Just Like the Days of Noah

Frequently Asked Questions

1- Why would God take His elect through the great tribulation? Psalm 11:5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked. 

Matthew 24:10 says that many will fall away and deliver up one another even in the early stages of the tribulation period. But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved (Mt. 24:13). If Israel is being revived during the tribulation, then it has to be the Gentiles who are falling away. The Church is being sifted like wheat. We are tested when we walk through suffering and persecution and forced to examine our beliefs. Though many confess to be Christian and believe in Jesus, they deny Him when asked to pick up a cross and bear His reproach.  (James 2:19-20)

2- Whether we believe in a pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib rapture, what difference does it make in how the Church prepares for the Lord's return?

If our thinking is that God will not take His bride through the fires of the tribulation, then we won't give much thought to what will be required to walk through such a time of testing. We can prepare for the tribulation period by becoming more aware of His presence now. Instead of avoiding or ignoring the small arenas of testing, we must choose now to stand victoriously in them, trusting in the sufficiency of God and seeing His faithfulness to carry us through. Then when the tribulation fires come, we will be battle ready as was David when he stood against Goliath.  David had learned of God's sufficiency as a shepherd when he fought against the predators who attacked his sheep. If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? (Jer. 12:5) 

3- Is the Antichrist a literal man who rules over the earth with a reign of terror?

Yes, and it is Satan's wrath against Christians that works through this man to persecute and martyr the saints. (Mt. 24:15; Dan. 9:27; Rev. 13:18) Those who do not relent to the dominion of the Antichrist and refuse to take his blasphemous mark...666, will not be able to buy or sell anything including food, medicine and clothes. That in and of itself will initiate a great tribulation for the saints of God. No movies, fast food or internet! Count the cost now and consider it all as loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Creator and LORD. (Phil. 3:8) Do not trade the temporary for that which is eternal!

4- Does Jesus refer to the rapture in His Mt. Olivet Discourse?

In Mt. 24:40-41, Jesus describes one being "taken" while one is "left" when the Son of Man comes. Though it seems obvious that this is a reference to the rapture, most contemporary commentators refute that interpretation because it occurs at the end of the Great Tribulation. However, in our study of Just Like the Days of Noah, we examine that scene more closely.  Then you can decide for yourself.

5- Why are there so many different interpretations of prophecy?

Prophecy contains the element of mystery which raises the difficulty level of interpretation. As we get closer to the fulfillment however, we should be able to recognize the signs that Jesus points to. In the meantime, consider interpreting the Scriptures literally rather than figuratively whenever possible. This is one reason that many different interpretations exist. Some think that Old Testament stories are just allegories and the New Testament is full of hyperboles. That makes any interpretation and application of Scripture difficult, if not impossible. Jesus is real. Satan is real. Let the Word of God speak freely as a book of literal truth!

If we would allow the Scriptures to speak as intended and keep them in correct context rather than scrambling, cutting and pasting passages to support our preferences, there would be far less confusion. Still, some prophetic passages are not meant to be fully understood. Who could have possibly predicted which prophetic Scriptures would be fulfilled in the first coming of Jesus Christ? No one. On some aspects regarding revelation, we have to patiently wait and see.

6- Why did the Jewish people reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah?

His first coming was rejected because not all of the messianic prophecies were fulfilled at that time. In fact, only 1/3 of them were fulfilled (300) leaving 2/3 (600) more to unfold in His second coming. If Jesus had fulfilled all 900 prophecies, then He would have restored Jerusalem to glory, defeated her Gentile enemies and gathered His elect to His Kingdom. God's plan was different and unexpected. First, the Lamb of God had to be slain for the sins of the world. Our Jewish brethren are forgetting about God's promise to bless all nations through Abraham's seed. The blessing and the opportunity for Gentiles to be grafted into the vine for salvation had to come first. According to Romans 11, when the grafting of the Gentiles and regrafting of Israel is complete, then the Lamb of God will return as the Lion of Judah.  The remaining 600 prophecies will be fulfilled. And every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Romans 14:11; Phil. 2:9-11) Just so it shall be.

7- Aren't the first 3 chapters of Revelation the only part of this book written to the Church? Then, in Rev. 4:1, when John is told to "Come up here," isn't the Church being raptured?

First of all, the Church is Jew and Gentile, the bride of Christ. The Church is one not two, joined together by His Spirit. Secondly, all of Revelation was written for the churches, calling for repentance in the first 3 chapters so that believers will be able to overcome. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Rev. 1:3)  God's focus during the tribulation period is on regrafting the Jews into His vine (Jesus) but that does not mean that the Gentiles are gone. Thirdly, the call to "Come up here," was a statement made to John at that time, not the Church in the future.  

Fourthly, the very end of Revelation in 22:16 says, I Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.  Clearly, the entire book of Revelation was written for the Church of Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile. God gave us this Revelation to study beforehand so that we would understand what is happening as we endure. Why would He reveal this information if we weren't going to be here?

8- Wasn't the book of Matthew written to a Jewish audience primarily?

Yes, but that doesn't mean Jesus intended only for Jews to study and apply the teaching in this book. If we begin to eliminate all of the Scriptures written primarily to our Jewish brethren as not being applicable to Gentiles, then we have to remove the entire Old Testament, the New Testament books of Matthew, Hebrews, 1 and 2 Timothy, James, Titus, etc. Are we going to do that? Most of our understanding of God's holiness and His coming Kingdom, comes from these books. The Gentiles by the mercies of Christ have come into a oneness with Israel. We are no longer strangers to the covenant and blessings of God. (Eph. 2:14) Should we lay aside the Scriptures whose readers were originally Jewish? To do that, we must thin out our Bible and remove most of the books.  

9- Isn't the Holy Spirit removed from the earth prior to the great tribulation?

2 Thess. 2:7-8 is often used to say that the "restrainer" or Holy Spirit is removed from the earth prior to the Great Tribulation. Therefore, it has also been concluded and taught that the Church is removed. Look closely at those verses and surrounding text. This passage is ONLY saying that the Antichrist will be revealed when the "restrainer" is removed from restraining him. Apart from being restrained, the Antichrist would have already emerged as a visible world ruler. God's timing is vital, thus His restrainer is presently in place and preventing this.

It is a colossal leap into assumption to say that the "restrainer"  raptures the Church when he is removed from restraining the Antichrist. It is also a stretch to say that at this particular time, the Holy Spirit is being removed from the earth. Would God leave Israel without His Spirit as they endure this great time of testing? How would God revive Israel without the presence and power of His Holy Spirit?