Your question:

Hi,
Thank you for making yourself available for questions...
First, let me say that your views on a post-tribulation rapture are very disturbing to me - not in the sense that I think you are wrong... only in the sense that I HOPE you are.

There are many that believe we are currently in the tribulation and I assume you are one of them. I read on your website that you believe the antichrist to be among us & from another site, copied and pasted the criteria of the antichrist:
Here are the 20 major prophecies we should focus on:

1. He is a man. Daniel 7:24-25.
2. He will confirm a covenant for seven years. Daniel 9:27.
3. He will arise among a union of ten kings. Daniel 7:24, Revelation 17:12-13.
4. His kingdom will be the revived Holy Roman Empire. Daniel 2:31-44.
5. He will uproot three kings. Daniel 7:8, 7:24.
6. His ten nation union will merge into a world government which he will dominate. Daniel 7:1-8, Revelation 13:1-3.
7. He will use peace as a weapon. Daniel 8:25.
8. He will be promoted by a miracle working religious partner. Revelation 13:11-14.
9. He will apparently have power, and then lose power, and yet regain it. Revelation 17:8.
10. He will be preceded by seven kings. He will be the eighth. Revelation 17:10-11.
11. His look will be more stout than his fellows. Daniel 7:20, 8:23.
12. Three and one-half years after the confirming of the covenant, the Antichrist will sit in the rebuilt Jewish temple claiming to be God. Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11, Matthew 24:15-21, II Thessalonians 2:3-4.
13. He will apparently be regarded as brilliant. Daniel 7:8, 8:23.
14. He will persecute God’s people. Daniel 7:21, Revelation 13:7, 20:4.
15. He will dominate the world, but will face resistance. Daniel 11:44, Revelation 12:14.
16. He shall honor the god of forces. Daniel 11:31.
17. He will think to change times and laws. Daniel 7:25.
18. He will not regard the desire of women. Daniel 11:37.
19. The number of his name will somehow be 666. Revelation 13:18.
20. He will be destroyed by Jesus Christ Himself at Armageddon. Daniel 7:11, II Thessalonians 2:8, Revelation 19:20, 20:10.
So, in light of this, here are my questions:
1. Would you agree with the above that I copied from the website endtime.com?
2. Who is it that you believe to the antichrist to be?
3. If we are in the tribulation, how far into would you say we are & what events are left to occur?
4. Will there be any hope in not having to endure all that non-believers have to?

Thanks for your time.
Blessings!
M.

 My answer:

Hi M.,
Thanks for the e-mail.

You wrote: First, let me say that your views on a post-tribulation rapture are very disturbing to me - not in the sense that I think you are wrong... only in the sense that I HOPE you are.

My response: Actually I prefer to call it what Jesus referred to it as, the last day resurrection. Yes, it is quite frightening. But if we put our hope in the resurrection then the LORD will see us through. The resurrection is our salvation, it is to be our hope. I am sorry to tell you that I am not wrong about this. I know this to be fact because of the hundreds of scripture verses, in context, that spell it out. The scripture reference charts that I have provided on my site are a great place to research what will happen.

You wrote: There are many that believe we are currently in the tribulation and I assume you are one of them.

My response: No, I do not believe we are in the tribulation. Israel has not rebelled yet against the covenant by giving her covenant lands to her enemies in exchange for a false peace. When she has done so she will enjoy three and one half years of peace and security, this is the first part of the seven year period. The antichrist will be enthroned on Mount Zion in the rebuilt temple and this will initiate the desolation period against Israel and the body of Christ, better known as the great tribulation. This tribulation will be for another three and one half years until the LORD comes down and takes his kingdom from Satan by force.

You wrote: I read on your website that you believe the antichrist to be among us

My response: Yes, I have stated that it is my opinion that the antichrist is alive and present, but I do not know who he is or will I speculate on such manners. The scriptures state that he will be revealed at the rebellion I specified above. In other words, he is not in place of power to carry out Israel's desolation yet. I believe he is alive and kicking now because Israel is so very close to rebelling against God's covenant as she gropes around in darkness, desperate for peace.

