AT THE TIME OF DAWN ON THE MORNING OF THE THIRD DAY – THE 1984/48 “TERMINATE” CODE?

“Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth” (Psalm 110:3).

Each year during Springtime, Christians all over the world observe the anniversary of the resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ. But few have considered that it may be a timed prophecy of his return to raise those who have believed in him.

There are several scripture passages which appear to link his resurrection to the blessed hope of rapture and resurrection for the believers of all ages.

At the Break of Day

Let us first review the accounts of the event in Matthew and Mark and proceed to lay out the prophecy as it appear in other passages. Matthew writes …

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:1-5).

The glorious event described in these verses occurred at the crack of dawn. Now some Christians are persuaded that Christ was crucified on Friday and rose again on Sunday morning, while others think he was crucified on Wednesday evening and rose again on Saturday evening.

I do not wish to address that controversy in this posting, but rather the timed prophecy that appears in the New Testament accounts of those events that occurred at the crack of dawn on the morning of the first day of the week.

The event described here tells of Mary Magdalene and others coming to the tomb at dawn. Mark’s account reinforces this testimony …

“And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun” (Mark 16:1-2).

Old Testament Saints Resurrected

Again, the time is very specific – “at the rising of the sun.” Matthew also speaks of graves being opened and many saints being resurrected as well …

“And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:53).

This story points us to the future – to that blessed day when all saints will rise again in the rapture event …

“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: 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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Clues to the Future

Down through the centuries, Christian theologians have searched the scriptures for clues which could reveal the time of that future rapture and resurrection. Without trying to be specific – for I do not wish to set a date – let’s take a look at the timing of the gospel accounts and compare the events at the crack of dawn with the promise of the resurrection.

Hosea’s Third Day

The first passage to which I draw your attention is given in Hosea 5:14-6:3 …

“For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth” (Hosea 5:14-6:3).

This is one of the most remarkable prophecies concerning the Second Coming of Christ to be found in the Bible. I have highlighted certain words and phrases to emphasize them. We shall look at each of them carefully.

First, the Messiah says that he will be “unto Ephraim as a lion.” It is quite likely that this is a reference to the Lord as he represents the Mosaic covenant. But when he says that he will be “as a young lion to the house of Judah,” he was referring to his birth in Bethlehem. There will come a day when the Messiah will be born of the house of Judah.

Messiah’s First Coming

He will become as a baby lion. But his first coming will become a judgment for Judah. Messiah will “tear and go away.” We can relate this to Christ as he chides the Pharisees. Matthew 23 gives the account of Christ condemning the religious leaders for their unbelief. Finally, in the last few verses, he says that he is going away rather than setting up the kingdom they had long hoped for …

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:37-39).

Christ predicts the desolation of Jerusalem, rather than the establishment of his throne in the holy city. Instead of staying and being crowned King of kings, Christ announces that he is returning to Heaven from whence he came. This corresponds with Hosea 5:15 …

“I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15).

All of this is historic fact. We know that Christ ascended back into Heaven with the promise that he will return when the Jews acknowledge their offence.

The Messiah’s Second Coming

In the following sentence, there is an all-important clue as to when that will occur: “in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15b).

The Hebrew word for “early” is shacher [שַׁחַר], meaning “at the time of dawn – the darkness which becomes light!” Some day soon, at the crack of dawn, Israel will be thrown into the midst of affliction – which I believe is a reference to the Tribulation Period. They will acknowledge their offence and seek the Messiah. This will occur “early” as one would watch for the rising of the sun.

After Two Days

So when is this crack of dawn? Which future day will observe this phenomenon? The following verses tell us specifically that it will be “after two days” and “in the third day.” In fact, Hosea mentions being raised up – a term used to describe rising in the early morning – shall we say at the crack of dawn? …

“Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight” (Hosea 6:1-2).

Hosea is not speaking of ordinary days in this passage. Christ could not come as a young lion to the house of Judah, tear (as the metaphor implies) and return to his place, only to come back on the third day of an ordinary week. He must be referring to the concept introduced by Moses in Psalm 90:4 …

“For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterdays when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4).

Thousand-Year Days

Moses, the first of the writing prophets introduced the days of creation as metaphors of seven millennia. The six days of creation represent six-thousand years since the creation of Adam. And the seventh day – the day of Sabbath rest – represents the seventh millennium as a time of kingdom rest.

