19ff), and Paul's words concerning rewards (1 Cor. 3:12-15). In my concept of what Scripture teaches, all of God's children during Christ's Reign will have it far better than anyone in this present experience of life—but there is a concern. Consider: We who have been born-again have presently been made "new creatures" inwardly, in our souls. Then, during Christ's Reign, we will be in our new, glorified bodies. This means that during Christ's Reign, we will be in a glorified state, both inwardly and outwardly. But, we will still have our memories. We will have our memories until that time that God "wipes away" all tears from our eyes and anything in our minds that would cause us sorrow in our eternity (Rev. 21:4-5). This, however, will not happen until after Christ's Reign and the judgment of the lost at the Last Judgment (Rev. 20). While our estate during Christ's Reign will be as royalty (Rev. 20:6), a thousand years is a long time for one to wish he or she had been more faithful or obedient in this present time. This is something to seriously think about that most of God's children have thought nothing about. I BELIEVE that God's grand and ultimate design for this present world revolves around His desire to love and to be loved by an entity made in His likeness and image. That entity is humanity. For God's plan to become a reality on the level of His desire involved our being free moral agents. Satan, the realm of evil, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil are all integral to this plan of God's. Though our first parents exercised their will in disobedience to God and corruption entered into the world, God, in His infinite wisdom, demonstrated His unfathomable love by giving Himself in the person of Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sin. By this sacrifice, He satisfied His own requirements for a plan by which we can be saved. Before He created this world, He determined that He would do this. There is coming a day when God's plan for this world will be fully accomplished, and time, as we know it, will give way to eternity, when all who love God will dwell with Him in His Heaven, happily ever after. Suffice it to say, for those who reject God's love and offer of salvation, their future is made clear in Revelation 20:11-15. The "works" spoken of in this passage are not on a balance scale to determine if one's good has outweighed his or her bad. Rather, these works will merely reveal that one is indeed a corrupted fallen creature, in need of salvation, but never saved (Jn. 6:28-29). With this thought, I would like to call attention to the words of the last invitation given in the Bible, from Revelation 22: 17 And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. AND WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take the Water of Life FREELY. I BELIEVE in the importance of living a separated life. Long before I became a minister, I felt that I should endeavor to live a life of the highest standards, even those required of ministers (e.g., 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9). For me, this mindset came when I was at my bottom and experienced inspiration of God to give Him "the same chance I had given the world" (note from my testimony ). I now see this as what should be the mindset of all who are saved, as we endeavor to live wholly unto Christ as disciples of His to the glory of our Creator (e.g., Col. 2:6-12; 1 Cor. 10:31-33; 1 Jn. 2:6). I am presently over 40 years removed from the lifestyle of my teens and early twenties, which was characterized by rebellion, immorality, the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, pills, foul language, and the like. I have never regretted making Christ the Lord of my life and the distancing of myself from that which Satan effectively used to nearly bring about my ruin. On anything that I have had a question concerning, my litmus test has been consideration of how my witness and/or the cause of Christ and His Kingdom purposes might be adversely thereby affected. Relating to the foregoing, it seems rather easy for me to be nonjudgmental concerning those who may see some things differently. I believe this stems from the memories I have of my own struggles when younger, even as a saved person. In those days, even while trying the best I knew how, I had some slips relating to things that I now have strong convictions against. If some had judged me in those days as not being really sincere or serious about God, they would have judged me wrongly. But, it would not have been wrong for them to wonder. This realization, together with the particular ills and vices of our present day, has resulted in my having some convictions that may seem overly stringent to those who see themselves as equally sincere and serious. Concerning these things, I remain mindful of what Paul was inspired of God to write in Romans 14... 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned (Gk. "to judge against ") if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

The copyright page to my book on THE SEVEN SEALED BOOK and A Different Pre-trib Rapture View, now free on the internet... PLEASE READ When I first began to work on this website, I did not realize that I would end up feeling led to publish my book on it, but that is essentially what I have done. Because of this, the substance of my book (and much more) is now free to anyone in the world with access to the Internet—and I like that. My original plan relating to the marketing, distribution, or use of what is in my book was kind of similar to this, as reflected on its copyright page. It reads as follows: The purpose for this notice (the copyright notice) is to prevent reproduction of any part of this book for financial gain. However, churches may feel free to copy portions for studies to be distributed free of charge. Of course, it would be a blessing for me to know when this has been done. Although this study can be purchased for oneself, what is really on my heart for its distribution