Considering the
escalating conflict in the Middle East, and the
continued insertion of the city of Damascus,
Syria into conversations regarding Israels
eradication of Hezbollah, it appears there may be
a direct correlation between the Rapture of the
Church and the destruction of Damascus. All information is in
relation to the harvesting of crops in Israel to
which the resurrections are based. So as you
read, consider the following harvests:
The first fruits:
Christ;
The harvest: the
Rapture of the Church;
The gleanings: the
Tribulation Saints.
The following
Scriptures have the relevant portions bolded.
--------------------
Firstfruits And
Sequence [Order] Of Resurrection
"But
now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them
that slept." (1 Corinthians 15:20 KJV)
"For
since by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection of the dead." (1 Corinthians
15:21 KJV)
"For
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV)
"But
every man in his own order: Christ
the firstfruits; [firstfruits]
afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. [rapture]"
(1 Corinthians 15:23 KJV)
"Then
cometh the end, when he
shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
[gleanings] even the Father; when he
shall have put down all rule and all authority
and power." (1 Corinthians 15:24 KJV)
--------------------
Another
Gleaning Reference
"And
when ye reap the harvest [rapture]
of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance
of the corners of thy field when thou reapest,
neither shalt thou gather any gleaning
[tribulation saints] of thy harvest:
thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the
stranger: I am the LORD your God."
(Leviticus 23:22 KJV)
--------------------
Damascus And
The Rapture
"The
burden of Damascus.
Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city,
and it shall be a ruinous heap."
(Isaiah 17:1 KJV)
"The
cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for
flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make
them afraid." (Isaiah 17:2 KJV)
"The
fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the
kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria:
they shall be as the glory of the children of
Israel, saith the LORD of hosts." (Isaiah
17:3 KJV)
"And
in that day it shall come to pass,
that the glory of Jacob shall be made
thin, and the fatness of
his flesh shall wax lean."
(Isaiah 17:4 KJV)
"And
it shall be as when the harvest man
gathereth the corn, and reapeth the
ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that
gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim."
(Isaiah 17:5 KJV)
"Yet
gleaning grapes shall be left in it,
as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three
berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four
or five in the outermost fruitful branches
thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel."
(Isaiah 17:6 KJV)
--------------------
The sequence of
events would appear to be:
1. The destruction
of Damascus by Israel (Isaiah
17:1);
2. Israel hated by
the world for its actions (Isaiah
17:4);
3. The Rapture of
the Church (Isaiah 17:5);
4. The
Tribulations Saints are left upon the earth who
will come to Christ during Tribulation (Isaiah
17:6);
Upon obtaining
this information I immediately presented it to my
Pastor and Associate Pastor who are Independent
Fundamental Baptist. They both agreed it appeared
to be just as it read: There is a direct
connection between the destruction of Damascus
occurring first, and the Rapture of the Church
occurring second at some later point.
We believe
Damascus becoming a ""ruinous
heap"" while the Church is still
present on earth would result in the greatest
witnessing tool since Israel became a nation in
May 1948. God will use this fulfilled prophecy to
gather the final members of His Church before
calling them Home to glory.
If and when we see
Damascus destroyed as a result of the current
Middle East conflict, know that the appearing of
our Lord in the Rapture is near, and we have but
a short time to be a witness unto the nations.
For those on other forums who are dismissing this
idea, and they are, remember: The Old Testament
is the New Testament concealed, and the New
Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
May the Lord's
Will be done, in Jesus' Name, amen!
Keith
07-22-2006
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