Many view this Hosea passage as referring to the passing of two-thousand years. The “third day” following the first coming of the “young lion” of Judah would be the same as the “seventh day” wherein God rested after his work of creation.

Since we are approaching the conclusion of this sixth millennium of human history and the introduction of the seventh, we would do well to observe what the prophets were trying to tell us.

Peter’s Millennial Day

The Apostle Peter also commented on the Second Coming of Christ as he reflected upon the transfiguration of Christ on the mountain. He saw Moses and Elijah, the two witnesses which are to herald Christ’s return, and wrote that he was an eyewitness to the majesty of the future King of kings.

So when did Peter say that future coming would occur? He gave it to us in the form of a more sure word of prophecy …

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

He related the Second Coming of Christ to the dawn. In chapter 3, verses 8-10, Peter referred this dawn to the concept of millennial days …

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness” (2 Peter 3:8-11).

Reflecting back upon the Mosaic passage in Psalm 90:4, Peter clearly emphasizes a timed prophecy that each day of creation represents a thousand years of human history. Then, he comes to that final “day of the Lord” and says that it will come “as a thief in the night.” This is Peter’s way of saying that the day will arrive with the break of dawn. What does the sun do to the night as it peaks above the eastern horizon? It steals it away!

This blessed hope should make better people out of us. Knowing that the seventh millennium is approaching, “what manner of persons ought you to be!” as Peter puts it.

Hebrew’s Approaching Day

The writer of Hebrews also spoke of the end-time and our manner of living as we see the return of Christ approaching …

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Again, the special time designated here appears to be the dawning of that seventh millennium. The entire treatise to the Hebrews is targeted to the Jewish people – and especially relates to the Jews in this century.

Hebrews quotes the Psalms extensively and just as the Psalms comprise the 19th book of the Old Testament, Hebrews is the 19th book of the New Testament. So, it is possible that the message is preserved for the Jewish people in this century – as we see the seventh millennium approaching.

Solomon’s Gentile Bride

As related in the Song of Solomon, the king took a Gentile bride. She awaits his return to take her to the marriage ceremony. There were times when she thought he stood behind the lattice work of the palace. She felt his nearness and knew that the time of his arrival was soon. In chapter 2, she hears his voice …

“The voice of my beloved!” (Song 2:8).

He bids her to accompany him to the marriage feast …

“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past. The fig tree puts forth her green figs (verses 10-13).

Could this be a reference to the 1948 birth of Israel? Jesus likened the nation to a fig tree in Matthew 24:32 and said …

“When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh” (Matthew 24:32).

Yes, the long winter of Israel’s exile is over and the proverbial fig tree has been replanted in the land of their inheritance. Then the Gentile bride of Solomon, whom I believe is a type of New Testament Gentile Christianity, says …

“My beloved is mine, and I am his … until the day break, and the shadows flee away” (song 2:16-17).

When we are taken into Heaven, we will have him to ourselves until the dawning of the new millennium is completed and the shadows of the Tribulation Period flee away. There is no way we can be specific on the exact timing of these events, but we can legitimately feel that the seven-year Tribulation period will commence following the rapture of the bride and will conclude with the worst affliction the Jewish people have ever seen – Armageddon.

The Day The Lord Hath Made

David wrote Psalms 110-119 as a series of anthems reserved for the Messiah at the time of his appearing to establish the kingdom. He spoke of both the first coming of Christ and the second coming in these psalms and suggested that the time of his return would be on a special day which the “Lord hath made.”

In Psalm 118:22, he refers to the first coming of Christ, at which time he was rejected. He then implies that the second coming of Christ, at which time he will become the head of the corner …

“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Psalm 118:22).

David specifies the time of Christ’s return as “the day” …

“This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord” (verses 23-26).

Here, take note of the Messianic blessing in verse 26. It is the very statement that Jesus demands from the Jews before he agrees to return. In Matthew 23:37-39, Jesus spoke of his tearing apart the nation and his going back to Heaven until he hears the Messianic blessing …

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:37-39).

This passage compares with Hosea 5:15 where the Messiah says, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face.”

This Same Jesus

In Acts 1, we are given the account of the ascension. As Jesus disappears from view, two men in white clothing announced, “… this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Here, we have the account of his returning “to his place” and the promise of his coming again.

And when will he hear the Messianic blessing? The answer is on “the day which the Lord hath made” – the seventh day. The signs are massively abundant that we are a short step away from the beginning of Israel’s affliction and repentance. This will be the time of the approaching seven-year judgment upon the Earth called the Tribulation. Soon, the Jews will acknowledge their offence and pray for Christ to return.