is similar to the "pay it forward" concept from the popular movie. As an outreach supported by my home church, my initial plan is to present it freely to fellow Christians, pastors, and other church leaders. Going forward, those who believe in its merit are simply encouraged to purchase a copy to present in the same way— paying it forward. By this plan, you would only be purchasing a copy of this study if you feel that it teaches the truth and for the purpose of giving it to another—asking them to do the same. Pastors who agree with the view of this study could lead their congregation to do similarly. If you prefer, when finished, you could even give your copy to someone else, passing it forward. Or, if the subject ends up not catching your interest, you could return it by passing it backward to the person who gave it to you. In whatever way a person or a church may feel led in regard to this study, my prayer is that the outcome will be as the Lord sees fit for His Kingdom purposes. Though many copies of my book have been given away and its substance is now freely available on the Internet, this does not mean that my work can be considered public domain. As with my book, the reproducing of what is found on this website for financial gain is forbidden. Not knowing to what extent my view will be accepted, I have wondered what the best wisdom will be if it becomes accepted and other authors desire to incorporate it in their own works. On the one hand, I would feel honored that my work be thus recognized by other genuine and mature brothers and sisters in Christ. On the other hand, there are troubling elements in the world of publishing and the Internet, such that I should not need to elaborate. If some use of my work (beyond what copyright laws normally deem acceptable) is desired, I would only ask that I be granted the courtesy of being contacted about it. It would be my hope that such a contact would lead to rewarding Christian fellowship and the furtherance of sound doctrine. As normal, and for the sake of my assurance that the truths herein are being provided in a manner that God would see fit, no permission will be considered legitimate unless it be in writing. Finally, I certainly feel that my view has a significant contribution to make concerning the subject of the rapture and other truths relating to the last days. Though I may be wrong , I cannot help but feel that God has spoken to my heart concerning what I have in this website put forth. For the open and honest mind, I believe the solidness of my view can be recognized by how everything comes together, like with no other view that is presently out there. Whatever the truth of the matter is found to be, I dedicate this website, as I do my book... To "the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15b), of which I am most grateful to be a part. bACK tO TOP next

The "Day of Christ" in the KJV of 2 Thessalonians 2:2 is correct according to the Textus Receptus manuscript. The Day of Christ in this passage concerns Christ's Second Advent. When this is understood, what Paul is trying to get across is much easier to see... APPENDIX #3 bACK tO TOP next In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, the translations that have Paul here referring to the "Day of the Lord " instead of the Day of Christ " present a concern that I have not seen scholars deal with as it should be. As can be seen in an original KJV Strong's Concordance, the Greek word from which "Christ" is here translated is plainly Christos (G5547) . However, newer concordances not keyed to the KJV show the Greek word here as kurios (G2962) , from which the word "Lord" is translated. This discrepancy is not the result of a mistake in the KJV Strong's Concordance, but stems from what is found in the Textus Receptus manuscript, from which the KJV was translated. Simply put, what this means is that there is a difference here in what is found in the Textus Receptus versus other manuscripts. This is a rarity, but something that is sometimes pointed out in Bible footnotes and commentaries. Curiously, I have never seen this discrepancy addressed as I address it (often not at all), nor another example where the word Christos in one manuscript is seen to be kurios in another. So, what do we do here, and does it even matter? I submit that it matters greatly and that, thankfully, we are not without recourse in discovering the truth of the matter. Consider: It is easy to get the impression that most scholars want what Paul says in our verse of concern to be of the "Day of the Lord . " This perception has caused me to become increasingly suspect of some past manuscript corruption and of there being a bias towards one manuscript over another because of a personal word preference. I cannot apologize for being suspect. The Bible is replete with warnings for us to be wary. It should go without saying that we must seek for the true words of God, not for what our preferences might be. Paul indeed spoke to the Thessalonians concerning the Day "of the Lord" (kurios ) in his first letter to them (1 Thess. 5:2) and there informed them that this time of God's judgment will come "as a thief in the night." Moreover, he said to them in the same verse, "For yourselves know perfectly " concerning this. Question: If Paul was again talking to them about the exact same thing in 2 Thessalonians 2:2, why would he then undermine the "thief in the night" element of that coming time of judgment by divulging to them (and the world!) that "THAT DAY SHALL NOT COME except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition " ( 2 Thess. 2:3)? As I mentioned in PROPOSITION G , REFERENCE #4 (from which this appendix originates), according to Paul's words, we who are a part of the Church will not see the "the son of perdition" or Antichrist revealed. While he may be alive even now, this is different than being revealed. Before any of this occurs, the Church will be gathered to Christ during the rapture. Again, it was upon the basis of this that Paul beseeched his readers to not be troubled ( 2 Thess. 