You wrote: from another site, copied and pasted the criteria of the antichrist:
Here are the 20 major prophecies . . . So, in light of this, here are my questions:
1. Would you agree with the above that I copied from the website endtime.com?

My response: I disagree with #'s 4, 6, 9, 11, 15, 20. All of the rest I agree with. The following are my reasons for disagreement:

#4 - First, most who speculate about the last empire would say that it is a revived Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire was much later and was smaller, encompassing only western and central Europe and involved the Catholic Pope as its head. Second it is not specified that the last empire is indeed the revived Roman Empire. In actuality, the last empire will embrace the territory held by the previous empires before it and the Roman Empire and will be made up of many peoples. The last 'beast' will be a combination of empires and is described in Revelation 13:1-2 with these features: resembled a leopard, feet like a bear and mouth like a lion. In Daniel 7:1-8 we see in Daniel's vision, the four empires again. This time they take the shape of animals rather than basic elements. In this vision we see a leopard, bear and lion just like the dragon in Rev. 13.

#6 - The verses given say nothing of the sort. They depict the various empires through time and then the final empire which is to be a conglomerate of the others. The entire world will not follow him although most will towards the end. The antichrist will war against them until the end. Scripture does not show the antichrist running a world government, although there will be few hold outs.

#9 - The beast, in order to be received as the false messiah will be mortally wounded and then resurrected (Rev 13:3). There is no scripture that speaks of the beast falling from power, only rising to power.

#11 - Rather an understatement. These verses among others speak of the power he will have because of Satan's supernatural intervention which among other things will produce counterfeit miracles. His ability to intrigue people and his fierceness will not be his own doing alone, but will be enhanced by Satan's powers.

#15 - Again, most of the world will swear allegiance to him but not all of it. For example, we see Egypt, Nubia (Sudan) and Libya resisting under another king until near the very last day when they are also beaten (Daniel 11:40-45).

#20 - In Daniel 7:11 the beast is an empire that is destroyed while the antichrist is the boastful horn, he is not slain. In 2 Thessalonians we see the antichrist overthrown, like in Daniel 7:11, and his empire destroyed. In Revelation 19:20 and 20:10 depict the antichrist and his false prophet being thrown alive into the lake of fire. Many believe that the antichrist will be slain at Armageddon, but this is not true.

You wrote: 2. Who is it that you believe to the antichrist to be? 3. If we are in the tribulation, how far into would you say we are & what events are left to occur?

My response: As I answered earlier, the antichrist is not in power yet and has not been revealed by rebellion so I will not speculate. And as I said above, we are not in the desolation (tribulation) yet.

You wrote: 4. Will there be any hope in not having to endure all that non-believers have to?

My response: Yes, although the non-believers will have it a little easier than the believers during the 3 1/2 desolation, they will end this age with no hope of eternity. They will not enter the kingdom of God or dwell there. The lake of fire is their future. On the other hand, the believers endure 3 1/2 years of test and trial that God uses to refine those who are his. The ones who stand firm to the end will be saved from his Almighty wrath on the last day, something the unbelievers will be subjected to in its entirety. Our resurrection is our reward and our salvation. When it happens we will be saved from God's wrath and will enter the kingdom of God and dwell with God forever. What greater hope could sinners saved by grace hope for?

M., it may seem that I took it a little hard on you, but I care very deeply. I make no claims to be perfect, but I have a perfect hope! The LORD has assigned me to demolish strongholds that bar others from perfect hope, the pre-tribulation rapture is a myth and blinds people to the resurrection, its purpose and what salvation truly is. To be just as honest, most do not even understand that the kingdom of God will be on earth - not in heaven. I'm sure that I have opened a 'can of worms' in regards to questions. I pray I did, I see in your questions the heart of a seeker. Keep seeking M.! If I may serve you in any way please let me know, I'm always available for your questions.

I pray that I have served you well.

In the service of the LORD Jesus,

Randy