Psalm 119

David’s 119th psalm also has an important reference to this period of time. As you recall, Psalm 119 is divided into 22 portions corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Koph ק section (verses 145-152), the Jews talk of weeping and repenting just before the dawn …

I prevented [preceded] the dawning of the morning and cried: I hoped in thy word. Mine eyes prevent [precede] the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word” (verses 147-148).

Could this be the time of the 1900s when the Jewish people suffered and wept? If the dawning of the new millennial day, which we have entered into since 2001, is the time referred to in this passage, then the events of the 1900s up to the present, especially since the Nazi holocaust, could be the ones that precede the dawn. It is extremely likely and even obvious that we are now in the concluding time of the night watches. The obvious signs are ones that have been explored in recent articles, such as the rise and soon implementation of the New World Order brought on by the Covid-19 tyranny and the nano-tech poison jabs that are dubiously labeled “vaccines” being pumped into the veins a largely uninformed and dumbed down public. In fact, it is looking rather interesting that this year (2022) would be a significant year to mark the end year for the aforementioned preceding years before the dawn of that third day given that there are 22 chapters of the most prophetic book of the Bible (the book of Revelation) – and the year 2022 is showing some very prophetically intriguing signs that our time here for the Church is almost up and the weeping of the Jews along with the rest of the world will commence as the dreaded Tribulation kicks off.

The Day of Thy Power

Our text in Psalm 110 is especially important. David opens with a reference to the first coming of Christ and his ascension back into Heaven …

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1).

Since the day of his ascension, Christ has been sitting at the right hand of the Father. Soon, the enemies of Christ will become his footstool. That is, God is about to judge them. A specific reference is made to this future judgment in the following verse …

“The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies” (verse 2).

So when will this rod of strength be sent out of Zion? When will Christ rule? The next verse tells us that it will occur on the morning of a special day …

“Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth” (verse 3).

More specifically, David says that Israel will repent and be ready for Christ’s return “from the womb of the morning.” This is a direct reference to the breaking of the day, the same description as is given in all of the other preceding passages. At that time, both the kingship and the priesthood of Jesus will be established:

“The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (vs. 4).

Again, that special day is designated in the following verses …

“The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries” (verses 5-6).

The Turn of the Century

Is there some way we can tell from the Psalms a more specific time when these events will begin to come to pass? Perhaps.

In Psalm 101:8 we have a distinct reference to the judgment of God which other prophets say will come during the Tribulation period. Again, it was David who penned this psalm …

“I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD” (Psalm 101:8).

It is remarkable that Psalm 101 includes the word “early” to tell us when God will destroy the “wicked out of the land.” The Hebrew word used here is boker [בֹּקֶר], meaning “dawning,” breaking forth of the light, and to break open.”

In previous postings, it was revealed how each of the psalms and its psalm number seem to describe events befalling the Jewish people in each corresponding year according to the number of the psalm (see here). It all begins with Psalm 1 representing the year 1901. If the aforementioned Psalm 101 represents the year 2001, then we may note that the year 2001 does indeed represent the dawning of the new millennium. In fact, it would qualify as being the year for the beginning stages of the “breaking forth of the light.”

As we all are now aware, the year 2001 saw the world change and take on a certain flavor of direction when the false flag attack of the World Trade Center Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in the United States occurred. This set forth a process of the end of days wherein the United States military has found itself ensconced in the Middle East, setting up an eventual scenario of wider and more global military conflict. As I’ve pointed out in previous postings, with the arrival of the year 2001 and the world-shifting events that took place, the powers of the dark side seemed to have been stirred – evidenced when a demonic face emerged from the smoke of the twin towers.

It should be noted that 9/11 holds a very distinct place in the book of Revelation. The place of which I speak is none other than Revelation 9:11, wherein we see the mention of the evil demonic spirit of Abaddon/Apollyon rise from the bottomless pit to the earth.

It is as though God marked that year/date for the countdown to begin in order to tell us that the “breaking forth of the light” is under way – which will soon lead to the start of the Tribulation Period wherein the Jews will call out in repentance to Jesus while the world is reeling from the judgments of the book of Revelation, initiating his Second Coming. The year 2001 and the 9/11 false flag attacks seem to mark the beginning stages that correspond to the Psalm 101:8 process that will lead to its direct fulfillment later down the line. By all intents and purposes, since that year, it looks as if 2022 is a top candidate for Psalm 101 to begin its fulfillment considering that this year (2022) marks 22 years since the events of the 9/11 attacks and that there are 22 chapters in the book of Revelation. A prophetic clue?