2:1). The truth of this is also reinforced in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, just before he unequivocally speaks to them concerning the Day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:1-2). The Church will be escaping this time of God's judgment, unlike the rest of the world (1 Thess. 5:3). By way of a sample narrative that will fit what Paul wrote of in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (with what we find elsewhere in Scripture), on the day of the "gathering together" of the Church, the bottom will drop out of things in this world. With the absence of the influence of Christ's Holy Spirit through the Church (vs. 7), there will be a "falling away" (apostasy) from every semblance of Biblical truth by those (even religious people) who did not really have any "love of the truth" in the first place, but rather, "had pleasure in unrighteousness" (vss. 10-12). Relating to this time, Paul said, "THEN shall that Wicked be revealed" (vs. 8). The "Wicked" is that "man of sin" and "son of perdition" that he had spoken of in verse three, also known as the Antichrist. The Lord will destroy him "with the brightness of His coming" (vs. 8) or Second Advent, which is the same "Day of Christ " that he had spoken of in verse two. To those of the common pre-trib persuasion who may yet wonder about the truth of this matter, realize that if t he verse of our concern is indeed speaking of the Day of the Lord, the very teachings of the common view are in conflict with this. How in? It is not uncommon to hear it stated that the Day of the Lord will commence with the rapture, a statement with which I agree and also feel is irrefutable. But, if Paul is indeed speaking here of the Day of the Lord, he is clear that "THAT DAY shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed " ( 2 Thess. 2:3). This would mean that the man of sin will be revealed before the rapture as well, to the tenor of the saying, "It's as broad as it is long." Though this does not seem to have been realized by those holding to the common pre-trib view, it is in serious conflict with the foundational pre-trib position concerning imminency. Think about it. With all of these thoughts in mind, I would encourage the studying of REFERENCE #4 of PROPOSITION G once again. By what I have shown and how this is seen to harmonize with everything else I show throughout this site, I submit that the original word of our focus (what Paul actually wrote) was Christos indeed and not kurios . The Day of Christ (Christos ) and the Day of the Lord (kurios ) are not synonymous phrases and should not be confused, especially in the passage of our concern. The Day of the Lord (or the time of God's coming judgment) will begin on the same day that the Church is gathered in the rapture. The Day of Christ (Jesus' Second Advent) will not come until over seven years afterward, well after "that man of sin" is revealed—all in perfect accord with Paul's words.

The things Jesus warned of in the opening of His Olivet Discourse have characterized the Church Age and continue to do so... APPENDIX #4 bACK tO TOP next It has been argued that what Jesus warned of in the opening part of His Olivet Discourse (e.g., Matt. 24:4-11) is not much different than what has characterized all of history, therefore His warnings must be of the time nearer to the actual end or Daniel's 70th Week. The merits of other arguments notwithstanding, for me, there is a much greater argument. Consider: Jesus knew His followers could easily anticipate that things in this world would change for the better, especially after His resurrection and what would happen on the Day of Pentecost, but it was not to be so. In hindsight, it is easy to see Jesus conveying that, to whatever extent the forces of evil had been active up to that time, they were going to continue to be so, and especially in some Christianity-specific ways. Think about it—Things could have been such that none would even presume to regard themselves to be some kind of Messiah or Christ, but many have since that time, and several have in our own generation, like Charles Manson, Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, Father Divine, David Koresh, and others whose names I can't remember. Concerning wars, Christianity could have had such a far reaching impact that these would, in our generation, be considered something of the long distant past, but it's not quite that way, is it? Also, modern man (with much pride) could have made such advances that things such as world hunger and pestilences are no longer a concern. Or, there could have been a relaxing along all of the earth's fault lines to the point that earthquakes never happen anymore. Things could have turned out a lot differently, but they have not. Christians could have become so very respected that none would even think in terms of persecuting, much less martyring them. On the flip side, they could have faded from history like a little cult that never really got established. Again, things could have turned out a lot differently, but they have not. Isn't that something? Things could have turned out such that of Jesus Christ, history would bear out that He didn't know what He was talking about. What do you think? I think Jesus hit all His nails square on the head. It shouldn't surprise us, He being The Divine Carpenter! ( origin is PROPOSITION K )