Joseph Good was the first to suggest that the Tribulation Period could take place in the first seven years of the new century. Though it did not happen in those first seven years, the process that will lead into it did indeed get started. Many students of Bible prophecy were hoping that the last seven years of the sixth millennium would see the rapture, the Tribulation period and the Second Coming of Christ. However, the rapture has not occurred and the Tribulation has not yet begun. Could the world still be in the aforementioned proverbial “watch in the night” – awaiting the dawn? That is what we may have been experiencing since 2001 with a curious “ascension” psalm rife with rapture clues in Psalm 122 representing the year 2022. In that psalm, we have prophetically curious references to “going into into the house of the Lord, Our feet standing within thy gates [a possible allusion to the rapture], the mention of “tribes going up” [yet another curious possible allusion to the rapture], the theme of the “thrones of judgment [a scene that is seen in Revelation 4:1 after the rapture of the Apostle John into Heaven].

The 1984/1948 Balaamic “Terminate” Code?

In closing, let me leave you with this prophetic curiosity. If you’ve been keeping up with previous postings on this sight, we have been discussing Balaamic prophecies. Balaamic prophecies are the idea that God is sovereign over all of creation and can (and does) speak through anything or situation that he chooses. We see this demonstrated in the Bible many times – one of which is documented in Numbers chapter 22 – a curious chapter number considering the year 2022. And a further curiosity considering that the very idea of Balaamic prophecies is introduced in a biblical book called “Numbers” since God is all about numbers in deciphering prophecy. It is in that chapter number (22) that the Lord spoke to Balaam through his donkey (see here). A more recent example of a Balaamic prophecy would be when actor William Shatner lifted off into outer space. The numbers and clues surrounding that event are quite prophetically curious indeed (see here). I would also recommend an article by Gary at the Unsealed website here for another good example.

With that in mind, we find a telling prophecy uttered by the Apostle Paul from the book of 2 Thessalonians regarding a strong delusion, or deception, that God shall send to the Earth to overtake the lost in the end times after the rapture of the true Church has taken place …

“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

In the New Age UFO world, there is an expectation that those who are not “enlightened” enough will be taken out of the way by being taken off the Earth. It is said that the UFO phenomenon will have much to do with this delusion or deception mentioned by the Apostle Paul. Given this scenario and emerging reality, it would not be too difficult to imagine that this is the explanation that will be the used and believed by the lost world left behind after the rapture occurs. In my opinion, this will likely fulfill the Apostle Paul’s aforementioned prophecy of the strong delusion that will overtake the minds of the damned.

It is here that I wish to point out that on August 12 in the year 1984, the world witnessed the closing ceremony of the Olympic games. The ceremony was rife with depictions of an “alien invasion,” complete with a “space ship” hovering above the stadium.

Take note of the fact that this ceremony occurred in 1984. If one reverses the last two digits in the year 1984, you will get 1948 – the year that the prophecy of the Matthew 24 fig tree seems to have been fulfilled with the reestablishment of the nation of Israel – the prophetic fig tree. Using Psalm 90:10 as the definition of the length of the fig tree generation as mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24 regarding his mention of his Second Coming, we see it to be an outer limit of 80 years …

“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span³ is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

It is important to remember that Jesus said that the generation that lives to see the fig tree blossom and take root will not pass until all these things be fulfilled.

As I and many other prophetic researchers have noted, moving forward 80 years from that pivotal date of 1948, you will come to 2028 for the Second Coming event. If you back up 7 years for the length of the Tribulation that occurs only after the rapture has occurred, you will come to 2021. It is here that we should keep in mind that although Israel turned 73 years old in 2021, it will remain 73 until May of 2022, thus the rapture still being within the required pre-tribulation occurrence time frame seven years before the arrival of the outer limit 80th year in the Psalm 90:10 generation. However, although the year 1948 is an absulutely crucial key date obviously, it is plausible that we should be looking at 2029 as the outer limit year for the 80-year Psalm 90:10 generation of the fig tree given that Israel didn’t really take root until 1949 when it was officially recognized by the United Nations. This could push the rapture event up into the year 2023.

So could this 1984 (reverse digits to 48) Olympic ceremony be predictive programming that the rapture is going to occur in 2022 or 2023?

To perhaps bolster this possibility, let’s take a look at yet another piece of predictive programming that occurred in that very same year just two months later on October 26, 1984. It was a movie that against all expectations became a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular iconic movies of all time called “The Terminator.” As you may remember, the opening scene of the movie depicted Armageddon raging in the year 2029 – the aforementioned possible outer limit year of the fig tree generation.

Remember that scripture reveals that Christ will return during the battle of Armageddon to put a stop to those who are destroying the earth. So here again, we have a 1984/48 and 2029 prophetic predictive programming Balaamic clue that corresponds with the 1984/48 Olympic closing ceremony depicting a possible fake alien invasion to explain away the rapture 7 years prior to the 2029 Armageddon return of Christ year depicted in the Terminator movie. Just a coincidence? For me, the obvious answer is no. I think the Lord is at work and doing so in mysterious ways. We should remember that scripture reveals that the Lord uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27). Is this peculiar Balaamic anomaly telling us that the end of the Church Age will “terminate” with the rapture in 2022 or 2023 based on the 2029 Fig Tree template? In closing, consider that one of the most famous phrases emerged out of that movie. We’ve all heard it and it has become part of a collective cultural utterance in moments of lightheartedness. It is the phrase “I’ll be back.”

Given the biblically prophetic numbers associated with this movie in conjunction with the Olympic ceremony, those three words now seem to take on a very interesting meaning now – do they not? Is it a small sly clue from the Lord concerning his promise of return based on the 1948 fig tree template?

Just as Jesus rose from the tomb and raised many saints around Jerusalem with him on that glorious morning of the third day, we have the blessed hope that very soon, the New Testament saints will hear his voice and rise again.

At this point, we can only wait and see what further events will lead us in the days ahead toward that astonishing morning of resurrection. Let us work to win men and women to Christ as quickly as we can. Time is running out. It seems that the Age of Grace, that sixth dispensation, is about to “terminate” with the rapture of the Church and the Tribulation thereafter.

GOD’S REQUIREMENT FOR YOUR INCLUSION IN THE RAPTURE AND ESCAPE FROM THE COMING WRATH

The demonstrably divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a coming horrendous seven-year Tribulation period of judgment upon Earth for all of mankind, no matter what your religion, belief or creed is, and even to those who don’t believe anything spiritual at all.  We can now clearly see the signs of this approaching nightmare.  However, as we’ve already seen, this same divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a dramatic escape from off the face of the earth before this horrendous time of judgment only to a certain category of people.  

Put simply, an event is coming that will be so stupendous that it strains the mind to contemplate such an event happening.  It is an event that will see millions upon millions of people across the globe suddenly disappear without warning.  The millions of disappeared will have literally ascended into Heaven itself after instantaneously receiving a new glorified body fit for Heaven.  A body that will be able to withstand the atmosphere and glory of Heaven.  This event is known as the “Rapture.”  But the promise of escape is only to those who are “born again” in Christ.  This is why it is crucial to understand what Christ meant when he declared in no uncertain terms that only those who are “born again” in him will enter the Kingdom of God.  For the explanation of this, keep reading below.

In order to accept the offer of God’s grace and his salvation, you must take the crucial three steps of …

1. Agreeing – A belief and agreeing with God in all that he says in his word, the Bible, about the fact that you are separated from God, as every man and woman on the face of the earth are before accepting his salvation.  The Bible reveals that all are separated from him in a spiritual state of death, or said another way that the Bible reveals it, in a state of sin, that will result in damnation in the afterlife.  Agreeing with God in your heart that you are in need of his salvation.  The Bible reveals that God looks upon the heart of a man or woman, and thus, responds accordingly to the person who comes to him for salvation in recognition of his inability to save himself.  The Bible makes these facts very clear – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  The Bible describes these three kinds of death:  