The "fourth part of the earth" spoken of in Revelation 6:8 is a geographical, not a population reference... The "fourth part of the earth" of the 4th Seal is a geographical, not a population, reference. bACK tO TOP PART I HOME next key PROPOSITION Q Again, from Revelation chapter six, this is what John saw after the 4th Seal was opened: 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them OVER THE FOURTH PART OF THE EARTH , to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Perhaps the biggest difficulty some may have in accepting the possibility that the first four seals are already open is a misinterpretation of the words, "and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth. " If this is interpreted to mean that one-fourth of the population (the common interpretation) is to die a martyr related death, this would lack any historical evidence of fulfillment so far. This would indicate that this is something yet to occur in the future. However, this passage does not state that one-fourth of the population is to die in this manner, but rather, that power is given to Death and Hell over one-fourth "of the earth. " This passage is speaking geographically. This would mean that power is given to the rider on the pale horse (and Hell ) to martyr Christians, but only over one-fourth of the earth in a geographical sense. In other words, Satan's liberty in this respect would extend only this far, no farther. Christians in the mix of the rest of the world would be off-limits to this most extreme degree of hostility. This angle changes the whole dynamic of what the 4th Seal has been interpreted by so many to mean and removes any snag in an interpretation that it may already be open. Whereas we know history will not support that one-fourth of the world's population was ever martyred during the Church Age, we cannot make such a statement if what is here being revealed is Satan's power to martyr Christians over a limited portion of the earth. To the contrary, we know very well that many have put their lives on the line, sacrificing themselves on the altar of Christian service, by going to some of the places they have gone. We know that there are lots of places (arguably totaling one-fourth of the earth!) where, if a missionary should go, he or she may very well not return. It was that way in the first century, it has been that way since the first century, and it is that way today. Why? Because the pale horse rider of the 4th Seal has the mentality of his mentor, who "as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Before moving on to the 5th Seal, this would be a good place to comment on something that relates to the first four seals as a whole. Some, while acknowledging the parallels I have discussed, may yet believe that the rapture happens first, then the opening of these seals, resulting in an escalation of the things represented. While it is evident that a marked escalation of these things will occur after the rapture, there is solid evidence that this will develop in connection with the sounding of the trumpets, as we shall see later. For example, during that time, deception will run rampant, even to the setting up of the kingdom of the Antichrist (Rev. 13:1-5ff). Secondly, during that time we have an account of a war wherein one-third of the population (indeed) will be killed. This is stated unequivocally in Revelation 9:15-18. Thirdly, the catastrophes (and resultant poverty) of that time will be on a scale that seems unimaginable (Rev. 8:6-13). And fourthly, there will be no limit to the persecution and martyrdom that will take place during that time, for all who will not succumb to the rule of the Antichrist will be subjected to death (Rev. 13:11-15ff ). From another angle, for those who can accept that the four horsemen have been riding since early in the Church Age, the tribulation they have already caused is just a precursor to what they and /or their cohorts will effect after the Church is gone.

Propositions A-M of a very different pre-trib rapture view, beginning with a focus on the first three verses of The Revelation and continuing through the opening of the 1st Seal of the Seven Sealed Book... bACK tO TOP CONTINUE N-Z THE KEYS---PART I (PROPOSITIONS A-M) (click or touch a key) A—The Revelation reveals things that were "at hand" to begin to take place, even in that day. B—The Revelation is in chronological order, and chapters 11-20 overlap consistent with this order. C—The Revelation is a grid into which all end time prophecies will fit and find their order. D—The rapture of the Church could take place at any time—something all should seriously consider. E—The rapture will occur pre-The Seven Year Tribulation Period, or pre-Daniel's 70th Week. F—The rapture closes the Church Age and will occur right before the Day of the Lord commences. G—The word "day" in phrases like the "Day of the Lord" can have a strict or a broad sense meaning. H—The book sealed with seven seals could rightly be entitled, THE DAY OF THE LORD. I—The seals of the Seven Sealed Book reveal things that will happen before the book is opened. J—The first four seals parallel what Jesus warned of in the opening verses of His Olivet Discourse. K—The Olivet Discourse pertains to both Church Age Christians and Last Days' Israelites. L—The Lamb (Jesus!) opened the first four seals not long after John was given The Revelation. M—The 1st Seal reveals Satan's Church Age scheme to conquer truth by deceivers and false Christs.

My thanks to those who have been a part of this website coming to pass... bACK tO TOP NEXT THANKS Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this work coming to pass: To those who were not so sure, which made me think and study with even more diligence... To those who encouraged me and believed that I should go further than a study stapled together... To those who have checked my grammar and made me wish I had listened better in English class... To those who read my manuscript for the first time (something I will never be able to do) and gave me such valuable input... To the church where I serve, which has treated me like gold and made me want so much to be like a pastor to them... To Geoff Hill, my nephew and computer I.T. Person, without whom this web site would not be... To my wife and son, from whom my time in this study has taken so much time (just now written with tears)... And to my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, who I have to believe put this so heavily upon my heart... It has been a most, MOST, rewarding labor of love.