• physical death (the state experienced when life leaves our bodies).
• spiritual death (spiritual separation from God caused by our state of spiritual death inherited from the first man Adam – the state of sin that results in our daily outward acts of sin, whether deliberate or not, whether omissive or not; and finally …
• the second death (the fixed state entered into by the individual who dies physically while he or she is dead spiritually). This state is entered into after the death of the body which results in punishment in the afterlife until the event of the Great White Throne Judgment occurs wherein the damned are resurrected from Hades, or Hell, and are judged according to their works and finally destroyed and cease to exist after being cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 14 refers to this tragic end of the unsaved as the “Second Death” (verse 14). It is this state of suffering entered into after physical death and then final destruction at the Great White Throne Judgment in particular which is the horrible result of receiving the wages of sin (unforgiven due to unbelief and rejection of Christ). The Lord Jesus Christ frequently described such a death as being irrevocable in a destiny which he called Hell.  He described Hell as a literal place of judgment (Matthew 13:42); a place of everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8); a place of torment (Luke 16:24,28); a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50); a place of remorse (Mark 9:44-48); of bitter memory (Luke 16:25), and a place originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).  In fact, Jesus more often warned about Hell than he spoke about Heaven.

It is not God’s will or desire that any person should be consigned to perish in Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather that all should come to repentance of unbelief toward him and believe on him for the salvation of the individual’s soul.  But God’s justice requires that the “soul who sins” (remains in it’s state of death or state of sin) is the one who will die a second time after a long period of torment (Ezekiel 18:4).  So, agree with God, admitting that you are unable to save yourself and in a state of sin under God’s just condemnation for that sin and that you are in need of his salvation.

2. Believing – Then, believe that God does not want you to suffer this fate because of your sin.  Believe that God loves you so much that he provided a way whereby he could still be a just, holy and righteous God, and yet pardon you.  Believe that God did not just overlook sin, but that he sent his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide salvation by personally paying the penalty for sin.  Believe that Jesus Christ, whose life, death, burial and resurrection is the best-attested fact of antiquity, did come to earth to live, die, rise again and ascend to Heaven in order to provide justification and salvation for all who trust him.  Believe that he, and he alone, can save you because he has fully satisfied the just demands of God.  Believe that you can’t become righteous in God’s sight by your own effort.  Believe that he wants to save you and that he will save you.  The Bible provides a solid basis for such belief …

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). 

“But God demonstrates his love toward us in this:  while we were yet sinners,  Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). 

God presented him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man or woman who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26). 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures … ” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 

“Jesus answered, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out [drive away]” (John 6:37).

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

3. Calling – It is not enough to agree with God, admit your need, and believe that Christ can and will save you.  You must act upon those facts. God’s requirement is that you repent of your unbelief toward him and actively call upon him for the salvation of your soul based on the fact that you cannot save yourself. It is unbelief in particular that damns the soul to its horrible fate …

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

You must be willing to completely turn from your own efforts to save yourself or from any other hope.  You must come to Christ, calling upon him for salvation and counting on the fact that he will do what he has promised.  This means simply taking the gift of pardon and eternal life which he offers.  Merely believing about Jesus Christ without coming to him makes as much sense and is as effective as believing that a medication can successfully treat a fatal disease, but failing to take it.  Yet again, the Bible emphatically and authoritatively provides the basis for such statements.

The word translated “believe” here means to “rest one’s entire weight and trust on the object or person in which the belief is placed.”  It requires action in keeping with the intellectual assent of that belief.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

” … but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The logical question you may be asking at this point is:  “how do I come to Christ and call upon him?”  The answer is that “calling upon the Lord” is just another term for praying, or talking to God.  To talk to God is not a complicated process, dependent upon some special rituals.  God has invited people to approach him through his Son in simple, straightforward terms.  In fact, Jesus approved of the dishonest, despised tax collector who simply prayed, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”  While the exact words of your prayer to God are not of vital importance (since God sees and knows the attitude of your heart), the following is the kind of prayer that you could pray in calling upon God for salvation …

“Dear Lord Jesus:  I realize that I need you.  I admit that I have sinned and that I deserve your just, eternal punishment for that sin.  But I am sorry for my sin and I am turning to you and asking for forgiveness.  I believe that you died and rose again to pay sin’s penalty on my behalf.  I come to you and open my heart to you.  I ask you to come into my life, forgive me for all of my sin and make me your child.  I invite you to take control of my life and to cause me to be the kind of person you would have me to be.  I thank you for doing this because you have promised that whosoever calls upon you, as I am doing now, shall be saved.  I pray this in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, I urge you to sincerely and genuinely express it to God as your prayer.  The Bible makes clear that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart, God forgives our sins and counts us righteous, and that when we openly confess with our mouth what we have done in our heart,  God gives us assurance of that salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).

Recommended Reading:
TEN REASONS NISAN 1 IS A PIVOTAL DATE IN 2022